Spring 2016

Here are a few random pictures from all of the spring activities.

My mother-in-law celebrated her 60th birthday this spring.  She hasn't wanted to celebrate her birthday with a big party the last few years since it reminds her of when Vance passed away.  We figured we needed to do something to celebrate the milestone birthday though so we threw a surprise birthday party at our house after the kid's piano recital.  Everyone came and set up while we were at the recital.  We actually pulled it off and completely surprised her! This cake Tiffany's mom made for her was perfect!

Andrew on the  podium at the region meet!

Andrew had another successful track season.  Here he is pictured at the region track meet.  He placed 6th in the 3200.  He ran a 4:41 1600 at the BYU invitational and 10:00 in the 3200 in St. George.

Andrew at accolade with Teal Christensen

Andrew had a great time at prom and accolade!  His dates were beautiful!  We had fun hosting his prom group for dinner at our house.

Skyler had his preschool graduation at the end of the year in Miss Erica's class.  He loved Miss Erica but he hated being in front of everyone at the program!  He sat in his chair and stubbornly refused to participate!  He wanted nothing to do with singing songs, saying his part or even wearing the graduation cap.  You can tell he didn't mind the treats though.

I helped coach the youth track club again and Kaitlyn enjoyed running.  She's gotten to be quite competitive and you can really see in this picture how hard she is trying.  She made it to district in a couple events and her relay team even made it to state!

This was just too cute of these three cousins.  We were at the Noble family reunion on Memorial Day.  The food had all been cleaned up and it was about time to go. This watermelon had been brought by someone but no one had cut  it up. Skyler was determined to get some to eat even though we kept telling him no one had a knife.  Well, you can see these cousins found a way to open it and enjoy it!

Jason spoiled me one evening with dinner at La Calille.  It was my first time there and I loved it!  It was like stepping inside a French Chateau.  It was a beautiful spring evening.  The food was amazing and the atmosphere was incredible.  We loved wandering around the beautiful grounds.  This has been one of our busiest years ever and it seems like there is never time to spend together anymore so this evening was wonderful.

Birthdays!

Well, all four of my children have had a birthday while I've taken this long of a break from blogging.  Here's a quick update on a couple of them.

Kaitlyn turned 10 in May.  She had a field trip to the migratory bird refuge that I was able to go to with her.  It was fun to spend the day with her.

Here's a look at Kaitlyn at 10:

Things she likes.  American Girls Dolls, playing with friends, soccer, basketball, winning, scoring goals/baskets, running 5ks, dancing, school, singing, teasing, ice cream, talking, watching TV, reading books, and activity days.

Things she doesn't like: homework, practicing the piano, cleaning her room, getting her hair brushed, when she doesn't get a perfect score at school (yes she's a perfectionist), being teased by her brothers, and going to bed.

Things I love about Kaitlyn:  her happy personality, her smile, how helpful she is (she loves to help me in the kitchen), she still loves to hug me and talk to me, how friendly she is, and how fun it is to have a girl to do things with!

Skyler celebrated his 4th birthday in June.  It kills me to watch my baby growing up so fast.  He's still every one's favorite at home and can cheer anyone up!  He spent the spring digging up my vegetable and flower gardens with his tractors so Jason decided to build him a sandbox instead.  Skyler had a great time helping him build it even though he didn't know what he was doing.  He loved the finished project as well!  We went to the Dinosaur Park for his birthday.  He wasn't so sure about the dinosaurs at first until we convinced him none of them were real.

Here's a look at Skyler at 4:

Things he likes: trucks (he can name every kind of truck/tractor and is frequently correcting me as we drive around town), trains, books, play dough, playing in the dirt, swinging, playing with his brothers and sisters and his friend Ivan, singing the ABC's, going to preschool (once he's there, he still likes to cling to me when it's time to drop him off), and running (especially away from me).

Things he doesn't like: attention from people he doesn't know, being in front of a crowd, getting woken up from a nap, "scary" movies, and being alone (he went through a stage earlier this year where he refused to sleep alone in his room.  He would always sleep in the bunk bed in Jared's room so we finally just moved him in with Jared.)

Things I love about Skyler:  his laugh, his smile, he's the center of attention at our house and knows it, and having him home with me all day.  Sometimes I think about all the things I will be able to accomplish when he is in school all day but I just can't look forward to it.  I love having him home with me all day and think I will be terribly lonely without him!  I sure wish I could find a way to keep him from growing up!

Another Teenager in the House

Jared celebrated his 13th birthday in October and we now have another teenager in the house.  He wanted to go to Flowrider for some indoor surfing with his friends.  With fall break just after his birthday everyone was heading out of town and we had to push it back a couple weeks.  It was worth the wait though and the kids all had a great time!

Here's a look at Jared at 13.

