Hartley Home

Happy Halloween

2011-11-03T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hello October!!! We had a few fun adventures this month and I am trying to stay on top of documenting these precious moments, before I forget them completely!
At the beginning of the month Brynlee's preschool class took a field trip to the Adrian fire department. The kids learned all about fire safety and got to tour the fire truck and then run the water hose. Brynlee was pretty excited and Kellen was even more excited to run around and then splash in the giant puddles

The next week we got to take a field trip to Purdums. We took the tractor hay ride out to the pumpkin patch where Brynlee wanted a "different kind of pumpkin." We ended up with a striped orange and green pumpkin, which was better than Laney's typical white she likes to pick. The kids had fun playing in the maze and picking out apples to buy.

Laney and I took a quick over night trip to Utah to visit my friend Sara and her family. Laney and Hollie havent seen each other for a year, but they always pick up right where they left off. We hardly saw them, they played so well.

We had a great family home evening carving pumpkins and enjoyed how much more the kids can help out as they get older. It is so cold that our pumpkins all looked pretty sad a couple days later.

Both girls had fun halloween parties and Brynlee had a little performance. Laney got the Top banana in her class and got to have the bulletin board to show off. She was pretty proud and so were we:)

So if you cant tell, Laney is a horse, Brynlee is Rapunzel (although she hated wearing the blonde wig), and Kellen was a Rooster. We decided that Barry should dress up as a Hunter and have Kellen be his prey. The problem was then I got sucked into dressing up. So at the last minute I borrowed this prisoner costume from my mom and went as Barry's prisoner, haha the truth. Everybody got a kick out of it, and it was pretty painless. All in all October has been a busy month and we are excited for the change of weather and the Holidays.

i looked out the window!

2011-10-06T10:26:00.000-07:00

So I looked out the window and what did I see, two homeless looking children playing in the rain, staring back at me. I was making rolls and chix noodle soup for dinner and the next thing I know Brynlee has gotten two sizes to small hats for both her and Kellen and they have the four baby kittens cruising around in the wagon in the rain. These two are hilarious and pretty good friends, that is when they are not trying to kill each other.

Today was Rock N Roll grandparents day at the school. Grandpa Mark, Grandma Brenda, and Junie all joined Laney, Carson, and London is some real twistin and shoutin! I made Laney and Brynlee skirts last night at 9:00 and they were surprisingly easy and the girls were super excited. Thanks to Maria and Rachelle the project went well, because three brains who dont know what they are doing is better than one!

On Monday night Ed and Nancy were nice enough to invite all of the family to their pumpkin patch in Vale. THe kids all got to pick a pumpkin and then we roasted weiners and smores. It is always fun to get together with Romans clan and get caught up.

The weather is finally turning and Im pretty sure Kellen is turning into a full time goblin with it, but I gotta love him, he is my little monster. Two weeks ago he fell and hit his head on the kitchen cabinet and had to get 3 stitches. These were are first and he actually did great. Hope there are no trips to the doc any time soon.

Summer 2011

2011-09-12T13:15:00.000-07:00

Man, I am so far behind. I am hoping now that we are back to a school schedule, that I can get back to updating my blog at least once a month. So here's how our summer went down.

Fourth of July was at our house this year. We hosted the Hartley's that were in town and Julie's family, as well as Joey & Tiffany. The kids were hilarious, it was two extremes. We either had pyro's or fraidy cats(a.k.a brynlee). Julie's brother Dan finally got Kellen to hold a firework. He went from scared to death, to wow that was fun, in an instant.

We took swimming lessons in Vale for a week in July. THe girls really progressed. Laney was brave enough to go off the high dive for the first time, and I was so proud. Brynlee also got gutsy and went off the low dive with her teacher Olivia, who she loved. Kellen spent the week playing in the baby pool and getting me soaked. We love the Vale pool and spent many afternoons there swimming with friends.

The rest of the summer was filled with plenty of random activities. Brynlee had three dance performances. We got to the dam a few times with family, which is my personal favorite summer activity. We went to McCall a few more times, but I failed to take any pictures, except for this one of Kellen watching a movie in the car. Look closly at his ear, he kills me, I desperatley wish this kid had a desire to watch tv. Unfortunately he rather spend his time running around like a crazy man. And we got a new puppy right before school started. The kids all love her, and I have to admit she is pretty cute. Her name is Dot and she is a lot of fun. Kellen really loves her, but sometimes shows her his love by pushing her in the ditch when she is getting a drink. Luckily she is a good swimmer, but we think they are pretty cute together. We have also been trying to talk him into potty training so I call these two pictures "A boy and his dog" and "A boy and his frog."

Before we knew it school started. Laney is in second grade and has a really great class this year. I get to help out on Tuesday's and love seeing her in her element. Barry was asked to start teaching high school this year, which meant changing class rooms and changing curriculum. He has been very busy with his new schedule and coaching middle school football so we dont see him much, but we love him anyways. Brynlee had her first day of preschol today at Miss Krissy's and is so glad to be going to school too! And me, you ask, oh I am just truckin along keeping busy with being the mom! But thanks for wondering:)

A really long update

2011-07-02T16:23:00.000-07:00

It has been way too long, so I apologize for this long update. Lets start with the end of the school year. Brynlee had preschool graduation, which wasn't really her graduation because she will be attending preschool with dear Miss Krissy next year. She did a great job of singing and trying to keep her fingers out of her mouth, which is what she does when she is nervous.
Laney got an award at the end of year assembly as well as in her classroom. She is such a good girl and her teacher says she is a great student. Also i added a picture of her as an elephant in the 1st grade carnival.

My 30th birthday came and went and I am so glad to have hit 30. So many of our friends are already there so now I feel a little less like the baby of the group. My friend Misty made this beautiful cake for me, which was such a nice surprise and had to have been so time consuming. I got to go shopping and we had dinner with friends so it was a great 30th.

The girls had there spring recital and a summer performance. Laney clogs and Brynlee does ballet. They are so cute when they dance and I really think it builds confidence. We had to ride the rides and it almost broke the bank at the summer Fort Boise days performance. Barry got a hold of the camera and I thought he was taking a picture of me, but he says he is developing a new concept for a book of photos of WT people. If we become millionaires, dont be surprised:)

Summer has brought on softball for Barry and Rookies for Laney. It seems like we have a game or practise every night, but it has been worth it because I am proud to announce that Barry's team became the silver league champions. THey had to play three games in one night, in the heat, but pulled out three wins and had a great time doing it. All of Barry's brothers played on the team, but Chad had surgery and could't be there at the end. Kellen is obssessed with balls and bats. I have to play all day long. I never knew boys were such boys!

