Las Vegas

Annie and I decided last minute that we needed to go somehwere for Spring Break.  We were going to go to St. George, but our moms wanted to fly so we were going to have to pick them up in Vegas anyway.  We started looking at hotels, and Vegas was much cheaper so we decided to go there instead.  Keith got us an awesome deal at the Luxor so we were all able to have our own room.

Mom and Shawna decided that it was too expensive to fly and Blair had to finish a test at school before she could leave so that left Annie, the kids, and I in one car and everyone else in another.  Annie and I left first thing Monday morning.  We were packed in her car with all the carseats, boosters, and luggage!  I wish we would have taken a picture.  The kids did great!  We stopped in Lehi for lunch and a couple other quick times for potty breaks.  By the time we got to St. George the kids were restless and ready to get out.  We stopped for a coke and cookies and let them run around at a park for awhile.  They were sad about having to get back in the car to finish our drive.  They were pretty restless the rest the way to Vegas but still did pretty good for the most part.

We finally go into Vegas around 9.  We looked like a circus walking to the hotel with all our children and all our luggage!  We had several people comment that we were crazy :-).  Once we finally got checked in, the kids were starving.  We went downstairs and found them McDonalds.  By that time Mom, Blair, and Shawna had made it there too.  They were a lot quicker driving than we were, ha.

The next morning once we finally got up we exercised and went straight to the pool.  It was nice for Annie and I to be able to take turns exercising and watching the kids.  We spent most of the day at the pool and then got ready and went to dinner.

Wednesday was my birthday and the morning was pretty much the same.  Exercise and the pool.  We wanted something fun to do for the afternoon.  We ended up riding the tram and going to see all the classic Vegas sights.  Or at least sort of.  The first place we went was to see the lions at MGM, but when we got there we found out they had been moved.  We wandered around there for a bit and found a cool crocodile that made noises and sprayed water.  Bailee was terrified of it.  Next, we decided to take the older girls to ride the roller coaster at New York New York but when we got there they weren't tall enough.  It was starting to get stormy but we walked down to the M&M and Coke factory next.  By this time everyone was getting hungry so we decided to head back to get cars and go to dinner and then come back later that night for the pirate show, fountains, and volcano.  Well, the wait at Outback was outrageous and the hostesses were extremely rude to us because we had such a "large" party they weren't willing to accomodate us.  We ended up finally requesting two separate tables because it was going to take just as long to go anywhere else.  It was still a long wait, but we shopped a little at the outlets while we waited.  Finally, after dinner we dropped off Shawna at the hotel while the rest of us went to see the sights.  We had no idea, but they had gotten rid of the pirate show last winter so the kids were really mad about that.  The adults were all very tired and none of us wanted to get out.  We tried to convince the kids that the fountains were really cool from the car, but they weren't very happy about it.  They just kept saying over and over that it wasn't fair that everything got canceled.  It was quite the adventurous night.

Thursday we exercised and then got ready to go shopping.  We went to a fun little outdoor mall in Henderson and shopped and had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen.  We went to bed somewhat early so we could drive home Friday.

The drive home was long!  The kids fought a lot and we stopped a lot.  We missed our dads!  Cole and Tate would not go to sleep for the life of them and they succeeded in waking all the girls up.  We were relieved to finally get home and get out.  It was such a fun trip and such fun memories!  I love that our kids have each other and get to make so many fun memories like we did.  I don't know that any of us realized as kids how lucky we were to be so close and to always know we'd have a friend.  I hope that our kids' friendships will continue as ours have!

Fishing

Cole got a fishing pole from my parents for his birthday.  He finally got to take it out and try it.  They didn't catch anything, but he has been practicing casting ever since so he "can catch one next time."

Brooke's Birthday

Brookelyn had a very fun birthday this year.  It lasted several days.  Starting the weekend before, she had a party at our house with all her friends.  20 little girls!  Originally I told her only 10 people but, we have so many girls in our neighborhood and I didn't want anyone to feel left out.  I LOVE where we live and can't say enough good about this group of girls.  I hope that she will continue to choose good friends through the coming years!

They made their own hula hoops, played games, opened presents, had cake, and played.  I was really worried about all the drama that was going to come with 20 little girls, but they all got along great and (I think) everyone had a good time.  Brooke definitely did and that is what is really important!

Sunday, we had a dinner and cake and ice cream with all Matt's family.

On her real birthday we surprised her with balloons and treats at lunch.  Later that day, we got to go to her class and tell her class all about her and let them meet our family.

We went to Fredricos that night with all my family.

