March in a Nutshell

March was a fun month as I have glanced through the March pictures on the computer. So here it is in a nutshell. We had fun celebrating Lydia's 2nd birthday, had a fun St. Patrick's Day dinner, we registered for Kindergarten, completed potty training, and had a really nice weekend visit from our friend Charlie! March was a good month!! We started the potty training process over President's Day in February and finished up in March! He did amazing, it wasn't nearly as painful as I feared actually it wasn't painful at all! He really took to it and got it right off! After the nightmare that was my potty training experience with Grace, I was terrified, but thankfully there was no need for terror with him!! We had to have lots of practice though to fill up his sticker chart so he could get his grand prize - Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. We had lots of other little prizes along the way to keep his interest up! Jonas choosing a prize out of the prize bucket- thank heavens for the dollar store!! He was so excited for each accomplishment! What a big boy!

Well we made it! Grand prize achieved- he was so excited for his dragon! As a mom, it was so wonderful to watch his first accomplishment! He got such satisfaction from achieving this goal- he was so proud of himself- I loved it!

Savannah and I had a fun mother daughter double date with my friend Melissa and her daughter to Extravadance at BYU-I. We went out to dinner first, it was such a fun evening. Melissa is such an amazing friend and I love that the girls get along so well, makes for good times!
St. Patrick's Day dinner! Just made it a little fun evening for the kiddos! Green waffles and a rainbow fruit salad! They didn't see me making any of it so they were giddy when they saw what we were having for dinner!

The fruit rainbow up close - made for a really fun evening!

Happy birthday Lidders! It was so fun celebrating with our little St. Patty's Day girl!

Lisa made this adorable birthday cake for Lydia's birthday! She getting pretty dang talented in her cake making endeavors!

Kindergarten registration- Grace was beyond stoked!! I feel bittersweet for sure, I can't believe she is off to Kindergarten this fall- she is so excited though, and reluctantly, I must admit her enthusiasm is contagious- so I'm excited for her too!

We ventured out for a little outing to the river to feed the ducks - hoping warmer days are on the horizon!
Charlie's here! Charlie actually introduced us to Hot Diggity Dog, we had never been there until he came to town last year and introduced us to this little local joint- he'd heard about it from a friend on facebook. It really is delicious and we've made it a tradition when he comes to town we have to get us some Hot Diggity Dog!
Also while Charlie was here we took a little tip up to Bear Gulch and did some sledding! The kids had a total blast! Just look at those faces!

Savannah and Jonas doing a little sledding! So cute!

Hiking back up the hill! He was in the zone- this was exactly the way he would love to spend every day! He loves the outdoors, the cold, the hiking up the hill, the racing back down- he was in heaven!

Bye Charlie! The kids love Charlie and were so sad to see him go- in fact Jonas bawled the whole way home! I love that Charlie started out as a friend of Larren's and became my friend too! We love Charlie and love spending time with him!

Valentine's Day

I'm a little on the psycho side when it comes to holidays, traditions you know anything I can make a big deal over! Admitting it is the first step RIGHT!?! Not that I have any interest in doing anything about my crazy obsession- but at least I've come to terms with the fact that I like to go overboard with these types of occasions. I love watching the anticipation build on my kids faces as a holiday approaches and then I love doing my best to exceed any possible idea they have of how the day will go- crazy I know but it's sort of a little problem I have- anyway Valentine's Day is another fun day that I try to make special for the kids! After all they are my sweethearts- gotta let them know it right!?!

We always get little presents for them, Larren gets something for the girls and for the last three years I have had a little sweetheart of my own to surprise, yeah for little Jonas! Here are a few pics of the festivities that was our Valentine's Day this year!

The girls working on their Valentine's Day cards for their classmates. This is one of their favorite parts of Valentine's Day, they love picking out the perfect box of Valentine's cards and of course a little treat to go with it and then filling them out for each member of their class.

This year for Grace's card, Aunt Lisa helped us take a picture and make a card to print that looked like she was holding a lollipop out for a friend! The cards turned out so cute and Grace was so excited to pass them out at school!

Savannah had to make her own Valentine's Day mailbox this year. She decided to make an Ipod. I think it turned out really cute- she loves any sort of art project so this was right up her alley!

The girls woke up to a yummy heart attack breakfast! Yum! Larren and I literally awoke at dawn and somehow despite stumbling around bleary eyed managed to get breakfast together before any of the kids woke up! They were so excited when they came around the corner to the kitchen and saw breakfast all set our for them!

Larren got each of the girls a rose and a monogrammed silver bracelet! They loved their little gifts and of course put their bracelets on immediately!

Here's what I got my little wild man! Don't even lie- it is a super cute T-shirt!

Here's our little bachelor- what a cute little guy!

Emily and I took the kids on a little mom and kids date after school to a movie! We saw Yogi Bear- certainly not amazing by any means but the kids liked it! It was definitely something different than the usual after school routine- so despite the movie being less than stellar in my opinion, just being on a date with the kids was worth it!

