Our Family Fun Day





 

This morning started out pretty blah and boring! Then I got a wild hair to find something to do. I got dressed and ready and told everyone we weren't just going to sit in the house again today, we were going to do something fun! I had heard about some indoor playlands around here, but had never gone to one. I looked up pricing and discovered that today was wacky Wendesday as they call it at one called Jabbers. This means that every Wendesday you can take all sibling for one low price, $15. Now with our 4 kids that is really hard to beat to do anything! So we decided that it was best to feed the kids first or they most likely wouldn't want to eat. We took them to Golden Corral and they had a blast. Kael and Kai discovered a new LOVE for popcorn shrimp and Havyn had her cotton candy, while Koen got his own strawberry and coated it in the chocolate fountain all by himself (he was sooo proud). Be aware there is going to be an overload of pictures below! Enjoy! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2012

Wow! What a year, but that is pretty normal at our stage of life! 2012 marks the first year since I started preschool that I have not been enrolled in some kind of schooling! This was an adjustment and I still miss it (strange, right?). I also feel that over this last year I have grown and learned so much (which is part of why we needed to move away from everyone we love and know). We have had ups and downs, but mostly ups! At first it was really a struggle for me to go from being in school and being away from my kids to bam! being home, alone, taking care of them 24/7. This is when I got the idea to take in another child to babysit. BAD idea!!! I found out that I  really HATE watching other people's children so in May I was done with that! I then started another new job (mostly for something to do, and partly for the money I wasn't bringing in babysitting). That only lasted 2 weeks because I have a strong personality, and sometimes others have a hard time dealing with me. It was okay, though because I found out that as much as I say I am not cut out to be a stay at home mom, I missed my kids! About this time Tyrell (after months and months of trying) was able to get back on serving at Texas Roadhouse. We really needed to bring in just a little more money to help pay for things that were above and beyond the bills. Once school started again, this second job became a little more of a hassle, but we are smiling and making it through it because we are just so blessed to have it when there are people out there who are struggling to find even one job! Right around the same time miss Havyn really needed to get her tonsils removed (despite how young she was) so we had that done. She was such a champ and it has made a world of difference for her. This last month we all got sick with a really bad cold, and hers didn't last near as long as poor Kai's has, and she seemed to do so much better with it. I was just glad we could get it down over the summer so that it wasn't so hard for me to take care of it without Tyrell around much. When school started we got another surprise! Tyrell's school had sent out an email about needing people to do some homebound kiddos very part time. I jumped on it because it would give me a break from the day to day mom grind! I didn't even think about what it paid. I just told Tyrell to make sure he let them know right away that I was interested and wanted to do it. The next day they let us know that they needed someone right way and that because I was a certified teacher they would pay me $21 per hr! I was extatic! I got to work finding someone to watch my little three the hour a day I'd be gone. Which would be perfect because it was during nap time. I started observing the autisitc girl I'd be working with and to my surprise was offered another student. This would take me to 11 hours a week. Not too bad in my book, so I agreed. This new student has been a struggle, but I think in the end I need these experiences to better prepare me for the classroom I intend to have one day. So here we are with 3 different jobs, when some have none, and I consider us very blessed! No, we are not rich and no, I do not bring home much in the end because 50% of what I make goes right back into to babysitters, but I LOVE doing what I do, and I can still be a mom! Other than that we have learned how to lean on eachother more and more, and I believe our family has been stregthened because of this move! I also think that as much as I say I don't have friends, I have found good, sweet, and kind loving ladies in my ward who have been there for me and been a strength to me! I hurt my back around the time school started as well, and I needed some physical therapy to get back to normal. My visiting teaching companion was a huge help during this time!! She was here watching my kids for all my physical therapy sessions. I don't think I can ever repay her for all her kindness. I got sick and she instantly offered dinner (when she was about to have a baby herself). Seriously, I don't think there is a kinder soul out there! The ladies I visit teach have also become dear friends, and I have learned how important it is to visit teach, and found it to be one of my favorite things! These are all things I had stuggled with everyone else we have been.

Tyrell has learned that teaching 6th grade isn't as scary as he originally thought. He was moved from 8th to 6th this year, and he is certified to teach 6-12 so it was a little nerve racking. He says it's interesting because some of them are still babies while other are maturing already. He has a pack of LDS 6th grade girls that follow him around a lunch because he does lunch duty. They are his little crew. Every time he misses a day the vice principal has to deal with them and he is so glad to see Tyrell when he gets back!

All and all this year has been full of surpises and learning experiences! Our kids have grown so much!!! I keep wondering where all the time has gone. It really is true that they grow so fast so you better enjoy it now.