He's enjoying being in Jr. High now.  He's learning to play the trumpet in beginning band and loves it.  I don't have to nag him about practicing nearly as much as I do with the piano.  Maybe that's just because it's new but I'm hoping it lasts a while.  He is also getting a lot better on the piano and had a fun time playing in the duet festival this year with his friend Maxwell.  He still loves to play rough and enjoys playing on the line in football.  He doesn't care about handling the ball; he just wants to hit guys with his pads on.  He still isn't too old to sit and play with Legos in his room for hours.  He's becoming a lot more responsible.  Skyler has turned into his little shadow and is often following him around the house when he is home.  Skyler misses him while he is at school and often asks if we can go pick Jared up from school.  (I'm not really sure why because we never have.)  He still hates doing chores around the house but did take over mowing the lawn this summer which Andrew and Jason were grateful for.  He's Deacon's Quorum Preseident at church and it's been fun to watch him take the responsibilities at church so seriously.  He always makes sure that the boys in his quorum are there to pass the sacrament on Sunday and collect fast offerings.  Raising teenagers certainly brings it's own set of challenges but I've been blessed to have these two boys in my life.  Happy 13th birthday Jared!

Andrew's 16th Birthday

16 is a big deal.  Old enough for a driver's license and dating.  It seemed like a huge step towards independence and to be honest I had a hard time with Andrew turning 16.  I love this handsome teenager but part of me wishes I could just have my cute little boy back.  But like it or not, it was coming.  I wanted it to be a birthday to remember for Andrew but it was complete craziness at our house.  We were in the middle of a huge remodeling project and had to leave the house for the weekend so that the wood floors could be resurfaced.  His birthday also fell on General Conference Saturday for our church.  That meant lots of meetings and not much time to celebrate.  Since we couldn't host a party at our house and the day was taken up he decided to meet a bunch of friends at a haunted corn maze after dark.  He had a fun time wandering the maze with his friends.

Here's a look at Andrew at 16.

He's taller than me and almost as tall as his dad.  He's a great student and works hard at school.  He's a talented runner and dedicated to working hard to become better.  He's a great helper around the house.  He loves to ski and mountain bike and has no fear.  I make up for the lack of fear when I watch the videos from his gopro (SLOW DOWN!)  He's responsible and a careful driver (which both suprised and pleased me.)   He's having a lot of fun learning photography and takes some great pictures.  He's a great piano player now.  I find listening to him practice is payback for all the money I've put into piano lessons all these years.  He is a fantastic big brother and Skyler adores him.  Happy 16th birthday Andrew!

16 also means Andrew was ordained to the office of a Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood.  This means on top of his other responsibilities he can bless the sacrament.  Here is a picture of him with his dad on the day he was ordained.  It was a beautiful warm fall afternoon and everyone couldn't wait to get home and change into comfortable clothes.  They didn't seem to want to wait for me to get the camera out...

Skyler's 3rd Birthday

Skyler celebrated his 3rd birthday in June.  He was finally old enough to understand that a birthday meant presents and other fun things and he was so excited.  We left for Jackson a couple days before his birthday and he saw me packing up the wrapped presents.  He couldn't wait to open them.  He kept trying to sneak into the presents once we got to the condo so I had to find a high shelf in a closet to store them.  His birthday was Sunday.  We had been up late the night before in Yellowstone so we slept in a bit then as soon as we were up left for church.  As we were leaving the church building the ward there was having an ice cream social.  Of course the kids were eyeing the ice cream but we felt a little odd joining their party so I told the kids we would go back to the condo and have a birthday party with cake and ice cream there.  The kids thought that sounded fair and rushed to the car.  I didn't really mean the second we walked in the door.  I still had to make a birthday cake.  Skyler had clearly understood me though and rushed to the closet where the presents were "hidden".  He had waited long enough and he was ready for a party.  I really couldn't tell that cute little face no so we let him open one present, a Thomas the Train bubble blower, and take it outside to play while I made a cake and dinner.

 

Here's a look at Skyler at three: He's energetic, happy and always the center of attention at our house.  Things he likes: to play with toy trains, puzzles, legos (big ones and to the dismay of his older siblings occasionally getting into their little ones, especially Andrew's Hogwarts Express) watch trains when we are driving, do things by himself, count, reading books, riding his bike with training wheels, playing on Mom's phone, stalling when it is time for bed, picking vegetable out of the garden, helping me water the flowers and copying anything anyone says.
Things he doesn't like: getting left behind, going to bed, the vacuum, the lawnmower, and any other loud noise.
Things I love about Skyler:  He literally lights up the room when he walks in.  He has a fun loving personality.  He adores his siblings. I love having my little guy in tow when I go places.  I will be lost next week when he starts preschool and I have a few hours to myself.

