A lot to share

I went through a "HATE MY BLOG" phase for a while. My sidebar items were showing on the bottom and it was driving me CRAZY. I know, that sounds stupid, but it made me not want to even post anything. Well, I finally figured it out, yeah me! So, here's a LOT (probably way more than you want to know/see) of info .....

Of course, December is crazy busy. This year, the girls didn't have a Christmas dance concert, instead they just did a little concert in their studio. I actually like it better, we can see them better and I don't have to buy a $60 costume for them to wear once. The girls both did an awesome job and enoyed themselves so much.

Next came the Ward Christmas Party.  I am on the committee, so it was a lot of work.  It was a lot of fun.  Everyone loved it.  Amy Hall (a lot of you know her), is the chairman,so of course it was awesome.  We had games for the kids and adults and the highlight for the kids was sitting on Santa's lap. I was shocked that Bo didn't cry!

Now, it's off to Temple Square to see the lights.  It was cold.  But, I got a couple great pictures of the Temple.

Isn't it beautiful.  You certainly can't deny that.  Below is a cute picture of Parker and Claire. Bo was mad that he wasn't sitting with them.  He wants to do everything Parker does.

I wanted to get a picture of Great Grandma Lever. What a sweetie she is, I love her so much.  This is a cute picture of her with Ivie, Jamie, Grandpa Rex and Great Grandma Lever.

The Sunday before Christmas, my kids always get to wear their new Church Christmas outfits.  The girls' dresses are gorgeous, I wish my picture did them justice, but for some reason the kids weren't cooperating that day, but here's the best I got.

Cute picture of Dad and Bo, handsome boys!

In true Sarah form, I didn't get a ton of pictures on Christmas.  I much more enjoy watching my kids, then taking pictures.  I may regret it someday, but I'm doing better than I ever have, so here's a couple.  This is Bo with his new Tool Set.  He LOVES it and it's so cool, all the men love it and with they would have had one when they were kids.

I'll never understand why, but both Ivie and Claire wanted a Snuggie so bad, but don't they look cute sporting them?

I know you're all thinking, "okay Sarah, enough", well I'm done.  I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you have a great 2010.  I'm looking forward to another fun year, full of wonderful memories and blessing.  Thanks to all of you for your friendship.

Exciting Things...

Well, I'm really excited about a few things. First of all, Bo is pretty much potty trained. In the last 4 days, he's only had one accident (which was probably mostly my fault). Even at church yesterday and going to both grandparents, no accidents. I'm so proud of him. For some reason I was so scared to potty train him. My girls were so easy and I was scared to do a boy because everyone says how hard they are. However, he's done great. He's such a cutie. We bought him a Spiderman bike about 5 or 6 months ago, he wanted a big bike like Claire's. However, we told him he couldn't have it until he went potty. We strategically placed it in the kitchen where he could always see it as enticement. But, he would just ride Claire's instead. We brought it in the house a few days ago becuase he had been doing so well to let him ride it on the wood flooring (since it was snowing) and now he's in love with it.

Second, Trav and I booked a cruise for next April last night. I'm so excited to get away with him for a week. And neither of us have been to the locations we're going to so it will be a first for both of us.

Everything else is pretty much the same. The girls are doing good. We are all excited for Christmas and need to get busy getting ready for that!

Stop the madness

Okay, this has been a crazy few weeks. It all started about three weeks ago when I got a call from Trav in the morning telling me he had been in an accident (he's okay, just a banged up Truck that's already been fixed). Then a week after that the battery in the van died. Luckily I was on my street so it wasn't a huge deal and Trav fixed it that night. It was a crazy day for that to happen. It was, what I like to call, Dance Day. Dance Day is Thursday's because both of the girls have dance and it's a lot of driving back and forth. This particular day was Watch Day which meant I needed to stay and watch, which also meant I couldn't take the van so I borrowed my mother-in-law's car. I also needed to take Shayla (my babysitter)to the airport. This made for a crazy day, and quite frankly, I was glad when it was over. Then last week, we had our family vacation to Disneyland. We had a lot of fun. The kids really enjoyed it. It's amazing how much easier it's seeming to be as the kids grow a bit (lots of pics on Facebook if you want to see them). We got home from Disneyland on Friday and had to buy a water heater that very night. Then, on Saturday, we had to go buy a new fridge. Craziness. I really hope we're done and don't have any major expenses for a few months (please, I need a break). Okay, so that was a bit of a vent session. Hope you don't mind....

