kuzma Family Blog

Muddy Mess

2010-04-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

I decided to go and get some shopping done while my hubby was home. I don't get to do that very often. When I left the kids were playing with chalk. I was gone for about 45 Min's. When I came driving up my street, I saw my kids playing on the sidewalk across from our house. I noticed that they were playing in something dark. My heart sank and panic set in. I just knew it wasn't going to be good. As I got closer I saw that it was mud!! Now if you know me at all, you know that this is just not ok. First, they are in there clothes & they will be stained and ruined. Second, it is totally nasty and Third where and the heck am I going to clean them. I don't want all that mud in my tub. So as the rage set in, I look around to see where my hubby was, and why he thought this would be a good idea. Of course he is no where to be found. Initially I wanted to scream and stop them immediately. But then I saw how much fun they were having. So I popped a xanax & grabbed my camera and started taking pictures. Ok I didn't really take a xanax, but I would have if I had any. Of course I stripped my kids out front and hosed them off before they came into the house. Couldn't totally let go of the OCD.

Cate sharing the mud with our Dog Cody. The scary thing is the dog is eating it.

Wow! his poor clothes. Will I ever get those stains out.

Cate thinks she is at Glen Ivy. Her first mud facial.

Kyler's Baby blessing

2010-04-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

What a special day this was for our family. Kyle was able to bless the baby. I'm so grateful that he has the priesthood and is able to do this for our children. We decided to do it last min and because of this we didn't have any family here with us. But the day was still special.

Dying Easter eggs

2010-04-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

Ok so a funny story about Kyleigh and her Easter eggs. She really enjoyed coloring them and when we were done I went to take her eggs and stick them in the fridge. She said no I don't want you to take them. I don't want to eat my eggs. I said ok but that's why we do it to eat them. So she must have figured I'll just take one and hide it and my mom will never know. So it was about 2 weeks later that I noticed a foul odor coming from her room. I for sure thought I had left out one of Cate's poopy diapers. So while cleaning one day I found the egg. Since she had traveled home from Utah with it, it had a crack in it. The egg was totally green and nasty. I just about died. Good thing I found it when I did. That could have been bad. So I had to explain to Kyleigh that those things have to stay in the fridge.

My beautiful sister Jenny and her youngest Braden

Cate wondering if she should take part in the dying of the eggs

I know everyone looks so excited

Kyleigh with her Cousin Conor

Kadin and Conor

Some of the eggs the kids colored

The family with my parents

Kadin helping Cate color her egg

All the cousins dying the Eatser eggs out front Nama's house.

Braden and Cate & Collin

Collin and Jackson

Kyleigh Coloring her eggs

Ok another funny story with Collin. So he had never had an egg before and he thought it looked good. So he spent like 10 mins taking the shell off and he was so excited to eat it. As he watched his cousins eat them he thought for sure it would be good and he was missing out. So he took a huge bite and I wish I could have got it on camera. He was so disappointed. His face went from beaming to steaming!! He was so annoyed. obviously he had hoped for better. I think he'll stick with the plastic eggs filled with candy.

Easter Hunt

2010-04-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

So Kadin asked this year if he could help me hide the candy. I of course said yes as the help was welcomed. But I was curious as to how he knew the Easter bunny wasn't real. When I asked him he looked at me kinda weird like he isn't real. Oops!! I really hope I didn't ruin that for him. I do think he knew but for some reason thought he wouldn't get the candy if he didn't believe. So I quickly said you still get your basket and he just had a big smile on his face.
We had our Easter hunt at the club house in my parents neighborhood. We were in a hotel so we thought that would be better than hiding all the candy in front of the hotel. Each child got a section in the club house to search for their candy. In my house growing up the Easter bunny always hid all of the candy and basket separately. So we do the same for our kids. We didn't hide Kadin's candy as he helped me hide it all.

Kyleigh had the kitchen. She had all of her candy and basket in a matter of seconds. Will have to hide her candy better next year. Think she was pleased with all of her candy.

Collin had the family room. Kadin hid all of Collin's candy. He did a great job. Collin had a blast finding all of his candy. He would scream every time he found an egg or candy. Of course he stopped to eat some candy before he was done searching for it. He loves chocolate.

Cate was just adorable. I think she was the most excited about finding her candy. She would run from one egg to another. She had the biggest smile on her face. She would pick up the egg and stick it in her basket. I had put out bubbles and some other toys and she skipped right over those and went right for the candy. After she had picked up all her candy she then went back and picked up the toys. She was the most disappointed when the search was over. But I was able to distract her with the chocolate candy.

Cate 2nd Birthday

2010-04-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

We were in Utah for Easter this year. So we were able to celebrate Cate's birthday why we were there. She had all of her cousins with her on her birthday. This made the day extra special. We always do a combo party for her and Collin in May. So will have her party then.

Bath Time

2010-03-12T10:11:00.000-08:00

As you can see Kyler didn't enjoy his first bath at all. Kyler is just 8 days old here. His cord fell off very early as it kept getting stuck on his diaper. My other babies didn't loose their cords till they were at least 14 days old. Will hope that bath time becomes more peacful for him. But I do love that clean baby smell.

Welcome Kyler Graham Kuzma

2010-03-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

9 pounds 4 ounces 21 1/2 inches long

Kyle & I arrived at Pamorado Hospital at 7 in the morning. We had a scheduled induction. From the second that we walked into the hospital the anxiety began. You would think with this being my fifth that I would be a pro. But I still get flooded with all the anxiety and nervousness. As we sat in the waiting room my mind ran wild with thoughts. Kyle kept looking at me and asking if I was ok. I Must have looked terrified. The nurse came and got us and took us to our room. As I got settled in I began to calm down. That is until the nurse came in to start my IV. With everything that you go through in delivering a baby, I have to say that the IV is the worst part. I hate the way it feels in my arm. I think because of my anxiety the nurse never gets it on the first try. I really wanted to ask if my husband could just put it in. I know he would have got it on the first try. After the Iv was in they began the pitocin I do hate that drug. I really wish they would have just broke my water and let me go on my own. Anyways for the next 10 hours they slowly pushed the pitocin I did ask for the epidural fairly early as I had a hard time sitting in the bed. My bottom was hurting. This too gives me anxiety. I really hate needles. But the anesthesiologist was awesome! It was the best epidural ever. Barley felt it and it worked for the first time. I was totally numb. So at least I was totally comfortable while I labored slowly. I brought movies and books so we would not be board. I'm so glad I did. I knew that I wouldn't go until they broke my water. So I kept asking for the doc to come and break it. He came strolling in about 6:15 in the evening. Before he broke it I was a 4. After he broke my water I could feel my contraction immediately get stronger and closer together. The Doctor said he was going to run home and hang with his family for a bit. This did make me nervous as I know my body and I go quick after my water breaks. So within the hour I was paging the nurse as I was feeling alot of pressure. She checked me and said that she would call the doc. I was really worried that he was going to miss the entire thing. But he made it just in time. He walked in the door and I began to push. He asked me how quickly I pushed out my last babies and I told him about 3 pushes. Kyle quickly said no it's more than that and I honestly think the Doctor didn't believe me either. So when the baby came so quickly he was shocked. Kyler came in exactly 3 pushes. I do love being right. Kyle and I had estimated how much we thought the baby would weigh. I thought he would be 9 pounds 2 ounces and Kyle had guessed 8 pounds 11 ounces. We were both shocked that he weighed in at 9 pounds 4 ounces. After he was born they immediately handed me the baby. I held him for like an hour before they cleaned him. I nursed him right away and he did great. He was a healthy beautiful boy. He was born at 7:30. I was exhausted & we tried to go to bed early. We didn't sleep much at all maybe 2 hours that night. The next morning I asked the nurse if we could go home. For some reason this always annoys them. She seemed very bothered that I wanted to leave. She did say she would work on getting us out of there as soon as possible. We didn't figure out what we were going to name the baby until right before the birth certificate lady came in. I had wanted Carson or Cameron. I thought we were going to go with one of those but Kyle wanted Kyler. So I told him it was his choice because neither one of us could make up our minds. This is the first time that Kyle has really had an opinion on the name. He always lets me choose. So I felt like it was his turn. But I did keep calling the baby Carson because that's what I thought we were naming him. Took me a week to get it down. We left the hospital around 6pm the next day. Just under 24 hours. We arrived home just after 7 and the kids were so excited to see us. A big thanks to my mom who came down and stayed with the kids. It's just so surreal Your pregnant for 9 months & then you go in and have a baby in a couple hours and then you come home and you have this baby. I just stare at him. It truly is amazing and I'm so grateful for this beautiful healthy baby boy. What a miracle it is.

