Santa 2010

The holiday craziness is upon us all and we haven't had much time to catch our breath. But here are a few pictures with Santa this year. The first shot has Kelly with what looks like a laugh (kinda)...but it is a very scared cry. I wasn't planning on being in the picture...but 2 year olds and Santa just normally don't mix.

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving week started off with Jake's feast and performance at school.  He was an Indian in the performance and also in charge of bringing turkey.  Steve got to be there and loved reading a book to the kids and participating in the classroom.  I haven't been able to do any of that this year with both girls at home.  Maybe next year... 

Stevie Kate also had a feast at her school on Tuesday...she chose to take Yogurt Raisins.  Go figure...

We had a week of "white" for Thanksgiving.  Several big storms happened...including one forecast for today.  Wednesday and Thursday were VERY cold too.  They even canceled the local 5K race for liability reasons...it was almost 10 below zero when the race was supposed to start.  The Houghs have not been skiing yet...but I am sure it is coming soon.  Deer Valley opens this upcoming weekend and Steve is almost recovered from his ill-timed Thanksgiving Week cold.

We spent Thanksgiving Day with Grandma & Grandpa D, Grandma Lee, Duff, Amy, Kace, Kassidy, Shane, Carrie, and Halle.  It was fairly quiet for a Draper Thanksgiving and very laid back.  I loved it and thank you to Mom for most of the cooking.  The Houghs were in charge of bringing Sweet Potato Casserole (a favorite of ours from Tennessee).  After dinner we played Hearts and Kace was the winner...even though this was his first time playing.  I was the big loser.

Bring It On!

The kids and I spent last Friday afternoon/evening getting the winter gear out from the crawl space.  The ski boots, snow boots, goggles, hats, gloves, etc.  Then we went to the rental shop to get them measured for the right size boots and skis.  Turns out Stevie needed new boots...but other than that...they were all good for the same equipment from last year.  It got us all excited and now I can embrace this cold weather and pray for snow. 

The best part of the night was the laughs we all got from Kelly and her goggles.  We found these in the crawl space and the rightful owner is Sam McClendon...from the last visit.  Kelly has staked her claim on them and would not part from them until bedtime.  I think Sam will understand.

Halloween and Tennessee Trip

HALLOWEEN

We spent Halloween in Tennessee this year.  The weather was fantastic and loved the time we spent with the Hough side of the family.  Jake doesn't really like to dress up and it is pretty tough to get him in a mask or hat.  So he chose to be Luke Skywalker for Halloween.  Perfect for him.  Stevie Kate surprised us by wanting to be an Avatar.  I was convinced that she would be a different princess every year...but I love it when they come up with something and are so excited about it.  Kelly was a Sugar Plum Fairy, a costume that I loved when Stevie was her age.

They all loved Trick or Treating - especially because they were with their cousins.  Jake and Kelly tired out after an hour or so.  And Stevie had a lot of stamina, kept up with the older kids and stayed out longer.  She was the one running to the door.



THE REST OF THE TRIP

We stayed for 8 days this time around so we had lots of time to see everyone.  Krissy, Drew, and Cooper were so great to drive from Shreveport to visit too.  The cousins were all together for a few days which was fun to watch.  Cory Nicole was so great with Stevie and Kelly.  Stevie just ate up the attention and didn't want to be away from her side.  And Jake was just one of the boys this trip - or at least he tried to be.  I honestly didn't see him that much because he was with Luke, Sam, Drew, and Cooper as much as he possibly could be. 

Other highlights...

