Little Surprises

I love being a mom to three awesome kids. Every day I get plastered with slobbery kisses and big squeezes. My favorite things in the world! They also are very excited about warm fuzzies and filling up everyone's bucket. At the beginning of the year we started putting all the warm fuzzies we did in a jar, when the jar gets full we get to do an activity that the kids all agree on. Tennessee and Addie have been pretty creative at what they can do for each other and us. Today they unmade our bed. Tennessee proudly announced that he "got our bed ready for sleep". Addie clarified, "that means we messed it up"! The other day as I was taking the kids to tumbling I spied this message on the side of our car.














I love it. Tennessee loves writing us all love notes and taping them to the walls or in this case writing it on our car. He is such a sweetie. Addie has copied this and we have cute notes from her too. I'm not exactly sure what they say but we feel the love :) I think we all enjoy doing something nice for each other secretly and the good feeling we get inside. It's made our home happier and each of us more thoughtful towards one another.

Happy 4th Birthday Addie

The day has finally come, Addie's Birthday!! She has been talking and planning it for weeks. She wanted everything that she saw in the store ad's and she had a list of everything she needed for the party! At the top of the list was a bike. She has been wanting one since Christmas eve when she asked Santa for one at the mall. (That was the first we'd heard of her list to Santa: Bike, Lego's and a box of nails. Sadly she didn't get any of that for Christmas.) We were in Idaho for grandpa's funeral and stayed through Sunday which was her Birthday! We were staying at Cody and Geri's and Addie woke up at 4:30 Sunday morning talking. We always have a cousin sleep-over when we stay over there so Scott and I were downstairs completely oblivious to Geri & Cody's wake up call. Geri walked in the door and Addie immediately announced "today is my birthday"! She was too excited to sleep :) Geri finally convinced her that she needed to go back to sleep so she wouldn't be tired for her first day of being four.


















In Idaho we celebrated with family, a Butterfly cake (which she really wanted a pink dinosaur, another thing we found out after the pan was bought) and ice cream. She decided the butterfly was okay but cupcakes had to be at the party with her friends. We also had an Easter egg hunt with cousins. It was a great day and not too windy.

Wednesday we celebrated with friends. Addie woke up to balloons, birthday banner and streamers all over the kitchen. The best thing was a pink shiny bike hidden inside a play tent! She was so giddy and couldn't wait to take it for a spin. She told us she really wanted a princess bike like Savannah but the pink one with butterflies and flowers would be okay. She definitely knows what she wants.


















That morning Addie had dance and then it was party time! When she got back home the cupcakes were done and all the finishing touches were in place. She was ready for the friends to come and the fun to start. It was a little tricky planning her party. She only wanted to play, no games. We did make a princess craft out of a wooden spoon and played some silly games with the kids.


















She refused to play the games so she sat on my lap while I played duck, duck goose and chased kids around holding her pretending to be a monster. She laughed and begged for more, but didn't want to be put down :) When Addie got hungry (which if you know her happens every few minutes) we fed the kids strawberries and grapes and then it was time for presents, CUPCAKES, and ice cream cones. The kids were all soo great and it was a wonderful party. I also had some mom's help and they were amazing!Addie wanted it to be her birthday everyday!


























We also had fun celebrating together. We had an afternoon of playing and of course eating cupcakes. Tennessee and Parker were also excited to give Addie their present that Tennessee had wrapped all by himself. They were even more excited to help her unwrap it!
































What a great day, we love reason's to celebrate and have fun together and eat cupcakes! Happy Birthday Addie, We love you!

Missing Grandpa

Whew, it has been a very busy last few weeks! After Addie had recovered from surgery we had preschool at our house. For three weeks I was in constant creative mode trying to figure out fun crafts, ideas, and snacks for a handful of 3-5 year olds. It was fun but a big sigh of relief on my last day! We also have been going to Idaho on the weekends to go snowboarding at Pomerelle. Scott and I have loved being on our boards and the kids love spending time with Grandma, Charite, and cousins. It's been a win, win for all of us! Already looking forward to this weekend! This last weekend we were also there on a sad note, and that was for my Grandpa's funeral. He passed away the Saturday before (March 20th) at the hospital in Burley.















