Ellie's Kindergarten Graduation

Heliane has officially finished her first year in Elementary school! She had an amazing time learning, making friends, and falling in love with her teacher. I constantly hear her saying "I wonder what Mrs. Moore would think of this?", "I need to share this with Mrs. Moore.", or "I just love Mrs Moore!". If I'd let her she would talk about her non stop! Mrs Moore was fantastic and I am so grateful for all the talents she shared with Heliane. She is going to be missed a lot. Thanks Mrs Moore!

PaJaMa RuN

After FHE two Monday nights ago, we had the kids put on their PJ's, brush their teeth, climb into bed so Dad could read them their story, and then told them to high tail it to the car so we could go to Dairy Queen. It was time for a Pajama Run!! Can't wait to do it again. The kids LOOOOOVed it!

Gent and his buddy Conner

Things we were doing when I wasn't blogging...

*Celebrating Tim's and my Birthday-

Tim turned a whopping 33 on Feb 19th and I turned 31 on March 30th!! We both had great birthdays! lots of love from family and friends. Thanks!

*Mudding,priming,painting, and staining the master bathroom, and family room

I had help from Tim on his down time and one of my favorite friends in pahrump (Miss Chelsea) came over for an afternoon and helped me finish up our family room. I also painted our office and living room. Poor Tim was probably wondering when it was ever going to end. My next project is the girl's and Gent's room, but that will have to wait until summer.

*landscaping the front yard:

Here in this picture of Tim washing the car you can kind of see our desert landscaping. We haven't added any plants of our own yet (there are cactus and palms to come), but the weeds sure have started growing. I have a loving big brother who drove out a week ago to spray them with round up for us. What a brother! The weeds are pretty much gone now. Thanks Joe!

Just thought I'd add this photo of the kids taking advantage of their dad washing the car. I love the weather here in April.

*Play dates and play group

This is a picture of our play group Easter egg hunt. I'm trying to figure out where most of the moms are. Hmmm... Standing next to me taking pictures too?

I love the play groups we have at the park. It's just as much for me as it is for the kids. I always say its not the things in parhump that make me love it here, its the friends we've made. There sure isn't a heck of a lot of things to do here, but when you have fun people to hang out with, a park or a house to hang out at, your set. Consider yourself entertained.

*baby showers
*Temple trips with the kids

Tim and I were able to switch off with the kids while we did some temple work. The kids had a blast watching the wedding parties stroll around, look at all the pretty flowers, dip their hands in the fountain, and roll down the hill on the side of the Las Vegas temple.

*Cup cake decorating

A friend I've made her in pahrump named Cambria (the one on the far left holding the book) has decided to share her talent for cake decorating. She is a patient and positive teacher. I think my cupcake could look like someone threw up on it and she would still say something encouraging and positive about it and then maybe add a little tip on what else I could do. She's great. She's had two classes so far and I've only made it to the one, but I can't wait for next weeks class when we learn how to make spaghetti and meatballs

or corn on the cob cup cakes.

Check out the book Hello, Cupcake! to see what I'm talking about.

Here are a few other cupcakes I've seen of hers that she made for game nights.

Talented?? Uh... YEAH!!

*Visits to Washington

*Visits to Utah

*Visits from family

We had my cousin Jernon and her family, Grandpa and Grandma Gent, Uncle Ben-Ben, my nephew Kevin and Jordan, Aunt Debbie and her little girls, Uncle Nathan, and Joe's family over for the weekend of May 8th to celebrate My little brother Nathan graduating from UNLV law school. What a celebration we had! The house was full, but our family motto growing up was "there is always room for one more". So all though there were some who couldn't make it, if they could have...we would have found room for them. Congrats Nathan on another accomplishment.

The cousins had such a wonderful time playing together! Aunt Debbie and Uncle Ben-Ben took them out on the town a few times, but when they were at our house we got quite creative in finding things for them to do. From the looks of the the pictures above you can be as convinced as I on the fact that we don't really need a pool. Just a big ditch where water can collect. Gross? No way, Pure fun!

*Tim finishing his clerkship with Judge Lane

*Tim opening up his new practice!

Thanks Sean for the hep with Tim's Business cards!!

*And too many more things to blog about in this post, because its already toooo long.

Zions two...and has been for four months

What a girl!! Little Zi-Zi is so much fun to have around. She is very independent, thinks she can do pretty much anything her older brother and sister can do and more. She stopped using sippy cups a little before turning two because her older sibling don't use them. If i ever lose her in the house all i have to do is look out the window and see her either swinging on the swing set or sitting on the edge of the trampoline throwing the ball for our labs. good thing we're fully fenced in. She picks out her own PJ's, remembers to brush her teeth morning and night, refuses to use a booster seat most meals, and tries to even take showers by herself. We've got to keep an eye on her constantly or I'm afraid she may even try to cook her own meals. Mrs Independent, that's her.

Ellie's 6th Birthday

Ellie really wanted a fancy tea party for her 6th birthday party so on Saturday December 19th she invited 11 little girls over to have a "fancy day" with her. We went from one activity to the next, from picking out jewelry to wear, decorating their own little purses, charades, reading several Fancy Nancy books, and then to sit down to "tea". In the Church we belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we've been taught and know to abstain from certain things and Tea (excluding herbal tea) is one of them. We had another good little teaching moment when Ellie asked about what we were going to do if we couldn't drink tea at a tea party. We told her she could pick anything she wanted to replace it.... so she picked pink lemonade and apple cider to drink instead.