Weekend with Family!

This past weekend we got to enjoy some much needed family time with Josh's parents, his oldest sister and her family! We got to watch General Conference on Saturday and Sunday. The kids were pretty good and quiet. Christy and Rob have 5 kids. Shaelyn, Braden, Bryce, Camden and Carter. Shaelyn and Braden are both in high school and they both were in their school play/musical. Saturday night we got to go and watch their last performance. We took the kids with us and they were pretty good. They performed High School Musical.  I think its just so fun to watch them perform. I believe this was Shaelyn's 3rd play and this was Braden's first. They both did a really great job! Shaelyn was Miss Darbus and Braden was a skater boy.

Braden and Shaelyn in the same scene!

They did a great job and we each enjoyed seeing how talented they are!

I let Payton have my camera before the play started because we had to get their early and he was getting antsy. These are random pictures that he took.

Aunt Christy with cousin carter behind her!

Cousin Carter! He is 1 year older than Payton. Then there is Payton taking pictures of himself.

Grandma and Scarlett!

Mom and I!

Cousin Camden, he is 10!

Camden taking pictures of Payton being silly!

Camden and Payton! They are goofy! 

Sunday between General Conference sessions the kids were in the backyard enjoying the sunny weather. They really liked jumping on the trampoline. Bentley their dog even came and played with the kids!

General Conference viewing!

More Viewing!

Scarlett couldn't handle watching all of general conference so she had herself a little nap!

Scarlett got to be pushed on the skateboard and she loved that!

Shaelyn even went out on the trampoline with Payton, Carter, and Scarlett.

Scarlett loved the attention from Shaelyn!

Payton and Carter played a lot of dress up while we were there. They were spy's! Carter took his costume off to jump, but Payton kept his on!

Payton the spy!

More playing and jumping!

Carter and Payton!

Weekends away from home always go way to fast! We had a wonderful time and enjoying watching general conference. 

Facts I want to remember about my kids!

(Most may not care to read this post, I did this and will be randomly doing this for my own record)

Anyone that is a mom knows the more kids you have and the older you get the more you forget. My mom doesn't remember a ton about me and my siblings when we were really little so my attempt is to try writing some things down. She tells me all the time that I will be so glad that I blog as much as I do. I know I will forget it all in a good 10 years, especially cute, funny things that they say. I love my kids and loving being a mom. Its not the easiest thing I have ever done, but all the good times cover the bad times.

4-6-12 Payton went over to his friend Brock's house to play while Scarlett went and did some relief society things with me. While we were driving to his house, he says to me "mom just park the car and I will get out and go knock on the door by myself". He wanted to be a big boy and not have his mom take him to the door. It was a very weird moment to feel like he didn't need me. But at the same time I was a very proud mom to hear him be so independent! Once we got to his friends house he got out of his seat said bye to Scarlett then got out of the car. He walked up to the door and mid way he turned and said, "bye mom". He knocked on the door and went right in once Brock's mom opened the door! I can not believe how big he has gotten in the last few months. Moments after driving away Scarlett was saying, "I miss Payton"! This is a very common phrase we hear from her. I am pretty sure she and Payton say it at least a good 10 times every day about Josh while he is at work. Its very cute to hear and will melt your heart.

4-5-12 While I was making dinner Scarlett says to me, "I miss Josh". She totally loves her Uncle Josh. She constantly prays for him each night. While we were all sitting at the table to eat we were talking and I had asked Scarlett what mommy's name is and she said "Mallory". Josh then asked her what daddy's name is and she said "daddy". Josh then tells her "no my name is Josh", she of course looks at him and says "no your daddy". Having an uncle Josh and a dad name Josh is just way too much for a 2 year old to understand. In here mind there is only 1 Josh.

3-23-12 Scarlett was whining for her pacifier and Josh was not allowing her to have it. He had told her its for babies and she's not a baby anymore. He told her he was going to throw it in the trash so he did. About 10 minutes later she went and got it out and had it in her mouth. We just ignored it and didn't really care. When we were doing the dishes a while later we saw in the trash her pacifier. We were both shocked because she must have gone and put it in there. We figured since she put it in there then we would take that opportunity and have the pacifier be permanently gone. We knew it would be a long few days of lots of whining and crying. She surprisingly did very well at night time without it. It's during the day around nap time that is the worst. It has officially been 2 weeks today. The first week was HORRIBLE! The 2nd week has been SO-SO. The problem I am having is she doesn't nap and if she does its like at 4pm. I have also decided that no matter what she is 2! She is definitely not the easiest kid to deal with at times, but if I remember correctly either was Payton at this age. 2-4 is absolutely not my favorite age as of right now. Ask me in about 10 years and I am sure I will have another age range.

