Gateway Kid's Museum on St. Patrick's Day

The Gateway Kid's Museum had a free day on St. Patrick's Day.  I thought it would be insane to go, but Nicole and I decided to try it out and just leave if it was too crazy.  My mom was great and met us there and helped us with our combined 5 kiddos.  It turned out to be so much fun!  It wasn't any more crowded than any other day and it was a great way to celebrate St. Patricks! 

We also had leprechauns visit us 3 times on St. Patricks!  When Ben and Hailey poured their milk in their bowls in the morning with their cereal, the milk turned green.  Then a leprechaun set up a treasure hunt around our house that ended at a box of green cereal (apple jacks) and golden chocolate coins for Ben and Hailey.  Then at dinner their pink juice magically turned green again.  Ben and Hailey searched all over our whole house trying to find the sneaky leprechauns.  At the beginning of the day I hadn't planned to do anything for St. Patricks Day, but it turned out to be so much fun!

We also went downtown later and went to a Blaze game.  My kids love the Blaze (indoor football)!  Eliza just yelled the whole time and raised her hands when there were touchdowns.

3/17/2011

Bounce House

We went with my sister-in-law and her kids, my mom and my sister to Jump 'n Bounce.  I'm not sure what Ben's doing in this picture, but they had so much fun!

Hailey flying down the big slide.  This slide was one of Eliza's favorites too.  Although it was a challenge to get her up the slide, she loved sliding!

Bri and Eliza

Bri and Eliza at the bottom of one of the many slides.

My mom making the crazy trek up the big slide with Eliza.

3/10/2011

Argggh! Pirate Island Pizza Fun

Eliza and her cousin Jaxson loved dancing!

I love my pirates!  My kids love playing and eating at pirate island.  We didn't get pictures of everyone, but we met Mike's parents and one of his sisters and her twoboys and his brother and his children.

If you look closely at this picture you see that Eliza is very carefully stepping over the crack in the cement.  We were hanging out outside of Pirate Island and she was walking around.  But, every time she came to a crack she would stop and look down like she was crossing the grand canyon, it was so cute!

Big Girl!

3/5/2011

Yearly Jana Pictures!!

Handsome Stud!

Love the big belly!

Believe it or not, Eliza was not happy during this photo shoot!  She was really tired for some reason.  But, Jana got some great pictures.  Jana had set up everything in my family room, and Eliza just kept walking off, not wanting to hold still for the pictures.  So, in all these black and white background pictures Eliza is actually on my lap.  This is a trick I got from my mom.  I have the background draped over me and I was tickling her and playing peek-a-boo.  They ended up great!

Hailey is taking tap and ballet this year.  She really loves it, so we thought it would be fun to take some pictures in her cute dance outfit.

We took these pictures just before Eliza's first birthday.  She was just learning to walk around, so the kids had to help support her a little in the pictures.  My friend Jana (butterflylovephotography.blogspot.com) does such a great job, and it was so nice to have her come into our house and take all the pictures, the kids love it!

February Hollywood Connection

Mike and my brother Blake riding the magic school bus with the kids

Ben, Hailey, and Nathan (cousin) bravely riding the front of the roller coaster by themselves

Roller Skating Craziness!  So, my kids decided it would be great fun to go roller-skating.  When I was little my mom put me and my sister Aly in roller skating lessons.  I remember roller skating when I was Ben's age.  I guess my kids need a lot of practice.  I pushed Eliza in her stroller while Hailey hung on for dear life.  Mike helped (well really held up) Ben.  It was a great workout for Mike, me, and my brother Blake.  None of the kids really got it, but on the upside we didn't get injured either! 

The carousel is Eliza's absolute favorite!  We took her last year at the zoo, and she loved it.  She just smiles and giggles the whole ride.  She could have stayed on it the whole time.  All the workers kept commenting on how cute she was on this ride.

2/21/2011

The Tree Fort



The Before Picture

So, this fort was my crazy idea.  But, Mike is amazing at actually making it.  He planned it all out and worked on it in our garage.  He had it all put together in 2 Saturday afternoons!  I am way impressed with his skills!

2/20/2011

The completed fort!  I made Mike add windows and a door to the fort so Eliza could go up there safely and not be able to fall out.  The front window can open, and we have a basket rigged so the kids can bring toys up and down.  My mom and my sister Bri were the awesome decorating duo.  They helped figure out how to make our awesome trunks, then painted all the leaves.  My mom and dad found awesome real branches for the walls and grandpa buddy came and put them up.  My kids love their tree fort, and think it's really cool that we are going to leave it up!

February

Mike and Hailey...future nascar driver???

We went to incredible pizza and our kids loved it!!!  They keep asking to go back.  We had a lot of fun, and our cute Eliza loved all the little rides.  If you are wondering why we are always going places like this and Hollywood Connection, it is because I am a deal finder.  Any place we go it is at least 1/2 off, and usually a lot cheaper than that.

 2/1/2011

So, I love this picture.  Eliza will only go to sleep in her car seat or her crib.  We have been told multiple times that we should not have her in this car seat because she is too big.  No worries, her real car seat in the car does not come out.  We just keep her baby car seat to put her to sleep when we are not home.  Mike swings her in the seat until she is asleep.  He tried unsuccessfully to put her to sleep at Ben's basketball game, and she poked her cute little head out to let us know she was awake!

This picture if right after he took a practice shot, love the stance!

Ben is #19 the one dribbling the ball

This is our first time doing Jr. Jazz basketball.  Ben had a lot of fun.  It was absolutely crazy.  At this age they try to teach the kids to dribble the ball, but only a few of them can actually do it well.  They also teach them to put up their hands for defense, but half of the time Ben had his hands up on defense and offense.  This was a good strategy, because his teamates passed him the ball a lot, because his hands were up.   Too funny!

2/12/2011

Happy First Birthday Eliza!

Eliza loved her cake!  She ended up eating almost 1/2 of it!  She definitely follows after her mother with a major sweet tooth.  She had no hesitation digging right in and eating.  I actually had to stop her because she would have kept going!  Ben was opposite of Eliza when he turned one.  Ben took one bite and was done.  I love my cute Eliza and can't believe she is all ready 1!

Eliza unwrapping her presents with Grandpa Buddy

We gave Eliza a drum set for her birthday.  She is our musical little girl.  She loves making music of every kind!  Eliza also does things that I don't remember our other kids doing at her age.  She loves to color, she will color at church and at home, it is so cute.  Eliza is such a girl, and loves walking around the house in every ones shoes.  She will hold her baby dolls and pat their backs and give them kisses.  She started walking right around her 1st birthday.