We hit the beach in McCall last weekend and the kids loved playing in the sand. The problem is that Kellen cant go anywhere without his mitt and balls. He is such a stinker, but we love how much he likes to play catch. The girls actually jumped in and swam even though the water had to have been freezing. Barry and I had a lot of fun watching each of the kids, they are so unique and we are slowly learning, mostly by trial and error, how to deal with each of them. We are having a fun summer so far. We work in the yard a lot and are trying to get our poor garden to grow. We are hoping to hit roaring springs, the pool, and the dam very soon.

Laney is 7!

2011-05-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe that my oldest baby is now 7! She is our amazing little toothless wonder. Being the oldest child means she is our poor little trial and error candidate, whether she likes it or not. Laney is an amazing little woman, who has the attitude of a teenager sometimes. She loves to negotiate, which we are trying hard to curb, but she definatley knows what she wants and trys hard to get it. She is such a good helper and is great at putting away her laundry, unloading the dishwasher, watching her little brother and sister, and vacuuming. She loves animals and does well with responsibility. When Laney grows up she wants a big red barn full of animals. So to show us she has taken it upon herself to feed our animals everyday. We have two rabbits, two cats, four brand new kittens, and two dogs. I feel like a regualar wild life preserve, but Laney loves it. For her birthday we went to Monkey Business with four friends. They had inflatables and a jungle gym where the girls had a great time. Monday was her actual birthday and Grandma Merlyn told Laney she would make anything she wanted so we had salmon, artichokes, and mint dessert. I am often wowed by her taste buds. She got to open presents with grandpa Mark and grandma Brenda later that night and was a total goof ball as she enjoyed having the two of them all to herself. We sure love our Laney girl and are blessed to have her be our oldest daughter!

Easter

2011-05-06T14:14:00.001-07:00

Our Easter festivities lasted all weekend and ended with way to much candy! We spent friday afternoon at Grandma Junie's with the Hartley bunch. We had an amazing easter egg hunt and Grandma Brenda put together some awesome gift bags for the kids to go home with. She also sat them down and talked about what the true meaning of Easter is and it was very special and a much needed reminder.

Saturday morning was the 4H cow hollow Easter egg hunt, put on by Julie and her 4H kids. They do such a great job and the park is blocked off into age categories so all the kids have a good time. This is a picture of Kellen and his buddy Porter. I said smile for the picture and Kellen put his bucket on the ground and put his foot in it, so of course Porter did the same. They are so funny together.

Easter morning was very fun, but I was most fond of the kids Easter clothes. Barry has made fun of me enough about dressing the girls alike, that now I just color coordinate. I love, love, love Kellen's big boy tie and cant believe how grown up our kids are getting. We had Easter lunch with the Skeen's and had another candy filled hunt. I swear all this Easter candy has been the death of my healthy eating.

Kellen turns 2!

2011-05-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

Our baby boy is officially a toddler and we can now diagnose his chaotic behavior as "the terrible two's!" haha. No, but really he is such a sweet boy, with tons of personality and he has his mother wrapped around his little finger. Kellen is all boy! He loves balls and trucks and would live outside if we would let him. He thinks he is a farmer and loves to see his grandpa's in the tractors, and loves to ride in them even more. Kellen is so expressive and is can say anything we ask him to. He will still cuddle with me if the moment is right, and he goes to bed like a champ. We love our little man and cant imagine a life without all his antics!

Random Spring Happenings

2011-04-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

Our little Kellen is growing up so fast. He has developed some habits that are quite interesting. He loves himself a shopping cart, because how else would he get around all of his tractors and cars. His dad is not real fond of this attraction, but we are living with it.

He also loves markers and he is quite the artist. He loves to draw on the walls, couches, but especially his body. It's a good thing his smile is so sweet!

Laney has become such a good reader and spends many nights skipping bedtime so that she can read to Brynlee. But on this day she actually got Kellen to sit still and read with her, it was very cute.

In between conference sessions on sunday we decided to take a picnic and drive to the dam. The river is over flowing and Kellen yelled water out the window the entire drive. There were tons of people up there, but we had a great time getting outside. We are excited for the weather to change so we can play outside more.

Mexico

2011-03-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

Aahhh Mexico how I loved you, that is until I got home and had swollen, bitten feet and a head cold, that made me feel like I had been hit by a mac truck. I wont even talk about the weather that greeted me. We had a wonderful time soaking up the sun, dancing the night away, swimming with turtles, and laughing our butts off. It sounds glamorous but there is plenty of drama to wipe that idea away. I should have known better, I truly believe the world was spinning against me the week before we left. My home phone quit working for days, a lady hit a power pole on my road and knocked my power out for a day, did i mention that I was the only home affected by this power outage, honestly! There were plenty other miner mishaps that i wont take the time to mention, but the moral of the story is I should have known it wouldn't be smooth sailing, literally. We stayed at a great all inclusive resort called the Barcelo. It was very nice, with tons of things to do and gorgeous beaches. It was all you can eat, and believe me we did, as well as all the virgin pina coladas and strawberry daiquiris we could drink. Out favorite thing was the ice cream every night. My addiction was the coconut and Barry's was the cookies and cream. Our first afternoon of scuba diving we were all a little nervous. The water was very choppy and a lot of us started getting sea sick right away. Diving backwards out of a boat was one of the scariest things I have done in a long time. Barry and I were totally hyperventilating as we tried to remember everything we learned 7 months ago. Once we could calm our breathing we headed down and saw amazing fish, turtles and a beautiful under world. We used a lot of oxygen when we were freaking out so Barry ran our of oxygen after about 30 minutes so being buddies we had to head to the boat. As soon as we got to the surface I knew I was in trouble. Barry was trying to help me get my equipment off and get into the boat when suddenly I began to spew. Not just a little and my poor husband stayed right by my side as I lost probably everything I had eaten in days. The sea sickness did not stop there, one by one everyone entered the boat and got sick. It was disgusting but funny at the same time. In no way did that deter our group. We were back out the next morning ready to go. Again I got sick, What the heck! The third day I took a Dramamine before diving and it helped a ton, but I did have to miss the afternoon dive so I could take a nap. So somewhere a long the way i got several bites on my feet that continued to swell and get infected as the trip went along. So we spent three days diving and a day at the awesome zip lines of Xplor. We waited in long lines but had an exhilarating time flying above the jungle on 14 different zip lines. Some of them landed us in cenotes (fresh water ponds inside of caves), which was very cool. Then we drove john deere gators through jungle paths and into caves. We really had a blast with amazing friends and scenery. Were so grateful for all of the help taking care of our kids, who got sick while we were gone. We missed them so much, and had to wake them even though we got home at 1:00 a.m. They loved their little mexican trinkets and they love all the pictures of the iguanas. The feet finally feel better with an expensive trip to the dermatologist, several creams and antibiotics. Real life is back in full swing, but paradise was nice while it lasted, drama and all!

