Everything Schempp

Beach Party!!!

2010-07-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

For Kenyon's 7th birthday he wanted a beach party. I was very excited about that! He had a great party.

We had a seafood buffet with shrimp, fish n' chips, and "chicken of the sea."

There were Shark Attack cupcakes, octopus cakeballs, life preserver donuts, life savers, swedish fish, goldfish, and tropical fruit salad.

They played in the pool and sandbox. We had a volleyball net set up and we played volleyball with beachballs.

He had a great day, and his favorite gift was a giant "Wild Animals" book.

What a great day! Happy Birthday, Kenyon! I love you a ton!

Soccer

2010-06-07T16:33:00.000-07:00

Cruz played soccer for the first time and absolutely fell in love with it. I think this season was just the first of many soccer seasons to come.

Mara's Dance Recital

2010-06-05T16:15:00.000-07:00

Mara took a dance class and loved every minute of it. The day of her recital she was so excited and she looked so pretty. She is pretty shy, so I wasn't sure how the recital would go, but the shyness won out over the excitement. She did a few moves here and there, but mostly she just followed the other girls around with her head down. Poor thing, she was just so scared. But she still enjoyed her dance class and can't wait until she gets to start again next year.

She also loved the cupcakes she helped me make for the recital.

Red and White

2010-06-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at the red and white game this year.

The family with Eric Weddle.

On the 50 yard line.

Mara was in heaven getting her picture with the cheerleaders.

Go Utes!!!

Jungle Diorama

2010-05-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

Cruz made this awesome jungle diorama for school. He got a perfect grade on it. Of course, how could he not. The teacher especially loved the waterfall. I think he did a fantastic job painting the trees and plants in for the background. And thanks to Kenyon for loaning him all the animals!

Great job , Cruz!

Koen's Birthday Party

2010-05-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

On April 2nd (yes I realize it's May) we had a party for Koen. A lot of family came, and it was really fun to all get together. I decided to do a kite flying party because that's something everyone can enjoy and because it was April. The perfect time of year.

It was a little chilly outside, but the wind was perfect. Everyone got in on the kite flying. Then we came inside for barbeque sandwiches.

Koen nibbled a bit of his cake while I was trying to get a picture.

We had a great time. Thanks to everyone who came!

Koen's Turns 1!

2010-04-26T09:40:00.000-07:00

Koen turned 1 on March 31st. My little baby is now a big baby - even though he is little.

I tried to keep the day very low key so he didn't get too overstimulated and just planned a very little celebration for him in the evening. Thank goodness the boys were in school. The day was going quite nicely until they got home. They were so excited about it being his birthday that they were a bit (and by "a bit" I mean "a lot") overwhelming for him. They had him so keyed up in just a couple of hours that he was a complete wreck.

We had to take a break after opening his presents. I sent the kids downstairs and spent some very quiet time holding Koen and helping him relax. He was finally ready for the last half of the party.

He didn't know what to think of the cake at first. I don't think he like the feel of the frosting, but once he got through the frosting to the cake it was all over. He had a blast with it and I couldn't believe how much he actually ate.

Birthday cake from Shari Schempp on Vimeo.

This is how he looked by the time he was finished:

Koen was very aware that this day was all about him and he definately enjoyed it. I sure do love you, Fuzzy!

Basketball Season

2010-04-25T07:03:00.000-07:00

Cruz's basketball season came to a close in March. He had a great season. Here are a couple of highlights:

Cruz - basketball rebound shot from Shari Schempp on Vimeo.

Cruz - basketball block from Shari Schempp on Vimeo.

Breaking My Silence and a Baby in the Snow

2010-04-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

I know it has been very quiet on here for quite some time. I kept telling myself I wasn't blogging because I was just too busy, but that wasn't really the reason. Here's the real reason - I needed a break. I really needed to take a little break from blogging for a while. I guess 2 months qualifies as "a while" because I found myself waking up this morning thinking, "I want to blog today." It has been a very long time since I've thought that. So here I am, back, rejuvenated, and ready to blog.

Here's the first item I'm catching up on...

Koen went out to play in the snow for the first time in March.

He didn't like it.

Not one bit.

It took a half hour to get him dressed to go outside and he stayed out for about 2 minutes.

But I was determined to get my picture, no matter how much he hated it. That's the kind of mom I am. My children are going to need counseling one day.

Our Little Author

2010-02-24T12:41:00.000-08:00

Mara worked hard writing a very long "story" to give to her Uncle Jake. Although she can write actual letters, it was line after line after line of little scribbles. He looked at it and said how great it was. Then he asked her what her favorite part of the story was. Her reply, "I didn't read it!"

Pinewood Derby

2010-02-20T21:51:00.000-08:00

Cruz competed in his 1st Pinewood Derby on Thursday. He was so excited.

One of the highlights happened at school earlier that day. A few older kids in his pack saw him and asked if he was going to be racing in the derby. He thought that was very cool!

He picked out the car shape. Then Karl cut it out and they sanded it together. Cruz did all the painting. Karl was very adamant that this car was Cruz's car, not Karl's car. Cruz was in charge of everything. Here's the finished product:

Just so you know, the red paint is flames and the yellowish paint is lightning. Why he chose to have the numbers "909" is anyone's guess. I suppose he just thought they looked cool.

He did such a good job on it, but we couldn't convince him that it needed weights added. I think he just really liked how it turned out and didn't want to do anything to change it.

Karl Giving Cruz a pep talk while they are waiting for their turn to weigh-in. FYI, his weight was slightly less than half the allowed weight. So you are probably wondering how that went with such a light car.

I bet you can't guess which one is Cruz's car. I'll give you a hint... it's in the position you would expect the lightest car to be in.

This is pretty much how the night went. He actually came in 5th on 2 of his 6 runs, so he wasn't dead last. And on an unofficial run he came in 4th. I think he was pretty excited about that one.

So even though he didn't win, he had a ton of fun and was so excited to be a part of it all.

On the way home he decided that next year he wanted to add some weights to his car. What a great idea! Why didn't I think of that?

Growing Up

2010-02-18T10:46:00.000-08:00

I have a love/hate relationship with the fact that my kids are growing up.

On the one hand I love that they are getting more independent. I see the joy when they master something new and I get so excited for them. I love that I don't have to do quite so much for them. I love seeing them make good decisions.

On the other hand I hate that they don't need me quite as much as they used to. I hate that they can do things for themselves and don't have to ask for help. I hate seeing them make bad decisions. (The latter is not usually the case. I have very good kids.)

Practically from the day my kids are born I sing to them at bedtime. Every night. That is the one thing that is never missed. They get to pick the song and it is usually a silly song that makes us laugh.

