Zions

Dance Competition #2

Kristen had a dance competition last weekend that was way down south. We drove down after school last Friday and then she competed on Saturday. Her group took 1st in their ballet and 1st in their production number. They were running about an hour behind, so we left right after her jazz dance, since everyone was exhausted, so I never heard how they did in that one, but it looked so much better than it did the previous week. She LOVES dance!! She told me that she got interested in it because my baby sister danced. Aw...cute.

On the way home, we detoured through Zions National Park and then took the long, back way home. We took a little walk down to the river and another one up to some waterfalls. Of course, the camera wouldn't work, but I did put the memory card into the video camera and managed to take a few pictures, but we don't have a cord to get them off the video camera and onto the computer and we don't have any batteries to get them off of the regular camera. So....pictures to come....

It was a nice getaway, but a little too quick to be relaxing.

Hooie

Hooie....where do I start? Jarren was given a big, thermaly blue receiving blanket when he was a baby with a silky edge all the way around it. He attached onto that thing and has been glued to it since. It had to go to preschool with him or he refused to go. He would keep it in his backpack until it was time to go home and then he would pull it out and show the teachers. Hooie got "his" name when Jarren was about 3. We asked him what a cow says, what a baby says, etc and when we asked him what his blankie says, he would say, "Hoooooooooie!" Thus, Hooie was named. Jarren sleeps with it every night and when he needs some comfort, he searches it out. He pretends it can talk and he makes it talk in a high, squeaky voice. This thing is a rag, but I can't bring myself to through it out. I can't even wash it anymore--it gets more shredded and tangled when I do, so I have to hand wash it and hang it up to dry. Hooie is definitely well loved.

Kristen's 10th Birthday (Part II)

Kristen had a really busy day. With Daylight Savings, none of us can get up and going in the mornings. So...we planned to do gifts later that night. She had school and immediately after school, she had a big dance rehearsal. She came home just in time for dinner. Then...while I was cleaning up...she called her friend Hannah to come over. We opened gifts and had cake and ice cream and then they got to play for a little while before bedtime. I believe I've mentioned before, growing up, my mom would put clues in balloons and then hide our gifts and we'd have to pop the balloons to find the clues and then find the gifts. I've done that with my kids for years and they love it! Jenna was in melt-down mode because she wanted it to be her birthday soooooo badly! She wanted to pop the balloons and find the gifts. She wanted to open everything. At least she got to help me decorate the cake. And put the candles in...Kristen loves turtles (and frogs) and the color blue, so she wanted a blue turtle cake. This is what it turned out like: Not the best--I made the frosting too runny, even though it felt really thick. I think she had a really great day, even though it was so busy. She just seemed really happy, bubbly, excited, and silly. I always worry their day won't be special enough....Happy Birthday Krisi!!

Happy Birthday to Kristen (Part I)

Today is Kristen's 10th birthday!!! I cannot believe how fast these last 10 years have flown by! We moved to this area about 6 weeks before she was born and it was a very hard adjustment for all of us being away from family, a new job, a new baby, etc. Kristen Ashley Watkins was 5 lbs. 15 1/2 ozs. and 19 1/2 inches long. She was born 3 weeks early!Kristen came out screaming and has been very vocal since. She went through a phase when she was about 3 months old where she would NOT sleep at night unless she was being held, and you couldn't even sit down with her. You had to be up and bouncing her for about 2-3 hours in the middle of the night. She's always been on the petite (short) side, yet is feisty enough to deal with being sandwiched between brothers. Kristen has always been dramatic and loves to dress up (although it's mostly with makeup now) and dance. She has always loved singing and dancing and making up stories and songs. She is an excellent student--both in academics and behavior. She is always talking in silly voices, making silly faces, and being goofy. I am sooooo glad she's my daughter. I love you Kristen!!*Since she has school today (and I'm mean and make my kids go to school, even on their birthdays) and dance immediately after school, we aren't doing anything party-wise until this evening, so....stay tuned for party pictures--cake, ice cream, gifts, etc.

Moms Are Amazing!

Moms are amazing--I think of how much my mom sacrifices for us and how much she accomplished in a day and how well she taught all of us. I love her! I don't consider myself all that amazing, but apparently, all moms are.

Jon went on a business trip from March 5-March 12 to Ireland!! Lucky! No pun intended. :) He got home last Friday evening and then the weekend was a mess. It was so stormy and snowy all day on Saturday, which leads to bored, crabby kids and then Daylight Savings kicked in for Sunday, which threw everyone off and led to tired, silly, cranky kids. Jon was in such a bad mood last night--he asked me, "How in the world did you do it, alone with 4 kids and 2 dogs, for a whole week without me?!" I have no idea how I survived--I had moments where I was really really really tempted to run away and hide. Our "foster" dog was soooooooooo naughty with Jon gone. He wouldn't go to bed--he barked and barked and whined and scratched for hours. I finally figured out a trick with him, but he fought me every single inch of the way. And he HAS to be walked every single night, which was sometimes really hard--trying to get dinner done, homework done, kids ready and in bed, church callings done, etc. The kids also went back on-track that week and that was hard too--Jarren didn't want to go to school. He decided that he hates school and his calling in life is to play and play hard. But you do what you have to do. I think that moms can handle all of that because that's how we're made--for the most part, we're the kinder, more patient, more tolerant, and more able to multi-task person of the couple. That's why we're the mom. But I'm sure if the dad had to step it up and fill in, he'd survive too. :)

Here's The Damage....

Gee--it's barely longer than his 5 o'clock shadow. I still feel awful!