Cheap Thrills

I think this is a sign we need to invest in a wading pool.  (We tried to hook up the sprinkler, but we apparently need a new hose because there was more water spraying from the faucet than our spinning Elmo)!

When we got inside, Kale said, "That was the most fun EVER!"  I'm not sure whether I should take that as a complement of my ingenuity or an insult because the other 364 days of the year things around our house are so lame.....

Good Stuff

This pic is destined to be a classic.  I'm fairly certain we'll see it at a graduation celebration and/or wedding sometime in the future!!

Even a cool, high school senior boy can't resist helping out his niece :)   Brandon is one of the nicest people I know.  I mean, seriously, how many kids his age would actually take the time to attend their 3-year-old cousin's birthday party?  Love that!

And last, but not least, a couple pics of our happy baby. She's already 2 1/2 months old.  Crazy, huh!? 

Disney World

Sometime in the past month Kale decided that he wants to go to Disney World to ride roller coasters, and he wants Grandpa Ballard to take him :)
I'm not really sure where the big plan started (maybe one of those commercials on TV) but he discusses it like it's no big deal to travel to Florida and like he's certain it's going to happen.

All of this leads me to an incident that happened yesterday:
There was change laying on the kitchen counter, so I picked it up and divided it between the kids' piggy banks.

Kale busted me in the act and in a very dramatic voice said, "Moooooooooom! That's for me and Grandpa to go to Disney World!"
I apologized and he made a big production of getting a  plastic sack to store his Disney world money in. He even put a "D" for Disneyland on it...and taped it shut to keep his little sisters (and mom) out.
He also added a dollar and said in a very serious tone, "I'll put this in just in case; Grandpa might need extra money."
Less than five minutes later, I heard him rustling around in the kitchen
and found him taking more money out of his piggy bank and putting it in his "D" sack.
I said, "Now what are you doing?"
Kale responded, "I want to do A LOT of things in Florida with Grandpa." "I think I have TWO whole dollars and maybe fifty cents in my bag!"

The kid is convinced that he's going to Disney World with his Grandpa and that it's going to be the BEST TRIP EVER.

I told my dad to look at the bright side....if he can pull this off, he's definitely secured a permanent spot in the Grandparent Hall of Fame! 
In the mean time, there's always World's of Fun.

Him

He doesn't get very much attention on the blog....or at home........

But he should because he's a pretty remarkable guy.

The night I met him, I was smitten! 

It may have had something to do with the jumbo margarita I consumed....oh wait, that must have been some other girl....I spent all my free time in college studying :) 

Anyway, my first words to him were, "If you're not fun, I'm kicking you out of my canoe!"

So romantic (and kind), right?

He was everything I didn't know I was looking for....

He took his niece out to dinner weekly.

He volunteered at LINK.
He had a wonderful family.

He could hold his own at "Friends (the TV show) Trivia".
He tolerated my constant singing in the car.

And he was pretty darn handsome, too!

Everyday I appreciate even more about him...

He is strong in his Faith.
He plays with our kids even when he is  exhausted.

He is an amazingly talented engineer.
He is a great coach.

He loves me even when I'm cranky and irrational.

He helps out around the house without complaint.

He makes awesome scrambled eggs (and mashed potatoes).
He gives me thoughtful gifts...like this:

He is patient.

He is loving.
He is a lot of fun at football games.

He is the best husband and father anyone could ask for,
and I am so very thankful for him.

Happy Anniversary, Dain! 

A Few Things I Love

I love watching my daughter play "doctor" while wearing her princess tutu. 
I love the fact that my son wants to go on a trip to Disney World with Grandpa Ballard.
And the fact that he also wants to go back to Utah....because he misses the pool at our apartment complex.
I love watching my husband play a million rounds of baseball (and football and soccer and basketball) with Kale.
I also love watching him have tea parties with Bailey.
I love watching Shay "talk" to the ceiling fan.
I love the sound of my nephew Kaden's laughter.
I love the fact that if I mention I like something of my mom's (i.e. a necklace she's wearing), her immediate response is, "Do you want it?"  "You can have it."
I love watching my father-in-law's face light up when Bailey says, "Hi Papa!"
I also love watching the kids run and run and run at the farm.
I love kissing the baby's cubby cheeks.
These days, I REALLY love sitting on the couch with Dain and soaking up a few minutes of silence when all three kiddos are asleep....mainly because it doesn't last long :)

What do you love?

Power

Today Kale got to go to work at Kiewit Power Engineers with Dain.  He was so excited that he wanted to sleep with Dain last night so "he didn't sleep through the alarm and miss going to work." :)  He also insisted on wearing his boots and wanted me to make him a "nice, healthy breakfast of strawberries and a glass of water" so he'd have lots of energy. 

A few highlights from the day so far:
he sharpened pencils for Daddy
ate a banana
got a dollar
watched a dvd
spent his dollar on a drink
met more people
convinced dad to buy him cookies
rode the elevators

Sounds like a good start to me!

Speaking of power, here's something Dain is going to be working on.  It's a GIANT (seriously, like 12 square miles of mirrors + the transmission center to covert the heat to energy).  Dain gets to be a lead engineer for the structural part of the project....quite and accomplishment considering he hasn't been with the company very long!!

At home, I'm slowly beginning to relinquish some power to my son.  I still can't believe he starts kindergarten in a few months!  Yesterday I even let him make his own peanut butter sandwich!  (Sadly, that's a big deal for me)

There is also and on-going power struggle for attention between Shay and Bailey.  Shay isn't really aware of it, but it's full on war as far as Bailey is concerned!

Bailey also took a power-tumble this week, and unfortunately her head met the bottom of our rocker-glider.  Ouch!  I'm sure it's only the first of many injuries for our "spirited" child :)

Easter

Sunday was kind of one of those "best day ever" days for Kale.  He woke up to a basket of candy from the Easter Bunny, AND got to play at the farm all day, eat an over-the-top T-Rex cake and open presents in celebration of his birthday.  What more could a five year old want??

We had fun, and seeing myself in pictures confirms my suspicions: 1) I need to hit the tanning bed (I know, I know....bad for my health, but I just need a little color)! 2) I really need a hair cut.  I think the last time I got my hair done was, um, NOVEMBER! That's just sad.  3)  It's time to stop eating like I'm pregnant and hit the gym.  Enough said.

On a more positive note, isn't my husband looking good?!  We finally bought him some new clothes (it only took five years) and he even branched out from his "shades of blue" and added some color to his wardrobe.  I'm so proud!