So much to say.... where to begin

Although life with small kids is crazy and many times exhausting,  I dread the day when my children start to grow up. I say (almost) on a daily basis that I don't want these times to end.  I wish I could have a constant recording of every moment so I don't forget how they are right now.  I cherish these years.  Christmas this year has been full of magic, excitement, story telling, santa letters, wonderfully amazing behavior, and a whole lot of sparkling, innocent, excited little guys yearning for Santa to come.
There has been presents made, pictures drawn, service rendered, and many moments that I lay in bed thinking how I don't want these moments to pass.  One particular time was when we were taking around our neighbor gifts.  As I was getting them ready, I was selfishly thinking how grateful I was to have kids to pawn off doing the deliveries for me.  All I had to do was drive around and they would go to each door.  Well... my once selfish attitude turned into pure love and a few tears as I watched my kids, door after door walk up to the house holding a box of chocolates... one with a sword tucked in his back and the other in her ballerina skirt looking so small against the large house doors.  When the doors would open, I would hear from the car.... "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" as they waved goodbye to our neighbors as they walked back to the car.  It made me think back a couple years ago when Kaden would ask each neighbor if he could sing them a christmas song before he left.  He did this all alone, as I once again sat in my car... too "grown up" to go to the door myself.
  Looking at Christmas through my kids eyes has brought so much happiness to me this holiday season.  Santa is a remarkable person, with the power to brighten lives just with his very name.  Santa has the power to make notty kids nice, nice kids nicer and parents the ability to pull the "santa's not going to come" card as often times as needed (and it will work every time).
Most of all... I loved the magic.  The magic in seeing Santa, the magic of riding the polar express to the north pole, the sound of bells outside your window,  Kaden watching outside the car window on christmas eve and seeing Santa's sleigh high in the sky and telling me to hurry home because we had to beat him to our house, Avery saying she was worried that Santa would wake her up with his big boots and Kaden reassuring her that Santa is magic and he can just tip toe so she wouldn't hear a thing....and most of all... the light in their eyes, Christmas morning.  Kaden running out of his room... half  asleep but the first words out of his mouth were "Dad, I totally heard bells last night", the anticipation of seeing what was in the family room but waiting patently for Brian to go check everything out, the watching them jumping and screaming when they did see the lit up tree with presents all around it.
As I think about my kids, I often feel like I'm living in my own little slice of heaven.  Everything is new and exciting. Nothing holds them back from their imagination.....and they use their imaginations every day!  They are free from whatever it is that jades us as adults and they are just.... happy.  I don't want these times to end.  I have so much to learn from them.  I can honestly say that these 3 little kid have brought me more happiness and fullfillment then I could ever have imagined.  My family is my greatest gift this Christmas season.  I am so blessed.

Wow... Our Fist School Picture

KINDERGARTEN 2009-2010

Kaden got his school picture back yesterday. I think it's pretty darn cute.  No embarrassing photo here! What a handsome little dude.

Kaden's Vacation Stay at Primary Children's Hospital

The night of Halloween, Kaden went trick or treating for about 1/2 hour and came home telling us he was done and didn't want to go anymore.   What??? Kaden not wanting free candy?  Something must be wrong.
Well.. that night, he woke up a few times coughing.  Sunday was no better. He had a fever and slept most the day.  Monday... still no better.  But now.. his breathing was very labored.  I could see his little tummy going in and out with every breath. He kept crying and telling me he couldn't breath.  I got on the phone.. made an appointment with the pediatrician.  His little face was turning a greyish color and his eyelids were purple.  I had seen this before when Bright was just 5 weeks old.. I had a feeling we would be heading up to Primary's.
We headed up to the doctor and sure enough.. they checked his oxygen levels and that was that. No more small talk, just the words I remember hearing a year and a half ago with Bright.  "His oxygen levels are too low to go home.  He needs to get up to Primary's NOW!"  They saved us the cost of an ambulance and gave us an oxygen tank a mask and sent us on our way.
Luckily Brian was able to meet me there so we could both be up with him.. my sweet mom came up in a split second and grabbed my kids from me and took care of them the whole time we were gone.  (I am so grateful for family)
Long story short... Primary Children's hospital from Monday morning until late Wednesday night.  Lots of oxygen, breathing treatments, an IV (and a totally brave little boy with it to I might add), and many, many doctors listening to his chest.  For most of the time we were there... we thought it was pnemonia.. but on our last day there.. the test results came back that it was the Swine Flu.  Ya... the same flu that has the whole population extra paranoid because the media has scared everyone that it's pretty much the plague that is going to destroy the world.  OK... a little dramatic.. but it's about that crazy.
So Kaden was one of the unlucky ones that the flue effected him bad enough to be hospitalized... but also pretty lucky that it was only for a few days.  His most difficult challenge was that he couldn't breath on his own very well.  He had to work pretty hard for it even with oxygen the first couple days.. but then he made a turn for the better and he started healing really fast.
It's never fun to have a kid in the hospital.. but if you had to be anywhere... primary's is the place to be.
I LOVE THAT HOSPITAL!  The nurses, doctors, volunteers, etc. etc. are incredible.  They are so compassionate to the parents, so kind and sweet to the patients, and there is always something fun for the kids to do  Kaden didn't want to leave.  Why would he?  He played video games all day long.  They brought in craft projects, he had multitudes of movies he could watch, he could order anything he wanted to eat... whenever he wanted  (pancakes and nachos for dinner... yum), he got his very own blanket to take home... jokes with his meals, a book to choose to keep, cute nurses that even gave him a thank you note for being a brave patient... It was incredible.  I was so grateful that he was there and getting taken care of... and at the same time... so grateful for the health that he had.. and that it was just the flu... so many of these kids in this hospital are there day in and day out.  We are very blessed.  I am grateful that Kaden is healthy and now home.  Avery was so excited to see his big brother. She couldn't stay away from him.  It's great to have kids that love eachother so much. I hope it stays that way!