Jared's 12th Birthday

Here it is Christmas Eve.  All my plans for today were put on hold when Skyler woke up throwing up this morning.  So while everyone else is out playing and Skyler is busy watching Thomas the train movies I can finally catch up a bit on my blog.  Jared turned 12 in October.  I felt like a terrible mom because I had to fly to Chicago on his birthday.  We celebrated the night before with cheesecake and presents.  He actually didn't mind celebrating early since he's one that hates waiting for his presents! I eased my guilty conscience a bit by making him french toast (his favorite) for breakfast and taking Dunkin Donuts to his class before we left for the airport.  At least I was the favorite mom out of his peers that day!

What else would Jared want for his birthday than a new Lego set?  Hobbit is his new favorite since he is really into the Hobbit movies right now.  So even though I had to leave on his birthday he had a fantastic time building his Lego set as soon as he got home from school.  We received numerous texts with different views of the finished project while we were in Chicago.

Here's a look at Jared at 12.

Things he likes: cheesecake, Legos, playing with his little brother (he is so good with him and Skyler loves the attention he gives him!), pasta, football, basketball, baseball, Star Wars, The Hobbit, reading Heroes of Olympus,skiing, xbox, Minecraft, scouts, camping, and hanging out with his friend, Max.

Things he doesn't like: practicing piano, homework (although he has become much more responsible about getting it done!), milk, eating breakfast, and doing his chores.

Turning 12 in our church means that Jared graduated from the primary and moved to the young men's program and received the priesthood.  I was sad to see him move on since I had recently been called to serve in the primary presidency but Jared was so excited and ready to leave.  He was ordained a deacon by his dad and we enjoyed a day with lots of family here to support him.  It has been so fun to watch him with his new responsibilities in the priesthood.  He takes them very seriously and does such a good job passing the sacrament and collecting fast offerings.  This is one of those years that Jared has amazed me by how much he has grown up, not just physically, but in how much more responsible he has become.  He is a joy to have as part of our family and I'm so proud of the young man that he is!

Not a bad picture of the whole group taken from the timer.  On the wagon was the only way to get Skyler smiling!

Skyler's 2nd Birthday

Two years has gone by too quickly and our baby has turned into a little boy.  He is in such a busy stage.  He can make a mess ten times faster than I can clean it, he's always getting into something and the only time I get anything done is while he is napping.  The other day he flushed a brush down the toilet.  $80 later the plumber had gotten it out.  Yet there isn't a day that goes by that I'm not grateful he's part of our family.  It is strange to think that our family ever felt complete without him.  It was a cold June day that we celebrated his birthday.  We started out with a barbecue on the back deck but had to move inside when it got too cold.  That will probably never happen again on June 14th!  He can't seem to hold still long enough to get his picture taken lately so these are the best shots I got.

 His siblings wanted him to open all his presents at once but he was so excited when he got a present open that he wasn't interested in opening another one.  It ended up taking all evening to get the presents opened.

Skyler's not a big fan of cake or ice cream but he loves strawberries so we made strawberry shortcake.  He was fascinated with the candles.  Andrew had to hold his hands back to keep him from grabbing them but he actually blew the candles out all by himself.  He was so proud of himself and started clapping and cheering (yay!) when he blew them out.

Here's a look at Skyler at two:

He's 24 1/2 pounds and 33 1/2 inches.  He is 11th percentile for weight on the growth charts.  The biggest he's been since he was a newborn!  His vocabulary is exploding with new words every day.  He's mastered "no" and says "yay" for yes.  Every time we walk in the garage he points to the van and says "mama" and to the truck and says "daddy".  He loves to go for rides in "Daddy's truck."  He loves trains, cars and trucks.  He likes to sleep with and carry around all of his blankets.  He likes books, legos, and puzzles.  He loves chocolate milk, strawberries and peas.  He is adored by his older siblings and literally lights up the room when he comes in.

Kaitlyn's 8th Birthday

Kaitlyn's birthday was a busy Saturday with lots of activities.  She had a soccer game in the morning and a piano recital in the afternoon.  We found a couple hours in between to go to the mall to get her ears pierced.  She was so excited!  She was really brave about it too.  She picked out earrings with her birthstone, emeralds.  Now she has to wait the long six weeks before she can wear all the other cute earrings she picked out.

After the recital we went to Olive Garden for dinner and then home for presents and cake and ice cream.

Kaitlyn was so excited about the Frozen dolls her grandma gave her.

Blowing out her candles: she almost got them all.

  

Here's a look at Kaitlyn at 8:

What Kaitlyn loves: singing (all the time around the house, especially Frozen songs: it drives her brothers crazy but I love it), talking (she will talk any one's ear off that will listen), playing the piano (most of the time), dancing, reading (she has become quite the bookworm, going through chapter books in a few days), dolls, princess movies (especially Frozen), school, friends, strawberries, and raspberries (when she goes out to pick hardly any make it into the house).

