Happy Double Digits...

...to our fun loving Daxer Fred! We spent the weekend up in Bear Lake with the Welch cousins.  It was a little on the chilly side for swimming so the kids had fun playing in the tree forts and with all the caterpillers....there were a TON!  We drove home on Dax's b-day and he requested homemade ice cream sandwiches and of course got more legos...he is pretty easy to please :)

Halloween...

...one day we will laugh about this Halloween, but until that day comes we will just remember it as the Halloween Dax and I spent doing missing homework assignments. I found out yesterday (yeah, not too happy about that) that he had missing homework that needed to be done by Friday if he didn't want to fail...I was expecting maybe 5-6 assignments...wishful to say the least! Dax came home with 20 :( I am so irritated...first with myself I feel like I should have known somehow that he wasn't turning them in, second with his teacher (okay I am going back and forth on this one taking the lead) how does a teacher not notice until the day before the term ends that a student is missing TWENTY assignments (oh but that is not all...because he has been missing recess all week making up math...in total he had THIRTY SIX missing assignments) surely she could have seen at least 18 missing assignments at midterm. Lesson learned all around!! I will be that teachers most dedicated (aka annoying) teacher ever! Have I mentioned that I am beyond irritated!? Anyways...no dwelling on things we can't change. Dax had to miss out on trick-or-treating this year and hopefully he too has learned a lesson. It isn't enough to say homework is done...mom and dad will check every single day for the rest of the year (at the least). The kid did get some candy though. For every assignment he finished he got a piece in his bucket...NEVER AGAIN! Like I said one day we will laugh about this and I will show his dear sweet wife this exact post when he has a child just like him :)

my cute cute kids all dressed up.  Jacey didn't go trick or treating this year either...her last year of eligibility was spent doing gymnastics instead...YAY! 

A New Year...

...yay!  We were all ready for school to start again.  I am ready for structure, it will be crazy busy structure but it will be consistently crazy!  I am also determined to get back on this blog kick.  I slacked BIG time the past few months...sorry posterity.  So back at it we went.

Jacey started 6th grade (yikes!) she is excited to be the oldest in the school, to eat lunch at 11:20 (instead of last like last year) and to get back into gymnastics.  She had the last two weeks off and really missed it.  She will practice Tuesdays and Thursdays for 2 hours getting her home at 9:00-for those that know my kids that is LATE!  But I guess it is time to extend her bedtime.  

Dax started 4th grade and is super excited for all the field trips he will get to go one.  He however was not excited to be the only one with homework today.  HELLO 4th grade!  I hope we survive the homework increase (although his back to school blessing said he would so I just need to have faith!) he is also super excited to head back to gymnastics and is also going to play soccer this Fall (as long as his homework gets done).  He will practice gymnastics Wednesdays for an hour and also has scouts on Mondays.  

Skye started 1st grade and is so excited to be going allllll day long!  I have to say Colt and I sure missed her! She loves her teacher, and said everything was so fun today.  She has gymnastics on Tuesdays for an hour and can't wait to get going again.  We had a little trouble right after school but nothing a snack on hand shouldn't fix.  Poor girl was starved and she ate all her lunch.  Dang blood sugar (sorry to pass that on to ya babe!) she is going to have so much fun.  Her bestie (Charity) is in her class! 

Colt started mommy school today.  As soon as the kids were on the bus he ran back in the house and announced "mom it is just you and me now! Let's go to the swimming pool!" Sorry bud it is closed "oh...let's go to the park!" And then a minute later "mom we go to the Library?"  

We did have a good day.  Started with a bike ride to our friends house for our "mourning" party

Then home for some "school" playtime

Then mommy cleaned while he ate.  This had become our "don't want to put it away? Put it here" shelf and it finally got the attention it has been begging for all summer! 

Then we played trains and successfully scattered toys throughout the entire house.  So as a bribe to help clean up we went to the library.  

Today's project (besides everything else) was turning the fridge into a chore chart white board!  Easiest project ever:

Supplies needed: markers

Project instructions: write on your fridge

Done, Easiest project ever!

I am sure this list will change daily for the first week, until we figure out what works and what doesn't. 

Fun filled day for sure!  I got to go back to my weights class, haven't been able to go all summer long, it was good to be back but no doubt I will feel it tomorrow!  I am ready for bed...night!

Cub Scouts...

...hard to believe that Dax has been in scouts for almost a year and I think this is the first blog post I have done that includes pictures...sad really!  Tonight was the annual Derby and this year they made rockets!  Dax was so proud of his rocket, and him and Dad learned a lot for next year :)

um yeah, I left the "real" camera home...

