Our Crazy, Fun, Sweet Life

Team Hatch

2011-11-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Not sure if this is a post about the trickery of brothers or the sweetness of a sister. But somehow, Kyndall got included in the Star Wars craze that is still going strong at this house.

And she was thrilled! And so were the boys . . . also known as Anakin Skywalker and Jango Fett.

She really does like those brothers. Even when she calls them "meatball" or "tutu" (insert a gasp here, because that one is the worst!) or "stinky" and has to sit in timeout. Really, she does.

I like them all. A lot.

Details.

2011-10-18T08:55:00.001-07:00

Kyndall's artwork is changing. In just a few short weeks, she has gone from scribbles to "Bubble People" as she calls them.

Here is artwork from last month . . .

And here is one from a few days ago.

Just in case you are not an experienced art connoisseur, this is a picture (from right to left) of Belle, Cinderella, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Above them is the Arizona Diamondbacks snake. Of course, right?!? What else would you expect from a little sister in this house?

I love the little things.

Different.

2011-08-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Another first day. Seriously! There has been some sort of milestone each year for the past four years.

2008: Connor's first day of preschool
2009: Connor's first day of Kindergarten
2010: Anderson's first day of preschool, Connor's first day of 1st grade
2011: Anderson's first day of Kindergarten, Connor's first day of 2nd grade

At this rate, I won't get to have a first day without tears until 2014. At that point Connor will be in 5th grade, Anderson in 3rd grade, and Kyndall will be in 1st grade and this will all just be normal. Boo hoo!!! And then I will cry because of that too.

Today was a great day. At least to some degree. I think. Here is the rundown.

Here is Connor's recap of second grade . . . which I of course got in pieces.

He doesn't sit by anyone he knows and most of his buddies are in other classes.
Didn't understand the work they did today (as we could tell from his paper he brought home).
Got walked in on in the bathroom. Nice.
Had to throw away his M&M's and Cheez-Its I put in his lunch because he got nervous and ran out of time in the cafeteria.
His stomach felt upset all day.

But, when I told him that he needed to watch his tummy this evening to make sure it felt better, he was upset since he didn't want to miss the second day of school because school is so great! Huh?!?! He continues to claim that it was a GREAT day! I don't have the heart to burst his bubble . . . but really?!?!

Here is Anderson's recap of Kindergarten.

They read one of his favorite stories (How Do Dinosaurs Go To School).
He has his three best buddies in class with him.
He only goes to school for 2 hours and 45 minutes. It felt like a "flash" according to him.
He found two more favorite books in the class library.
He LOVES stations.
His teacher is "SOOO nice".

But, this evening he announced that he wasn't sure if he wanted to go back tomorrow because he is just too tired from Kindergarten. Huh?!?!

Let's just say it. My boys are so DIFFERENT. And yet, they balance each other out perfectly. So thankful they have each other. It IS going to be a GREAT year . . . I just know it!

Oh . . . and can someone notice how appropriate Anderson's shirt is?!?! I mean . . . does anyone else think it is just perfect for my Kindergartener?

Three.

2011-05-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

Completely impossible. My BABY is three. Her favorite phrases include words like "actually" and "seriously" and "the brothers". She can hold her own. And then some. She is completely spunky, always on the move, loves to be a helper, and adores all things pink and purple. I smile when she puts her hands to her cheeks and says "Oh" before she tells us her next grand idea. Honestly, I can't believe that God chose me to be her mom. I LOVE MY KYNDALL SADIE. Yes, she has fits, stubborness, gets talked to about throwing rocks, knows how to push her brothers' buttons, and can mysteriously end up between Jon and I in bed in the middle of the night. But I honestly am loving those things more too with this third kiddo. Go figure!

Easter!

2011-04-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

It has been a fun and busy week at the Hatch house!

Playgroup egg hunt! I think that this is our SIXTH year of doing this. We gather at the park, eat fun treats, and then let the kids hunt eggs. So fun! We have two rounds, and this was Kyndall's last year in the baby group. Hmmm. Not sure I like that.

On the evening of Good Friday, we went on a long family walk and then ended up with a fire in the backyard. Jon read the Easter story from the Bible and we had such a sweet talk with the kids. SO sweet. We were blown away by Connor and his solid trust in Jesus. Completely awesome and amazing!

Then egg coloring . . . of course . . . cause who can celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus without brightly colored eggs, right?!?! Hee hee.

And Easter Sunday . . . love it! Connor actually wore shorts and sandals to church but when he realized he could look more like his dad with pants and his new brown shoes, he changed before pictures. Gotta love the age when a kid wants to look just like his dad!

Such a great weekend!

Proud.

2011-03-30T13:46:00.000-07:00

Connor had a student-led conference this past week. It made me so proud. This is the kid that really NEVER loved his mom's "learning stuff" as he would call it during preschool days. The kid that I worried about sitting through a school day. But I prayed . . . a lot. And I think that some Grandmas prayed too.

He is an amazing reader.

Has fun in the classroom and out.

Loves to write. (This was his presidential campaign poster and persuasive campaign speech.)

And . . . he wrote in his conference reflection that MATH was his favorite subject. Be still my beating HEART!!! That statement alone could have earned his ticket to Circle K to get a reward slush. Genius move.

I realize this is just first grade . . . but it is nice to have a great start to a long road of school.

AMAZING Date.

2011-03-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

Jon and I went away this past weekend. His parents gave him tickets to the NCAA Tournament in Anaheim for his birthday. He could take anyone he wanted . . . he chose ME! :)

We saw SDSU lose to UCONN and then watched the Wildcats BEAT the Blue Devils. Great games . . . and fun to be with Jon in his element.

But better than the games was the chance to do ANYTHING we wanted. Really??? This was a little hard for my mind to grasp at times. The first night I had this feeling like maybe we shouldn't go get something to eat after the games . . . you know it is getting late . . . we should probably get back. Then I had to catch myself. WHY???? No kids were waiting for us and a babysitter was not worried about getting home and the hotel will let us in at any hour. Wahoo! Let's go!

Our list of activities that made our kids SUPER jealous . . .

Two AMAZING Basketball Games (I married a Sports Fanatic!)

Discovery Science Center (Jon married a geek.)

Downtown Disney

Chipotle

Movie that was NOT animated!

Simple things really . . . but so fun! So thankful for a fun weekend away, an amazing guy to spend time with, super sweet grandparents willing to take care of kiddos, and new ticket stubs to add to our display frame.

Score!

2011-02-19T14:51:00.000-08:00

We are in basketball season here. Two boys on one team. I LOVE IT! But, until today, Anderson has not.

Well, I take that back. He LOVES practice and the thought of basketball and playing in the backyard. But, games? Not so much. We have kept him in it mostly because it is such a non-threatening stage. No scores are kept and the coaches have been amazingly positive and encouraging. So we were figuring, it is safe torture, right?!?

First game, he sat most of it with me in the stands, whimpering, and a few moments with dad on the bench.

Second game, on the bench mostly and a few painful moments on the court with tears in his eyes while he shuffled (no running, no sir) around on the court and his arms "sort of" raised. Well, more like hands flexed into some sort of low jazz hand. My mom and I were giggling in the stands because he stood out like a sore thumb and yet was trying to "disappear". I felt so bad.

Third game was today. He had been randomly tearing up and telling us he didn't want to go to the game since Thursday. But, today he played! He ran! He smiled! He high-fived and HE SCORED! Two baskets. You really should have heard all the parents yell! They were so excited for him too. I am giving all the credit to Jon's pre-game talk in the garage before we drove to the community center. It must have been magical . . . because there was a MAJOR transformation in just a few short moments. I told Jon that he should have recorded it. I want to know what he said . . . and we could have sold it to coaches in the NBA. Really. It must have been that good. Because Anderson is a new kid.

Andy with hands up in the center!

Connor has loved the season! Well, I honestly can't think of something that Connor has not loved. Go figure! This is his first time playing basketball on a team though. He loves all the action and running down the court. We think the pace fits him. He is pretty intense and wants to be right where he is supposed to be. But, today he made it all about Andy. He even gave me a thumbs up sign several times when Andy was doing so well. And they elbowed and fist bumped each other on the "bench" (a.k.a. row of chairs) when Anderson came back from scoring. Yep, that redhead got a big squeeze from me when the game was over and I made sure I let him know that I saw his baskets too. But, boy was I proud of him for looking out for his little brother.

The bench. Jon and Andy are on the left and Connor is in the red shorts chillaxing.

It was a good day.

Milestone.

2011-02-17T13:04:00.000-08:00

I hit a milestone. ME! Anderson, Kyndall and I went to the park. And, after swinging with Andy and sliding with Kyndall, I LOOKED AT A MAGAZINE!!! I really can't believe it.

I must admit that I have been a little jealous of those moms that were parked on a bench with their nose in a book or laying on a lovely blanket under a tree with a stack of reading material. Hmmm. Bliss!

Well today, I was that mom. Okay, I must be real. I was on a large rock right next to the playground so I could hear everything that was going on . . . it was only for about ten minutes . . . and, of course, I had Anderson who always takes on the role of "personal assistant" to Kyndall. But . . . I did it. And, it was fun.

The HEART Man

2011-02-13T21:02:00.000-08:00

FIFTEEN Valentine's ago . . . I got this:

And, honestly, at the time I was confused. Shocked. DISAPPOINTED. But what display of love was I wanting? A card from Walgreens picked out in 2 minutes along with a pack of Trident??? Or a bunch a flowers that are overpriced and pathetic looking in two days??? Some ridiculous stuffed frog with a heart attached to his hands with a button to push in his foot??? Mylar balloons that NEVER sink to the ground??? A bunch of candy I couldn't eat???