Friday night, March 19th, we were in Burley and ate dinner with the Larson side. We had known that Grandpa wasn't doing so well and we wanted the kids to have a chance to say goodbye. After dinner we went to the hospital and let the kids see him. He did not look like the Grandpa they knew but they were so brave and did so good. Grandpa was mostly sleeping now and didn't really open his eyes anymore or eat. It's hard to watch our loved ones get old. Tennessee saw him and walked right over to the bed. He touched grandpa and I lifted him so he could kiss him on the forehead. As soon as he did grandpa's mouth moved. I told Tennessee that grandpa was saying "Thank You". Tennessee touched his hands and face and talked to grandpa. He told me that "grandpa looks old". Addie was a little more reserved and frightened. She wanted to be held up to see him but not quite wanting to go near. At the end she blew a kiss and her and Tennessee told Grandpa that they loved them. It was a tender moment for all of us there. Parker didn't understand at all but was a very good baby and just watched it all. He probably knew more than the rest of us. I was also able to say my goodbye's and Scott as well. We went home that evening for my mom to get woken up at 4:30 the next morning informed that grandpa was having difficulty breathing and that the family should go in. Grandma Larson and all their kids immediately went to the hospital. Grandpa had a touchy day Saturday. He would have rough spells and then seem to be at peace. Scott and I went snowboarding during the day and as soon as I got home I went back into the hospital. I got there around four and found Geri and Sam. We visited with more cousins and family that had arrived. I didn't get a chance to go see Grandpa on Saturday, but I was okay because I felt it was more important for his children and his wife to be with him and spend all the time they needed. I was at peace having been able to say goodbye and knowing that he was surrounded by family that loved him so dearly. I learned a lot waiting in hospital's with my dad. Nothing much needs to be said, it's just nice being together. Laughing, crying, hugging and comforting. Not really caring if your wearing clothes that you slept in, snowboarded in, or actually made it through the shower and got ready for the day. It's just nice being together as a family, knowing that when it comes down to it our family is the only thing that lasts forever. The most important part is the relationships we created here on earth and the people we become through life's lessons together.

Grandpa passed away around 6:30 that evening surrounded by his wife and his children. Tracy had made sure grandma had walked around for a bit and ate some food. The kids and grandma then went into the room and a prayer was offered by Tracy telling grandpa that it was okay for him to go. Almost immediately after the prayer Grandpa passed away. It was a sad moment, but one that I'm glad I shared with my family. We all said our goodbye's again and hugged grandma. After about an hour we all gathered in the room and said a family prayer before the mortician's came for the body. The healing had begun.

Grandpa's funeral was wonderful. Tracy gave the life sketch and his brother Glenn spoke. I learned that if I have thinning hair it's all thanks to my Grandpa's side and that I may be stubborn and cry. Huh, never knew :) The viewing had been the night before at Rasmussen funeral home. Everything was perfect except the weather which I feared would blow us all away....but that's Idaho. Grandpa was always very proud of his service in World War II and he had the soldier's burial complete with soldiers in uniform, shooting of the guns, and folding the flag for my Grandma. It was a neat experience. Before we could go back to the church to eat we helped Rocky and Stacey change a flat tire in Stacey's parents van. Never seen Rocky or Scott change a tire in a suit so we had to take some pics.















We enjoyed the rest of the day with family and having a great reunion with all our relatives celebrating Grandpa's life. We will miss him dearly, but I know we will see him again and that he is now helping us on the other side. We Love You Grandpa!

The picture of us at the top was taken at the Larson family Christmas party in December. Grandpa wasn't quite himself but still had some spunk in him, I love it!