The other night when I asked Cruz what song he wanted he said he didn't want one. This has NEVER happened. Not once. A little shocked by his answer I asked if he was sure. He said he was. I asked why he didn't want a song and he just shrugged his shoulders. I was a little confused for a moment and then understanding dawned. He was too old. I asked if he was too old for a bedtime song. He gave a proud little smile and nodded his head. Two things happened at once; I felt such joy seeing him feel a little more grown-up and a little more indepenent, and my heart broke just a little. How many other things that we do all the time, that I take for granted, will he soon be too old to do?

My kids are growing up and I ~~hate~~ ~~love~~ am dealing with it.

Keyon's Idea of Fun

2010-02-12T06:58:00.000-08:00

In case you are wondering what this is, it is actually a little peak into my six year old son's brain. This is what he does for fun. While other boys are out playing ball, watching TV, or playing video games my son is drawing venn diagrams on his magnadoodle showing the relationship between himself and his brother. One circle is Kenyon, the other is Koen, and the overlapping section represents how they looked alike as babies.

Get ready for a bragging moment. I have to point out that not only is he using a venn diagram properly, but he is able to apply it directly to himself. What six year old does this? Is this normal six year old behavior? And how many magnadoodles in this world have a venn diagram drawn on them?

Cruz's Baptism

2010-02-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

This past week has been all about Cruz. His birthday on Tuesday, his first day at cub scouts on Wednesday, and he was baptized after his basketball game on Saturday. Whew! My boy is growing up way too fast.

Cruz was baptized and confirmed by his dad. He had lots of support from family. So many members of our family were able to come and that just made it so special. The Spirit was so strong and it was such a wonderful experience to know that he was understanding just how important this day was. He is such a good boy, and I am so very proud of him.

Cub Scout

2010-02-10T10:35:00.000-08:00

Since Cruz turned 8, he is now a Wolf Cub Scout. So many milestones! He got to go to his first den meeting the day after his birthday. He was very excited about that! His grandparents gave him all his cub scout stuff for his birthday, so he was ready to go. He loved it, and the best part... the Pinewood Derby is in 2 weeks. More on that later.

Cruz is 8!

2010-02-09T21:33:00.000-08:00

On the 2nd Cruz turned 8. He wanted to have a pirate birthday party. The best parts of the party were this amazing cake (thank you , Mom!)

and my dad, who played the part of a pirate and kept all the little pirates in line. He was hillarious, and the kids all loved it. He had my mom and brother, Karl, and me laughing so hard. He REALLY got into his role.

Most important of all, Cruz had a great time.

Happy Birthday, Capt'n Cruz!

* I'll be putting up more party details on my craft blog sometime tomorrow if anyone is interested.

A Dancer is Born

2010-01-21T12:29:00.000-08:00

Mara started dance today.

I cannot even begin to tell you how thrilled she is.

Already?

2010-01-20T22:54:00.000-08:00

I have great footage of this event, but I haven't loaded it yet and probably won't get too it for a few more days, so I just wanted to put this out there sans pictures for the time being.

My baby is walking.

Yes he is only nine months old, yes he is only in the 3rd percentile on his height, and yes he is way to little (both in height and age) to be walking. It just looks wrong. But does that stop him?

And yes, he is extremely proud of himself. (And so am I even though I am extremely sad at the same time.)

Sledding

2010-01-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

Cruisin' down the hill.

Sometimes with a sled...

sometimes without.

Mara wasn't too into the sledding, but she can make great snow angels.

Christmas!

2010-01-14T12:50:00.000-08:00

Here are some highlights:

Christmas Eve

2010-01-14T11:22:00.000-08:00

I'm finally getting around to posting about our Christmas festivities.

Our traditional gingerbread house. We had a mishap with the house, so we had to piece it together in an unusual way. The kids still had a blast, so that's all that matters.

New jammies and a book.

Kenyon's picture in his jammies is fuzzy, so this will have to do.

Koen was ready for bed. Can you tell?

Christmas Service Party

2009-12-26T07:14:00.000-08:00

This year, about a week before Christmas, we decided to have a little service party with our family. My brother, Jake, joined us for an afternoon of food, Christmas music, and doing service. We wanted to do something this year that the kids could really be a big part of. We decided to make children's snack sacks for the Provo Food Bank; an idea inspired by the kids' school. When families come in for help with food or shelter these little sacks are given to the children so they have something special. We colored pictures on brown paper sacks and filled them with a juice box, cheese and cracker pack, granola bar, fruit snacks, and some play-dough.

Then we exchaged or Christmas gifts with Jake since he won't be here for Christmas. His gift to the kids was a HUGE hit. I didn't get any pictures of them playing with it, but they love it.

We had all had fun, and got to help others at the same time. That's what you call a win-win situation.

Christmas Concert

2009-12-25T07:07:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! As a Christmas treat you get to hear the boys perform at their school Christmas concert. The 2nd grade sang "All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth," and the 1st grade sang "Christmas Cookies." As usual, my children were quite the animated performers. ;) We hope you have a wonderful day! Merry Christmas!

Geese in Our Backyard

2009-12-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

I guess the geese have been migrating, because they have been living behind our house for a couple of weeks. There are literally hundreds of them. It has been so fun to look outside and see them all and listen to them. The kids have really been enjoying it. Kenyon especially, as I'm sure you can imagine. He decided to go out to see if he could catch one.

I hate it when that happens.

Ward Christmas Party

2009-12-23T07:20:00.000-08:00

We had the most fun ward Christmas party this year. It was a breakfast and everyone came in their jammies (well, almost everyone). There was a huge turnout and yummy food. We sang carols and the bishop gave a great little presentation on the symbols of Christmas. We even got to see Santa.

Doesn't Everyone Let Their Baby Eat a Whole Apple?

2009-12-22T07:16:00.000-08:00

This baby loves his fruit. Especially apples he finds on the floor because the kids in this house don't think twice about dropping fruit on the floor and walking away.

Snow Shovels and Letters to Santa

2009-12-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

Apparently snow shovels are good for more than just shoveling your sidewalk and driveway. They are also good for shoveling your backyard.

So you can make a big pile of snow. (With as much snow as they were shoveling, I'm not sure why their big snow pile is not so big.)

What's better than playing in the snow all day, coming in for hot cocoa, and finishing out the day by writing letters to Santa? We place our letters on our tree before bed and during the night the elves come and take them to Santa.

The elves must have been very busy this year, because it took 2 days for them to come. The anticipation was almost too much to take.

