Railey's Easter Birthday

Railey turned 4!  I can hardly believe it!  This year she was the "Easter Girl" and she let EVERYONE know it.  For over a month before Easter she kept telling everyone and anyone that her birthday was on Easter and that she was the Easter Girl.  Somehow that was supposed to get her extra of something.  But she did have a great birthday.  When she was waking up in the morning I went in to wish her a happy birthday and she was adamant that it wasn't her birthday yet.  I asked when it would be and she told me not till after they sang to her in primary.  So we didn't sing because she was just being quite the bear.  Well lucky for me I got to be her teacher and was there when they called her name to come and open the mail box and find all the birthday surprises in there.  Yes there was one for her, surprise, surprise!  She was grinning from ear to ear.  They sang happy Birthday to her and she came and sat back down next to me and I asked if it was now her birthday and grinning from ear to ear she said YES!  Well we went home and quickly took a few Easter pictures and then headed in to open presents.  All she wanted was a Tinkerbell doll.  Because when she grows up she is going to be Tinkerbell.  So she got that and a couple of princess shoes (we split the box between Railey's and Kenna's birthdays.  Oh she was in seventh heaven.  It was fun to see her excitement.

 

 

 

 

Later that afternoon Darc and Jared came over to have cake with us.  We found some really cute cakes online of some Easter baskets with a chocolate bunny in them and she loved is so I tried to duplicate it.  I came to realize rather quickly that I can't do a basket weave and with lots of kids hanging out around me I quickly turned it into some sort of next looking thing.  Oh it doesn't matter she LOVED it no matter what!  They decorated it with all the peeps and bunny and eggs and everything.  That's when I realized It didn't matter what I did to the cake all the candy alone would make the cake perfect for any child between the ages of 1-15.  

 

She made her wish and refused to tell us what it was.  But that's normal she won't even tell us her dreams because "a dream is a wish" (yea from Cinderella) and if you tell your dreams or wishes they won't come true.  But we have a beautiful birthday girl who continues to grow up faster than we want her too.  She is definitely our happy girl.  In every prayer she says she prays that we can all be happy and then she goes about trying to make that come true.  She is definitely the sunshine in all of our days.  That's not to say that she doesn't have her fair share of arguments with her brothers and even Kenna but that smile she has is everywhere.  We love you Ray, Ray.  Happy Birthday!!!!

Kids Easter Pictures

We had a great Easter this year.  The day before was hectic but I would rather it be that way than have Easter day be crazy with having to fit so much stuff in.  It was a very relaxing day and we were able to focus a lot more on what Easter is all about.  I loved being able to go in and teach Railey's Primary class this year. I know we have talked about the resurrection before.  In fact we just finished reading the 4 gospels on Friday so I know it's been talked about but it was the first time that it actually clicked in her mind that Jesus died and is now alive again.  It was so fun seeing the light bulb turn on.  After church we were able to snatch a few pictures before their new outfits were torn off.  All the kids got new clothes this year.  Even the boys.  We went and bought them new pants and a suit coat that they can switch off wearing every other week.  They got it a few weeks early and so they had already been wearing it and it was now Damen's turn on Easter.  Seth told him that it was his own turn to wear it and that Damen had had his chance the week before with general conference but had chosen not too.  Too bad that didn't fly, but it did give us a good laugh.  I made the girls dresses.  Railey is becoming quite opinionated about what color her dress should be--dang her.  I was wanting to do something green but ended up finding some material that would go for both and still give Railey her pink.  They turned out great and look so cute on them especially when they are together.  Here's Easter 2012 Pictures


Railey is the best poser ever 

Kenna not so much.  But that is the only smile I got.  She didn't want her dress to get in the dirt. 

 

 

Any time I tell Kenna to smile she will put her fingers up to her mouth and do the "smiley" face

 

 

 

Our beautiful kids

 

 

 

Seth is also my poser and has the whole hand positioning thing down--- in his head

 

 

 

 

 

Easter Egg Hunt

Easter Saturday was crazy this year!  We had so much going on.  Our ward did a sunrise breakfast/devotional and Steve and the kids went to that while I was finishing making orange rolls for a baptism.  They got home and everyone got cleaned up and the girls and I headed out the door to the baptism while waving goodbye to the boys who were headed off to a soccer game.  After the baptism we went to the luncheon for a minute and then rushed home in time to do our little Easter Egg Hunt.  I really didn't know how we were going to get it all in because we had to be up to a wedding luncheon an hour later and then Steve would be late getting to the temple after the luncheon.  So to make it all work out we had to dash  a few dreams.

