Panning for...

The home owners before us landscaped with rocks everywhere and our weeds are determined. There are three small squares in the garden that were constantly growing weeds so I set up my own panning device. I dug up the rocks and washed them through a screen over a wheelbarrow, reset the dirt, set the garden tarp, and reset the rocks. Sam loved to spray the rocks with the hose, of course. KayDee kept dipping her hands in the wheelbarrow and pulling up the slimy dirt, and then proceeded to wipe it on her shirt since it made her hands dirty. It was an all day event, but my rocks look nice, and no, we did not find gold.

Progress

Thank you for your comments. I was so frustrated and overwhelmed. I really do prep myself for potty training because it takes so much work and I just didn't get to prep this time.
I am happy to report that KayDee is being potty trained and has not wet her bed for the last two nights. I don't believe in pull-up's since they are diapers and babies are smart, so she went to bed with underwear. We have success for about half the day and so I have to rearrange when I do laundry. I usually do my 4 loads in one day a week but now I need to spread them out so there is a plethera of underwear to have at our disposal.
It is nice to know that it won't be forever and she will get it. My only problem is, we are traveling in the next couple weeks and that screams disaster! So many dramas.... Oh, and yes she is still nude or at least maintaining that she wants to be nude.

Aaaargh! to Yeah!

This is such a crazy day! I have been so busy doing children today that I think I forgot to eat lunch. All morning I have been saying AAARGH! Derrick is throwing fits like they are going out of style and KayDee will not keep her clothes on, including her diaper! Derrick has stopped throwing fits this afternoon, and I am hoping that it will continue that way, YEAH! KayDee on the other hand, what do I do? We got the underwear out thinking that maybe she will potty train but she isn't even 2! She has peed on my counter and on the carpet and in her bed already, and she is an expert at taking off her diaper even when I put it on backwards! She pooped in her bed and successfully smeared it across each blanket and herself. After I cleaned it up, I looked down and it was on my shirt! AAARGH! I got the underwear out and the other two kids want to help so they showed her how to go potty in the toilet. We got out our little toilet out of the camper and she loves it and finally, finally, the pee ended up in the little potty! YEAH!!!!!!! I don't know if I want to potty train but if she is taking off her diaper and going all over the house, do I have a choice?

Anniversary Camping

Memorial weekend is our annual camping trip because that is the weekend that Kevin and I met, and we met camping. I was going to visit Jennie Raye in Cedar City and she happened to be camping and so I went with her. We met at 11:20pm (I was 20 minutes late because exit 95 and Paragonah are not the same exit, so 11:40 for me) and only Jennie Raye, Hannah, Kevin and I met at his farm. Others were invited but dropped out, even Rob, who the camping trip was for didn't come. So we crammed into a farm truck and went to the campsite Kevin had already set up earlier (he even took a picture of it since it was his first time camping since his mission, so I posted it) and listened to Jennie Raye talk until 3:30am around the fire.

Kevin and I got up after the sun came up and the other two were still sleeping. I ate breakfast with this stranger, discussed the bible a little bit, tried to threaten the other two to wake up or else the dog (that stunk like dead animal and skunk and was covered with who knows what) would come in there with them. We were unsuccessful at waking the two so Kevin and I went on a hike together, and Kevin told me everything about him in that hour and a half. I thought the man talked but I learned that he had already told me everything he had to say on that hike. I must say that I have never felt so comfortable around a person before and felt so at peace, and he even had a gun and it didn't bother me.

When we came back, Jennie Raye and Hannah were just finishing breakfast, then the girls went to Cedar City and Kevin cleaned up camp. We watched a movie on the trampoline that night, TV on the roof, and saw each other at church. Monday I had the most incredible date, Kevin took me rabbit chasing. You have to go to know exactly how much fun it is. Basically we would chase the rabbits through the sage brush in a farm truck and clean out the radiator a bit and do it again. Tighten your seat belts or you will pay! We also climbed the peanut hill (as the Laub's call it). I went home and we successfully dated for 1 and 1/2 months long distance and were engaged and married 5 months later. I knew that I wanted to feel that comforting-peaceful feeling for the rest of my life.

This is actually when we celebrate our anniversary since December is too crazy (my birthday 19, Christmas 25, Anniversary 28). We packed our kids up and went camping about 10 minutes up the road and had fun with the crazy rain and wind. We did make a fire and attempted popcorn, which was half edible. The kids had fun playing in the dirt, obviously KayDee was tired and still wanted to play in the dirt. Sam had to pick every flower across the campsite and Derrick loved to keep Dad's hat from getting dirty. They all colored pictures while they waited for lunch. I colored the one Kevin drew of the truck after lunch. I love how everyone has their mouth open while pointing to their picture on the camper fridge (KayDee pulled hers off, not surprising). Kevin insists that our purple truck has to stay on that fridge. It was a fun camping trip and, of course, we plan to do it again next year.