Couldn't have done this without daddy.  He's my best friend and best video game partner.

Happy to talk to Avery on the phone.  I miss her.

Making a special purse for Avery.  It melted the nurses heart when he said he wanted to make a purse for his sister.   What a cutie.

Our little guys that came with jokes at breakfast time. We would put them in different parts of the room from time to time to change things up a bit. It was fun to see where they would be next.

Check out my Pichachu Cheeks!!

Mom went home to get my pillow, blanket and especially Grottle to make my stay a little more comfortable.  Grottle has been to Disneyland, Lake Powell, Camping, Friends houses and now the hospital with me.  I love you Grottle.

The nurses must have known I'm really good at baseball, because they had a special baseball blanket on my bed waiting for me when I got to my room.

One Awesome Halloween

Our Halloween was filled with hours of fun this year. I loved having the holiday on a Saturday.... especially a Saturday that Brian had off work! The morning started with the kids whispering at our bedroom door at about 7:20 in the morning... "Happy Halloween!" (I was exhausted after a few days of very little sleep... but I couldn't help but smile at these two adorable little kids at my door)


Then there was pumpkin carving...

and the guts....   (Avery said...."Pumkin guts are agusting!")

Then up to Solitude to get their Season Ski Passes... and try a few runs.... in costume of course!

The Trick or Treating!!! The day couldn't have been better.  Avery was our champion trick or treater.. She ran to house to house... she would say "Trick or Treat... Happy Halloween!"

A few thoughts on Motherhood

There are some things I will miss terribly when my kids grow up:
My kids asking if we can cuddle on the couch
My kids cuddling up to me as we read books
Their incredible imaginations
Their honesty and true goodness
All the time I get to spend with them... just us.
Princess dresses
Capes, Swords, Mario costumes
Toddler Lingo
Huge hugs
The words.. "Mommy" with open arms running towards me when I come home
Asking for permission for everything
A Quiet house at 8:00 pm (ahhhhhhh)
Movie nights with popcorn watching Curious George
  The list goes on and on......


Things I Won't Miss When My Kids are Older.....
"Mom... come and wipe me!"
 ..... wiping buts over and over again
"Mom.. I have to go poop"  (like I have to give them permission)
 Sacrament Meeting with toddlers
 Fake Cries, Temper Tantrums for no apparent reason
 (hmmmm... thought I'd have more things I would miss when I thought about writing this blog... nothings really coming to mind right now... These years are pretty darn priceless).

Toddlerhood

What is it about a little boy... a dirty face... and an incredible smile?

It melts my heart.

Avery Starts Preschool

I can't believe Avery is in preschool?  Seriously.... when did my kids grow up?  Avery was SO ready to get out of the house and do her own thing for a couple days a week.  She thinks she is pretty cool.
My favorite thing she does is when she gets home, she runs in the house and sits me down on the floor, then shows me everything in her backpack.

I love these special little moments with her.. just the two of us.

Her Backpack Is as Big as She is!

Where to Start????

What do you do when you are so ridiculously behind on blogging that it's overwhelming just to think about where to start???

..........That's me.......

Life doesn't stop for me to catch up with blogging.  It keeps going on and on... the only problem is, I'm missing out on documenting the memories.  Here's to a new goal..

       15 minutes a day blogging.  I may just get caught up one of these days.

So where to start??? I might as well start with our most recent trip.   LAKE POWELL!

Lake Powell --- October 2009

The kids and I took off to Lake Powell (AKA... my favorite place on earth) for a little mini vacation. Brian had to work (sniff, sniff). Although we missed him, we still had a great time.

