Easter

LeRoy and I felt like young parents again as we gathered around the table with our little boys to color eggs.  It's so odd, and quiet, to have all the older kids gone but sometimes it is nice to have the activity focused solely on Nathan and Hyrum instead of trying to meet the needs of such varying ages.

However, when it comes to an Easter Egg Hunt, age doesn't seem to matter. Levi, Daymia, and her sisters hid all of their eggs and all of our eggs at Daymia's home and we gathered there for the hunt.  Those tall teenager and adults became little kids again!

Daymia called me from a store one day begging sizes for Nathan and Hyrum.  She was standing in front of boys Easter suits and was adamant that she had to buy them.

Once my older boys saw them they decided that they wanted vests also and a trend was set.

Daymia dresses these handsome boys up so well!!  They spent a couple of days shopping, finding good deals, raiding the colors in Levi's closet and as a result my scruffy boys found their inner model.

As Daymia was taking pictures of them outside I was working on Sunday dinner inside.  Levi came walking in, took my arm and insisted that I be in a picture with them.  As they fought over who got to put their arm around me or could stand by me and who loved me more I had to hold back tears.  These boys bring so much joy to my life and have taught me unconditional, true love!

LeRoy could hear the ruckus outside and even though he was against the color for church (he felt it was disrespectful) and refused to wear a vest with them (because that was so 1975) he couldn't handle being left out of the photographic moment.  He snuck out the door just in time to peak his head in the picture as Daymia was taking candid shots of the boys lovin' on me.

No Foolin', April Was Fun!

We started the month with a General Conference Party.  Feed the body, feed the spirit.
 

When Daymia asked Hyrum if he was excited for conference he responded in excitement, "Yah!  Who wouldn't be?"  I'm glad the kids get excited for the food and family time while we camp out in the family room for hours.  However, it all becomes so worth the work and mess when they start to really enjoy conference for the talks.  Derek couldn't stop talking about it.  Weeks later he was still commenting on certain talks and bringing them up in family home evening lessons.

Daymia sent me a text one morning and asked if I could teach her how to make a quilt. Two days later she called from the fabric store asking what kind of fabric to get and then relied on the clerk to help her decide a size.  She showed up with fabric, batting, yarn and even her grandma's quilting frames.  I was a little hesitant to teach how to use the rotary cutter because of the missing section of my own finger but she watched me once and did the rest all on her own, with extreme caution since I was kind of holding my breath the whole time.  I showed her how to use the sewing machine once.  After that she did all of the sewing and was so proud of herself when she could thread it and fill the bobbin all my herself.  I was proud of her too!!

She got it cut and sewn during the first day and then brought her sister Jordyn over to help her tie it the next day.  I showed them how, went upstairs to get dinner ready and before I could go back down to see how they were doing and take a picture, it was done!  The binding was a little tricky but again, it didn't stop Daymia.  As she got to the last section she paused the machine and, clapping her hands, exclaimed, "it's so pretty and it's almost done!"  She finished it just in time to wrap Levi up in it as they headed off to opening night at the drive in.


Nathan started piano lessons in September and by April he was ready for his first festival at BYU-I.
 

He had his songs memorized, his scales ready and with nervous excitement he walked in with the judge, introduced himself, played his best and was done.  It was a great four minutes that boosted his confidence and solidified his determination to continue practicing and playing, he even asked to have lessons during the summer.  For a child who started life so hesitant and afraid of people he sure has blossomed as he shares his talents and confidently tackles each new situation with surprising ease.


Nathan, Hyrum, Erika and I took a field trip to Utah for Kellie's baby shower and a Cousin Carnival that my Aunts were doing.  The day began with the baby shower during which we tucked our kids away in a room with a movie.  I wasn't sure Kate's bedroom would survive nine kids under the age of eight but they did very well!  During our two hours of mommy time we only had a couple of quiet interruptions and not one fight or crying kid.  My boys have the best cousins!

We had a great time pampering Kellie and visiting together.  We played Baby Bunko, wrote encouraging messages on diapers for those late night changes, tested our shopping knowledge with a Price Is Right Baby Version game and ate.

Kate and Brooklyn were perfect Hostesses!

