Karter's Kritters

It is sort of official that we got my sister-in-law's blog going for her new business!!! These little animals are so flippin' cute and the kids all love them. They are filled with rice so that they can be microwaved or placed in a freezer. The purpose of them are so that children can have their own comforting hot pad or cool pack, (kids never let you put a cool rag on them when they fever) for reasons of just because or because they are sick and need it! So if you are looking for an original gift for someone's birthday, new birth, or just because you love someone, here you go! It is going to support an amazing family who has been through SO MUCH to keep their own little boy alive and on the right track to good health (a very long time coming). So when you have time, get on this blog, read their story and support them!!! We love baby Karter, Kipp & Mal so much and this is just a little way to help them out!

Our Summer Begins:

One of our very most favorite things to do is go to Grass Valley with Jake. We have been doing this for years. We go up there to irrigate and get the grass ready for the cows to come. Yesterday officially started off our summer with our first trip up there. Ok, I know that it doesn't really look like summer up there, and yes, we got a little bit of snow on us, but we couldn't just stay in the truck the whole time. So I bundled the girls up, and we got out to help Jake and to play. I know I look absolutely fabulous, but I was freezing and I failed to bring adequate attire, I found this in the back of Jake's truck. Not to glamorous, but it kept my head and ears warm. Ok, laugh out loud, it looks ridiculous!!!

I officially decided yesterday that this is where I want to spend all my spare time this summer. It is one of my favorite places on earth. One: because it is so dang pretty there, two: I get to spend uninterupted time with my three favorite people on this earth, three: it makes me happy, and four: you get to hear water running and throw stuff in it.

Poor Jake always working when we go there! Oh, who am I kidding- HE LOVES TO CHANGE WATER IN GRASS VALLEY!!!! It is one of his favorite things to do. A couple years ago he constructed a bunch of diversions and now knows these fields like the back of his hand. He knows just where the water is coming and going from, and how to get it where he needs it!

Here comes the water:

Finger Paints

We are always looking for something new to do, so when I came across finger paints at Walmart, I knew the girls would love it!

It may look like an olive, but it is a stratiegic mixture of colors:Tai gets to do fun stuff at pre-school all the time, so she was a pro at this:

I am not really sure who had more fun, me or the girls:

We made pictures of eachother and people that we love. Here is my picture of Jake and Tai was making a picture of her cousin Maili.

My Interview with Tai (4 1/2 years old)

I have seen this on a couple people's blogs, so I decided to ask Tai some things about me just to see what she said. She was pretty excited to do this. I asked her these questions about me and this is what she said, in her words:

1. What is something mom always says to you? Clean up
2. What makes mom happy? When I clean up my toys
3. What makes mom sad? When we get a boo-boo
4. How does your mom make you laugh? Silly faces
5. What was your mom like as a child? Liked toys
6. How old is your mom? 10- (holding up both hands)
7. How tall is your mom? This many (holding her one hand up and one down)
8. What is her favorite thing to watch on TV? American Idol
9. What does your mom do when you're not around? Take a nap
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? “I don't know”
11. What is your mom really good at? typing
12. What is your mom not very good at? Doing the TV (I think she means remote)
13. What does your mom do for her job? clean up the bathrooms
14. What is your mom's favorite food? Puh-sketti (aka spaghetti)
15. What do you like most about your mom? “I love you so much”
16. If your mom were someone on TV, who would she be? American Idol
17. What do you and your mom do together? Play games
18. How are you and your mom the same? Because we love eachother
19. How are you and your mom different? We don't have the same hair, you have brown hair and I have white hair
20. How do you know your mom loves you? She tells you
21. What does your mom like most about your dad? She loves him to put his stuff away
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go? To Richfield (NOT)

WF'ers Hard at Work:

Here is my shout out to all you WF'ers out there! Oh, you know who you are! This is a long hard day on all the guys, but ultimately, this is what they are doing and trying to accomplish. I won't go into details, I know family people read my posts around the dinner table and would be bound to be sick, just kidding, but I will spare you the details: Jake on the branding iron:

My girls always love to be part of the action. If I would have let them over the fence, they would have probably helped out a great deal! But I know how cowboys feel about little kids running around when things are getting done:

I am not sure who is winning this match, Hoss or the calf, kinda hard to tell, you be the judge:
(I already know the outcome, so you can't ask me)



What? It takes 2 cowboys to put 1 calf in a chute? This is just proof to all those light bulb jokes!



Gitter Done!!!

It really is a long day!

