Love is in the air

So, I think finally Raegan has realized that Evan can be a friend, and not just an enemy. They have the cutest moments, I had to catch some on the camera. One of their favorite things to do is cuddle up on the couch and read books. It sort of melts my heart.

Family visits...

Here are some pictures from a few months ago that I have been meaning to post. We have had the opportunity to have Laci and her family stay with us a couple times and we loved it. While they were here, grandma and grandpa were visiting too so we had some great company for a few days. Most of these pics are taken outside as we all enjoyed a beautiful evening!

Auntie HO and Evan

Cute Izzy and Evan

Grandma and her true love:)

The one and only...little miss Cami

Love this girl

Wow...look at those beauties!

Love you all and can't wait to see you all very very soon!

More from the Cali Carni...

Nicole, thanks for sending me these pictures...I love them! BriOn, thanks for taking them and sharing them with us, you sure know how to capture the moment.

Here are a few pictures from the carnival we went to this summer in California. This first one here is one of my fav's. My precious little Raegan...man do I love her.

Dad and his only boy...so far:)

Me and the kids on the pink monster

I love this one. Captures the magic of flying through the wind with no wings!

Cousins...driving under the influence of...LAUGHTER!

Just beautiful...really!

Here is a face we miss and love

We love you dad!

(scroll down for more new pics and posts)

A Day In The Life Of KIDS...

FiNdInG bUgS...

fEeDiNg DuCks....

rIdInG bIkEs...
(and playing with friends)

bEiNg FeD & SiLLy FaCes...

All in a hard days work!

Rollercoaster Ride with Raegan...

Funny story:

So Raegan and I have really been trying to work on alternative ways of expressing frustration. Rae's way of expressing frustration is basically throwing a massive fit mixed with yelling and screaming. WOW! So, as I dip in to my senses and try to figure out a way to help her, this is what we came up with. When she feels like she wants to scream her brains out, she needs to tell me. When she tells me, we work through the reasoning behind this awful feeling and try to resolve it. Let's see if this works, with a little help from the 'soap in the mouth' option or the 'time-out' option...I'm really hoping she finds this new option more pleasing.

So, we are driving home on Tuesday, the day after her first day of preschool, and I'm really tired. Raegan had been throwing fits...she was really tired...and my patience was running short. She started catching on to the new concept of telling me when she is frustrated, but it came in the middle of a full force fit and too late to work with. Time-out after time-out after time-out. Anyway, we are driving, and she says: 'mom, I just really feel like I'm gonna scream...' and Im thinking to myself...PLEASE PLEASE NO...no more...please...I don't think I have the patience for ONE more time...but I'm a little shocked in the sense that she has told me this before she has already started screaming and yelling. SO, I muster that last little peice of patience left, and say: 'ok, thank you for telling me that, now can you tell me why you feel like you might scream...' And she says: 'mom, I just feel like I'm gonna scream cause I feel like I'm so excited to go to school again...I just feel like I want to scream.' I really about died. I just started laughing, first...in relief...and second...I know how that feels. So we talk about the feeling to scream for many different reasons and it's a fun feeling to scream when you are excited for something. AHHH, PHEW! Anyway, what a rollercoaster ride! And a fun one this time:)

(Scroll on down for another new post and some really cute pictures)

Rae's big day...

Can you get any cuter? The big ol' smile says it all about her first day of preschool!

Here she is being excused from her very first, and very exciting day of preschool.

Well, I can honestly say that I wasn't sure how I was going to react on this big day. I think I felt just as nervous AND excited as she did. When I dropped her off and walked away after a big hug and kiss, I saw her with her little fingers in her upturned mouth....a sure sign of excited nervousness. I drove away....and i felt weird. Just weird cause I actually have a kid that is preschool age...FOR REAL! Emotional in the sense that she REALLY IS GROWING UP. Then when I got home with Evan, I was walking in circles. I think I was nervous. I called my mom for fear I was going crazy which was a good decision. She was excited to hear that Rae did so well with good bye's and almost more excited for me. I have to say when I got off the phone with her, I was pleased with this new 'quiet' time...even though I still have Evan...it's 'quiet'.