Then it was heart shaped pizza for dinner when daddy got home! It was fun that Valentine's Day fell on a Monday so we had a fun Family Home Evening about loving one another and it was really fun to have Ronie and Emily there for the evening festivities.

Grace and I had made sugar cookies while the girls were at school and we decorated them after Family Home Evening. All in all it was a pretty spectacular day! Love my kids, love my hubby, love family time and traditions! And most of all LOVE making a big deal out of all of the above!!

Dance Season

I love that I am so far behind in blogging! What's a matter with me- oh yeah I've been busy living life instead of documenting it! Somehow I gotta get better at doing both instead of just the former! So as usual when I have to play catch-up I have to just hit a few highlights! So that's the plan- we'll see how it goes!

To start off- I'm going to catch up on Audrey's competition season! She had an amazing year! They finished first at every competition this year! She loves dancing, it's been such an exciting and fun year for her. She participated in two competitive dances a hip hop piece called Down, Set, Hut and a jazz piece called Hey Mickey. They were so cute! I loved watching her this year. Her first competition was Dance for Life in Ogden, Utah over Valentine's Day weekend. Savannah, my mom, Emily, Audrey and I went for the weekend and made it a girls' weekend! We had such a good time. I love spending time with my mom and my sister and my girls- we had such a fun time! We shopped, we ate out, we watched the kids swim in the pool and watched a lot of dancing! Loved watching Audrey finish first in both dances! And then the cherry on top was they took first for the WHOLE novice division! Way to go Tiny's!

Here she is waiting to hear the results after a long day of dancing!

A few members of the Tiny Team just before they went on stage to perform Hey Mickey! This is seriously the cutest dance! I loved watching it- so spunky and cute!

At breakfast at the hotel on the big day! Savannah was the best cheerleader ever. She looked out for Audrey and was so doting and concerned for her. Anything Audrey said, Savannah would say, "let me get it for you!" "Let me do it for you, you just worry about dancing!" I love Savannah's sweet thoughtful nature. She loves her sisters and is so caring and loving in every way. She does not have a jealous or mean bone in her body. She cheered louder, watched more intently and gave the most amazing congratulatory and encouraging words to Audrey. I so admire Savannah's loving nature, she is an amazing sister and daughter. I loved having this weekend time with the girls.

In the hotel room the night before the big day, back from swimming, out of the shower and snuggling on the bed. My 2010 Life 365 book had arrived before we left and so the girls were looking through it and reminiscing! Fun times!

Next we went to Utah Dance Championships in Roy, Utah in April. This time it was just my mom and I and the girls. Another great weekend away! Audrey did great again taking first in both dances! They're on a roll! Onto the final competition in Logan in May!

Audrey and her friend Livy! They are adorable, we carpool to dance together each week and they are really become super sweet friends! We love that little Livy!

Another cute pic of Audge and Livy!

Here the girls are hanging out in the locker room waiting until it's their turn to take the stage! So much silliness and giggling! Loves watching this crazy girls!

Last but not least Celebrity in Logan in May!! Way exciting and supposed to be the toughest one yet- not for those sweet Tiny's! Yet another top finish! Way to go Tiny's!!

This one was a family affair, finally daddy came along and got to see Audrey in action. We had so much fun as a family hanging out at the hotel and watching Audrey dance. Jonas loved swimming in the pool with his daddy! I love watching my family all together having fun and supporting one another! A wonderful weekend away!

Celebrity turned out be a lot crazier than anticipated. One of the girls forgot the skirt to her costume. Her mom ran to the store to buy a white skirt and two cans of spray paint to paint it yellow and pink, BUT by mistake she purchased a lime green paint instead of yellow. YIKES! With literally just minutes to be on stage we were on the front lawn spray painting every single skirt green! Insanity I tell you! Those poor girls went on stage in wet skirts. Audrey didn't get her right skirt back so I was back stage in the pitch black trying to pin it as they were announcing their name. I stuck myself with the pin and ending up bleeding on that dang skirt! What a day!! Gertie, their teacher was worried because they have never performed on stage without running through it backstage first- there was no time for that today and we were worried the stress and insanity of what just happened would totally throw them off! It did NOT, professionals I tell you- they nailed their performance! It was one of their best ever! What little troopers! It was a great way to end the competition season- Audrey's little team had such a fantastic year, love that they did so well and had so much fun together!

Jonas jumping in the pool to his daddy! He loved this mini-vacay and splashing in the pool- he didn't love watching dance so much all day, but he toughed it out and with a little break with daddy and Grace for a walk to a park he survived!

Here's the green skirt- there way no drying time whatsoever so wet paint and all they went on stage! Whew at least they made it RIGHT!?!

Celebrity results!! Tiny's did it again and even took an overall award- what an amazing team!

Audrey at her end of the year recital standing in front of the table display of the trophies and awards from this year's competition season! What a fun year! A break for summer and the back at it this fall! Audrey loves it and can't wait to get back to it!