I like the picture of Erika and I in the top left corner.  Though it's out of focus, it is a brief glimpse at how alike we are.  People tell us that we look alike but we don't really see that.  However, as we sat together barefoot in our glasses writing near duplicate messages on diapers without knowing it I felt that I was sitting with one of my sisters.  We chat easily, call each other on rough days, think similarly but have varying opinions to help the other see a new perspective and we really like spending time together.  I love my Erika Jo!

The shower was to pamper Kellie and to celebrate baby Madelyn.

Madelyn Quincy Boyd
May 10th

After the shower we quickly cleaned things up so that we could get over to the church for the cousin carnival.  My Aunts, Kathy, Colleen, and Carol have been spoiling us since we were little kids.  I remember summers at Lagoon with them, their vast book collection that they would let me borrow from, their complete Disney collection of movies and the posters of John Schneider and Tom Selleck that decorated their fridge.  Now, their spoiling continues for the next generation.  Each month they hold Crafternoon for all the kids of "the cousins" (meaning me, my siblings, and any of our cousins in the surrounding area).  I have really wanted to make it to Crafternoon but because of the long drive we haven't been to one.  Now, my kids are wanting to go every month!

It was initially planned that the Cousin Carnival would be outside but with intense winds and a major downpour Kate made a few calls to reserve the church for us. The gym was set up with nine different carnival style games.  The kids were all set up with a buddy and they rotated through the games, collecting tickets as they went.

After everyone had been to each booth they counted up all their tickets and went to the "store" to trade their tickets in for prizes.  See?  These Aunts are Amazing!

I thought that was the end but then they pulled out Rice Krispie Treats and we all sang Happy Birthday to anyone who had a birthday during the month.  And, (yes, there is more) they brought out a box of VHS movies for us to choose from and keep.  They are converting their VHS library to a DVD library and we get the spoils of that labor.  Nathan was thrilled to bring home Three Musketeers and Hyrum picked a 60's Disney movie simply because the character had a sword in his hand.  Thank You, Thank You to these ladies!  We might have to make monthly trips to Utah.

Ninja Nathan's 8th Birthday

Nathan requested spaghetti with meatballs, salad and homemade breadsticks.

Finger lickin' good!

He did not want cake for his cake so I added eyes to a fruit pizza covered in strawberries.

He was thrilled with his "cake" and loved the Tootsie Roll nunchucks on the side.

We used our chopstick skills to rescue Lego ninjas that were buried in rice.

Each thirty second of determined concentration resulted in cheers, laughter and flying rice.

We attacked the "bad guys" with plastic throwing stars and our best roundhouse kicks.

The sticky, stretchy ninjas had our full attention as they flopped down the wall hand over foot.

Levi and Daymia gave Nathan a kite and lessons on how to fly it.

He caught on so quickly that not once did his kite hit the ground, even when he was reeling it in to put it away.

Nathan's birthday was on Monday and two days later he had his first Cub Scout activity.

He was thrilled to participate in the Pine Wood Derby.

I loved watching him cross his fingers and cheer for his friend Camdyn.

Nathan drew his car design on the block of wood and Derek cut it out for him.  Nathan then did all of his own sanding, painting and sticker applications.  When his car kept getting third place (out of three cars) he was losing his excitement for the races and frustrated that his car wasn't doing better.  Before tears started coming I invited him into the hallway for a couple of minutes of encouragement.  I reminded him that if his car was electrical that he and his dad would have built the fastest car ever and that I was proud of him for using his own wood skills to build a great looking car.  The two cars that kept winning were carefully supervised and adjusted between each race by the fathers of the two scouts and both of their fathers do a lot with cars and would know how to make them faster so they have a better chance of winning.  He quietly accepted what I was saying and we went back to the races.

I've always struggled with Pine Wood Derby races because my boys do their own cars and they are never fast.  However, I was most impressed with Nathan when he walked over to me after the races were done and said, "Mom, my car ALWAYS gets third place! That's so cool!  And I know if my car was electric I'd get first place because Dad would wire it the best."  

Hyrum's 6th Birthday

All it took was a mustache to get these boys bouncing around in their best Mario imitations.

With the table set up like a game we had a difficult time getting the little boys to sit down to eat.

With each fire ball, Yoshi egg, coin block, bomb, warp pipe, and star they carried out the appropriate sounds and actions.  After a brief fire ball war they calmed down enough to eat their puffy clouds.