Christmas Chaos

2011-01-06T14:52:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderfully chaotic christmas filled with love, laughter, and a lack of sleep. We went to the annual Romans Christmas Eve party, where all of the children participated in the nativity and the biggest kid of all got to read it. The girls got pillow pets from great grandpa ken and grandma renae. It has been one of their most favorite gifts as they sleep with them every night. We split time between the Hartley's and Skeen's on Christmas day and had a lot of fun watching the kids open presents and having all three of them actually understand what was going on. After Christmas we went to McCall to what we like to call the "Hartley Compound" for four days of winter fun. We were there with all of the Hartley's cousins and everyone had a blast, the kids sled, the men snowmobiled (and didn't die mind you) and the women cooked, cleaned, and found ways to keep the children out of our hair:) J/K We had fun too. We played games late into the night and Barry and I even got to sneak away one afternoon and went snowboarding with Mike and taught Steele, Regan, and Sailor to ski. The high for that day was 8 degrees, but we all had to work pretty hard at not falling so we were plenty warm. Barry and I are hoping that we will have more opportunities this winter to get our pre-children snow boarding skills back in working order. For New Year's we played a rousing game of "Minute to Win it" and enjoyed a little friendly competition. It was a great break, followed by the stomach flu for me, but we are all good now. We're blessed to have wonderful family and friends who made 2010 an amazingly fun year.

Las Vegas

2011-01-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

We got crazy and decided to head to Vegas right before Christmas to support our beloved broncos. We went with some friends and left at 4:00 on Tuesday afternoon and got to Vegas at 3 a.m. The girls went to sleep and the boys went out to be boys! We had so much fun playing, shopping, and eating! Luckily the broncos won, but even if they hadn't we still would have had a blast. The trip was way to fast, but we would do it again in a heart beat. Go Broncos!

Sledding and my Dancing Queens

2010-12-15T20:13:00.000-08:00

We had a snow day, which never happens so we totally took advantage of it. We got together with some friends and family and hooked some sleds up to the tractor at grandpa and grandma Hartley's house and cruised up and down the road. Then we ventured onto a hill and had the snowmobiles carry the lazy bumbs and their sleds up the hill. Kellen loves to ride in the tractor and never seems to get cold. Laney enjoys any kind of adventure, but Brynlee like to play it safe.

The girls had their winter dance program and both did a really good job. Laney Cloggs and Brynlee is in Ballet. We love to watch them and Brynlee's group is a hoot and half. They danced for Great grandpa Hartley at the Nyssa Garden's and will be dancing at some basketball games through the winter.

Life has definately been busy. Between dance, school, being the primary president, and trying to stay sain; we moved! We moved into Barry's parents home that his brother used to live in. We have so much more space and are absolutely loving it. We feel so blessed and even got to host thanksgiving for the first time. So now that we are all moved in, I will try harder to stay updated!

Gotta love him

2010-12-15T20:07:00.001-08:00

When Kellen does things like eat a marker,
I try very hard to remember this boy and not beat him:)

Brynlee's 4th Birthday

2010-12-15T19:46:00.000-08:00

Miss Brynlee Ann turned 4 on November 21st. She was so excited for this big milestone and her first birthday party with friends. We celebrated at her preschool thanksgiving feast with turkey cupcakes. Which I spent way to much time on, since the kids all eat the frosting and then throw them away:) Then on saturday we combined parties with a friend and took a bunch of girls to Bounce in meridian. It was so much fun and wore the kids out. Brynlee got a tent, sleeping bag, and head lamp that all fit into a backpack and she has loved it, as you see especially the head lamp:) Brynlee is getting so much more grown up and has become my little buddy while Laney is away at school. She loves to make Kellen laugh and is naturally very motherly. She is always making us laugh and has a lot of her dad's personality, which makes her super fun. We love her very much and couldn't ask for a more entertaining middle child!

Happy October

2010-11-01T20:02:00.000-07:00

October has been filled with field trips to the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, trick or treating and spending time with family. The kids enjoyed decorating the house with the millions of gourds that grew in our garden and changing costumes daily. Both the girls had school parties and programs. Laney was invited to sing at the senior citizens with a group of first graders and she did a great job doing sign language as she sang. Brynlee spent the majority of her preschool program trying to sing with a sucker in her mouth, but we still adore her. Kellen has been performing daily for us. He is talking so much and we love to test his skills. His first big word was football, so his daddy couldn't be prouder. I love the fall and am enjoying these last few warm days we have left. Life has been busy and crazy and a little stressful, but what would we do if it wasn't?!?

September

2010-09-23T09:16:00.000-07:00

September has literally flown by. The girls are both enjoying school (Laney 1st grade and Brynlee preschool). Which has left Kellen with some free time to learn about adventuring around hte house. After watching Laney sharpen all her pencils for school Kellen thought the sharpen looked like a fun toy. Here is the progression of his thought in pictures. Keep in mind he is only 18 months and everything still always ends up in his mouth.

Then he discovered the horse, which he has to ride like a wild man and almost fall off. Then he laughs when he almost falls off because of course that's funny. But now when he laughs at himself he chuckles so hard he puts his hand over his mouth. The kid is killing me, he is so stinkin cute and I love how much personality he is getting. Boys definatley keep you on your toes, but I wouldn't trade him for a second.

His last discovery has been that of friendship. He loves his cousin Rhett and when he sees him or even when we say he is going to see him, his eyes light up and he gets so excited. THese two boys have all sisters and are going to need each other a lot as they get older. There just too cute!!!

Summer is officially over, here's a recap!

2010-08-25T14:07:00.000-07:00

School started today and I can't beleive it. I am already feeling more organized, just sending one kid off to school. It is amazing how much better behaved Brynlee is when Laney isn't around. Anyways we had a fast but fun-filled summer. The first thing i discovered this summer is that Kellen loves the sprinklers, clothes and all. He is all about keeping up with his sisters and not missing out on a thing. They all love to be outside and that is okay with me.

