7 Years

This year, on March 12th, Paul and I celebrated our 7th anniversary. We had a neighbor graciously offer to watch the kids as we made last minute plans to go to dinner and we had a great time. I think it was our first annirversary date alone since the year before we had Riann. It was a lot of fun to get out for just a little bit and to remember what it was like to not have to worry about the kids for the evening. We had a great dinner at Costa Vida and it was nice to just hang out and talk. We've had a lot of fun over the last 7 years and things just keep getting better and better. We're very excited for the changes that are coming up with Paul graduating and can't wait to see what's in store for us next.

Spring is on it's way...

It's just taking a while to actually WARM up!!!

We finally got a weather report for warm weather so we decided to hear out to the park and enjoy the day. Little did we know the ground under the grass was still frozen solid so there was a lot of standing water, and ice, out in the park that afternoon. We weren't aware of the conditions until we actually got out to play and by the time we noticed how bad it was the kids were already completely absorbed in having a good time. Because we all needed some time outside of the house we decided it wasn't a big enough deal to call it quits so we all had a good time just being outside. The kids didn't even seem to realize it wasn't quite yet time to play in the water until we got into the car and they decided it they were all freezing. Thankfully this is just the START of Spring because the car was still packed with warm clothes and blankets for them to wrap up in for the ride home. All things considered they had a great time getting out and playing, although I don't think I got a good shot of just how wet they were, when we were finally done.

Riann's adventures. She did a pretty good job at staying dry, or at least staying on her feet - on the ice, until right before we left.

Colby's adventures. He went and found the puddles to play in and had a very hard time keeping dry, he even found a few places that were knee deep to play in.
This kid LOVES his water!!!

Right before we left we met up with a friend and chatted for a little bit. The kids decided this was a perfect time to complete the full on drenching of their clothes and found the closest puddles to splash around in. All-in-all it was one of the best days we've had in a while and it was just great to get out of the house, so it really didn't matter how messy they were at the end.

Happy 4th Birthday Riann!!!

Riann's birthday was on the 10th of this month and she turned the big 4!!! I can't believe my baby is 4 years old!!! We tried to keep her birthday more of a simple event this year as I think I've gone a little overboard in the past with her birthdays. We had a great day and I think she enjoyed all of our activities. She's still telling people it's her birthday... two weeks later. We're working on getting her to understand it WAS her birthday. She really enjoys telling people she's 4 now though.

Here are some photos of things we did throughout the day.

Saturday morning (March 10th)we woke up and hung out together while Paul was at work. Some of our plans that morning fell through but we were able to go to plan B and everything turned out okay. Because we had a little extra time that morning I started working on Riann's cake a little earlier than planned and the kids REALLY enjoyed helping me "clean up" after getting the cakes in the oven.

After baking Riann's first set of cakes we ran off to go get her annual hair cut. Where she doesn't have a ton of hair we don't get to cut it that often but last year or the year before I decided that we would always try to have a "beauty" day on or as close to her birthday as possible. I think she really enjoys going into the beauty school to have her hair cut because she knows she's going to get a sucker and everyone is so nice to her. She had a great time and wouldn't stop making faces in the mirror.

This year I decided that her and I would also make an annual tradition of getting our feet done for her birthday. I kind of wanted to try to start something with her that would just be ours and after I had seen a friend do this I thought it would be a fun idea. After her hair cut we had about 30 minutes before our pedicure was scheduled so I checked to see if they could fit Riann in for a manicure. She was so excited to get to pick out her nail colors from the HUGE selection they had at the school. She is in LOVE with the colors pink and purple right now so she was very excited to be able to choose both for her big day, although we had to talk her out of choosing a different shade of each for each finger and toe.

After getting her finger nails done we moved into a different room and got our feet done together. She loved being able to put her feet in the tub and kicking around at the bubbles. The girl who did everything for her did a great job chatting it up with Riann and keeping her happy. She even refilled her tub for her a few times so that Riann would have fresh bubbles to play with.

Colby did have to come with us because Paul was working. He did a great job through out the whole appointment. He did get to go home early because Paul met up with us and came and grabbed him for a little "man time" before nap time. Once we finally made it back to the pedicure room Colby was a little tired of sitting in his stroller and so I let him join me in the "tub" for a little bit while we waited for Paul. He too LOVED being able to splash around and was not happy at all when I tried to sit him on my lap. He didn't even want to play with the controller for the massage settings on the chair. All he wanted was the water. I'm so grateful he had a good time too. I was a little stressed about what we were going to do with him while we got everything done. It ended up being a LONG appointment with everything we did and he was the perfect baby while we were there.