Another one of those moments, looks like a lot of talking to me: (but there really was working going on)

Cy-you can try to hide behind Hoss, but I will get a picture of you!

One of my favorite things:

During the summer, this is one of my very favorite views. Jake takes the girls and I with him quite a bit to go change water. We all love it. Tai has her own shovel to help and Teya just makes a mess and throws dirt clods. For easter, Jake and I gave the girls Hello Kitty rain gloshers (aka irrigation boots). This was Teya's first pair and she loves them already!
I even bought myself my own pair last year, i think they might be the cutest pair of "irrigation" boots I have ever seen. (the inside lining is pink). Teya loved stomping in the dirty water:

Tai decided to stay behind with Grandma Paula at her house and have a bath. Teya and I went with Jake to change the water:

I am still wierded out by how Teya can sit, I think she might be double jointed. Many people can sit like that sort of, but try putting your feet in the direction hers are. This is one of her favorite positions as she throws rocks and dirt:

Teya loved walking around in the water. Once I showed her that she could walk around with her new boots on, that is all she wanted to do, she pulled me all over the field:

Easter Dresses

I found these at Christensen's in Richfield. I probably spent a little to much for them, but they are so cute!

My little Top Model:My little Miss Attitude, wouldn't let me take her picture:

Easter Morning

My girls loved their easter baskets. They each got a new coloring book, crayons, a book, and a small treat! Thanks Easter Bunny!! ;) ;)

Cute girl

I just thought Tai looked so cute this day! We kind of threw this outfit together. She wanted to wear the pants with the shirt (that didn't match) so we threw on the jacket, and wa-la!

Favorite Things Party 2009

We had our second annual Favorite things party this year at Bree's house. For anyone who doesn't know what it is, it is a spin off from Oprah's Favorite Things. We each choose an item/items that is one of our favorite thing that cost approx. 5-8 dollars and we bring enough of them for everyone at the party. We get together and laugh, dine, laugh, share gifts, and laugh!!

Don't be fooled by this picture, we are all sitting calmly smiling: This is the real us, laughing, goofing off, and just loving being away from our responibilities:

Here are some of the favorite things items that I got this year: (summer pitcher, Country Time lemonaid, recipies, Cadbury mini eggs, chapstick, sanitary hand wipes, swiffer dusters, ceramic bowl, potatoe peeler, gum, notebook, post-it notepad, mechanical pencil, pillow, nail polish, toe seperator & lip gloss)

This was the favorite thing item that I brought for everyone! I LOVE gerber daisy's!

Miss Mess

My mother-in-law appropriately named Teya "Miss Mess"! This is ANOTHER one of those moments where I got on the phone and Teya had her way with a bottle of Petrolium Jelly! In her defense, our Pediatrician told us to try rubbing it on the backs of her hands because she has such dry, red, itchy skin to try to lock the moisture in. She just didn't catch on to that's the only place we rub it into! So here you have it:

I feel like I am constantly walking behind this girl cleaning up mess after mess. Kind of gets old!

Easter egg hung 2009

My friend invited me to come to Richfield and go to the Easter Egg hunt. There were so many people. The girls had fun. Got lots of candy, and hey, it was outside, who can beat that?

Teya was pulling a little bit of attitude that day:Gotta grab fast before the other kids got them:

Tai filling up her bucket:

Teya found an egg filled with jelly beans. She was so nice to share one with sister:

The party even came with an easter bunny you could get your picture taken with. The girls didn't really know what to think of him:

2 Dancing Girls

The girls have found that they LOVE to dress up in Tai's dance costumes and dance around. I always knew Tai loved to do this, but I am so surprised that Teya loves to do this. It is so cute.

California Here we come! (again)

Well I did it! I booked our trip to San Diego! I have the biggest tummy tickles right now! We are going with our friends Aaron & Suz, and we are taking all the kids and going to have a blast!

We will need our trusty map of Sea World to make sure that we see everything, not that Suz isn't the best guide ever, but it makes us look official and the kids love to look at them:

We will probably hit "the" burger joint. Although I have been craving a steak burrito from somewhere, I have no idea what it is called or where to get it, I only know that you get them in San Diego and "Miker" aka Suz's dad Mark knows where it is:We are flying on Jet Blue:

Going to hit the beach, hopefully the weather will be nice:

And did I mention Sea World? Tai has already asked me if she could swim with Shamu. I feel really bad that she is still like 18 years away from her dream coming true of swimming with Shamu (you know after marine biology school:) )