38 weeks pregnant

2010-02-28T13:13:00.000-08:00

So I was not very good at taking photos while pregnant. But I did get a few. So I wanted to put what I did get in here. For being my fifth pregnancy it went reaaly well. Other than some major acid feflux & back pain I don't have much to complain about. I really do enjoy being pregnant. This might become a problem for my husband.

2009-04-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm on the phone talking with a friend & Collin comes up to me and says, Mommy I'm so pretty. As he is saying this he is parting his hair in the middle and it is all wet. So I asked Collin why is your hair all wet? He just said I'm so pretty. So I just say oh yes you are and I continue my conversation with my friend. Couple minutes later I hear screaming coming from the bathroom. So I dash into the bathroom and collin is crying and his eye is closed shut, on the bathroom counter is Kyleigh's body spray. He sprayed the perfume in his hair which is why he said I'm so pretty. So I guess he sprayed his own eye trying to spray his hair.

Thought it was so funny because I have done that to myself. When Kadin was like 2 years old I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and I didn't turn the light on because then your blinded to walk back to the bed. So when I was finished I picked up the air freshener and I felt for the hole so I wouldn't spray it at myself. So I sprayed it and it shot right into my eye. Now mind you it's midnight and Kyle is sleeping so I staggered into the kitchen to rinse my eye out. I ended up screaming and waking up Kyle to read the instructions on the back of the bottle. So I rinsed it out for 30 min. About 4 days later I got pink Eye. Seriously, What are the odds. So I feel his pain.

Same week different day Collin came up to me and said mommy my tongue hurts take me to the docter he stick a screw driver in it and make it better.

Trip To Disneyland

2009-04-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

Collin Didn't want to take this picture. Can you tell?

In Toon Town

Main Street

Collin loves Mickey Mouse! He was so afraid of him.

Big brother taking care of baby Cate

They all got soaked!

Dad and Kadin awaiting their fate!

A little Bumper action

Beautiful Kyleigh

So Kadin & Kyleigh both had passes to Disneyland when they were little. So I decided that it was time to take Collin and Catelyn. We bought the passes for the entire year as it is such a good deal. So now we get into both parks all year long. So we took the kids on a Thursday right before school let out for spring break. We thought the park would be empty seeing as everyone should be in school. But who are we kidding it's Disneyland, It's always packed. So One of the first things we saw when we went into the park was Mickey Mouse. So of course I run over to get Collins pic with him as Collin loves Mickey Mouse. But big shocker he wouldn't take the picture with Mickey Mouse. He was totally freaked out. So I ended up holding him in the pic just to get the shot. Oh well what are you going to do. Anything to get the shot I guess. Even if that means shooting me and we all know how I feel about pictures.

Next the kids heading to some rides. Kyle road all the big ones with Kadin and Kyleigh as I'm not a huge fan of roller coasters. They went on Space Mountain and Star Tours. Kyleigh didn't want to ride Thunder Mountain so she sat with me why Dad and Kadin went. She is not a big fan of the fast rides either. But Collin,Kyleigh, Kadin & Daddy went on the Matterhorn. They all loved it and wanted to do it again. Collins favorite rides of the day were Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and the Matterhorn. Of course he loved It's a Small World. Think that was Cate's favorite ride. Kadin loves anything that gives him a thrill like his father. Kyleigh's favorite ride was Pirates of the Carabian & the Haunted House. I enjoyed watching the kids laugh and enjoy themselves most of all.

Kyle loves Fire Works and it just so happened that they were doing fire Works that night. They normally only do them on the weekends during the school year so we were very surprised. So of course he wanted to stay for those. So he and the older kids sat and watched the Fire Works while I took the babies to the car as it was late and they were tired and cold. Kyle met me back at the car. He was a bit disappointed as he was not happy with the spot he was in while watching the fire works. This is serious stuff. We always enjoy ourselves when were at Disney Land. It is so much fun to go some where with the family where everyone is happy. It truly is the Happy Place on Earth.

Go Ducks!

2009-04-19T08:13:00.000-07:00

So Sarah called and said that Brother Ovard had some hockey tickets for the Ducks game & asked if we wanted to go. At first I was like Kyle is not a big fan of Hockey. If you were calling and asking if we wanted to go to the Angel game Kyle would be all over that. But she then told me that the tickets were free. Now Kyle is all over free. So I told her that I would ask him. To my surprise Kyle was totally interested. He thought that sounded like alot of fun. Kinda funny because when I called Sarah back to tell her we were in, she told me that it was fan appreciation night the night we were going. So as a gift to the fans they were giving out Angel game tickets. We had to laugh about that a bit. So we got two games out of one and Kyle and Kadin both love the Angels. So now we'll get another night out of it.

So the night of the game is the day that I came home from my trip with my sister. That is the day that we found out that the baby broke her leg. So I had been in the urgent care for like 3 hours and this made us a bit late. I know were crazy for even going after such a day but the kids were so excited about the game. Ended up perfect as Sarah was running a bit late as well so we got there about the same time. We hurried in as we were late. The game was actually very enjoyable. I kinda like hockey. Crazy how rough they are. Those guys must just look hammered at the end of each game. They slam each other into the glass. A very rough sport. I was very surprised how difficult it was for them to score goals. The game was like 2-3 for most of the game. Basketball & most other sports have such a high scoring game. Thought it would be the same. While the game was on Sarah and I went down and got these gift boxes for the kids which came with a water bottle, t-shirt, signed poster, chain neck less and some expired tickets to a duck game. Had to laugh about that. We figured that was why they were buy one get one free. The kids were really excited about it. We were only planning on getting one and having the kids share but it was buy one get one free. Couldn't have worked out better. So the game was 12 seconds from being finished and we were up by one. The score was 2-3. I'm not kidding the other team scored in that 12 seconds. So this sent the game into overtime. My baby was done at this point so we decided to sneak out a bit early to beat the rush. We did find out later of course that the Ducks won that game.

