Austin's Birthday!

Austin was lucky this year. He had mulitple birtday parties. He one one party with Grandma and Grandpa Crowl, Emily, and David. David's birthday is the 29 of March, Emily's is the 2nd of April, so we had a big celebration.

Then on his actual birthday we went to Chuck E Cheeses where Grandma and Grandpa Richards met us

My husband's beard

My brothers are always posting pictures of their facial hair. Here is Jason's latest accomplishment in that arena!

We have a new Bishop!!

In our church we have a volunteer clergy. No one gets paid to do anything. We do not have a pastor, or a reverend. We have a Bishop. He is the father of our congregation. He has a full time job, and a family, sometimes he is still in school. He is usually in the position for around 5 years. It is a lot of work and can be overwhelming.

So anyway, we got a new one today. Our old Bishop was amazing and moved up to be the Stake President (this has nothing to do with eating red meat) but is another job with huge responsibilities.
I was shocked by who was called, not because he is not an amazing guy. Not because he is not qualified, not because I don't know that he will do an incredible job, but because he is our friend. He is 30 years old! He went to high school with my husband! He is too young to have that much responsibility! He has a two year old and a 6 month old.

WHEN DID WE GET SO OLD!?!?!? When did we turn into the parents? It seems like that is a job my dad should have, or the dad of one of my friends. NOT someone my age, not my friend! So weird!!

Okay, that is my rant. I totally support my new Bishop. I hope that his wife knows that I am here for her and will help her with anything, anytime!

My bedroom

I painted. Just now. I am trying to paint my bedroom, we have lived in the house for four and a half years, and I am just now painting. Anyway, so I painted one wall and want opinions...it is actually more of a purple than the picture shows. What do you think?

Entertaining a three year old!

This video is very dark, I hope you can see it. Turn up your volume to really appreciate this!

Easter Eggs

This is the kids dying Easter Eggs. Well, okay, this is them after they dyed the eggs. My hands were covered in sparkle magic dust to take pictures during.

Out of the mouth's of Babes!

Quote of the morning...can you figure it out?

Ryan: "No, no, mom-ma, shop shakin your boo-ashe."

Ok, since some of you think that we teach our children inappropriate words....

BOOTIE!!! That is what Ryan was telling me, to stop shaking my bootie.

My cool dude!

Notice anything different?

Our latest disaster

The other night we were laying on the floor playing steamroller for our family night activity when I noticed some lines on our ceiling. I pointed them out to Jason who jumped up and starte poking at the ceiling and then ran upstairs. Long story short, our master bathroom floor has been leaking and has molded and gotten rotten. Jason tore it all apart to see what was going on. His brilliant mother recommended that we see if our insurance will cover it. So we are waiting for an insurance adjuster to come out and see if they will help pay for any of it! Wish us luck.

New Dress

This is one of my latest finds. It was $5.99 at Gabriel Brothers. It is sleeveless, so for now I will wear a sweater with it, but I think that I will try to sew some little cap sleeves onto it. It is all white ( I know, crazy) with embroidered daisies. I actually bought two dresses, both for that same price. When I wear the other one, I will post a pic of it too. I think I like them even more because they were SO cheap!

Funny things

These are some funny things that have happened or been said at our house:

We were downstairs and Mommy was taking about the changing table.

Austin: Why are you taking that apart?
Mommy: We don't need it anymore.
Austin: Let's have a yard sale and sell it then.
Mommy: But what if we decide to have another baby? Then we will need it again. Don't you want to have a new baby someday?
Austin: No.
Mommy: You don't want a new brother?
Austin: No.
Mommy: Or a new sister?
Austin: NO!!
Mommy turned to Layla, "Layla don't you want a new brother, or a new sister?"
Layla: "No, I don't want you to yard sale me!!"





We were trying to leave to run some errands. I kept yelling at the kids and telling them to get ready.
Mommy: Austin, get your shoes on!

Mommy: Austin, get your shoes on!

Mommy: Austin, get your shoes on!!!!!

Mommy: AUSTIN, GET YOUR SHOES ON!!!!!!

Austin: I have my shoes on, you pyscho!!!




Today Austin picked up a pot that was sitting on the counter top, put it on his head and started dancing around singing, "I'm a pot head. I'm a pot head!"

Why there is so much food on the floor after dinner

All of these pictures were taken during a ten minute period. I was just fascinated to see how my youngest cannot sit still! Why on earth did Jason take the straps out of the high chair?

Layla helping clean

For Navin

This is Mikayla, Michelle's daughter. Navin, father/husband is in Iraq. This is a little video we make when they were visiting the other day of Mikayla's first lolly pop!