I still have the heart man. I carefully accordian folded his arms and legs, secured them with paperclips, and placed him in my "special" box. He comes out once in awhile and was even the inspiration behind a Valentine's day cake a couple years ago. He is referred to as "Heart Man" in our house and comes up in random conversations. And even though I tease him about it relentlessly, it is my favorite.

He MADE it. He sat at the island at his Aunt's house and cut hearts out of construction paper for ME. And GLUED. And ACCORDIAN FOLDED PAPER ARMS AND LEGS!!! Swoon. Really, it should have made me sure that HE WAS THE ONE! Because he was. But, I do wish there was a video of him making it. Now that would be something else I would treasure.

You are the best, Jon Hatch. I am so very lucky! And, even today with a kid throwing up and both of us with colds, Valentine's day is the best with you.

No way.

2011-01-18T12:42:00.000-08:00

For a little girl to go from this:

to this:

must completely be the fault of awful parents, right? I am sure a few grandparents agree. It can't be because someone was throwing a major F-I-T about broccoli. No way. Impossible.

And, as a result, a teary Anderson offered up his dessert for Kyndall because he thought that she should get some even though the awful parents said no . . . and Connor offered to eat her serving for her so that it wouldn't go to waste. Go figure.

Hmmmm.

2010-11-15T13:04:00.000-08:00

What you might get if you have a kid who is super sweet . . .

(A purple flower in a brown pot that I got today.)

and funny . . .

A conversation at lunchtime recently:
Andy: Thanks for my green plate!
Me: It's not green, it is yellow.
Andy: Oh. I wanted green to match my peanut butter.
Kyndall: Peanut butter isn't green. It's brown. (In a "know-it-all" tone, of course)
Andy: Really, Mom?
Me: Yes, Andy. Sorry!

He laughed and we all got the giggles. It can't feel good to get corrected by your two-year old sister!

and crazy about making stuff . . .

(The model he was looking to copy last spring.)

(His version.)

yet seems to be colorblind.

I LOVE ANDY!!!!!!!!!!

But I am just not wanting him to pick out his own outfits anytime soon.

All he wants for CHRISTMAS . . .

2010-11-09T10:02:00.001-08:00

. . . is his TWO FRONT TEETH!!!!

Connor pulled out the other top front tooth and came running downstairs two nights ago with the sweetest (and funniest) WHISTLE when he talks! Jon and I were rolling with laughter . . . thankfully he thought it was funny too.

It is a HUGE hole. No more cute little baby teeth that fit so nicely in a little mouth and make for a straight teeth smile. Here comes the crookedness!!! Ugh . . . $$$$$$$$$$$$.

FIVE.

2010-11-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Anderson David is FIVE.

A whole hand of fingers. Old enough for Kindergarten next year. Officially in the big boy clothes at the store. Able to write sweet notes and leave them on a pillow. But still my little boy!

We celebrated LEGO STAR WARS style with family last night. And, of course, Aunt Jen created an AMAZING cake AND cupcakes. So super talented she is!!!!

Presents for one lucky kid! His comments were classic "Andy". (Oh, and Connor was working on wiggling a tooth all night . . . somehow every picture of him has his hands in his mouth. Yuck.)

Played R2-D2 in TROUBLE with cousins. I honestly didn't remember how frustrating that game can be. Thankfully they all worked through it and really stuck it out until it got too late.

Then, today on his actual birthday, he wanted to build at Home Depot, eat his free birthday donuts at Krispy Kreme and put together a new lego set with Connor.

Happy Birthday, Andy-boy! You are my constant reminder that God knows exactly what we need! So thankful for you, Anderson!!!

She knows too much.

2010-10-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

I am feeling guilty. Kyndall and I were picking up some loose limbs this morning from the plant we trimmed a couple days ago, when she ran over to me with something and was so excited to give it to me. I really was expecting a flower since I seem to have a collection of lantana blossoms withering all around the house. But, it was a used blood-test strip. They honestly end up everywhere. Just ask Jon. I told her it was yucky and quickly threw it in the garbage. But I just got thinking.

It isn't yucky to her. She knows a lot about them. She understands that they are important to me and that they help me. This is the girl that often pretends to "put on a pump" when she plays dress-up and is getting ready in the morning. She knows that I need a snack when my blood is icky and will offer up anything she has. Even her treasured Goldfish crackers. She doesn't even ask for my pink juice box anymore. She will probably never faint at the sight of blood because she sees so much of mine when I poke myself. She gets super worried when her little toes get tangled in my pump tube when I am holding her on my hip . . . probably because she has heard me squeal about it too much. She knows many secrets of diabetes and she is only two.

That little used test strip---makes me a little sad, a little proud of her awareness, and a little more in love with her. If that was really possible since I was completely head over heels before.

Guess it struck me because I am feeling a little passionate about diabetes right now. The annual walk to raise money to find a cure is this month. My WHOLE family started walking just last year. I know, it took me a couple years (21 to be exact) for me to jump on the bandwagon. The kids even got into it and it was neat to hear them talk about it all! In fact, mine wondered why I still had diabetes after the walk. I think they thought the cure would be waiting for us at the end. When I was little (okay, maybe just a couple years ago and even last week, but anyways) I was actually scared of a cure. I don't know why. It just seems like after "being your own pancreas" with shots and then a pump, trusting something else sounds kind of scary. I know that sounds a little nuts. Maybe I also thought that hoping for a cure would make me bitter about my daily duties. I thrive on a positive attitude and most days I have one. Well, minus a day here and there and a week now and then, but most of the time I am pretty positive about it all. Although I secretly LOVED it that my grandpa hated my diabetes. I miss that. He would make comments here and there about how terrible this diabetes thing that I had was, and I would try hard to come up with some Pollyannaism about how it was all good. It was sort of a game for me since I had probably already thought about his negative a million times before. It was good practice for my head . . . and heart. And in spite of my diabetes (and maybe BECAUSE of it), I am so very blessed. God has used it to grow me and shape me. Recently my mom shared with me that the doctors and nurses were really concerned about me in the hospital because my attitude about it all was so strange and sort of distant. But, she believed in me. And, I rose to the challenge.

Recently I have met several sweet little ones just getting diagnosed with it, and honestly, I hate that they have to deal with it. There are so many better things to conquer . . . I know. I have a list!

So we are walking for a cure . . . and just maybe we will find it!

***EDIT: Just caught the irony that I used a picture of Kyndall and I at Krispy Kreme for a post on diabetes. Oh well. Maybe I need to get more pictures with her so that I have more choices!! :)

Cheap Fun.

2010-08-01T20:16:00.001-07:00

Our neighbors got new patio furniture. We got the boxes. The HATCH kids think we got the better deal. I am loving it!

Sweetness.

2010-05-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Kyndall cracks us up with all her versions of various songs . . . she sings "Kyndall's World" instead of Elmo, can sing the choruses of Take It All, No One Like You, and Rise and Sing (David Crowder and Fee Band favorites), and sings "Happy Birthday" to anyone and anything.

But after church today, she was ready to perform her newest tune.

We are crazy in love with it! Can you guess what it is?!?!

Soccer Stars!!

2010-05-11T14:45:00.001-07:00

We have been having such a fun season of soccer!!! The boys are on separate teams this time, but we have been so thankful for practices on the same night and and games within an hour of each other. YAY!

Connor has a fun group of boys to play with! And, it is amazing that he is one of THREE red-heads!!! So fun! Connor is really doing a great job staying right on top of the ball when he is playing offense and keeping a close watch while on defense. I don't think he loves playing goalie . . . too much down time! Who knows, though, he may surprise us because he has had some great blocks!!

Anderson is LOVING this season. He has really figured out the game and is having fun making a ton of goals and cheering when his teammates score too.

This is my favorite picture of the season so far!!! Hands up and SO HAPPY! LOVE his excitement!

Oh, and they have a pretty sweet cheerleader too. Yelling for her brothers as long as the snacks keep on coming.

Our Sweetie is TWO!!

2010-05-10T14:36:00.001-07:00

Our Kyndall Sadie is two years old!!! Oh my! It really is amazing how much a little one grows and learns in just two short years. Kyndall is talking up a storm . . . telling knock-knock jokes, saying "see you later alligator", copying everything ANYONE says, bossing her big brothers around, and singing "No One Like You" by David Crowder in the van. So fun to have such a spunky little girl around our house!!!

Kyndall celebrated her birthday with some of her little friends at a special playgroup party the day before her actual birthday. So much fun for her and me too!!! We have such a special group of families that we have loved sharing life with over the past several years. A blessing for sure!!!

On her birthday morning, Anderson and Daddy took Kyndall out for a birthday breakfast and free donuts at Krispy Kreme (and gave me a little time to finish getting family party stuff in order!). What a special little gal to get so much attention from her dad and big bro. Poor Connor missed out because he was at school . . . he kept trying to find a way to get me to take him out for both Kyndall's playgroup party and her birthday morning. HA! Nice try big guy! But, honestly, he LOVES school so it was pretty sweet that he thought he should be home for his little sis.

A tower of yummy cupcakes for a SWEET little gal!!! We actually had an ELMO themed party . . . but it is hard to tell from the pics.

Yes, princess packaging is a must for a little girl party!!! I love it!