On the road to recovery

So on Wed. Feb 24th Addie went in for surgery and had her tonsils and adenoids removed. We had explained all that was going to happen and she was ready! We packed a blanket & Maddie (her doll) and headed for the surgical center bright and early, 6:15 in the morning! On the way there she talked and talked about all the Popsicle's and ice cream she would get to eat and the movies she would watch. She also informed us that today her tonsils were not touching. Good to know since they are being removed. We arrived and got all the paperwork done and checked in. The nurses loved Addie and kept her entertained by letting her pick out all the pretty stickers she wanted. She got ten total and we had to lay out each one to admire and count. Soon we were back on a hospital bed changing Addie into a gown, which itched so she took it back off, and prepped for surgery. The anotheologist came in and explained what he would do and the breathing tube that would be inserted. (Kind of scary when they are talking about your daughter.) Then it was time for surgery. Scott and I gave her lots of hugs and kisses before the nurse wheeled her away and we went back to the waiting room.



Addie before surgery













Addie's sticker's

























Half hour later the doctor called us back and told us how good Addie did. He said her "kissing tonsils" were HUGE and definitely needed to come out. Some of the biggest he'd seen on such a tiny girl. He told us we would probably notice drastic changes with her sleeping, breathing, and not being sick. That would be nice since she has seemed to be sick all winter long. Sleeping through the night would be heaven to us! She would climb in bed with Scott and I four to five times a night!! One night as I watched her sleeping I noticed that she would inhale in and then completely stop breathing. About fifteen seconds later she would gasp for air and then do it all over again. That was one of the main reasons we took her to an ENT to get her HUGE tonsils checked. Also at night she would snore and toss and turn making it impossible for Scott and I to sleep next to her leaving us all exhausted in the morning. So sleep, sweet sleep would be sooo, sooo nice! He said that we wouldn't hear her breathing anymore and would probably check on her constantly since we have grown accustomed to her heavy breathing. When Sam lived with us he would say she was the only person he had known that could snore while they were awake :) Sad, but totally true!

After meeting with the doc we went back to the waiting room to wait for her to wake up. We had just sat down when the nurse came looking for us. Addie had woken up and was not too happy. She had let the nurses know they were not her mama! As we headed back to the recovery area we could hear Addie the closer we got. She was mad!! When we got to her she calmed down a little when I picked her up but not much. She was in pain, had an IV in her hand, numb throat, and wanted her tonsils put back! :) we spent forty five minutes singing, rocking, comforting and nothing worked. Finally we realized we could get TV on Scott's phone and found Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the Disney Channel. Within seconds she stopped crying and watched the show. Then she wanted her juice and a popsicle. She was set. The nurse came in with Tylenol and said if she drank it she would take out the IV. Addie downed it! We waited fifteen more minutes before the nurse said she was doing great and we could go home! Hurray! 9:30 was a lot earlier than we expected! We got the prescriptions and headed for Jamba juice and then the pharmacy.



Finally happy and watching Mickey Mouse with her purple popsicle














In the car with Jamba juice and her orange popsicle














Addie just getting home













Since her surgery Addie has been incredible!! She is so mellow and even when you know she is in pain she doesn't show it. We kept her on the pain meds every four hours for the first three days and then went to nights only when she would cry and want it. She has really only cried at night when her throat "hurts big" and as soon as we give her the pain med she instantly falls back asleep. She has watched movies, slept, played games, colored, and ate lots and lots of popsicles. She is a trooper! I know she really doesn't feel good when I find her hiding in pillows almost asleep. They warned us that some of the hardest days are five through seven when the scabs start to fall off. It becomes really uncomfortable for them. She still has sailed right through. She was a little touchy but mostly just wanted to rest and watch more movies. Her breath however is terrible!! You think brushing her teeth will help but no...it's rotting tissue that has yet to fade. Ugh, looking forward to good breath soon!



