Never gonna catch up...

So, I never really got around to posting all summer long. I'm kind of tired of always trying to play catch up! (this is it...then I MUST live and post in the present:)

We had an emotional, fun, exhausting, and busy summer...

My sister was on bed rest with a serious and scary situation. And my sister-in-law and her family put our never used basement to GOOD use:) That was my summer:)

SO...Rachel. While on bed rest there was not much I could do for her but visit her, and PRAY...so I tried to be with her as much as possible especially with the condition she was in. But I must say, it was emotionally exhausting and sometimes physically exhausting with the late night visits, but through it all, I CANT COMPLAIN! And feel really stupid even saying it was exhausting from MY end...but it was. I found myself on my knees a lot, in tears a lot.

But, here we are now, in a much better place. A MUCH better place. Miraculous. And so blessed. Beyond blessed.

And then Laci, my sis-in-law, and her little family of 4 girls and 1 boy on the way....at the time....were in the process of moving from Cedar City to somewhere here in Ut County. And in the process and before their move, her two oldest girls tried out for some really good club teams here in Ut County and MADE them. So, Laci's little fam made the trek WHO KNOWS how many times from Cedar City here to attend practices, tournies, games, scrimmages, house hunting, and so forth. And we had the opportunity to 'house' them during their 'transition'.

We got to tag along with them and hang out with them A LOT! We even got to have Haylee AND Madi stay behind with us so that Laci could take care of her life in Cedar. I got to know this little family well and I must say...Im glad to call them FAMILY. Her girls are awesome. They are so so good with my kids and my kids worship them. We are happy that they are finally here, and settled!

The following pics are random, but Madi, she truly is the 'baby-whisperer'. I can't count how many times she has put my little Mayci to sleep. She is amazing! When we hang out with this family, its like hiring little baby sitters! They all come running for Mayci, rip her out of my arms, and I wont see her for HOURS. Literally. They are SO great. In fact, Im starting to feel guilty about it, so at the Vball games, I now give them a dollar a game (CHEAPSKATE) ha.







And despite Raegans NEED for personal space, I thought she did really well all summer. She definitely had her moments, but for the most part, she loved having 'visitors' and sleepovers all summer! When they moved in to their home in Highland, she asked and continues to ask 'mom is laci and kids coming today for a sleepover?' But now that she and Evan know they live SO close now, they bug me probably every day about going to aunt Laci's:) Its great.

So, needless to say, the summer was a lot of 'home-time', not much vacationing. But I wouldn't change it at all. I was able to bond with my sister at a whole new level and I got to know a really beautiful family.

more happenings of the recent past...

Bear Lake...a new escape!

So...I guess one REALLY good thing came from living in Logan for 2 years. Every time my dad would visit, we would trek up the beautiful canyon and check out his EMPTY lot that looked out to Bear Lake. We'd get out, walk in the DIRT, and every time I would TAUNT my dad..."Why is this empty...You HAVE to build something here...look at that view..." and on and on. Really. So, here we are, a few years later, with just that. The most beautiful cabin you ever did see...we like to refer to it as the lodge. It ain't no cabin if ya catch my drift. It's breathtaking. Beautiful. SO SO nice. We have been able to enjoy it a couple times so far and I must say it was wonderful. Cant wait for the next venture up there.

And all of you can thank ME for our new little home away from home:) I knew my nagging would do it. Not really, but hey, look what came only a few years after!!!

SO, here are a few photos (thanks to Jamie...of course) of our most recent excursions:

Here I am quite disgusted by that girl laying out right in front of me. Disgusting...isn't she?! Put a shirt on, and shorts...or pants for that matter. Or how bout a snow suit:)

Here is Evan...thoroughly enjoying being completely buried under all that sand. The kid can be drenched in ketchup...and wouldn't care. Seriously.

Just part of the gang...

Evan and Logan...daring the freezing cold water. Pretty water though.

Really...just the most precious face this world has to offer. Its quite scary.

Catch up...