During thunderegg days the fire dept. had an open house so the kids were excited to go and see where daddy goes to play every monday night. Barry has really enjoyed being a volunteer firefighter, and the kids think it way cool too!

Uncle Frank worked on the farm this summer and loved to stop by some excitment for the kids. They love him and Alicia and bringing birdies by makes him even cooler. They moved out to Virginia and we are missing them terribly.

Then there was scuba!!! We took scuba lessons this summer and loved them, except when I had to take my mask off under water. We did our final dives up in McCall and surpringly didn't freeze to death. It was a lot of fun getting certified and we are looking forward to our first scuba trip in Feb.

We really didn't go any where this summer excpet for McCall, which is fine by me. We all love to get away to the cabin and it works out even better that the car ride is not very long. We had a lot of fun playing with everyone in the Skeen family and look forward to this mini reunion every summer. The kids love the beach even though the water is cold and Kellen is defintely my little surfer boy.

Summer was great and adventure filled, but I am to lazy to share any of the good stories, so this short recap will have to do.

Our summer so far

2010-07-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile so I thought I better get our lives updated. Summer seems to be going by faster than I can keep up. Kellen is walking and causing all sorts of trouble. I now know why people with boys end up making so many trips to the ER. The boy thinks he is spider man and seems to constantly have battle scars all over his face. It is a good thing he is so stinkin cute.
Laney has been playing t-ball and is the only girl on her team. They are the best little team I have seen and it looks a little more like little league then 5 and 6 years olds. She is learning a lot from all those boys and doesn't seem to notice that she is the only little woman out there.

The girls took swimming lessons and continue to get braver. Laney even went off the diving board, she loves the slide, and diving for rings. Brynlee is a fish, but still feel more secure with her water wings on. Kellen also loves the water and would love it if I would just let him go. He is becoming Mr. Independent.

We spent our 4th of July weekend in McCall having a great break from the mundane. We went on some bike rides, jogs,went swimming at burgdorf, ate lots of ice cream from ice cream alley, and rode our friends new Razors(they are like a 2 person four wheeler/ doon buggy) and mopeds. The fireworks were amazing as always and we had tons of fun. Were hoping summer will slow down so we can enjoy it!!!

Laney is 6

2010-05-04T13:39:00.000-07:00

The much antisipated 6th birthday has finally come. Laney asked to get her ears peirced so "when is my birthday?" has been the only topic discussed in weeks. I took cupcakes to her class on friday and she was a little more shy than I expected. Then a few friends rode home on the bus with her and we went bowling. Let's just say that 10 frames is a bit much for 6 & 7 years olds. On Saturday we took her and Britain to Boise on a date. She picked out the cutest pink flower earrings and didn't act like the peircing hurt at all. We had a wonderful afternoon minus the little brother and sister.

To top it all off we had her and Brynlee's dance recital Saturday night and it was quite intersting. THe girls did great and we were very proud. Sunday (her actual bday) was spent with family and all together Laney had a great birthday weekend. I will be glad next year when her birthday lands on a monday and we can do it all in one day:)

No I did not beat my child, though I have thought about it:)

2010-05-04T13:04:00.000-07:00

So Brynlee got a black eye walking in front of the neighbor girl on the horse (tire) swing. But I have to admit I am shocked at how many people honestly looked at me like i was a child abuser. Again yes the thought has crossed my mind, I mean she is three and takes a lot after her dad, but that said I was shocked. The shiner just wouldn't go away, in fact it seemed to get uglier and uglier as time went on. Here is my attempt at documenting the damage.

Little Man turns the big #1

2010-04-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Kellen turned one yesterday and I can't beleive a year has passed by so quickly. He has been so much fun and really a pretty good baby. He is getting so much personality and I just want to smother him with kisses when he laughs and smiles. Brynlee couldn't stand it anymore and drove Kellen's big red car into him as soon as he woke up. He was so excited and spent most of the day in it being pushed around or just trying to make the horn honk. We had a little party in the evening with just a few aunts and uncles and grandpa's and grandma's. He got lots of fun things to make noise with, get him around faster, and look so cute in. I may be partial but I think my big man is so stinking cute with a spike. His dad hates it, but endulged me for the day.

And boy does this little man love his grandma's!

Spring Update

2010-04-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy spring, cold, but busy. We enjoyed our Spring Break and spent a couple of days at a cabin with some friends, worked in the yard and took swimming lessons! My kids all love the water and we can't wait for summer to get here so we can go swimming all the time.

We had a Hartley Family birthday BBQ and got to put Grandpa Mark's christmas present to use finally. Looks like grandpa had a story going around the fire.

Barry's grandpa hates getting his picture taken, so this was as good of shot as I could get, looks like Kellen is following in his footsteps.

Then of course there was Easter. My friend Sara, her hubby, and daughter Holly came from Utah to spend the weekend with us and the girls were inseperable.

Julie and the 4H put on an amazing hunt at cow hollow park.

Barry attempted to teach Kellen how to get candy for him, but once he crawled to one he was content to eat on it.

Sorry there are more pictures then writing, but they seem to tell the story better than I can:)

mondays. . . not my favorite day of the week

2010-03-08T10:46:00.000-08:00

In my attempt to avoid getting on the treadmill I noticed that I haven't blogged in almost a month, thank goodness! I have so been enjoying the sunshine and many walks/runs outside as well as being able to play with my kids on the swing set, and now today stinking rain:( Rain, laundry, dishes, isn't that just typical of a monday. Okay out with the gray. Things are good around here. I went to the stake releif society meeting on saturday (props to my momma) and so enjoyed the different speakers. I will be trying harder to love and serve others more, as well as ridding myself of the guilty feelings that Satan tries to sneek into our lives. One of the teachers read a little story depicting what we all have the perfect women built up to be in our heads, and then quickly told us that she does not exist. We all need to quit striving to be (in my own words) Betty Crocker, Heidi Klum, Martha Stewart, Jo Frost (the parenting expert), and Mother Teresa. And just try to be the best daughter of God that we can be. I liked that a lot, as well as the idea that when we are serving others we forget ourselves, which I think a lot of times help rid us of negativity. Sometimes we just need reminded how much we are loved and how blessed we truly are. Now dont think I am getting to zen because I still have Brynlee to keep me grounded, she grabbed Barry's face in the middle of the sacrament and loudly explained to him, "Dad poop is a very bad word!" I love when they save those moments for the quietest part of church. Hope you all have a happy monday:)

My shadow

2010-02-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

Goodbye days of a stationary baby, hello little shadow. Kellen has been crawling for a month or so, but just this week i really noticed how adventurous he is getting (maybe its because I have been so stinking busy)! If he is not following me around the house, he is searching out a tiny crumb in the corner or polly pocket to choke on. He has also discoverd the stairs and thinks those look fun to fall down, or maybe he'd rather use the toilet to stand up on, and chasing the vaccuum is another pastime. If non of this is occuring then you will find him hanging on my legs crying. I love my little guy but he is growing up way to fast.