This is the final product. She chose purple for her fingernails and pink with pink flowers for her toes. She had a hard time sitting still so they are a little rough around the edges but she loved them. I'm thinking maybe next time I do her nails I might try something a little fancy with her, like a flower. She's even done a great job since then and tried really hard not to pick at her polish. Her toes are still almost completely painted but her nail polish is gone on her fingers. She did a really good job trying not to take it off though. She was even super excited that she got to pull out her flip flops from last summer for her birthday and even though there was still a tiny bit of snow on the ground it was a PERFECT day for sandals.

I had to take a quick picture of her in the car before we went home. This is a shot of her hair cut after it was done AND a picture of one of her birthday presents. She finally got to move up to a big girl seat in the car and she loves it. I thought she would have a little trouble giving up her old chair to Colby but she has been so sweet and excited for him to use it now and both of them have loved the change.

After we had our "day of beauty" we came home for naps. After nap time she got to open her presents and she was so excited that everything was out just for her. She has some pretty amazing grandparents and great-grandparents and they sent her some wonderful toys and clothes this year that she loved. She even had some of her presents wrapped in special wrapping paper made specially for her from her cousins, Jackson and Jeffrey, and from Grandma Vreeken. She loved looking at all of the pictures they made for her. Every time she picks out a shirt to wear or one of her new toys to play with she loves to tell us who she got it from. We are so grateful for everything her Grandpa Jim and Grandma Cheri, Grandma and Braddah Gomes, and Grandma and Grandpa Vreeken do for her. Even though she doesn't get to see them in person very often she knows how much she's loved by each one of you and we are so grateful for every phone call and opportunity to Skype we get.

The last thing we did that evening was let her pick where she wanted to eat for dinner and an activity we could all do as a family. She decided that she wanted to eat at McDonald's and that we should go to the arcade at one of our movie theaters. She is always running off to see the games when we're there so we decided it would be fun to actually let her play them this time. She had a hard time deciding where to spend her tokens and later her tickets but I she was excited to finally get to play the games. Colby enjoyed seeing all the lights and had a great time just tagging along on some of the "rides".

These are just a few of the things she got for her birthday. She was so excited about her new pajama dress she got from Great-Grandma Jones (she said she looked like a "princess" as soon as she had it on) and my dad Grandpa Jim picked out this adorable church/Easter dress for her. She loves wearing it each Sunday. I can't wait for my dad to see her in it in a few weeks.

On Sunday, after church, I was able to finish making Riann's cake. I got the idea for this cake after catching a post on a friend's blog. My friend's cake looks SO much better than mine but Riann seemed pretty happy with it, and I often have to remind myself, that's all that matters. Although, after thinking about that evening, I don't think she got a bite of the actual cake, just one of the cupcakes we made for the kids. It was a fun cake to put together but I don't think I'll be doing another one like that anytime soon. It was certainly a lot more fun to make than last years cake!! I'm really glad she liked it.

For Riann's "birthday dinner" we combined our night with her party and a going away party for some of our neighbors. Because we would have invited everyone to both anyway it seemed like a good idea to do them together instead of trying to break it up into two events. For dinner we had a pizza party and then cake and ice cream for dessert. The kids all seemed to have a great time and it was wonderful to have an evening of relaxing after the busy birthday day we had the day before. Our good friends also let us throw the dinner at their home, instead of doing it at ours, so it was nice to not have to hurry and clean up our messes from the day before, before we had company over.

These are just a few more photos of Riann's cake before it was eaten. In true fashion Riann was the one who started everyone singing for her again this year saying, "Okay everyone, you can start singing now!!!" I think she felt she waited long enough for her cake and by the time everyone was done eating dinner she was REALLY ready for her dessert.


And finally, I had to take a picture of all of the friend in Riann's life right now. This doesn't include everyone, we do have some really good friends who have moved that Riann misses so much every day, and of course her cousins and aunts and uncles are missing, but she really does have a great group of kids she gets to play with. We are so grateful for the many friendships we've developed over the last few years and a lot of the time having these great people around us is the only thing that makes being so far from home bearable.