I have gotten very behind with my bloggin for this month. I can't imagine why. It's not like I am insanely busy at this time of year or anything. :) But I am trying to be good and get caught up, so check in often this week.

The Kids' Trees

2009-12-04T21:39:00.000-08:00

The kids' trees have been up in their rooms for a while now, but they finally got to decorate them today. They were so excited.

Mara's pretty pink tree matches her room perfectly with a garland made with the scraps from her quilt.

I feel bad that Mara has the awesome pink tree and the boys have this stub. Oh well, next year will be their year to get a great tree, and at least they have one in the meantime. They still had a great time decorating it.

Thanksgiving Turkeys

2009-11-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

Since we hosted Thanksgiving dinner this year, the kids made place cards for the kids tables. I cut out the pieces, but they put the turkeys together themselves. It was a fun Thanksgiving activity for the kids, and they looked so cute on the tables.

We had a great Thanksgiving! Hope you you did, too!

Little Monkey

2009-11-23T20:43:00.001-08:00

While I was busy cleaning out the refrigerator the other day, I turned around to find this...

My crazy little monkey, who can't even walk yet, (aren't you supposed to walk before you climb?) had climbed into the frige and was pulling things out (note all the stuff laying on the floor). What a silly little boy.

He is already keeping me quite busy with the mischief he gets into on a daily basis. If this is what it is like before he can walk, I'm definately not looking forward to when he can walk. But I have to admit, it was pretty darn cute!

Snow? I Guess You Could Call It That.

2009-11-15T22:45:00.000-08:00

It has snowed twice so far and neither one has been very much. The kids wanted to go play in it. Since there wasn't much I told them to just put on coats, gloves, and boots. But I guess they were a little excited to break out the full suits. They were a little over-dressed for the occasion if you ask me.

How fun is a green snow angle? Is it even really a snow angel?

They tried sledding and building a snowman. Neither worked of course.

After about 15 minutes or so Cruz said, "This snow isn't fun." They all came in shortly after that.

Hopefully we will get "fun" snow soon.

3 Days of Halloween

2009-11-01T07:25:00.000-08:00

Our Halloween festivities began on Thursday. I took a fairy and baby spiderman to a party a a friend's house. We had such a great time. Thanks for being a great hostess, as usual, Mauri!

On Friday we took a fairy and a mouse to the school costume parade and saw a pirate and a vampire . Then I got to help with the vampire's class party. That pirate and vampire were so cute that I decided to bring them home with me.

But once they got home they started looking a lot more like 2 little boys than a vampire and pirate. We carved jack-o-lanterns, had dinner, and got ready for trunk-or-treat. Strange enough, that vamipre and pirate showed back up again just about the same time I couldn't find Cruz and Kenyon. Pretty soon the house was overrun. The fairy was back and I saw a little mouse scurrying around on the floor. I turned around to find a full-grown pirate. It scared me so bad that my hair turned black and stood up on end.

Since I couldn't find any of my family, I decided to take all the crazy things in my house along with me to the trunk-or-treat. I went to get in my van and found it covered in spiders and webs. Some one had taken our jack-o-lanterns out there, too.

We all had so much fun at the trunk-or-treat, and at the end we were told that we had the best costomes and they gave us a prize! Good thing I brought all these guys along with me and left my family at home.

When I woke up on Halloween morning my family was back. Good thing because I needed their help decorating the house for Halloween night, but as it stared to get dark all those crazy things started showing up again, and my family started disappearing again. But then the little fairy told me she didn't want to be a fairy anymore and before I knew what had happened, POOF, she turned into a witch! I didn't know fairies could do that. So this carzy group set off into the night to knock on doors and get candy. I left a bowl of candy at the door for any little ghouls that might come to our house. We had a very fun time. When we arrived home, we saw that some ghoul had taken our whole bowl of candy. Not just the candy, but the bowl, too! The pirate and vampire were pretty upset by the whole thing, and the little witch started to cry, "I don't want robbers on this earth!" she said.

We poured out the candy, and before long I looked around and all of my family was back again. What a crazy 3 days of Halloween this was!

Why I'm So Glad To Be A Mom

2009-10-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was in the kitchen. Kenyon and Mara were at the table talking.

Kenyon - "Mara, remember at the old house when me and Cruz were being mean to you?"

Mara - "Yes." (Said with a very sad face.)

Kenyon - "Those were the very baddest days. But now you are my bestest buddy."

These are the moments that make motherhood worth it.

Fall Break Day 2

2009-10-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

Our second day of Fall Break, Karl was off work. He had some big surprises for us. First he took us on our annual trip to Hee Haw Farms. We've been doing this for 8 years now.

The kids so much fun riding the tire horses...

And the big swing.

They went down the slides...

And jumped in the hay.

It was Koen's first time to measure himself at the pumpkin.

They got to go in the petting zoo to see and touch all kinds of animals, and as always they were excited to see Leroy the huge pig.

Kenyon and Cruz get to go on a pony ride, but the saddle came undone when Cruz was on it. Mara never got a turn. :(

They got to ride the animal train

And we all went on a hay ride.

They went in a haunted house, shot the corn cannon, and sooooo much more. We all had a great time!

That wasn't the end of the fun. After we had dinner, Karl took us to see "Where the Wild Things Are." We were all so excited to see it, and it was fun going to the movies because we hardly ever do that, but I don't recommend this movie. If you haven't taken your kids to see it yet, watch it before you take your kids. It was very depressing and dark. It was so depressing it made Kenyon and Mara cry. We definately should have seen something else.

But all in all, we had a very fun day, and a great Fall Break.

Fall Break Day 1

2009-10-25T04:47:00.000-07:00

We had a super fun fall break. On the first day we did lots of fun Halloween stuff at home. We read Halloween books, played Halloween games, and we made shrunken heads out of apples. The kids carved their own faces with a melon baller, a can opener, and other similar tools. The kids had a blast with this. They got creative and decided to give them teeth (rice) and eyes (whole cloves) and bloody wounds (red food coloring).

We had so much fun, and here are the final relults:

Field Trip to the Zoo

2009-10-19T18:57:00.000-07:00

Kenyon had a class field trip to the zoo last week. He came home with some fantastic stories.

When I asked him what his favorite part of the zoo was he said it was the "Ring-tailed Lemur." When I asked why, he said, "He broke out of his cage and climbed up on me and wanted to come home with me." I was cracking up, but he was sticking to his story. Finally he confessed that he was teasing me.

Then he told me that the wolf tried to eat him. I asked why he thought the wolf was trying to eat him and he said, "The wolf was chasing a bird and then he saw all of us and then he looked right at me." So I guess that constitutes trying to eat him.