What fun to celebrate Kyndall! God has truly blessed our lives with her . . . we can't even imagine what our house looked like without baby dolls, barrettes, and so much PINK!

TWO!!!

2010-05-02T15:27:00.000-07:00

WHEELS!!!!

Kyndall's birthday post is coming soon . . . but this exciting event happened Saturday and I had to get the pics up. So excited for our big guy and his new skills and getting over the big crashes he had before! YAY!

I laughed because they wanted ALL their pads on . . . good thing! Only a couple spills though . . . and then, of course, I had him freeze so I could snap a pic. No blood, don't worry!! :)

Anderson had fun trying to keep up with the super-fast-pedaling-Connor!! My bet is that his training wheels will be off REALLY soon. That is how things work around here!!!

Kyndall pushed her trike around. She wanted to keep up with the action!

Anderson had a couple good crashes. And then Kyndall would copy him. Nice.

After all that pedaling, a celebration was in order . . . so we headed down the road to IN N OUT! Yummm!!

On a jet plane . . . for two weeks?!?!

2010-03-14T22:20:00.001-07:00

We got word from Jon that he is safe and sound at Hope Academy in Calcutta (Kolkata), India!!! I told the kids that Daddy was in India, and Kyndall quickly said, "No!! Daddy on airplane!" Oh my. I guess she thinks that he will spend the entire trip on one since we talked so much about him getting on it at the airport. Too sweet!

We can't wait to hear about the adventures the team is having. Exciting for sure!

We love Daddy!!!

2010-03-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Jon left this morning and is headed to Calcutta (Kolkata), India for two weeks. He is going to be at Hope Academy with a team from our church (8 high schoolers and 5 adults). They are going to do a Bible camp for the kids and do other projects there as well.

The kiddos and I went to the airport to say good-bye. They are sure going to miss their daddy while he is away. Thankfully, they are excited for him to meet Akash and hear all about his life in India. I am excited to see what God is going to do in and through the team! I just know that
He has great plans!

Praying for safety and abundant blessings . . . and maybe just a little extra sanity for me!

Our EXTENDED Family!

2009-12-22T21:05:00.000-08:00

This summer, our family decided to sponsor a child in India at Hope Academy through NEED, Inc. Our church is involved with this school which is located in one of the poorest areas of India.

When we first made our request, we looked at the available students and found one to "fit" us. We really wanted a boy for Connor and Anderson . . . and one close to their age. So we chose one on the list. Later we found out that he had already been sponsored and were asked if we could be assigned another kid. When the information arrived for our child, we found out that his birthday is just 12 days before Connor's! How perfect!!!

So, since July, we have talked about and prayed for this sweet kid. But recently, a team from our church went to the school and we now have REAL (not just the token mugshot) pictures and sweet stories about him. Our dear friends who went on the trip say that little Akash would just FIT PERFECTLY with our family. Isn't that so cool?!?! They actually said that he reminds them a lot of Connor. We are thrilled to have this glimpse so that it makes our sponsorship even more meaningful!!!

Akash is the boy in black that is looking toward the camera.

Here he is getting his Christmas present with a member of our church's team. Doesn't he look great in his new uniform?!?!

It really is amazing what can be done for these kids with a small donation each month.

More of Anderson's Birthday!

2009-12-06T12:27:00.000-08:00

Jon and I LOVE planning games for our kids' parties . . . and thankfully our kids love to play them since it would break our hearts to make them play them unwillingly. Ha! Here Anderson and Tyler are attacking the villains with a squirt gun.

Our birthday boy with another amazing "Aunt Jen Masterpiece".

The big brothers . . . Connor and Jared . . . so fun to have cousins so close in age!

We are so thankful for our little Andy David . . . an incredible brother, a fun son, and an amazing kid.

While we were sleeping . . .

2009-11-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

What happened last night?

A. Connor got bored last night, found a Sharpie and wrote on his siblings.
B. Anderson got bored last night, found a Sharpie and wrote on Kyndall and himself.
C. Kyndall got bored last night, found a Sharpie and wrote on herself and Anderson.
D. Dad got bored last night, found a Sharpie and wrote on Kyndall and Anderson.

Hint: When in doubt, always pick C.

OH MY!!!

Doesn't the poor baby look tired after such an eventful night?!?!

Andy was almost in tears when he saw himself.

Kyndall had a yucky nose and cough last night. Jon brought her downstairs to sleep on the floor with him. Anderson got up too . . . and fell asleep next to Kyndall. With everyone snug, Jon fell asleep. But . . . Kyndall must have had a burst of energy! She found my basket with Connor's sight word book and my Sharpie for writing the cards in the dark and started getting creative. I am actually thankful that only people (and one pair of pajamas) were marked on. Oh my! My mind went crazy thinking about the walls, floor, sofa . . . AHHHH! Jon woke up when she started marking on him at about 2:30am. So funny! He had black little scribbles on his chin when he told me this story. Andy didn't wake up till the morning. What a surprise in the mirror he had!

Connor was bummed that he missed out on the events of the night. Go figure!

My heart is blowing BUBBLES!!!!!!!

2009-11-09T20:25:00.001-08:00

Here is a picture of Connor and Jon when Connor was 5 months old.

Here is a picture of them last night . . . almost EXACTLY five years later!!!!!

These are super simple books, but he is really really reading them! I think the most wonderful thing for me is that he LOVES it! We have a bunch of sight words we practice at home and he found them in the books and was so proud. Some of his sounding out is funny . . . like becomes lick, happy turned into hoopy, and others kept us smiling too. We are loving this new stage!

Food Manners!

2009-11-09T13:06:00.000-08:00

I am pretty sure you shouldn't bite a hole in your cheese crisp and put your tongue through it to make silly faces . . .
and smiling really big, although sweet, probably doesn't excuse the behavior (however, why would mom be taking a picture if it was not something adorable?!?! Huh?).

But if that was questionable, I am almost certain you shouldn't place your fruit bites on the edge of your tray and slurp them up like a puppy.

This little lady is in definite need of some lessons! :)

A FOUR year old!!

2009-11-07T20:45:00.000-08:00

Our Anderson turned four this past week! We celebrated with two parties . . . in hopes of making it more fun for our kiddo with a ton of friends, but a low tolerance for crowds.

He had a FRIEND party Friday afterschool. We ate snacks, played games, opened fun presents, sang "Happy Birthday", ate cake, and played more games! Jon and I had a blast . . . hopefully the kids did too!!

Pictures from the family party will come soon . . . I hired out for the photography (okay, I just
begged my sisters to take pictures so I didn't have to . . . ha!).

SUPER Fun!

2009-11-03T19:24:00.001-08:00

The kids love dressing up . . . maybe a little more than is normal. But can I blame them?!?! Sometimes even I would like to put on some different clothes and be someone different for a day . . . especially someone with SUPER powers! :)

Connor would wear practically any costume any day---so picking a costume for Halloween is easy!! But Anderson is way more picky. He had to have the JUST RIGHT idea. It took him weeks to decide. It was painful. Seriously. He finally decided on Robin . . . and so Connor was more than thrilled to take on the role of Batman! Not to be left out, we put together a SUPER KYNDALL outfit for little sister. She really was her own type of super gal the whole night. The costume fit her perfectly!

On the hayride at our church Fall Fun Fest! Anderson is next to his sweet friend, Sadie . . . aka Minnie Mouse.

My enthusiastic BATMAN!

Super Kyndall must somehow get her SUPER-SPEED from collecting rocks. She picked them up everywhere ALL NIGHT LONG!

Super Kyndall chasing after Papa while trick-or-treating later on. We have a fun tradition with my family . . . yummy chili, fun cousin time, and trick-or-treating around my brother's neighborhood. It is a highlight!

Kyndall was very persistent. Even when the boys would give up and think no one was home, she would keep on knocking! It paid off a couple times . . . and of course they gave out big handfuls of candy to little girls too small to eat any of it . . . such torture for the parents! Yikes!

Luke Skywalker, Batman, Robin, Pirate Tyler, and Super Kyndall!!

Things around here . . .

2009-10-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

. . . are a little more crazy than normal, still lots of fun, and (as this picture can attest to) definitely SWEET!

I just love the way her little toes stick out from under it too.

I can't believe I haven't posted for TWO WHOLE MONTHS! I have lots to share . . . and I will make time shortly! A trip to San Diego, a project I am working on, and everyday fun. Too bad the dishes and the laundry and the daily routine yell so loudly at me! :)

Watch Out World!!!

2009-08-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, not even a real homemade breakfast! Frozen waffles and orange juice. They never knew the difference. Hee hee!!!

My Kindergarten kiddo!! He was so excited to get the school day started!

Compare his pics with last year! Too fun!

We drove to school . . . but still had to walk a quarter mile because parking was INSANE!! Hopefully all this early morning enthusiasm dies down a little in the next few days. Crazy!!

While walking, we had to go through the underpass tunnel near the school. We entered the tunnel and the kids immediately started talking loud to make echoes. Connor yells, "Kindergarten, here I come!!!". Where did he come from?!?! Jon and I looked at each other and laughed. NEITHER one of us would have been so vocal. EVER! We love him for sure!

Waiting for the door to open!

Anderson was not so sure about Connor being gone . . . and kept thinking of Connor throughout the day. We ate lunch with Grandma Hart and he decided to only eat half of his cookie and asked us to save the other half so he could give it to Connor. So sweet . . . but how long will that last?!?! We will see! He also kept thinking it must be time to go get him. The day must have seemed long to him!