Kellen also has a mouth full of chompers now that he loves to pull an unsuspecting hand into and bite! It's a good thing he is so cute and such a happy boy.

The other day it was actually sunny and Barry took the kids outside to play with them. I was so grateful and then I looked out the window and this is what I saw.

What a good husband and dad I am married too. He has been so helpful and supportive with my new calling. I am a lucky girl! Anyway this is a random blog, but it's what we've been up to.

Wild winter weekend

2010-01-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

We took the chance to head up to McCall this last weekend and get in some sledding. Brett & Katie were nice enough to keep Brynlee for us while we went to the Fiesta Bowl so we wanted to treat them for keeping our currently hardest child. We ended up taking Britain and London with us since their baby brother Rhett was born and they were great.

The kids had a lot of fun playing in the back yard and going tubing behind the four-wheeler. THe big kids (meaning Barry and Brett) loved making a "Man cave" where Katie and I figured they went off to snuggle. Paisley & Brynlee enjoyed it also!

We were lucky that the neighborhood fox came to visit and enjoyed some of our bacon, the girls loved that.

Also I kept waiting for the runs to come on considering the large amounts of snow that the kids injested from what ever surface they could scrap it from. Altogether we had a great time, but we adults all agree it is time for an adult only weekend!

Fiesta Bowl Frenzy

2010-01-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

We were lucky enough to get to go the Fiesta Bowl and cheer on our Broncos on to a big win. Barry and I both graduated from there and haven't missed many games since 2001. We spent five warm days in the sunshine and are grateful to my Uncle Trace for letting us stay at his house. We joined the festivities and attended the parade and a pep rally down by ASU. It was fun to see all the Bronco fans travel so far to support the team. Kellen and I got interviewed by Channel 2 and got a breif showing on the news. People wondered why we took Kellen, and well the main reason is because he is such a stinkin momma's boy. But he honestly was such an amazing boy, he never cried and clapped his hands all through the pep rally and the game. He even refused to nap during the four hour game. Santa brought him a jersey with Kellen on the back and he wore it and some BSU sneakers and random people on the street would stop us and ask to take his picture. He was loving being the center of attention. The only problem is that this week he wonders why mom cant hold him all the time and why nobody is making over him. We had a great time with my family and are so glad we got to witness history.

Brynlee turns 3

2009-12-05T21:06:00.000-08:00

Brynlee turned 3 on Nov.21 and loved being the big birthday girl. We had a hartley family birthday party early in the month where i made a giant cupcake shaped bubble gum cake. It was a hit with the kids and Brynlee thought it was her birthday for the entire month. We had the hardest time figuring our what to do to celebrate, but I finally had the idea to go to Ontario for swimming and she was ecstatic. We invited her cousin Paisley to join us and they were so cute spending the whole time counting to three and jumping off the edge. She got tons of cute presents and we even had her favortie waffles for breakfast and then her other favorite, rice for dinner. She is a pretty simple eater, but a wonderful girl. She is tons of fun and is getting more mature everyday . She loves to read stories and you will always find her with a purse and a baby in tow. She is a bit more, what shall we call it, adventurous than I would prefer, but hey she keeps it lively. We love her very much and are excited to see what age 3 will bring!

Kellen's first girly moment

2009-12-05T20:57:00.001-08:00

Kellen had his first experience being dressed up by his sisters this week. I am sure this will not be the last, but i had to laugh because I thought he was stinkin cute. HE is getting so grown up. He is sleeping better at night now, mostly only getting up for one to two bottles. He loves sitting up by himself and playing with toys. And he also loves to watch his sisters run circles around him, if he can see them playing, he is a happy camper. He is getting so much more cordinated; feeding himself, giving open mouth kisses on the cheek, clapping, and an occasional wave are a few of his many talents. Oh, and we enjoy bath time most of all. He is a sweetheart and we are so glad that we have our little man and sweet girls in our home to keep us straight!

Halloween

2009-11-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

Halloween is always crazy, but it was so nice that it was on a Saturday this year. Barry and I went to the Boise State game with Katie and Brett and then raced back to get all the kiddos ready for a treat filled evening. Laney loves trick or treating, but Brynlee is still a bit to shy and scared to get very into it. Kellen was completely oblivious, which was great. We stopped by lots of our country neighbors and all our grandma's. The trunk or treat was crazy, but we were grateful for a fun filled Halloween!

California

2009-11-09T14:13:00.000-08:00

We had a ton of fun traveling to visit Frank in NOrthern California mid October. It was an 11 hour drive, but well worth it. We got to see Frank's football team win their first game, and Frank had an awesome game. The girls got to swim, we saw the ocean and drove through the beautiful Redwood National Park. Barry even got to see some elk, which was his highlight. We got to meet Frank's future wife's family and they were very nice. We are glad we went but wont be taking any other road trips anytime soon!

Corn Maze

2009-09-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday Katie had a great idea to go to a corn maze in Meridian, but this is not just any corn maze, there is all sorts of fun to be had. They had a giant jumping pillow that is buried in the ground, pony rides, a cow train, slides, a corn sand box, go-carts, pig races, duck races, food, a pumpkin patch, and of course the maze. The kids had so much fun, they could have stayed all day. The daddies had fun too, which is not typical for an outing like this. I would reccomend this place to any of you looking for a family fun day and there is a coupon on the website for a dollar off each person www.farmsteadfestival.com.

Rock N Roll Day

2009-09-28T06:42:00.001-07:00

Laney has been looking forward to grandparents day at school for weeks. I swear you shouldn't tell kids about anything till right before it happens. Anyway she was exstatic about wearing a poodle skirt (because it had a dog on it) and dancing with her grandma's. I went to take pictures and loved seeing her shake her booty. She was very lucky to have her Grandma Brenda, Grandma Merlyn, and Grandma Junie there. What a lucky girl!

Laney loves kindergarten

2009-09-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

I can't beleive i have a child in school! And i totally thought I was ready for it, but the closer it got the more scared I was. I have to admit that i did break down a little after dropping her off the first day, but I have been golden ever since. She loves her teacher and everything from riding the bus to recess. I love that she loves it and I love how much more I seem to be able to get accomplished without her and Brynlee fighting all of the time. Waking up at 7:00 has also helped me get my butt into gear. School is wonderful so far and I pray that she never stops enjoying it!