Koen is now a 1st grader, and will be baptized in 2013. This is something that shocks me! I remember the night he was born! He is one smart little boy too! He amazes me everyday with the things he has learned and can explain in great detail!

Kai is turning into me! I know he is a boy, but he has so much of my personality in him. He is scared of dogs in the exact same way I was. He is always worried about everything (just like me). He is stubborn. The list goes on and on, but I am not going to tell everyone all my faults! He is going to turn 4 in just a couple weeks and I am stressing about his kindergarten shots. I was told by the Dr. that at this clinic they do them at their 4 year old well check. He is going to freak out! I keep thinking about how I can make it easier for him and how I am going to NEED the others to not go with us.

Havyn has turned into such a little girly girl! She needs her flower every time I do her hair. She wants all the girl movies when they watch netflix. She rocks out to music just like me too! She has quite the little attitude, and makes her opinions known! I guess she needs to with all these boys she has to deal with. I can't even imagine how the teenage years wil go. She will be 3 in about 3 weeks. She also refuses to potty train even though she knows how. She is miss independent and I guess she figured out after day 1 that it wasn't her idea!

Kael is the spitting image of his uncle Daren. I swear almost everyday that he was meant to go to Daren's house and somehow something got messed up and he was sent to mine! He is such a boy! He is developing more and more personality everyday and he never ceases to amaze me with his abilities. He is a little teaser too! He will chase Koen around just to get to him and make him cry. I always have to remind Koen that he doesn't need to be scared of Kael because he is like 3 times the size of Kael. He is sneeky, and I really think he knows more than he lets on because all the sudden he'll be caught in the act or saying something he pretends he doesn't know. He is my little stink, as I call him. He is also my little momma's boy through and through (worse than Kai). He is starting off the new year in a big boy bed (which he is doing amazingly well with at night) because he is the first of my kids to every figure out how to climb his way out of the crib. He is turning 2 which means....... I have NOT been pregnant for 2 years!!!!! Wow, that feels good to say!

Happy new year and we are hoping for a happy and healthy 2013!

Christmas 2012

Our Christmas together as just our family is just now starting to come together. I know we have been married for almost 9 years now, but we really hadn't separated ourselves a whole lot from the families we grew up in until last year. So each year our traditons are evolving. We have chosen bits and pieces from each of our childhoods that we want to incorporate in our now household as well as added new things. One of those pieces from Tyrell's childhood that we have chosen to incorporate is opening one present on Christmas Eve. Koen and Kai have been counting down the days witha nativity calendar my mom gave us this year (this is a piece from my childhood that has given us the ability to discuss with the kids that Christmas is about giving and we celabrate because Christ was born on that day) and have been anxiously awaiting Christmas Eve for this very reason. Another piece from my childhood we have included is that each child draws a name of a sibling and then buys that sibling something for Christmas (this saves us money and teaches them how to give to someone else). On Christmas Eve we let them give their gifts to each other and those are the gifts they got to open.

 

Once we got the crazy kids to bed last night Santa got to work. Poor Santa will never bring another little tykes cozy coupe to our house because man that thing leaves battle wounds and poor Santa barely survived putting it together!

 

Now all the kids (minus Kael) got exactly what they asked for:

 

Koen: A DS







 

Kai: A castle

Havyn: A loopsy (lalaloopsy doll)

Kael: He didn't ask, but Santa is smart and you will see why.

In fact Havyn had asked so many people for a loopsy she ended up with 3!!! She now has a mommy loopsy, and little girl loopsy, and a little boy loopsy. She has taken every single loopsy to nap and bed and for a drive in Kael's coupe! The kids were all super happy and excited when they got woke up by their crazy daddy who was more excited that any kid I have ever seen on Christmas morning!

 

 

The rest of the day you saw Kael in his coupe with his flashlight from his stocking and that was really all he needed.

 

Koen hid out with his DS most of the day, but played with Kai and his castle and his new dry earse kit from Grandma Snyder a lot too!

 



 



Kai was really into that castle today, and sadly I didn't take pictures of him playing with it.

Tyrell and I got presents this year too! Yay!!! I have to say that even though I didn't mind not getting present the past 4 years or so it was nice to be able to give him something more than a pillowcase I whipped up this year. Those years we didn't have a lot weren't bad or sad or whatever else some people may think they were. We were thinking about them today, and saying that we still had awesome memories and that honestly we still had our family and had wonderful Christmas experiences, but being able to set a budget and buy for each other this year was truly a blessing! Tyrell was the recipent of some bacon flavored chapstick in his stocking (just because it was funny) and a few new items of apparel he had been wanting. One being this beard hat. Havyn says he is a monster in it and cries, but he is in love with it!

