Memorial Day

Getting ready to leave (Jax wasn't happy it was starting to get nice and we had to go)

Freezing at Big Springs feeding the fish(Eva, Kena, Jax and Sharkey)

All the patient kids at the fish bridge. Brayden, Eva, Kaitlyn, Xander, Staci, Kena, Jax and Carter

Princess Eva and Daddy at Mesa Falls

Carter, Eva, Jaxson and Kena Above the falls

RAIN RAIN SNOW AND RAIN! It was areally long weekend. We went with our friends the Rimingtons to Island Park and stayed with Dave's parent's. We had fun but the weather and the fishing was terrible the entire weekend. We had to stay mostly indoors which was really hard on the kids because there's way more to do outside. We would play outside until we were frozen or soaking wet (usually both) then we would have to come in and dry out/ warm up. Thank goodness for Grandma's laundry facilities!

Jax class plays/ Last Day of School

Jaxson the Handsome Prince with Snow White in the background

Jax getting his graduation certificate form Mrs. Rodriguez.Jax and the wonderful Mrs. Rodriguez on the last day of first grade.

Jax had three parts in this years plays 1. Main Narrator of three billy goats gruff, 2. Prince in Snow White, 3. Huntsman in Snow White. They did a really great job and had lots of fun. The plays were cute and well done as always. Mrs Rodriguez has been the best teacher ever! JAX HAS LOVED HER SO MUCH all the kids do. She's been his teacher for the last two years and he was so sad he cried the last day of school. She's really been wonderful. Eva is really excited to have her for the next two years and hopefully Jaxson's new teacher will be just as great.

Jaxson's first Swim Meet!

Running back to line up for the next race.

On your mark. . .

Jaxson competed in his first city swim meet the last Saturday of April. He swam in four different events and placed in two. He did great! He was competing with kids up to nine years old and he really held his own well (not to mention that he looked so cute in his uniform). There are about 80 kids on the "Tiger Aquatics Swim Team" and he was one of the smallest. I think there were only about 3 that were younger than him. He loved it and is anxious to compete more next year. He is a very natural swimmer, and of course only a little bit competitive. It's a good fit for him and we love that he loves it as much as he does.

Monster Trucks

The boys went to the monster truck ralley in April and had a great time. I just didn't feel good because of the pregnancy and haven't posted it yet. Jax and Dave loved it! Carter loved the big trucks but not the noise. Our buddy Xander went with them to the pre-show exhibit where they got flags signed by the truck dirvers and climbed on the big trucks. It was a good time for them :) Eva and I stayed home because we had done her big princess party that day with just the girls.

cheap seats and GUM

We have a cheap theater in town that does 12 kids movies for $7.50 a person for the whole summer season. Great deal right? Of course we've done these fun tickets for the last three summers. The theater is not great-- in fact it really leaves much to be desired, but because it is such a great deal and the kids love "going to the movies" (a special treat) we look past the cheap theater smell amongst other things. Well today the kids and I went and watched "The Spy Next Door" with Jackie Chan-- which the kids loved. Just over half way through the movie Eva leaned over to me with a look of horror on her face and said "mommy something sticky's in my hair!" --If you know Eva you know two things 1. she doesn't "do" sticky and 2. She loves her hair. So I checked it out and she was right she had a big wad of gum in her hair! Yikes! it was disgusting. Your own gum in your hair would be one thing but to have a perfect strangers diseased ridden ABC gum in your hair is something else entirely! She was devastated. Pretty much cried the rest of the movie. We left as soon as we could and I was able to get most of it out but I did have to cut a chunk out right by her face/ear-- I cut out at least 8 inches of length, it's maybe one inch long now is all :( . So sad! She cried and cried. You can't really tell and would never notice unless her hair is braided/pulled back around her face. So we'll just opt for loose/down styles until it grows out. Sorry EVA! I don't know if we'll go to the kids shows there anymore?!? It just may not be worth it. So sad.

Evy's prayers. . .

Eva has been praying for about a year for a little sister and today she found out her prayers had been answered. Yes, we ARE expecting and YES it's a girl due November 13th!

Heavenly Father really hears the sweet prayers of our little ones. Dave and I knew we would like more kids but we hadn't been able to have any more after Carter and we had begun to feel our family wasn't going to grow anymore, but Eva always prayed (she didn't know any of that of course). When we found out we were pregnant we were really surprised because we'd kind of given up trying. I worried that it wouldn't last because I was so sick and had some problems early on and I really felt that I might not carry to term. Because I had felt that way and because there were some early complications I decided it would be better not to tell anyone until we knew for sure that this was going to happen for real. I just didn't want to have to tell and then have it not happen and then have everyone know especially the kids. Dave was very sweet and honored my wishes even though it was really hard because we were so happy. We ended up telling a few people earlier on because I was so sick or whatever, but to the vast majority--even family, word has just gone out today.

We are very grateful to report that the baby is healthy, all earlier complications have been resolved and the pregnancy is not thought to be high risk at all.

Initially when we told the kids that we were expecting Eva stated that if it wasn't a girl she didn't want it, then every time we talked about how it might be a boy and that would have to be okay she would get very upset and cry and be so heartbroken. I was very nervous to find out at all because if it was a boy I didn't know how we could deal with her sadness and disappointment for the rest of the pregnancy ( I knew that as soon as that baby was here she'd be fine- I was just worried about the drama until then). Yesterday she told me that she was going to be okay with whatever baby we have. She said that she just wanted the baby here to hold even if it was a boy. Funny girl. That was a RELIEF! Today I took her with me to the ultrasound and on the way there she said "remember mom we get what we get and we don't throw a fit." How funny, she was so serious! I was still a little nervous so I asked the tech that if it was a boy to wait until the last part of the ultrasound to say it out loud--just to be sure she'd be able to get all her measurements and what not before I had to console my devastated little daughter. (The tech thought that was great I'm sure.) Well she pretty much checked the gender right away and told Eva she was gonna have a little sister and I wished I'd had my camera to catch the look on her face! It was adorable-- a toss up between tears of joy and five-year-old giddy. She almost cried literally. I don't know if I've ever seen her quite so happy. She giggled out loud the entire procedure. It was great I'll never forget that look on her sweet little face. What a great day. We are so very blessed!

THE BITE!

I have to document this for posterity ( and also before I forget). The other day it was miserable and rainy as it has been for about a month now, and the kids were in the boys' room playing when the next thing we knew Eva was out by us screaming that Carter had bitten her on the arm. He HAD kind of been on one that day- but we were surprised just the same because he's not really a 'biter'. So we looked at Eva's arm and sure enough he had bitten her but not hard. It was a little red but that was all, no mark. So being the dutiful parents that we are we called Carter into the living room and Dave proceeded to ask him about the bite, etc. So then Dave told Carter that maybe he should let Eva bite him ( fully expecting for Carter to say "no that would hurt!). Well instead of what we were expecting him to do he quietly bowed his head pulled up his sleeve and ever so meekly said "otay, white dare (okay right there)" pointing to a spot on his freshly bared arm for her to bite away. We were at a loss! What a sweet sweet boy! There was no preparation for that and Dave and I both just melted! After a lot of gasping/inward laughing and head shaking we collected ourselves and tried to teach him that's not nice, but I'm pretty sure all he heard was "it's a good thing you're so dang cute!"

FINALS ARE OVER!

Hooray Hooray! Finals are over and I couldn't be happier. Heavenly Father sure blessed us so that we could make it through the last 4 weeks. We did it and now we can finally relax and be a family again! I'm Loving it already! Keep posted for some awesome posts, before and afters of our house projects that actually have a chance at getting done :)