So we get to the car and Klye says that the front tire is flat. Of course it is. So we think we'll drive to a gas station and fill it up and hope that we can make it home. Kyle fills the tire and were on the freeway for like 2 mins and the tire is practically flat again. So we pull over to change the tire & I can see in Kyle's face he is totally annoyed. So I say why don't you just call Triple A and let them change it. Kyle said no I'll do it. So he gets the spare tire off the car and goes to take our tire off and realizes that we don't have the right tool to take the tire off. The one that came with the car doesn't fit as we have changed our tires with bigger ones. So we ended up having to call Triple A after all. Kinda a bummer way to end such a fun night. So this guy comes out to change the tire and I'm not kidding his entire butt is hanging out if his pants. Have these guys not heard of underwear or maybe pants that fit. Anyways that was my Q to get back in the car. It wasn't long and we were back on the road. We got home about mid-night all the kids were out. Transferred them to their beds and hit the sack. I was so tired. Thanks Ovard family for the tickets. We had so much fun. Thanks to Sarah for yet another memorable night of fun. We always enjoy time with there family.

Kadin & Malachi
My firend Sarah

Daren & Sarah

Kuzma Family & Darago Family

Naomi & Kyleigh

Easter Sunday

2009-04-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

So we all slept in on Sunday morning till around 8am. This was a treat in and of itself. I awoke to the sweet smell of bacon. I could tell this was going to be a good day. Dad was in the kitchen making breakfast. This is not out of the ordinary at our house. Dad is in the kitchen alot. He loves to make food and he is good at it so no complaints. I do the clean up. It's a pretty good deal as some woman do both. My hubby is good to me. So after our delicious breakfast we read from the scriptures and talked a bit about what Easter symbolizes. Was surprised to here their answers. After we finished up cleaning the kitchen we decided to start the festivities. Well the kids did anyways. In the past the Easter Bunny has always hidden the stuff inside giving each child one room to search for their goodies. But seeing as we have four kids now there just isn't enough rooms. So the Easter Bunny had to take it outside this year. When Collin open the slider door and saw all the eggs he screamed are those all for me. He was so excited! Kyleigh was quick to answer no.

Kadin is always looking out for Collin he helped him find some of his eggs.

Kadin's were hidden pretty good. Daddy couldn't even find his eggs. Kadin was like really you want me to stick my hand in that nasty bush. They're spiders in there.

Kyleigh raced around the yard looking for all her goodies. She was quick to find everything.

Colin couldn't help himself, while looking for his eggs he would stop and eat candy and then look again. He surprised me as he found some of the hardest eggs. As you can see he did well for himself.

As you can see her pour foot kept her out of the race but we put all her eggs in reach. She loved the Jelly Beans.

They all sat and shared what they got. I used to do this with my family. I remember trades going on. I'll give you my bag of Jelly Beans for one Peanut Butter Egg.

Just had to have a bite. This year Nana gave us our Easter Bunnies and they were not from Wal-Mart, I can tell ya that. They were real chocolate. Becca you would have bitten that rabbits head right off.

Kyleigh and Collin saw kadin eating his bunny and thought we want in on that action.

So after the Easter hunt was all over and the kids had stuffed their tummies with candy we decided to go ahead and die Easter eggs seeing as we forgot. This was a childhood tradition in our home & I loved it. So we do it every year even if it is after the hunt is over. So Mommy took the stuff out of the box and popped out all of the holes in the back of the box so we could put our eggs in there to dry. Just a side note, read the directions before you pop out the holes in the back. So we had no clue how much vinegar to use so we took a guess. Think it was a little too much. But the kids still had a BLAST!

In this pic you can see the box that I popped the holes out of and lost the directions

Here is the finished product! Happy Easter

As it is Easter and I sat and reflected what Easter meant to my, I thought about how grateful I am to my savior Jesus Christ for all of the sacrifices he has made for me. I am so grateful for him as through the atonement we can return home to our heavenly father.

How does a baby break her leg?

2009-04-11T20:31:00.000-07:00

So when I was on my weekend with my sister my hubby would of course check in with me and let me know how things were going. I asked him how the baby was and he said very fussy as was Collin. We both thought it was because I was gone or maybe they were over tired. So when I arrived home on Friday morning I of course ran and gave them all a big hug. I sat on the flour in front of Cate to see if she would crawl to me. She just sat there and cried. Kyle was like see what I mean this is how she has been. So I leaned over and picked her up. She then began to scream. I thought oh my gosh did i pick her up to hard? So I began feeling around to see if she was hurt. When I went to stand her on the ground I noticed she wouldn't put her foot down. So I asked Kadin to go and get her push walker. When I stood her in front of it she puled her leg up and just cried. I new something was wrong. I asked kyle what happened and he said nothing. She never cried like she was in pain, she was just fussy. So I decided to take her into the urgent care just to make sure she was OK. When they asked me what happened it was a bit embarrassing because I said we don't have a clue. 3 hours later we got the news that the Tib/Fib were both broken. I was shocked! I really just thought it would be a sprain or something. So they put a splint on it and said it would be casted on Monday. When the nurse came in she was like this is so weird both your babies have broken a leg? I was like yes, I know it is a little weird. They both broke their legs at a year and they both broke the left and the Tib. Catelyn's was worse of course because she broke both bones. Anyways I felt like they thought that we abused our children and they were going to call CPS. Not a good day.

So I took her Monday to get the cast and the Doctor said that he thought that a cast to the knee should be fine. I said are you sure you don't think we should do it to the hip? He said if it were my daughter I would cast her to her knee. He wanted her to be able to crawl around still. So later that night I noticed that I couldn't see her toes sticking out anymore. Her foot was slipping out of it. Think it was like ten minutes later the cast was off. So I called the Doctor and he said to saw the cast in half and then put it back on with tape just until the morn. I was like I have no clue how to use a saw and my husband is gone. So he said try some scissors. Yah, I tried the scissors and no not so much! So lucky for me Emily's husband Kurt was kind enough to saw the cast. They both helped me get it back on her, which wasn't an easy task. So the next day we went in and she was casted to the hip. As if the break wasn't bad enough we had to go through the casting process twice. That's just my luck though. I mean really my one year old broke her leg and we have no clue how. Anyways she is doing great now just crawling and walking around on the cast. Nothing seems to slow them down.

