Easter

We drove home Easter morning. Jason had been driving all night. The Easter Bunny left some coloring books, sketch pads, and crayons for the kids in the car. We slept most of the afternoon. That evening we colored eggs.

Pretty Princess

Layla picked this flower while we were taking a walk one evening. I couldn't resist trying to get the perfect pretty princess shot....eight pictures later, I realized that I was not going to get the "perfect shot" but she is still a pretty princess.

Marmie and Pop-pop

Jason's paternal granparents live in Zephyrhills, a small town near Tampa. Wednesday we drove there to visit them. Jason's dad, brother, and sister went with us. When we got there we went into their house and visited a little then the men went to Lowes to buy supplies to help Pop-pop fix the front flower bed. The kids and I sat outside and played. Austin broke out in a weird rash and wouldn't stop rubbing his eyes. We aren't sure if it was from the cats or the smoke at their house.

The kids and I went to the neighborhood
pool and played there until the men were
done with the flower bed. Then we headed home.

Opa

Jason's maternal grandfather, Opa, lives part of the year in West Palm Beach. Tuesday we drove the 166miles to vist him. We had a nice, but short visit with Opa and Georgie, his friend.

Swimming

The kid's favorite part of our vacation had to be the pool. Austin had a life jacket and Layla had floaties, Ryan had one of the floating rings made for babies that he sat in. They just had so much fun playing in the water. The first day that we were there the pool was heated. It was great. The next day it was not, we were a little disappointed, but it was still really nice.

Austin's 5th Birthday

While we were in Florida Austin had his 5th Birhtday. We had a party with breakfast and he got to open his presents. He fell asleep that night before we did cake and ice cream, so we did it the next night.

Daytona

On the way to Orlando we stopped at Daytona Beach. We were amazed to see that you drive your car and park right on the beach. The sand is so fine and soft. The beach is flat, not slopped down like most beaches we have been to. Also the sand is so compact that you don't sink when walking, or driving, on it. Jason's dad said that they used to race the cars on the beach before they built the speedway. Patti said that is where they must film people running on the beach. It was like walking on concrete.

Clearance Cakes

After Valentine's Day I went to Target and bought a box that made two little heart shaped cakes. It was like $.40. It came with disposable pans, cake mix, icing, and sprinkles. So we mixed up the cake mix, and baked them. Then I let the kids decorate them.
It was fun. Then we got to eat them. They were gross! We ended up throwing them all away, but hey, it was a nice thought!

Sledding

These are the rest of the pics from sledding this morning. The first one is the hill next to our house. If you click on the picture and then zoom in you can see Jason stuck in the bushes! It was pretty funny!

Real reason

The real reason we took the below picture was so that we had a better picture me and Ryan to put on the fridge. I will post the one that we have on the fridge now. One of the reasons it has been on the fridge was to help me remember to eat well so I didn't look like this again. Yes, I know that I had just had a baby, but I still don't want to look like that again.
I like to compare the two and feel better about myself!

My baby!

Ryan is such a happy and cuddley baby. When ever I get him out of his crib he wraps his arms around me and hugs me tightly! It is so nice. Austin and Layla were never like that.

Bath after cake

After Ryan finished his cake he was filthy! We popped him in the sink for a quick bath. The kids all thought this was hilarious!

More cake pics!

On Sunday, Ryan's actual birthday, we gave him more cake. He actually had some fun with this one.

Opening Presents

Here is Ryan opening his birthday presents. He got three new outfits, a pair of shoes, some awesome books, cars, and a super soft growling tiger.

Birthday Party

Ryan's birthday party was a lot of fun. There were lots of friends and family there celebrating with us. We had subs, chips/dip, and veggie tray with dip (courtesy of Grandma Carol). When it was cake time we put Ryan in his high chair. He wasn't really interested in cake. He just kind of stared at it.
None of our kids have dug right into the cake!? O'well, less mess to clean up.

Ryan's birthday cake

Friday night after getting home from the temple at midnight, Jason and I started decorating Ryan's birthday cake. (I had to work Saturday morning and would be getting home less than an hour before the party.) We had a Baby Einstein theme, so the cake was the catepillar.

Layla's Art

Layla loves to color and draw, on anything she can get her hands on. We try and take away all writing utensils, but somehow she finds them. We should take out stock in Mr Clean Magic Erasers!

Layla's first day of Gymnastics

Layla had her first day of Learning Through Movement class on Monday. It is a tumbling class where the most important thing they learn is to sit still and take turns. Austin took the class when he was three and loved it. Layla has wanted to take it for a long time and she is finally old enough. You have to be at least 2 1/2 years old. It was so much fun watching these tiny children going through stretching movementsm in their tiny leotards.
Layla loves her unitard, that means it is a leotard with legs (otherwise her tiny panties will hang down below the leotard legs). She wore it for two full days before class. She calls it her Lina-guitard. We have a friend named Lina who was in these classes with Austin.

Christmas Morning

This morning we all got up and came downstairs at 7:45. We had to wake Ryan up, and actually Jason forgot about him at first, but quickly remembered and went up to get him. Austin and Layla were excited about all the presents from Santa and also the presents under the tree. We hadn't put any presents under the tree until Christmas Eve, evening. The kids got a table and chairs, and a little tykes kitchen with foods and cooking things. Jason got a massage chair. We took turns trying it out. I got a saphirre ring under the tree, which I am also trying out. Ryan got a musical table which he loved. Austin and Layla also got thre wheeled scootes, new sheets and comforters (Austin got spiderman, Layla got princesses). There were lots of other fun toys. The best part of the morning was when Austin said, "Families never, ever end!" I know that is true!

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Eve Jammies

One of our family traditions, that we adopted from the Crowl family, is getting one present on Christmas Eve. That present always happens to be jammies. So when we go to bed on Christmas Eve you are wearing new comfy pjs. Here are some of us in our new jammies!