We finally have the internet

2009-09-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

Finally, we bought a lap top and have wireless internet at home!!! You dont know how lame i feel that it has taken us this long to get with the program. Anyways I now vow to be a better blogger. So to recap the rest of our summer, it was fun! Barry worked a lot but we were able to sneek away to the dam and McCall a few times, continued to swim in vale, and even made it to the zoo. Swimming tends to be the only thing on my kids mind all summer long. Kellen has grown a ton. He is such a good baby and i feel him slipping away already. I just love to sit and cuddle him, I love the in love look he gives me when someone else is holding him, and there is nothing better then his laugh. Isn't it amazing how in love you can be with someone who in a matter of years will begin to slowly drive you crazy. I completely love my girls but there are moments when i think, "what in the world!"

Man it's been a while

2009-07-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

Well I can't believe it is already July. We have a had a fun and fast summer thus far. We have kept busy although only a few majors things come to mind. Barry and I went to San DIego with Kellen for my cousins wedding and had a great vacation free from the girls. We did alot of toursit stuff and enjoyeda night on Coronado Island to celebrate our 7 year anniversary. We had a wonderful 4th of July in McCall and watching fireworks over the Lake is my new favortie tradition that we need to keep. We had swimming lessons and after screaming from Brynlee the first day I am glad to say that it was money well spent and they both loved it. Kellen even likes the pool and we have been swimming in Vale at least once a week so far all summer. Barry is working hard on the farm and we enjoy that we get to see him pop in and out throughout the day. Laney played tball and had fun, Barry and i coached a few times and i decided that tball takes too much patience. She says she cant wait to play again next year. Barry and I had our ten year class reunion and it was suprisingly very easy and comforatble. We loved seeing our friends and hope to keep in better contact with them. SO to sum it up, we love summer and hope everyone is having as much fun as we are!!!.

Laney turns 5

2009-05-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

Laney turned five on May 2nd and could not be more excited about it. We took her cousins Britain and Jacey and went to Carl's Jr. (Laney's choice, not mine) for a little fun and a lot of germs I am sure. Laney is getting to be very grown up and I am shocked how smart she is getting. She has always been a big helper, but she is doing even more now that Kellen is here. She loves preschool and cant wait to get to start riding the bus and going to school in the fall. We of course have our moments with her, because she tries to negotiate everything (I think she is going to be a lawyer) but we love her very much and cant believe our first baby is getting so grown up!

Easter and two weeks in

2009-04-23T10:26:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Easter with hunts, family, and food, but we tried very hard this year to explain to the girls what Easter is really all about. HOpefully as they get older this will be an easier task. Kellen is now 2 weeks old and doing great. He is such a good baby, as long as i dont have any milk products. I am desperately missing ice cream. I love this stage because all he does is eat and sleep, so when he is awake he has a huge fan club all vying for his attention. I am looking forward to starting to get out more, life at home with the four of us gets a little crazy since the girls haven't quite figured out how to get along. HOpefully this is just a phase and not going to be something i am blogging about for the rest of our lives. I am sure as our calendar gets busier I will be missing these days of staying home, fighting and all.

Kellen Barry Hartley

2009-04-10T13:27:00.001-07:00

Kellen Barry Hartley was born April 6th at 9:21 p.m. He was 7lbs. 3 oz. and 20 inches long. I was supposed tob einduced at 6 a.m., but when we got to the hospital it was full. A room didn't open up till 11 a.m. and Barry and I had to roam boise and try and occupy ourselves. Let's just say I was a tad bit upset that things didn't go the way I had planned. The doctor broke my water at noon and I got my epidural around 2:30. Things were looking like they were going to go fast until Kellen's heart rate went way down and wasn't recovering very well after contractions so we had to stop everything and let his poor little heart rest for a while. So we bascially had to start over from square one and then we discovered little man's head was turned side ways so i wasn't dialating. A nurse came in and suggested going on my hands and knees after a few hours of being at a 6 and thankfully that did the trick. He moved and i only had to push a few times and he was here. We think he is so cute and the girls love him. We are adjusting to life as a family of five, but we are all doing great and I will try my hardest to keep you all posted.

Last post as a mother of 2

2009-04-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile and it could be even longer so i though I better post before the baby arrives. The doctor is inducing me Monday APril 6th at 6:00 a.m. so wish me luck! We have had a fun spring, but to be honest all i can think about is getting this baby here. Barry worked on the farm over spring break and got his foot run over. The girls did swimming lessons and Brynlee's was mommy and me, I don't know what I was thinking when I signed us up for that one. I have been one uncomfortable momma, so I dont really have much more positive to say. All I know is that I am glad it is almost over. THis last week was a real trial. Out sewer system backed up because of tree roots and I had water overflowing everywhere and leaking out of the ceiling in the basement so that was fun. Barry had his x-ray on his foot which came back fine, and then Brynlee had to have an echo on her heart becuase she had a murmor. SHe is just fine, thank goodness, but you would have thought that at least one of those things could have sent me into labor. It is starting to look like the hospital stay might be a vacation.

What a Winter

2009-03-01T14:44:00.000-08:00

I am going to preface witht he fac that I do not have internet at home so it takes a trip to my mom's and some free time to get anything posted on my blog, which would be why you haven't heard from me in so long. But to update we have had a wonderful winter full of sledding, family & friends, and some how we just manage to be constantly busy. I am shocked that Feb. is over and spring is on it's way and that is great news because that means baby will be here soon too. The girls have been lots of fun this winter, especially Laney as she is getting old enough to enjoy so many more outdoor and indoor adventures. She is a daredevil on a sled and loves when we go to McCall and go to the hotsprings. She is also now trustworthy enough to make her own Valentines with lots of glue and scissors. She is mastering her name and is so much fun to be around and easy to take places, especially when it is just he two of us. Brynlee on the other hand is feeling her wild oats as a two year old. SHe is busy busy all the time and loves to tourment Laney. I pray the two of them will figure out very soon how to get along. We did get bunk beds for them and they seem to like that they get to sleep so close to each other. We decided to move all of the toys downstairs and into the family room. THat should have been done months ago, and this pregnant women has never made so many trips up and down the stairs, but i love that i can send the girls downstairs and not have to see the mess that ensues. The bottom line is that there have been up and downs, challenges and triumphs (Brynlee is going potty a few times a day in the big girl potty) and lots of pregnancy brain lapses and or crying spells, but at the end of the day I am grateful for all of it. I love this little boy growing inside of me and I am honestly scarred to death to have three little munchkins, but as my husband tells me, The Lord doens't give us more than we can handle. So for this moment I think I can handle it, but who knows what you'll find next week!