Dax also earned his Wolf and finally got his Bobcat award too.  Proud of ya buddy!

The making of the rocket.  I think the biggest lesson learned was not to wait until the day of the race, but hey, it was dry and it flew! 

Colt was so into it!

What a bunch of cuties!

School This and That...

Oh how we love school, especially when we are nearing the end of another school year. Last term and 2 months from now it will be summer vacation...but not to loose focus...a couple randoms for today. Skye wanted to take a treat for her birthday (which is tomorrow, but there is no school.  I asked her what she wanted and together this is what we came up with...nutella, strawberries, and pretzel rods.  It was a hit as far as she was concerned.  And as far as I was concerned too seeing how I didn't have to bake anything!

she was the queen for the day too!

so do you remember a few months (or maybe it was only weeks) Jacey had a mishap at school involving coats not hung up and balls under the coats?  She fell and got a nice little bruise on her hip.  I told her she should be more careful and she came back with a "No, I will write a persuasive letter to the principle"  Well she did and the principle pulled her out of class to tell her that there would be a new ball box by the lunch room effective immediately.  Well here it is!  Good job sis!

Tonight also brought PTC.  In short I have totally awesome kids!
Skye's teacher said she has a very calming presence, she is often paired up with rowdier kids, or kids that need just a little boost because she can calm and lift them.  She said that Skye really doesn't need her anymore, she is where she needs to be for first grade.  A few weeks a go she wrote me a note that said "i dont want to do my chrs or my homwrk.  I will brush borg.  love skye i love you" I thought that was odd, but loved her inventive/phonetic writing so I saved it.  I was telling Miss Porter about it and she chuckled and said that it was her fault.  They were talking about (I can't remember now) in class and she suggested that if there was ever something they didn't want to do but were afraid to talk about it, maybe they could write about it...hence the I don't want to do my chores, but I will brush Borg instead note.  Skye made her day today when she came in and said "Miss Porter, even though I will be in first grade next year I will still bring you my pictures and books!"

Dax's teach had to start off by saying how much she loved Jacey.  Every Friday Jacey and her friend Jayden go to her room and clean it completely.  They miss the grade school bus and just run to the high school to catch it.  Then she said how much she loves to ask Dax questions because she knows she will never get just the cut and dry answers.  There will always be lots of thought, imagination, and creativity put into his answers, and that they are ALWAYS spot on right!  It really is so true about him.  When we have FHE he never gives the "Sunday School answers" they are always thought out and right on.  He has excelled this term, his focus has improved, and he even passed off a math facts sheet.  AR was not met, but we knew that, and our goal (so he can have his privileges back) is to get them all by the week after Spring Break.  We are reading a GOOD one together and for the first time EVER he looks forward to reading...I got a lovely groan when I got paged out tonight on a call and had to stop reading.

Jacey's teacher thinks Jacey is just the sweetest thing and appreciates her sooooo much.  Jacey has a hard class, all of her teachers have said so from the time she was in kindergarten, yet she very rarely gets drawn into the drama or the distractions.  She said she is good at everything she sets her mind to.  Her teacher LOVES to read her writing assignments, because IR testing will soon be essays they have been doing lots of it.  She is consistently improving and her thoughts are so well organized and expressed.  She had straight A's.  On a non-school note she has been invited to join the Silver Team in gymnastics this summer and she is soooo excited, yet quite nervous as this will mean competitions next winter.  I have no doubt she will give it her all and will be just fine!

Colt...well he is looking forward to the day he gets to go to school, I on the other hand am torn and will enjoy these next 2 years (and a summer)!

And then since Greg and I are also in school here is our update:
Greg has 3 more tests and his final project, goal is to be done by June (he said that with a little hesitation, but I am holding him to it)
My transition has been a little intense lately since I had to unexpectedly renew my NREMT license a year earlier than I thought-dang my "go-get-it-ness" (that is Greg's term) if I had procrastinated 4 months I could have had until NEXT March to get it all done...but alas I am just short 3 hours and they are covered in my ICS-100 course I am finishing up (hopefully tomorrow) then I just need to pass off my skills to Medical Control (aka the ER doctor) and I should be transitioned from an EMT-Basic to an EMT...wahoo!  I am also slowly working on my Spin Instructor Cert. still teaching as a student and once NREMT is done I will take that test...so my goal is the end of April for all of it!  Then I am going straight to the library and READING a book for myself. 

Gotta love education and all the opportunities we have!

I Think It Is Pretty Obvious...

