Happy 4th of July

For the 4th this year we decided to do the American thing and head into the nation capitol and watch the fireworks. We made the 6 hour (20 mile)round trip journey and joined 1 million others to salute our country. We found a great spot on the lawn of the Lincoln Memorial and had a great time. Getting out of the city was the craziest thing I have ever done but we made it and enjoyed it.

Keeping Up

I can't believe how time flys. It seems I was just on here trying to update and here it has been over a month and I am still behind with more to catch up on. It has just been too busy. I sit and wonder at night if being so busy is keeping me from doing the important things. I get so caught up in the day to day tasks I forget to take a moment and enjoy each moment I have with my beautiful girls and wonderful husband. Learning of the passing of an acquaintance of ours 18 month daughter again reminded me of how precious each day with my family is and how much I want to remember and cherish each moment. So instead of working, I am going to blog my memories.

HOME TO IDAHO
We were able to take our vacation in June and head home to Idaho. I say home because it has always been and will always be where our hearts and thoughts are. I was able to see my two nieces and nephew, Julia, Leah and Emmitt, that have been born since we were last home. We were also able to visit with all of our brothers and sisters (minus Jake, Jeff and Brad :( ) and spend some time with each of our grandparents as well.

Kayt about summed up everyone's feelings as she cried while walking through the security gate at the airport. The promise of phone calls and skype just wasn't enough, it never is. But alas here we are back in Virginia making the most of it.

We started our trip with a great time up in Midway, UT with my family. I am always reminded why I miss being around my whole fam when we get together. WE have so much fun! There is just the right combination of personalities that there is never a dull moment. I didn't want to go to bed each night because I was afraid I would miss something, a moment to enjoy everyone just that much more. The only downside was not having Jared, Cassi and Emmitt there with us but we are planning on them making a roaring appearance at our next family "reunion" we have to call it that now. (BOOOOO) I am so blessed to have the family I do that loves each other and cares about each other and does what it takes to all be in the same place at the same time.

Highlights of the trip were
1-world cup soccer
2-settlers of Cattan way too late at night
3-seeing Emmitt and Julia for the first time
4-hanging out with my mom, emily, sarah and cassi
5-watching Kayt, Ella and Baron march in circles on the bed singing "Fall down, fall down"
6-Baron yelling "To infinity and beyond" and "Komanda" (Kung fo Panda)
7-Singing Jarry Happy Birthday! he never gets embarrassed but this time he was.
8-Watching the lightning storm camping up near Hisee
9-Taking Kayt and Ella camping with my parents
10- The zoo with grandma flamm and grandma erickson. It is a special feeling when you relive memories you had as a child with your own girls.
11- Running early in the morning and watching the sun come up over the Tetons

We also spent a week at Scott's parents house. It was the first time we have all been there together. It was so fun to just hang out with his family. I am very lucky to have such great inlaws. The four little girls were so funny to watch. They could play for hours and not get tired of each other. It makes me excited for the future as they all grow up together.

Highlights with the Smith's
1-Dad's 50th birthday
2-The mouse hunt
3-Kayt learning to ride a bike
4-Riding in the fast car with Grandpa Dye
5-Kayt riding paint all by herself at grandpa smith's farm
6-Seeing a happy and content Scott come home from a long day of fishing
7-Watching Kayt, Ella and Lainy test there courage running further down the road (lead by lainy)
8-Beauty and the Beast with Kayt and Ella on my lap on the front row! It was a little too intense for them
9-having Kayt and Ella wave to Bishop Smith on the stand in church
10-Cassi's softball game, and our running commentary. We are pretty funny!
11-Scaring Sarah my sister with he Gorilla mask
12-Introducing Scott's sisters to the art of toilet papering

My camera broke but I did get these before it went down.

It was a fantastic trip home. We got to see a lot of family and remember why we will always call Rexburg home.

ELLA SLIDE SHOW

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Ella Turns Two

Well, my baby is all grown up.  I can't even believe she is two.  The problem is she is two going on 4 or 5 or 6.  You get the point.  She really is not a baby anymore.  How does it go so fast?

All Ella wanted for here birthday was an Elmo cake.  I think it turned out pretty good in the end and she was pleased as punch.  She still talks about having another birthday with her Elmo cake.  Kayt made some great decorations for the walls and hung them up.  She also wrapped Ella's favorite gift, the Baby Doll.  She just couldn't let go of Kayt's old dirty one (which she is still very possessive of) so we got her her very own.  It was a highlight for both girls.