Becca's Birthday Trip

2009-04-10T10:31:00.000-07:00

So we tried to put together a girls trip for Becca's 30th birthday. But it ended up just being Becca and I as my sister Jennifer just moved and we all know how crazy that can be. We have been trying to put a trip together for the sisters for quit some time now and it just never happens. Hopefully one day we'll do it.
But Becca was going to be in Palm Springs for a reunion with her husbands family so we decided to still get together for a couple of days. We met in riverside and stayed in a Holiday Inn right off the freeway. It actually was a very nice hotel. So we arrived on Wed afternoon. We checked into our hotel and quickly hit the mall for some retail therapy! That is always nice. We ate dinner at the Cheese Cake Factory and that is my all time favorite restaurant. Our server was a bit of a poop & I think he licked my loaf of bread so I missed that part of the experience of Cheese Cake. Their bread rocks! After dinner we headed off to Barnes & Noble and spent some time reading books and relaxing. How do you spend $100.00 dollars at the book store? Only I would do that. Becca and I headed home after that. We closed our first night with some good conversation and some laughs. Maybe a prank or two (he he).
So Thursdays big plan was to hang at the Spa all day. Becca and I arrived around 11:00. We quickly put our things in the locker. We did have a bit of a stinker in the locker room . She gave us some attitude that we had to laugh about later. The spa was supper relaxing. It was a beautiful day. We did the sulfur bath first then the mud and ended with the Grotto. After the day at the spa we headed to a nail spa for a pedicure. We then headed to Ruby's for dinner. Becca was craving the chicken tacos. After a nice dinner Becca decided that she was going to ask the cook for the secret recipe for the chicken tacos. To my surprise he gave them to her and it only took him ten mins to do so. Just two ingredients, yes that's right ten min for two ingredients. Becca made his day by asking but had a bit of a problem understanding him. Anyways she was excited to have the recipe. We finished the night with a very weird movie "sequence" and then quickly headed home. Tonight we both crashed. Becca fell asleep mid sentence.
Friday morning we both slept in. We decided that due to the fact we had no money left that we would head home earlier than planned. Sadly neither one of us brought our camera so we have no pics. I know what a big bummer. Not really I hate pics of myself. Anyways I had a wonderful time and am so glad I was able to make the time to spend a couple of days with my sister. I always enjoy our time together. We kinda feed of one another. I always learn something new about my sister when I'm with her. This trip she showed me just how big her heart is. She truly gives people the benefit of the doubt and always finds the good in people. I hope that we can make a tradition of this every year. Love you Becca Hope you had a wonderful Birthday weekend.

Baseball Season

2009-03-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, so this baseball thing was alot more than what I expected. Kadin has two games a week and then has practice on top of that. Games are about 2 hours long and I love watching him play but trying to juggle the other 3 while watching is the hardest part. He is really enjoying it but is still building up his confidence. He has hit the ball a couple of times and when he hits it he nails it. Kadin just loves baseball and basketball. He watches the games on the TV all the time. So watching him play has been a real treat as he really gets into it. He is a little nervous about being hit with the ball. I got to say I can't blame him as some of the pitchers think they're professional and they throw the ball so hard that it is no where near the plate. We watched one kid on his team get clocked in the head with the ball. Good thing they wear helmets. So the coach gives out a game ball at the end of each game and Kadin got the game ball at his last game for his triple hit. Think that is what you call it. He made it to 3 base. I'm still new to the baseball lingo as this is his first year. I'm so proud of Kadin I look forward to alot of growth over the season. I'll get pics up as soon as I can. Just need to get this all down and I'll add the pics later.

Terrible Twos!

2009-03-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well it has officially started. Collin has entered the terrible twos. Thought that we might have escaped it but sadly I spoke to soon. This is often the case. So like all of my other children I just try and ignore the screaming and kicking and hitting. But it is just so funny I almost have to just laugh. All those who know Collin just know that is is so quiet. He by nature is very calm. So when this started about a week ago I tried to reason with him, I just said ok that is enough. I'm about done with the fits. You need to get over it. But to my surprise he had a completely different approach. You can't reason with a lunatic! When he is having a fit he nearly passes out from anger, LOL and we all thought he was like his father. So we'll just have to wait and see what he exactly has in store for all of us. I have yet to snap a pic of him throwing his tantrum but I'll be sure to get the next one.

Busy Little Bee

2009-03-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Well it has been way too long since I have been on here. I have a lot to catch up on. Baby Catelyn has been crawling all over the place. She started crawling about 4 months ago. She was about 8 months. She is now walking all over the furniture. She is so busy and will be walking any day now. She is also starting to talk. She can say Momma & Dada, baba. She is pointing at things and grunting. She wants to talk so bad. She still continues to be such a sweet baby! She is no longer eating baby food. She loves to eat whatever we are eating. She is clapping her hands and waving Bye. She has been doing that since about 8 months. She just adores he brothers and sister. They all help out with her so much. We couldn't think of a nick name for her so we call her baby Cate and Collin has started calling her baby sissy.

Collin's first day of Pre-School

2009-01-20T22:10:00.000-08:00

Ok so Collin's first day of pre-school was today. He was so excited to go. Kadin and Kyleigh go off to school every day and he always asks, "Mommy, Kadin and kyleigh are at school right?" Such a sweet little boy. I asked him if he wanted to go to school and he said, "yes like Kadin and Kyleigh". Simon is his dear friend and we started them together. This of course was the frosting on the cake. Collin just adores Simon. When getting up this morning Collin pulled out his Angels sweat shirt and said I want to wear my angels shirt to school. So in the heat he wore his sweat shirt. Collin did very good when I dropped him off. He only cried a little. This is the pre-school Kyleigh went to. So that is kinda neat.

Emily went and picked the boys up and the teacher said they both did great. Collin went potty in the toilet all day. She said the boys stuck together. I felt a little sad while he was gone today. But I know the interaction is good for Collin. He told me he can't wait to go back. He made a rectangle reindeer. Can you guess what letter today was? My baby boy is growing up.

Baby Cate's New Teeth

2009-01-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

Catelyn is teething like crazy. She has popped like 3 new teeth. She is just so cheerful.I just love teething babies.

Poor Little Guy

2009-01-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

Kadin and Collin right After he bit the dust. The goggles that saved him are pictured.

OK so Collin is famous for not looking where he is going. So tonight he and Kadin were running around the island in the kitchen, of course Collin was not looking where he was running and he ran right into the cabinet. He hit it so hard that it knocked him right off his feet. Thankfully he was wearing goggles and so when his face smashed into the cabinet it was protected. So he lay ed there for a moment and we all were waiting for the tears & all of a sudden he pops up and says "Oh I OK" & he begins to run around the island again. We had a good laugh.

So when we were in Utah visiting family for Christmas Collin again was not looking where he was going. He took yet again another spill. So we were leaving a sandwich place & Collin was lingering behind us as he normally does. There was a family sitting out front enjoying there lunch. I had walk ahead a bit as Collin is so slow. So I was yelling Come on Collin lets go. He was too busy flirting with the people who were out eating there lunch. He was waving and had a big smile on his face. All of a sudden I hear this woman yelling watch out & Collin had ran right into a parked car knocking him over again. Only this time he was screaming. He was so embarrassed. I felt so bad for him. His face went from a huge smile to a sad face. The worst part was the people were totally laughing.

