Catch up Day1-2

Well sorry for the long lull, but we been travelin! I will re-cap the trip and pics to follow. We woke up for a early flight Friday morning late, due to Adam hitting snooze 3TIMES!!!! We managed to bust out of bed and rush to pick up my dad and get to curbside check-in. We got to security and it was our lucky day-the lady said oh, you have small children and a family come through this line---NO WAITING-- I love having a family!!!!! We did the whole take your shoes off and belt and almost everything, have people stare at you while you manage 3 kids and a stroller and 5carry on's. Yes the looks are so great, and we get to the gate to find out that the flight is late, and that the don't let people with small children pre board. Now everyone knows I am a bit of a worrier! I was stressed who should sit where, what if there wasn't enough seats together, what if I needed to feed the baby?????????? We my level headed husband said everything would be just fine. We boarded and it was just fine as he said, however I was in the only row with 3 seats together and he got the isle by us. I sat with the kids in case I needed to be indecent and we went up up and away. There was spilled drinks, snacks and many many many many needs from 3 lovely children and I look over to see a sleeping husband!!!! He soon gets passed a squirmy baby and I try very patiently to fix the cut and paste project I brought with the other 2.
We arrive!!!!! We get there get some lunch chat for a bit with the fams and discuss the need to leave for our 4 hour drive to Nauvoo. We finally get out of there at 5:30. The kids did fantastic and slept most of the way. We are starving and finally find a DQ in the pitch of night that closes in 10 minutes. We were saved and eat and move on to find our destination. Driving driving through a dark dark street right by the river. I kept have bad thought that some hillbillies were going to jump out on the road. That never happened but we did get down a wrong turn and delayed us about an hour. Love the smallest city and especially when it is so dark and there is not a single light on in the whole town!
We get to our hotel and settle in, the kids on a hide away, us in a master suite, and the baby in nothing else but-------THE BATHTUB!!!! Yes child abuse I know, but we put a blanket down, plugged the drain(fear of bugs crawling to her) and I wrapped the faucet just in case. She slept great however I had a fear the next night that the water might magically turn on and she didn't sleep there again.
The next day was up and Adam. We went to a great buffet and ate with many eyes looking our way. We got in the car a drove down the sweetest little streets until we got to Joseph's old home. We went on a tour to see some other sites, graves, and shops. We bought the kids a red brick in remembrance of the red brick store-to later find out we got one free down the road. The kids did great and Jaxson had lots of questions about the tombstones and the old houses.
We loaded back in the car and drove a bit to the shoemaker, the the bakery, the print shop. We stopped to a cute puppet show that the kids loved and were off to a cute little deli shop for lunch. We ate and looked around and got to see the beautiful temple and took some photo ops. We drove back and went to the visitor center for another great show with singing and dancing explaining Joseph's life. Jaxson was so attentive and Mya shook her booty to the music. Whitney dropped her binkie at least 10 times and I was losing patience. We took a carriage ride and went and learned to make thread at the family living center. Jaxson and Mya learned about candles and making bread too. We strolled the streets and enjoyed the beautiful green scenery and mist falling on our faces.
Back to the hotel to freshen up and on to the Polynesian fire dancing show.No time to eat and nothing open. We told the kids we would eat after, not knowing when this would end. We watched that and then following was another sing and dance program put on by all of the missionaries. It was amazing!!!!!The kids ate some snacks but Jaxson kept saying he was starving! I truly loved it curled up with my sleepy kids listening to laughter, love and feeling the spirit. It ended and we had to eat but it was 1000 at night. We drive and nothing is open still, what a surprise- we settle for a pizza at a gas station. What a fun filled packed day 3 sleeping kids on the drive back to the hotel! Jaxson even woke up to the smell and ate before hitting the sack about 1100.
What a great day!

I get a break!!!

Yes the end of an era is here and my baby has officially finished the first of many years in education! He had a great little movie presentation today that reminisced the past year with slides of all the fun things they did. His teacher is an amazing woman and gives her heart and soul to this job. She loves my child almost as much as I do and that is phenomenal. I get so emotional with any goodbyes and was tearing up as we left the school today. I will miss this, but on to new adventures and SUMMER!!!! We are off to vacation, sleep in, play and of course argue and tease our siblings! Let the games begin hope I survive the next 2 months, I sure do love the sleepin in!!!!!!!

Crafts

So the end of the year always brings teacher gifts and lots of worry for me! I want them to know how much they are appreciated and especially this year. Jaxson's teacher wears an apron a lot in the class and so I thought what better. We made the flowers with his hands and with a few buttons sewed to the top and a couple ladybugs drawn on tada!!!!!!! He was very proud to model them and actually spilled the beans today at school-oops. Here's to great teachers and sweet gifts!

Graduate

Well here is my little graduate! He had a busy day today with a lunch date with his dad, an ice cream party at school and then the big performance tonight. He had lots of guests including Grandma, Grandpa, Bobba, Papa, Peyton, McKay, and the family! We were so proud and tears were shed and he sang"New York New York---First Grade First Grade" it was sooooo sweet and I was a very proud mom. He has grown and learned so much and the principal said they will be graduates of 8th grade in 2017. How fast the years will fly by as this one has and my baby will be all grown. I hope to cherish every second and I will Friday as we enjoy a vacation and sleeping in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Way to go Bubba!!!!

Handprints

yes, little hand prints painted on a paper from my sweet by and it said

Sometimes you get discouraged
Because I am so small
And always leave my hand print
On furniture and walls

But everyday I'm growing
(I'll be grown someday)
And all those tiny hand prints
Will surely fade away

So here's a final hand print
just so you can recall
Exactly how my fingers looked
When they were very small

Then he wrote:

I lik my mom bcuz she is nise.

Happy mothers day

Jaxson


I am so touched and overwhelmed by this great calling of "mom".
I love the good day's and am grateful also for the bad. I enjoy seeing their faces each morning and the light in their eyes. I love being needed and loved and appreciated. I love being snuggled and tickled and funny. My kids truly bring me the most joy and I cannot imagine my life without them. I love being a mom and wouldn't trade it for anything. Some days are a bit crazy but those days make you appreciate the great moments and they outweigh the bad usually.
Happy mothers day the the great mom's in my life! I am grateful to good examples and knowing that no one is a perfect mom, we can only try to do our best!

Uncle Ash

Happy Birthday Ashton! We are so lucky to have you as our brother and uncle. You are funny and smart and so cute!!!! Thank you for being so fun when you play with us and spending time with us when you come to visit. We love and miss you lots, hope you have a great day!!!!!!

Bobba's B-day!!!!!

Happy Birthday to the best mom ever! Today is her big day and she deserves it all. We celebrated for Sunday dinner with most of us and enjoyed a fun filled night of laughs and wrestling-thanks Zach! Today all the girls went to breakfast and had lots of fun and good food!

My mom is a mother to 7 kids and 11 grand kids! She is a awesome mom and Bobba as the kids call her. She is so involved in our lives and our kids lives, having sleepovers, lunch dates, going on field trips, wagon rides, swim parties, and mailing sweet

cards. We love her so much and can't imagine life without her. She was taught lots of great things from her mom that she has taught us and I am sure my grandma is very proud of her too!

Happy Birthday hope you have a fantastic day!!!!!