Brookelyn at 7
Favorite Food:  Chicken Noodle Soup
Favorite TV Show:  Good Luck Charlie
Favorite Book:  I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Favorite Thing to Do:  Play Babies
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Movie:  Frozen

Height --  Weight -- 

Brookelyn is a very good student and loves school.  She has lots of friends and loves to play outside and ride her bike.  She likes to listen to music and dance.  She just started her first season of soccer and is really enjoying it so far.  She is tall and skinny and has a hard time finding pants that fit.  Most the time she'd rather wear a skirt or dress anyway.  We love you Brookie!

Rock the Halls

As a reward for earning enough points in her reading program Brookelyn got to "Rock the Halls" at school.  It is a pretty big deal.  All the kids line up in the halls and the kids who earned the reward get to run from one end of the school to the other with the principal while everyone cheers for them.  Brooke is in 1st grade so she was at the very front of the line and was in a picture in the newspaper with an article about the reading program at their school.  We are so proud of her!  She has really improved her reading the last month or so and is starting to enjoy it (finally -- it has been torture to get her to read)

Jazz

Matt and Cole got to go to a special night at ESA.  They met Marvin Williams, shot hoops, and got to see the locker room.  Cole had just gotten a new basketball and was pretty upset about Marvin Williams signing it.  He didn't want someone to write on his new basketball.  He thought it was all pretty cool though.  He has played basketball and talked about the Jazz everyday since.

Capitol Theatre

Matt's boss gave us tickets to Capitol Theatre this weekend.  The show was "Bring It On".  We didn't think Cole would be interested and Bailee is too little, so we let Brooke invite a friend.  We stopped at Cafe Rio for dinner on the way down and then hit the show.

It was really good!  Even Matt liked it -- and the girls were enthralled.  A lady behind us gave the girls M&Ms at intermission because they were so well behaved.  We had already bought them $6 gummy bears at the concession stand so we weren't going to spend anymore :)

While we were gone, Annie and Nate kept Cole.  He and Tate got to go out for ice cream.  We got home so late that the girls slept at my house and the boys slept at Annie's.  They thought that was really cool! (this is a very rare occurrence because I don't allow sleepovers).

Early Spring

We have had unusually warm weather  this winter.  It has been such a huge blessing and sanity to be able to let the kids go outside to play and run off some of their energy. We all hate being cooped up in the house!  As soon as the snow melted, the kids wanted to be outside.  This particular day we went to Ryan's park while Brooke was at school.  They were in heaven!  Bailee, especially, loves the swings!  Her teachers at school tell me when they play outside that is always what she wants to do.  She always wants an "underdog".

Haircut

I was upstairs one day and I *thought* Cole and Bailee were watching a movie.  I came down a while later and the basement was a mess and the vacuum was out.  I thought it was a little odd but not too odd, since Cole likes to vacuum.  I started cleaning up and went in the pantry for something and found some hair.  Uh oh.  Immediately I knew Cole and cut Bailee's hair.  I asked him if he had and he mumbled something like only a little.  It looked like only a little so I cleaned it up and then asked Bailee to come here so I could inspect the damage.  She had her hair (which I might had had never been cut and was down to her butt!) in a side pony tail that day.  Well, most of it was gone!  Because it was in a side pony, one side was super short and the other side was super long still.  I started crying and told Cole he needed to come here now.  Well, he wouldn't come.  He was hiding and I figured it was because he knew he was in big trouble.  

This was all about the same time I was supposed to be leaving to get the big kids from school (I was tending my neighbors 2 kids this day).  I was so upset... I made the big kids walk home so I could take care of the mess at my house (which isn't a big deal -- the walk all the time when it is warm).  I also called Matt and told him he needed to come home from work NOW.  I didn't know what else to do. Well finally, Bailee told me where Cole was hiding.  To my surprise, when I found him hiding behind the couch, he had cut his hair too!

I was so upset about Bailee that I hadn't even notice he had cut most of his hair to his scalp!  AHHHH.  I found someone to fix Bailee's hair that night and we ended up having to cut off more than half of it to even it out.  So now it is a short little bob.  It is super cute... but I may have still cried the next few days when I got her ready :)

Cole's head had to be totally shaved so he has a buzz cut in the dead of winter.  Needless to say, all scissors in our house are now hidden.  I thought Cole was old enough to know not to do that... but apparently not.  He has now cut Brooke's hair, his hair, and Bailee's hair.  I sure hope we are done with haircuts!

Fire Station

Matt took Cole to his yearly field trip to the fire station.  Cole has been obsessed with firefighters and fire-anything for years.  This year was no exception -- he loved it.  He was even brave enough to get in the fire truck and ambulance.  When they were getting ready to leave a call came in and they heard the bell ring.  He thought that was pretty Cole.

We have loved his preschool and this year his cousin Rylin was in his class.  I can't believe it is almost time for him to go to Kindergarten!