Scuba girls & It's a Boy!

2008-12-19T11:34:00.000-08:00

For all those that haven't heard the news, It's a Boy! We are very excited although we had geared ourselves up for 3 little girls, so this was quite the surprise. When we got the ulrasound the doc was asking us what we thought it was and we both said a girl and the very first thing he came upon was wide open legs and he pointed in the middle and said, "Do you know what that is?" I said, "Is it was I think it is?" 100% positive it is a boy. Now i understand when people say that a boy ultrasound is unmistakable. We are excited for the change of pace a little boy will bring and fear how badly he will be tormented by his big sisters.

Also i just had to post these pics from tub time. Laney loves to wear her swimming goggles in the tub and Brynlee finally decided she needed something too. All i had was a pair of sunglasses but she didn't care. She put them on and become scuba woman, putting her eyes in the water and holding her breath. She wants to be just like Laney and I am amazed that they both think they can really get somewhere swimming in the tub!

Brynlee turns 2!

2008-12-19T11:09:00.000-08:00

On November 21st Brynlee turned 2! Barry had a half day friday at work so we took the girls to the Boise Zoo and were surprised at how many animals were actually out in the cold. The girls had so much fun and I decided we need to hit the zoo more often. We had a little get together that night with her grandma's and grandpa's to open presents and have cake. It is so much more fun now that she can open the presents by herself and she gets so excited about the gifts. laney has a hard time letting Brynlee play with them first, but they are getting better at sharing.

Fall Update

2008-12-19T10:14:00.000-08:00

I am such a slacker! We have had a busy few months so i am going to update in bulk today. We had lots of fun carving pumpkins at our house with the Drapers. We took a couple of trips to the Purdams pumpkin patch and had a great time trick or treating on Halloween. Here are a few captured moments.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was fortunate enough to go with Laney's preschool to the pumpkin patch on Wednesday and we had a great time. They have the cutest set up and there is a hay ride. The kids each get to pick a pumpkin and there are big beautiful pumpkins, but did Laney want a big beautiful one, of course not; she wanted an ugly reddish colored sad looking pumpkin and i had to try really hard to not talk her out of it. I had to remind myself that is not all about beauty and what would look the cutest in front of our house, but it is about what Laney thinks is beautiful. Hard mommy moment.

McCall

2008-10-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

In September we took a weekend trip to McCall to celebrate my mom's birthday. It was so much fun to get away and especially to just relax. The girls love the "McCall House" as they call it because there is a beautiful red fox that comes everytime we BBQ. The neighbors named her Genevive and love to feed her to. It is amazing, you put meat in your hand and the fox walks right up and eats it out of your hand. The girls just stood in awe and Brynlee wanted to pet her so badly, but i didn't dare let her get that close. I was eating a carmel apple and fox went sniffing it out, so i put it inside and the fox just kept going up on the porch and sniffing where it was and then trying to get in the door. Who knew a fox would like carmel apples. We had a great birthday dinner with the Farmer family at the Mill which is always delicious and then Megan Farmer George made the most beautiful blue and brown cake that would have made any bakery envious. It was so nice of her to make it and my mom was so surprised. It was a great weekend and we are so glad that we have a McCall getaway to disappear to if we want to.

Good Bye Elder Skeen

2008-10-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

Elder Logan Skeen went into the MTC Aug. 13 to prepare to serve in the Chile Santiago North mission, spanish speaking. We had a great farewell for him and were able to spend time with him in McCall at our Skeen Family Reunion. He is such a good young man and I am so proud to have him as a brother. Laney and Brynlee love playing with him and will miss him very much. Since he has been gone Laney colors pictures for him every week and she also sings a rendition of called to serve that only includes the words Frank and Logan. It is fun to have missionaries out and to be able to have such a focus on missionary work in our home and it makes it a lot easier to remember the missionaries in our prayers.

Malheur County Fair

2008-08-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

What a week Fair was. I am not an animal person and i was very out of my element trying to help Laney with her goat. That was probably a once in a lifetime expereince for Laney becuase I dont think her mom is game enough to do it again. TinkerBell no longer lives with us and Laney has begun to name all of her other animals jingle bell (aka tinkerbell). So lets just say i am glad it is over and we had a lot of fun while it lasted. Laney aslo took produce and earned $12 for her 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, place produce. Thanks to everyone who helped us out and who came to visit tinkerbell.

Vegas Baby

2008-08-11T20:49:00.000-07:00

First i must apologize for the delay in postings, but summer, as always, has flown by way to fast and i have not done a very good job stayig updated. So in July we have had fun boating, swimming, working, and being far to busy. The highlight of the month was when Barry and I flew to Las Vegas to stay with Katie and Brett for a relaxing four day vacation. We loved staying and playing with them. Paisley was so fun and it was nice to have kids around so we didn't miss ours so much. We went to see the Shark Reef, KA (Cirque de sol le) and Phantom of the Opera, which was amazing. We shopped and talked Barry into some styling new shoes and cloths (Kaite informed him that Lugz are out)! We met up with my BFF Sara and her new friend Marshall and he introduced us to our new favorite thing, ROCKBAND. We are officially addicted and have spent the rest of July having people over for impromptu Rockband sessions. We love the wii and now rockband makes us feel like we are really old retards trying to be young again. Rock on my fellow rockbanders!!!

Tinker Bell the Goat

2008-06-11T15:25:00.000-07:00

I dont know what has happened to me in my ripe old age, but I think i am loosing it. Laney has been begging for a goat since I can remember and the day has finally come that we actually own one. Come on over to our funny farm, we have a kitten that comes in the house, which i am totally against, a dog that has ADD and possbily to many chromosomes and now to top it all off we own a minnie pigme goat and Laney is in love. I am not an animal person, but somehow the animals just keep coming, although I have to admit it is fun to watch the girls be so happy. Laney wanted to name the goat Tinker Bell, she is pretending that the gaot is a girl, and when she cant remember his name, she calls him jingle bell. She loves to go in his little fenced home and give him oats out of her hand and she says they are best friends. I don't know how I am going to get her to sell the goat in August when he has to go to the fair. Till then if you need a petting zoo to bring your kids to, ours is free!!!