Perspective

It's funny how God has a way of making you think or putting things into perspective when you really need to. A few days ago, I was having "One of THOSE days". All of you know what I'm talking about. The kind of days when you want to cry becuase you think your fat, you think you have no friends, you think your kids are so hard to handle, you think your house is a disaster, well, you get the picture. Anyway, I was having one of those days. I tried my best to get the kids off to bed as early as I could becuase I needed sometime to myself. When Trav got home, he went to check on the kids and called me to come look at Bo. I almost started crying when I saw the sweetest, most inocent face. It made me step back and realize how lucky and blessed I really am. I love being a wife and mother, I love my job, I love my family so much. I'm thankful for those little things that really seem to put things into perspective.

Growing Up ...

We had a wonderful day last Saturday. My sweet little Ivie (not so little any more) got baptized. Ivie is such a great example. I am thankful that she made the decision to get baptized. She looked so beautiful on Saturday and on Sunday. Her dress was so pretty. She was so excited about everything that it made the entire day so fun. She got new scriptures and a new scripture bag. She's been reading them every day. She got a few other presents from others and she loved that. Her friend Gracie also got baptized the same day which made it that much more fun. I am thankful for the Hall's. They are such a great family and are so willing to help out. I'm thankful for our family and friends.



Ivie just before her baptism.


Ivie, Claire, and Bo


Ivie and Grace (so pretty)


Ivie before church on Sunday


Now.... rewind a few weeks. Here are some pictures of the girls on their first day of school. Ivie is in the 3rd grade and doing great. She enjoys school most of the time and being with her friends. It's so funny how much drama there is already for an 8 year old, I love hearing all of it. Claire started Kindergarten, that was a little more tough. She's such a quiet little peanut that I worry about her. I know she's doing okay though. In the mornings, she doesn't want to get up and get dressed but after she's done with that she seems to be okay. She has 4 little friends in class with her so that really helps.

Summer Fun

This summer has been fun. No vacations, but we've had a good time together as a family.

Ivie had a little accident, when she decided to jump off of her friends moving bicycle. Poor thing, I felt so bad I wanted to cry. It's so hard to see your baby hurt. She had some war wounds:


Her poor face was swollen, bruised, and all scratched up. Then ...



Her leg was all messed up too. She's pretty tough though. Cried for a minute but then she was pretty much over it.

The next big event was Claire's 5Th Birthday! She was so excited. I can't believe my little girl is 5 and going to Kindergarten. What a sweetie.





She wanted Fun Fetti cupcakes with pink frosting. She asked for a Barbie scooter and a Nintendo DS. She got both and much, much more.

Now, we just have the big ordeal of getting her ready for school in a week (so crazy)!!

Then, a huge milestone. My baby turned 8. Can you believe it. I have an 8 year old that will be baptized in a few weeks and we're all so excited for that. She had a friend Birthday party and the girls were so cute.

We did manicures, pedicures, made bracelets, and decorated flip flops. I think they all had a fun time. Ivie's cousin Londyn spent the night and then joined the party too. Ivie and Londyn planned what to wear both days so they could be twins. They're pretty silly girls.

Ivie asked for a suitcase, which I thought was pretty cute, and a new swim suit. That was it. So, she got those and she also got a Nintendo DS. I don't think she ever thought she'd get one so she just didn't bother asking.

