Gratitude List

This year I'm asking everyone what the top three things are that they are grateful for.

Here's the list:

Erik:

1. Amanda

2. Hunter

3. Mckinley

4. Madelynn

Amanda:

1. Family

2. Being a stay at home mom

3. Friends both old and new

Hunter:

1. My family

2. My fish

3. Video games

Mckinley:

1. My sister and Madelynn and Mckinley and Hunter

2. My koka dots

3. My babies

20 Questions - Kid Style

I found this cute question and answer for the kids and there are their answers.

1. What is your favorite color? Fruity Pebbles (pink and purple)
2. What is your favorite toy? Pink (Baby)
3. What is your favorite fruit? I like Fruity Pebbles (raspberries)
4. What is your favorite tv show? Barney
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Fruity Pebbles (chicken nuggets)
6. What is your favorite outfit? I like dresses
7. What is your favorite game? Um, I spy
8. What is your favorite snack? Goldfish, Cheese
9. What is your favorite animal? Pigs, cause they’re pink
10. What is your favorite song? Popcorn Popping (anything really)
11. What is your favorite book? The Little Mermaid
12. Who is your best friend? Allie (Alison Mickelsen)
13. What is your favorite cereal? I like Branola (granola)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? I want to go to the park. It will be so fun!!
15. What is your favorite drink? Orange juice
16. What is your favorite holiday? I like when it rains
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Daddy (koka dots)
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Goldfish (yogurt)
19. What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner? I like some rice. I want to make some lemonade, too.
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? I don’t know, Mommy!

1. What is your favorite color? All of the colors in the rainbow.
2. What is your favorite toy? Slinky dog
3. What is your favorite fruit? Grapes
4. What is your favorite tv show? I like Spiderman.
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Taquitos
6. What is your favorite outfit? Big brother shirt and jeans
7. What is your favorite game? Lego Star Wars
8. What is your favorite snack? PB & J
9. What is your favorite animal? Horse
10. What is your favorite song? If you’re happy and you know it
11. What is your favorite book? How to Train your Dragon
12. Who is your best friend? Lucas T.
13. What is your favorite cereal? Fruity Pebbles
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Ride my bike
15. What is your favorite drink? Milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas, cause you get lots of toys
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Puff the magic Dragon
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Toast
19. What is your favorite thing to eat for dinner? Tomato Soup with Eyeballs
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Dentist, Rock star, Astronaut, Exterminator, and Tour Guide at Disneyland.

Maxfield Mania

Title stolen from my sister Kylie!

If you want to see how our camping trip was,

A- stay tuned for a MEGA post

or

B- visit Kylie's blog for a hilarious rendition of what really happened.

Really, it all happened!

Just a quick update. . .

Sorry for the lack of posting, (yet again)

My computer died.

Not just a little.

I can't even get the thing to launch windows in safe mode.

GONE.

So I've been stealing Erik's.

Which is kinda like borrowing someone else's scriptures.

Even though they are the exact same things, it just feels different.

It's not mine.
I guess I'm going to have to get used to it though.

But until I get more used to this computer, here's a quick update with pictures of the kids.

Updating

I know there are some people that have been asking me to update, so I'm working on it. I've been working on updating for July. I've gone back clear to the 4th, so keep looking back. The new posts will be mixed in with the old ones.

Lake Tahoe

We went to Erik's Heaven on Earth last weekend.

We had a grand time just relaxing.

We hiked to Vikingsholm in Emerald Bay.

(for those of you that know Hunter, I'm very impressed with this!)

We saw some giant Sequoia trees.

Mckinley helped us read the map so we could get back up.

A view of Emerald bay.

We decided to take the kids fishing.

and by fishing I mean going to a stocked pond where the fish practically jump out of the water into your nets.

Hunter caught a fish pretty quickly.

He was more excited about clocking it over the head than he was to catch it.

Mckinley "helped" Erik catch this large trout.

We spent a day on the beach. Everyone enjoyed it!!

Turns out I suck at posting or even committing to a 30 day photo challenge. Life is just busy. 3 kids are really kicking my butt. I don't know how I find time in my day to do anything. I feel like all I do is referee. On the random chance I do get a free minute, it's spent trying to clean the house. I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. Rewards and punishments that worked for Hunter don't have an effect on Mckinley. She has an explosive temper that can be set off at the drop of a hat, and they last for a long time. I'm talking at points for half an hour. It gets embarrassing when we're in public. I'm still trying to figure out how to parent her. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I can do the baby phase, I can do boys, but MAN girls are drama. I hope I wasn't like that for my mom, but I'm sure I was.

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids. I wouldn't trade being a stay at home mom for anything. A second income would be amazing!! and that's something I do think about. But my kids will benefit from me being there for them. I would love to go to work after they are a little bit older, but for now I know this is where I need to be.

Bassi Falls

While my parents were here, we took a day and drove almost to Tahoe.

There was a gorgeous waterfall with a pretty easy hike.

We had a blast! I think we'll go back again.

Solids

Madelynn started grabbing my fork while I was eating and so we knew that it was time for some cereal.

She was so excited to try something new.

First bite . . .

Not so sure . . .

I think I like this stuff!!

She's LOVED her solids since. She just can't get enough.

Happy Birfday, dear forKinley. . .

That's how this little miss sings "Happy Birthday"

We had an amazing birthday party for the princess.

She woke up to decorations.

And this HUGE gift!

(it was a great way to fill our dining room!)

They still play on this everyday!

She opened all her presents.

My children are SO spoiled.
Our play room is full and we don't have room for more!

(yet somehow we do)

She wanted orange juice and applesauce for her breakfast.

Later that night she got cake and ice cream.

A Minnie Mouse party was her choice.

Happy Birthday Princess!!

Happy 4th!

This year we spent our 235th birthday of our nation up from

sunrise until almost the next sunrise.

The kids got matching outfits from Grandma.

We went to a ward breakfast and then to see some family about an hour away.

We visited and played games, but it was HOT. I wasn't really in a picture taking mood, so that's why we don't have any.

I did make a dessert for that night.

I was really excited to show it off. It only took 4 hours . . .

I also made an Erik friendly dessert.

The fireworks were amazing, and it finally cooled off.

We didn't get home until after midnight, and Erik had to work the next day.

Photography Challenge

One of my friends is doing a 30 Day photography challenge.

I decided that I wanted to do it too.

I know I'm not the best photographer, but I'm hoping this challenge will help me be more creative.

Day 1

Self-Portrait

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day.

To the BEST Father.

Thank you so much for all you do for our family!

We love you so much!

The Prophet said to Plant a Garden, So That's What We'll Do.

Since we really don't have a back yard that's landscaped.

And the back yard is nothing but RoCkS.

We planted a garden in planter boxes.

Nothing big, just strawberries, pumpkins, cantaloupe, and cucumbers.

Mckinley mostly played in the dirt.

Here, Hunter was concentrating so much on counting the right number of seeds in each hole.

We'll let you know how our "garden" turns out.

Pardon our dust

Things have been a little crazy around here lately.

We've moved.

A LONG way.

I'll be updating a lot, but I'll be post dating.

So keep scrolling down to see what's gone on.