He was cracking me up with his stories. I think he was having so much fun seeing all the animals that his imagination was getting carried away. Needless to say he had a blast at the zoo, and Karl and I had a good laugh from his stories.

What a funny kid with a great imagination!

6 Months Old

2009-10-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

Koen is 6 months old now. I can't believe it! His stats after his check-up are 34th percentile on weight and 2nd percentile on his length, so we have another shorty on our hands. He is sitting, he scoots really well, and he is beginning to get the hang of crawling. He loves to eat, and especially enjoys the teething biscuits that he can eat by himself. He has 2 teeth, and in general is just growing up way too fast.

He is a super smiley little guy who pinches and head-butts way to much. He has every person in this family wrapped around his little finger and I think he knows it. He is such a joy. We are so very blessed to have him in our family. I love you, little man!

Mara's New Bling!

2009-10-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

We took Mara to get her ears pierced yesterday. She was warned that it would hurt, and that she would probably cry. She was also told that even if she didn't want to, she would have to get the second ear pierced after the first one. She agreed and was VERY excited. Look how happy she is in the before picture.

Well, it hurt more than she thought it would, and she cried. She didn't wail or make a scene, she just hid her face and silently cried. We gave her a few minutes and then it was time for the second one. She was having no part of it. We encouraged, coaxed, bribed, and pleaded with her. Finally Karl and I just held her down. She was happy she had done it as soon as it was over. Here is the after. A great big smile with red, teary eyes.

She loves her new earrings!

Fall Baking

2009-09-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am aware that it is not yet officially fall, but it's close enough. I love to bake, and I especially love to bake in the fall. Baking gets me in the fall mood. Especially quick breads. When your house starts smelling of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, how can you not be excited that fall is almost here?

So, on Tuesday Mara and I did the first of the fall baking. I love that she enjoys doing this with me. I can remember baking in the fall with my own mom. Maybe that's why I love it so much - the nostalgia of the whole thing. So the cycle continues and I'm baking in the fall with my own daughter. I'm sure it is a cycle that goes back for many generations.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread... mmmmm.

Mara's 4!!!!

2009-09-19T12:04:00.000-07:00

Mara's 4th birthday was on the 2nd. She wanted to have a fairy tea party.

So of course we had to get her a fairy dress-up for the party.

She loved her party.

That evening Jake came over and we all went to McDonald's for dinner. Hopefully as the kids get older they will get a little more creative than McDonald's for their birthday dinner. Then we came home, opened presents, and had cake. She had a very fun day, and she is already making plans for her next birthday.

Mara, you are such a fun, sweet girl! You add so much to our family. We are so blessed that you are part of our family. We love you!!!

Mmmmmm.... Rice Cereal

2009-09-05T12:16:00.000-07:00

Koen had his first "real" food on Thurs. He had rice cereal with applesauce. I have to say he was the most excited about food of any of my kids. None of the others have even come close to finishing off all the food in their bowl the first time, but Koen not only finished it, he also finished off a second bowl and was crying for more!

Watch him go at it in this video. (Don't forget to pause the music at the bottom.)

Haircut

2009-08-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

Today Koen got his first haircut.

Before

After

Now let me just say, if you have an adorable little baby boy, and you know he REALLY needs a haircut, but you don't want to do it because you think he'll look too grown-up, and you just really don't feel ready for that step yet - DON'T DO IT!

I know he looks so cute with his hair cut, and I know he really needed it cut (Karl really messed it up good for the before picture), but I was not ready for that step yet. I caved to my husbands nagging (yes, women aren't the only ones who nag) and I wish I hadn't done it. I have been sad all day and everytime I look at him I wish I hadn't cut his hair. He aged like six months in about 10 minutes. I was not ready for this step. So even though he looks so handsome in his new haircut, I am completely miserable and wish I hadn't done it yet.

So, my advice to anyone out there who doesn't feel quite ready - DON'T DO IT! Wait until you're ready, because you'll regret it if you don't.

Night Out Against Crime

2009-08-28T21:22:00.000-07:00

We had a neighborhood Night Out Against Crime. The Saratoga Springs Police Dept. was there teaching bike safety and giving rides in one of the police cars. Kenyon got to sit in the front and turn on the siren and talk into the loud speaker.

They had a K-9 unit from American Fork. As you can imagine, Kenyon was all about that.

The Lifelight came and the kids got to get in and look around. Cruz was in heaven.

They got to break a board with a Karate chop, and so much more. It was definately a fun night.

Rough Start

2009-08-23T15:08:00.000-07:00

It's a brand new school year and a brand new school!

Cruz is starting 2nd grade and Kenyon is starting 1st.

We had a rocky 1st day. Kenyon was scared and had several meltdowns before we ever made it out the front door. When we got to his class he started crying again, but his teacher was wonderful and he was okay to stay. The office put the boys on 2 different tracks, which means that one went to school from 8:00-2:15 and the other went from 9:15-3:30. That translates to 4 trips to the scool for me. That was horrible, but by the end of the day we had it all worked out and they are now on the same track.

Kenyon had a bad lunch experience, but Cruz came to his rescue. Kenyon hadn't finished all of his food when the rest of his class was done eating. He was actually done eating, but I think his teacher thought he wasn't finished. She told him to stay until he finished, and took the rest of the class to recess. So, there he was, all alone, not sure where to go, and thinking he couldn't leave until all his food was gone. He started crying. Then Cruz came into the cafeteria. He was looking for somewhere to sit and saw Kenyon crying. He came and sat next to him. When Cruz was done eating he took Kenyon to find his teacher. When they couldn't find her Cruz actually stopped the principal and asked him where Kenyon's teacher was. If you know Cruz at all you know what a big deal that is. He barely says a word to people he's known for years when they are speaking directly to him. He actually had to approach the principal and ask him a question. He stepped WAY out of his comfort zone to help his little brother. I am so proud of him!

The 2nd day of school I get a call from the office that Kenyon had missed walking home with his brother. He wasn't even supposed to be out of school yet. My first thought is that Kenyon is alone and scared again, and my second thought is of Cruz walking home alone. When I said that they weren't supposed to be out of school yet, she realized that there was just a mix-up. Cruz was still in class, and she sent Kenyon back to his class.

So, poor little Kenyon had a rough couple of days. I hope I can get him to go to school on Monday! But hopefully all the bumps are behind us and this week will be great. Keep your fingers crossed!

Cookies and McDonald's

2009-08-21T21:44:00.000-07:00

What do you do to get psyched about going back to school and celebrate the last day of summer vacation?

