Don't ask me what days these are for I don't even know what today is?

 Move over Spidy there is a new super hero in town, I missed an opportunity to take a picture of Cooper unloading the dishwasher in his Spider-man costume, it was so funny.

There has been some serious heartbreak in our ward, there was a really sweet Mom in our ward who suddenly passed away after a ward party. If you would like to read about their story go to this link, it is touching, heartbreaking, inspiring all at the same time. www.dennyandwendy.blogspot.com

 We are trying to potty train Kessler, first day 2 in the potty 18 times not in the potty. Day 2- 4 in the potty and 6 not in the potty. We will see what day 3 brings. Warning to any of my neighbors, I am not putting pants on Kessler right now, so if he is out in the dirt hill with only his underwear and shirt I did that on purpose:)

 I was recently at a friends house of mine, I grew up somewhat with her family and her and I were roommates at one point. ANYWAY when I was at her house I had this flashback of being at their house she had this little hutch that stored table clothes, it brought back such a warm fuzzy feeling that I remember having the many years ago, sitting around their family table and them treating me as if I was one of the family. I decided that day I was going to get me some table clothes and not just copy those, but that feeling that came back so strongly. So here are my first three. FYI the blue one below is actually a shower curtain, it was the exact measurements of my table and it was only 3.24/clearance at Target. I love that you can't tell and it works really, really well.

Easter mega post followed by a Birthday post.

 We had a great Easter around here, except for little Kessler was sick. He started Easter Eve off with a fever, cough, running nose and everything that goes along with that. So some last minute Easter shopping was postponed until about 10pm the night before.
The kids woke up and Cooper came in my room and told me there were eggs everywhere and asked if they could get their eggs. They waited patiently for Bauer and Kessler to wake up and then the hunt was on. I didn't get very many pictures just the post hunting and eating candy for breakfast before church?
For Easter dinner we got out the nice plates and glasses, we made the always fantastic Ham and Cheesy potatoes, we had some red and purple bubbly (red cream soda and grape soda) with my own version of ham glaze which turned out a lot better than I thought it would (a mixture of brown sugar, maple syrup, ketchup, mustard, garlic, salt, pepper and cloves) With some cinnamon rolls for dessert!

 I was cleaning out the couch cushions the other day and I usually flip them over and vacuum them and saw this little beauty. I asked Bauer if he did that and he said he saw Kessler standing by the couch with a pen, trying to blame him but not really say it (man that is something I would have done, smart kid) anyway he finally got a smirky smile on his face and ran into his room. I will take that as guilty other than it says HIS NAME!

I love having a Birthday I can buy myself things and not feel guilty unlike the rest of the year I will still buy them and feel guilty so I suppose it is a free pass of sorts?  It started with the curbing for the yard, that originally was going to be about 300$ and then ended up being triple that. ( I will say it looks amazing and has really helped the yard look so much better)

That followed some with a dump truck load of dirt a few trees, some new perennials for the yard. 

We also will be adding some new window treatments to the front windows of the house which I am the most excited about.

I have been trying to work more (see above paragraph) and everyday I got home from work my feet specifically one foot was so sore. I waited a tad bit too long to get a new pair of shoes but ended up going with my favorites. Dansko's (see picture below of old shoes, I tend to walk on the side of my heel?)

I will say the new ones are so comfortable. I am excited to go back to work and try them out.

I actually ended up taking the old ones down to Lucky Sole shoe repair in Lehi and he is only going to charge me 20$ to fix the old ones he is going to fill them in and put a new sole on the back. Yeah! money well spent I would say!!

 Thanks to a cute neighbor of ours he got the idea from Cooper that he loved spider man ( the fact that he changes into his costume everyday after school) he gave him a "build a bear" type outfit for his little brown bear and he LOVES it!! so funny that little Cooper boy! THANKS Cayden!!

