5 Things about Kenzie Rae

1. Kenzie is a screamer. Yep that's right. The scream that drives me crazy, somehow got given to my child. If Kenzie is not getting enough attention she screams. If she's not getting fed fast enough, she screams, and if she just is bored, she screams! I hope it tapers down because right now it gives me that fingernails on the chalkboard feeling. I am counting my blessings that for the most part she is an even tempered baby. But she did inherit the scream.

2. Kenzie hates dresses, bows, shoes, or anything that is not a onsie and jeans. I don't know if this is any indication that she is definitely a tomboy or what, but she cries, fights, screams and kicks, until her bow is down, her shoes are off, and she is comfy. I even bought her a cotton summer dress, which was fine, until she found she could lift it up and then she started fussing to get it off. Maybe Kaylee with rub off on her but for now she usually just gets her way.

3. Kenzie loves her brother and sister. When they walk in the room she lights up. She instantly starts laughing at them and smiles for at least an hour after we get them from school. She loves when they give her attention and when she gets played with. I hope the feeling stays as they get older and she gets not so new!


4. Kenzie loves food. She only has two teeth but that doesn't stop her from shoving everything in her mouth. Her favorite foods are fries, cookies and kelly's Mt. Dew. (Don't freak everyone- it's not a food group for her!) When I took he to the Doctor last week to make sure she was on the mend she weighed 20 lbs. 2 oz. I guess there is no question when she'll be able to sit in a bigger care seat. I love having a pudgy baby. When she smiles her face is all cheeks and it makes my heart melt.


5. Kenzie was truly sent from God. When I found out I was pregnant with her it came at a difficult time in my life. I truly believe now that I wouldn't be where I am today if she had not come to me. She has brought me back to reality and made me realize what is important again. I take time to dwell on the positive and not so much on the negative. When I look at her and think where I was in my life a little over a year ago it amazes me that someone so small could help someone so much. I love this little spirit that has been given to me and hope I can cherish the moments I have with her here on earth.


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Five Things about Kaylee

1. Kaylee is DRAMA. And I mean drama! I knew girls were emotional but I had no idea what that meant until I had Kaylee. This year for Valentines Day her class did a "heart attack" paper which meant that the kids wrote on little hearts something unique about a person and then glued it to their paper. Marty and I about died laughing when one of her hearts came home saying "Kaylee is drama". That's when we knew we have a future actress on our hands. Our lives are never boring with Kaylee around.



2. Kaylee is a very loyal friend. Chenoa Raleigh and Kaylee have been friends since they were about 2 years old. It amazes me that Kaylee still asks to see Chenoa and everytime we are at their house the first thing I hear is " Can I have a sleep over" Chenoa house was the place of Kaylee's first sleep over when she was three and she still loves to stay the night. Jenny (Chenoa's mom) has always treated my kids like her own and made them feel very welcome. Chenoa and Kaylee went through a phase where they would fight, punch each other out, and then make up. I am glad they are past that stage and glad their friendship is still good. Her other long time friend is Kylee Kincaid. Kaylee and Kylee call themselves sisters and love to hang out together. They talk on the phone about three times a week and are very loyal to each other. A few weeks ago a boy was bugging Kaylee at school and she told him if her didn't knock it off her best friend, who knows kung-foo (which is false) would beat him up. There is no doubt in my mind that Kylee would have given it her best shot. The best thing about Kylee and Kaylee is they compliment each other. Kaylee often pouts when she doesn't get her way and Kylee is always there to make sure Kaylee is satisfied!

3. Kaylee is very much a girl. She loves dresses, makeup, nails, high heels, and anything else that is girly. She is growing up too fast. About two months ago she got into her bra phase and has worn one ever since. I know- she is only 7 but what do you do. My dad likes to tease her about shopping at Victoria Secrets but she only smiles. Thank goodness she doesn't know what he is talking about! I think! Most of the time Kaylee can be seen carrying her purse and asking someone to take he to Honks (sorry Kelly) dollar store. She loves to buy makeup and act grown up by paying for it herself. Her grandma Linda takes her most weekends after their trip to Sam's Club. I am always looking forward to seeing what her newest purchase is.



