Sledding at Cottonwood Canyon

Thus begins my feeble attempt to catch up my blog...

We were able to go sledding with our cousins at Cottonwood Canyon the beginning of March.  It was so much fun and the kids loved it! (Well, all except Capri that is...)

Weekend trip to IF

About a week ago, we headed home to IF for the weekend.  I had a Music Club concert to play in with my parents on Sat. night.  It was a great trip.  We got there on Thurs. night late.  Fri. morning we were able to go over to the elementary schools and hear my parents play for all the school kids.  My kids thought that was the best!  

Of course they each had to take a turn blowing into the tuba like Grandpa!

We spent nearly all day Sat. play with cousins--tea parties, dress up, etc.

Here are Crew and Davis after church having a "sword fight"

These two love each other so much!

On President's day weekend, we headed to Lava Hot springs with Caleb's brothers and cousins.  It's been a tradition for the past few years.  It snowed on us a little but the water felt wonderful.  We look forward to it every year.

Adria and Priesie

My Little Monkey

We've been on the waiting list for this awesome dance teacher here for almost 7 months now and I'm not sure we're EVER going to get in, so we finally broke down and decided to come up with a plan B.  Anyone who knows Caysja knows how much she LOVES (that's an understatement) to climb and swing on EVERYTHING!!!  She has climbed on top of my fridge, swung from every door in our house, jumped off our highest stair, etc.  She is my little MONKEY!  So I thought maybe we should try out gymnastics.  So far she loves it!  Her teachers keep telling me that if she can just work on her cartwheels and handstands a little more, that she can move up to the next level.  The place she takes from is great with little kids.  Every week they have a different theme.  Of course in these pictures it was Valentine's.  Last week it was "space week".  So fun!

LOVE Day!

Here are the kids eating "heart shaped" pancakes and pink milk for breakfast (our tradition).  They were surprised with their balloons and Valentines from me.

After breakfast they got to open presents from Grandma and Grandpa Roberts (Charlotte's Web).  

Caysja loved making Valentine butterflies for all the kids in her class.

The finished product

All ready for the day (Capri did NOT want her picture taken as you can see...)

Valentine hair-do

My surprise to Caleb

His Valentine to me-- flowers, chocolates, a card and...

...a surprise date that night to the Ogden Hot Pots!  It was so much fun and very romantic!  He had arranged for a baby-sitter and everything.  First we went to dinner at Costa Vida.  It was wonderful--thanks Hon!

Randomness

This post is totally random, I know.  Most of these pics were taken a while ago and I just kept on forgetting to post them.  

Here on my girls in matching outfits.  They love each other so much!  It is precious.  Capri has started saying "sissy" and "Shaysha" 

Of course if I take a picture of the girls, I have to take one of Crewser too

Caleb is playing in a Bountiful basketball league right now.  We try to go to his games and cheer him on when we can.  They are held in a Jr. high and the kids love to play on the bleachers.

Go, Daddy!

getting a wet, sweaty kiss after the game

all ready for church

This is Caysja and Crew's new favorite "secret" hideout.  Caleb is the only one who can put them up there and since he isn't home a lot of the time, they don't get to go up there as often as they'd like to.

Our neighbor, Leah, had a princess party and invited Caysja

Crew got to come too (the lone prince)

We have had a VERY mild winter with little snow.  (I'm not complaining!!)  Caysja tried to jump on the tramp after one of the snow storms.

Playin' in the snow--it practically melts the next day so you have to enjoy it while you can!

Caleb took the kids up the canyon during one of the first snows of the season and built a fire and roasted marshmallows.

They had a great time!

SIL Trip to VEGAS!

"Oh what do you do in the winter time when all the world is gray..."  

You go to VEGAS with your sisters-in-law!!!  At least, that's what I did and I highly recommend it!  All of us girls felt we needed some quality bonding time like our husbands always get when they go to Moab together twice a year so when Alice found us the deal on the super cheap tickets, we had to jump on it! We have been planning this trip for quite some time now and we had a blast.  The weather was sunny (60's), the food awesome, the company even better.  We missed having Carrie with us, but the other five of us were able to make it.

We left on Fri. Jan. 13th on a late flight out of SLC.  By the time we got there, got our rental car and drove to our hotel (which was in Henderson outside of Vegas) it was midnight.  You'd think we'd go to bed, right?  Nope!  We were way too excited for that!  Instead we got fries and frosties and stayed up late talking--nearly til 2am!

Here we are on the shuttle that took us to pick up our rental car

Marisa and me 

Kynda and Alice (Heather met up with us the next day)

Sat. morning we got up and headed to the Las Vegas temple to do a session...only to find out that it was closed for cleaning for two weeks!  We were so bummed.  I have heard how beautiful this temple is and I was really looking forward to going inside.  We were able to walk around the grounds though.

So...next on the list was...SHOPPING!  We headed to the outlets and "shopped til we dropped"!  It was so fun.  We were literally there all day.  Sometimes you just need that "retail therapy".

That night we went to Cheesecake Factory for dinner

Mmmmm...gotta love their cheesecake!  It doesn't get much better than that!

Our "Spoils"

Sat. night we went to a show by Cirque du Soleil at the Mirage entitled "Beatles Love".  It was awesome and unlike anything I have ever seen before.

Here we are after the show:  Alice, Heather, Marisa, me, Kynda

Just for fun we headed to the M 'n M store which was just down the street.  This pic turned out so dark.

It was a HUGE gift shop--four floors!  This was on one floor--every color of m'n m you could ever want!

On Sunday morning we went to church in Henderson.  All of the meetings were excellent and just what I needed to hear.  The people of the ward there was so sweet and welcoming to us.  I just love that you can go to any ward around the world and feel right at home.

Sunday afternoon we went on a hike up the Red Rock Canyon about  30 min. outside Vegas.  

Marisa and me

Cindy (Heather's friend), Marisa, me, Kynda, Heather

The view from on top was amazing!

Sunday night we hung out in our hotel room and played games.  We laughed and laughed and then sat around and talked for a long time.  It was very therapeutic for me.  I look up to and admire my sisters-in-law in so many ways.  They are all incredible moms and wives raising amazing children in an increasingly scary world.

Mon. morning Heather had to fly out so here we are saying goodbye to her in our hotel.  So glad you came, Heather!

The Eiffel Tower Restaurant~ downtown Vegas

We spent Mon. doing some fun, free events.  First we went to the botanical gardens inside the Bellagio.  The theme was the Chinese New Year.  

These statues were made completely of flowers that they took out and replaced every day!

And of course we had to watch the Bellagio water fountain show

Marisa discovered the "Pinball Hall of Fame" and we each picked out a game to play for a few quarters

I have never seen so many pinballs in all my life!  They had just about everything you could imagine.  I chose to play the "24" themed one in honor of one of Caleb's and my favorite TV shows.

After dinner at Outback we headed back to the Bellagio to watch the fountains at night.

Alice and Marisa on the plane home--totally exhausted

Kynda and me--ready to go again!  Do we have to go home?

It was a wonderful trip and just what I needed to get me through the rest of winter.  This is the second year in a row now that I've been able to take a trip in January and it really is wonderful to have something to look forward to after the holidays are over.

  I love these ladies so much.  They inspire me to be a better person.  I am so grateful to have them in my life.  Thanks for having the idea, Marisa, finding the deal on tickets, Alice, and arranging all the details, Kynda.  Love you all!   Thanks to my wonderful husband for taking care of the kiddos so I could go.  You're the best, Hon!  It was the first time I have been away from my kids AND Caleb for more than a night and I was homesick for them by the end.  They are my life and what a good life it is.