I was telling the kids a few days before not to expect the Easter Bunny to bring them a little present because they just got new tennis shoes and church shoes instead.  Seth winked at me and said he already knew.  I asked him what he knew and he said Dad had already told him that the easter bunny and tooth fairy and all that weren't real.  Truthfully he has questioned it since he was 2.  But Damen is a boy full of faith and still believed.  In fact he said "there's no way the Easter Bunny isn't real.  He came last year when we were all working out front."  Oh I love his loyal faith.  Well I put Steve in charge of putting all the stuff out before they went to their game and he ended up recruiting help.  Damen wanted to just keep reading, hoping for all hope that if he didn't help then it wouldn't make the Easter Bunny a thing of the past.  But Steve sat him down and told him there's a time and place to be excited for finding but there's and excitement that comes in hiding the eggs and watching as others are excited to find what you hid for them.  So they all went to hide eggs.  Steve did take 10 eggs and hid them in really hard places for the boys to find and they enjoyed that just as much.  But I loved watching their excitement in helping the girls find their eggs.  It was a lot of fun and yet a little bittersweet knowing they have now outgrown that stage of their lives.  Here's a few pictures of the hunt.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Doesn't this face tell it all.

 

The big boys after just finding the last of their hidden eggs

 

 

 

Seth was so cute and excited to help the girls find more and more eggs.  He's such a great kid.

 

 

 

We had a great hunt and the kids didn't even have all their candy gone before we got back from the luncheon a few hours later.  

Utah Program

During 4th grade the kids spend most of the year learning about the state that they live in.  They also have to do a report on one of the counties.  Damen was responsible for reporting on Emery County.  He did a great job and we all learned lots about places I haven't been to in years and he has yet to go.  Well towards the end of the year they do a program with songs and a bit of dialogue for the parents.  They had the kids dress up in costume (I whipped out a vest for Damen the day before and he loved it-good thing no one looked too close).  They did a great job and he and the girls are still singing the songs, weeks later.

 

 

Mother and Sons

The school had a mother and sons night.  The boys were pretty excited to go, they were having a bird show with a Harry Potter theme.  Our kids have never read or seen the Harry Potter movies mainly because Steve and I aren't into the whole fantasy, majic nonsense.  Nothing against those who are though Damen just started them and is really enjoying them.  So while many kids and moms were dressed up we just went for the fun and it was a lot of fun.  We got there early enough to sit in the front and they were able to save seats for some of their friends.  A guy from Hutchings Museum came and did a pretty incredible bird show.  We saw and snow owl, an eagle and a couple of other big, fast birds I am sure the boys could tell you but I don't remember right now.  After the show the kids were able to go and make wands, cast spells, eat treats, drink potion and lots of other fun things.  It turned into the kids hanging out with friends while moms hung out with friends.  It was a great night.  Thanks for the date night boys!

 

 

 

 

Bike Rider

Railey learned to ride a bike about a month or two back. The weather was warm and we were spending so much time outside. She came up to Steve and me and told us she wanted her training wheels off. So the next day I went out and took them off of one side and told her to ride. I figure if they aren't relying on the training wheels they will be fine and with only one on she only relied on it to get started and then she was off. So I was about to take the other one off when I heard a big boom and went and saw that her tire had popped. There was a whole in the actual tire and a blowout in the tube so that was that. I didn't want to fix a tire too bad so I went and found Seth's old bike and it was working so she hopped on that and took off. She needed help getting started but after that she was fine. It took about 30 minutes to help her get started and then she was even doing that by herself. The sad thing is she probably was ready last fall but I was too lazy. But it's our third child to ride a bike before they were 4! Now one more to go. We have only gone through one pair of shoes (she prefers using her feet as brakes instead of the actual brake. We REALLY need to work on that. I got her flip flops to help take care of that problem. Anyway here are a few pics and a video! Good Job Railey!!!