...that I am out of the habit of blogging everyday.  my #1 excuse/reason is I just don't sit down to the computer near as much as I used to, it makes my head hurt...I find myself using my phone or iPad if I do need the internet.  Some might think it would be easier to blog with so many resources but it isn't!  I don't like the way the aps blog.  I can't order my pictures or add captions. 
So here you have our last week in review...

This is what happens when mom closes her eyes for a few minutes.  When Skye was entering the "Quiet Time" zone I would lay on the couch with her and she would snuggle and hang out with me.  Colt says "I nuggle you mom" and sweetly draws me onto the couch next to him, but at the first chance sneaks off the couch.  For someone so active and noisy all day long he can be eerily quiet as he creates one piece of art after another.  So I have to fight the naps until he closes his eyes first.  He will still nap 2-3 days a week. 

gotta love the artwork on the fridge...doesn't quite understand the concept yet

Tuesdays I get a few hours for myself...I fill it with Group Power and usually grocery shopping. LOVE IT!

these little buddy boys are the cutest friends ever!  The best part of the day is listening to them wake up, it goes something like this C:Dax wake up, Dax wake up, DAX let's go out a front room D: Okay Colt C: Dax, you take my blankets? D: Yes! C: We play iPad? D: Yeah!  And then there is more cute little conversations and they play so cute together!

For mutual on Wednesday the Stake put on a Youth Dance.  I had some girls that wanted a ride so I went and hung out.  Oh my ENTERTAINING!  I so do not miss those awkward moments of the first few moments of a slow song. I literally had to cover my mouth so I could chuckle a few times. 

Wednesday night I also got my class Valentines put together.  This is the BEST granola I have ever had!  My cousin Mardy gave me the base recipe and I have built on that.  It is clean, healthy, and full of heart-y goodness! 

Thursday, of course brought gymnastics.  I know I say this every week, but I love watching the kids improve.  I am pretty sure Jacey is getting close to advancing levels.  She is getting stronger, faster, and more graceful every week!

Skye is also making great leaps.  Her cartwheels are improving and she is the first in her class to volunteer to try something new.

Dax's favorite part is the end of class when they play tag.  I am happy he is happy and having fun.  He is willing to always try his best and I have seen him come out of his shell a little more every week.  He is getting really close to doing a back flip without the roller to spot him, and he has mastered the dive roll. 

The one downfall to gymnastics is that it is in the same parking lot as our favorite restaurant.  It is so tempting.  Earlier this year we sat down with the kids and told them we would only go out to eat for special occasions.  V-Day qualified! Colt says "We go to Taco Burrito, (then pulls out the sweet look and adds an exaggerated) please?!"

This week also marked my official "Get back to work" week.  I have limited myself.  The only NEW clients I will be taking this year will be newborns.  I just can't say no to those snuggles.  I have also opened my schedule up to families and kids, but only if we have worked together in the past.  That will hopefully keep me just busy enough.    

So there you have it, our week in review. 
I do have to add a few cute things Colt says:
"Ummm, no!"  He can't just say No!  He has to add the Ummmm before it every time
"ha-hu-ke" (the kids have taught him to call his rear end his bahookee) he cracks himself, and everyone else, up every time he says it.  
"I wuv you too, Mom!"  He never just says I love you, he is good to always add the persons name.  Melts my heart!

"Count wit me.  Monday, Tuesday, Monday...Tuesday!"
"Count wit me. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 14, 19"  occasionally he just jumps in somewhere around 7-9.  It is always confusing what kind of "counting" he means.
Oh and everything else he says is just so cute, although he has learned "stupid" I blame Greg because it is mostly inanimate objects like "stupid chair" when he stubs his toe on it.  Or "stupid toy" when it is in his way...so Greg!  He has also learned "shut up" and "poopoo butt".  Oh the joys of older siblings to teach littles such attractive words!  I admit though I have to hide my giggle as I put him in time out for saying them.  I threatened all the kids with time out for using those words, and then added Greg to the list every time he says "stupid" he might be on the chair more than Colt :)

I feel guilty, because I am sure there were more "little moments" I have already forgotten about since I didn't blog everyday.  I will try to be better, but no promises...this next week will be a busy, but exciting one for sure!!

Broke My Code...