The Cabin in Brian Head

2009-01-11T20:01:00.000-08:00

So my brother Scott invited us to his cabin in Brianhead. This is Erik his son and him and Kadin got along so well this trip. It is so nice to have so many cousins. I really missed that when I was a child. Being LDS most of my friends had tons of cousins and I only had like 6 & they all lived back East and we never saw them. I'm glad my kids have lots of cousins close by. So we left Sunday evening to head up to the cabin and I have to be honest it made me a bit nervous as we had no chains or snow tires & it was dark which means your more likely to hit ice. So as were going up the mountain at one point the back of my car was sliding in the opposite direction as the front. We were nearly horizontal with the road. At that point I started to freak out. This of course did not give my husband the confidence required to safely make it up the mountain. For the next 15 mins I sat and prayed that we would be safe. To my surprise we made it up in one piece and no damage to the car.

The very next morning Scott,Erik, Amber, Kyle & Kadin all got ready to hit the slopes. Grandma and Grandpa were going to meet them on the slopes. After they took off I got the kids something to eat and was getting them ready to out and play in the snow when I realized it had started to snow. Of course I begin to panic because I'm thinking we nearly died on the way up and down you'll have far less traction and with no chains we would be screwed. Did I mention that they don't plow the roads near my brothers cabin. So I decide not to worry as we'll just have to leave when it is safe. The next couple of pics are of the kids playing in the snow. They had so much fun. I was unable to take a pic of Kyle and Kadin on the slopes and forgot to get one of them when they came in. So you won't see one of them but they were there. Kadin decided to snow ski as he thought it would be easier. He has such a fun time & Kyle said that he did very well. He fell a ton on his first run and was ready to quit but by run two he was fling down the mountain. Did I mention that it was 9 degrees with the wind chill 2. So it was kinda miserable conditions. But they still had a wonderful time despite the bitter cold.

So after dinner we decided to play a card game. As we were playing Collin began to have a fit and Scott told us to ignore him as Kyle & I never normally do. We always threaten him and yell at him to stop or pic him up and give him what he wants to make it stop. Hadn't occurred to me to ignore him. So while playing we listened to Collin scream for like an hour. But it actually worked he stopped crying. I now plan to ignore his fits as negative attention is still attention which is what they want. Love the older siblings as they have already been through it before multiple times. Scott had put a call in to the city to see if we could get the roads plowed. We woke up the next morning and nothing roads had not been plowed. So we got all packed up and decided to try and get out. We didn't make it passed the driveway. There was too much snow and we could not get enough traction to get off his street which was on a small hill. So we all headed back into the house to think of a new plan. While we were all warm inside Kyle and Scott dug two paths for our tires leading down his street and up the small hill. This actually worked and Kyle was able to get the car up the hill, from this point it was all down hill. So he went down the hill alone as he did not want me to be yelling at him every time the tire slipped. So we all piled into Scott's car which had 4 wheel drive. We all made it down safe and it was a huge relief.Scott's cabin is just beautiful. It was so peaceful & relaxing up there. I am so grateful that he shared it with us. I had a wonderful time & it was the perfect end to our trip. I'm grateful for his generosity. It was nice as it was a time for Scott and I to bond as he is alot older than me and we didn't grow up together. I enjoyed the time we spent together and hope we can do it again soon. We met my parents and Sherry in St George for lunch on our way out. We said our goodbyes and headed on our way home. It's always sad to leave family behind but we were all ready to get back to the warm CA weather.

New Years Eve

2009-01-11T12:52:00.000-08:00

We started the New Years Eve party at my sister Sherry's house. The kids and my husband enjoyed playing the new Rock Band game. Kyle played the guitar, kadin was on the drums & Kyleigh sang. It was funny to watch. We all headed over to my parents house for fire works, games and Apple Cider. It was nice to be with family over the holidays. Kadin & Erik really hit if off this year. They pretty much played everyday. Wish we could live closer as I feel like the kids really miss out. So much change in the time between our visits. We head up to the cabin for two days and then home. The cabin blog is next. To be continued

Our trip to Utah in Dec

2009-01-09T10:43:00.000-08:00

So this beautiful girl in the pic above is my niece Lauren. When she was born I was about 10 years old. My sister Becca and I used to carry her around like a rag doll . My sister Sherry was so good to let us play with her. We loved to pretend that she was our little girl. We had so much fun doing Laurens hair and dressing her up. As Lauren got older we enjoyed playing barbies together. Once I began to drive I was able to take her places. So we would go and have a girls day & get our nails done or go shopping for clothes. I really enjoyed spoiling her. Lauren is no longer a baby and as she has gotten older is is harder to spoil her but I treasure our friendship and I love her so much. I love to remember all the good times we shared together. Lauren is a tough girl & I admire her strength. She has been dealt some very hard challenges & many would turn there hearts and be angry, Lauren has a beautiful heart and she excepts what is given and I rarely hear her complain. I'm so proud of her and her decision to be sealed to her husband for time and all eternity. Of course she gets this strength from her mother. I was able to go & be part of the sealing with Lauren. This was especially neat for me as I was the last to go through the temple in my family & so I missed all of my brothers and sister sealings and that was hard. It was so beautiful and so fresh in my mind as Kyle and I went through less than 18 months ago. It is such a special gift to be able to have those blessings and I am so happy that they were able to go through and that I was able to share that with them. I love you so much Lauren and I am so proud of you. Welcome to the family Steve I love you too. I'll have to take you out for a girls day and we too can get our nails done so we have those memories.
Becca , Dave, Scott & my parents were all there. Jon and Jennifer both missed as they are in the middle of moving. Jon arrived to St George on Tues he and his wife are going to be living with my parents till they find a home there. My sister Jennifer is going to be moving to Sat Lake. So all of my family will be alot closer. The whole day was so nice and what made it even better was having all of us together.

So after the sealing we stayed with my parents. My sister Becca was set to leave on Sunday. So we were able to have a late night and enjoy some good laughs & junk food. Things always get a bit crazy when your running on no sleep. The kids were really excited to do Christmas. Kadin opened a Wi game and was just thrilled. I know what a big surprise. Kyleigh got her first phone for her room. If you know Kyleigh then you would know that this was the perfect gift as she loves to talk. She has already called Grandma, Nana & Sher. Collin got a Firetruck & some books. Collin loves cars and loves to read. Catelyn got a guitar. Collin loves this as well. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa.
Grandma & Kyleigh made some cookies and I believe she even made some with Kadin and Erik. This has become quit the tradition as she has made cookies with Kadin since he was 3. The kids love it and it makes for good memories. They also went down and swam at grandma's pool. Grandpa enjoyed taking walks with Kyleigh and Collin to the park every morning. After Jon arrived Collin and Samantha were able to play & they are close in age and had a really good time together. Sherry & I were able to go and see a late movie one night. It was nice to get out and relax. Towards the end of our stay my mom set up a day we could all go and do a session together. So Dave & Mary, Jon and Stephanie, Scott and Peggy, Kyle and I and my parents all went and did a session. It was so nice to all be there together. Kadin played a ton with Erik and Kyleigh enjoyed time with Kiki,Lauren, Kaley and Amber. Kyleigh is so lucky to have so many cousins. Kinda crazy because I used to babysit all of them and now they do it for me. We enjoyed our visit and are so grateful that my parents shared their home with us. I enjoyed the time spent with family and I know my kids enjoyed making memories with grandparents and cousins. We'll look forward to another trip soon. Who knows maybe one day we too will live there.