We moved downstairs to try our skills at stomping out Goombas with the Mario soundtrack playing in the background.  We also smashed plastic Easter Yoshi eggs to find the treasures inside.  

The excitement of receiving his birthday bike fell second to the thrill of having Bethany show up for his party.

 

Bethany was going to Evan's hair school with Daymia and came over to the house once.  From that point on Hyrum declared her his girlfriend.  He even made a Valentine in school for her and would write notes for her.  That hug in the top left corner was probably the best birthday gift his little six year old heart could ask for.

I had been informed that Hyrum did not want cake for his birthday but he still wanted a cake.  The Mario bricks were easy to duplicate using brownies and he was very satisfied with the no-cake cake.

That has to be the cutest wish-making face I've ever seen! We all had to pause while he thought it through.

There were a couple of "bricks" missing when he blew out the candles because Daymia and Bethany had to leave for work and Hyrum insisted that they take some "cake" before they left.  Puppy love has turned this baby of the family into a thoughtful gentleman.

Sister Weekend

Surprise!

With some tricky schedule planning we were able to pull together a sister weekend in Twin Falls to surprise Cami.  Kellie made arrangements with Ben and we wondered if he would really be able to keep it a secret but by Cami's stunned expression when she answered the door we knew that he had.

Cami gave us a tour of her beautiful home (Kate is the only one that had previously been there) and soon after, Ben and the kids got home.  Ben had taken them to the store so that we could have some surprise time with Cami.  We then kidnapped her and headed out for a day of fun.

We first went to the salon in the mall to set up manicure appointments and for the hour before our appointments we wandered around the mall.  I hate mall shopping.  That might sound a bit harsh but I really loath it!  I don't like the overwhelming setup of malls or looking through racks of clothes or trying on clothes or wandering around among a bunch of strangers.  However, I have never been shopping with all four of my sisters and that was fun!

Kellie and Kate were the only ones who had previously had manicures so this was a new experience for Kara, Cami and I.  The Asian women doing our manicures had a little discussion about our cuticles because they had to clip away so much.  I guess that's what we get for being 35-40 and never having a manicure.  Actually, the lady who did mine clipped a little too far and it's a good thing I had a red based polish to cover up the droplets of blood that kept oozing between each coat of polish.

I usually can't handle polish on my nails because it feels like my fingers are suffocating and it always chips away so fast that to me it's not worth the time putting on but I have to admit that I loved my nails after they were done.  I was also surprised that they lasted for almost two weeks before they started chipping away and I liked catching glimpses of them when doing my everyday routine..  Of course, I personally never put on three coats of color and a top coat so that could probably have something to do with it.

After shopping and manicures we made our way over to Applebees.  We laughed at our goofiness as we all carefully handled our menus, cups, plates, forks and napkins so that we wouldn't smudge our fancy new nails.

Our evening was spent back at the hotel playing games in the lobby.  I'm sure our silliness was quite a show for the clerk that kept glancing our way and we got some pretty strange looks from people walking through the lobby.

Before we left to watch a movie we pulled out a basket of goodies for Cami.
It was a joy pampering her with gifts for herself and her new baby girl soon to come.

We finished up the night in Ben's "office", more comfortably known as the mother-in-law apartment attached to their house that has become his man cave.  There we could munch away on our milkshakes and movie snacks with blankets and pillows comfortably strewn about while we settled in for chic flick entertainment featuring "Pitch Perfect".  

It was so much fun to spend the day together!  I can't think of another time that the five of us have ever spent schedule free time together without husbands or kids around.  It was so wonderful to reconnect with each other and to spend the day just being silly sisters again.  What a blessing these women are to me!

March

Though I managed to pull off a mini celebration of green waffles and green milk for dinner (yes, dinner), I was severely lacking Irish enthusiasm. The best I could muster up for the day was my green shirt and socks from last year.  Luckily (hehe), I had a spurt of craftiness the week before and already had "Pot of Gold" Rolos, "Taste the Rainbow" Tic Tacs, and "This is no Sham, You Rock" Pop Rocks ready to go.  

Hyrum was so excited to dress up for his "real school" (I don't ever remember having him in fake school so maybe he's referring to pre-school?).  One green shirt was not enough for him so he searched around the house until he found enough random items to create the perfect "green day" outfit.  The Hulk hat looked incomplete until he put the bow tie on it and my socks were the final flair he was looking for.

