Back to School

Kati started 2nd grade this year and Logan is in Kindergarten. They both love school. Logan had a hard time the first day and came home with a pink slip. Apparently, he didn't want to go in from recess. But now he's got it all figured out and everyday he comes home and says, "Mom! I didn't get a reminder today!" He's so excited to get a smiley face on his report. Kati knows everyone in her class and loves her teacher. Her backpack got stolen on the first day, but it mysteriously appeared back on her hook the next day, so no harm done. She was sure whoever took it must have made a mistake. For two days she kept telling me different scenarios how someone could have thought that her back pack was theirs. She's a sweet girl. I love that our house is back into the routine of school. I love summer, but the hectic lifestyle starts to wear on me after a while. And I am looking forward to all the Fall holidays. I love Halloween and Thanksgiving. :)

4th of July

While watching the amazing fireworks last night with my family all around me, I couldn't help but try to imagine how it must have been for the people who witnessed that long night so many years ago, when freedom was finally won. I thought of the emotions those men and women must have experienced; The elation and relief when their men came back to them, the overwhelming grief when they had to gather those lost to them, the numbness that comes when after much time and struggle, you finally win the prize and it doesn't quite seem real. I am so grateful to live in a country where I am free to make choices for me and my family, where I don't have to worry about our safety or jump at every loud noise. So today I say thanks to those men and women that sacrificed so much to win this piece of ground for me, both at the very beginning and every battle since. I offer my sincere gratitude to the men and women of the armed forces, and their loved ones left behind, who sacrifice their time and effort, and sometimes their lives, so that me and the ones I love can sit together on the 4th of July and celebrate this wonderful nation that I was so blessed to be born in. My kids (and my husband, who are we kidding. Haha.) can enjoy the bursts of light and sound that come from explosives being shot high into the air, with no worry of losing their home or loved ones. We have clean water, plentiful food and indoor plumbing and when I disagree with the government, I can express my unhappiness with no fear of retribution. God bless America!

Park City!

I went to Park City with my Sis in laws. It was a fabulous 2 days without kids. We went shopping and relaxed in the Hot tub! Can't wait until next year, so we can go again!
I went to

A day at the "Beach"

We took the kids to antelope Island and had a fun, relaxing day just hanging out. Hailey had a ton of fun chasing birds. Logan practiced his mad rock skipping skills, and Kati never got out of the water. She just loved digging down into the clay under the water. The water is super shallow forever so the kids could wander a bit without me freaking out that they would drown. It was a great day, and I got the beginnings of a fantastic tan.

Logan's Tball team

Logan loves Tball. He's really good at it, and usually gets to play at 1st or 3rd base. He gets a little shy when people cheer for him, but he LOVES when his dad tells him how good he did. I think he will enjoy it more next year when he gets to play machine pitch instead of whacking it off a Tee.

Kati's Softball experience

Kati is not a huge fan of Softball. She thinks it's mostly boring and she doesn't like getting sweaty. She's looking forward to tumbling in the fall.

Logan loves to READ!

We took a family trip to the library, and Logan checked out his first book. He has not stopped reading since, and I am so excited that he is excited. We will be spending our summer getting him geared up for kindergarten in the fall. (Can you believe it?!?)

Ogden Nature Center

The kids had a great time on this field trip and we will definitely be going back this summer.

Potty Training Party!

So, I needed some motivation to get started potty training Hailey. Luckily, my sister was potty training her baby with great success so we went over for a potty party. We've had a few false starts do to lack of motivation and some ill timed antibiotics, but now we are going strong and Hailey is on her way to being completely diaper free. :)

A new adventure

I just found out that I got the job I was hoping for. It's just a little part time gig but I can work from home and while I'm on vacation. The little money I bring in will go along way toward paying down our mountain-o-medical bills. I am so excited to start this new adventure. I haven't had a job in 6 years so it's going to be a bit of an adjustment for me. :) Wish me luck!

Happy Birthday to the Chicky Boo!