As you can see we've had a busy summer. Now, if I can get through Convention (those of you who know me well enough, know what that means in my life) in a couple of weeks and then a baptism the following week it will be smooth selling and I'll feel like I can breathe!

Like Father like Son

Bo loves to do everything like his dad. It's so cute. Last night he had to have Trav mow the lawn. He has his own play lawn mower and typically he follows Trav with that. But, yesterday he helped in like this the entire night:

It's so cute the things he has to do. If Trav wears sandals, Bo has too. If Trav is using his measuring tape, Bo runs in the house to get his play one and does the same thing. Tonight, Trav went fishing with my dad. We were planning to not tell Bo where he was going so he wouldn't get made, but Claire let it slip. He was upset when he wasn't going and wouldn't give Trav a goodbye kiss because he was made. I just love watching him follow what his dad does. It's so cute.

Ivie's School Play

Ivie was in her class play at the end of the school year. They did a different version of The Wizard of Oz. Ivie had a blast and did a great job. She was Gwendolyn the good witch. Here she is:



and here she is with her cute friends Gracie (Lollipop Girl) and Madison (Wicked Witch):



Ivie is such a sweetheart and I am so proud of her. I can't believe I have a child that's going to be in 3rd Grade. I'm so old, how did this ever happen!

Bo's Big Boy Bed

Well, we decided it was time to graduate Bo from his crib to his bed. Big Step. On Saturday, we went and bought him a bed. He picked out a Transformers comforter (against my will, but he loves it so that's okay). He's excited to show everyone his "Transformers Bed". I was worried and thought it might be a hard adjustment. So far, so good. He's slept in it for 4 nights with no problems. Good Boy.

The Things I've Missed

Trav says I'm horrible at blogging. I personally think I'm not great, but definitely not horrible. Here are a few things that have happened recently. Most of them were just this week, so I wasn't too bad.

Bo's Birthday (April 27th). My baby turned 2. He is so fun, I love having a cute little boy. He got a new bike, lots of cars, trucks, toys, clothes, and everything that a little boy could ever want.




On Bo's birthday, Claire thought she was in trouble for taking his toys away so she ran up stairs very upset. This is how she came out of her room (after her bath and her hair had been taken out) after we convinced her she wasn't in trouble.

Mommy and Me Luau (April 28). Our ward did a primary part called the Mommy and Me Luau. The girls loved it and had a ton of fun. They looked so cute.

Claire's Preschool Program (May 12). She was adorable and so excited. She did awesome. She was a part of most of the songs and dances, but she also had a solo when she was Sharpay from High School Musical and sang Bop To The Top and when she was Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow. What a doll she is.

Getting ready to go:

Cute Anna (Friend & Neighbor) and Claire:

Claire when playing Dorothy:

Next Came the girls' Dance Concert (May 14 & 15). Claire danced to The Love Train. She looked adorable in her Engineer costume. She does have a darling hat but they hadn't given it to her at this point. She had a lot of fun dancing and really knew it well. Ivie danced to When She Loved Me from Toy Story. She looked beautiful. She is very graceful and pretty when she dances.


I was so proud of them this week. It was a busy week and they both did great.

Sweet Grandma

This has been a long and very hard week for me. My sweet Grandma, Virginia, passed away on Monday. What a wonderful woman she was. I am so grateful for her. Words can't describe the way I feel today, as I just got home from burying a woman I love so much.

She was always happy and smiling with a beautiful sparkle in her eyes, such a giving woman. You could not go to her house without her offering you cookies, drinks, candy, or even to order a pizza for you. I have wonderful memories of growing up with her enjoying slumber parties, shopping, Marie Calendars (her favorite restaurant), buttermilk pancakes (the best in the world), camping, and lots of laughing. Her favorite color was purple, which many of us dressed in to honor her today.