Saying good-bye! I seriously would have been FINE if the teacher hadn't read this sweet story about the first day of Kindergarten where all the parents get all weepy. Argh! Well, at least I can blame it on her!! ;)

Anderson, Kyndall, and I then headed for for a quick juice and muffin pick-me-up at the BOO-HOO breakfast. I dried my eyes and then we ran back to the car so Anderson wouldn't be late for his class.

We signed up Anderson for a little computer class that he started today as well. We were going to start it later on a less hectic day, but then thought it would be good for him to have something to share about at dinner while we talked about school. Fun!

He did so great . . . we were a little concerned about whether or not he would get upset about being left. I honestly thought it was coming when we got out of the van. I told him he could eat the rest of his snack when I picked him up. He looked at me with HUGE eyes and said, "You are going to leave me there???" My heart sunk (had I really not made that perfectly clear?!?!?), but I recovered with a quick yes and kept getting Kyndall out of her carseat. Instead of starting a fit, he just said, "I will be really good!!!" Praise the Lord!!!! And, he WAS!

They played games and did lots of fun learning for their hour and a half! Yay!

A successful day!!! And, another milestone hit. Oh my!

Cool Weather Adventures!

2009-08-09T15:11:00.000-07:00

We spent Thursday, Friday, and most of Saturday in the area around Payson. Our boys were true adventurers and little sister kept up with all the fun. We definitely made some great memories and have some new pictures for the frames around our house. Perfect!

Here is my top ten list of favorite things . . .

10. Picked berries at Kehl Springs.

9. Found Geodes near Clints Wells (and found a letterbox stamp).

8. Fed fish at the Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery.

7. Played in Tonto Creek (found stamp #2 and #3).

6. Hiked around Woods Canyon Lake.

5. Hiked the 260 Trailhead (got a stamp too).

4. Visited Paleo Ruins (found stamp #5).

3. Picnicked at Green Valley Park.

2. Hiked to Wild Bill's Spring in Pine (another stamp!).

1. Played at Fossil Creek.

Anderson . . . the one I had to promise that there were new shoes waiting for him at home before he would get into the creek with his tennies on. Our rule follower!

Connor . . . our daredevil.

Kyndall . . . the one that wouldn't wait for her swimsuit to get into the water. Ha!

What a great three days!!

Field Trip!

2009-08-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

I am on a quest to finish checking off the things on my list for Summer 2009 Fun! Getting to Cabela's was a must, since we hadn't made it to the local store yet. I can't believe it has taken us so long to get there! I grew up with their catalogs around the house and spent lots of time looking at them with my dad . . . I think I was the go-to girl for his Christmas wish list from there and know that we all pitched in for several must-have items from Cabela's!

Well, we got to see it all in person this weekend and Papa Hart came to show us around. A perfect tour guide!

Checking out the fish in the aquarium . . . fun!

Virtual target practice. Oh my!

Hanging out in the dog house.

Bunkbed cots. Awesome!!!

Papa and a little sweet Kyndall Crockett!

Little Campers . . . Lots O' Fun!

2009-07-30T00:14:00.000-07:00

We spent two days with Dad at junior high camp! What a blast! We came home with fun memories, one bad scabbing boo-boo, and a bunch of dirty clothes.

Our favorite memories!

Our room was smaller than any room in our house . . . bathrooms included probably. We even had to move around furniture to get the pack-n-play to fit in the floor space. The bathroom was in a separate building a little walk away which presented it own challenges. However, when talking about it, the boys referred to it as our "cabin house" and used terms like "great", "awesome", and "so nice!". It just made me smile.
Connor and Anderson learned this funny imaginary blow dart game from the kids. Now, they expect me to play all the time. Really?!?! Dropping what I am doing and falling to the floor to wait for them to rescue me does not work in real life . . . only at camp. Sorry, boys! I told them that Dad would LOVE to play when he gets home. Ha ha ha!
A tarantula found in our cabin on Andy's and my bed . . . thankfully I am not scared of them, so I got him out and on his way okay. Although I was terrified to think that something may crawl on one of the babes through the night so I kept checking them with my flashlight and didn't sleep much.
Kyndall took a terrible tumble down a sloped gravely walkway. She did a face plant and seriously scraped up the left side of her sweet face. There was a collective gasp as a large group was heading to the dining hall and witnessed it. I don't know how it missed her eye because there were bad gashes all around it. Thankfully it has healed so well and quick!!! Yay! My pleading prayers were answered!!!
All the junior high kids played duck, duck, goose with Connor. Seriously, all of them! He had so much fun and seriously thinks he is faster than all of them since they never caught him. Gotta love it!
The boys got to ride a bus with Jon home from the lake . . . this may be the top event of their summer. They were so excited!!!! It cracked me up.
Kyndall was so wild that the kids and I had to leave the service when the speaker came out. Connor was so bummed because he wanted "to hear what the guy had to say about Jesus". Yes, my heart smiled!
But, my number one, was seeing Jon hanging out with the kids (the junior high ones and even ours) and doing what he does. I was so spoiled to be able to go to camp all the time with a school schedule before kids. So, to get these glimpses now is so sweet to me . . . and reminds me of what a great guy I have.

I would have pictures, but I left my memory card attached to my computer. Good thing I brought the camera and the battery charger! Ha! However, there are pics on Jon's site. http://www.azhillsyouth.com/

He comes home in just two more sleeps!!! Yay!

Family Campfire

2009-07-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

Our family time tonight was spent making a fire and cooking hotdogs and eating smores. So fun! The kiddos loved the eats, and we loved the funny expressions and great memories.

Yum!

And, of course, when it is 1000 degrees outside, you have to run through the sprinklers when it is all done. More fun!

The NEW Justice League!

2009-07-11T22:29:00.000-07:00

If you hang around our boys for a little while, you would come to know that they have a super-hero obsession. Usually for the Marvel ones. In an instant, they could beam you with Cyclops' laser or grow imaginary claws and scratch you like Wolverine. I know far too much about super-heroes. More than I could have ever thought I would learn. Oh my!

Lately, however, we have moved over to the Justice League (not exclusively, but quite often). Today we had a Batman and a Superman . . . but they needed another sidekick.

THE INSPIRATION

But since the outfit of Wonder Woman is a little (or maybe A LOT) risque, we improvised.

Although, it is not perfect, it was a great improvement on the SuperCOW she had to be last time (Andy was a cow for his first Halloween, and they found the costume in Kyndall's closet. It fits Kyndall now . . . and she must ALWAYS be a superhero, so therefore, she was SuperCOW. Yes, they are really obsessed.).

She LOVED the boots! A great find in a hand-me-down box! All day she kept wanting them back on. Too fun!

Wonder Woman must keep Superman and Batman in check, right?!?! She has a light saber and a drum stick, and she is not afraid to use them!!!

Night at the BIG TOP!

2009-06-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

We gave Connor tickets to the circus (and a chain for counting down to the night of the big event) for his 5th birthday. We got a great deal on opening night, so Jon, Connor, Anderson, and I headed out for some fun. Kyndall had a date with Grandma Hart, and she came with circus toys in hand. Much more fun for her . . . and us!

We started off with McDonald's! Thanks to Aunt Regina and Uncle Phillip, Connor got to use his special giftcard and even got to choose a Happy Meal with a toy . . . a treat for sure!

We had great seats and a great time! The boys can't decide between the elephants, tigers, and clowns as their favorite. I guess that is a good sign! It was fun to do something different and exciting together. What a great time and a great memory for all of us!!

Loving my "boy time"!

Three happy kids . . . yes, I count Jon in the kid category! He is too much fun!!!

I loved the elephants too!! It is just amazing how they get those HUGE animals to do all those stunts.

A happy kid . . .

and a sleepy one too!!!

June loving!

2009-06-19T23:19:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of loving at our house . . . and some that I managed to catch with my camera! Yay! I love capturing sweet moments . . . they get me through the "not so sweet" ones that seem to happen just as often. Oh my.

VBS (Vacation Bible School) love! The boys LOVED their classes at VBS. Connor was with the Kindergarten kids and part of the main group this year. Anderson loved his preschool class . . . especially because he got to hang out with his cousin Tyler! FUN!

Connor pushing Kyndall at the Children's museum. She was so happy, and Connor stuck with it for quite awhile since he knew she was having so much fun. Love it!

Anderson and Kyndall in the back of a "rick shaw". Cousin Jared somehow got the unfortunate job of pedaling. Aren't they funny snugglers?

A bedtime hug from Kyndall. Those are so sweet . . . and really tight too!

Book love! Kyndall LOVES books! I guess she is with the right family! Yay! She will bring a book to be read to anyone she thinks will read it to her. This day she found Connor. What a sport!

A preschool grad!

2009-05-28T23:19:00.001-07:00

The last day of preschool was filled with fun! The kids had a party at the Anthem waterpark. I got to go with Connor . . . so fun to be with him and his friends.

That night Connor's preschool put on a sweet little graduation for the kids that will be entering kindergarten in the fall. The idea of "graduation" seemed kind of cheesy to me, but it really was fun to see how big he has become. Amazing!

They asked all the kids what they wanted to be when they grow up . . . after many cowgirls, princesses, and racecar drivers . . . my kiddo answers with a firm and enthusiastic response of "I want to be an ASTRONAUT". So funny!

And, you will be so proud to know that I didn't even cry . . . until I got home and chatted with Jon about how excited he is to grow and learn. They were happy tears, but also "how have five years gone so fast" tears. At least I know I am pathetic!