( This is Ella eating a cup of whole wheat flour, yes it is her favorite)

The menu for the occasion was none other than hot dogs.  Ella's favorite food (although she only gets them on her birthday).  Her most favorite (nix the previous statement) was the singing duck that Aunt Hayley got her.  The duck sings Happy and You Know It while flapping his wings and hopping up and down.  Happy and You Know It has been Ella's favorite song since who knows.  We sing it every night before bed, every time we get in the car whenever she is bored.  That song has had some millage at our house.  Ella almost could not contain herself when a duck was singing her song.  Saying she was giddy is an understatement.  The poor duck was worn out in a day.

Digital scrapbooking design made with Smilebox

So here is my ode to my Ella Girl.  I have never met a happier, more easy going, loving, playful, funny, adventurous little girl.  A lot of kids are cute and funny but Ella at two does things to try and make you laugh and cracks herself up in the process.  She loves to talk and sing and can talk your ear off if you let her.

Ella loves to play and play and play.  She never stops and nothing is too dangerous for this girl.  I have finally stopped looking all the time at the playground.  I wait for her to yell for help.  Otherwise I go crazy trying to be there when I think she might fall.  The girl is a monkey, she never falls and never gets scared.  For example she got stuck on some very skinny ladder stair on the playground.  I watched as she tried to figure out how to turn herself around.  She ended up losing her balance, wrapping around the pole and slide down fireman style.  When she touched ground she said "whoa....that was fun"  I am not kidding, this out of the mouth of a 25 month old.

Ella is a tease.  Poor Kayt takes the brunt, but everything is a game.  She gets this glimmer in her eye and you know the game has begun.  She often runs laughing hysterically in the wrong direction just waiting for you to follow her, when you do she laughs even harder.  She is a bad influence on Kayt at times.  Kayt never hid in the clothes racks at stores, not anymore.

Ella is an outside girl through and through.  She sits out on the porch all day long just playing on her picnic table, finding someway to thrill herself in a dangerous manner.  All she ever wants to do is go play outside with her friends.  There's a little boy in our complex, she possessively calls her boy.  "I want to go play with my boy, where is my boy?"  It is pretty funny.

The only thing Ella likes more than playing outside is going to the pet store to see the puppies and the kitties.  She has no greater joy in life.  She starts screaming as soon as we pull in the parking lot.  I see kitties and puppies, I wish I could record it for you because it is hilarious.  She flies in to the store out of control like and starts exclaiming, "thats and cute puppy!  Oh so cute puppy!"  We are regulars at Petland for better or worse.

Though Ella is getting so big and so smart, she is still my baby.  She loves to read books and snuggle and I love it too.  My favorite is to rock a bye here in the middle of night.  She is such a snuggler, she finds her perfect spot on your shoulder and lets her full weight rest on you.  There is nothing better.  I love watching my strong willed little thrill seeker sleep.  I often watch and think of what the world will have in store for my little Ella girl and I worry and get anxious and then I think, what Ella will have in store for the world and think, get out of her way and watch out!

Happy Birthday Ella, I Love You.

The funny things kids say....

Now I realize I have been a non-existent blogger the last little bit.  I got in way overhead teaching courses the last 16 weeks.  However, that is over so be prepared for major updates coming your way.  In the meantime, here are a few things that might make you laugh.  A warning to the reader...if anatomically correct names of the body, as said by 4 year olds offend you, please do not continue reading.

FUNNY MOMENT ONE....

(the three little girls are the culprits of the story)

This past year Kayt has been in a coop preschool with some LDS ladies that live near us.  It has been a fantastic experience for both of us.  The other moms are very dedicated and really know how to teach.  I struggle to perform at their level but try. 

Anyway, the other day preschool had ended and they were sitting at the table talking and eating their lunch.  We have been studying geography type things.  i.e. adresses, states, continents etc.  One of the moms overheard the following converation.

little girl 1:  you can't say Penus
little girl 2: or vagina (slight pause)  But you can say VIRGINIA!
little girl 1:  And Utah...I used to live in Utah.....

And the conversation continued from there.  I don't know if any of you find that as funny as I did but as I was telling Scott, i was laughing to tears.  It was such an innocent conversation.  And just showed how quickly and easily their brains move from one thing to the next. 

NEXT FUNNY MOMENT....


Wednesday is my laundrey day.  I usually do the luandry once have put the girls down for their afternoon nap.  Out machines are down two flights of stairs so it is just easier to do when they are asleep for many reasons.  Anyway, while heading out with my first load I realized our pool passes were due that day and it would be too late to turn them in by the time the girls woke up.  So being the bad mom I am, I checked to make sure they were asleep and quickly ran to the office just a building down.  I was gone perhaps 5 minutes.  As I was opening the door I heard Kayt wailing in distress...."oh no, what do we do?  Oh no, oh no, mom, oh no."  I quickly ran back their to find Kayt wrenched in agiony and Ella asleep on the floor at the end of the bed trying to catch her breath, like she had been sobbing uncontrollably. 