...or stubbornness and went to the doctor.  After my first migraine this month I started keeping track of the kind of headache and the pain scale (yeah, I worked 10 years in physical therapy).  After about a week I started to notice a pattern...I had a headache everyday, and not just the "I am paying attention to when I have a headache and therefore causing a headache" headache.  At least once a day I was hiding under a blanket and grouchy.  My curtains were always closed (and not because the windows are drafty) and I had to squint a good couple minutes walking into a bright room, or outside.  So I went to see Dr. Liljenquest, I have seen him a few times for vertigo and thoracic outlet syndrome.  Friday he found all the triggers and massaged the crud out of them-hurt like heck and I wanted to cry, applied acupuncture to my knee and ankle areas and one right between the eyes, and then he did a massage he says every "migraine spouse" needs to know...AGREE...I melted and begged him to show Greg when he showed up to get the kids.  Really all it was was a good hard head squeeze.  So of course Friday night I was miserable and I started to doubt it was effective, I had to ice my poor head a few times, and I hid for a good hour under my blanket on the couch.  My pressure points were so tender, I was down right emotional...poor Greg (although he did stand me up for the first time ever-so maybe he deserved it!).  Saturday was better, but I still had a minor headache and tenderness...this brings me to the point that makes this whole story blog worthy.  SUNDAY!!  For the first time in-it has been so long (years possibly) that I was caught off guard-I was 99% headache free ALL DAY LONG!  I only had 2 bouts of a headache that lasted maybe 2 minutes each.  I was absolutely ecstatic, I could have called the doctor right then, at home, on a Sunday and thanked him...but I didn't.  I called him in the office today.

As I type this blog post, I do have a headache behind the eyes, dying to be poked out, but I will hold onto that one day with everything I have...maybe there is help and hope!  Maybe next time I will get 2 days in a row (of course this headache could easily be the too late of a bed time and the 4:00 wake up call for my 5:00 meeting at the gym.

On a funny note: Sunday dinner table conversation started out about dates-the days of the month, and the boyfriend girlfriend dates.  Then it moved to which was closer Grandma's or Kaydee's, and then somehow to missionaries, and ages of missionaries, and then to how old is the bible, and then to who the first missionary was, which led to the story of Jesus teaching adults in the temple as a kid.  At which time (remember we already talked about how old the bible was) Dax says to me, at the same time I take a nice big mouthful of juice, "were you one of the adults?"   And Sunday dinner ended with my SPEWING my red juice out my mouth and my nose all over my plate and table.  That kid! 

Half A Snow Day...

...thankfully the roads weren't too bad, Greg and I had to work.  It didn't dawn on me until we were there that they might send the kids home early.  Thankfully the littles and I made it home before they did.  So the olders came home around 2:00 Skye didn't go at all (she was so bummed) they cancelled gymnastics (thankfully) and we bunkered down and listened to the wind howl. 
A couple of funnies...
Colt hasn't had a nap (unless he was sick) for a long time but we still play our game...except he now knows how to win.  Driving home from dropping Skye off:
M: Oh Colt let's go have a NAP! I am soooo tired.
C: No, I have quiet time, I don't have naps anymore
M: Oh please?!  Let's have naps
C: (bright eyed and full of conviction) Mom! I have quiet time and YOU have a nap, that's a good idea!!!
Yeah no doubt he would think that is a good idea, I on the other hand can't have a nap knowing he is awake...I fear what I might find when I woke up...but it was a good thought!
I was making scones for dinner and Dax comes in...
D: Yipee we are having SKULLS for dinner!!!
M: (laughing) Dax they are SCONES
D: oh yeah I forgot to add the bones.  They are skulls + bones
Took me a second but sure enough..haha!
Hope you are all home safe and sound and staying warm! 

The Newest Member...

...of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! I am so proud of my little Daxer Fred!  He is a good example of Christ like love and service.  He is a great kid, and I sure love him to pieces. 



Greg baptized and confirmed him, and because he was the only kid in the whole Stake being baptized this month he got to pick his program and it looked like this:
Opening Song: I Like to Look For Rainbows (his favorite one and he was lucky to see a couple of them after his baptism)
Invocation: Grandma Welch
Talk on Baptism: Grammie Nielson (more on that later)
Baptism
Talk on The Holy Ghost: Papa Welch (more on that later)
Confirmation
Closing Song: As A Child of God by Skye and Jacey (they did a beautiful job, I love my girls voices.  I will try to bribe them into letting me record them so we can enjoy it again and again)
Benediction: Papa Nielson
Witnesses: Both Grandpas
and Kirsten played the piano and I had to ask a friend to lead as the prelude was playing because I spaced it.  Which just so happens to not be the only thing I spaced.   Before the program started my dad looked at me with that look he gives when you know he is thinking up something good.  I tried to get him to tell me what it was but he wouldn't, and neither would my mom or Greg's mom.  They said "oh you will find out".  So Brother Thorton gets up and announces the program but says that Grandpa Welch is going to give the talk on baptism.  I corrected him, and he said "nope, trust me" so my dad gets up and starts giving his talk on baptism.  I was soooooooo confused!  Then Grammie gets up and gives her talk on the Holy Ghost and both do such a good job I start thinking they got together and plotted to completely throw me off (they have been spending a lot of time together getting ready for their stakes trek this week).  HAHA funny joke, right?!  Oh no, when the program was over I had to figure out what happened.  So a month or so ago Dax was making the program and called Grammie and asked her to speak on the Holy Ghost, then when we were down a few weeks ago he asked Papa to speak on Baptism and they both agreed, but then I started to second guess my notes and sent my dad a text telling him we told him wrong and he was supposed to speak on the Holy Ghost...ooops so they both show up with talks on the Holy Ghost and my dad has about 10 minutes to come up with a talk on baptism.  He did so good that I would never have known something was amiss if it weren't for that look he gets, oh and the program.  It was a wonderful day and we are so thankful to all of the family that chose to support Dax on his big day, whether in person, or through "were thinking of you, wish we could be there" messages.  Love you all!!