I was really excited to pick her up, and a little nervous then too. Only cause I hoped she enjoyed the whole school thing. If any of you know Raegan, she has has really really really bad seperation anxiety...even up until just recently...so I wasn't sure how she was going to be an hour into 'school'. SHE DID GREAT! And as you can see from her face, she thoroughly enjoyed this new experience. I was giddy when I walked in and saw her turn around with that big smile on her beautiful little face.

What makes me laugh everyday?

I would have to say...my kids! Honestly, they say and do the funniest things that I really do crack up hard sometimes, and I think it catches them off guard to see me belly-gut laugh...then they just join in as if they know what they said was funny...when in all actuality they said it in all seriousness. Take Raegan for example...she ALWAYS says the funniest things with the best facial expressions. When she is mad, her face and her hand and head movements come straight from a teen movie. It's hilarious, and I can't help but laugh, which stirs her fire even more and gets her so mad. Her latest thing lately is this. When she wants something she KNOWS I'm not going to give her...like a bag of marshmallows right before dinner...she says, 'mom, i don't know, I just really feel like I want some marshmallows, but, I know I can't.' All day she whips this out. 'Mom, I really feel like I want some more, of this, or of that...but, I know I can't' And no lie, she is laying down right now for a nap and she just turned to me and said, 'Mom, I really sound like I want some candy, but I know I can't till I wake up, but I really sound like I want some right now. I feel like I really want one.' I'm dying, and she says it with a smile now, cause I always laugh and then give in. She's a genius. Really.

And then Evan. Oh Evan. The kid is in full conversation now, and I have to say that I sincerely laugh at that boy more than anyone. The way he talks is funny all in its own right. And then add on the way he walks and runs...wow! So, today, I had mixed emotions about what he said. I'm getting him ready for a nap, and as I pick him up from the changing table to lay him down, I can't help myself and just squeeze him and kiss him a million times and squeeze him again and say as I am squeezing him, 'oh I freakin love you baby, way too much...' and so on. He responds, 'no mom! Ine a boy mama. I not a baby mom. Ine a boy, k.' WHAT! I laughed at first, then got sad. He is a boy and he is going to be a big boy once I really do have this baby. I remember that happening with Rae when Evan was born. She was so big, and old...and BIG, I swear overnight. I'm sad about this. He will remain my baby for as long as I possibly can see him that way cause I know something bizarre happens once a new bundle of baby joy arrives.

All in all, I'm so glad I have my kids around me all the time. Today could've been depressing with dropping Shawn off to see him go for his first of many roadtrips, but I was so lucky to have the company and sweet laughter of my kids. I need to be more grateful for this cause I know it all ends too soon...from what others tell me:) No pics, sorry. And yes, Rae did end up with 2 marshmallows during her 'nap'. I'm a sucker:)

The crave for craft

Laci and her 4 girls stayed with us last week, and it was great! We never had a dull moment...literally. I have never met someone that goes goes goes goes like Laci...she is amazing, truly. And her kids must have inherited that special energy gene. They were great. They played and played and played with both my kids, and my kids were in HEAVEN. Raegan woke up today (first day without 4 'big kids' to wake up to) and cried all morning long, I'm serious, all morning long, for some big kids to play with. She says, "mom, I just want someone to know how to play with me when I say...'ok, that will be 5 money's'...and Evan can't and neither can you". Basically Evan and I are completely incapable when it comes to playing 'store'. So, I tried with all my might to get her mind moving in a different direction, thought of friends...activities...projects, whatever, to get her to STOP fussing. SO...I found a project and friends...all in one. Laci has 4 girls, and with 4 girls, you can imagine the stock of hair accessories she has gathered and made over the years. She had a big ol' bin full of hair bows, ribbons, ect. (which...come to find out that was only about a quarter of hair decor they brought) that Rae thoroughly enjoyed. It was the only week out of her entire 4 years of life that she willingly let me do her hair because she was able to accessorize her head like all the other girls. It was fun, and it inspired me for the following project. I decided to take her to Roberts and let her pick out flowers (which were all 40% off to my surprise...BONUS). Then we stopped by my cousin, Heidi's, who has 2 small girls...and we crafted all the flowers into little hair clips, while the kids played. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.