My mom helping Collin play with Catelyn's guitar.

Papa helping Collin open his Firetruck

Christmas with Nana

2009-01-08T11:38:00.000-08:00

Nana came to celabrate Christmas on Dec 21st with us. The kids were so excited to see her. Kadin got a basketball and was very excited, Kyleigh got a horse trailer barbie set, Colin got some cars and baby Catelyn got a new highchair. She stayed and played with the kids and then we went and had dinner at Islands. It was a very nice day. Merry Christmas nana!

Christmas Morning

2009-01-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

So we actually all slept in until about 7:30. Kyleigh came in and told us that Santa had come. So we all went down to see what he had brought. The kids were very excited and wanted to get started. We first had them start with there stockings. Of course this is always a hit because Santa always leaves lots of candy. This is of course to share with Mom and Dad. Dad and Kadin helped pass out one gift to everyone. I like to have each child open one gift at a time as it lasts longer and each child gets all eyes on them. Think it makes it a bit more exciting. As we do only open one at a time it still does fly by & and I can't help but feel a bit sad when the last gift is opened.

Dad prepared a yummy Christmas breakfast for all of us to enjoy. We had eggs and french toast which is my personal favorite. We spent the rest of the day together playing all the new toys. Kadin was most excited about his new video games. He got a basketball game and a soccer game for the Wi. Kyleigh got a karaoke machine. She was just thrilled about that as Kyleigh loves to be in the spot light. She spent most of the day singing away. Even Mom and Dad joined in a little. Collin was most excited about his Go Diego Go truck. Catelyn got a little fish tank with some fish to take in and out.

Nana brought us a Ginger Bread house kit over when she came to open her gifts with us. We put that together after we were finished with all the gifts. This has become a family tradition in our house. We almost forgot to do it this year as Mom forgot to buy one, so Nana saved the day. I do love this time of the year so much and it just goes by so fast. I feel like we just put all the decorations up and now it is time to take them all down. The things I love most about Christmas are: Spending time with family, baking lots of cookies, shopping, listening to Christmas music, hearing the kids laugh, remembering our savior & all he has done for us, decorating the house, cold weather, drinking hot cocoa & guess I'm a big kid because I still enjoy the anticipation of Santa's arrival. This time of year is a perfect time to think about all the things that enrich our lives. I feel so truly blessed to have the gospel in my life & that my husband and kids are sealed to me for time and all eternity. I'm grateful for my husband who works so hard for our family. He truly wants whats best for us and he always puts us first. I feel so lucky to have 4 beautiful healthy children. I thank my heavenly father for them everyday. They have changed my life & who I am. I'm grateful for my parents that they were so strong in the Church and that they taught me all I needed to know to firmly plant that seed in my heart, So even when I was struggling I always new the church was true and wanted to get back to where I once was. I'm grateful for the large family in which I come from because it gives me alot of people to turn to when I'm struggling. My brothers and sisters have been such a huge part of my life and they have pulled me out of the deepest & darkest of places. Only your family will be with you till the end and I am so grateful to be part of such a wonderful family. I have also been so blessed with wonderful friendships. Sometimes I think our heavenly fathers just drops these people into our lives as he know there good for us & were good for them. With no family near by my friends have really taken the role of family at times and I'm grateful to them for all they have done. I'm a bit sad to see Christmas come and go but with the New Year here I get to set some new goals and maybe better my life or the life of someone else.

Christmas Card 2008

2009-01-08T08:57:00.003-08:00

Ginger Bread House

2009-01-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

OK so every year we put together a Ginger Bread house. This year I forgot to get one and we weren't going to do one but Nana Kuzma came to the rescue and brought us one. So we were able to make one to continue our tradition. The kids always enjoy doing this as they get to eat the candy while decorating. We put this together on Christmas day.

Decorating Sugar cookies

2008-12-22T20:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I had set aside some of the cookies that Kyleigh and I had made so that our family could decorate them. So last night as you can see we did so. You can also see that were in our garage. I wonder why that is? I had just cleaned the kitchen from three days of baking and I just couldn't bare to see all the sprinkles all over the flour. I know I'm a total freak. Anyways the kids had fun decorating and eating there cookies.

Holiday baking

2008-12-21T07:44:00.000-08:00

The cookies ready to go.

Kadin & Collin at midnight playing the Wi

Collin found my slippers

Wow what a mess, can you find the half eaten piece of pizza?

The finished product

Well I began my Holiday cookie making on Friday night. The plan was to make two cookies on Friday night and Two on Sat night & deliver them all on Sunday. That is of course not what happened, but as you know nothing ever goes as planned. So Kyleigh & I began to mix up the cookie dough. I must have left out an ingredient because they tasted horrible. I had to throw it all away and start over. I Tried to feed the messed up cookies to my dog but not so much. He didn't even want them. Were they worse than a dog biscuit? I was up way to late trying to finish up the second cookie. Catelyn and Collin were of course up all night and so I think I got like 2 hours of sleep.

Sat night I started earlier so that I wouldn't be up as late. I made sugar cookies and I guess I had forgotten how long those take. Kyleigh also helped me with those. But it got very late and as I was in the middle of baking Collin decided to wake up and join the party. So here it is midnight and I have Collin and Of course Kadin up playing the Wii. So I decided to finish up the sugar cookies and then go to bed And finish the last cookie Sunday morn. So I rounded up the kids and started putting them all to bed. Had them all down but Collin who was wide awake. Guess he thought it was morning. Finally got him to bed around 2am. Catelyn was up around 4am. So again not a good night.

Now here we are Sunday morn and I have the worst headache & I still have to make more cookies. But even with no sleep and a big headache I wouldn't go back and change a thing. Holidays are about staying up late, baking and making memories with our kids. There about bending the rules a little & getting sick from too much cookie dough. There about running around & getting last min stocking stuffers & singing out of tune Christmas carols. There all about Family & friends and our Savior Jesus Christ. Christmas is all of these things and more. So as Christmas draws near I can't help but feel a little sad as I love this crazy, sleepless time of year. With less than a week to go before Christmas & everything done, I'm going to sit back and enjoy these last couple of days and watch my kids enjoy the Christmas Spirit. We'll wrap tonight up with reading the Christmas story in Luke & drinking Hot Cocoa. Then we'll wait for santa to come.