Make ABC's and 123's cookies

And go to McDonald's for dinner

Isn't that what everyone does?

Open House

2009-08-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Tonight was the open house for the kid's school. The kids got to meet their teachers, and see their classrooms.

Kenyon with Ms. Jeppson and Cruz with Ms. Peterson.

It's gonna be a great year!

Black Hawk

2009-08-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

This actually happened several weeks ago, but I want it documented, so here it is VERY late.

Karl and the kids had the chance to go see some Black Hawk helicpoters. They were even able to sit in them. I'm not sure who had more fun - Karl or the kids.

Pivot Sprinkler

2009-08-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

The pivot (I've recently learned that is what the large farm sprinklers that move in a circle are called) for the church farm behind our house sprays quite far into our yard. The kids love it!

Homemade Zoo

2009-08-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

I love my kids' imaginations! The things they come up with crack me up. They created a zoo all by themselves. It was quite impressive, actually. They had animals placed all over the house, and next to each animal they put a page out of one of Kenyon's books that talks all about the animal. These were a few of my favorites.

The crocodile was actually in the tub, but I pulled him out so I could get a better picture.

I saved the best for last. They even got Koen in on the action. Notice by the page they have next to him what part Koen is playing in the Zoo.

These kids of mine are hilarious! I never know what to expect!

Wild Animals

2009-08-03T12:15:00.000-07:00

This is a common sight at our house. I'm so glad the older kids love to play with Koen. They are VERY good with him.

Family Reunion

2009-07-31T15:51:00.000-07:00

This past week we had a family reunion at my house. We were all there accept for my brother, Jeremy who is serving a mission right now, so I guess he has a pretty good excuse for missing it.:) We had a very busy, very fun week.

We went to the zoo...

where we saw an awesome bird show (the bird landed on Jake's arm and took his money)

and rode the carousel.

We spent some time at Bridal Veil Falls.

We played at home.

We went to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House...

and toured Temple Square.

We had such a great time! I'm so glad everyone was able to come to our home. I already miss you all so much!

Kenyon's Birthday

2009-07-31T15:44:00.000-07:00

Since Kenyon had his birthday party a few days early, we had a little family party on the 19th for his birthday. He wanted sugar cookies shaped like elephants with sprinkles, so that's what he got. He also got to open his presents from Karl and I and his uncle, Jake. He had such a fun day.

He is such a sweet boy and I am so happy he is part of our family. I love you, Kenyon!

A Jungle Expedition

2009-07-24T15:10:00.000-07:00

Kenyon's birthday party was on the 17th. For the party we went on a jungle expedition. We had jungle sounds playing in the background throughout the party.

They had to go through through the jungle to set up "Base Camp." (An obstacle course.)

The found the lost expedition supply box and had to get it down. (Pinata)

Opened presents.

And had all kinds of crazy jungle food like beetle wings (chips), live worms (hotdogs), snake eggs (grapes), and croc teeth (apples). Then we had mud cakes with worms (chocolate cupcakes with gummy worms) for dessert.

Everyone had a great time! Happy Birthday Kenyon!

4th of July Celebration

2009-07-11T13:56:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July was great! Of course there were the fireworks...

and the sweet baby was in awe of all the noise and lights.

Karl's parents and brother joined us for the day. There was lots of food...

and water...

and fun!

We had a great 4th! Hope you did, too!

Hutchings Museum

2009-07-06T14:00:00.000-07:00

During Lehi Rodeo Round-Up the Hutchings Museum is free all week, and they also put on a lot of different shows. You know how my kids LOVE a museum, so we were there several times during the week.

Hand-cuffed in jail.

Beating the indian drum.

Planting sunflowers at the Sacagawea presentation.

Enjoying Native American stories, music, and dancing.

Mara in the old-fashioned hats.

Kenyon with the American Cheetah.

Cruz with the bison.

Brushing-up on their morse code.

We also saw a dinosaur puppet show and a really good bird show. We love Rodeo Round-Up!

Grandpa Martin

2009-07-06T13:32:00.000-07:00

My dad was able to come visit for a few days in June. We had so much fun. While he was here we went to the Hutchings Museum. The kids had a blast!

Thanks for the fun visit, Dad. We had a great time!

Little World Geographer

2009-06-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

Somebody in our house is taking after his father, the geographer. (As always, don't forget to turn off the music at the bottom of the page.)

Koen's Blessing

2009-06-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

On the 7th, Karl blessed Koen. It was a wonderful day, and of course, Koen looked adorable. Koen's Grandpa Stokes, Grandpa Schempp, Uncle David, and Bishop Wright stood in the circle. He received a beautiful blessing. I am so thankful to have a husband who holds the priesthood and is worthy to bless our children. What a blessing that is to our family.

After church we had luch at our house. We all had a great time. Thank you to everyone who came and helped make Koen's day so special.

Tutoring

2009-06-15T16:00:00.000-07:00

Kenyon has decided it is time Koen start learning about animals. I caught him teaching Koen all about Leatherback Sea Turtles. There was some of Kenyon's made-up information mingled with fact. He sat there teaching Koen about all sorts of animals for about an hour and a half. He was loving the captive audience and Koen was loving the attention. (Don't forget to pause the music at the bottom.)

2 + 2 = 1

2009-06-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

2 boys

2 teeth lost

1 day

1st Place

2009-06-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

This is a little belated, but Kenyon's kindergarten class was assigned a report that was due the last week of school. It was to be on any animal and they were given 3 weeks to prepare it. As you can imagine, Kenyon was VERY into this project. We spent almost all 3 weeks trying to pick just one animal. In the end he chose the cheetah. (I was actually surprised he went with something so normal, he had contemplated everything from the blue-footed booby to postosuchus.)

He wrote his report. He did it all himself. He chose pictures from the internet, which I helped him place in his report, and he did all the typing and writing. In addition to the pictures from the internet, he also drew pictures and colored in the map of where they live. He did a fantastic job. Then he was asked to present his report to the class. Again, he did a great job.

How did it all turn out? Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought he did a great job, because his report got 1st place. I was so proud of him! Way to go, Kenyon!

Visitors

2009-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

My parents visited us this past week. They came out to help us move (thank you so much!), and for Koen's blessing. We did a lot of work with the move, but we had a lot of fun, too. I didn't get many pictures with all the commotion of the move, but we did manage to get a few.

All Cruz wanted to do was play soccer with Stokes, so there was a lot of soccer happening this past week. There was also a lot of wrestling. We joke that my dad is a "jungle Jim." The kids loved dinner at the Mayan and watching Night at the Museum, which I highly recommend.