Preschool Mother's Day Tea

2009-05-09T15:34:00.000-07:00

Connor's class put on a sweet Mother's Day tea last Thursday. What fun! We snacked on fruit and breakfast bread and Connor even served Anderson and I yummy juice. What a sweet morning!

They made those cute flower pens and decorated a flower pot as a present, but my favorite gift was his interview about me. Some things were right on . . . he does know my favorite color to wear, for sure! (You can click on the picture to read the list.)

The other moms and I were laughing and comparing our lists. I invited them all over for a fun afternoon of watching commercials and washing dishes! I am such a party animal, I know!!! I love Connor's sweet perspective!

Our Birthday Girl!

2009-05-06T14:47:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Kyndall's first birthday on Saturday with a "sweetheart" party! She was quite the party gal . . . she loved the people, the bubbles, the balls, the presents, and the cake! What a treat to celebrate all that she has brought to our family in the past year. What a sweet blessing she is . . . we are so thankful!

Watching Anderson make bubbles!

Playing in the pool of balls! So fun!

Girly presents! Something new at our house for sure!

Another AUNT JEN masterpiece! Beautiful and delicious!

She thought the cake was yummy!!! She started picking at it right away.

I love birthdays!!!

Technology . . . WOW!

2009-05-01T21:25:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on my computer tracking Jon's flight back to Phoenix tonight. He has been gone since early Tuesday morning . . . and I am so excited that his plane seems to be on time to land in about an hour! Yay!

His plane is blipping (okay, I realize that may not be a real word) across the map and the computer is telling me the altitude and direction. He is apparently almost over El Paso. Isn't it amazing that all that info is available?!?! The plane seems to be slightly off course . . . maybe I should text the pilot and let him know he may need to correct that. Ha! I am easily thrilled, I know!

The County Fair!

2009-04-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

We went with Papa and Grandma Hart to the county fair Saturday afternoon. We had a blast! We . . .

. . . petted sheep and marveled at some VERY large pigs.

. . . petted the cows.

(This one was Connor's favorite . . . it had very red hair. It is hard to tell in the picture.)

. . . saw sharks! I am not sure how this fit into Maricopa county, but it was super cool. There was a large tank and four sharks swimming around. They even had a little show that the boys and Papa attended. Fun!

. . . watched a magic show. And, Connor got to particpate! What a hoot!! He did great and had so much fun. We laughed so hard when the "magician" was doing a trick to make coins appear in Connor's pocket. The guy said that he was going to send the coins to land on Connor's shoe, make the coins go up his shorts, into his underwear, and to his pocket. Connor got a funny look and started feeling his shorts and underpants for the coins. SO FUNNY! He was so brave and such a good sport.

. . . played on a tractor. Kyndall LOVED this!!

. . . gathered vegetables and fruit from a pretend farm.

. . . milked a wooden cow with Papa! Connor has always said that Papa needed to teach him how to milk a cow. It is funny since we don't think he realized that Papa grew up on a dairy and is truly the most qualified teacher for this skill. Maybe Connor just had a little intuition?!?

There was so much to do and learn! Jon and I had as much fun as the kids. Don't you love family days like that?!?! We do!!!

Swing, Batter Batter!!

2009-04-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

Connor and Anderson are on the same Tee Ball team. And . . . Jon is the coach! So fun for all my boys!!! Connor and Andy's ages are right for them to be on the same team this season and then they will have to be on separate teams for a year and a half or so. We are savoring this time with only one practice and one game time a week! I am sure this will not be the case for most of the sports that they will choose to play!

Despite Anderson's look here, he did great and had so much fun!! He was right in the action and had great hits. We weren't sure how the game would turn out for him since he spent the entire practice time watching from the van. Ha!

It is super fun that their buddy Gage is on the same team!! There could be a little trouble in the outfield with those three boys and their ideas! Watch out, Coach!

We can't wait for more fun this season!!

Baby steps!!!

2009-04-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

We caught this video of these sweet baby steps right before bed last night. She is getting better and wants to practice all the time! On to another stage of trouble. Hee hee!!

Easter Hunts!

2009-04-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

We had lots of fun hunting for eggs in the last week! Our playgroup had an egg hunt last Thursday. While Connor was at preschool hunting for his own eggs, Anderson and Kyndall got to hunt at the park. So fun and such BEAUTIFUL weather!

I begged Anderson to stop running around for a quick picture. What a sport to comply! Those eggs and that playground were pretty tempting!

My littlest HATCHlings!

Kyndall was tickled by the grass. So giggly!

We hunted for eggs in our backyard after church on Sunday morning. We would have to be up WAY too early to do it before Jon left . . . so the Easter bunny agreed to hiding the eggs while we were gone. Such a sweet bunny!

My Easter treats!

Cheesy!! They must want candy!

Kyndall found her bunny! Yay!

If only all the eggs had puffs in them! Yum! She was so excited to get her hands on them!

We had more hunts too! Both sets of grandparents hid sweet eggs and treats. Such lucky kids!! I, unfortunately, didn't take any pictures of it. I must have been too busy helping one of the kids. Oh well.

But, even better than dressing up a little girl in an Easter dress complete with a bow and sandals, was the fact that Connor and Anderson were excited to celebrate that Jesus is ALIVE! So sweet to hear them share the story of that first Easter and hear the excitement in their voice. They are eager to share all the details, with special emphasis on the exciting parts. What a blessing it was to listen to them!

Friday's Family Fun

2009-04-05T20:32:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of the free Friday night deal at the Children's Museum of Phoenix! What a blast! I had not been . . . Jon, my parents, and my sis took the kids last June on opening weekend, but I had to miss out. This place is SOOOOO AMANDA!!! Yay! Jon told the boys (with a hint of sarcasm) that they had just found Mom's favorite new place! Hmmm . . . YES! Oh! Objectives were running through my head all night---along with all the good math terms that I thought had possibly escaped my brain. I couldn't help but play and learn with the kiddos. We will definitely be going back soon . . . but since it is a little pricey, it may be on another first Friday! Join us!! Yay!

It was really busy . . . my pictures don't really show it. But, I loved the crowd. So many families focusing on spending time with their kids. Awesome!

A room just for building and exploring with PVC pipes and joints. How cool is that?!?! Andy built this awesome cube almost all by himself and Connor worked on a fort complete with a flag.

Here there were cars that were made out of roller blade wheels and PVC pipe (maybe there was some huge PVC pipe donation???). They have these ramps that the kids can race them down. Too fun.

More learning. Love it!!

The Noodle Forest! Seriously, this would be created in our playroom if Jon was given the budget and a free afternoon. He loves this thing! So do the kids. Okay, I do too!!!

Even Kyndall got to participate! She loved these little ramps for the golf balls. "Kyndall, can you say, angles? gravity? acceleration?" Okay . . . I didn't really. But I thought it for sure!!

It really is such a great place!!

We finished off the night by hitting the Krispy Kreme downtown. Seriously . . . I thought maybe CPS would haul off the kids of any kooky parents that would feed that kind of sugar to kids at 8:30 . . . almost 9:00pm. Oops. It was a fun end to a fun night though! And, I think the memory will stick (with a little help from that classic Krispy Kreme glaze. YUM!).

Yummy!!! Don't worry, Kyndall just had puffs and cracker bits. :)

Anderson wanted his picture taken like this. What a funny kid!! I love him!!

Four Boys = FUN!

2009-04-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

What fun it is that Connor and Anderson have cousins so close to their age! We were so lucky to get to have Jared and Tyler come over for some fun last weekend.

They played---upstairs, outside, in rooms, SO FUN! I loved hearing four little voices and all the little feet making noises up and down the stairs!!

We made a wind tent! I saw a friend post a picture of her boys in one last summer and knew it was PERFECT for our Hatch boys. It is now our favorite thing to make when friends come over.

Hide and seek!! It was Jon against all the boys. I really think the boys won! The only really good spot Jon had was perched up on our fence behind our tree. The people driving on the road behind us must have wondered what was going on! My favorite spot of the boys was in the recycling bin . . . good thing it was freshly emptied so there was room for all four of them! Too funny! Such creative and fun boys!

And, Anderson found his block buddy!

We can't wait to have them over again . . . SOON!!!

Another month . . . oh my!

2009-03-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

Lil' Kyndall Sadie is now 11 months old. It really is hard for me to believe that just a year ago I was lounging on the couch (let's get real, it wasn't truly "bedrest" with two little boys running around!) and waiting for her to arrive.

This month she has mastered smacking her lips for kisses, rubbing her chest to say "please", mimicking Anderson to sign several more words (he is such a great teacher!!), and, in the last few days, is now attempting to take steps without holding on to anything!! She is VERY unstable however . . . and I am honestly trying to convince her that walking is overrated. Ha!

We adore her happy smiles and sweet disposition!!

She does not like the feel of the grass! It is so funny to watch her try to keep her feet and legs off the ground. Cute!

She finds the tiniest things on the ground and holds on to them as if they are treasure! Grass, lint, crumbs . . . her little fingers find it all!

Really, a common sight. She gets a lot of loving around here!! Lucky gal!

Fun at the zoo!

2009-03-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

Our playgroup went to the zoo this week! The weather was beautiful and the kids were great. What more could we ask for?!?

I was careful to make sure that I brought my camera, unfortunately, I left my memory card in the computer. Ha! So I had to snag these pics from Aunt RJ. I am so glad that Dylan and her were able to come with us!! That added even more fun to the day. Yay!

