He's a walker!

Yes!  Hayden is walking everywhere!  These videos are from about 2 1/2 weeks earlier, so he's even better at it now!  I love to watch him walk... it's just so cute!

This is a cute story.  I was vacuuming and I turned around and there was Hayden following me with this horse.  He was following me everywhere I went moving it back and forth like a vacuum!  It was so funny!  The next time I was vacuuming, he was in his swing.  I could tell he wanted out, so I got him out and went back to vacuuming.  The next thing I knew, he had gone to the toy room, found the same horse and was following right be hind me again! It was so cute!

Just had to get a shot of our human noodle!

Bailey wanted me to take a picture of her doing a trick, too!

I don't even remember what they were licking out of the bowl, but I love this picture! :)

I Love My Calling!

Can I just say I LOVE Relief Society!!  I always have and I've missed it when I've had other callings and couldn't attend.  For about a year and a half I've been on the Relief Society Activities Committee and it's been the best calling ever!  I get to work with some of my most favorite women and it's just been fun!!  Our last activity was a gardening activity.  It was a great activity and we all learned a lot, had a great turn out, and had a lot of fun; I think the best part for me was the preparation!  Janet Kinser is the counsellor in the presidency over the activities.  I just love this lady!  She had become such a good friend and I just love spending time with her!  We worked together on some things for this activity and it was just wonderful spending time with her in her home getting things ready.  It was a BEAUTIFUL day!  We really enjoyed being outside most of the time!  Her granddaughter, Whitney and Bailey were in the same preschool class and Bailey just LOVES Whitney.  They had a great time together while we worked on some things.  Janet is so creative and ambitious!  She made these little herb boxes for each of the sisters to take home.  She made them herself, then we painted a little space on the side with chalkboard paint so they could write on it what they had in the box.  Later that day, she drilled holes on the sides and tied little rope handles.  They are just adorable!  We also had a fun time making the "garden" dessert.  She has this cute cupcake book and this is what we created!

I was so thankful the activity was a success, but I'm also so thankful that Heavenly Father has blessed me with such a good friend!!

Last Day of 3 Year Old Preschool

Monday was Bailey's last day at Preschool!  I am SO thankful she had this opportunity to attend.  She's grown SO much!  She's made friends and has come a long way in her maturity.  She got to do a lot of fun things.  She learned how to write her name and they even helped with her potty training.  She absolutely LOVED school and could hardly contain her excitement about going each day!  Ms. Trisha and Ms. Pam are wonderful teachers and she loves them both!  We're already counting down until she gets to go back to Pre-School as a 4 year old! 

 Thank you, CRC 3 Year Old Preschool!

Free Day at the PAC

Last Saturday, the Powell Aquatic Center had a grand re-opening and everyone could swim for free!  We've been wanting to take the kids there, so we were happy to finally get to go!  It's a great place!  They have a slide, obstacle course, lazy river, whirl pool, and fountains and statues that squirt water.  It's very kid friendly!  The water starts at about 2 inches deep and then tapers off.  This was the first time we've taken Hayden swimming.  He was a little nervous at first, but by the end he was super brave and having as much fun as any of us!  It was so fun going with the kids a little older now.  T & B were able be on their own a little more.  It's really wonderful to see them become more independent and see what they choose to do!  Afterwards we went to "Old McDonald's" (as Bailey calls it) for lunch.  It was a great start to the day!

That afternoon, Ken played soccer outside with the kids and they had a great time!

Story Time

Since I'm not working anymore, I've been able to do some things with my kids that I didn't have a chance to do before.  Last week and this week, I took Bailey and Hayden to story time at the Library.  They both had a great time and I enjoyed it, too.  They read stories, sing songs and then do a little craft.  This week, Bailey's friend Whitney was there, too and she came and sat by B.  It's a nice break for me, too, to get to chat with some other moms.  I didn't get any pictures last week, but this is from today.  I've always loved the library and I'm so glad that my kids get so excited about it as well!  After the stories and craft Bailey gets to pick out a book and I do, too!  I'm so glad they have this program!

Another Sunny Saturday

Here is us enjoying the SUN a week and 1/2 ago! 

I love my kids' example! They don't see dandelions as an annoying weed, they see them as amazing flowers everyone is so lucky to have in their yard!  They think we're the luckiest of all to have so many "sun flowers" (as they call them) in our yard!  Thankful for my sweet kids who remind me of the sweet and beautiful things in the everyday!

A boy and his dog!  Taysum loves playing with Tempo!

My monkey man!

Little angel...

Taking a popcorn break... their most favorite snack!

Hayden is getting so big and he LOVES to be outside!

First lawn mowing of the year!! :)

Dancing B

Our little dancing girl had her Spring Recital the last week of April!  The theme was Disney and it was so cute!  If you remember the post about Bailey's last recital, she has come so far!  After the first recital, her teacher, Miss Candida, nick-named her "my little rolly-poly."  This time she did great and did the moves just as she was supposed to!  She did steal the show again in the first dance, but only because she was "really" getting into the moves!  A retired teacher who knew me when I was younger was sitting behind me and jokingly said, "That one must be yours!"  When I told her it really was, she was surprised she guessed right and impressed with B's performance. 