3-21-12 Payton had a physical for his kindergarden registration forms. He knew that he had to go, but he wasn't excited. He was very afraid of getting shots. He was a very big boy. He let the nurse weigh him, measure his height, do a hearing test on him, and do a vision test on him. He passed with no problems. He giggled though during the vision test and hearing test. That was his first time do those.  Once in the room he was required to strip down to his underwear. He wasn't thrilled about the idea, but he did it. He got to wear a little blue cloth to cover his nakedness! He was nervous through it all, but he did a great job. He did have to get shots and he was not thrilled. He was very brave though. He sat on my lap and he got 2 shots in 1 arm and 1 in the other arm. I didn't even cry. He did say it hurt and he squeezed my hand. Scarlett of course through out all of this was totally fine because she knew it wasn't her having to go through all this. She was very happy and even talked to the doctor this time. That little girl is such a stinker!!!

2-27-12 Scarlett had a doctors appointment for her 2 year heck up. She was good all the way up until we headed back into the doctors office. She then began to cry and didn't want to be weighed or measured. Once in the little room she fought me about everything. She absolutely didn't want me to take her clothes off her. She was required to just sit in her underwear. This was absolutely terrifying to her. She could not believe I would make her do such a thing. Once the doctor came in she wanted nothing to do with him. She didn't let him touch her! I had to hold her on my lap while he did the best he could. I am sure he could barely hear anything because she was crying so hard. She was even more mad when she had to get shots! I am pretty sure she thought I was the meanest mom that day!

Our life the last month or so!

Many of our days are spent at home in our pj's all day! We usually dont get dressed unless there is somewhere we need to be. We do go to the park about once a week with friends. Once Payton starts kindergarten in August everything will change and I am not sure that I am ready for that, but we will make the change.

Payton and Scarlett love to pull the pillows off the couches and jump onto them! They think its the funnest thing ever! I probably say a good 10 times 'be careful someone is going to get hurt'. Even with me saying that they ignore me and keep having fun! Someone doesn't always get hurt, but once in a while they do! Hearing their laughs and giggles is very special and I enjoy listening to them playing so well together.

Payton of course teaches Scarlett everything! She does anything Payton does!

One day these two sillies were out playing in the water. They both came running in the house saying they were cold so they went upstairs together and changed their clothes. They came down and Payton tells me that he helped get Scarlett get some clothes. He also then tells me that he was letting Scarlett wear some of his clothes. She had some of is underwear and pj's. Anytime my kids go and get themselves dressed they put on pj's. They love to be comfertable!



A few Friday's ago when Josh got off work we had decided to take the kids for a bike ride to the park. They loved it! Scarlett and Payton are both improving so much at riding their bikes. The goal this summer will be to teach Payton to ride his bike with no training wheels.

On the bike ride/walk to the park Josh and I talked about how it is so nice to have them both be able to ride their bikes all by themselves. Our kids are getting so big, very quickly and are becoming less and less dependent on Josh and I. It's a little weird! We are definitely enjoying it and soaking all the little bit of freedom we get until this baby is born in July. We all know life will not be as easy!

We got to the little train park and the kids had a blast playing and running around together. They would continually say to us, "look mom, or look dad'.

Right before we left they played in the volleyball sand area! Payton rolled around in it for a while, but Scarlett just stomped around!

The week before Jared and Ashely's wedding my brother Josh came to visit for the week. It was his schools spring break. He rode the train from Salt Lake Utah to Scarmamento California. He said it was a lot of fun, and he would totally do it again! While he was with us we crafted a few things I needed to finish before the wedding, we ate yummy food, he helped fix any little thing that wasn't properly working, and he played lots of games with Scarlett and Payton. He showed Payton that on the back of the cereal box their was a batman mask that you could cut out. Josh helped him cut it out and they put a string on it. He went and got his cape out to wear. He loved it!

Payton with Unlce Josh!

We loved having a bunch of days to spend with Josh. Like I have said many of times we love having family come and visit. I had a blast spending time with Josh. Having one on one time with each of my siblings doesn't happen very much, but when it does I love it! My kids love all the special attention they get!!!

About a week ago we went on a group date night with some friends. We had all the kids stay at Krista and Justin's house and Mariah came and watch all 7 of our kids, 6 and yonger. The kids loved every minute of it!!! 6 of them were even asleep when we got home. We enjoyed dinner at Red Robin and then headed to the movie theaters and watched The Hunger Games. We had a great time together. We didn't get a picture of the men, but I promise they came!

This last week was a long week for us. Scarlett has been trying to learn to live without a pacifire. There is a lot of whinning going on every day! So in a desperate attempted to try and make for less whinning we got out the finger paints and painted a bunch of Easter pictures. I did a few Easter crafts myself. It was a success for a few hours!

The kids really enjoyed getting paint on everything!

They painted a lot of pictures.

They were very excited to show Josh all their pictures once he came home from work!

These last few weeks have been fun and tough all at the same time. Watching these two growing and changing every day is very rewarding! We love these two little kids! Having a family is rewarding most of the time!