Riann is such a fun girl and it's been a joy to have her grow up in our home. We do have our off days and she really is 4 going on 17. She has a big attitude for such a little body but I know that a lot of that comes from me so I'm trying to remember it's all about patience. It's amazing to see how much she's grown and the different things that interest her. There are days when we're driving in the car and I think to myself, "Did we just talk about that?" or "That was a really fun conversation." I always hope and pray that I'm being a good example for her, and I know at times I fail because in most cases she's the one that is teaching me, not me teaching her. I can't wait to see what this next year brings us and I can't wait to watch her grow with another new sibling. She is so loving and sweet with Colby and he absolutely adores her more than anyone else in our home. It's going to be so fun to watch all three play together in just the short months that are coming. It's been a great year and I can't wait to start on the next one with her.

Happy Birthday Riann, I hope you had a great time!!

Our Brand New "Toy"...

At the end of last month Paul's new tool box for work arrived and it was quite the delivery. I should have woken up Riann from her nap so she could have seen the huge truck that brought it over to us. After we got it all unwrapped we had this wonderful box left over and Paul and I decided we should make a "house" for the kids. We had talked a few times about going out and finding a big box somewhere for them to play in, so when this one came with all of his other stuff we decided it was time for them to finally get one. Isn't it great how convenient that worked out?!

We brought it inside a few days later and the kids LOVED it. Colby was the first one to see it and he was in and out of it "yelling" at us in excitement. The picture of Colby in the bottom left corner is of him coming out to tell us how happy he was. When he gets really excited he pushes his arms straight back and jabbers at us in a very quick, husky voice. I absolutely LOVE it!!! Colby just loved going in and out of the house and running from the door to the window to tell us all about what he was doing. I can't wait until this kid actually talks because he already has SOOO much to say, we just don't understand any of it yet.

Riann woke up from her nap a little later than Colby and was very excited when she first saw it too. She instantly became the boss of her new house and we had to remind her a few times it was for both of them. She quickly tried to make a door for the front out of pillows and decorated the top with things from the front room, like our DVD cases and her favorite toys (She was mostly hiding things out of Colby's reach but we'll just say she was decorating... *Wink**Wink*).

Unfortunately we've already had to move it out of the front room because it was just too big for our small house but we're saving it for the summer time when we can pull it in and out of the garage for the kids to play with in the yard. I think they'll love it as a summer fort and hopefully they wont tear it up too much. We don't have a ton of yard toys right now so I think it'll be fun for them to have something like this for now, until we start collecting other things for them to play with. I hope they really enjoy it again when it gets warm outside.

Another Snow Day

A few Sunday's ago we decided it was finally nice enough to take the kids outside to play in the snow and really have a little fun. While Paul got some stuff done on the side Riann, Colby and I rolled around and played while we waited for Paul to finish up.

Riann had a great time making snow angels and "sidewalks" for everyone travel on. She really enjoys getting out there and getting deep into the snow, building and plowing anything she can.

Colby really seemed to have a good time too. He is still learning how to walk in his snow boots so he spent a lot of time crawling around on his knee's but when Riann would join him he had a fun time getting around. He likes the snow a lot, especially when Riann tosses it up in the air right in front of him. I don't know why he gets so much joy out of that but it is one of the many things Riann can do to get him to really laugh hard. She is his favorite person ever and it's so fun to watch them together.

After the kids got a little tired of crawling around in the snow, and it was starting to get a little dark and cold, we decided to try tugging each other around in the sled. For a while Riann and Colby let me pull them around but I think I was too slow for Riann and so she decided to get out and pull Colby herself. She did a great job but as you can see from above Colby did topple out a few times. He really enjoyed it though.
Once Riann got tired of pulling Colby around, and Paul was done with his stuff, he joined us and took the kids for an adventure ALL OVER the yard. They had a lot more fun with him because he could go a lot faster than me and he went lots of different places. After they both fell out a few times Paul had Riann lay on her stomach and he put Colby on her back. They both loved it and thought it was the best idea ever!! I'm so glad they get to have these moments with him. They really enjoy the time they get to spend with him.

This is just a few shots from one of their spills. Colby was usually the one left behind but he laughed the whole time we were out and was just happy to be along for the ride.

I love peaceful Sunday's like this!!

Valentine's Day

We don't do a ton for the holidays but I try to make sure the kids know that there is at least one going on. I think when they're a little older and we have more to celebrate, like through school and things like that, we'll do more but they just aren't quite to the age yet where holidays are a HUGE deal... well except for Christmas and Birthday's (and yes, I consider Birthday's holidays). We're slowing trying to do more and more but we're also trying to keep it fun and simple. For the last few Valentine's Day's I've tried to make sure the kids make Valentine's for Paul. Last year we made them for the grandparents too but I just wasn't on the ball this year... Sorry guys. We still really REALLY LOVE you!!!!

