Basement Tour

I am finally attempting basement pictures.  It has been finished for about a month (6 weeks maybe?) and we are in Heaven!  It makes all the difference for our family.  We used to be crammed on top of each other with every closet overflowing (which is saying a lot, because we are definitely minimalists).  Now, we have room to spread out and enjoy our own spaces.  

This first picture was taken from the bottom of the stairs looking to the left.  Basically you come down the stairs to a wall and make a left through this little hallway.

I have been meaning to hang the curtains forever, and when I finally went to do it, I found out I had bought the wrong size rod.  So, for now, no curtains. 

We love our family room.  We thought it was going to be really small.  The original floor plan for the house called for only 1 bedroom in the basement so the family room was huge, we cut it in half to make a room for Jackson and it turned out great.  

I need to hang a few more pictures, the curtains, and get a coffee table and it will be finished.

View from the family room down the big hallway that leads to kids rooms and the bathroom.

This is the opposite view from the hallway looking back toward the family room.  That is Jackson's door on the left.  On the right is the door below which is under the stair storage.

Jackson's room.  We knew when we wanted to add a 2nd bedroom downstairs that it would be small.  We asked Jackson if he would like a twin or full size bed and he had to decide if he wanted the smaller bed and more floor space, or a bigger bed.  He choose the full side bed and for awhile I was scared his room was going to be way too small.

In the end, it turned out perfect.  It is definitely small, but it is really functional and he loves it.

If you continue on down the hallway, it turns to the left and that is where the bathroom is.  We LOVE this bathroom.  It is the biggest one in the house and I am so jealous.  Sunny is putting it to good use!

Past the bathroom at the end of the hall is Sunny's room.  Her room is the original on that was on the floor plan and so it is a pretty good size.  I still need to get her curtains hung up.  That is on my to do list.

Sunny's room look like this...perfect...always.  She makes her bed every morning, she shuts her closet, she puts everything away.  She is a neat child.  We joke that she would fit in so well at Mok and Pok's house because she is so orderly, just like they are.  Everything in her room has a place, and everything is always in its place.

She loves her mirror that we put a vinyl quote on.  It is a Bruno Mars quote that says, "When I see your face, there's not a thing that I would change.  Cause' you're amazing just the way you are.  And when you smile the whole world stops an stares for awhile, cause girl you're amazing just the way you are."

Well Mok, I hope my tour gives you a good idea of what our basement looks like.  Wish you could be here in person to see it and hang out with us.  We love you.

***Up next:  a tour of the main level that we redid.***

Fun with Mimi and Bear and Some Other Random Things

On Memorial Day, we went to the new children's museum at Thanksgiving Point.  It was amazing, and super crowded, and we can't wait to go back.

We also had a bbq at Mimi and Bear's afterward and played in the pool.

Sunny did Cameron's hair like Wesley from "Princess Bride."  We all love that movie and loved the hair.

The next day, Lila dressed him up as a girl.  He really enjoyed it.  Reminds me of when I used to do that to Josh when he was a little boy.

Lila brought this note home from Kindergarten the other day.  It is from her "boyfriend" Dane.  It says, "Yes I love you. You are really pretty Lila." 

She was smiling so big as I read the note.  Then I asked her why it said Yes, as if he were answering a question.  Without missing a beat she replied, "Oh yeah, I asked him if he loved me.  Well actually I wrote him a note and passed it to him in class."

So there you go. Passing notes to boys already.  She said that she and Dane were both sad today because they won't see each other again.  His mom is making him go to a "Spanish MaMersion (immersion)" program next year at a new school.

Oh the heartbreak :)

Boy Camping

Every year our church ward (basically our neighborhood) does a Fathers and Sons camping trip.  They boys were super excited.  We weren't planning on sending Cameron until next year when he is 3, but at the last minute Ryan decided to take him.

Last year when Griffin was just turning 4 he got to go for the first time and named it "Boy Camping" and the name stuck.

They had a great time playing with friends, running in the woods, and making smores over the campfire.  

While they were gone, the girls and I had a girls night out with our friends and enjoyed some yummy cafe rio.

I love fun traditions.

1st Day of Summer

Here goes my attempt to document our summer.  Last summer I completely failed, so I am thinking that if I blog as I go, maybe it will help?!?!

Here is Sunny posing on her last day of 4th grade.  She has had a good year.  I wasn't thrilled with her teacher and neither was Sunny.  She was a super nice lady, but she just didn't seem to "get" Sunny.  So, while she enjoyed school, this teacher was not one of her favorites.

After I picked up the kids from school this morning we headed over to Walmart and the Dollar store to stock on on cheap items for summer fun.  We got bubbles, glow sticks, silly string, water guns, popsicles, a slip and slide, a pool, tons of craft supplies and tons of sunblock.  Along with some stuff to keep in our car so we can do lots of fun things this summer without having to prepare so much.  Snacks, first aid kit, more sunblock, waters, that kind of thing.

We came home and my little 9 year old, who thinks she is a teenager, filled up the pool.

After nap time, Sunny designed and help the kids make a cute craft..

Their caterpillars turned out super cute.

And finally, a Jimmy Buffett dance party after we finished swimming.  Nothing says summer like Jimmy!

Cameron Lately

Summertime sure agrees with Cameron.  He is an outdoor, rough and tumble kid.  One of his favorite things so far this year is riding bikes with the big kids.

Last week my friend and I were outside and all 9 of our kids were playing.  Someone left a skateboard out and Cameron decided he wanted to learn to ride it.  We sat back on the porch and watched and I had to fight the urge to go grab him off of that thing.  I was having some serious anxiety as I watched my 2 year old get up and fall over and over again.

He never cried and didn't seem to care when he fell.  He just hopped back up, which is pretty typical of his personality.  It was pretty scary to watch, but he finally got it and it was adorable.