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Mean . . . just plain mean.

2009-03-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

It is Kindergarten registration week here. Oh my! I took Connor yesterday to pick up the packet. Inside was a cute little badge which he LOVES and I HATE! Click on the picture to be able to read it.

I told the secretary that giving that to us was a little cruel. Harsh reality!!!

On the sweet side, Connor is SOOOOOOOO excited. He would go right now. I, however, am going to enjoy these months before REAL school starts. Hmmmm. We definitely need to do more finger painting, park trips, and days of making forts.

A little break!

2009-03-09T20:44:00.001-07:00

Last week we spent away in Prescott. It was a much needed break from the normal schedule! Jon and I had to laugh when the boys would ask in the afternoon if Dad had to go to church that night. When we said "no" they wondered why there was no church in the mountains. We had to do a little explaining about how there was "church", just Dad didn't work at them. Maybe our break was a little long overdue?!?!

It was good to do ordinary and simple things together. Time really passed quite slowly, which was a great change. Here are some of the things that made us smile! Some of the pictures have Connor's artwork along with them . . . he spent quite a bit of time drawing. So fun!

The weather was especially windy the first couple days. So, on a trip to Walmart to get the toothpaste I forgot, Jon picked up a couple kites. Well worth the dollar! All three boys had so much fun!! Kyndall and I giggled at them and worked at keeping warm.

We found several letterboxes! Our family has had so much fun exploring different trails and finding the stamps on the path. Of course, it is much better when we actually find the "treasure" since there have been a couple times when the box was missing or we weren't smart enough to figure out the location. Our next goal is to leave our own box for others to find. Notice Connor's walking stick and "X" to mark the spot. Fun!

The boys loved feeding the ducks at the lakes we visited. However, we had to remind them that the bread was for the ducks and not to eat themselves! We caught Connor snacking on the old, dry bread pieces several times. Really, we do feed him! He has been on a serious feeding frenzy the last couple weeks . . . oh no! Here comes the next size of clothes! In Connor's picture, I am the one with strange pigtail like things coming out of the side of my head. He calls them beautiful, so we will go with that! :)

It was good to be together!

Night O' Fun!

2009-02-10T20:28:00.000-08:00

We needed a fun night out . . . and I had just the coupon for it! Yay! I love it when that happens. The Peter Piper Pizza opened last weekend just south of Anthem (and why didn't we think of this HUGE business opportunity!?!?). So, the booths were still pretty, the games virtually germ-free, and all employees were on their best behavior. SO FUN!!!

The kids had a blast . . . the parents too!!

Waiting for the fun to start!

Yummy! Anderson loves pizza!

Connor doesn't. He actually begs for everyones leftover crust. Too funny.

Kyndall sticks her tongue out for every bite. So silly!

She loved the little rides!! The boys rode the mini-carousel with her. Such sports!

Although she loved being on the rides, she held onto the sides the whole time! We had to pull her little hands off when it was time to get down. The tears!!!

A favorite! What makes this so fun?!? Is it the game or the chance for little red tickets??? Who knows . . . but I still love to play them!!

I see a future in skee ball!

Nine Months Old . . . Already!!

2009-01-31T20:18:00.000-08:00

Kyndall turned 9 months old yesterday. Oh my! How has the time gone by so fast? And, how did we ever live without Kyndall Sadie in our home?

She now has 6 teeth (they are so funny!) and is crawling EVERYWHERE, pulling up to a stand, saying "bye-bye" with a little hand wave (not on demand . . . of course), and is eating so much. What an appetite!

Here are some pictures from January! She has . . .

. . . cheered for the Cardinals!! (Our family is so excited for tomorrow!!!)

. . . demolished a house. Anderson was a little upset.

. . . gone horseback riding. She loves this thing!! A special treat at Granddad and Grandma Hatch's house.

. . . and, kept her brothers busy! Yay!

We are so thankful for this sweet little girl. God is so good!!

Fun in Flagstaff!!

2009-01-20T13:42:00.000-08:00

Jon was with the high schoolers in Flagstaff this weekend for a conference. The kiddos and I went up on Saturday to join in on the fun!! Yea!

We bowled . . .

(Check out Anderson's sweet shoes!! He loved them. So funny!!!)

Played in the snow . . .

And, we hung out with the high school kids. They were so fun!! The boys were thrilled to play football with them, practice Kung Fu, and "hang out" as Connor called it.

Jon helped with the conference along with his friend Karl. Now that we are home, the boys have both found microphones and love pretending to be Daddy and Karl. So funny! They ask everyone questions, play games, find volunteers, and crack jokes. Oh my! Jon better watch out . . . he may have two eager helpers next time!

Tea Party Time

2009-01-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

The boys picked out a sweet little tea set for Kyndall's Christmas present. It is so cute and we got such a great deal on it! They said that they wanted to play tea party with her. I wasn't holding my breath for it actually happening (although I figured it would be more likely now, than later on when she is more interested).

However, they have been so sweet!

They have learned a lot too! They thought the little plates were cookies and pretended to dip them into the cups! We now have cups on saucers and they are asking Kyndall if she would like some sugar or cream. You should see how they use the teapot to fill everyone's cup. Classic! Definitely stuff for the memory book. They love their little sister so much!!!

Christmas Catch-up!

2009-01-04T23:10:00.000-08:00

Oh my! The end of December was full---sickies, celebrations, more sickies, and (despite the less-than-ideal health) lots of fun!

Connor ended up with infections in both ears, Anderson had pneumonia, and Kyndall had one ear infection. The counters were cluttered with medicines and we were house-bound right up until Christmas. Honestly, though, Jon's stocking was what suffered the most. Thankfully he is very forgiving and I have been able to gather up a couple of the items that I meant to stuff inside his stocking and have surprised him with them in the past week!

Here are some pics to show how we ended up celebrating on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day!!

We got out of the house to go to Christmas Eve service! Yea!

Kyndall did have tights on and cute black shoes, yada yada . . .

we were past that at this point! Ha!

The first clue in the Hatch Family Christmas Eve Treasure Hunt! They actually get sad when they find the presents since that means no more clues. So funny!

Treasure found!! Connor could "read" the names on the packages this year!! That was exciting for me! I think they are going to catch on to the pattern of what is inside . . . PJ's and books.

How long will I get the boys to dress in cute Christmas pajamas??? My bribes may have to get REALLY good pretty soon!

Breathing treatments and Christmas stories . . . hopefully they won't always go together!!

Chrismas morning!! Santa brought superheroes!! He knows just what characters the boys wanted. They wanted to open them up instead of open more presents. Go figure!

They were all curious about Kyndall's presents. Such sweet brothers!

A book from Daddy! It is perfect!!! It captured our struggle for Kyndall nicknames! (We called her Bubba, Buddy, and all sorts of boy terms when she first arrived. Old habits die hard!)

The boys' BIG surprise!! Such fun. They had to go out in the rain to see it. The pictures were taken a couple days later. Thanks to Papa and Adam for making it possible!!!! They are excited to work on it and finish it up. They have already talked about painting . . . oh dear.

The rest of the day was full of spoiling by grandmas, grandpas, aunts, and uncles. They are blessed to have so many special people who love them.

Perfect SMILE!

2008-12-16T19:39:00.000-08:00

Connor had his first visit to the dentist last week! He was such a trooper. He asked all sorts of questions and was thrilled to pick out strawberry toothpaste and grape flouride. Yum?!? All of his teeth looked great. I was so proud and relieved (since anything wrong would be MY fault)!!

He looks so big in the chair. Oh my . . . the milestones are piling up and my little boy is starting to look too big. Hmmm.

So thankful!!

2008-11-26T22:48:00.000-08:00

Our dinner time project this month was creating our thankful list. Last year we had to prompt the boys with things that they could be thankful for. This year, they ran the show. What fun for us! Connor started asking about what everyone was thankful for even as we were setting the table. I have to admit, that not everything made the list. Not so much that I was censoring it (well, maybe sometimes) but mostly because I got caught up in the conversation and by the time I had a chance to record what had been shared, my memory failed. Argh.

Some disclaimers and side notes . . . order does not matter. We really only added one thing a night. Some nights were skipped and some nights we added a couple more.

To read the list, you can click on the pics and they will get big! I finally figured out how to do this. It has taken me awhile to catch on. :)

I know that my drawings are amazing (ha!). But, it is the only way for the boys to be able to "read" the list. So, draw I must. I do think I may invest in those "people colored" markers next year. It may improve my stick people a bit. Maybe.

God is really not the last. He is the first, the middle, and the end. We just saved His spot at the bottom.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Ponderings . . . is that even a word?!?

2008-11-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

As I was pouring little cups--our recycled Diego and Kung Fu Panda yogurt cups, mind you--of Goldfish for the boys, the thought crossed my mind that there may be a day when Goldfish crackers are for "babies" and the boys want nothing to do with them. My mind drifted for a moment and I thought of several more things that I may count as "annoying" somedays . . . and instead I should be treasuring.

Carrying Anderson! Andy often decides that his legs are REALLY REALLY REALLY hurting and needs to be carried. Yesterday it happened in the grocery store. I shrugged it off for awhile and he stayed in the plastic car at the front of the groceries. But his love bank must have been empty and he insisted on being held. So, I held him. I really don't know how I made it through Fry's pushing the awkward racecar cart of food with one hand, keeping track of Connor (yes, he needed out of the car now too), and making silly faces at Kyndall to keep her happy, all while hanging on to a limp 37 pound Anderson. Forget the grocery shopping. I must have been a sight. But, I know the day is coming that no one even wants to be at the grocery store with me and even the free cookies at the bakery won't help. Okay, I will treasure these moments and wink at my kids in the midst of it.