Family Traditions

2008-12-18T09:20:00.000-08:00

Well I have got most of the stress behind me as all of my shopping is done and I have my Christmas cards out. I have even wrapped all of my gifts. Now all I have to do is spend a day or two baking and making up plates of cookies for our neighbors and Friends. This is a tradition that I had in my home growing up. My mom always baked over the holidays. We would make up plates and take them out on Christmas Eve and Sing Christmas Carols. We always got to choose a couple of friends that we wanted to take cookies to. I always loved doing it. I think that is why I still do it with my kids today. So as I said we have adopted this tradition and now my children enjoy baking and singing to our friends. This year we plan to take all of our goodies out on Sunday the 21st as that is Kyle's only day off before Christmas. Each child gets to choose a friend that they wish to sing to. We also make and decorate sugar cookies. This is an activity that the children really love and if you know me at all it is one that is very hard for me to endure. But it is all worth it in the end. Some of my fondest memories with my mother were made in the kitchen around the holidays. She always included us and never worried if we would mess it up. She always let us sample our work. Love ya Mom. Just so I'm not leaving my father out I too had wonderful memories with him. My dad always enjoyed picking out our Christmas tree. I always tagged along as I enjoyed keeping him company. Even as I got older and married I still went out and helped him get his tree. It was quit the process as he had to have the perfect tree and it had to be taller than him. One year he tied two Christmas Trees together. It was then I knew that my dad rocked. Another tradition that I had growing up in my home was we would read the Christmas Story in Luke in front of the fire sipping Homemade hot cocoa. This was always done on Christmas Eve after we got home from caroling. I'm grateful that my parents took the time to have these traditions as now I'll always have those memories and so will my kids and there kids and so on.

Kyleigh's 7th Birthday Party

2008-12-15T23:14:00.000-08:00

The twister game

The sign you posted all over the house

The pillow fight

The horse from Grandma & grandpa Armour

Your new rabbit Kaley

Marley,Kyleigh,Macleod,Hannah,Jasmine,Sophia,Raigen

Avery,Carley & Julliet left early

Your birthday cake ( made by Patty Ward)

So we decided to have our first slumber party. Kyleigh was very excited to have all of her friends stay the night with her. We invited 12 girls and I was unsure of where to put them all. So I came up with the tent idea. My friend Sher was kind enough to share her tent with us. So we set it up in the garage as I thought it would be warmer than outside. As the girls waited for everyone to arrive they played some games. We had the girls split up into two teams and see who could put the puzzle together the quickest. Next the girls played a game of twister. Crazy how that game never seems to get old. Girls loved it. We then ate pizza and sang to kyleigh and had her cake. Then we packed up the girls and once again split up into teams and went out on a scavenger hunt. Those were so popular when I was a kid. We were out collecting things for about an hour. When we came back we had tied. Both came back with 12 items. Kyleigh then opened her gifts. She was so excited to open all of her new toys. She got alot of stuffed animals. She loves stuffed animals. I then had the girls all get in there PJ's and they snuggled onto the couch for the new Drake and Josh Merry Christmas movie. After the movie we had all the girls climb into bed. They were up for about an hour or so talking. All were down by 11:00 not to bad. What was bad was the time they all got up in the morn. So they were all up at 6:00 am. Fun for me. I began getting there breakfast ready. I had them eat in shifts as I had no where to put 12 girls and it was so cold outside. I had promised the girls could have a big pillow fight. So after all the girls were done eating and they had all gotten dressed I had them all go outside to have there pillow fight. That was the close to a very long but fun Birthday Party.

About a week before your Birthday you posted a bunch of signs all over the house that said "today is my birthday". You put one on every door in the house. Your birthday was a week away. It was just adorable. Kyleigh your always doing funny things. Such a cute girl. Grandma Armour bought you a big stuffed animal horse that you picked out while we were in St. George Utah. Nana bought you a barbie horse and a barbie doll. You sure do love the horses. We do hope to get you in some lessons soon. Mom and Dad took you to Knots Berry Farm for our gift to you. We also got you a bunny rabbit. You named it Kaley. You told me that it was the best girt ever. That you were so excited to take care of it. The rabbit did scratch your face and bit your side. But you told me you still love him.I love you Happy Birthday Kyleigh

What I'm thankful for

2008-12-03T17:24:00.000-08:00

It has kinda become a tradition to spend Thanksgiving in St. George at Sherry's house. So for the last 6 years or so I have gone up to Utah for Thanksgiving. I am so grateful for my sister Sherry for opening her home to me and my children so that we would not have to stay in a hotel. I'm also grateful for her putting the whole thing on. Alot of work goes into planning a big feast and it is alot of people in your home. I personally would have a mental break down if I had that many people in my home.

This year was a smaller group as some of the family was unable to come. Sherry's entire family was there Branden & Illa, Sean & Marci, Ryan, Lauren & Steve, Christian and Kiki. Dave and his family came, Becca and her family all made it. I came with the kids and of course Grandpa & Grandma were there. We all are responsible for bringing a dish. This year I prepared a Corn casserole. Sherry has a tradition with her kids that now involves my kids as were always there of making homemade butter. Everyone takes a turn shaking the jar of butter. We then all enjoy eating it. Another tradition that we all have is the ladies wake up on black Friday and go shopping. This year was a little different as money is tight for all with the economy. But we did get some shopping in. While shopping this year I lost my 2 year old. Sherry and I were out front of the toy store and we were waiting for the rest of the clan to finish there shopping and Collin was playing in these tents that were set up outside the store. As everyone came out we talked and figured out where we were going to go next. We began to walk down the strip mall and got about 10 stores away from the toy store where we were congregated. I started to shop when I asked the rest of the group where Collin was. It was then that my heart dropped into my stomach. I ran out the door and down the strip mall towards the toy store where I had left him. I looked inside the tents and he wasn't there. I then began panicking screaming out " has anyone seen a 2 year old" I know sounds dumb now because there was like twenty 2 year olds there. Becca had run up from behind me and she ran into the toy store & out emerged Becca & baby Collin. What a horrible feeling it was to have almost lost my child because I walked away from him. I learned a huge lesson that day, parents that use leashes are smart not abusive.

On Thanksgiving it is a great time to reflect on all of the things that we're grateful for. I'm grateful for so many things. I am grateful for the atonement & for the sacrifices Heavenly Father made and for our savor Jesus Christ who died so that we could return home to live with him again. I'm grateful for the missionaries who taught my husband the lessons & for the friends who fellowshiped Kyle. I'm grateful for Joel Buzard who had the courage to confront Kyle and ask him to take the lessons again. Kyle told me that he was impressed with Joel because he new the answers to everyone of kyle's questions. I'm grateful that Joel was in tune with the spirit and that he had the knowledge of the gospel to help kyle find the truth. I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. Kyle is a wonderful husband and father. He works so hard for our family. He is a peacemaker. He is such an example to me. Here he is a new member to the church and he is so calm. He bares his testimony and says prayers with such ease. He truly pays attention to everything that is said and retains it like a sponge. He runs family home evening every Monday & helps remind me to pray. He keeps the sabbath day holy and always pays our tithing. You would think that Kyle has been a member his entire life and that I'm the convert. I admire his strength & his testimony. I am so grateful that he joined the church so that we could be sealed in the temple. I'm grateful for my 4 beautiful children. I love them so much they have blessed my life in so may ways. I feel very blessed to come from such a large family. I have alot of love and support from them. I'm grateful for my parents who are also converts to the church. I grateful for there courage and strength to make the right choice. I love my parents so much they have given me life, knowledge, the gospel, love, support, & so much more. I owe them all of my happiness as without them I would have nothing. As I say that it reminds me of Christ. I'm grateful for my brothers and sisters & for the relationships I have with them. How comforting it is to have eight people who no matter what will always love you and never give up on you no matter what. I grateful for all of my friends who help keep me moving & pick up the pieces as i fall apart. As I have gotten older I have really come to realize that good friends are rare. A diamond in the Roth. I truly cherish my friendships as my family is all so fare away. Lastly I'm grateful for good health. Not only for myself but for my children, husband and family. Going to read through this the next time I wine about something. I look forward to the new year as I can set new goals and try and perfect the mistakes from the last.