• Watching Luke's football game
• Childrens' Museum with Nannie
• Corn Maze
• Zoo with GranDaddy and GranJackie
• Tech Decks and Trampoline
• Taylor Swift's House 
• Building a Trail in Nannie's backyard

Catch Up - Part 2

Kelly
It was time to hand over the crib to Halle because she was growing out of the bassinet.  I wasn't exactly ready to move Kelly out of the crib, but didn't think it would be too bad because of my experience with Stevie and Jake.  Wrong.  The first few nights she just constantly got out of the bed before going to sleep.  Steve installed the gate on the door and just kept putting her back in.  Then she slept ok once she fell asleep.  But I think it was night 3 that I probably won't forget for a long time.  She woke up around 1ish and we kept going in there and thinking that she went back to sleep.  First we saw books all over the floor.  Then around 4 a.m. we heard a big bang and then crying.  I went running into the room and she was sitting under the dresser in her closet - which had nearly fallen down on her.  The only thing that caught it was the molding around the closet door.  Six inches more and it would have landed on her head...my worst nightmare.  She also happened to be in different clothes and every toy in her room and closet was out.  Needless to say...I was terrified and slept in the room with her for the rest of the night.  The next day, Steve bolted it into the wall.  Our pediatrician always talked about bolting stuff...but we have never done it because I just didn't see my kids climbing stuff. Wrong.

She hasn't really been that bad since that night...but we have found her asleep under Stevie's bed.  And lately she rolls off the bed and doesn't even wake up.  Crazy girl for sure.  The other scary experience with her happened a few weeks ago.  I put her down for a nap and didn't latch the gate on her door. Mainly because I was going to be upstairs working on laundry.  I was soaking some clothes in Oxi Clean in the kids' bathroom and left the powder (lid on) in the bathroom.  I heard some screaming and ran upstairs.  Kelly had woken up early from her nap, went into the bathroom, figured out how to open the powder container, and eaten Oxi Clean.  I don't think much got down her throat, but I did try to make her throw up.  That was the first time I had to call Poison Control, but luckily she was ok.  So...maybe these two stories will remind all of us with small children that you never can be too safe :-)  Let me be your lesson.

The next big step with Kelly will be taking away the pacifier and then on to potty training.  Not looking forward to either one...so I may just wait a bit.

Jake
Jake is doing great in Kindergarten.  He loved his sub teacher, Ms Langford, and now his real teacher is back from maternity leave, Ms Minneci.  Things are going well.  The only thing that has completely surprised me about Jake in Kindergarten...is the fact that he loves the ladies.  I wasn't prepared for that aspect because he has not really wanted to even play with girls for a year or more.  So now all of a sudden he loved the girls in his class - one or two in particular (Shayla and Abby).  There has been kissing and "I love yous" and I am shocked.  I think there are 15 boys in the class and 6 girls.  So maybe he is just trying to stake his claim.  I remember loving the boys in Kindergarten...Mark Pitts in particular...so maybe he is just taking after me.

Stevie Kate
Nothing really too exciting going on with Stevie.  She is doing great at Miss Sharie's preschool and is loving her new friends there - Lila, Tatum, Annika, and Hayden.  The only drama we had was that Miss Kathy (Lila's mom) and I worked out a carpool schedule and she picks up Stevie and Lila.  That really upset Stevie for a few weeks because she wanted Mom or Dad.  Lots of tears.  She figured it out and now we just try to make it special when she comes in the door rather than when we pick her up.

Catch Up - Part 1

FALL FUN

For all of you who have been bugging me to "update the blog"...here you go.  I am slacking, so please keep pestering me.  Seems like my sisters and I share a quirk about having to do things in order.  I can't just pick up in November now...I have to go back to where I left off.

Soccer - Jake and Stevie both played soccer this fall - on different teams and in different leagues.  We all spent quite a bit of time at the soccer field and although it was fun and worthwhile, I was ready to be done.  Kelly was not a good sport at all at soccer games and that made it hard on the rest of us.

Jake had Coach Elaine this season and a good group of boys - all new friends.  A little rough at first, but but the end of the season it was great.  He really made progress at the end of the season too - even scoring some legitimate goals and really hustling. 

Stevie had Coach DJ this season and a great team.  Her good friend Gracie was on the team and a few other girls that she knew a bit - but they were all so darling.  After a few games, Stevie got the concept and became really competitive and loved to kick the ball and score goals.  She was mostly competitive with one of the girls on her team - Maggie.  They fought over the ball quite a bit...funny.  Maybe the concept of teamwork will come next year.  One of the moms is a photographer and took some great shots.