She has been sick for quite some time now and her passing is a blessing to our family. Even when it's a blessing, it's still hard on those left behind. As this week has been so hard, it has also been full of many wonderful experiences that I am glad and thankful to have been a part of. It has left a wonderful spirit in my heart. I hope that I can live worthy to be with my Grandma again and that I can be the kind of person that she was. I am a better person because of her.

I am grateful for my Aunt Ann and her family for taking such good care of my Grandma. I wish that I lived closer and had more time to help out. I am also grateful for a beautiful funeral service held today and the fabulous spring weather. She would have thought it was a beautiful day today with the flowers blooming and birds singing, and that would have made her smile. I'm thankful to my Aunt Ann who gave a wonderful tribute to her today. And to my Dad who gave a beautiful talk which provided both comfort and happiness to those of us in the congregation.

Thank you, sweet grandma. I will forever love you!

Updates

Well, I'm not very good at the blog thing. I don't update it enough. I was talking to my cute friend Joni last night and she was telling me that I really need to update my blog more. So, I'm going to try and better. I'm going to give a few updates of things that have been going on in my life.

About a month ago, Ivie and I cut our hair. Ivie wanted to take a picture and put it up on here. I kept forgetting, so here it is. I think she looks adorable, but now she looks a lot older :(.
















Last week, the girls and I went to see the new Hannah Montana movie. We had a blast. I love spending time with my sweet little chickies. The movie was darling.

Next came Easter. We had a party on Saturday night at our house with Trav's family. We had an Easter Egg hunt, ate dinner, and dyed eggs.

















On Easter, the kids had a blast. They got a TON of candy. The Easter bunny way over did it. They got some little toys like Kites, bubbles, water guns, and coloring books. Ivie got Roller Blades (which she has wanted for a while), Claire got Skates, and Bo got a T-Ball set. They looked so cute in their Sunday Easter Outfits. I tried to get good pictures but they wouldn't cooperate. So, here's what I did get. After Church they came home and played outside until it was time to go to Aunt Holly's for another Easter Egg hunt and dinner (thanks Holly)!










































On Sunday, my Dad is going to be released as the Stake President. I think it's bitter-sweet for my parents. My dad has served the Lord for many, many years now. I am so proud of him, he is such a great example to me. I am equally proud of my mom, who has supported him for so long. Being a Bishop's wife, I now know what she went through and I appreciate both of them even more. I love you both!

Being Spontaneous

So, my mom has been asking me over the last month and half if I could pull off another girls trip to Disneyland. I told her probably not. Then, I started thinking about it and really wanted too. Well, on Feb 28th, my mom and I took my sister, Jen, to lunch for her birthday. I asked her if she could before our Annual Passports expired on March 27th. She said there was no way she could. Then on Monday, when I got to work I had an e-mail from her asking me how much I thought we could do it for. For those of you who know my sister Jen, she is not this way at all. So, we all got excited, planned a trip and decided to go on Friday. We planned it Monday and left early Friday morning and got home late Saturday night. It was so fun. I love being with them so much. I hope we can do it a lot. I think it's important to spend time with your family as much as possible. I think we all needed it and had a BLAST! Of course, we didn't take pictures. We are never spontaneous like this, I think it was so worth it.

Also, I am going private. It's something I've been meaning to do for a few months but putting it off. If you want to continue to read my blog, please give me your e-mail address.

Claire's Special Day

Claire had her "Special Day" in preschool on Tuesday. Since she has a summer birthday, they do a special day for them during the year. She was so excited about it. She got a special hat, I made a poster of pictures of her to take, and she got to take a treat to share. It was so fun. I went and talked to the kids about the pictures. She was adorable and loved it. She also got to be in charge that day and didn't have to do any homework. I love her preschool and her teachers, it is great! Here cupcakes were so cute, but boy that frosting stains. "Sorry mom's!"







Later that day, She invited her friend Marlie Hall over to play. They had so much fun playing outside. Bo played with them too. He loves being out there and gets so mad when he had to come inside.