What she doesn't like: getting her hair combed, doing her chores, cleaning her room, practicing the piano (sometimes), and being told it's time to stop playing.

What I love about Kaitlyn: her happy fun personality, she's smart, her smile, how outgoing and friendly she is, listening to her talk, her hugs (and that she still loves to give them to me),  how cute she is with her little brother, and how she likes to help me make dinner and come places with me.

Jared's 11th Birthday

For about two weeks before Jared's birthday he was giving us a constant countdown and asking nonstop if we could celebrate early.  I told him his wait was payback for the last two weeks I was pregnant with him and had to wait!  I made him his favorite breakfast, french toast made out of cinnamon burst bread from Great Harvest and I took Dunkin Donuts to his class for his birthday treat.  But I think he was most excited for the Lego set he had asked for.  When it was time for presents I tricked him a little.  After I wrapped the Legos I put them inside a duffel bag I had bought for his football equipment and then wrapped up the duffel bag.  I think he was a little confused by the big package that obviously wasn't Legos.

Kaitlyn's present for Jared: a portrait.

Here's a look at Jared at 11.

What he likes: Legos, his iPod, football, sleeping in, cheesecake, candy, cookies, anything sweet, soccer and football jerseys, basketball shorts, The Hobbit (movie), reading (yay!  I thought this day would never come but I often have to tell him to turn out the lights and put the book away at night now), staying up late, playing with his baby brother, camping, backpacking, and fishing with his dad.

What he doesn't like: cleaning his room, bathroom, ect., going to school, waking up in the morning, running, roller coasters, wearing long pants (even in the winter), getting his hair cut, and getting his picture taken.

What I love about Jared: his smile (the real one with his teeth that he doesn't like to show for pictures anymore), his hugs (I don't get a lot of those anymore either), what a great big brother he is to Skyler (you should see Skyler's face light up when Jared walks in the room), his enthusiasm about life, and I love listening to him play the piano even if he doesn't like to do it.

The week after his birthday I sent him off to his first day at boy scouts.  I have to say I was quite sad to put away the cub scout shirt for the next seven years.  This boy is growing too fast!

Andrew's 14!

Andrew turned 14 the beginning of this month.  I think he's grown at least half a foot in the last year.  He's not quite as tall as me yet but he's getting close and it's strange to look at him at eye level now instead of looking down at him.  He's a teenager in every way now and although he has his moments he is such a great kid that I feel privileged to be his mom.  After school I took him to pick up his birthday present.  He had outgrown his bike a while ago so we got him a new mountain bike.

He headed out for a bike ride with Jason after we got home.  It's usually really nice weather for his birthday but this year snowflakes were falling as they left for their bike ride.  We tried to buy the bike big so it would last for a while but I was surprised how well it fit him now.  If he keeps growing this quickly he might need another one next year!

At 14 lighting the candles on the cake is much more exciting than blowing them out!

The day after his birthday we left for St. George for the marathon.  Jason threw his and Andrew's bikes on the bike rack so they could try out some trails there.  It was tough to find much time between the race and our church conference that was going on that weekend but they got in a couple of rides with some beautiful scenery.  Andrew's gotten to be a great mountain biker and loves to try new trails.

In our church boys can be ordained to the office of a teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood when they turn 14.  We enjoyed having several family members there to support Andrew in this step in his life.  I'm so proud of him for the decisions he's making and the young man he has become.

Yes, he's as tall as Grandma now and if I wasn't wearing my highest heels in this picture, he's getting pretty close to me too.

Here's a look at Andrew at 14.

What he likes: Legos, running, Minecraft, piano (most of the time), playing with his little brother Skyler, getting straight A's in school, mountain biking, scouts, waking up early, backpacking with his Dad, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings books and movies, pizza, pasta, and Skittles.

What he doesn't like: mowing the lawn, vegetables, rice, trying new foods (yes, he is as picky as ever), practicing the piano (sometimes), cleaning the bathroom, and getting his hair cut.

What I love about Andrew: his happy outgoing personality, his enthusiasm about everything, he's hardworking and a great student, he's fun to run and bike with, his smile and dimples are still adorable, he's a great helper around the house, he is so cute with his baby brother and a great babysitter for me.

I couldn't ask for a nicer 14 year old! 

Earl's 60th Birthday

Last week Jason's dad celebrated his 60th birthday.  We were happy to have the whole family at our house to celebrate.

The Blackham Family

Earl with his brother, Darrell, sister, Jane and mom, Elna

We thought it would be fun to actually put 60 candles in the cake.  It was except the next day I found that Andrew had accidentally left three in the box so it's really only 57.  He managed to get them all out with the help of the grand kids, even with a few trick candles in there.

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A few weeks before Earl's birthday I started collecting some old pictures to put in a book for him.  It was fun to look back at the pictures over the last 60 years.  Here are a few of my favorites.