Easter

We had a great Easter together as a family. I tried extra hard this year to emphasize the REAL reason we celebrate it in addition to all the fun stuff. Part of that was watching our church play "Savior of the world." Rick and I went once and I took the kids. The kids loved it. Our ward didn't have an Easter egg hunt, so some of us decided to throw our own for the kids. It was fun watching them get their eggs. Cole was especially funny, he wasn't too impressed until he realized there was candy inside.....

Easter eve Carson and Brynnli put out some carrots for the Easter bunny and Carson wrote this cute note all by himself (except I helped him spell Easter...)

I think the Easter bunny must've eaten some of our chocolates though because he left these footprints all over the place!!!

Our lazy Easter breakfast was Krispy Kremes Rick picked up for us the night before while he was out on a call at work.....they were really yummy!!

We went to church and Cole gave me the best Easter present of all by staying in the nursery for an hour all by himself!!! HE's been in there for two months now and this is a first!! Crossing my fingers it continues so I don't have to bring my newborn in there while I stay with him......

Then we went to the Grandparents for dinner.....so nice. The kids had the best time. All in all, a great day.

North Carolina

For Carson's spring break we headed to Rick's parents place in the mountains in North Carolina for some r and r. Rick, Carson, and Gpa T. headed up after the races were over and Grandma, me, and Brynnli and Cole made our way up slowly over the course of two days. We stopped to shop at outlets, eat, and to sleep. Brynnli came down with the most horrible looking rash as we drove (turned out she had 5ths disease, which we found out by checking out the local pediatrician in N.C.) and I spent my first night in N.C. without Rick cleaning up Brynn's puke:)

It got a lot better though. Everything is slower up there, there's no malls, and the kids LOVE just doing the outdoor stuff they don't get to do here in suburbia. We took walks in the woods, fed the deer, watched the fish in the pond, helped, gpa cut down trees, and had a great time as a family. It was a much needed break.

Cole would barely leave Grandpa's side the whole week. Two peas in a pod those two:)

Smores in the fire pit were a hit everynight.

We hit the park too and took the kids real horseback riding. Poor Cole was devestated he wasn't old enough to ride, it was heartbreaking, but the other two had a blast!!!

Our little "deer" pretending to eat the corn they put out for the deer.

Gem mining as a family, Cole REALLY got into it:) I haven't laughed that hard in awhile.

Thanks Tolberts for letting us come hangout!!!!

First time at the Races

The day after Carson's bday Rick picked him up early from school AGAIN (it's just Kindergarten right?) to take him up the the drag races in Gainesville. Rick and his dad have been going to these races together since Rick himself was five, so it was Carson's year. He was so excited. Going on a trip by himself with daddy, and staying in a trailer as close to the track as you can get.

He got to meet lots of the "famous" drag racers, and had a blast with Rick. They drove his monster truck in the empty parking lot after the races were over.

Carson had the time of his life and couldn't stop talking about the cars and drivers etc. The boys left the races early on the last day because of rain, so Carson never got to find out if his favorite driver (Schumacher-drag racer, John Force-funny cars) won or not. He finally asked a few days later and Rick said he sort of let Carson think that he won:)

Six

I can't believe it's been six years since I became a mom. This sweet boy is such a blessing in our lives. We took Carson and Brynnli to Disneyworld this year for their birthdays, which they chose instead of a birthday party. I will blog that eventually...... Carson had school on his birthday, and I got to bring him cupcakes to his class. He was so excited to celebrate with all his friends, and especially loved helping sweep up the crumbs all over his classroom and collecting the garbage. Hilarious kid.

I picked him up early from school and took him on a mommy/son lunch date with me. It was so fun. We went to Firehouse subs, I was LOVING that he picked that instead of McDonalds.

We came home and played outside and Carson drove his birthday present from us and Gma/Gpa T. around outside. He got a remote control monster truck. I"m still trying to figure out how Rick convinced me to let him get it....but Carson LOVES it. And he should for how much it cost, that's all I"m saying.

We had dinner at our favorite pizza restaurant with Gma T. and the Wernlis. It was a circus, with seven and a half kids between us, under the age of six, but hey, it was fun.

Then we headed off to Carson's flag football game. We brought cupcakes for the team, and I should've snapped a picture, and might have, but can't find it or remember. Very sad.