I have been waiting for 8.5 years

Most of you know this because I talk about it constantly, but almost none of you can comprehend it....I weighed less than my husband this morning!!! This has not happened since the day we were married. I weighed one pound less than he did the day we were married, and have never been there since.

BUT TODAY, TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!!

No big deal dent.

Thursday morning...get up and put exercise clothes on (sports bra and capris, tennies). Make lunch, throw two coats on take Austin to bus, get home take coats off and someone knocks on the door. Open door, peak head around door, keeping half naked body behind door. Neighbor from across the street is at door. Her car is running in the road. She says that she hit our car. There is a dent. She has insurance. I tell her Jason will come over later and don't worry.

4 hours later...Jason comes home. Goes to neighbors says no big deal, don't worry.

Next day Jason looks at dent again, says it is worse than he thought. Jess upset that he told her not to worry.

Saturday...take car to Maaco get an estimate. Dent estimate: $2600!!!! Go to neighbor's and tell her that we need her insurance info...She is very pleasant gives info, says that she understands.

I will let you know what happens.

Snow Day!

School was cancelled today because of snow/freezing rain/etc.

At Christmas time my amazing sister-in-law gave us the coolest present. A bunch of pre-done FHE lessons. She is so creative and fun. The first one involved making play dough and came with a recipes, Alum-the weird spice that you have to put in play dough, and cookie cutters.

So...1+1=2...We made and played with play dough since Austin was home from school.

My brilliant idea, my husbands skills

A few months ago I had this great idea to hang up all of the left over socks in the laundry room so that as I am doing the laundry, I can easily make matches. I asked Jason to do this a while ago, but he hasn't had any time. This week-end he built me these beautiful hanging hooks in the laundry room. I made tons of matches just by hanging the socks up and getting them out of the basket that I normally throw them in.

Valentine's Day

On Wednesday night Jason came up after I was already asleep and asked me to come downstairs and see something. Being the kind, loving wife that I am, I replied, "You have got to be kidding me." And I promptly turned over and fell back to sleep.

The next morning, the 14th, I got up and went downstairs to find this beautiful handmade card. What a good husband!! The candy on it are Dove Chocolates, my favorite. He explained that having them on the card would help me not to eat them all at once...notice, it didn't keep me from pulling them off and eating them!

It was a great surprise that morning.

My new Job

Okay, so I know that I don't have a new job, I have worked at the same place for the last eight years. But I feel like I am starting a new job. I am going from working 16hours per month to working 24hours per week. Tuesday was my first day of the new job. I went out and bought myself a new scrub top, did my hair, and got all ready. It was a great night. (On a side note, last night was my second night and it sucked!!)

Austin took this picture for me...he was excited for me, like it was my first day of school. I think he did a great job...if only he knew of a way to make white pants not look so bad!

The Crowl's Disease

Apparently we are highly contagious...we have been sick FOREVER. My boys are both on their second run of antibiotics this year. Austin had a random infection somewhere and was put on antibiotics, then he got impetigo (he has two days left of antibiotics). Ryan has bilateral ear infections that just won't go away.

Anyway, Austin woke up and his cheeks were a little red. I figured it was from the cold and the wind and put some Eucerin on it. Shortly after school started the nurse called me said that his teacher sent him the see her because he has a rash. I told her that I thought it was just windburn. She had Austin lift up his shirt and it is all over his belly and back! So Jason went and picked him up from school. he also has a fever, but feels just fine.

The picture of Ryan is his nasty fat lip. He fell in the bath tub and scraped off the whole side of his lip. It was disgusting.

So stay away, we are a sickly bunch!

Presents

We all know how kids don't really know how to open presents when they are really little. This was the first time Ry showed any interest in opening presents. We still had to start the wrapping paper.

Ryan's 2nd Birthday!

For Ryan's birthday on Monday we went to Chuck E Cheese's. The kids all had tons of fun, including the kids over 18. Ryan even blew out his candle by himself.

Hide and Seek

The other night something happened and Austin got in trouble. (I honestly can't remember what happened, I just remember that he got in trouble and had to go to his room.) A few minutes later Jason went to talk to him and Austin wasn't in his room. Jason looked all over upstairs, then went downstairs and looked. He wasn't anywhere. Jason came and told me that Austin was missing. I looked all over and tried to find him. Can you see where I finally found him?

If I had Ryan's hair

Jason is not going to be happy about this post, but, come on, how could I resist.