I quickly asked Kayt what had happened, seeing how this was not the condition I left them in, and she replied, "mom, we thought you were arrested!"  "We didn't know what to do."  I quickly asked with my most concerned face, why would I have been arrested, "because you took a long, long, long, long time changing the laundry." 

I settled her down and she quickly went back to sleep.  I had a good laugh to myself as I pondered the unintentional agony I had just put my poor kids through.  Can't crying out in agony and Ella succumbing to tiredness while assuming the fetal position on the floor at the base of the bed. 

What a horrible mother I am.  I guess I won't do that again. 

Yes..this is Ella hanging out naked singing songs from her hymn book.  I got distracted after bathtime!

What's a Tax Season Widow to Do?

I took advantage of some cheap tickets to go home and spend a couple weeks with my fam.  The only bummer was that Virginia got the biggest snow storm in history so Scott was home some of the time while I was gone but what do you do?

While home we took advantage of the snow and Smith Park.  That was always a highlight growing up, sledding and going home for Hot Chocolate.  Ella was not interested AT ALL which is why she hung out at the top of the hill with my mom.  Kayt loved it until she went off a jump three times in a row and crashed on her face three times in a row.  I tried to make her miss but it never seemed to work out.  She was done after that.

This picture collage made with Smilebox We also got to watch Sarah and Cassie play their last few games of Basketball.   It has been great being able to cheer them on.  Crazy that it is all over.  Here are some shots of the super stars. My personal favorite: crazy we are all grown up!

In March I took a road trip to see my friends from Columbus.  I still have such a fondness for Columbus.  I can't put my finger on one reason but I could list about 100.  This was our first long road trip by ourselves.  We traveled for 7 hours.  The girls did great!  They are such great travelers.  Thank goodness. 

It was so good to see everyone and spend some time with Sarah Crockett.  She is one of those friends that literally saved your life.  Someone that should have been born a sister so you had more chances to get together.  Here are a few highlights.  Of course I didn't take many pictures, a big problem I have, but there's enough to remember the trip.  The big highlights, The Columbus ZOO-there is nothing better and GRAETER'S ICE CREAM.  We brought a whole cooler packed with dry ice, home to be enjoyed later.


At Graeter's we met up with some friends. Kayt got to her sole mate Leah Nelson.  The first time they met, all that was said was 'do you like princesses?' they grabbed hands and were connected since.

I got to catch up with Shirley Cooper.  One of the finest women I have ever been able to visit teach.  My view of visiting teaching will forever be changed because of her.  She taught me what is was really all about.

All in all, a great trip back Columbus.

A free digital collage by Smilebox

Grandma and Grandpa Flamm

I was very fortunate to have family come visit during the last bit of busy season for Scott.  It helped me make it through.

The first visit was from my Grandma and Grandpa Flamm.  They are incredible.  They drove from Rexburg to Washington D.C. and stopped who knows how many places in between.  These two are animals (in the most respectful way).  I only hope I have as much fire in me as they when I am their age.

It was so nice to have them visit.  For my own personal remembrance I am going to list the highlights and tell about them.  Sorry for the poor flow.

1) The picnic by the Potomac.  I have told many people that airplanes land every 90 seconds at Reagan International Airport.  Thank you grandpa for taking the time to figure that out.  The picnic took me back to the day when I would go as a little girl with them.

2) Playing cards: I can think of nothing better to do with my grandparents.  This time we learned Kings Corner.  It is a great game!  And as always they had to reteach my grandma rummy.  I need to write that one down.

3) Taking them to King Kabob.  My poor grandparents will never want us to pick the restaurant again.  We took them to an Afgani Kabob restaurant.  My grandma's words exactly "I ate it all but I don't want to go back."  Thanks for being sports.

4) My grandpa playing domino Thomas the Train with Kayt.  I have to say this is one thing I admire about both my grandparents, they have always taken the time to sit with us and just play.  Even when it was not what they wanted to do.  Thank you for doing that with Kayt.  She still talks about it.

5) A project!  A visit with my grandparents is not complete without a project.  My grandpa helped me make some food storage shelves for my little closet.  My grandpa is a construction genius.  I just sat there as he measured and figured and cut and measured and figured and we ended up with this wonderful set of shelves that is PERFECT!

6) Continueing my efforts to crochet.  My grandma is the Queen of the old arts, sewing, knitting, crochet, quilting,  everything.  I am the Queen of none.  Crochet is the one art I thought I could maybe learn and be okay at.  I am still working on baby booty number 2 to give to my sister.  Thank you for your patience grandma.

After they left I said to Scott, you know I understand why I am the way I am.  So many of my little quirks, watching movies while doing a craft project, always scheming some project to work on, caring about how often a plane lands, they are inherited, not my fault.  I blame it all on my grandma and grandpa and I say with the most sincerity possible, THANK YOU!!!