THE FISH

Growing up going to Lake Powell... FISHING WAS NOT ..let me say that again... WAS NOT

allowed. Powell was for skiing and exploring canyons.. that was it!!!

Most of this rule was regulated obnoxiously by me... (I was a skiing freak growin up)... but when you've got cute little kids that LOVE fishing????  Well... all rules null and void

THE COUSINS

  These guys are the best of friends. I am so grateful for my little nieces and nephews.  (Can I note the GORGEOUS water in the back ground?)

   And of course... Cousins always have a great time when grandma and grandpa are around!

MY ADORABLE KIDS

These guys love the boat as much as I do.  They had so much fun! Crazy kids were in the water nearly every morning by 8 am.  Keeping in mind... October LP's are MUCH COLDER than July's LP! All the adults stayed in sweats and blankets and the kids were out playing in the water!

AVERY... 3 GOING ON 13! HER TWO BEST FRIENDS

All I can say is THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for these two sweet girls who let Avery follow them around all week.  If they wanted to eat, Avery wanted to eat. If they wanted to go in the water, Avery would go in the water.  I heard the phrase, "I going with the girls" about every 10 minutes. My favorite thing Avery did was she came in and asked me if she "could watch a movie with the girls".. I said yes.. then she said, "but it's pg 13".  It was so cute.

THE DARE-DEVILS

yes... this is Avery!

(and of course... "the girls")

MY LIFE IS PRETTY DARN GREAT!

Thank you mom and dad, and the amazing Porters!

We had such a wonderful trip.

The big Day

How did this happen? When did this happen? Wasn't he just born?

It really happened....

I have a kindergartner.


**** Note the high fashion first day of school outfit... I could have been a micro managing mom who wouldn't let her kid wear his FAVORITE new school outfit on the first day of school because it wasn't the stylish, ADORABLE, full on outfit (including matching shoes) that I wanted him to wear... No... I would have never tried to talk him into the outfit just mentioned, or even begged a little...
Instead I realized (OK.. after just a little begging for the other outfit) this is Kaden's big day.. not mine. Does it really matter that he wears the cute graphic tee and button down with cargo shorts and skate shoes? He'll wear it eventually, but today is all about him. If he wants to be a walking advertisement for Mario Brothers... then so be it.. (Ya.. his backpack is also Mario )
He was one happy (and stylish in his own rite) little boy. And I have to admit.. he looked pretty cute.

Kaden's and his best little buddy Josh! We made sure they got on the same track so they could go to school together. They both ride the school bus, sit by eachother in school, and would play 24-7 if we'd let them. I'm so glad he has a friend to go to school with.


THE MUCH ANTICIPATED SCHOOL BUS!!!
I think we've been talking about the school bus for at least a year and a half.. and today Kaden's dream came true. He was so cute. When he saw the bus, his eyes lit up and got in line without a inch of anxiety or nervousness. He waved us goodbye and off he went.
Brian didn't think that was good enough so we followed the bus to the school to watch him get off. (Awwwww.. what a cute daddy) It's pretty crazy to think about how quickly your kids grow up. I feel so blessed.

Long Lost Passion

I have to blog.. I want to blog... I need to blog....

..... when will I have time to blog?

updates coming.... (eventually)

I promise I'm working on it.

It's been a long month.. try and keep up

So, I've decided I just need to post our life this past couple months since I've neglected my poor blog. So, I'm not going to take the time to write witty dialogue great inspirational thought processes because I just need to get all this on here! :)
So here's what we've been up to in a nutshell.

Kaden

Kaden finished up preschool and has had his kindergarten orientation. I can't believe he's old enough to go to school. He's been playing soccer with his cousin Garrett. I don't think he's going to be a soccer nut. He doesn't get into the game all that much. He spends more time posing for the camera (while playing on field) than kicking the ball.

My favorite thing about Kaden right now is his imagination. One day I was in the kitchen (wow.. that's a surpise) and I looked out the window to see him with his Ninja Turtle mask on his eyes, his sword in his back riding his bike. It hit me so hard that these years are priceless. He is always some sort of character.. (ninja turtle, a sonic hedgehog, mario, or the latest... pokemon characters). I love watching him in his make believe worlds.

Avery

Avery's big accomplishment this month is that she learned how to ride her bike. She is so funny. Just like everything else in her life.. she needed to figure it out herself. I tried to help her one day and she just wasn't getting it.. then all of a sudden the next day she was riding the bike everywhere!




























Avery is also very into having friends right now. She LOVES when she gets to have play dates. Especially when it's with girls. This is her friend Hailey. They had so much fun playing princesses, coloring, and helping me make a cake.