 

BYU Football
Uncle Shane is starting Middle Linebacker this year for BYU.  I am so impressed at how well he has played...despite the losing record for BYU.  It has been fun to watch and we have been able to go to a few of the home games.  He is such a nice and humble guy...and a great uncle to my kids.  It is crazy to see him be so aggressive on the field.  I told Carrie to watch out when football season is over...he will have to get that aggression out somewhere :-)  Just kidding...great job Shane.

More Pictures

Here are a few more pictures from our Scarecrow Walk and from the backyard.  The pictures of the kids mid air crack me up.

Steve and Point to Point

Steve has been training all summer to ride the Point to Point mtn bike race in Park City.  It is an 78 mile race that you can do solo or as a duo.  Steve did the duo option and raced the last 42 miles of the course.  The race was last Saturday and he finished!  I can't imagine being on a bike seat for over 5 hours, but he did it without any crashed or bike malfunctions.  Duff did the race as a solo rider and finished the whole thing in just a little over 8 hours....despite his bike losing rear brakes (scary). 

The kids and I chased Steve around Deer Valley and Park City Mtn Resort before finally catching him at the finish line at The Canyons.  He was so exhausted and wasn't sure if he would do the race again.  But the very next day, the story had changed.  He said he is doing the whole thing next year :-)

Stevie Kate - with no training wheels

A few weeks ago,on a Sunday afternoon, Stevie Kate asked Steve to help her move her bike to the front yard because she wanted to ride it.  I don't think he thought much about it...but sure enough, she had taught herself how to ride her bike without training wheels.  We give all of the credit to Stevie and her pink run bike that taught her balance.  She didn't even want Steve to push her or help her in any way.  Stevie has always been very independent...no exceptions here. 

Stevie riding bike for 1st time from Steve Hough on Vimeo.

Jake's 1st Day of Kindergarten

I was somewhat worried about Jake's 1st day of school...only because he clammed up almost every time we visited the school and classroom before school started.  Wouldn't speak, very shy, etc.  But yesterday he turned it all around.  He was excited all morning and especially excited that it stopped raining enough for us to ride bikes to school.  Once we got into the school he was all smiles and said hi to the kids he knew in his class - 14 boys and 6 girls (those odds won't be so good later on :-)  And he wasn't sad at all when we left.  I wasn't expecting to be sad at all - but I got choked up somehow.  Maybe it is because this is a new beginning of our lives...me leaving him places and him having to be responsible.  He doesn't need me as much???  Who knows...but along with the tears, I was very proud of him too for being ready to let go.  All of you out there with older children...I know you know how I am feeling.
Steve said he wasn't sad...just excited for Jake and remembering what it felt like to go to your first day of school.

July and August

Yes I am behind on blogging....but it is summer...that will be my excuse :-)  I am trying to catch up a bit...so many things to remember...here are the highlights.

Tennessee
Steve & Jake were able to go to Tennessee to visit mid-July.  I was worried about Jake not handling the heat...but not one complaint from him.  He just loved the pool parties, the attention, and all of the play time with his cousins - who he looks up to so much.  Steph got some great pictures.

The girls and I helped with Angie's baby shower and then made a trip to Logan with Brittoni to visit Miranda and fam.  We missed the boys but we painted toenails, did hair, etc.  Yes...even Kelly likes to have her toenails done.

Nannie, Aunt Krissy, Drew and Cooper Visit
A few weeks about Steve & Jake got back, Nannie came to visit.  She is such a great help and everyone loves to have her visit.  Kelly was immediately in love and wouldn't even let Nannie talk to anyone else on the car ride back from the airport.  The Waydas came a few days later and Jake, Stevie, and Kelly went crazy.  Jake looks up to the boys so much and wanted to be with them the whole time.  Stevie was smitten with Drew and Kelly was smitten with Cooper. 