Ready for a break

2008-11-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

Well I have two sick babies right now and I'm feeling a bit exhausted. Kyle is gone in Orange County going through yet another Academy. He is trying to become an engineer. He has passed the written portion and now just has to complete a 7 week academy to get the position. He is about 2 weeks into this process. He stays down in the OC as he doesn't get out of the academy until 6 and by the time he drives home and sits in all the traffic it would be time for him to go to bed. We all miss seeing him and look forward to him finishing. Collin is having the hardest time as he is a daddy's boy. He asks me every morning "where did daddy go" I tell him he is at work and then he says "oh, he is at work". So hard to try and explain to him why is daddy is gone so much. With Collin being so sick he is asking for Kyle every 10 mins. We'll get through this as we always do. Kadin is doing great in school and loves to play basketball at recess. He just finished another season of Soccer. His team took third overall. Kadin has alot of ambition. He wants to go to UCLA and play basketball or baseball. He is really into the sports right now. Kyle and him do this together and it has really brought them closer. Kadin will sit and watch the games and call kyle on the phone to update him on the score. Kadin has really come out of his shell. We are so proud of him. He helps me out so much with the younger two. I would be lost without him. Kyleigh is also doing well in school. We recently decided to hold her back as she was the youngest in her class and she was a bit behind. What a big difference it made for her. Now she can be the leader as she is one of the older kids in her class and the teacher is able to send kids to Kyleigh to get help on homework as Kyleigh has done it all before. This has really boosted her self esteem. Kyleigh is also a big help with the younger two. She is not doing any sports right now but loves to play outside. She is a little social butterfly. She'll go up to anyone and just start talking to them. Kyleigh loves to be put in charge and take the lead. Collin is finally starting to talk. He has really just taken off. He too loves to play outside. He is so good to his baby sister. He just sits and smiles at her and she giggles at him. Catelyn is rolling all over the place and is now sitting up. She has also started eating baby food. She continues to be my easiest baby still sleeping through the night. Think heavenly father is trying to tempt me. I have to say he is doing a very good job. I feel so blessed to have four beautiful children and a husband who sacrifices so much for his family and works so hard. Looking forward to next week for Thanksgiving and healthy children.

My beautiful kids

2008-11-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

Had this photo taken right after the baby was born. Catelyn is about 6 weeks in this photo. She was born into our family on April 4th At around 5:30 pm. She weighed 7lbs 11Oz's & was 20 inches long. She is our smallest baby. Catelyn continues to be the smallest baby in our family. At her last appointment she weighed 13 pounds at 7 months. She is rolling all over the place and just figured out how to sit-up. She is a happy baby. She has slept through the night since she was about 2 months. This is also a first for babies in our family. I have never had a baby sleep through the night in a crib ever. Yeah baby number 4. Kadin is such a big help to me with both Collin and Catelyn. I don't know what I would do without him. He helps me put Collin to bed at night & helps keep both babies entertained while I get dinner on. He also showers Collin every night. Kadin & Collin play a game in the shower called power. Collin picks up an empty cup and hands it to Kadin and Collin says "power" and then Kadin fills the cup of water up and pours it on Collin. Collin just laughs and laughs. Kadin made this game up so that Collin would let him pour water on his head. Otherwise Collin would get upset when Kadin went to wash his hair. Kadin came up with this game to help distract Collin. Thought that was clever. Kyleigh also loves to help me out. Often times I'll ask Kadin to do something and Kyleigh will run ahead of him and do it. It is like a competition, imagine that in my home. Kyleigh loves to play forts with Collin. They will play for hours up in Collins room. Kyleigh is really good at making the baby laugh. She'll sit in front of Catelyn and make her laugh by doing silly things while i get dinner on or get some cleaning done. Collin is so sweet with Catelyn he calls her baby girl. Collin will just crinkle his face up and say hiiiiii and he holds the i for quite some time and Catelyn will giggle every time. Collin will bring her toys and share his food with her. This gets a little scary. I caught him jamming string cheese in her mouth when she was like 3 months. The entire family is really enjoying our new addition to the family. Welcome baby Catelyn.

My beautiful sister

2008-11-16T21:24:00.000-08:00

Having a sister is like having a best friend you can't get rid off. You know whatever you do, they'll still be there. -Amy Li

I feel so lucky to have a sister & best friend for life.

Halloween 2008

2008-11-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

Our family at the pumpkin patch 2008

Our church Trunk-or-Treat 2008

We had such a wonderful Halloween this year as it was Kyle's first Halloween off work in four years. It was so nice to be altogether as a family. Kadin of course was an Angel player, Kyleigh was Hannah Montana, Collin was Mickey Mouse & baby Catelyn was a lamb. This was Catelyn's first Halloween. She sucked on a lolly pop most of the night. We had Jacob Ward come along with us this year so kadin could have someone to keep him company as Kyleigh and Collin stick together. Kyleigh and Collin ran from house to house so excited to collect as much candy s they could. There was a home on our street that was all decked out and it had a fog machine and as we walked by Collin was pointing at something on the lawn and he tripped and fell into the grass & at that same time the fog machine let loose right in his face and he freaked. It was hilarious and I wonder why my son has night terrors. We came home and handed out candy and the kids picked through there candy. They all slept like angels completely exhausted. Happy Halloween!

Our Summer

2008-07-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Kadin and Kyleigh just finished A week of soccer camp. Kadin has really improved alot. He is really enjoying playing and is looking forward to the season beginning. Soccer is not the only sport he is interested in. Kadin is all about the Lackers & the Angels. He watches all the games and if Kyle is at work then Kadin calls Kyle and they watch the game together and discuss it over the phone. Kadin wants to play basketball this year. He really looks forward to playing with his dad and my brothers. My brothers have a basketball game every year when we get together as a family. Kadin has become much more aggressive & I do think this will help his game . Kyleigh is not signed up for anything right now but we plan to put her in gymnastics. Kadin and Kyleigh are both such a big help with the baby. Collin is at that busy age. I don't remember my other two being this busy. He does play very well on his own though. Collin loves to play outside. He is really enjoying his baby sister. He too is a big help. He will go and grab the diapers and throw them away for me. He loves to get right up in her face and say Hiiiiiii. He smiles real big when he does it and she laughs. Collin is just now beginning to talk but he is really picking it up fast. Collin is still giving us trouble at night. He still wakes up twice a night. On the other hand Catelyn is sleeping through the night. I know I am so lucky. I tell that to myself everyday. what would I have done with two babies up at night? Lets just say I'm happy to never know what that would be like. The kids have been swimming alot in the pool. Feel really lucky to have the pool seeing as it is so dang hot here. I do feel so truly blessed with my four beautiful children and especially for my husband who works so hard and sacrifices so much for his family. I'm grateful that he puts up with all of my "issues". If you know me then you already know what those issues are (hehe). I have some really good friends in my life And I am very grateful to them as well.