Samantha's Kindergarten Graduation

It was so fun to go to Samantha's kindergarten graduation to see how 6 year olds can perform. Sam always nodded her head yes during the parts of the song she was supposed to shake her head no, and she said it was because she was teasing us when I asked her later. She did get to hold up the "X" during one song, which was a great priviledge for her. (For some reason the parents on the front row would not sit down so we have good pictures of their heads too)

We are so fortunate to have an adorable little girl who loves to learn. She progressed so much in Kindergarten that she gets to be in the advanced writing and reading class for first grade. She will have two teachers, one for the morning english stuff and one after lunch for math, science, etc. We are proud of her.

She always amazes me at how smart she is. I have been giving her piano lessons and it has been very easy to teach her, but we go slow to make it fun. She catches on so fast and surprises me that she understands it all.

We love our Samantha Girl!

Gymnastics Meet 2008

We put Samantha in gymnastics because I gave Kevin's mom piano lessons and that in turn paid for the lessons. We had her in dance and absolutely loved it but it was a long drive at rush hour so we decided to try gymnastics. She is a monkey anyways so this seemed like a good idea. She has done so well for just 5 months and has moved up to level 2. It was so fun to see her do every event, the vault, bars, tumbling, and beam. She did so well on all of them. I can't believe little people can do all that. Her tumbling was perfectly done to the music, and she did all the other events so well. Good Job Sammy!

TEXAS

We had the opportunity to go to Texas with my parents and siblings. Originally my younger brother was getting married but that was called off for very good reasons. We all still had our tickets and baby-sitters so we decided to go on the trip anyway. Two couples stayed home, Ben and Chari (they wanted to use their tickets for an anniversary trip later), and Andy and Cheris (their son was too sick to leave). The rest of us arrived in Houston early Thursday and headed to San Antonio. We ate at fun Texas restaurants and had so much fun hanging out with each other. We went to Six Flags Friday, which happened to be Spencer's birthday, and ate at the River Walk at the Iron Cactus. We also stopped to see the Alamo.

On Saturday we went back to Houston and toured Nasa. Since we arrived on Saturday and there were no missions going on, we got to see the Mission Control room. There were so many things to see and do there.

I want to say special thanks to my parents for making this trip happen and so fun! It was the first time in about 7 years that Kevin and I had gone on a trip without children so THANK YOU!And also thanks to Kevin's Mom and Justin and Rachel for baby-sitting our kids. The kids had all sorts of stories to tell about how much fun they had with you.

Whitney's Wedding

Our good friend Whitney got married to Kyra on April 12 at the St. George temple. Kevin met Whitney at SUU before they went on their missions. When Kevin came back, he met me immediately and we got married shortly after. Whitney was visiting and saw my family's 5 generation chart, he all the sudden said "I'm related to that guy!" Whitney and I are 3rd cousins. Small world.

Back to the wedding. We have to make sure he knows that we are glad he is FINALLY married, and we are exicted to get to know Kyra better!
The best part of the day was that Kevin and I got to spend it together, and drive his old 71 Ford everywhere like we used to. Rachel and Justin watched the kids for a good part of the day for us. We also helped Kent move his things with the truck after the wedding was over.

(Memories! Here's us taking our 10 second timer engagement pictures way back in fall of 2000. NICE TRUCK!)

What is That?!

Kevin said that I shouldn't take a picture and to destroy the evidence, but how often does this happen? I make refried beans so I had rinsed them in the sink... I didn't know that one bean fell into the other side of the sink that I only use to stack dirty dishes. As I filled the dishwasher and looked in my empty sink there was a plant growing! It had just enough water and was covered by the sink plug, and of course the sink is by the window so it got plenty of sunlight. The kids were sad that I threw it away but where was I going to put it?

Silly Baby

This silly little KayDee has been figuring out how to put on clothes and of course take them off. She is wearing a dress that she has pulled over her head and she basically giggled and ran aimlessly around our living room and kitchen. All of us were giggling with her.

She of course practiced numerous times pulling the dress on and off her head. Each child has done very silly things at this age in figuring out clothing, so it is fun to remember how cute the others were too. Sam with shirt on her head and Derrick with sunglasses.