The Gang's All Here...

...okay so really they weren't we were missing a lot, but we had a party with those that were here. (Grammie, Papa, Kathy (and fam minus Lance) Kade, Grams, Papa, Chad (and fam) Kirst (and fam) Nana and Papa. Thank you all for coming and making Dax's day all that much better!

Kirst needed a bath BAD after playing with soot all morning, Skye was kind enough to give her the same one she got

when it is super hot outside, you only have one bathroom with lots of people why not?   It is the same water we drink (you all are jealous of my bandana style huh?!

the rinse cycle

Yes, even Dax!

the rinse

The Pool Is Broken In...

...and we all said "ahhh finally!" It wasn't super warm (70s), and pretty breezy but the water was 80* so as long as you were in and all the way it was nice!

Jacey on the NEW diving board!

Jacey's Splash

Skye (and Dax's shoulder and back)

More of Dax (Skye under water)

And Colt was just fine hanging out on the side checking things out.  We did finally get in and he loved it as long as he had a tight hold on me.  By the end of the summer he will be a little fish I am sure!

Some Randoms...

...every once in a while it seems my whole day is full of random things/thoughts/events.  Today was one of those days. 

We started the day with Dax's track/field day.  This year they did field day more the way I remember my field days, playing with my classmates.  Greg has the pictures.  He is such a good dad, he hung out most of the day while I took advantage of having the kids with him and worked. 

Skye and Colt ran hills pretty much all morning.

They didn't measure the running long jump (?!), but Dax did really well - and looked good doing it!

I don't know if Dax has done this before, but he was pretty darn good at it.

Dax jumped 4'3" in the standing long jump!

Volleyball with the biggest basketball Skye has ever seen :)

What a fun day ... good job Dax!

After field day Dax and Skye were invited to go help feed a mini pony that has been rejected by the momma.  (Greg also has those pictures) they loved the experience. Jacey was beyond bummed she missed out.  She asked me to volunteer for her to go help them this summer...we will see.  I am sure they would love her help. 

I had a photo shoot in Burley (finally got the chance to use some fun walls).  I got there a little early so I parked the car, locked it and with keys in hand wandered around for a bit.  Got back in my cat and turned on the cooler (it was hot) sat around until I got a text saying they were there.  I stuck my phone and keys in my camera bag and somewhere between getting out on the busy road, and grabbing my cool orange bucket i locked the car doors and shut them.  Only to see my camera bag sitting on the seat.  I was so flustered I was going to have to reschedule our shoot.  Went to meet the family (with 2 young kids) and barrow their phone and see if we could reschedule...THEN i realized somewhere along the way I had taken my camera out of my bag and it was safely hanging around my neck.  MIRACLE!!  So I called Greg and asked him to come rescue me, went about my photo shoot, and by the time I was done so was Greg and the locksmith.  YAY!  So as far as yesterday's challenge go, yes I did see God's hand in my life today. 

Ended the night at graduation...awe! 3 of my Laurels graduated, it was bittersweet.  I didn't get teary eyed until I realized that they are now RS sisters and not my girls anymore (okay, I am still going to claim they are mine.) Such sweet amazing girls.  I am excited to see where life takes them.  I will miss you Jessica, Hayley and Kelby!!

During graduation I sat next to my friend and EMT teacher, Shirley Hubbard, she is retiring this year and I have to say with all the changes in the school district as well as with Idaho EMS I can't say I blame her.  She mentioned that it wasn't fun anymore and she didn't want to work.  We got to chit chat and she told me I needed to get my Advanced EMT and start teaching.  I told her as soon as my youngest was in school I was there!  I really would love to do it.  Who knows what will happen in the meantime.  There just might not be a teacher around these parts for a few years.