Buckling carseats. 3 of them. If everyone just sat down right away, very still, it may not be so challenging. But there are wiggles, lots of "help", and straps that are TOO tight even though they have not been adjusted since we were in the car last. And that is when everyone is in a good mood. Sometimes while I am buckling, we count or sing or play some sort of tickly game, and it makes the chore a little easier. In this carseat season, I think that I am going to be thankful that my kids are safely traveling to and from preschool, church, soccer, and the houses of friends in my backseat and I am the keeper of their schedule. I know it won't always be that way. Oh! I just remembered that one-two-buckle my shoe rhyme. I will have to use that next.

I am sure my Pollyanna game will need to continue. Right now, I am off to fill a sippie cup and check on someone who has been in the bathroom far too long.

An autumn adventure!

2008-11-18T19:22:00.000-08:00

We took a trip to see FALL colors and experience FALL temperatures (well, low 70's instead of high 80's) on Monday! What fun! The boys had a blast running in the grass, crunching leaves, following a creek, and climbing rocks.

Raspberries and more raspberries!!!

2008-11-18T19:02:00.000-08:00

Kyndall got a sweet gift from her auntie this weekend! So cute! My sister is so talented . . . and possibly has too much time on her hands!! What a lucky lil' niece.

Here is a video of the other raspberries that have been appearing at dinner. How do all these little babies learn to do such a frustratingly cute trick?!?! Luckily her cream colored shirt is still that color. Somehow it avoided the speckles of carrot. Praises!!

Celebrating SUPER ANDY!

2008-11-10T20:29:00.000-08:00

Anderson loves all sorts of superheroes, and so we celebrated his 3rd birthday with a Superhero Party!

Here are some pics!

Before Jon's "Superhero Training Course". He is such a creative game-guy! I love it!!

Aunt Jen's cupcakes were amazing!! Anderson, however, was a little unsure about having all the eyes on him. Good thing he had a brother and cousins to help him blow out the candles since he wanted nothing to do with it. We are giving Andy more candle-blowing opportunities with the leftover cupcakes. All is good!

Connor kept saying---"Andy, what did WE get???" Argh.

Their first clue in their hunt for Doctor Octopus and the prizes he had taken hostage. I love watching the kiddos run from clue to clue! Treasure hunts have become a sort of a Hatch family tradition. The boys can't get enough of them. Neither can Jon and I. And, I am sure little Kyndall will join right in as soon as possible.

These are a "hit"! Gotta love his smile.

Fall Festivities

2008-11-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

The last couple weeks have been busy with fall fun! Below are some pics from all of it . . . time sure does fly!!

Harvest Party on October 24th

We had 58 people in attendance! Wow! However, that included 27 kiddos at least 6 of which can't walk yet. It is great to have so many friends all in the same stage of life . . . we all understand when someone has to run away from a conversation to help a kid. So great!

Carving Our Pumpkin

Jon cleaned it out and I carved the face on it . . . good teamwork. Anderson would not have anything to do with feeling the "googly gook" inside of the pumpkin. So funny! We thought he was just being difficult so Jon playfully grabbed his hand and stuck it in. Oh the TEARS!!! We may have scarred him for life . . . time will tell!

Trick or Treating

Halloween night we went to Uncle Eric and Aunt Kris' house for dinner and trick or treating fun. Jared and Tyler were so fun as Anakin (Jared) and Diego (Tyler)!! Silly me didn't take one picture of all the kids together . . . I think I was a little distracted by all the fun! I did capture a couple pics before we left. Notice Anderson's change of heart . . . he ditched the cowboy duds for the Buzz Lightyear costume. Oh well. I figure whatever is in the dress-up box is game. We had a happy kid and didn't spend any extra money. Good enough!

Kyndall turned 6 months old!! Wow! She is truly a happy and easy-going little gal. Her giggles make all of us smile. I have tried to get them on film, but everytime I get the camera out, she gets distracted. Hopefully I will catch her by surprise soon!

Anderson's third birthday was yesterday!! He got to spend some quality time with Dad in the morning eating pancakes at McDonald's. He came home all smiles with a special Batman action figure. What a proud little guy he was!! When we picked up Connor, he got stickers from Connor's teacher. All the special treats made the fact that he and I are fighting a cold a little better! Yea! We are celebrating tomorrow night with family and friends . . . FUN!

Soccer Buds

2008-10-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

The Hatch brothers have taken the field for their first season of being on the same team! The first two practices and first game have been fun. Connor has taken a special interest in making sure that Anderson knows where to go and telling him what he should do. Gotta love big brothers!

The sweetest moment so far was before the first practice began. We were looking for their team on the field and so the boys were watching some bigger kids practice. Connor put his arm around Andy's shoulders and said so sincerely and with such excitement, "Andy, this is going to be so much fun!" Yes, I teared up. What else was I supposed to do?!?!

First team meeting! They named their team the "Elephants". I am a little concerned that a certain redhead may have suggested the name. Oh my!

Before the first game!

I was "Tagged".

2008-10-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch:

Survivor
Amazing Race
Jon and Kate Plus 8
Wheel of Fortune . . . wish it didn't come on during family time.
King of Queens reruns. They are new to me! :)
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse (So fun to watch with the boys!)
Curious George (I seriously do love this one, so calming!)
Sportscenter---really I have seen enough of it that I have grown to actually like it! Sick, I know.

8 Things that happened yesterday:

Made beans for a potluck.
Went to church!
Hung out with friends at a potluck!
Took a nap!! Not on the floor and not with a kiddo! Yea!
Danced with the boys . . . the little ones. :) Dad was at church.
Gave baths, read stories, tucked in two boys and a girl.
Breathed
Watched Amazing Race with Jon when he got home.

8 Favorite Places to Eat:

Home . . . at the table or on the patio.
Anywhere with happy kids who eat willingly!
The Islands
BJ's Pizza on Balboa Peninsula
Paradise Bakery (Love sharing a sandwich with my mom!)
Chipotle (It makes Jon so happy!)
Pizza on any beach . . . a ritual with Jon and I.
PBJ in any park . . . well almost any. Not too close to the ducks. Ugh.

8 Things I'm Looking forward to:

Our anniversary tomorrow!
Soccer season beginning
Seeing Andy in his jersey . . . so cute!
Annual Harvest party
Dressing the kiddos up to trick or treat with their cousins
Anderson's third birthday
Thanksgiving
Putting up the Christmas tree!!!!

8 Things on My Wish List:

A haircut . . . scissors are dangerous around me right now!
A completed "to-do" list . . . completely unrealistic, I know.
A trip to see the changing leaves.
Time to read the book on my nightstand.
New knock-knock jokes to teach Connor . . . the current ones are getting OLD.
More hair on Kyndall's head . . . so a barrette will stay!
Time to watch August Rush . . . we borrowed it months ago from a friend.
Being able to take a class towards my Master's.

8 People I tag??? How about "The 8 people I wish had a blog":

Jen
Janeen
Uncle David
Jon
Tina
Karyn
Aunt Regina
Kris

Thanks Alli and Audrey . . . now people know how goofy my life really is! Hee hee!!

Yum?!?!

2008-10-07T20:45:00.000-07:00

Our perfect 8pm till 7am sleeper has been waking up several times in the middle of the night fussy and seeming hungry . . . so we decided to try a serving of rice cereal tonight to possibly help with the tummy grumbles.

The boys thought the stuff looked good . . . I would have to argue that one. It was fun watching her figure out what to do! Her tongue played with it and her faces were classic. And, I was happy to pull out a PINK bib and PINK baby spoon for the occasion! No mixing up these "first eating pics" with the ones from the boys!

You have to love Anderson's encouraging words! "Is that yummy??? Is it???" Hee hee!!

To Infinity and Beyond!!

2008-10-02T15:00:00.000-07:00

All the links from our "Countdown to Disneyland" chain were all pulled off Saturday morning. It was time to head to the airport and begin the Hatch family vacation with Jon's family---our family plus Granddad and Grandma Hatch, Uncle Jason, Aunt RJ, Deanna, Dylan, and Aunt Jen!!

Connor put his Mickey Mouse ears on about 2 seconds after we woke him up at 5:30am to catch our flight. He was so excited!! We brought Anderson's ears with us too . . . but he maybe wore them for 2 seconds throughout the whole trip. It wasn't worth the picture to force him into it.

We headed to the beach to play after we landed. Okay, honestly, everyone else played and I shivered. It was really chilly!

We celebrated Grandma Hatch's birthday at Goofy's Kitchen! The boys loved getting to be up close with the characters . . . and their dad loved the dessert buffet.

We spent the rest of the time at Disneyland and California Adventure. Some of the favorite rides were Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters (everyone loves this one!), Toy Story Mania (can anyone guess what our favorite movie is?!?!), Autopia, the entire Bug's Life Land, and The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I say these are our favorites, but if you start talking about practically any other ride to Connor and Andy, that one would need to be added to the list also. Fun stuff!

Bat fanatics!

2008-09-17T20:44:00.001-07:00

Last week I pulled out the bat unit I created when I was teaching and Connor and Anderson and I have been working on it. I guess in a way it is my attempt to justify the two huge cabinets of school stuff I have sitting in my garage.