Raegan's first day of Kindergarten....I was fine here:

Not so fine here:

I honestly was SO great with pre-school...didn't shed a tear. Was so excited. But for some reason, as I walked Raegan to school and said goodbye to this face:

I got a big ol' frog in my throat...and broke down in tears once I made it through my front door. I pondered what the difference was...between pre-school and this. Still don't quite know, I guess its just the 'real' school thing. The beginning of the end:) She really is a big girl now. I am so excited for her though. She LOVES it, and so do I:)


And now...here is a report of the two that stay home with me...

Take tubs together:
(check out that tan line)

Wake up smiling:

Get beautiful each day:

Melt me with that face:

and those eyes!

Crawling...and playing:

Play dress-ups:

Sometimes with Raegans dress-ups...haha:

And most the time with imagination:
(I personally like the glasses tied up to his shorts)

So, one day, Ev tells me he needs to go potty. I say...OK. Go. Then, I see him make his way out to the back yard. Didnt think much about it until I saw him do this:

Yes, folks, that is Evan peeing on our backyard lawn, and Im sure you can all guess who taught him that. Right. His papa.
Here he is finishing up:

And here he is, realizing I caught him!
Had no idea he did that. I busted up laughing, he didn't like that, but I couldn't help myself. Hilarious. Guess thats what we get for not buying a home with a toilet on the main level!!! By the way, this has now turned into a normal daily occurence. Oh well.

(p.s. little did I know, his dad does the same thing, and I only caught on to what he was doing after I caught Evan. At the end of the day, with the kids asleep, just chillin on the couch...he just gets up, opens the slider, exits for a few minutes, returns...and no questions asked. Never really thought much about it. Then this happened with Evan and it all made sense. Must be something special about peeing under the stars...or sun in Evans case:)

Classic

This is a funny story. My post below describes my new found love of gardening. Something I know NOTHING about. We planted a seed, it grew. I had no idea when they would sprout, nor what they were supposed to look like. We planted SIX zucchini plants...that goes to show we really had NO idea (for those that don't know, you really only need ONE zucchini plant, because each plant produces TONS and TONS).

The unknown was kind of fun though. To see each seed sprout, and then turn into a plant, into an edible plant...awesome. I really didn't know it was a real garden item until I saw multiples of one kind of leaf or flower, in some sort of line, that was about the same height...and so on.

We planted cantaloupe. As a seed. It sprouted. And grew. Into this:


Isn't it beautiful. Green. Full. Tall. Same size. In a row. Cantaloupe! Surely it is. So everyday, I watered it, checked on it, even smelled it. Weeded around it. Watered it. Smelled it again. Then...little blossoms started appearing on a little vine, beneath this tall structure. I was so intrigued...thinking...how in the world does cantaloupe grow?! Im sure from these tiny flowers...but why such an enourmous stalk? Whats the purpose of this tree like trunk. It can't grow from these. It's too heavy. Hmmmmmm? Guess we'll see, sooner or later.

Then, I saw. My husbands sister and her family had been in and out of our home all summer, watching with me, all these garden items mature. The father of this family, Brian, yes you, Brian, knew a little something about gardens. A little something more than ME. Whenever he was here, he would watch me tend to my precious plants, and hear of how proud I was of these miracles, and see the incredible excitement of picking a fully mature product of my garden. So, to his credit, I understand why he didn't have the heart to tell me that my cantaloupe, my tall, beautiful, green, vibrant cantaloupe plants....

.....were WEEDS! Weeds, people. Weeds, that actually grew to my HEIGHT. Thats fine. I was so proud of them. Thinking each time I would walk into my house after watering them...'wow, what a miracle...can't wait for fresh garden grown cantaloupe'.

Funny huh. Can't wait for next years garden. Ill know that cantaloupe grows on a vine...and JUST a vine! Brian uprooted the WEEDS, and tried his best to keep the vines of the cantaloupe rooted. Just to let you all know, HE SUCCEEDED. Now, I just might have some cantaloupe. One plant survived the demolition. Ill report if and when a fresh peice of garden ripe cantaloupe ever enters my mouth:) Thanks Bri! YOUR the best:)

Garden...

