Easter

We always enjoy coloring easter eggs and it's always more fun with friends!

 Ben with his eggs

 Just so Daniel doesn't wonder where he was during all the fun....he was playing with Penny

 Sierra really got into the egg coloring too! I was surprised! I only boiled her a few thinking she wouldn't really care. Next year I'll remember and boil her a lot too.

 My attempt to take pictures of everyone. We have the boys table....Preston Waite, Timathy Bywater, Ben and Andrew.

 And, the girls... Evelyn Waite, Lacy Bywater, Hanna Bywater, Hopelan Bywater (hiding)

Sunday morning..it was pretty bright!

After church we had a little egg hunt...again, just so Daniel doesn't wonder why there are no pics of him. He spent the time here watching the kids run around the yard.

all in all....a great easter, quiet and peaceful...just the way I like it.

its great to be 8!!!

What a fantastic year this is! Andrew turned 8!! We had a small party at home. Just us! Then Andrew and I went to see The Music Man at the stake center. Daddy was helping with the stage crew and Andrew's primary teacher from last year was playing the part of Harold Hill. We had a fantastic time! We were even able to take Hopelan Bywater with us, and sit with our friends Amber and Evelyn Waite. I forgot to take a picture.

This year...
 his favorite color is BLUE
he wants to be a BULLET TRAIN DRIVER when he grows up
favorite song on the piano LITTLE SHOOTING STAR
favorite show TRANSFORMERS PRIME

You're growing up so fast Andrew! I'm so proud of the young man you're becoming! Can't wait to see what the year has in store for you!

Our Adventure!

Presidents weekend we loaded up the kids and decided to head to Sequoia National Park. After which we headed to San Jose to vist Steven and Jen. What a fun visit!!

these are the only pictures I can find while we were at the Sequioas...how our children react to daddy's fast driving through the switchbacks..

Thanks Steven and Jen for letting us crash last minute at your house. We had fun!

Look daddy! No cast!!

Yup! She's done it again...Sierra broke her arm. On a monday in April she was swinging on our hammock. I say ON because it's not very high off the ground, she was laying on it on her belly, pushing with her feet. She says her feet caught and she fell backward. I had my back turned and heard a thud...spun around and she was on the ground. I thought she hit her head. I picked her up and snuggled her and gave her kisses, but she wasn't going on her way. She finnaly mentioned that her arm hurt. Ya think!! This is what I saw...

 This all happened around 9AM, A friend was on her way over to play, so she took Ben and Daniel to her house and Sierra and I headed to urgent care. We ended up being very blessed, I didn't realize that not all urgent cares have xray machines, the one we went to did. I was home by 2 and called the orthopedic Dr. Again we were blessed, the orthopedic Dr. I called this time is pretty hard to get in to, by the time I got someone on the phone, they were thinking that MAYBE I would hear back later that day to set up something for the next day or so. I got a call back QUICK! I was in their office by 3:30! Unfortunatley, it was bad enough that they needed to do surgery.  Bob and Sierra sat in the ER FOREVER waiting for a bed on the pediatric floor. She was in a room by 9...4 hours after getting there, and we were even just there to be admitted! She had her surgery at 7 the next morning and she was home just after lunch. As crazy as it was, I also see the Lords hand in it all, most of it was quick, the only meds she had was the anestiesia they gave her when they set her arm, and some tylenol when that medicine wore off. Such a strong little girl.

 Here she is showing off her cast and sling.  Didn't slow her down a bit!

 When we went back a week later for a post op visit, they gave her a pink cast!

then, Last Monday, may 21st we went for a check up for Sierras arm. They told us that they would probably have to put another one on, something lighter, for a few more weeks. When we got there, the dr took a look at the X-ray and said "whoa!" she's healed! Yay!!! So, just four short weeks after her initial break, her cast came off!!

Fashionista!!

Every now and then Sierra decides that she doesn't want to wear her own clothes. She will emphatically tell you ..."no! Not Sierra's clothes." then proceed to go to the boys room to choose her outfit. Such was the case the other night, and because it wasn't worth the fight, she got what she wanted....a shirt from Ben and shorts from Andrew! She was so happy that it took A LOT to get them off of her in the morning. The boys think its funny that she loves to wear their clothes.

Date night with Andrew

Last night for Andrews birthday we went to see The Music Man being put on by our stake. Bob's been helping with set changes so we dropped the younger ones with a sitter and off Andrew and I went. I let him bring a friend, he brought his friend hopelan. ( I forgot to get a pic of them together) we had a lot of fun and say with oter friends. They enjoyed singing along and dancing to the music. I think they all loved it too because the lead was bro Jensen, who has been their primary teacher at some point. Just an amazing man all around. Andrew left his class with a new love for the scriptures and a desire to study them!
It was a great night for all of us! A great birthday for Andrew. When we saw bro Jensen after, the first thing he said to Andrew was happy birthday! How awesome!! He had so much going on, so many people around him wanting to talk and he remembered that it was andrews birthday. That meant a lot:)

SHARKS!!!!

Meet our new sharks! Andrew learned how to draw them at school and wanted to teach Ben. It was FANTASTIC!! Great job boys!!