Here are some I made with a box full of buttons I forgot I had collected over the years. Ya know how most new shirts or sweaters have a little pouch of extra buttons attached to them in case the others fall off. Well, I collected all those bags of buttons (as if I would actually use them), and pulled them out to see if I could use them on some unfinished flowers I didn't get to at Heidi's. Here they are:

Cute huh. I know. Who would have thought that MAYBE my mom passed on some of her crafty creativity to me. It's all coming out:) And here are just the flowers...a cute little bunch:

I know it's pretty pathetic that I am SO proud of my work. Here I am, with my mom and Rachel whipping out clothes and blankets and quilts and who knows what left and right, friends remodeling homes...and then my awesome flowers. Gotta start somewhere...right:)

Happy "sort of" Father's Day

This is Shawn's new toy that he enjoys riding to and from work on the back roads through Springville. It is a Kawasaki KLR 650 which is a "dual-sport" motorcycle that is popular for riding on highways and mountain trails. Shawn's plan is to ride into Mexico when he can convince his buddy Mike who has the same bike and got Shawn hooked on the KLR. (and convince Farrah :D ) Anyways...Rae has now gone on two short rides around the elementary school pretty much entirely in first gear with a little in second. She loves it and asks for it right when he gets home. Evan justs helps Dad park the bike and revs the throttle. His main father's day present was a big toolbox to keep everything in one place. Shawn has used it already and messes around with the bike looking at what "farkle" (motorcycle terminology) he can add. Already added a seat cover that meant he takes off the seat and straps it around and screw the seat back on as well as the plastic sides...haha

Rae and the pool

Raegan loves to get in the water. In California she would run straight for the waves as soon as we dropped our towels. On Friday we went up to the pool. Raegan now likes to jump in the side of the pool with her jacket on. We asked her if she wanted to try and learn how to swim and she said yes. I'm not saying the kid can swim!!! But...she does make it the width of the pool all by herself. I don't know how she kept going and going because each time she reached her destination she was so out of breath. She now jumps in the pool without her jacket and swims to wherever we are waiting. It's a little scary and we kept talking to her over and over about her always wearing her jacket unless Mom and Dad are in with her. Needless to say, she is ready for some more swimming without the jacket as soon as we get to the pool again. Probably tomorrow...haha

Olmstead Percentages...

Would say that our next baby that's due December 11 should be a little girl. So we went to the Doctor's office on Wednesday and found out that the percentages were true. We are very excited!!!! As we walked out of the office, Evan picked up a big rock and threw it on the sidewalk as he strolled out to the car. I laughed to myself and thought that he would love a little brother but also had an enormous smile thinking how excited Rae was at the news. Her eyes lit up when she heard it was a girl. I have never seen a smile like she had for the rest of the day. We of course can't wait and don't need to go shopping for any girls' clothing!!! :)

Another day in California means....

Weather is perfect. Beach is beautiful. We are having a blast!!! Pictures speak a thousand words!!

California is umm...well...PERFECT. Weather is unbelievable and we have been at the beach everyday. Both Raegan and Evan have caught waves with Dad on the bodyboard. Raegan is catching some smaller ones all by herself after Dad gives her a little push. The trip was easier than it has ever been. We made it in 10.5 hours with literally no crying. Mike travelled with us and he was a great sport when Raegan called his name every 5 minutes. :) We hit the Carnival on Friday evening and did the wedding stuff on Saturday. Raegan and Evan both rode one of Graham's horses all by themselves but we didn't have the camera. I will put up some Carni pictures when I can.