4. Kaylee is my biggest helper. She is so good to take care of Kenzie and often times gets her up when she gets up and lets me sleep. Most mornings I wake up hearing all three kids in the living room and Kaylee enjoying being mom to Kenzie. Kaylee loves to help me around the house. Her favorite things to do are clean the windows and vacuum the floors. She puts on some music and off we go cleaning until it is all done. She also helps with the laundry and sweeping and likes to accompany me to the grocery store. She loves to help in the yard and garden and can out weed her brother any day. We are very lucky to have Kaylee to help us get motivated. Sometimes she comes home from school and tells me "This house is a mess. We need to clean"

5. Kaylee is a daddy's girl. Up until recently I don't ever think she had been really disciplined by him. She can talk her dad into about anything and she knows it. They will leave for the store and a few hours later come home with many little treasures her dad has bought her. When she was born I knew that there would always be something special between her and her dad. Something about a little girl in her daddy's heart is neat. I am glad they have this relationship and hope it only grows closer as time goes by.

Five things about Ashton

Ashton

1. Ashton is a fourth generation Oliver. His great grandpa was Oliver Anton, his grandpa is Oliver Grant, his dad is Oliver Martin, and he is Oliver Ashton. When I was pregnant with him Marty's mom said "You know if you have a boy you have to name him Oliver, it's tradition". (She was joking by the way) Then she explained it to me. Now most people would have done just the opposite to spite their mother in law but at that moment I knew that his name would be Oliver. The name was never attractive to me but after knowing grandpa I realized how special that name really is. I hope Ashton will always live up to his name and cherish it and know that he was named after someone who was loved and special to everyone he met.

2. Ashton is very relaxed. On days that he doesn't have to go anywhere you can find him in his robe. It has earned him the name Hugh. He doesn't get too up tight about things and at times can be TOO relaxed. We are constantly having to refocus him and remind him that the earth is still turning and that life doesn't stop because he wants it to.

3. Ashton is a comedian. He is always saying stuff and doing stuff to make someone laugh. I am a high strung person sometimes and he is the one who keeps me grounded by telling me a joke or doing something funny. He will just come up with an off the wall comment that sends me into hysterics. His latest funny is his song: It's me, It's me- in my cousins SUV. Refering to Rob and Tara's new vehicle. We are very lucky to have Ashton in our family to make us laugh.

4. Ashton's #1 priority is his dog. Gizmo is Ashton's chiuhuahua that he has had since he was 4 years old and is his best friend. Gizmo sleeps in Ashtons room and gets read to ever night. He also accompanies us on many camping trips and if I would let him- off to school he would go. I worry about what will happen when the dog is no longer around but I hope that by having a pet that he is soo close to it will teach Ashton responsibilty and love.

5. Ashton has a heart of gold. It always amazes me that he is so giving. When we went to Disneyland we stopped at Denny's one night to eat. Marty went to the hotel because he wasn't feeling too hot but Andy, Tiff, and girls were with us. Allisen wanted a drink cup that was so super cool but her dad and mom told her no because it wasn't worth the money. Ashton had his own money so he ordered one and although I wasn't pleased it was his money so what could I do. Well when the drink came he surprised us by giving the drink to Allisen. She was so happy. We asked him why he did that and he just replied that she wanted it. He is very much like that with his little sisters as well. I know that some day he will make a great husband and father.

Busy Busy Busy

I have been quite busy since last week. Between soccer, baseball, beehives, and work it has been crazy. So I will sum up my week in one post.

