"Mommy Hugs!"

I seriously LOVE my Memphis.  He is at the cutest stage of loving life, loving to learn new things, and just loves to play and have fun.  He talks so sweetly and is so polite.  Of course to everyone but his sister, but what are brothers for, right?  And he finally can sing the ABC's and not leave out any letters.  And he can identify and say all the letters placed in random order and count to 25.  He loves to sing songs and act them out.   Of course I also LOVE my precious Kayzee.  Kayzee loves to copy Memphis and wants to do everything he does.  When he sings, she sings right along with him in her cute little 1 year old gibberish.  They both have the funniest personalities and love to laugh (sometimes so much they like to fake laugh...it's hilarious).  These pictures are a few months old but I saw them the other day and they really cheered me up so I had to share them.  We were just playing with toys together one day and Kayzee found some sunglasses so I grabbed the camera and they put on a show for me.  Kayzee is seriously such a girl!

Kayzee loves her brother

Kissy faces

This is my favorite!

"Mommy Hugs!"

Memphis also loves his mommy.  His way of showing love is so dear to me right now.  Life has been very hard lately and his hugs and kisses and cuddles have kept me going.  He always yells for his "Mommy Hugs!" whenever we have to leave each other and he can't go to bed without them.  My favorite thing he says right now too is, "I lub (love) you mommy!"  He used to just repeat it after me but now he says it first and sometimes when I am least expecting it.  The other day he was in the other room, he came running in and out of no where just said, "I LUB YOU MOMMY!"  I Love you too Memphis!

So out of nowhere Kayzee was sleeping solidly through the night.  It was weird and very nice because I was finally getting the sleep I have needed for the past 20 months.  She had slept really well for over a week so I started telling people how excited I was that she was finally sleeping well.  I even announced it during good news min in Relief Society.  A lady sitting next to me said I better knock on wood.  Ya, maybe I shouldn't have told everyone because that night she woke up every hour screaming!  UGH!  And it was a night Danny wasn't home so I was the one awake all night.  Don't know what was wrong with her but after that night she has actually slept through the night since and it's been about two weeks so hopefully she has finally grown out of that sleepless stage.  Go Kayzee!

Now the end of another school year is finally in sight.  I cannot wait to be home all day with my two little ones.  The only thing I am not looking forward to is potty training Memphis.  DUM DUM DUM!

Easter at Bear Lake

My grandparents have a time-share condo at Bear Lake and they let family use it so I noticed that the condo was available during the Easter weekend.  I checked the weather (65-68 during the day) and my grandma said no one was using it so we invited some friends and off we went.  So glad we did.  It was perfect weather for April and because it was off season no one else was really there so it was quiet and not crowded.  Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Astle!

Ideal Beach Resort

We invited the Barnes' family.  The mom is the music specialist at the school I teach at and we have become friends being on the same team.  Her husband and mine both love to golf so they got along great and they went golfing everyday at the golf course just across the border in Idaho.  They said the view was beautiful.  They have 3 kids.  Two of them are a lot older than mine but they were great with my kids.  It was a lot of fun and I am glad they could come.  

We were going to leave Friday night but knowing how horrible traffic is on a Friday evening especially Easter weekend we decided to leave Saturday morning.  We stopped in Brigham City to say hi to Danny's grandparents.  Then we went to Logan to my grandparent's house to pick up the key and bedding for the condo and off we went.  We had lunch on the way so when we got there we unpacked and the kids went straight for the park and played.

Then we went back to have dinner and then we went back to the beach to try out some fishing.  No luck but the kids have fun throwing rocks in the lake.  The lake was definitely still too cold for swimming.

Sunday morning we made a pancake breakfast and then went for a drive and played at another park in Garden City where we waited for our friends to show up.  Then we let them unpack and the men took the kids down to the lake while us women hid eggs for an easter egg hunt.  There is a mini golf course by our condo so we hid the eggs there.  My kids sure had fun finding the eggs and of course eating all the candy out of it.  

 After we had lunch then the boys went golfing and we had the kids take naps or watch a movie.  Then we took the kids swimming.  The hot tub was open and the kiddie pool so the kids loved it.  We had dinner, put the kids to bed and the adults watched a movie.  The next day (great the we all had work off so we could stay longer) the boys went golfing after breakfast (thanks for all the yummy food Allison!) and us girls took the kids to the park and lake to play. Then we packed up and cleaned the condo and off we went.  We wanted to stop and get lunch in Garden City but because it was the off season nothing was open so we drove into Logan and had lunch. Then we went fishing at first dam and then we went home.  It was a great get-away that I definitely needed with great people:)  Wish we could have stayed longer.  It was my spring break the rest of the week so I had so much fun being home with my two little ones.  I LOVE them so much and I really enjoyed playing with them and just being with them all day.

My birthday the big 2....

It was my birthday on Monday, April 2.  I turned 29...don't feel that old at all and everyone says I don't look that old probably because my kids keep me young.  The funniest quote I heard about turning 29 from my favorite tv show..."This year is it.  I have to party it up because after this year it's just darkness."  HA!  So not looking forward to 30.

I had had a rough two weeks before teaching health and grading papers so I took my birthday day off, took my kids to their babysitter and pampered myself!  I realized that I had not been alone for years spending a day on myself so it was much deserved, much needed, and much appreciated by everyone who helped.  Thanks to my sub, friends, family, hubby, babysitter, etc.  I feel so much better and probably the best gift I got was Kayzee sleeping through the night.  I got 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep and that has not happened in over 19 months! 

I was getting my kids ready to take them to the babysitter and I told them it was my birthday.  Memphis got excited and said I needed to blow out candles so I grabbed our bbq lighter, lit it and started singing happy birthday to myself.  Memphis said, "Mommy no sing, just blow!"  Ha ha.  I went shopping with my friend Michelle.  I grew up with her in California and she just moved to Lehi so it has been fun to catch up and hang out.  I got all my shopping done way to fast (amazing what you can do without kids) so we just walked around different stores.  We got lunch, then I got my nails done, went clothes shopping (I am down 2 pant sizes WOOT!) and went home to be with my little family.  I forgot...Sunday (the day before) my friend Stephanie cut my hair short (I hate long hair) and gave me some blonde highlights.  I LOVE it.  Everyone says it brightens my face up.  She did a great job.  I was spoiled this year: new treadmill, new clothes, new car, new hair, we went out to eat, and got pampered.   Thanks everyone!  

Here are some pictures of my new hair and nails, and some of me and Memphis being silly.  Happy Birthday to me!