Boy, am I gonna miss this new little baby of mine:) In just a few weeks it will be buried under a few feet of snow and I will be sad eating store bought tomatoes and zucchini, beans and sugar snap peas, but most of all...cucumbers and peppers (my favorite garden growns...so far)!

I have always wanted a garden. I remember getting off the bus in grade school with one of my best friends...and she had tomatoes. Without fail, before we opened her front door, we would each grab a big ol' red ripe juicy tomato and dig into it as if it were an apple....MMMMMM!

So, because Ive always wanted one...I got one. I even plowed it with a freakin shovel....because I was so anxious to get it started. Shawn helped me push the little seeds into the ground:) So grateful for him:) Im kidding Shawn, I really do love you:) And to his credit, he knew more than me when it came to this project, I just did all the manly work. Partly because, and like I said before, I was very impatient...and some people might argue Im part man:)

So, we pushed the seeds into the ground, and weeks later, to our surprise...a miracle occured! SPROUTS! From then on, I have been out in my garden every day watering away, checking on each little sprout, weeding like crazy, and now....enjoying the luscious fruits of my labor. Its a new found hobby...I love it. And I will miss it. So I will enjoy it. For now. Until that awful, cold, white stuff wipes it out! Blah.

More conversations...

Raegan was talking to herself...playing something...and this is how it went:

EVAN: "Rae, are you talking to me?"

RAE: "No."

EVAN: "Who'er you talking to...your friend?"

RAE: "No."

EVAN: "A honey?"

RAE: "Ya."

EVAN: "But...a gwirl (girl)...a honey...is not there?!"

Evan was so confused...she was talking, but nobody was there...not a girl (which is most commonly called a 'honey'...apparently) not a boy...nobody. And she made it clear she wasn't talking to him either. It was pretty classic.
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Raegan can't get her helmet on...and this is how it went:

I asked: "What's goin' on...did your head grow?!

Raegan replied...in a frustrated manner: "I DON'T KNOW...I'm not upposed to be like a girrafe!"

[head...neck...its all the same]

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This one is good. So, we are at Shawn's practice, just running around, and Rae sits down by me...and rips a big one. We laugh. Then she starts to tell me about a girl who tooted real loud in her class. She was laughing so hard telling me this, so I was laughing too.

I thought it was so funny that SHE thought it was funny...when do they realize that's embarrassing.

So...I asked her in laughter...if she ever toots loud in class.

Her mouth dropped open, and she said 'NO! I hold it in then it goes gone.'

I was dying at this point. We were both laughing. Hard. I know...immature. But it was hilarious. So, I kept it going and asked her, 'where did it go?'

She stops laughing and says...'magic.'

WOW. So funny.

Just in passing...

Raegan: "Evan...did you know that hippo's toot out of their mouth?!"

Evan: ...giggle...

Nothing new...

I can't remember if this is number 5,6 or 7 for Farrah...but here she is after her surgery today. She is a trooper and doing well.

Evan doesn't usually try and cross the monkey bars without Mom or Dad but this morning he gave it a shot while Raegan was watching. He let go but landed wrong and was screaming bloody murder. Shawn ran out and got him and he was hysterical. He couldn't walk but we thought he was being a little "wimpy". We got him dressed and he made it to Church for 2 hours. He dropped some play-doh in nursery and forgetting about his foot, he attempted to pick it up but just collapsed when he got off his chair. So Mom and Evan went to Insta-Care and got some x-rays. Nothing showed up as broken but the Doctor said sometimes fractures don't show up in young kids for a week. At least he got a cool splint from it and now we have to monitor his progress or lack thereof. Thumbs-up for the swingset!!!!