Utah

2008-06-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

We took a very fun family trip to Utah for four days to visit my best friend Sara and her daughter Hollie. We went to see the Salt Lake Bee's play baseball and met up with JD Bowns and his family. We also went to my new favorite place, IKEA and got some great storage things for the girls toys. On Saturday was Hollie's 4th birthday party and it was a blast of a party. The weather was perfect and i got to see my old roommate Lyndsie and her two kids, which was so much fun. We also did a lot of shopping and Barry was such a good sport and amazing help the entire time. It is so nice to get away, and Sara thank you so much for letting us stay in your beautiful new home!

Peace of Mind

2008-06-11T15:09:00.001-07:00

I finally have peace of mind when my children play outside because Barry and I have completed our fence. It took a couple of weekends but now part of our yard is fenced and the girls have the sandbox they have always wanted, and i have always dreaded. The first time they played in it it took me literally 10 minutes just to wash the sand out of Brynlee's hair. Laney was helping her to bury herself in the sand and i almost lost my cool. Brynlee still yearns for the ditch and will go and put her little hands through the fence and try to reach the water and Laney is upset that she will not be making anymore mud pies. But mama is happy and i love that i dont have to worry so much about them when we are outside. Thank you Barry!

Barry graduates!

2008-06-11T14:59:00.000-07:00

Finally after six years of marriage Barry will no longer be a student. He officially has a masters of educational leadership, which hopefully someday will help him to be a big wig administrator. He has worked very hard and we are all very proud of him. Now instead of going to school in the summer he will be working on the farm, which he enjoys because it is more physically exhausting then mentally exhausting, like school.

Laney's 4th Birthday!

2008-06-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Laney turned 4 on May 2nd and had her first big birthday party. We had lots of little friends over to play and celebrate. Laney had the time of her life, but mom on the other hand is sure that we will only do this party thing every four years.

Brynlee's Monkey

2008-04-27T17:23:00.000-07:00

Brynlee is growing up so fast and does not sit still long enough to cuddle anymore, but the other day we had a break through. She normally sleeps until at least 8 am but this day she was up at 7 and just wanted to sit in my lap on the couch. We snuggled for about 30 min as she held her monkey close and began to sniff his tail. This is perfectly normal for our mysterious little girl who can't sleep without her little monkey and we have caught her many times sniffing the monkey's tail. So as we are cuddling, Brynlee looked up at me with her beautiful brown eyes, then back at her monkey, then up at me again and finally she slowly outstretched her hand and offered me a sniff of her monkey's tail. It was so cute. All of you may think this sounds ridiculous but to me, it was a very precious moment with my little girl.

Spring Break

2008-03-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

What a week! I have to say that I am glad it is over. I like many of you probably dont always know what to do when my husband is home for a week. Luckily he kept pretty busy. We had fun planting a garden and getting some things done around the house. The highlight of the week was that Laney got to take her first swimming lessons. We went to Ontario every morning at 10:00 and grandma Merlyn watched Brynlee. Laney has always loved the water but she proved it this week as she learned to doggy paddle, blow bubbles under water, hold her breath (for what seems like forever), and how to use a noodle to go clear to the deep end. She loved that there were only girls in her class and she made a new little best friend. I have full confidence now that if she were to fall in the pool there would be hope of survival. She is getting very grown up. Laney has been watching for wind all week so that we could go fly her kite that she got at the easter egg hunt. Finally today I decided that we might not blow away so we took the kits out for a flight and Laney has found a new love. I am afraid you may see us outside everyday trying to fly a kite. Brynlee just loves to be outside so she doesn't care what we are doing. I have to tell a cute Brynlee story for the week. At church a little girl was screaming and throwing a fit so Brynlee was watching very intently and decided to start mocking her with little funny screams of her own. It was hilarious and Barry and I are still laughing about it. She is getting to be very perceptive of other people's feelings and she is getting so much personality!

Easter

2008-03-31T17:52:00.000-07:00

We had a very festive Easter weekend. On Saturday we did the Nyssa community hunt for the first time and we thought it was hilarious. The parents tend to get more into it than the kids, but Laney had a blast. It was cute that they had candy and prizes and Laney had fun seeing her friends and cousins. When the hunt was over (all 2 minutes of it) Laney was begging to go home because she was so cold. Saturday afternoon was a primary easter activity and the kids learned about the true meaning of easter and got some candy too. On sunday we went to church and then had lunch with grandma and grandpa skeen. In the afternoon we had the Hartley Hunt up at grandma June's and Grandpa Mark's. The kids go crazy and had a blast running all over the place. They got candy and then traded in their empty eggs for prizes like kites, bubbles, rubber chickens, etc. Both Laney and Brynlee were so excited and I'm sure wil never forget that Easter.

2008-03-17T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have to give a big thank you to Maria Draper for creating this beautiful page for me becuase I am udderly confused when it comes to how this whole blogging thing really works. I have had a crazy day today, but having her make this cute page for me made it all better. thanks maria, you are such a great friend!

Grandpa Paul bought the grandkids a new gator, or gatorade as Laney calls it. They think it is so much fun and luckily there are seat belts so Brynlee can be the co-pilot. What fun grandparents we have, were so lucky to live so close to them! We are also so glad that spring is almost here so that we can play outside more and the girls can ride the gator.

2008-03-10T11:48:00.000-07:00

staying busy

2008-03-10T11:35:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile and a lot has happened. We took a trip to Portland on Valentine's weekend and had a ton of fun. We went with most of the hartley familt to witness Landon become a state champion. We spent time swimming, at the zoo, shopping, watching wrestling of course, and riding the L-max, which Laney called the train. It was a great weekend! I also flew to Utah the end of Feb. to help my best friend Sara paint her beautiful new home. We hadn't been together with out husbands or children since college, so we had a blast being silly and we did lots and lots of painting. I really feel blessed to have such amazing friends and two wonderful families that love and support us so much. This past weekend Barry had his final exam at NNU for his masters program. It was a four hour test and he felt like his brain was fried. We all hope he passed and things are getting so close to being done. He will graduate in April and no longer be a student. We can't wait and i think he can't wait to have some actual free time. Till next time!

Tara

2008-02-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

trying to be cyberlicious

2008-02-07T13:11:00.000-08:00

Hello friends and family,

Many of you have been encouraging me to get with the times and start blogging, so here is my attempt. My good friend Maria sold me on the idea when she said it was a great way to keep a journal, so that is what this will be. My goal is to update biweekly, I can't ask more of myself than that because this is new, I am not sure how well i will do at it. Hopefully I will get to start hearing from all of you very soon.

Love,

Tara