The highlights of activities - Olympic Park, Alpine Slide/Coaster, smores, bike riding and more bike riding.  Thanks for visiting us...we loved it!  I didn't get very many pictures...but here is a link to Krissy's great pics.  http://picasaweb.google.com/thewaydas/DevicesDownloadFiles?feat=directlink

Draper Family Reunion
This year Brady & Angie were in charge and we spent the long weekend in Wallsburg.  Of course we always love to go there and enjoy being outdoors, dogs, horses, ATVs, guns, etc.  It felt like we packed in quite a few things in a few days...so fun.  I especially loved watching the kids play with the water balloons and the Minute to Win It game.  Steve and I didn't get to enjoy the last day and night of the reunion because of our trip to Taos.  But many thanks to everyone who helped with our kids while we were gone.

Taos
Steve's friend Jason Boutwell from Tennessee invited us to his wedding in Taos, NM.  We have always wanted to ski there, but took the chance to see it in the summer and support Jason & Dena.  The trip was short....we had a great time at the wedding, shopped & ate downtown, visited the Rio Grande Gorge, and the Taos Ski Area.   

Our New Friends

In July, Nannie bought us a hummingbird feeder for our window.  It took a few weeks, but once the word got out...our house was the hot spot.  Birds were constantly feeding...and I think we even counted 7 birds there at one time.  The kids loved watching them and Kelly learned to say hummingbird and point at the window.  Last week one actually flew into the house.  It took some effort on Steve's part to get the bird to go back outside.  The poor thing looked terrified.  But after about 15 minutes...ssuccess.

The feeder fell and broke last week and the new one on the fence post doesn't quite get the crowds.  Maybe they are leaving for the fall/winter.  We will miss them...

Jake is 6!
Jake turned 6 on August 14.  This year he decided that instead of a party, he wanted to take 2 of his friends - Luke and Chase - to Seven Peaks Water Park.  And he invited Stevie Kate too (thank heavens :-)  Luke's mom Kathy and his sister Lila joined us too and we had a great afternoon & evening at the park.  I even wanted to stay longer and maybe next year we will go and stay all day.  Fun place.

We also did a little celebration with Ellie Edwards and fam since she and Jake share the same bday.

New Cousin

Quincy Lee Draper was born on August 19th.  She is so tiny and adorable and Brady & Angie are happy parents.  Kelly and Stevie loved to hold her...and Quincy makes Kelly look like a giant.  Brady was the last Draper sibling to have a child.  It really made me feel so blessed and lucky to have such a healthy and happy extended family. 

Kelly is 2!
My baby is 2 years old.  (I think that realization may be harder than sending Jake to Kindergarten tomorrow).  I am truly loving the stage that Kelly is in right now (minus the tantrums).  She loves to say new words, be silly, jump on the trampoline, and annoy Jake and Stevie as much as she can :-)  We celebrated Kelly's birthday a day early by taking the kids to the beach at Bear Lake.  Many of you know that that is one of my favorite places to visit...and it turned out great.  What a fun day and a delicious raspberry shake at the end.  On her actual birthday, we had the Dustmans over to celebrate with dinner and an Elmo cake - Kelly's favorite. 


Travelers
My parents and Amy, Kace, and Kassidy got back last weekend from visiting Tracie & fam and helping Casey, Lindsay, and Jack move to Philadelphia.  My mom had a crazy experience on the airplane, by herself, major allergic reaction, ambulance, and a stay in a Chicago hospital.  She is ok now and hopefully she can figure out what caused it.

We are happy to have them back in UT...without them at Jake, Kelly, and Quincy's birthdays, it was strange.  We are lucky to live close to family for sure and miss those who live away from us - we now have family in Nevada, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Louisiana.

Stevie's 1st Official Day at Miss Sharie's

Jake has gone to preschool off and on at Miss Sharie's for the past 3 years.  Stevie went a bit this summer...but last Thursday was her first official day at Miss Sharie's.  She loves it, even without Stella and Jake there.  On her first day, she was supposed to wear her favorite color and bring show and tell.  You would guess pink or purple...no...the new favorite is black.  What???  But she loved the Johnny Cash shirt she wore and was very proud because Jake's favorite color is black too.