Addie hiding in pillows on Day 3, still recovering and sore.


























Finally wanting to eat food but can't stay awake to do it

















Coloring with the boys....getting better!

















So today is day 10 and she is wanting to stay in jammies and watch movies. Everyday she is getting back to her normal self with a stinkin cute little voice. We are looking forward to having lots of fun next week and hopefully no movies!

Introducing Pineapple!

So here he is...our very unexpected, very spontaneous, very questionable Monday night surprise. (But isn't he just the cutest thing!) We go to Target to return a few items and take the kids to Jamba Juice and return an hour later than expected with a new puppy bought from a van in the Petco parking lot. He is a a Maltese Poodle or better known as a Maltipoo! We were just curious on what a Maltipoo was so we just had to look, then hold, then fall in love and buy on impulse. He is such a good puppy and really good with ALL the kids which was very important to us. I think the only one in our home not happy with him is Sammie who is choosing to ignore us all.


















The first thing we had to do was choose a name. Addie wanted Pineapple and Peaches. Tennessee wanted Annie and Wilson. It came down to the girls wanting Pineapple and the boys wanting Wilson. After a fun debate, and a bribe to Tennessee to switch sides, we decided to go with Pineapple! It seems to fit him!



















The kids haven't left his side since we brought him home. They have ran all over the house with Pineapple at their heels. They are learning that puppies love to lick and give you kisses which makes them all giggle! Tennessee's helping with the litter box training. If he sees Pineapple sniffing he runs and puts him in the box. I told the kids that if he pees or poos when they put him in then they will get a treat. There's been lots of mad dashes to the box but no treats given yet.


















Addie loves to hold him and make sure that everything is okay. She checks on him constantly and he is the first thing she asks about when she wakes up. I think that she is thinking he is her baby and as soon as she gets a chance he will be in with all her dolls having tea parties and playing dress up! On the way home after we got him Addie was singing and thinking of more names when she got a puzzled look on her face. She asked, "does our new dog say woof, woof"?


















Parker loves Pineapple! We walks all around the house saying "ooof, ooof" and then squeals and claps as soon as he sees him! Yesterday he found one of the kids teeny, tiny dog stuffed animals and brought it to me saying "ooof, ooof". Pineapple has now adopted the toy! So sweet. We are teaching Parker to be very gentle and soft. Not going to well yet. He likes to carry him upside down and take aways his toys so he can play with them. It's a work in progress with this one :)

Happy Valentines Day!!

I Love Holidays and all the decorating and fun things to do with the kids. I think kids make eVeRyThInG more exciting :) We had lots of fun this heart season doing crafty things at home and the kids at school! Tennessee wrote so many Valentines for school, friends, family...he was a busy boy! I had to capture the ones he wrote to the Grandparents. He sounded out the names and wrote them all by himself, so cute! I like his writing and how he tries sooo hard!














Here is the Valentine pouch he made at school. The pictures all over it are Bakugans! That is his latest craze. He is all about the Bakugans. He is currently earning money by doing chores so he can buy some. Everyday he begs me for jobs around the house he can do to earn a quarter or a dime AND he is doing such a great job! I'm really liking this!


















And here he is showing off his Valentine loot!



















Addie celebrated Valentines late with her preschool class due to sick kids so today was the day! She picked out some cute mermaid cards and thought about writing her name. She only is interested in writing "A's" and attempting the rest of her name when she feels like it. We made up a jingle for the spelling of her name and she sings it all the time, writing however, is another story. She likes more "hands on" activities! When I picked her up from preschool today she had made a Valentine holder for her Valentines and decorated cookies! Wow, she did a GREAT job adding lots, and lots of accessories. I think she has a Fancy Nancy side where more is always better! Here are her delicious cookies! She had made each of us a special cookie and was very excited to share!



















And now the close up!















Here is her Valentine pouch! She was so proud of everything she did today, and the treats she received!


