I knew the kids would be disappointed if I just handed them their holiday stash like it was an ordinary after school snack so I was thrilled when Nathan asked if he could make up the treasure hunt this year.  He bounced around in excitement banning us to the kitchen while he wrote out clues on sticky notes and hid them around the house.

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Any time the weather managed to climb into the forties we found a reason to be outside, even if only between wind storms.  Levi and Daymia wanted to have a silly string war in the back yard and had a bag of cans ready to go as soon as the weather would cooperate.  Finally, the wind subsided, the sun warmed the air and the cans were lined between the two teams.

The squealing and laughter began while I stayed in the background shooting pictures and video.

They all conspired against me! Levi took the camera and I was soon tied up in colorful, gooey string.

Good Times!

When the weather is lingering in typical Rexburg patterns (wind, cold, gusts of wind, rain, wind) we find things to do inside.
 

It's not unusual to find Nathan and Hyrum forming play dough into works of art but when Levi and Daymia sit down with them the activity evolves from a boredom buster to a full on party.

Levi seems to draw out the sarcastic side of Hyrum's personality.  When he asked Hyrum what he was making he rolled his eyes and declared, "bubblegum, already chewed".

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Vivien took a trip to Kosice with her sister Noemi and then had a couple of weeks at a spa type hospital in the mountains.
 

I started to go through withdrawals not having our usual communication time but we made up for it with a couple hours of Skype time when she got back.  I love Skype!  I get to hear her voice and see her smile and experience her witty personality.

Beautiful Sisters!!
Showing off their Idaho made Minion hats, movie night and singing in the car.

I love getting pictures of Vivien and Noemi!    

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Daymia is finished with beauty school! Before she left Evan's we made sure to get in one last round of haircuts.

Nathan and Hyrum like short cuts with enough left on top to use the gel she gave them to spike it any way they like. Justin has the Oliver Queen look going on which he carries off very well with his eyebrow raises and buff arms.  Maybe I should make him a green mask.

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Just for the record:

Daymia didn't just beat Levi at bowling, she more than doubled his score!  Booyah!

February

100 Days of School

Hyrum was excited to be a 100 year old man, "just like Grandpa".  He searched all over the house, in every toy box and junk drawer, digging around under beds, until he finally found an old pair of glasses.  Then he insisted that he have a beard and mustache and picked out the most grandpa looking shirt he had.  It still wasn't enough until we folded up a hand towel and stuffed it up his shirt. What a cute little old man!


Evil Minion

Instead of doing a written book report that the teacher would have to read, Justin's class was each given a ceiling tile from the classroom and told to paint it with a character or scene from a book or movie.  During the bus ride home a corner of the tile broke off, which gave Justin the idea to paint a purple minion on it and to blame the missing corner on the minion.  In the three days that it sat on the counter another corner happened to break off but this time the piece was not lost.  Perfect!  Now he could show proof of the evil thing eating away the corners.

Bret and Justin drew it on in pencil and then Erika and Justin painted it.  All the grooves in the tile proved to be quite a border headache for those two OCD kids but they figured out how to make it work and the Evil Tile Eating Minion earned him an A.


Speaking of Erika . . .

She is so pretty!
She has been promoted to team leader at Melaleuca and is working full time.
This means that nearly every day she dresses up and WEARS SHOES!


Duck Date

Nathan decided that for our date he wanted to go feed the ducks.  He was concerned for the ducks that weren't with the main group so went around them until he could find the ones down the bank and called up the ones from the water.  He wanted to make sure every one of them were fed.  A loaf of cheap bread doesn't go very far with this crowd and soon we had to take off before a greedy fat goose ate his fingers.


Cat Cuddles

We are a pet free home....90% of the time.  Every once in a while someone can't stand to stick them back out in the cold weather and we give in to our pet loving side for a few purring snuggles.  Usually, it's Hyrum, Justin or I that give in but this time it was Levi.  He's never been overly fond of Harrison but ever since the fatty was banned to the outdoors he's had a soft spot for him.  Harrison must have noticed this because when I walked toward him to put him out he pounced up on Levi and cuddled in for protection.  Levi gave him a a good neck rub and then ignored him but Harrison didn't leave.  He tries so hard to play invisible and not get eye contact when he's in the house.