Zeke

For the very first time ever...I passed Zeke on my bike.  Steve told me that Zeke had really slowed down...but I had to see if for myself.  It is true, and it makes me sad.  He is 9 1/2 years old.  The first time he let me pass him it was only for a minute or so.  But at the end of the ride tonight, about 3/4 done, he let me pass him again and stayed behind me for the rest of the ride.

Hough Happenings for June (and a little of July)

Lagoon - We started our summer activities at Lagoon at the beginning of June.  Unfortunately the weather wasn't great...but it was good enough to enjoy our time there.  So fun to have 4 adults and 4 kids - one on one.  Nikki & Tyson, Natalie & Colin, Steve & Jake, and me & Stevie Kate.  Jake's favorite part was the Music Express.  Stevie's favorite part was the Helicopter Ride.  Stevie rode almost everything when we went last year...but this year she had FEAR.  No roller coasters, swings, or "fast" rides for Stevie.  And my favorite part was riding Wicked with Steve.  Maybe one day we will leave all of the kids home and go for the thrill rides :-)

Camping - We tried camping again with 3 other families at Rockport (only 20 minutes from home) over Father's Day weekend.  Unfortunately we didn't check out the spot beforehand - it was a little dangerous with a little dropoff into deep water.  But we were all vigilant with watching the kids and everyone was safe.  It was only for one night and I wish we would have stayed longer.  Sitting around the campfire and telling stories and laughing makes up for all of the packing, setting up, and uncomfortable sleeping...all worth it.  I also love how much fun the kids have in nature - finding creatures, plants, etc.

Biking - Everyone has healed up...for the most part.  Jake and Steve went back to the site of Steve's accident :-) and took a picture of the drop and had fun too.  Steve has been nurturing his love for his new bike and riding quite a bit.  He is also racing a little bit in preparation for a big race over Labor Day weekend. 





Swimming - I love to spend time at the pool during the summer.  And that love drives me to work hard to get everyone prepared, sunscreened, dressed, fed, and kept safe from drowning.  It is quite a job and I am exhausted everyday.  But I still love it.  We just finished a 2-week lesson rotation and Jake and Stevie had fun and made progress.  Jake is so close to being self-sufficient.  His strokes and underwater swimming are great.  But he panics when he comes up for air and his legs sink.  This has kept his self confidence down so he is scared to try.  Hoping that more and more practice will fix it.  Stevie had developed FEAR in the water too and it took almost all 8 lessons in order for her to get more comfortable and start to keep her head under the water while she practices the strokes.  And then there is Kelly.  It was a chore to keep her out of the water during lessons.  She loves to jump in and isn't really concerned if she jumps too far from the edge or if she jumps without mom or dad there.  Steve got to come with us one time and she couldn't be pulled away from him.  Luckily she also likes to take breaks and lay on the lawn chairs too. 

GranDaddy and GranJackie - We had visitors last weekend and it was great for us all to spend time with GranDaddy and GranJackie.  The highlights of the trip included Steve beating his dad for the 1st time ever on the golf coarse, watching Steve, Jake, Steve Sr. and Jackie all ride the Alpine Coaster, and enjoying many great meals together. We also watched fireworks with them on the 3rd of July at a local park.



Other Stuff - Our new niece Halle Paige Hunter was born July 1st.  So happy she is here healthy and safe and congratulations to Shane & Carrie.  You are already great parents.

Jake wanted me to include a picture of the snake that he caught a few nights ago.  I am TERRIFIED of snakes so I was happy that we convinced him to let the snake go that night.  Stevie Kate was very proud that she held the snake and helped Jake take care of it.