We had a great time with them in spite of all the work. Next time we promise to spend the whole time playing, and not working.

Catch-Up

2009-06-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

I have been playing catch-up on my posts, so make sure you scroll down. There are a few new ones.

A New Home for the Schempps

2009-06-09T13:54:00.000-07:00

This move was on very short notice, and super hectic, but we are finally starting to settle in. Of course there are still boxes EVERYWHERE, but we are at least functional at this point. Here are some shots of the new house and our incredible view.

Our neighborhood

The front of our house (the landscaping needs a lot of work)

The back of our house. I don't know what the builders were thinking when they put in that tiny balcony.

The view from our balcony.

Our back yard.

We love our new house and are so excited to be here. We have been very blessed.

Koen's Announcement

2009-06-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

For all of you expecting an announcement, and wondering where it is, I will do my best to get them mailed this week. Life has been a bit hectic around here, but it is finally starting to settle down.

Schoooool's Out for Summer!

2009-06-09T13:15:00.000-07:00

I hope you all caught that the title is sung as Alice Cooper would sing it.

The last day of school was May 29th. My boys are VERY excited about their summer vacation, and they both graduated to the next grade (I was REALLY worried about that - not really).:D Here they are on the last day of school with their certificates of advancement.

I now have a 2nd grader and a 1st grader. Where did this last year go?

Dance Festival

2009-05-22T11:13:00.001-07:00

The kids had their dance festival at school today. They were adorable! The theme was superheros. The 1st grade did their dance to the Batman song. The Kindergarteners did their dance to a very cute song that I hadn't heard before. I've been trying to find it online, but I can't. I thought it sounded like Laurie Berkner, but I couldn't find it when I searched for her songs. If you know this song and who sings it, please comment and let me know.

Here is Cruz dancing to the Batman theme song. Look out! He gets REALLY into it - not really, its the shy in him. (Don't forget to turn off the music at the bottom of the page.)

This is Kenyon. About halfway through the song I realized the camera wasn't recording. Ugh! I hate it when I do something stupid like that! So his is about the last half of the dance, but it is still so cute. He actually did get into it (not like his brother).

Aren't they just adorable?!

My Husband

2009-05-05T08:18:00.000-07:00

Karl has always been such a good husband to me. We've had our trials, but our relationship has never wavered. We weather the trials together, growing closer rather than distant. We have a wonderful relationship. I always knew he loved me and that I could count on him. Then the complications with my recent pregnancy started, and my husband stepped up to the plate like I never could have imagined or even hoped for.

He took care of EVERYTHING. He kept the house clean (and did a better job of it than me), he took care of every meal, he got the kids ready for school everyday, he went to parent/teacher conferences, he did absolutely everything.

But it was so much more than that. He never complained. He never made me feel bad for not doing anything. He never expected me to take care of things. When I did try to get up and do something I was told to get back in the bed. And as if all that wasn't enough he had to deal with a woman whose emotions were all over the place, and he never got frustrated with me. I'd break into tears and he would know just what to say to make me feel better.

Then Koen was born and he was such a comfort to me through it all. And when my recovery seems long and hard, he reassures me and encourages me and doesn't expect too much from me.
What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful husband? I have been so blessed, and I am so thankful for him.

I love you more and more everyday, Karl. Thank you for being the most wonderful husband anyone could ever hope for. Thank you for everything you have done for me and our kids these past months. You have been magnificent!

I love you!

Thank Goodness for Moms

2009-04-30T19:54:00.000-07:00

Moms are the best, especially right after you've had a baby. My mom was wonderful enough to come out here and stay with me for a couple of weeks when Koen was born. I really don't know what I would have done without her (considering one of those weeks was Spring Break).

She did so much for us while she was here, and worked very hard keeping up with my kids. She was wonderful. So, Mom, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! The words are inadequate, but very heartfelt. Love you, Mom! You're the best!

Easter

2009-04-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, Easter was quite a while ago. I'm trying to play catch-up here.

Yummm.... candy!

The Easter Bunny didn't forget Koen.

How beautiful is she?

On the hunt.

What a beautiful day!

Koen's First Days

2009-04-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Welcome Home!

2009-04-12T17:01:00.001-07:00

Koen is home and we are both doing well. I know many of you have heard that we've had some problems, so here is the brief overview. The first night after Koen was born, they were concerned that he was showing signs of distress. They said they thought he was dehydrated, so they monitored him for a while and gave him lots of IV fluids and he was fine. He has been absolutely perfect since.

My oxygen levels started dropping. They were concerned at first that I might have a clot in my chest, so they took me down for a CT scan at midnight. That came back fine, but the die they had to put in my blood for the CT scan messed up my milk. Karl had to bottle feed Koen for 24 hrs. Then they thought I might have pneumonia. My doctor ordered a bunch of different tests for me, and then a few hours later the nurses came in saying that my oxygen levels were fine and I could go home. We were happy and came home.

The next day I started having real problems breathing, so I called my doctor. He told me that I wasn't supposed to be released from the hospital. He asked if they had done any of the test he ordered, the answer was no, and said that he had come in the next day to check on me and I was gone. He wasn't very happy that they had sent me home. He said I did have pneumonia, and called in some antibiotics, an inhaler, and some cough medicine (thank goodness, coughing is no fun after a c-section!).

So, I am now feeling much better. And Koen and I are both doing very well. Thanks to all of you who have called and stopped by to see how we are doing. It is great to know that so many people care.

I am so happy to be home with my sweet new baby. Welcome home, Koen!

Koen Brent Schempp

2009-04-02T09:27:00.000-07:00

He's finally here! Koen Brent Schempp was born at 8:54 am on Tues., March 31st. He weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz. and was 19 in. long. And, of course, he is the cutest baby ever!

He has a bunch of hair, and I think it is because of that that all the nurses keep calling him a "her." It's getting a little annoying.

Mom and baby have both had a couple of bumps in the road in regards to health, but we are doing well now.

The other kids are staying at Karl's parents for a couple of days, but they got to come to the hospital yesterday to meet their new brother. They were so excited, and all seemed to be in awe when they looked at him. I think he was a lot smaller than they expected him to be.

They love their new little brother.

We will be able to go home sometime tomorrow. It will be nice to have our family all back together again. I miss my kids, but I'm so glad they have Grandma and Grandpa to stay with. Thank you, thank you!

How Do You Spell Tyrannosaurus Rex?

2009-03-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

Kenyon is our speller. That kid LOVES to spell things. Let me clarify, he love to spell things that he is interested in (of course I mean the names of animals and dinosaurs.) He can spell all kinds of crazy long names of things, but he usually writes them out. He took Karl and I both by surprise when he asked us, "Do you want to know how to spell Tyrannosaurus Rex?" Here is the answer...