We celebrated the Valentines Day with cousins! It was a wonderful surprise visit to see Geri and Cody's family and the kids played and played! We really forgot to do anything else for the day! Scott had got me flowers and chocolate a few days before, but that was supposed to be for him rushing out the door without telling me goodbye or giving me a kiss ;) I got him a new wedding band since his other one is broken, but was informed that he likes his old one because now it is a "spinner"! Alrighty then! On Monday night we did get a very big SURPRISE for all of us so we are calling that our family Valentine's present!

Science Fair

Tennessee did the Science Fair! It is optional for kids in the K-4th grades but since we have been home sick a lot this winter we decided we needed a project to keep us from going cRaZy!! We asked Tennessee what he wanted to do and he chose the ever popular volcano! We waited for a good day and got started. I don't think I realize what I get myself into until we are halfway into something and I am asking myself "what was I thinking". It was really a lot of fun, and Tennessee did an AWESOME job! Just didn't quite realize that this project took days instead of hours :)







We picked a diaper box which gave Tennessee a lot of concern. He didn't see how his volcano could be in a "diaper box". I cut the box and the hole and Tennessee helped construct the cardboard frame over the bottle. Then came the messy part. We mixed the flour and water, had the newspaper strips and got to work. Tennessee is all about messes but this was something that he did not like the texture, goo, and stickiness of. Silly boy! He tried his hardest to put the newspaper into the flour mixture and put it on the volcano but wanted to wash his hands after each strip. After 10 hand washes we decided that I would dip the newspapers, hand them to him and he could place them on the volcano. This worked much better and he didn't mind the gooey mess as much! Once the Volcano and ground was covered it was time to let it dry.







The next day Tennessee was anxious to paint his volcano but the newspaper was still wet. He asked how we could "help it dry faster" so we got out the blow dryer. He sat and aimed it right at the volcano for about 10 minutes before he asked if the space heater could just do it. Two hours later it was dry enough to paint. Tennessee did all the painting by himself! Blue for the sky, green grass, and a tan volcano. When everything was dry he added the hot lava to the volcano! He did so good! He painted for over an hour and his shirt was looking like his volcano too :) Once he had it all done he was sooo tired. He still didn't like the diaper box so I offered to paint it black for him. He agreed and went to take a rest. When it was all done Tennessee added his secret finishing touch....DINOSAURS!! He wanted all his dinosaurs to be with his volcano but we managed to talk him down to five with some palm trees. Ta-Da, Finished!!





The last thing he needed to do was practice the explosion! Tennessee and Scott had a blast mixing the baking soda and jell-o and adding the vinegar. They both laughed and laughed as it oozed all over the bottle so they just had to do it again and again. Boys :) Once that was mastered he practiced what he would say to the judge and we worked on the display board. I helped glue on the pics but Tennessee did all the writing. He even spelled volcano right and sounded it out all by himself. He was going to put a "k" instead of the "c" since they make the same sound but decided he liked the "c" better. Wow, he is doing so well in school and it's fun to watch him think and figure words out.



On Monday Scott took him to school and they set up the Volcano in the gym. We wanted to watch him present but unfortunately we were given wrong times so we missed the whole thing. Tennessee however, told us all about the "fat judge" and everything he got to show the "fat judge"! (We found out later that the judge introduced himself to Tennessee as the "fat judge" so that was the name that stuck.) When it came time for the explosion Tennessee didn't want to ruin his volcano or dinosaurs so he took the bottle out from under the box and just had it explode on the plate. He wants to keep his project forever!! He showed his class his poster and explained all the steps and then brought his display board home from school. That night Scott and Tennessee went back to school to see the other projects and pick up the volcano. We all wanted to go but Addie and Parker were sick. The "fat judge" gave Tennessee a certificate, ribbon and candy which made Tennessee very proud! The next day he was supposed to show the explosion to his class but he was sick :( He did such a good job and we are so proud of our little scientist!