The Past Month

The Hough Happenings for May
(having a hard time getting posts written lately...try to do better)

• Lesa-  Mother's Day...I followed the advice of a friend and had Steve take my picture with the kiddos on Mother's Day.  It seems that the moms are always behind the camera and at least once per year we should try to take a mom & kids pic.  Steve scored big points this year by getting me a necklace with the names of the kids on different charms.  I LOVE it!  And another highlight this Mother's Day...was watching my Mom ride her new red cruiser bike that we all pitched in and got her.  I really don't remember ever seeing my Mom on a bike before.  She looks great!  A few weeks later...I ran in my first relay race - Running with Ed.  It was the first annual Park City Education fundraiser....I think it raised around $50k and it was really fun being part of a team.  I kinda choked on the first leg - 7 miles slight uphill...but finished strong on our other leg - 6 miles trail running.  I think the second leg was easier because Steve and the kids were there cheering us on right when we needed it.

 
 

• Steve - Most of you have probably already seen this picture...but this is the aftermath of a fall at the bike park with Jake.  About 15 stitches in 4 different spots.  The chin/mouth area took the first impact and he still has no feeling in his chin.  We learned that the face/mouth heal very quickly.  It really was amazing how much better he looked within days.  He was back on the bike a week later and is LOVING his new bike - a labor of love for him and Duff.  Thank you Duff for all of your connections and help!

• Jake - it seems like this was a big month for Jake.  At the beginning of May, we finally convinced him to try a short haircut.  I actually love the look for him...but it was also hard for me to cut almost all of it off.  It hasn't been this short since he was a baby.  There is a little road rash on Jake's face in this picture.  He took a good spill on his friend's bike and was very brave.  His friend's dad said no tears.  The next big thing for Jake was this awesome birthday party that he went too for his buddy Luke.  He counted down the days and it lived up to the hype.  It was a reptile/spider/insect party and he got to hold several snakes, etc.  That has kicked off a LOVE of bugs and every creepy crawling thing.  When he is outside and off his bike, he is constantly looking for things that move.  The next big thing is that Jake can now make it through the night without a pullup!  For you parents out there who have gone through this...you understand our happiness with this news.  It was been a long road and he seems to be doing great and sticking to it.  Wish us luck going forward :-)  He earned a remote control car.  Spring soccer finished up yesterday.  Jake really enjoys being part of a team and I have loved that about his soccer experiences.  The things that we don't love...it that he is not really interested in kicking the ball too much or scoring goals...even though we bribe him with money.  He did score one goal this year - in the wrong goal.  But we are proud of him none the less. 

• 
  
   Stevie Kate - Stevie also did Spring Soccer - but just a skills clinic instead of teams playing games.  She loved it!  And is very excited to play fall soccer on a team.  We will see if she is more competitive than her brother.  We have all been biking...and Stevie took a good fall already on her new run bike.  She created much more drama over this fall than Jake and Steve combined.  School is now out in Park City and I had a parent teacher conference with her teacher a few weeks ago.  I was very proud to hear that Stevie is kind at school and always tries her best.  Shining Stars Preschool was a great experience for us.  She is now very excited to start going to preschool at Miss Sharie's...where Jake has been going to preschool.  Stevie wanted me to post this picture of her face as a dog...she absolutely loves face painting.

• 
  
  Kelly - As I have said before...Kelly is the comedian in our family.  She is quite funny and more of her personality comes out each day.  She loves to dance and do silly things to try to get people to laugh.  And I love that Kelly is starting to really enjoy having friends....and she loves to say their names.  "Choo Choo" (nickname for Drew Dustman), Mia, Will, Sophie, Jack, and Riley...all little ones about her same age.  She is also smitten with Aunt Amy "Mamy" (just like Jake and Stevie).  Kelly loves being outside...which is great for us.  She begs to go out first thing in the morning.  I think her favorite thing to do is go down the plastic slide onto the trampoline.  She also loves the swings at the park.

• 
  
  Goldie - our pet goldfish.  This was our first attempt at having another pet and we knew the outcome would probably be a dead goldfish.  But we tried....and only made it 3 days.  But in those 3 days...the kids fell in love with Goldie.  We left to pick Jake up from school and when we came back, she had gone to heaven.  I told the kids we should flush her down the toilet and Stevie agreed and didn't shed any tears.  However...Jake was very upset...hence the picture.  We talked about it...said a prayer...etc.  But he finally stopped crying when I asked Stella (4 years old) to talk to him about pets.  Stella lost one of her dogs this past year and she did a great job explaining it to him.  I shed a few tears listening to her say words like "freedom, family, heaven" etc.  So precious...

