Earlier in the day...taking the kids to the Memphis Kiddie Park

Let me start by saying that after attempting Kirtland with 4 small children, we decided the next best place was the kiddie park--can't be too bad since it actually has "kiddie" in the name. It was our place! We got there WITHOUT the double stoller...1st mistake. I had Spencer in the front carrier and we only took one stroller with us, thinking we would just put Kaden in. It was almost impossible to pick any child up since Spencer was attatched to my front, which left Sarah with all the loading/unloading of children on the rides.

I am putting this picture of Kaden first for a reason. It was taken right after we got there, and was one of the last times he smiled. :)

Jenna drove solo--
This is where the fun ENDED for Kaden...the roller coaster. Now this is a relatively small roller coaster and I really thought he would like it. But between him and Jenna, their heads were bonked all over the place and they both were really scared when they got off. I felt horrible.

Emma and Kaden were so cute together in the car...although Kaden was still scared at this point. That roller coaster REALLY traumatized him!
The kids all went for their boatride together.


All in all, it was a fun day. Everyone fell asleep when we got home and I was sure glad! Now if only I had gotten one myself! :)

My sister's visit to Ohio...take 2

This will be out of order--but I started it before and now have to finish it this way. :) Oh well. Friday night we had a barbecue with some of the other student families here. We love to get together with everyone, and it was a great way to celebrate Brandon finishing his test week! We are proud of him for making it through!!!

Sarah was so helpful when she was here. It was nice to have an extra set of hands...even though I am sure she thinks I am probably the most disorganized person on the face of the planet after staying at my house for a few days. :)

The actual bathrooms were locked, so I took Jenna behind a tree and she did her business (the 1st time...she was SOOO excited! Just plopped down in the decorative bark and went. So, as we are getting ready to go I hear her yelling that she needs to go potty--she is half-running while pulling her pants down and plops her bum down on the lawn and goes potty! It was SOOO funny. Hope no one was offended...I guess when you've got to go, you've gotta go!

Kaden was ALL over the place with this stroller. He finally got caught in the umbrella part and fell over. :)
...AND he is obsessed with water fountains...
Emma had a fun time on the swings.

Is this great hair or WHAT?!?!

Yes, this IS Brandon on the swing...always a kid at heart. :)

Life's little instruction manual...

Instructions for WHAT DO TO WITH 4 CHILDREN (under the age of 3 1/2)...

A life lesson by Rachel Holloway and Sarah Farrell

Do not assume that a 7 passenger mini-van will hold 7 people...once you have 4 car seats in there, it really turns into a 6 passenger with a "no-fight" zone. :)

Also, be sure to check ALL car seat seat belts every time you get in/out of the car as your 3 year old might have unbuckled her booster while trying to buckle Buzz Lightyear in his seat...

(at least Buzz was safe...who KNOWS how long her seat was unbuckled!!)

If children outnumber adults, don't attempt getting around if you can't restrain all mobile parties with selective hearing. :)




Do not....I repeat, DO NOT take children who like to touch things to any place that has roped off areas and big signs that say "DO NOT TOUCH".


Bring LOTS AND LOTS of treats...

If there are only 2 adults, do not volunteer to watch ALL 4 children by yourself while your sister goes on a tour of this great historical building...
If so, you will find yourself not even able to make from the15 feet from the car to the front door of the visitor's center without a bloody lip, an attempted runaway, an urgent potty request, and 3 cries/screams filling the air. The 4th will not be crying but will be wandering around looking at (and picking) the landscaping...You will then have to accept help from the good Samaritan who will then watch half the children while you clean up a bloody face and wipe a bum.
The rest of the 10 years you are waiting (okay, only 35 minutes) you will find yourself engaged in a new exercise routine that goes something like this...
RUN, LIFT, WALK, SET DOWN
RUN, LIFT, WALK, SET DOWN
PLAY A SHORT GAME OF PEEK-A-BOO
DANCE IN A CIRCLE
WARD OF GLARES FROM THE EMPLOYEES
RUN, LIFT, WALK, SET DOWN...
Repeat 554 times until your sister GLORIOUSLY returns from her tour and you then have a big diaper-changing party in the bathroom where anyone who can't be held at one time will proceed to play in the toilets and string toilet paper all over the seat.
Pretend it didn't happen and leave as quickly as possible so that one adult can run ahead and create a barricade in front of the gift shop while you lead the troops back outside.