He is also sporting some Sage Valley spirit with his new shirt that he designed and I ordered later (and told him the shipping would have been $10 so he figured he didn't get).

 

I got clothes (which is all I wanted) as well as something I want to add to our traditions for Christmas as our own family. Tyrell bought me an Elf on the Shelf. I was totally not expecting this because they are so expensive. I was super excited to say the least and I can't wait to use my elf next year. Oh the fun we will have!

 

 

I have to admit that I was somewhat sad this year. Every year we have been married we have had a least a visit from some family. This year was going to be different. As we laid in bed last night I told Tyrell how I was somewhat sad about being alone. His reply was "why? I am kind of excited!" You know he was right! This year was absolutely amazing! We played games, watched movies, and ate good food (yes, I even fixed Christmas dinner) and we just loved each other! I would have to say that this day with my family was much needed! We don't see a lot of daddy and sometimes it really gets to the us all. We are so glad that he is working so hard to support us, and that he loves us enough to put in the 60+ hours of work each and every week, but we miss him!!! It was a wonderful day to be me!

 

Here is a picture of Tyrell and I that I wanted to take because we also got a new camera! Thanks mom!!! Now don't get used to see me on here because this will be a rare thing, but here ya go!

 



 

Oh MY....

 

Someone figured out how to climb right out of his crib today during nap time. Guess what that means....very cranky no nap Kael 2 1/2 hours later. I tried. I really did! He just wouldn't nap. I think he got our 5 times before I got out the pack and play and then he just screamed. I just barely got him to go to bed without milk in a sippy a week ago. Really! Now instead of getting Kai to sleep in his bed I will be traing Kael to sleep in his. Boy am I GLAD he is the last one!!!! On top of Kael not sleeping in a crib anymore I was planning to potty train an almost 3 year old girl over Christmas break. Luckily, it is Christmas breaks so I can figure out how I am going to make this work before I have babysitters here. This little dude sure does have some spirit about him though. He was laughing at my stunned face when he got out and I almost started laughing with him. Really it isn't that funny, but he is just so dang cute what's a mom to do?

Merry Christmas

Thanksgiving

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and got to see both sides of our family throughout our 4 days away. We spent Thanksgiving day with the Teeters. They are always so much fun because everyone is so laid back and silly. Our kids were terrified of their dogs, so the poor things had to be put in the garage for the couple days we were around. I don't understand Kai's severe fear for dogs. I do know though, that I had the same severe fear at his age. I guess it's pay back. I really don't know why I was so scared either. I do know that I would avoid them at all costs, though. Even if it meant hiding in the girls bathroom at recess in elementary school. Other than that, the kiddos had a blast and they wore themselves out. For some reason I didn't take any pictures while we were there, but I am hoping that the kids will have plenty of memories in the future! I did, however, take a picture of Koen's birthday cake. He got to have cake and ice cream with the Teeter crew!!! Lucky Boy!

The day after Thanksgiving we headed to my parent's for the night. It was a quick, but good trip. It's always nice to my Grandma and siblings that are around. Plus now there is baby Bryken to love on! I took one picture on our adventures there because I just couldn't resist. We went to lunch with Grandma Snyder on Saturday and not a one of our kids wanted to sit at our table. They surrounded grandma instead.

Christmas Tree 2012

The kids were beyond excited to put up the tree last night! I really want to teach them that it is for looking at and not touching or playing in. All I can say is we have a LONG, VERY LONG way to go. Kael just threw the ornaments, and then when I showed him what we should do with them, he started taking the ones with no hooks and stuffing them all on the same spot of the tree. Kai thought hanging about 12 on the same branch was the way to go, Havyn was more into licking them and breaking them than hanging them, and Koen did  well (maybe it happens with age). As soon as we got the tree somewhat decent looking we struggled to keep the ornaments on it because Kael is just sooooo tempted to use them as balls, and they are just so pretty he can't help but touch them with his pointed index finger while he looks right at mom or dad waiting for what he knows he is going to hear. This morning I thought I could out smart him, or at least block him, by placing the love seat in front of the doorway to the living room. Well, it keeps him out as long as Kai, Havyn, or Koen don't help him over the sofa. They are all too smart for their own good and have figured out that they can indeed go over instead of around.  After a long day of telling them to stay out of my tree, and chasing them away from it, I'd had enough and I put both Havyn and Kael in a time out in their rooms for using ornaments as balls. Neither one of them has touched it since, but I doubt that will continue tomorrow. I think I know why I gave up last year and had a half naked tree by Christmas.