Paul was really busy with school the week of Valentine's day so I snuck the kids back into Riann's room and we decided to give daddy some quiet time while we decorated cards. The kids had a LOT of fun with it, even though it was a little stressful keeping them quiet, keeping them out of the glitter, and keeping Colby from eating his hard to dad.

This was Riann's card. We collected the letters form a Valentine's day display at Walmart that they had sitting out where you could make your own cards. Unfortunately I thought I grabbed a "V" but I either lost it or it never made it into the pile. Then after I set all of the letters out in order Riann added them to her card. She did a great job lining them all up by herself. She then picked out her glitter and painted on her glue and decorated. She even asked to sign her card by herself so I wrote her name on a different piece of paper and she then wrote it on the card. She's been working VERY hard on learning how to do that. She is getting better at it all the time!!

Colby had a fun time playing too. I don't know what I was thinking giving this kid a permanent marker to "draw" with but I couldn't find anything else and I was trying to quickly shuffle them into the back room so we just used what we had. He actually did a very good job "writing" his messages, he just didn't want to leave the paper on the try so I had to hold it down for him. We got a little messy but overall I think he did pretty good. I was amazed at how well he could hold the pen. He seems to be a natural at that so maybe he has his dad's creative touch. It'll be fun to see what he comes up with when he's older.

These are our finished cards. Riann's card is the blue one, Colby's is the green one and mine is the red one. We didn't do anything fancy but they'll be fun to save and show the kids one day what they put together on their own. We snuck them into Paul's lunch box along with his Valentine's day treat and he didn't find them until he was up at school. It was a lot of fun getting his text when he finally spotted them and I was really glad it ended up being a surprise for him. I swore he knew what we were doing back in the bedroom when we made them but Riann did a great job not telling him, even though she kept saying, "I have a surprise for you... but I can't tell you what it is." I bet she wouldn't have been able to keep it quiet if we hadn't done it late the night before and I didn't put her immediately to bed right after we made them.

Later the night of Valentine's day we were in Idaho Falls and decided to do dinner out there. We should have planned better because we ended up calling EVERYONE to see what their wait times were and most were running a 45 minute to an hour and a half wait to get a table. Unfortunately we didn't decide to do dinner out there until about 6:30 that evening so it was quite an adventure finding someone who could get us right in. We ended up stopping at Chili's and had a great meal with only a 15 minute wait. Next year we'll plan a little better and not end up being so stressed by the end of the night. But we had a great time and everything worked out really well.

I hope everyone else had a great Valentine's Day too!!!

My Wonderful Kids

I just had to write a quick post about how much I love that these two guys play together and just enjoy themselves.

Aren't they just so cute when they are together? They love cuddling together and watching movies. They'll actually sit like this for at least the first 30 minutes of a movie and Colby has no issues with it. The last time they watched a movie together Riann had her legs wrapped all the way around Colby and he was so happy to just be there. If we try to cuddle with him we maybe get him for a full 5 minutes but he LOVES sitting with her and will do it all day long.

They do have their moments of pure torture when they are just getting on each other's nerves, and those moments are a lot more frequent now that Colby is learning he can stand up to Riann more than in the past, but they really do love each other. Colby just adores his big sister and he is so fun to watch as he follows her around the house or he lets her lead him from room to room. Colby is not one of those kids who can hide how much he loves something and I hope that's not a trait he loses anytime soon. He's a great little brother and the best baby ever and Riann is such a fantastic big sister to him and tries to help out in anyway she can.

Even with all of their messes, I am one lucky momma. These kids are great!!

Winter Time Walk

A few weeks ago we had a stretch of good weather and a few of our neighbors and I got to get outside and go for a walk. The kids loved being out of the house and got to enjoy some time together with their friends. We also recently got Riann some new snow clothes so it was fun for her to try those out and for Colby to get to try on his hand-me-downs. He could barely stand in all of his puff but it was SO fun to see him enjoy the snow and I was glad that he was super warm when we were done.

We haven't gotten as much snow as we usually get around this time but the kids have had fun playing in what we have gotten. Colby really seems to enjoy it all and as long as Riann is "in charge" of whatever activity we're participating in outside she's pretty happy to play in and eat as much snow as she can. I sure love these guys!!!