A few days ago Layla was wearing one of my barrettes. Somehow Ryan got a hold of it and he asked me to put it in his hair. Seriously, he said something along the lines of, "Mommy, barrette Rah-rye." So I flattened his "bangs" down with a little spit and put it in. He was ADORABLE!!!

If I had his hair, this is honestly how I would wear it everyday! Just too cute.

He must have started to realize that a photo shoot with a barrette in his
hair was not exactly kosher!

My Peeps!

Ryan has two little bendy toys that are tigers. He stole them from the birthday box at church. He calls them "my people". He start walking somewhere, then stop and yell, "oh no, my peoples." He will then run and find them.

I just think it is adorable that he already has "people".

Terrible Mom Award Goes to......

So sometime last week Ryan gets a cough and snotty/faucet nose. Layla had had a cough for a while. Keep in mind that there is always a child in this house with a cough (there are five kids 6 and under). I ignored it and didn't worry. Saturday he was extra whiny, as was Layla. I told my Primary Presidency that I may not be in church because the kids were both sick.
Sunday morning we all got up and went to church. Neither Ryan nor Layla would go to their classes. They both just cried in the hallway. I finally got Jason out of his class and sent him home with the kids. Of course when they get home, they are totally fine.
Monday I gave Ryan some cold medicine and put him down for a nap. He took a three hour nap, but whined off and on throughout it. We got him up, gave him Tylenol and then went to McDonald's for FHE/dinner. He didn't eat a single thing, was extremely lethargic, with his eyes rolling in the back of his head. About an hour after he got up, he finally woke up. He seemed pretty normal then, running around the playground. That night I had to work and Jason called around 10pm to see if Ryan could have anything to help him sleep. (He normally sleeps through the night, but this night he kept waking up and crying like he was hurt.)
Tuesday he was holding his Rt ear occasionally, but not pulling on it or anything. That night he had a bath and when I went to clean his ears out the Rt one had all this nasty dried crust in it. I cleaned it out and put him to bed.
Wednesday he was still the same, snotty and whiny. But I noticed him pulling on his other ear. When he got up from his nap I decided that I would take him to the doctor's. He just wasn't normal.
Well, if you haven't guessed yet, he has bilateral ear infections...So now I look back and think, at what point was I supposed to know that he was really sick, as opposed to just having a cold? He never had a fever.
So the terrible mom of the year award goes to ME!!!!!

Oh yeah, if you are wondering, that mess on his face is snot...I know...GROSS!!!

Out of the mouths of babes

My sister in law put a blog about what her son is saying. It got me thinking and noticing more the cute things my kids say.

Austin: "the udder day" Everything is the other day..."Mom, do I have school the other day?"


Ryan: "Danny" for daddy
"No-no" to everything
"Ropt" this is the name of his little stuffed frog that he sleeps with and carries everywhere, it is also the sound that a frog makes to him
"Assin" Aunt Allison
"Ex-ee" Cousin Lexi
"A-ya" Layla
"Au-tin" Austin
"Ma Banky" his blanket
He actually speaks very clearly, now that he has finally started talking. It is so fun to tell him a new word because he will say it over and over and over. It is like he likes the feeling of the word in his mouth.

I need some Peas and Quiet!

Tonight at dinner Austin mentioned peas.

Jason responded with, "I'd like some peace, some peace and quiet."

Layla was quick to reply with, "Daddy, you have some peace in your noodles!"

I just thought it was so cute!

Burglary

***Note names have been changed to protect the innocent and the not so innocent.

Last weekend under the cover of a cloudy sky a group of five slunk out to their car with a dastardly plan. They raced to a secret location where they had heard of an abandoned house. With Rason watching out, Messica broke into the house with a deceptively obtained pin number.

Leaving the three shorter accomplices as look outs, they crept into the house. They didn't take too much time to take what didn't belong to them. Disassembling and quickly hauling their booty to their getaway vehicle they were ready to run in a flash.

The only snag in the perfect crime occurred when the owner of the house, Benny, appeared. Much to their surprise, he was not only happy that they were there stealing his things, but he encouraged them to loot more!

Included are two photos of the stolen items. Please call 1-888-NEW-JUNK if you know anything about these criminals.

Primary Activity

This morning we had our Primary Breakfast. I have been stressed about it for weeks. I wake up in the middle of the night and think about things that could go wrong (no teachers show up, kids running around wild, not enough food). Anyway, it was great. We were a little slow in getting the food on the tables because I forgot to something to put on the pans to keep the pancakes from sticking. But the kids were patient and waited until they got their food. All of our teachers were there. They were all prepared. The kids listened. The parents helped clean up. It was great!

And the best part...IT'S OVER!!!!!