 Ben has gone a little OCD? overboard? over the top? a little much? with the just the starting of the garden this year, it usually starts out slowly a few "Jimmy Garden starter packs" with some peas, carrots, corn in them. They did go up in price this year, must be related to oil right? anywhoo, Ben came up with this crazy but genius idea of doing his own, he has had these containers around waiting to organize something in them (he is Gina's brother you know) and so he stopped by Walmart got some ice cube trays drilled a small hole in the bottom filled them up with potting soil, put the seeds in them and them put a little water in the container and voila, there is Ben's idea of garden starters?
I asked him a few time why is he planting things that our family doesn't eat that much of? squash, beets? he said it was his 72 hour kit.....ok I think my family might start liking beets and squash this year...oh yeah Cooper is my child yeah right! I am excited to see how they work and if it does I am glad to know we won't have to buy anymore of those pricey but easy Jimmy kits.

Today is my BIRTHDAY hip hip hooray, I will try and make the most of it with some guilt free shopping (just kidding) I will make it a day of catching up on my blog, updating my 365 pics and maybe, just maybe cleaning the house? not sure about that one yet.
I thought in honor of my 34 years, here are 34 things that you may or may not know about me?
1. I listen to some of the same Mormon Tabernacle songs everyday. (my favorite for the last year or so "all through the night".)
2. I love digital scrapbooking a lot and HAVE lots of kits and wouldn't mind some day selling pages, templates or calendars?
3. I love the resturaunt Rafaels in particular the entree the Big Jose (see picture)
4. I love playing Mario Brothers with the boys I especially love battling with Cooper who will get thrown into the lava first.
5. I love rearranging furniture.
6. I think the Cafe at IKEA is gross?
7. I have written a number of emails to Chilis about bringing the lettuce wraps back.
8. I love the popcorn at Target, it is really salty.
9. I LOVE my job, and would love to write a book or be consistent with writing a blog about the nice, mean, funny passengers that travel the world everyday!
10. If I were in need of a make a wish -wish it would be to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle choir.
11. I don't understand how people leave their blinds closed all day?
12. This is going to be harder than I thought.
13. The 365 project was easy at first it is hard to come up with a picture everyday.
14. I want to enter a digital scrapbooking contest to win 10$ worth of prizes?
15. For my 35 Birthday I am going somewhere fabulous.....just saying.
16. I have been trying to get pregnant for over a year.
17. As I have gotten older I love to weed more.
18. I love Ben's grey hair.
19. I love my Suburban.
20. I were pants outside that may not be too flattering?
21. I am kind of excited about Target Canada and the possibilities.
22. I am a slightly paranoid person.
23. I worry about Cooper.
24. I sometimes baby Kessler because he is the baby.
25. I am sometimes hard on Alivia.
26. Bauer reminds me of me when I was little.
27. I have ZERO patience when Ben leaves the legs up on the couch.
28. I can unload the dishwasher in under a minute and have most of it put away.
29. I haven't taken a shower in more than a year:) only baths.
30. I am excited for school to be out.
31. I love my Mom, she is an amazing person and one of the most compassionate people I know, she is the one who reminds me life is fragile.
32. I love my kids, I wonder how this all happen, I find myself thinking in the quite moments they call me Mom, and will they look back and be thankful for the way they were raised?
33. I love Ben.
34. I am thankful for my life, that I live here and now, I love my life the challenges, the blessings and the opportunity every day to be a better person.

What have I been up to lately?

What have I been up to lately, especially when it is raining and I should probably should be cleaning something. I just picked a few I have probably done more than 30 or so. Will I ever be caught up ....no...I don't necessarily go in order either..oh well. It's fun.

Caught up...not quite!

Why is it so hard to stay caught up on my blog, fo' realz people. What haven't we been up to. Lets see we have been to the park, outside doing spring projects which include taking down the play house and remodeling it, applying curbing to our existing flower beds and making some new ones at the same time. Digging, raking, tilling, mowing, and then the rain and snow to send us back inside to clean the basement for a visit from Papa Whidden.

Last time he was here we were on our way to Orlando and he stayed here by himself but we were able to hang out with him this time and play the Wii, help with homework and reading. Help with breakfast and the dishes and some other chores. 

I personally love the talks we have.

We were able to take him to a steak dinner something he misses while living in Germany.

Watch HNIC with Ben and witness the Canucks win their last game of the regular season.

Stanley Cup this year?

 Cooper is still costume obsessed he has to ask permission before he can change and I get asked everyday if he can where a costume. He also loves his mother and know that I loved my hair combed. He is the sweetest little thing ever!!