What a smart kid! I know I couldn't do that.

Denial Can be an Ugly Thing (or Very, Very Cute)

2009-03-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

This video cracks me up. It is typical Mara. Anytime Mara thinks she might be in trouble for something, her first reaction is denial. She will stick by that denial no matter what, even if she is caught with her hand in the cookie jar (or the Vaseline jar).

And for those who may think that she wasn't "playing" in the Vaseline, but rather trying to put it on, she was totally playing, but then tried to look innocent once she knew she was caught. It's all part of the act.

Baby Update

2009-03-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

Just thought I would give a little update on what's been going on as far as baby goes. As you know, I was taken off bedrest at 34 weeks. That was on Feb. 21st. The Dr. was sure I would go into labor fairly soon, which I did. At 35 weeks, Feb. 28th, I went to the hospital. Things were going pretty slow, and stalled completely for a while. The Dr. decided to give me some meds to stop it altogether. That was okay because it was still pretty early.

Since then the contractions continue, but everytime they get really going and I think we are on our way to the hospital they stop. I'll have really hard contractions that are right on top of each other for about 30-60 minutes, and then they stop. Then 3 or 4 hours later they start in again. The result... frustration. So even though I am officially off bedrest, the strength and frequency of these contractions make me VERY tired and not really able to do much of anything. Everytime I see my Dr. he says, "I can't believe you're still pregnant." Yeah, that doesn't help, it just kinda makes me want to hit him.

So we are now at 38 weeks, no baby yet, the contractions continue, and I'm thinking we will be making it all the way to my scheduled c-section on March 31st. So, there you have it.

The Votes Are In

2009-03-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

Well, the votes are in and the winner is...

Koen.

It was a landslide victory, so now I will graciously concede (even though I don't want to). Did that just ruin the "graciously" part? Oh, well. Thanks to everyone who helped us choose! Someday when Koen is rich and famous you can say, "I helped name him."

Happy St. Pattie's Day!

2009-03-17T14:02:00.000-07:00

I love holidays! All of them. I don't care what the reason is, it is fun to have a day that is just a bit out of the ordinary. St. Patrick's Day has always been one of my more favorite days. It is just kind of silly and fun. I think everyone could use a bit more silly in their life. I mean really, wearing green so you don't get pinched, how silly is that? But it is something out of the ordinary and fun. We usually make shamrock cookies, and Karl always does something special for breakfast. Last year it was green pancakes. This year it was green cinnamon toast and green milk.

I remember loving St. Patrick's Day as a kid. Isn't that what life's about... having fun? I mean really, how hard is it to pull out a little green to put on and just enjoy the day for what it is. So, go get your green on and be a little silly for just one day. It's good for you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Baby Name Dilemma

2009-03-06T20:00:00.001-08:00

We are having a baby naming war at our house these days. We have decided for sure to name him Coen, or is it Koen? There is the dilemma. Both are pronounced the same, it's just the spelling we can't agree on. Stupid, I know. We just can't seem to come to an agreement. When we couldn't resolve the issue we decided to take it to the kids. Cruz wants Coen, Kenyon wants Koen (big surprises there!) and Mara changes her mind everytime you ask her. So we basically got NO help from the kids. So I'm wondering what all of you think. Should it be Koen or Coen? It's up for a vote, but time is quickly running out. Vote today, he could be born tomorrow.

BTW, his middle name is going to be Brent if that makes a difference in how you vote.

Happy Anniversary to Us!

2009-02-25T10:46:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe another year has gone by and we are celebrating another anniversary. Every year just seems to go quicker than the last. I can't imagine how fast time is going to fly by 10 years from now. At the rate it is I'm already expecting to go to bed one night and wake up with my kids grown. They say, "time flies when your having fun," but why is that? Why do all these fun years we've had together seem to be just a quick blur as I look back? Why can't we slow down and enjoy it all at just a little bit slower pace?

I've been married to my best friend for 14 years now. Where has that time gone? I'm so greatful I have such a wonderful husband who treats me so well and is such a great dad to our kids. I am so lucky. I love you so much, Karl, and am looking forward to many, many more years together. I just hope they don't go by quite so quickly.

My Valentine

2009-02-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

I got a great big valentine from Kenyon when he came home from his Fancy Day at school on Friday. I couldn't ask for a better valentine.

Baby News

2009-02-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

The good news is that the Dr. told me that as soon as I hit 34 weeks I can get out of the bed and if I go into labor it's fine and there shouldn't be any problems. I'm at 32 weeks and 4 days now, so that is only 1 1/2 weeks until I can get out of this bed and try to get something accomplished. YAY!!!! Of course I may end up having a baby very soon after that point, but I'm hoping for at least a few days so I can get some things done that need to be taken care of before the baby comes. He said that there's no way I'll make it all the way to the end of March. He figures it will be fairly soon after I get up. He said that at 34 weeks there is a 90% chance that the baby will be able to go home with me and not have to stay in the hospital. So that is very good news. He said it would be best if we could make it to 36 weeks, but that he'll be happy after 34 so I don't need to stay in the bed past that point. I am sooooo excited to be able to get around again. I think the first thing I'm going to do is go to the store. I think Target first, followed by Broadbents. I can't wait! I'm getting so excited just thinking about it.

The Beane Museum

2009-02-07T07:16:00.000-08:00

Cruz's class took a field trip to the Beane Museum at BYU last week. So, what do you think my die-hard little Ute fan thought about that? He was excited... because this is what he wore

He thought it was great wearing his Utah clothing to BYU. He has a Utah t-shirt under his hoodie, and he even wanted to wear these paticular shoes because they have a red stripe down the side. Look at that grin. He thought this was a great joke. How was his day? Nobody said anything about it to him, but when he went into the museum they stamped a blue cougar on his hand. He was not happy about that.

Happy Birthday, Cruz!

2009-02-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Cruz's Birthday was on Monday, the 2nd. He turned 7. Monday was a teacher development day at school, so he got school off for his birthday. I don't think you can come up with a better present than that, but we tried. He got a new ...

And he got to go here...

to watch this...

They won!

It was a big day.

I think he had a pretty good day. He was all smiles, all day.

My little boy is now a big 7 year old. Where does the time go?

I love you, Cruz! I hope you had a fantastic birthday!

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

2009-01-26T07:54:00.000-08:00

It's my 1 year blogiversary! I can't believe it's been a whole year. A lot has happened in this past year. I wonder what is to come in the next year? I guess you'll just have to keep reading to find out.