However, the boys have been loving it! They know more about bats than really necessary---especially the stuff about the "guano". We have read books and sequenced a story, made a chart, and watched a couple of videos. There has been more "squeaking" around our house than really necessary, but all in the name of learning!

To entertain us parents, Jon and I scared them with a HUGE bat that we hung over one of the doorways in our house after they went to bed. I had picked it up one year really cheap after Halloween and stuck it in my file unused. We laughed the whole time we assembled it thinking about what Connor and Andy's reaction would be in the morning. Their faces met our expectations! So funny!

We topped it off on Monday night with a trip to watch the bats emerge from their roost near the Biltmore area in Phoenix. So fun!

Worth the wait . . . and the crazy looks I got from my family while they wondered if the bats were really going to show up. They did! It just took them a little bit after sunset. I guess they were sleeping in a little.

The "story" continued . . .

2008-09-17T20:44:00.000-07:00

Well, today someone may have asked what Anderson's story was . . . but not meant it in the same way. Argh.

Apparently, he was "delightful" during his Bible class this morning according to his teacher. But immediately afterward had a change of heart. He wanted to be held. Unfortunately, I had Kyndall in my arms since she was too grumpy and sleepy for her carseat. Along with her I had her "bucket" seat, diaper bag, my purse, Bible, and the crafts and papers from Connor and Andy's class. Holding him wasn't an option. So he proceeded to have a fit---falling to the ground, begging while holding onto my feet, refusing to get in the car, and screaming nasty words while we were driving home (yes, "stupid" is considered evil in our house). Needless to say, it was a tough day.

Two year olds! Gotta love them!! Good thing for Anderson that I truly do.

What's HIS story?!?!

2008-09-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, I got the chance to take Anderson to storytime at the library all by himself since Connor was in preschool and Kyndall was being cuddled at home by Grandma Hart. This week has been a little crazy and I honestly was tempted by the idea of letting Dora the Explorer entertain us, but we pressed on with the original plan and even made it to the library on time.

This was the first storytime for only 2 year olds of the new school year and really Anderson's first time ever. He didn't know what to expect and was a little shy at the beginning. But, he warmed up. He counted the monkeys, guessed which color house the mouse was in, clapped for the stories, and did the Hokey Pokey. He sat on his carpet square (of course he picked orange, his favorite!) and stood right next to me when he was doing the rhymes to get all the wiggles out. At one point, he needed to be held. But after a minute or so, he was right back in the action.

At the end of the planned activities, they put out some puzzles, and Anderson waited in line for his shot at them. They were 8-10 piece puzzles with pegs . . . so last year for him. Ha! But, he waited for a kid to finish each one so that he could have a turn. When he finished them all, he told me he was ready to go home. About that time, a mom came to me and asked me--"What's HIS story?" I was a little unsure of what she was asking but she then asked why he listened so well while the other kids were running around and why he paid such close attention. Honestly, I hadn't noticed so much. It was just Andy. But, it started me thinking about what HIS story was . . . here is what I have come up with.

He has an older brother who ADORES him. Honestly. Connor doesn't want to do anything fun without him. I think that has made Anderson try that much harder to do everything that Connor does. They will get to play soccer together on the same team this year and I don't know who is more excited---Connor or Andy. Both of their eyes lit up when we told them. He tries every stunt, laughs at all the jokes, and watches whatever Connor does.

Anderson ADORES his little sister. Truly. She can barely let out a cry before Anderson is telling me that she is upset and running to figure out if he can help. When we got ready to go to the store last week, he was busy gathering a binky, blanket, and doll for Kyndall. He talks to her while she swings, "reads" stories to her, puts on Superhero shows while she plays in the exersaucer, and replaces her binky when it falls out because she is giggling at him.

He cracks his parents up and tests our ability to discipline with a straight face in the midst of a hilarious moment! He has called his dad an "idiot" at the dinner table (I don't think he will do that again, but it was a classic Hatch family moment) and calls down to me while heading upstairs for his nap---"Goodnight sweetheart". His arms cross in front of him as he supervises anyone elses puzzle doing. You can actually see him tense up if a piece is being tried in the wrong spot. His favorite sayings are, "Aw man" and "you've got to be kidding me". Lately his favorite Diamondback is "Andy Jackson" . . . if there is a Connor (or Conor) Jackson, there must be an Andy Jackson too, right?!?!

Of course, he has his two-year-old moments, but most of the time he is a pretty easy-going kid with a special spunk about him.

I guess I am not sure what his "story" will be, but I am so thankful that I get to watch it unfold. God has been so good to give us an Anderson . . . alongside a Connor and a Kyndall.

Ready or not, here we come!

2008-08-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

Friday is normally Jon's day off and our day for family fun. Yesterday we started with an early morning game of hide and seek! Such fun! Connor and Anderson are getting better at hiding . . . and staying in their spot long enough for someone to actually find them. Kyndall loves to be a part by tagging along with the seekers.

Jon and I love hiding the boys. They are just the right size to fit in all kinds of great places. And, if they are anything like their dad, they won't grow out of that anytime soon. We have found Jon cramed into the top shelf of a closet (yes, I would have liked to have a video of him getting in there), perched on a plant shelf, and curled up like a ball and looking like dirty laundry---so much so that it took over ten minutes to find him. So, thankfully, I think we have many more games of hide and seek in our future.

Here are some of our favorite spots during this round. I only wish you could hear the muffled giggles from the "hider", the squeals when the "seeker" gets startled, and those precious looks of anticipation when we reminded them to be quiet in their spot and when they began their hunt very cautiously not wanting to get scared. Oh, and the counting was funny too. My favorite number was eleven-teen. Not to mention the new order that Anderson gave to all the numbers over 15. Classic!! Such great laughs and memories.

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A Preschool PRO!

2008-08-19T15:44:00.000-07:00

It was Connor's first day of preschool! He had been looking forward to this morning for weeks. This past weekend he kept asking if it was Tuesday yet. So, this morning when he could see on our calendar that today was preschool, he had a great big smile! He did great!! Wish I could say the same for his mom. I saved face, for the most part, in front of him. But the drive back home was a disaster. Boo hoo! It almost felt tougher because he was so happy and acted so independent. Funny---it is what we wanted for him, but it also hurt my "mommy heart". Here are some pics from this morning.

All ready to go!

I know he is still little, but there are times when he seems so BIG.

This is one of them!

Getting settled with his teacher, Ms. Bobbi. She is so sweet!!

It seemed that Connor was thinking---

"Mom--are you really still here?!?! How many times do I have to tell you goodbye? I am fine. And, why are your eyes so red and shiny? You are ridiculous!!!"

One of Connor's first day projects. I was smart and didn't read it till I got home. Then I cried without embarassment. Ha! Pathetic, I know.

Olympic Fever has hit the Hatch house!

2008-08-17T21:50:00.000-07:00

We are all into the Olympics . . . and, yes, Jon and I are a little blurry-eyed on some days after not using our better judgement and waiting for NBC to tell us to go to bed. Argh.

But, the funniest one is Connor. He really thinks that he is Michael Phelps. Really. I caught him hanging on to the edge of the couch and flinging himself backward (a perfect backstroke entry, might I add). It was hilarious. And, he thinks that he needs to bring a "swimming hat" (cap for the rest of us) and his shamu goggles (yes, very professional) to the waterpark next time. Oh my! I think it is Jon's turn to take him.

I guess he gets this honestly . . . I remember thinking that I was Mary Lou Retton and that my cartwheel across the living room was amazing. If only we adults could have that kind of confidence. The fun we would have!! And, who knows, maybe we would accomplish something great.

Thankful that God is the "judge" and He really does think we are a 10!!!

And the little one said . . .

2008-08-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

ROLL OVER, ROLL OVER!!!!

Kyndall officially started rolling over last night! Jon and the video camera were busy capturing the moment and I was snapping pics. So fun! Of course, it was after the boys had been to bed--when else does a little sister get the floor all to herself?!?!

We can't wait for you to see her in action!! Oh, the fun continues!

Getting Big!

2008-08-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Kyndall is 3 months old! We had to make a cake and celebrate!!

It is a tradition that started with Connor. When he turned 3 months old, Jon and I finally felt like we were getting into a groove as parents! Ha! We continuted the tradition with Anderson. And, now it was time to celebrate our family adjustments once again . . . a family of five and we are starting to get the hang of juggling all three kiddos . . . on most days anyways!

The boys loved singing to her and, of course, eating the cake. What Hatch boy would turn down an opportunity to eat chocolate cake?!?! I haven't met one yet. I love celebrating milestones . . . and we have definitely hit another one!

Feeling blessed!!

Connor's 4th Birthday! ROCKET PARTY!

2008-08-02T17:13:00.001-07:00

We got to celebrate Connor's 4th birthday on May 31st.

Connor had been telling us he wanted a "Rocket Party" since before Christmas. We really don't even know why he was stuck on the theme. Funny! But, ROCKET PARTY it was! Jon and I had so much fun thinking about the games and getting things ready . . . and all of his smiles throughout the evening made it all worth it! What a blessing to be able to celebrate our kiddos. God is so good!!

Oh . . . and Aunt Jen's cake was simply AMAZING!! Agreed?!?!

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Summer Fun!

2008-07-01T00:57:00.000-07:00

Our kiddos are SOOOO into birthday parties and so we had to celebrate my birthday with one this past week. It was perfect---a trip to eat at Red Robin and then we were off to see Kung Fu Panda! A super fun birthday night with all my favorite people!!