We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

Some cute videos... ve Maddy has quite the personality, she is quite content with just wandering around as long as she has something in her hand to hold or drag around. She likes to find all sorts of treasures in Rylan's room including his stash of CANDY!

The day has come, the day that Rylan has been waiting for for a LONG time! I think I heard the question, "when do I get to go to school?" about 100 times in the past couple months! He was feeling a bit nervous the night before but Scott gave him a blessing (a special prayer) and in the morning he was very excited but still a little nervous. I got him a white board and wrote down with pictures all the things he needed to do to get ready all by himself. He woke up looked at the chart... Got ready...we said another prayer then took some pictures outside, this was my favorite... Then we got Maddy in her stroller and walked the 1/2 mile to school. You can see the school off in the distance. We got there just in time for Ry to give his teacher the shoe box she asked him to bring and to find his name at the blue table. He was very excited to be sitting at the table that happens to be his favorite color! I waved goodbye and he gave me a darling little smile and thumbs up. My ...

Here in Utah we celebrate the 24th of July because it is the day the Pioneers settled in Utah from the east. Some of my ancestors were in that group, so it is kind of exciting to think about us living where they traveled to so long ago. To start off the day there is a big parade downtown. I LOVE parades! The marching bands, the horses, and the floats. People get serious about floats here, they are elaborate, beautiful, and intricate. I should have taken a picture darn it! Anyway I have to give thanks to the Kikkerts for going early and getting a spot or we would have never gotten a spot! People camp out all night to get prime seats. My cousin Sierra and her fiance Lance, the newly engaged couple! Missy holding Maddy. Then we went to the Kikkerts house and had lunch. Scott met us there he had to finish up his combative course he was taking that week. The Kikkerts have a very fun back yard with beautiful landscaping, a trampoline, a fire pit, a hammock and their very own creek running in...

Last weekend we were going to go camping with my sister's family, but we found out that in Utah EVERYONE and their dog chooses to do what we want to do, so the sites we wanted to go to were booked...so next time we will have to make reservations in January to get a good camping spot in July. Seriously?!? Instead we "camped out" at our house in Layton. Erica and Rylan slept out in the tent in our back yard and had a blast. Erica read I think about 10 books to Rylan and at 10:15 we had to say...ok guys it is time to sleep now! Madelyn and Benjamin also had fun playing together. Maddy had a bad rash on her tushy so she took a lot of baths and had a lot of no diaper time. Ben joined her for this bath and they had fun splashing and stealing toys from each other. Those were the only pictures I took the whole time! We also went to the Boutiful rec center and went swimming! It was pretty fun!

Madelyn is a sweetheart. It is amazing how much she has changed since she has been more independant and mobile. She is a much happier baby! It is like she was stuck in a baby's body who wanted to get out and walk and move just like everyone else. She is walking all over the place now, but still is a little shaky. She LOVES to eat! And seriously she can eat A LOT! She packs it who knows where in that little body of hers. She is super silly, she loves to walk around and just do her own thing, if you distrupt her before she is done she gets angry at you. Or if you take away the precious toy she has found that she could choke on or hurt herself with, she will scream her head off. She loves to be outside and she often stands up against the screen door and points outside and talks and babbles. She loves water, the bath and the pool, as long as you don't stick her into something resticting say like a baby floatie or anything...she wants to explore the water HER way. We went to t...

My last couple posts are totally out of date..so here is the LONG post that I have been putting off. For the 4th of July we always try to make it up to Grangeville, Idaho because well 1st that is where Scott's parents live, and 2nd because during the 4th they have Border Days which is three days of FUN! Parades, egg tosses, foot races, strawberry shortcake, the most delicious scones, rodeos, and of course family! During Border Days we get to see all of Scott's super fun cousins and as a treat not only did we get to see them we celebrated with Jody's friends Tom and Rose from Arizona! Ok first off we will start with the kiddie parade. It is only for kids to be in and they can do or be whatever they want! Rylan and his cousins (well mostly me and the cousins mom Kezia) planned way in advance that it would be fun to build a pirate ship to play in while we are all together, then it somehow through the dreams of Rylan turned into what the kids were going to do for the kiddie...

While we were in Idaho, Maddy discovered that it is pretty fun and convenient to walk. She started out by throwing herself between the ottoman and the couch, then a little practice at Grammy's house since we have been home she is a walking champ! She can go the entire length of our living room from couch to couch. She just turned 10 months!AAAHH Our baby girl is growing up.

I have to admit that I was shocked to hear about Michael Jacksons death. I love his music and was really looking forward to a come back from him. Yeah he may have been a bit of a freaky guy, but I think he was really misundestood in a lot of ways and he had no childhood whatsoever and a abusive father. Anyway ironically we just introduced Rylan to his music a couple months ago and he loves it too! So tonight for our Family Home Evening activity we had a dance party to our favorites..excluding Scott who had to water the lawn. (party pooper) This last song even inspired Madelyn to get up and walk!

I learned something new while I was visiting my parents. I am allergic to bees! Not very bad thank goodness, but enough that I had to take a steroid for allergic reactions to make the swelling go down. It all started when I was at the Asotin Aquatic Center with my kids and my mom. I was holding Maddy in the wave pool watching Rylan when I felt something crawling on the back of my shoulder. I tried to swipe at it with my right hand and as I was flinging the bee off me it stung my middle finger. Ouch, I went to the first aid people and had the stinger removed and I was fine. Well 24 hours later my finger started to get more painful and bigger, with the swelling going into my other fingers and hand. By this time my friend Meghan had come to visit me in Lewiston and we were visiting with our other friend Lindsey and having a great time then when we went back to my parents place it was hurting really bad. My mom and dad thought that I should go to the urgent care. I fed Maddy and ...