 Alivia's bed on a good day, I had to take this pic for the 365 project. I love that she loves all the stuffed animals her favorite the dogs, she could buy or get as a gift a stuffed animal dog once a week and be in Heaven!!

 Yes you can see the playhouse also known as 'The projects" is coming down with some major prodding to Ben, I convinced him it needed to be remodeled do we know what the remodels are...no. But Alivia drew us a picture and she wants four floors one for each kid and each room should have a bed and there also needs to be a bathroom and a kitchen.

This was one of the funnest parks we have been to in a while at the West Jordan park next to the Rec. center. SO FUN.
The only sad part is that I was playing on some the equipment and it spins you around and around, my old age is getting to me and I was so dizzy and started to get sick to my stomach....the days of the Rock o' planes at Lagoon are probably over....boo!

83,84,85,86

 I love this picture this reminds me of Cooper so much, only because he is trying to do what I ask , which is look this way and smile but there is something more interesting the other direction. 

Some 3 year old portraits for Kessler taken by an old train stop in American Fork.

Bauer was at preschool and so me and Kessler were out on the town with a photo shoot in the mix.

 Every day I drive down Pioneer Crossing I see this view as you look over at the Jordan River, I think it is so pretty. March always reminds Ben of his time in the MTC, clear blue skies, snow on the mountains and cold.

There is a new Hobby Lobby in town and so Liv and I had to go check it out, we ended up finding a cheap craft to occupy our time and had fun making it. 

Other than that not much going on around here, I did want to post something Ben said that I thought was funny we were getting up to get ready for church today and I said we have got to hurry as he is getting in the shower and he replies back "yeah you have to get your five kids ready". I laughed that is right my five kids pointing to him as if he is one of my kids.....sometimes the truth just slips out:)

Happy Birthday Kessler!

 The baby is three!!

He loves Thomas the train, Percy, Henry and James.

He loves riding his scooter outside and will love riding his new bike he got for his Birthday.

He is so cute when he says yes it is "yeth" and also says "moobie feeters" for movie theaters.

He was excited for his birthday today. We dropped off some cupcakes at his cousins house and thought we were giving his birthday away.

He loves to watch movies and cartoons, and he still likes to come into my bed in the middle of the night almost every night.

He loves his brothers and his sister and gives them hugs all the time.

He loves to drink a bottle still, I am thinking though that might end today...we don't need a 4 year old bottle drinker we have got to cut him before then:)

Love that little man, he is the cutest and sweetest little guy around.

This is a video from our vacay in Orlando that cracks me up from Kessler.

ummm..... up to day 81?

I am so confused right now at what days I have actually taken a picture for and blogged for? So I know today I should be on 81 and that is where we will end anyway. I explain sometimes the pictures on facebook and should be giving more detailed info on my blog, but I have been so busy, I don't even really know how the day slips away so fast but it does.

Yes our day around here starts about 6:30, 1 hour and 15 minutes before the kids leave for school, and their schedule is as follows (most days) get up, turn on the fireplace, sit there for 10 or so minutes, eat breakfast, make their lunches (we have been trying to switch that to the night before) except they get to eat school lunch on Wednesday's. Get dressed, with shoes and socks, get back packs ready, brush teeth, comb hair and it usually is a few minutes before 7:45....

This picture is a pre-hair do for Alivia.

Cooper eating breakfast before school on a good day he got dressed before he made his breakfast.

St. Patty's day, all decked out in green!

 We are somewhat a neutral party on the BYU or U of U band wagon around here, obviously we lean a little bit more blue than Red (even though Ben graduated from the U only because of commute)

Anyway it was fun to watch the BYU game for College basketball and feel the Jimmer sensation.

 That little Kessler is a mama's boy through and through, he has loved to give me kisses for a long time and has always kissed me on my lips. He puckers his lips so cute, I wanted to get this shot for some time and am so glad I finally did. (tomorrow is his birthday) my baby is going to be 3...wow!

 Alivia outside burning off some energy before dance, she loves her ballet class she was doing gymnastics, but do to the one car situation we couldn't keep the second class. She still loves doing the few things she has learned in the gymnastics class though.

Like I said on FB I am going to try and stay caught up it actually might save me some brain damage and time.

Now I probably should go get caught up on the things that I have been neglecting from blogging and picture taking....