My favorite post of the last year:

Feel The Music

Here's to another year!

Beach Party in January

2009-01-24T11:29:00.000-08:00

What do you do when your kids want to go to the beach party at school, but you can't take them? Have one at home! Karl and the kids got everything ready and then everyone joined me in my bed for the party. The kids all got in their swimming suits on and laid beach towels on the bed. We listened to hawaiian music while we ate dinner and played games.

The last thing we did was limbo - well, I didn't. (Don't forget to turn off the music at the bottom before starting the video.)

We had so much fun, and it made me excited for summer.

Tagged

2009-01-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

My friend Brittney sent me this tag. Thanks, Brittney! These are in no particular order.

8 TV Shows I enjoy watching:
1. American Idol
2. 24
3. Dr. Who
4. Throwdown with Bobby Flay
5. Iron Chef America
6. I really don't watch much TV
7.
8.

8 Things that happened yesterday:
1. Not
2. Much
3. When
4. You
5. Are
6. Stuck
7. In
8. Bed

8 Things I am looking forward to:
1. Getting out of the bed
2. My baby being born
3. Spring
4. Feeling like myself again
5. Sunshine (I'm done with this inversion)
6. Going shopping
7. Going for walks in the park
8. Graduating... eventually

8 Things on my wish list:
1. Being able to get out of my bed now
2. My entire house clean at the same time
3. Kids who clean up their messes
4. Someone to do my laundry (besides Karl)
5. A job for Karl
6. A better economy
7. A new computer
8. A new vehicle

8 Things Karl did yesterday:
1. Everything I can't do because I'm in bed
2. Got the kids ready for school
3. Applied for several jobs
4. Went to the store
5. Facebook (I think he lives on there)
6. Made dinner
7. Cleaned the house
8. Put the kids to bed

8 People I am tagging:
So many people have done this that I'm not sure who there is left, so if you haven't done it yet... Tag!

A New Prophet????

2009-01-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

Today I hear Mara say to Kenyon, "Is 'Rock U Bama' our new prophet?" I was laughing so hard. I guess I better straighten that one out. After a little conversation I think she gets it, but then again she's 3, so maybe not.

Along the same lines, a few months ago Mara was walking down the stairs and singing, "I like Barack Obama." (She was saying his name correctly that time.) She once again had me cracking up. The funny thing is that Karl and I never talk about Obama. I guess she just picks it up from being in the same room when the news is on. They really do pay attention to everything they hear. It reminds me just how careful I need to be about what my children hear.

Student of the Month

2009-01-16T14:10:00.000-08:00

Cruz was named "Student of the Month" for the first grade on Monday. He got to go up and receive his certificate in front of the whole school. He didn't even tell us it had happened. On Wednesday he brought home his certificate. He had a big smile on his face and said he had a surprise in his backpack. When we saw the certificate we asked when he had received it and he said "Monday." When we asked why he hadn't said anything his reply was "I forgot." Only Cruz would forget about something like that. Along with his certificate he got a free personal pizza from 5 Buck Pizza and a free meal at Del Taco. Way to go Cruz! We are so proud of you!

To Steal or Not To Steal

2009-01-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Cruz's first Jr. Jazz game was last night. He has been soooo excited for weeks. He has two of his really good friends on his team, so that made it even better. He did really well, and even stole the ball twice! The problem with that is that the younger age groups aren't allowed to steal the ball. But the official never said anything about it, so he got away with it both times. He took shots off both steals, but didn't make either one - Darn! He was VERY proud of himself, and we thought he did great for his first game. The video shows one of his steals. He's number 31. (The music is on the slide show. You can turn it off by clicking the mute on the upper left side of the slide.)

A Blog and a Shop

2009-01-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

I've been toying with the idea of starting an Etsy shop for about 6 months now. After much encouragement, I have finally decided to give it a try. So I've set up shop under the name Poplar Porch. I haven't listed much yet, but more will be coming soon. I also figured it would be a good idea to start a crafting blog to go along with it. So, check out my blog and my shop. I hope you enjoy it!

A Look Back At 2008

2009-01-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T17:57:00.001-08:00

The boys wanted to stay up until midnight to celebrate the new year. Kenyon made it all the way to 9:15.

Cruz did it. He was doing well until about 11:40. He had made it so far we just couldn't let him miss it by only 20 minutes. We were doing all kinds of things to keep him awake. He made it all the way to midnight. I think he was asleep at about 12:05, but he did get to see the fireworks people were setting off. He thought that was pretty cool. He was so proud of himself.

Happy New Year! We hope you all have a wonderful year.

Kenyon Looses 2 Teeth!

2008-12-29T18:12:00.000-08:00

Kenyon has had his first loose tooth for quite a while now. He wiggles it and plays with it occassionally, but yesterday it finally came out... followed by the one next to it! He pulled them both himself.

Demolition

2008-12-27T11:28:00.001-08:00

Every year, the day after Christmas, Karl disposes of what is remaining of our gingerbread house in a very original way. He did this for fun the first year we made a gingerbread house and it has become something of a tradition.

Christmas Is Here!

2008-12-26T11:34:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve

2008-12-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve. We started off the evening by sprinkling "reindeer food" in our yard.

Then it was time for dinner. Cheese balls and crackers, veggies and dip, fruit, and treats. We also had some yummy wassail and to drink.

Then we each opened one gift.

The kids always get a new pair of jammies and a book on Christmas Eve.

Then we opened a new game and played. This year it was "I Spy" card game. The kids loved it.

Finally it was time to decorate our gingerbread house. This is the highlight of the night for the kids. We definately aren't going for looks with our gingerbread house. We just put tons of frosting on it and let the kids do whatever they want. Then they eat it all Christmas day.

After decorating our house Karl reads about the birth of Jesus in the scriptures, we set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. Then its off to bed. It's a VERY full night, but tons of fun. We love Chistmas!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

The First Day of Christmas Vacation...

2008-12-22T18:50:00.000-08:00

...and we got hammered with snow. It was actually lots of fun. My kids kept disappearing in the mountains of snow. Mara was having fun until...

Then she was ready to come in. Just to clarify, when I said "somebody" I didn't mean Mara. The boys stayed out for quite a while longer. Oh, how we love playing in the snow.

A Name For Baby

2008-12-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Karl will be thrilled to see this. He has been pushing for this name for several weeks now. I really like it, I was just hesitant to commit myself to it because I could come across another name I like better. For the record, I really like the name Cole, but Karl was never really sold on it, so I have given it up. So, without further adieu, our baby's name will be... Koen Brent (unless I change my mind).