The night before Carson's bday we had cake since the football game was the night of his bday. Carson wanted a monster truck cake, and due to some crazy scheduling/packing/etc. I had going on, the cake got made but never decorated. So.....I let Carson and Brynnli decorate it themselves. They had a great time designing it with some help from me. And it took five minutes. Heavenly.

Some important facts about Carson at six:

He's into monster trucks, garbage trucks (still but slowly faing...)

Ninjago, and LOVES playing school and playing outside on his scooter and bike.

He's very helpful, wants to be good, and gets along great with Brynnli and Cole.

He's a great prayer giver. His prayers always come true.

He's LEARNING to read. He is stubborn and likes to give up easily when faced with something he doesn't think he can do easily. He is great at math, like his dad. Things he has learned how to do this year that were hard: Ride a bike, tie his shoes, and reading.

Funny story: When we told Carson we were pregnant with baby girl (our fourth) he said "okay, but this is it guys! I can't take care of any more kids!" and "does this mean I have to ride in the back now?"

He was our hardest baby, but has been our easiest tempered kid. We are thankful everyday that he's in our family and I am so happy to have him as an example to his younger siblings. WE love you Carson!!

Three days of Birthday for Brynnli

Our little princess turned 4 this week. She had three days of birthday celebration and am I a bad mom if I say I"m glad it's over? We had cake with the family a day late and Rick got these two pictures that are pretty awesome (and should be with his expensive camera.....)

The day after Brynnli's birthday was the day we had designated to officially celebrate all day since Rick was working on her birthday....but things didn't go quite according to plan. More on that later. We took the kids bowling.....and they had a blast. Cole was trying his hardest to get down the lane to the pins.

Brynnli helped me decorate her birthday cake (well really just watched and ate frosting while I decorated.....)

We had a picnic lunch at the park.....by the way did I mention how many different outfits Brynnli wore in three days time? At least ten to twelve. She's such a diva.








Brynnli at bedtime in her new matching jammies

Brynnli's actual birthday was action packed from the very beginning. Carson went off to school, Rick went off to work, and I told Brynnli I"d take her to this bounce house place with her little friend down the street. So we get all ready to go and I am literally opening the front door to leave when I hear Brynnli screaming and running out of the bathroom with blood on her chin. SEriously? Apparently she had climbed on the counter in the bathroom to check herself out in her new bday outfit and slipped. So, long story short, we took a side trip to urgent care and two stitches later, we were back on our way. Oh, and did I mention our little princess has her dad wrapped around her finger and he felt so bad for her getting stitches on her birthday he came home from work for a few hours to be with her.

The pictures are out of order, but I have no idea how to move them, so that's the way it is. After urgent care me and Brynnli and her friend Brennan went to the bounce place. I was paranoid the whole time she was gonna bust her stitches out but I let her go anyway.

She had dance later that afternoon and then we met Kim, Jada, and Kalle at our favorite pizza place for dinner. The kids got to sit at their own table, which they thought was pretty cool.

Then off to Dairy Queen for dessert, because Rick was supposed to be gone and we were supposed to have cake the next night......so that's why we had TWO days of celebration. Lucky girl, that is if you discount the trip to the urgent care.

Sleeping beauty watching her cartoons.......

Eating her chocolate chip birthday pancakes......












Opening her presents.......

And having cupcakes with her friends at school.

Oh how we love our Brynnli. Here's a few fun facts about her at age 4:

-She's 32 pounds, and 39 inches tall.

-She LOVES clothes and changing three or four times a day

-She LOVES her brothers. She is very sweet about playing with Cole during the day, and can't wait for Carson to come home from school to play with him.

-She knows all kinds of stuff I"ve never taught her. She learned to write her name all by herself and knows most of her letters and numbers. She loves to learn and read books.

-She LOVES the TV, computer, and playing games on my phone. If I let her, she'd do it all the time.

-She is as girly as they get, but rougher and tougher sometimes than both the boys. I love that about her.
-She loves to talk and can talk all day to me about all kinds of things.

-Her favorite toys are My little pony, barbies, squinkies, and anything princesses.

-She has the FUNNIEST facial expressions when she is telling stories or just talking. I love them.

Happy Birthday my Brynnli!!!!