• 
  
  Misc - The brink of summer is finally here and we are looking forward to a great time and visits from some of our Hough family.  I am also excited for two new baby girls that will be born into the Draper clan this summer. 
  
  
  

Stevie Kate is 4!

Yesterday was our Stevie Kate's birthday...she has seemed older than 3 to me for a while and now she is officially 4.  Stevie is my helper, my cooking buddy, my shopping buddy, my dancer, my spirited daughter, my love and many more things.

We all had a great day celebrating her birthday.  She had a Pinkalicious themed birthday party for a few of her friends and also had Grandma & Grandpa and Amy & Kassidy over to visit.

A few of the questions I asked her today on her birthday...

Favorite Foods - Cottage Cheese, Watermelon, Bagel with Cream Cheese

Favorite Movies - Up, Princess and the Frog, Astro Boy

Favorite Book - Pinkalicious

Favorite Colors - Pink, Purple, and Yellow

What she knows about Jesus - He lives in the Churches and He helps to build them.

I love you girl!

Kelly's New Words

Kelly has been talking quite a bit in the last month or so...but she has picked up the pace in learning new words...especially in the last week.  She loves to say "Please, Thank You, Stevie, Kelly, Outside, Tippy, All Done, Mia, Top, Up"  Most of the words come out with a very high and sweet-sounding tone.  She says those all in her own way...probably only that a Mom can understand.  Great progress though!  We are trying to teach more signs too.  Anything is better than the screaming and crying to try to make us understand what she wants. 

Spring Break 2010

After some serious snow storms before Spring Break...we were ready to leave the "mountains."  The day before we left...we met up with Natalie and the kids at the Living Planet Aquarium.  Stevie Kate was scared of quite of few of the animals, but Jake, Sara, Isaac, and Colin enjoyed all of the them.  I think the favorite were the penguins.  They were so fast at moving around and were so lively that day.

Jake wanted me to mention that he got his first black eye during spring break.  He fell on a corner of a train track he was building and hit so hard that his eye went immediately black and blue.  I tried to get him to come up with a cool story about how he got the black eye...but with no results.  He just told people he fell.

And then we were off to Logandale NV to visit with Nikki and her family.  Jake and Stevie Kate had been talking about this trip for so long and the countdown was finally over.  We spent a few days going to the fair/rodeo, playing in their great backyard, going to a pool, and just letting the kids play together.  The trip was extra special because Steve went with us this year and he loved hanging out with the kids and being the designated rider with them at the carnival.  The weather was fabulous...that was my favorite part.  Jake's favorite part of the trip was riding the roller coaster with Tyson.  Stevie's favorite part was sitting by Garrett at the rodeo.  (She really likes to flirt sometimes).  And Kelly was a challenge on this trip with having to be held by Mom almost the entire time (bless her heart).  But I think her favorite part was playing in the backyard.  Her new favorite word is "side." (outside). 

Thanks Nikki and Steve for a great couple of days!

We spent Friday night in a motel in St. George and then spent Saturday swimming and hiking before we came home.  Jake has this notion in his head that. St. George is the ultimate vacation spot.  I am guessing this comes from talk at preschool/church/etc.  Quite a few people head down there at this time of year.  So funny...but he did love it.

Easter Weekend in Pictures

No time for the narrative tonight.  At least I got the pictures posted...right?  :-)

Steve and Cardiac Ridge

I love this picture of Steve - taken by Todd - on Cardiac Ridge in Little Cottonwood Canyon.  It truly shows the craziness, as well as the determination, that it takes to get the powder turns that he wants.  I am sure he burned quite a few calories that day.

More pictures of the day...go to http://picasaweb.google.com/steve.hough/CardiacRidgeMar282010?feat=email#