They had two numbers: "The Bear Necessities" and "The Ugly Bug Ball."  I'm sad that the pictures didn't turn out very well, but I had Hayden on my lap and we've never been able to get very good pictures at the Hyart for some reason!  Ken was in Utah the night of the recital, but luckily he was able to go to the dress rehearsal the night before.  My parents were so great to come with me and help with Taysum; I was really able to enjoy the evening!

They got to wear these cute little lady bug wings and antennae for "The Ugly Bug Ball" number.

The Grand Finale for The Lovell Dance Academy 2011!

Miss Candida and Miss Bailey

This has just been a wonderful opportunity for Bailey!  She's developed and grown so much through dance!  I'm so glad she had such a wonderful, patient, kind and encouraging teacher to work with her!  We can't wait for next year!!

My Birthday

I kind of skipped over my birthday here, so I'm going to back track a moment.  I'm *gulp* ... 31 now!  I had a wonderful birthday!  I felt so loved and Ken just made it such a wonderful day.  Ken usually leaves for work at 6:30am.  He got up even earlier than usual to make my birthday cake.  When I say "make" I don't mean out of a box!  It was a recipe from my Great Aunt!  That right there just made my day!  The gifts he got for me were perfect and just what I needed!  My best friend, Kori spoiled me and sent me a really fun gift as well!  It was just a nice and relaxing day!  I took a friend of mine out to lunch and saw another dear friend while we were there as well.  Hayden had a follow up doctor's appointment and did very well; Bailey was such a good girl, too!  When Ken got home, he took me out to dinner and then my family came over for cake!  My mom and sister gave me some fun gifts as well.  The next day I received a card and gift from my in-laws.  I also received cards from my Gpa and Gma Garrick, Aunt Joanne, and Ken's Aunt Judy.  I felt really spoiled!  It was such a great day!
Even though this is really out of order, I'll add something about Mother's Day as well.  Once again, Ken and the kids made it a very nice day for me.  They let me sleep in and then brought me breakfast in bed with "MOM" shaped pancakes! :)  Ken didn't have any extra meetings, so that was really nice, as well.  We got ready for church and then picked up a girl in my primary class.  We were even pretty close to being on time!  Sacrament meeting was a lot of in and out, but I was glad that I was able to hear Bailey sing with the Primary; Taysum didn't want to go up.  The ward gave the mothers a Geranium, which was very nice.  Krystalin took one for her mom, but in RS, the Primary President came and got me and told me she had eaten the leaves off the plant!  We stood there a moment not knowing what to do, and then I said I'd take care of it.  Luckily, Bro. Thomas is an EMT and he told us it's not a poisonous plant; I still took her home.  Once her mom knew it wasn't poisonous, she just thought it was pretty funny!  After Church, I got a little nap and then we made dinner for the missionaries.  Ken got the house in order and we had a nice time with the elders.  Then we went to see Grandma Anderson and give her her gift.  The Lindsays were there, too and it was fun to see them as well.  We went home and called Grammy Penny and got the kids down.  After that, Ken and I just talked and talked... it was so great and ended up being about 3 hours!  I just love talking with my husband and knowing that he loves talking with me, too!  I am so blessed and very thankful to have the fortunate blessing to be given the honor to raise three beautiful and wonderful kids!  I'm so very blessed to have such a wonderful husband to support me in my calling as a mother and who honors his priesthood, and honors my womanhood and motherhood.  I am also very fortunate to be blessed with so many wonderful examples throughout the generations of my family and to have a wonderful mother and mother-in-law of my own; and many other righteous women of my acquaintance whom I love and are also worthy of emulation!

Easter Morning

We were blessed with a BEAUTIFUL Easter Morning!  I just love the spirit of Easter and the promise of hope, peace and new life.  I'm so thankful for a glorious Savior who reminds us in every living moment of his unconditional love for each of us!

The kids had such a fun time!  Bailey woke up early and Ken did his best to deter her, but she found everything before the boys woke up!  When Taysum did finally wake up, she casually went around and picked up her basket and eggs, while Taysum was scrambling around searching!

It was fun to have Hayden big enough to have fun with it, too!

Taysum got a whoopie cushion and he had, probably a little too much, fun with it!

The kids weren't too thrilled with me trying to get some Easter pics, but it was important to me! :)

Happy Hayden

Beautiful Bailey and her Butterflies

It doesn't show in the picture, but Aunt Lindi made her some great pretties for her hair to match her dress!



Terrific Taysum

Daddy and his boys!

Easter Valley

This year's trip to Easter Valley!  This was Hayden's first time to Easter Valley and everyone had a great time!  It was so nice to be together as a family in the beautiful mountains!  Easter is quickly becoming my favorite holiday!  It's just such a wonderful season of hope and new life and a fresh start!  This Spring has been such a blessing after such a long winter!  I'm just so thankful for a loving Savior who shows how much he loves us even in the seasons!  We are so blessed!