Saturday, my husband got soccer duty due to me working. I was so happy that he was able to get both kids to their games on time, with snacks, water bottles, dressed, and baby in tow. (Sorry no pics-he didn't grab the camera). Then that night we went to dinner with Kevin and Heather and the kids. I love to see my nephews. It is never dull when they are around and my kids love seeing them now that we don't live by them anymore. Like Heather posted we did get entertainment that night and it was fun. Then we were off to South Weber to see Karwin off at his party. His family has always treated us like family so it was fun to go and see them all. We also got to see our good friends Mike and Kelly O'donnell who we have known forever but see them not so often. It is amazing how much their kids have grown. I remember when they had Emily and now she is a preteen. That is always so fun for me. After some aggressive games of Family Fued we decided to leave due to Marty having to get up early on Sunday.

Sunday we woke up to yet again, another child throwing up. This time it was Kenzie. I don't know if it was the flu again or the rice and beans she ate at dinner the night before but either way it kept us home from church. I am sure she was relieved to not be getting in a dress! We just relaxed for the rest of the day and then got a visit from Tiffany, Allisen, and Lyndsey. It was so nice outside we actually got to sit and relax on the patio. The kids were playing baseball. Lyndsey played golf. It was so fun and nice to enjoy the outdoors.

Monday off I went to Ogden so see my bestest friend Kelly again. I know it had only been a week but sometimes that is a long time. We enjoyed a lunch at sizzler and then we shopped at costco. I found a bunch of summer outfits for a great deal. I may have went overboard, but kids always need clothes right. I stopped and saw my other good friends, Kaylianne and Melinda. It is always so good to see everyone. I try my hardest not to miss Ogden too much when I come home, but for some reason it always creeps up on me. I keep thinking one of these days it will get easier but for now- I still miss it.

Ashton's beehive

Last Thursday,all the fourth grades in Ashton's school had to do a beehive project. Ashton chose to make a cake (although I really ended up making it). We had a lot of fun making the beehive. The little green things on the cake are gummy bees. They were cute and pretty tasty too. Ashton got an A on the project so we are very proud of him. (And ourselves!)

I just found this website and wanted to see how this worked. It was so fun and easy. I know that it is a few months late but I am slow getting around to stuff. I hope you enjoy this slide show and please be patient because I am going to post one of Disneyland as well.

Make a postcard - it's easy!

Girls Day Out

Today my bestest friend ever, Kelly came up from Ogden and we went shopping. Neither one of us was shopping for anything in particular but we love to look and love to shop so off we went. We started at JcPenney and continued through about every other store in the mall. Kenzie was having so much fun just looking around and talking. We enjoyed a great day of shopping and having lunch and just hanging out. When I lived in Ogden, we would hang out for hours at one of our houses after picking up the kids from school. That is something I miss everyday here. I am so glad that we have the opportunity (as few as may be) to still see each other. Leaving my friends has been the hardest thing for me to do in moving to Logan, so I am so grateful to have the friends that I do. I never thought I would need my friends when I was this old, but I find that I need them more now than I ever did before. Thanks to all my friends and know that you are needed and loved!!!

My kids haven't played sports since we moved here and they are definately making up for it this year. Ashton is playing soccer and baseball and Kaylee is playing soccer and wants to do gymnastics for the summer. So I don't think we will get bored. On Saturday Ashton played his second game and Kaylee played her first. They both did really good. Kaylee played some friends from school so it was funny to see them hesitate when two of them went for the ball. Kenzie wasn't the happiet to be at the fields at 9 am due to that being nap time but she survived. After the games we enjoyed a gourmet breakfast at Mcdonalds with my mom and step dad. It was a great way to start the day and I am glad that it had warmed up since Wednesday. I tried to get some pictures of Ashton doing something other than eating oranges but that is when he is at his best!

