Frustration

So I haven't posted for a while because ALL my pictures disappeared....has anyone else had this problem? I have re-uploaded the ones on this page but all the pictures I have uploaded for the past three years are gone. Very, very disturbing......

Star Wars Class

Just in case you are interested, Landon and Lauren are teaching a Star Wars class on an ongoing basis. Jerry and I were able to attend last night and learned a ton about the dark side and how not to cross over. Jerry realizes now it was a big mistake to introduce Landon to Star Wars......it is very intense and a constant topic of discussion in our home much to Jerry's dismay.

Graduate

Landon graduated from preschool. He did such a great job. They had a little program where they sang a few songs. He sang his heart out and right on tune. He had a really good year with Mrs. Shakespear and is ready to go to kindergarten. Congratulations Landon!

Dance

Lauren's dance class is over for the year. She had her in class demonstration today. We loved watching her. She follows the teacher....sometimes and most of the time does what she wants. It was great. My favorite dance was her singing bibidy, bobidy boo. She is a great dancer. Her teacher was Miss Joleen and Lauren had a great year. We are looking forward to fall when she starts again!

Lauren

I had to post these cute pictures of Lauren and her friend Kiana. She has been way into her friends lately and always wanting to play with Kiana. They are only a few weeks apart in age and have a great time together. They either dress in swimsuits or dance costumes.....regular clothes are not an option. Lauren went to the doctor this week for her four year check up. When the doctor walked in she informed him she was no getting her shots. She basically established right off who was in charge. When Lauren left the room the doctor told me she is one of the most independent four year olds he has seen. He said it's probably hard but if we can be consistent and help her channel her independence and strong personality, it will pay off in the end. I appreciated his advice and agree with his assessment. I have been reading a book that has really helped me to understand and be more patient with her dominant personality. It's called, "Parenting the Ephraim's Child." It talks about the characteristics of children who are intensely more and how to help them succeed. It is my new favorite book.

Avery

Avery is seventeen months old. She has her top two and several other teeth coming in but still manages to be happy. She is learning to climb and go down the stairs. She is increasing her vocabulary. She has added, "out, night-night and bye." She is also getting a sassy side which is fun to watch at times. She is fighting back when Lauren and Landon bother her and saying, "ouch!" She loves to be outside. She is really improved her walking skills. In fact while trying to take pictures of her, most of the pictures were of the back of her head because she is always on the move. She is still quite picky with her eating but loves strawberries and pears. She loves milk and water. She will tolerate juice but prefers milk over everything else. She loves her monkey, blanket and binky. She loves my cell phone and other expensive electronics. She loves the toilet and pulling all the toilet paper off the roll. She is into all the cupboards and loves to empty them out. Dad is working on getting the cupboard locks on. She is the best sleeper. She is now taking one nap but goes to bed every night without a fuss. She is a joy to have in our home and keeps everyone smiling.

Utah

We had the best weekend. Jerry found out he needed to be in SLC on Monday for a training. We decided to all go up together and left on Saturday. We drove to Springville and stayed with Brent and Jill. We love spending time with them and wish we could see them more. We went to dinner at the Creamery which was quite the experience. Jill and I ran into one of our old classmates from MHS---Roy Peterson. It was fun to see him again. We also witnessed a fall, flirting gone bad and waited a long, long time for our food but because we were in good company we just laughed. We were able to see Brent's office on BYU campus. We are so proud of him. He has worked very hard and is highly successful. I love spending time with Jill. The next morning we attended a sacrament meeting in Springville and then headed to SLC to see Kevin and Lindsay. My parents were there for the weekend so we had a brunch together. I felt blessed to be with my Mom on Mother's day. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful mother. I am also grateful to be a Mom. It is a choice blessing and I have been blessed with exceptional children. We went and visited Gary's family and than had an awesome dinner with Landon and Dana. Jerry stayed in SLC with Andrew at a hotel....yes, I was bitter but the kids and I were able to stay with Rozalynn and Richard. It is always a treat to be with them. The next morning I went to Lindsay's and spent the morning there. They are preparing to move and she was a saint to let us hang out there. Jerry got done with his training and we headed back to Saint George. It was a quick trip but wonderful to see family and friends.

Lauren's Birthday

Lauren turned four on May 7th. It is hard to believe our little girl is so grown up. She has an amazing personality and surprises us everyday with the things she says and does. She definitely keeps us on our toes. She had a very special birthday. We went to Highland Park and played in the morning. She got to go to lunch with her Dad and chose Old MacDonald's (aka McDonalds). Her Dad gave her a special Sleeping Beauty barbie that she loved. That afternoon she received a special balloon boquet from Mimi and Poppy. She was so happy. We had a special dinner for her and then watched her video of when she was born. She loved doing that. Each of us took a turn to tell Lauren what we loved about her. Then she got her very special gift....a big girl bike! Grandpa had found it for us a month before and we had it in hiding. We added some training wheels, a basket and a cute horn. She loves it and was not scared to ride it at all. Dad made a butterfly cake that she picked out so we got to sing to her and eat cake and ice cream. Tonight we continued the celebration and went to Jumpin Jacks as a family. That was Lauren's request. Dad had never been before. We had a really fun time. We love having Lauren in our family. She is a great helper, smart, loving and a beautiful girl. She loves Landon and Avery so much and is very protective of them. We LOVE her!