Olmstead Family

While in Carpinteria we went and took some pictures at the Bluffs. We didn't have matching denim or sweaters. No need for that. All we can say is Brion Hopkins is the man!!! He is an amazing photographer and a blast to be around... check him out here and hit him up for some amazing photos www.brionhopkins.com

happy fathers day...and rachel

well, first, i would like to say to my one and only...happy fathers day. we love you so much and miss you. cant wait to see you. i know you, shawn, i know you hate it when i do this on the blog, but i must say thank you. thank you for being the best dad in the whole world...to my kids. i wouldn't want any other. its a love/hate relationship when the kids ask for you, or miss you, or want you to come home.

i love it because they love you so much and want to be with you, but i hate it because i can sense their true and real longing for you. mmmm, what a relief to know my kids are so loved, by you:) i love you.

and about rachel. well, i have been meaning to post about her for many months now, but i guess i can just connect you to her blog where she has been updating up until now. i just wrote the latest update. please tune in here and pray pray pray.

ps...another note to shawn, and everyone he has fooled. that last update, well, it was his. i love it when he posts and makes it look and sound like its coming from me. what shawn? are you ashamed that you are blogging? well don't be. your quite talented and i must say, you did a real fine job. thank you...for doing that. and dont hate me...for blowing your cover. i love you. so much. good night:)

Long Time...No Blog!!!

Time for a little blogging update. It's been nice to have Dad around a bit more so we've been taking advantage of all the time together. Following are a few of the things we have done over the last month: Mayci was loving the Carpinteria weather and beach. We made it to the beach everyday while in Cali except for the one day we hit up Disneyland. Weather was perfect!!!!

We celebrated 3 birthdays in California. Evan, Farrah and Grandma Trudy. Evan was caught trying to get a little piece of Grandma's special Chocolate Cake.

Farrah' Bday celebration. Seated on the couch is the world's greatest photographer Brion Hopkins. We can't wait to get back some photos from our family shoot. ;)

Aunt Nicole was a crowd favorite as always. Evan is sporting his Brazil jersey in prep for the world cup. :)

Like I said...perfect weather.

Shawn and Grandpa taking the kids out "deep" as they said. No that's not Jaws in the background. We saw dolphins every day we were there which isn't uncommon, and Nicole was able to catch it in a photo.

Hot Grandma Trudy unaware of Mayci's hat.

Raegan with her bud Grandpa Rick!!!!

No better place on earth :)...this is walking distance from the Olmstead's home. Shawn and Nicole played a lot of beach ball and the kids couldn't get enough sand, surf and sun. They would play all day at the beach and then get home and use Grandpa's outside shower and go straight to bed.

More beautiful beach time!!!

Grandpa brought the bird in every night and let the kids chase it around the house.

Evan the beach bum.

Rae Rae.

Farrah... :)

Shawn and a handyman took a day and a half to build the kid's playset and it has definitely been put to good use. Notice the garden and sandbox in the back both pretty much created entirely by Farrah!!!

Disneyland!!! We stayed from 10a.m. to 10 p.m. We went on a Wednesday and never waited more than 20 minutes for a ride. Most lines were 5 to 10 minutes. Weather was in the 60's so not too hot. Kids went on all the rides minus Indiana Jones and Space Mountain. Both Rae and Evan did Matterhorn but Raegan said no to a repeat ride while Evan was pulling Shawn by the hand to go again. He knew when the "monster" would appear from the noise and covered his eyes until he couldn't hear it anymore. FYI...don't take your kids on Mr. Toad's wild ride first cause they may be a little scarred.

Happiest place on earth...really is. We left our backpack on a bench where we ate lunch for over an hour before we noticed it was gone. Shawn ran back to where we were sitting and sure enough it was still there. Good thing especially since it had the car keys.

Shawn dropped off Farrah in Vegas for a weekend with the Olmstead girls to celebrate Grandma's 60th birthday and then he continued on with Evan and Rae to Cali. This is what they did everyday with Grandpa. Good time was had by all. Evan looks like he is in dreamland so happy to be at the beach.

Farrah's garden is going strong. We ate a couple of the radishes already because Farrah was so excited to try something. Can't wait!!!

Sandbox designed and created by Farrah.

We picked up Kaya while in California but didn't want to leave Grandpa empty handed. This is Ruby who is now loving the beaches of Carpinteria with Grandma and Grandpa. She is a year old Red Heeler. Chews now and then but she'll grow out of it. ;) Will swim all day if you let her. We hope they enjoy her.

Raegan caught her first fish on a pre-school field trip with Dad. She was the first in her class to catch one.

Shawn and Evan enjoying an early spring bike ride.