Kaylee, Breanna, and Marissa Kaylee

Family

The best thing about being back in Logan is getting to see family. Ashton's first soccer game was on Wednesday and I was so happy to see most of our family there. It was freezing and everyone came out to show their support. The little kids froze but once I pulled out the fishies they decided they were ok. Being away from family for ten years you get used to doing things on your own but I am so thankful for all the help and support we have recieved since being back in Logan. I will always miss Ogden but there had to be a trade off somewhere. I love how close my kids are to their cousins up here and I am glad that we decided this is where we wanted to be. Most people don't think it would be much fun living next to your in-laws but for us it is working our great. On Saturday Kaylee ended up running around with her Grandma Linda for most of the day and she loved it. They went shopping and then went and picked up Grandma Friedli and had a great time. She recently told us she is moving out to Grandma Juniors in Newton because there aren't as many wierdo's out there but I just think she loves the time she gets to spend with her grandma's. Thanks to our family. We love you and have missed you!

Kenzie's new toy

Last week we found out that Kenzie had an upper respiratory infection (most likely a mild case of RSV). She has had to do breathing treatments four times a day since Wednesday. She is doing better and only has to do the treatments twice a day now but she was so funny with this machine. She thought it was a microphone or something because when we first put it on her she would sing and talk into the mouthpiece. Since then she has gotten sick of this "game" so she fights us, but as always she made us smile when we weren't very happy.

Sunday Morning

Every Sunday I go through the same ritual. I pick out kenzie a dress for church and as soon as she sees it she starts freaking out, kicking and screaming.I don't know what her deal is. I don't know if it is church she dislikes or dresses but either way it is a struggle. This Sunday started out the same but she didn't calm down. She continued to scream for 45 minutes and we had to walk to church (even though we were late) just so she would calm down.

I think she looks so cute when she's all fixed up but as you can see she first tears off her headband, then one shoe and by the time we leave she has no headband, her hair sticking up, blotched face and no shoes. Do you think anyone would notice if she wore pajama's?

kaylee came home from her sleepover at allisen's the other night and her aunt Tiff fixed her hair so cute. I asked her why she let Tiff fix her hair and not me and she replied that Tiff fixes her own hair cute and she doesn't think I fix mine that cute. Thanks Tiff- for being so cute!! Anyway, so when she got home she decided that she could fix Kenzie's hair better than me. She did good considering Kenzie moves all over the place.

Juice Anyone

On Friday we gave kenzie her first bottle of juice. She didn't quit know what to think of it. She would grab the bottle, drink it, and then pull this awful face. She must of liked it though because she drank the whole thing, pulling faces the whole time. She makes us laugh so much. I don't know how we lived without her for so long.

Cheese

This weekend was so beautiful. The kids worked in the yard and then we hung out at the park for the afternoon. Kaylee was playing with my camera and was dancing around taking pictures of herself. Going through all of my pictures, I have discovered that Kaylee-being the middle child!- doesn't have many pictures of herself. I guess she is trying to change that.

Check out my Slide Show!

Spoke Too Soon

So I spoke too soon. We had another night last night. Kenzeie woke up about one with her nose so stuffed that she couldn't breath and in concequence, threw up- on me twice, the chair, and her bed. It was a mess. So at 1:30 she was all happy in the bath. While I was cleaning up the messes I layed her in here with her dad. She looked so content finally.

Sleep Finally!

It has been some time since we have had to deal with teething at our house but I don't remember my babies being this cranky! Kenzie is usually such a well tempered baby but lately she has been very clingy and onry. We had our first all nighter the other night. Not bad for 7 months but it's been about 7 years since our last one so I think I handled it pretty well. She was up until about midnight and then slept for a whole 3 hours and then was at it again. The next day she was so exhausted she fell asleep in the middle of eating! Poor baby just needed some shut eye. I'm sure we'll have other nights like that one but for now we are off to bed.

Hello friends and family

I am so excited that we finally got a computer. Since moving from Ogden we haven't had one. Marty's parents were so nice to let us use theirs but lugging a baby and all her stuff even next door was just too much work. Thanks to my sister in law for persisting me to do a blog. I am extremely computer illiterate so I may need some time to figure things out but I am happy to have joined the online world of blogging!! Hope you all enjoy