Hailey turned 2 this past Friday. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone. We were all getting over the flu so we didn't do much in the way of a party, but there was a few presents. We got her some clothes because she's grown 6 inches in the last two weeks, Grandma and Grandpa Porter got her an awesome Tricycle that has a steering bar for parents. Genious, whoever came up with that! :) And she got cards and $$$ from my Grandma and my parents. The card that my Mom got her sings "Lollipop, Lollipop" and she just LOVES it. She walks around with it singing all day. It's so fun. She's such a sweet little thing. I can't even imagine our life without her.

So, I've been feeling very picked on lately because my life is not going how I want it to. It's been raining set backs and dissappointments and I feel like the proverbial camel with too many straws on it's back. But while I was wallowing in self pity I decided that I should work on being the happy optimistic person that I used to be. So here goes exercise 1 in positive thinking: Count your blessings.

• I have a beautiful little family. Three healthy, happy, adorable kids and a husband who adores both them and me despite my many flaws.

• I have a home I LOVE in a neighborhood that is safe and friendly.

• We are blessed that Casey has a job that pays the bills and I get to stay home with my sweet kids.
  

• I have a fabulous, large extended family that I can always rely on. They give me a tremendous amount of strength and support.

• I found photography. I love it. It eases my stress and makes me feel fantastic, and also occasionally brings in a little money. :)

I know it's a little thing, but sometimes I just need a little reminder of everything that is good in my life. It's too easy to get bogged down in all the bad things. I just have to remember that it's not forever. The bad things will pass, but so will the good so I should be enjoying the sweet things in life while I have them.

Busy... Busy... Busy

The thing about blogging is, you need something interesting to blog about. My life has been very busy, but not so interesting lately. I have recently started jogging, which I love, but I am so so sore afterwards. I am hoping this will go away with time but secretly, I fear that my complete lack of muscle tone will do me in. I have been struggling with some blood sugar problems for the past few months, but now I think I've got it under control. It's so nice to have some energy back. I've been getting steadily more busy with photography, and I am so excited to see where this road takes me. Already I have had some amazing experiences.
Hailey is fast approaching 2 years old and it shows. She's big into temper tantrums, but she's still small so they're easily managed. And she's so cute when she runs down the hall to her bedroom, I can't help but laugh. She colors all over my house, so I've been hiding the markers in progressively harder places but she always finds them. She hauls a little chair around our house to reach anything she wants. She gets her own water from the fridge, and clears her dishes at dinner. She says "Thanks, Mom!" When I give her something she wants, and her favorite game is "Look. Mommy!" but I can rarely tell what she is pointing at. She's so fun, and her siblings adore her.
Logan will be 5 in just a few days. He's starting to sound out words and loves to count to 100. He's so excited to start Kindergarten, and says he will even go get shots as long as he gets a sucker after. His favorite foods are cheese and chocolate, any way he can get them. He loves to torment Kaitlyn, and he is really getting good at it. He loves He Man, which I find odd, because I have no idea where he even saw He Man. He is all boy, and loves to play sports. He's amazing at baseball.
Kaitlyn is 6 and 1/2 . She's super smart. She's finished all the 1st grade requirements and now she gets to check out chapter books from the library. She loves it. She reads constantly. She loves to read to Logan and Hailey. She's really good with math too. Her teacher is always raving about how fast she picks up each new concept. Kati loves school, and has formed a "dance club" with some girls in her class. They meet at recess and play dance. She's very social and has lots of friends. She loves her dance class, where she learns ballet and tap dancing. She has one heck of an attitude, and is very stubborn.
Casey got a new run at work, so he's home everyday. It's so nice to have him around. He has been working really hard to be healthier and has lost a bunch of weight. I am so proud of him. It's really wonderful because we spend more time as a family now. We go on hikes and we play at the park. He has really helped us all to be more active. In May we will have our 8 year wedding anniversary. I can't believe it's been that long, and at the same time it feels like we've been together forever. I can't imagine my life without him.