He was so proud of himself.

 The best part is that our street goes downhill a little, so once he mastered standing on the board, it automatically started rolling downhill.  He has really good balance and he rode it a good way down the sidewalk a couple times before falling and sometimes jumping off.

There was a lot of this.

Seriously, how many 2 year olds are this cool!?!

In other news, we were playing at this little park while waiting for the big kids to get out of school.  Cam looked so cute, so I asked him to pose for a picture.  We are clearly in the middle of the horrible smiling phase. Eyes closed, chin tilted up, and completely cheesy.

For this one I asked him to smile with his eyes open.  He looks a little confused.

Cameron is now 2 1/2 and he might be my favorite kid ever (no offense to the other 4 :)  He is so much fun to be around. 

 He talks in complete sentences, except he sometime leaves out the prepositions, so that is hilarious.  

He continues to think he is much older that he is.  I often forget that he isn't 4.  He is just so good.  He listens really well, he behaves so well all of the time(**knocking on wood**), and he takes care of his chores just like the big kids.

He loves clothes and to wear new outfits and have his hair done.  He specifically asks me not to cut his long hair because he loves it.

He loves church and nursery.  He is the first one ready for church on Sundays, and he races down the hall to his class.  He has amazing teachers who I totally credit for this one.

He loves to write his name.  He knows that the letter are C-A-M, and he says them correctly and then he "writes" them like scribbles.  Then he asks if it says his name.  If you say yes, he will say, "No, it doesn't, I can't do it right."  We are working on that one :)

He is a gifted negotiator and tries to talk his way into what he wants.  He is always bargaining and and telling us why he "needs" something and why we should do it.  Some of the things make absolutely no sense to me, but they totally do to him.  It usually ends with him saying, "Just because I need too."  For example, the other day he was telling me why he needed a coat to go outside in 70 degree weather.  I kept telling him no and he kept giving reasons like," it is windy, it is cold, it is fun, I like my jacket."  Finally he said, "I just need it!"

He loves the computer and knows how to work it.  We can't quite figure out how he figured it out, but he has.  He can open it up and get to whatever website he wants.  He can also get to youtube and the type in what video he wants to watch.  I think he has memorized what letter they start with, so he types that in and then the word pops up because it is in the history, that is my best guess.  He also loves to play on starfall.com, and has learned tons of words, and stories, and nursery rhymes.

Finally, he is our daredevil child.  I have found him multiple times hanging from the top of our monkey bars, or just chilling 7 feet up at the top of the ladder.  He love the trapeze bar and swinging high.  We joke that he is made of rubber, because he has fallen so many times that he really should have broken something by now.

Last week he had a spectacular fall off the trapeze bar that I witnessed through the back door.  It happened so quick that there were nothing I could do.  I saw him fall on his shoulder and arm and watched as he hopped up.  I was sure the arm was broken and I was prepared for tears.  Nope, he hopped up and climbed back up and tried what he was doing again.

Hopefully that luck holds and he doesn't become my first child to break a bone  We have been pretty lucky in that department.

Now we are counting down to September to the big 3 year old birthday.  He can't wait and neither can we.  We are going to have a great summer.

Griffin's Preschool Graduation

Griffin graduated from Miss Melody's preschool today.  It was adorable!  Griffin is on the top row on the ride hand side.

We went outside to take pictures, but we had forgotten that we had just fertilized and watered our yard.  So, we borrowed our neighbors yard for pictures.  (Thanks Ash, even though you don't know we did it :)

MIss Melody called each kid up and talked about the cute and funny things they said during the year.  She said, "Griffin doesn't say much, but he is the sweetest kid ever and is so well behave and smart."

Totally true.  He is a super outgoing and loud at home, but out in public he is very reserved and shy.

We love Miss Melody and are so happy that Lila and Griffin were able to go to her school.  She won't be teaching next year because she is having her 4th and 5th babies this summer.  Twin boys!

Griffin with his friend Gabe, who is Miss Melody's little boy.  They both like to go by "Gman"

It doesn't get any cuter than this.  Griffin is such an adorable little guy.  He definitely tries my patience most of the time, but he is so fun and sweet.  I am so excited for him to move on to kindergarten this year. I know he will love it!

Mother's Day 2014

How awesome is it that I get to live the life that I have always dreamed of!  Being a mother was always what I wanted to do and I love these little people so much.  I know I am biased, but I think they are the cutest, smartest, kindest, funniest, bestest, awesomest, most perfectest kids around.  (I know, that was obnoxious, but I don't care)

I am not big on holidays and I don't really feel the need to have a day all about me, but I have come to learn that my children love it.  They love having a day to tell me how much they care, and to make cute presents for me.  Now that they are older, they love to make breakfast for me, get me my favorite treats, and spoil me the was only my sweet kids can do.

I love all the homemade gifts I get from the kids.  I love the proud looks on their faces as they present them to me and I can tell how much work they put into the gifts. 

 Jackson made me a coupon book with things like, "clean a room" "do the dishes" and "babysit the little kids" in it.  

Sunny made me tons of bookmarks and pictures, and she and I filled out questionnaires about each other. 

Lila made me a necklace, and pictures, a magnet for the fridge, and filled out a little survey about me.  

Griffin colored me a gorgeous picture..seriously, it was adorable.  

Cameron colored a picture and made me a necklace.  I think he was the proudest of all when he gave it to me.  He is such a smart kid and he totally understood the concept this year.

I hope this video works, because it is my favorite gift ever!  Ryan and the kids made a song for me and I love it.  I think I have watched it 50 times.  I especially love watching Cameron try to squeeze, unsuccessfully, under Ryan's arm the whole time.

It doesn't get better than this!