Once all children are buckled in, take a deep breath and drive to the closest Chuck-e-cheese. Divide up your tokens evenly so that each child can have a chance to go on some rides and play some games. When your 3 year old keeps going on rides when he tokens are gone, don't assume people gave her more tokens...instead, watch closely to see which table she is climbing on and stealing them from. :)

Eat expensive, low-quality pizza...it is part of the experience. :)

When the time comes to go home, make sure you let the 3 year old trade her tickets in for a little pink, plastic lizard that she will refer to as "Oscar" all the way home while the other children are crying and whining.

Upon returning home, place children in water, read them a story, and place in bed for 10-12 (maybe 15???) hours.

GOOLASH...

This is titles goolash because it is really a jumbled up bunch of stuff from our neck of the woods. I had so much to write, but not much time today...

My sister Sarah is here!! I went last night to Columbus to pick her up from the airport. I wish I had taken my camera with me--but we are going again on Saturday to take her back, so I can't wait to get some great pics then!!! I felt like a kid in a candy store--it was BEAUTIFUL and had tons take pictures of. :)

Today has been day 1 of my sister's visit. Her daughter Emma came with her (she is just less than 2 weeks younger than Kaden). The kids have had a lot of fun together...some rough moments too. Let's just say that everyone is a little more sensitive right now. :)

These pics are totally not in order. I had so many to post--was trying to sort through and then they uploaded wrong. Go figure. :)

We made cookies this morning. The kids had fun eating it...lots of it...

Here is Emma..What a cutie!

Striking a pose??
Kaden was going for all he could get...
Jenna's cheeks were stuffed full!

At least I know the cookies weren't THAT bad! :) Has anyone else ever baked a batch of 3 cookies? Just kidding..we filled the sheet eventually. :)

This picture is from last night when we got home. Emma was showing us all where Kaden's belly button was. It was pretty funny...he really didn't know what to think.

Kaden was helping with the laundry...found him in the dryer. :)
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Emma was the ringleader at this party. Sarah took her in for a bath this morning and then Kaden joined in...then Jenna...you get the picture. :)


Today we had lots and lots of rain. The kids, of course, HAD to play outside. :)

Here is Emma in her little jacket...so cute!

Jenna and Emma...backyard detectives.
Even in the rain, Kaden plopped down in the swing and took it for a little spin. :)

The kids insisted on piling in the crib with Spencer...

Jenna LOVES the rain!
Last night Emma, Kaden and Spencer chilled out on our bed for a while...

they were VERY funny!

The joys of an empty kitchen sink...

While my FABULOUS in-laws were here, they graciously did my dishes...maybe they just really like doing dishes. Or maybe they took pity on the fact that we had gone a few days without having a clean fork and were resorting to spoon usage to eat spaghetti...who knows? :) Either way, I can't thank them enough. I was feeling so buried after last weeks events--an empty kitchen sink has gotten me to a place where I can keep up again. :)

Another benefit of an empty kitchen sink, is that I could FINALLY post pictures of our cozy little kitchen. I realized I hadn't done that yet. So, here it is in all it's glory. :)

Hanging out with grandpa

Friday night when grandpa got here, Kaden was ready to see him! He is a grandpa kind of kid...loves BOTH of his grandpas so much! I can't believe how much he is turning into a little boy. He just has the sweetest (and most mischievous) personality.

Spencer finally fits this little outfit that Kaden once wore. It is amazing to look back and see how Kaden was so little once too...they really do grow so fast.

Swimming wth grandma and grandpa

This weekend we had Brandon's parents and brother with us. It was a lot of fun to have more visitors. It is bittersweet having them here. We love having visitors, especially grandparents! Once they leave, we know we won't see them (or my parents) for a long time. We have been so lucky to see everyone so much. I think that Jenna still thinks we live a short drive away... :) My sister and her baby are coming to visit on Tuesday for a few days. I am really excited for that--and then our visits come to an end....unless anyone out there wants a tour of the greater Cleveland area. You won't be disappointed! :)

We got to spend some time swimming at the hotel they stayed at. Everyone had a blast! No, I did not get in the water. I have swimming-suit-phobia right now...well, really I don't have a swimsuit right now...but if I did I would be afraid of coming out in public. :) And besides, who would document all these fun times if I didn't step up?

The guys decided to have a belly flop contest...here they are preparing to take the plunge.

Wish you could see how red they are...it was really funny! :)

Kaden tried to put several things into the pool...towels, shoes, chairs...
Tyler was really good to help Kaden in the pool.

Jenna is really a pretty good little swimmer. She is daring and really has the desire to swim...maybe we can work on that more next summer. :)
Spencer just slept...nice...
Kaden and his grandpa-pa


Playing chicken...