Where Life is Never Boring!

2012-01-23T09:25:00.000-08:00

Reese had her dance recital this last Saturday. She did so great. I was a little nervous because last time she did tap, she fell on her way out on stage. She knew the entire dance by heart and had a smile plastered on during the entire routine. I was a very proud mom!!!

Thanksgiving in Hawaii...

2012-01-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

Baby Krew

2010-03-01T14:52:00.000-08:00

Kaden prepping to do the circumcision!

Just kidding!

Dougy Houser?

Mommy in training!

I'm going to be out of a job!

Who doesn't love a good practical joke? Brandaan met the Weeks' outside the door and told them they had to wear the masks before they entered the secure area. They totally bought it and we all almost peed our pants when they walked in.

They were good sports!

Uncle Brett and Aunt Meggie

Tiffers and Camilla!

What's a party without balloon animals!

Finally, getting ready to go home...

Is this blanket my sister made not amazing?

Finally at home and we get him all to ourselves!

Four Grew to Five! ..and now were an entire Krew! HeHe!

2010-02-27T22:48:00.000-08:00

I called my sister and told her I was going to have the baby. She arranged for her mother-in-law to take care of her two kids and booked a flight within two hours of my call. Thank you Pam! You're amazing! My brother and his fiance' Meggie drove 3 hours round trip to pick Tiffer up at the airport. They all made it in plenty of time to hold my hand. I couldn't ask for a better family! I never needed more support than I did during this labor and delivery!

My doctor after a job well done! Krew decided to come out face up and the doc couldn't turn him. Normally, he would do a c-section. My epidural stopped working right before I started pushing. The anesthesiologist was in a knee surgery and couldn't come to my rescue.

Krew was having trouble with his breathing and stayed here for eight hours!

I got to hold his finger after two hours....

and finally hold him after six hours. I was a basket case and cried off and on the entire time! No Joke!

Reese finally got a peek at what she's been waiting for!

His first bottle...

Crazy Excited!

Double kisses!

Love you Aunt Tiffer!

...and Aunt Meggie!

Is this not the cutest hat?

Christmas Morning

2010-02-24T14:34:00.000-08:00

Ward Christmas Party

2010-02-24T14:12:00.000-08:00

Kaden singing with the Primary...

Kaden and his dad sang a little duet at church. They sang "Santa Clause is Coming to Town." I was totally in tears. I was secretly hoping Kaden would choke and Brandaan would have to sing the entire song by himself! Is that terrible?

Christmas Pageant at School

2010-02-24T13:30:00.000-08:00

Kaden and his class performed "The 12 Days of Christmas." Kaden's part was "Seven Swans a Swimming." He was really sick and hadn't gone to school that day. He still wanted to go to the show anyway. We gave him some Tylenol and he performed like a champ!

Is that stocking not bigger than him?

We went out to Mexican after the show. We did the same thing last year, so I guess it's tradition now. First item of priority...What did Santa get Kaden?

This guy makes me laugh so hard!

I took a nap...

2009-12-15T20:21:00.000-08:00

Permanent marker!

Halloween

2009-12-15T20:07:00.000-08:00

Halloween party at school...

2009-12-15T19:04:00.000-08:00

Weekend at Tiffer's!

2009-12-15T18:37:00.000-08:00

Class trip to the PuMpKin PaTcH!

2009-12-15T18:34:00.000-08:00

Thumbody turned three!

2009-11-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

Brandaan and my brother Brett put together this great centerpiece. Who knew these guys had such skills?

The gift bags...

Carter used to just walk around the pool and splash everyone, but never get in. This visit was totally different. We couldn't get him out of the pool. It was great!
I think my dad was so excited to have an excuse to wear his hat!
Tiffer and her new baby AnaBelle

A little tree frog found its way into the pool building. It was great entertainment for the kids...

REESE got her own Escey!

My dad was having such a great time he actually fell out of his chair!
Is she not the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?
Reese opening a present from Uncle Brett and Aunt Meggie.
She got four Mermaids for her birthday. She can never have too many!
None of the girls had to fight over a Mermaid. There was more than enough to go around.

This year REESE had a pool party at my parents house. It couldn't have been more perfect, especially with me being pregnant. My sister came up for a visit with her brand new baby just to help me get this party together. I more than needed her help. I had so much help from everyone. Tiffer made the pulled pork sandwiches. BRETT and MEGGIE made awesome smoothies for everyone. Everyone pitched in and it came together perfectly.

Student of the Week!

2009-11-01T14:10:00.000-08:00

KADEN was extra excited when I came to pick him up at the end of his second week of school. He was chosen as the student of the week. Did I mention it was only the second week of school! I couldn't be any more proud as a mom. Way to go KADEN!

2009-09-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

To say REESE is excited about her birthday is more than an understatement. The first thing REESE says to anyone we're around is, "My party coming soon!" Every time we go to grandma Janet's it's this same phrase and we go there at least every other day. She tells everyone at church, the park, the stores, anywhere we are this same phrase. She has helped me put together all the party bags with great excitement. I can find her daily in the spare bedroom looking through the bags and boxes of party supplies and when she gets caught her reply is with a huge smile and... yup, you guessed it... "My party coming soon!"

When it came time to take her picture to put on the invitation, she was more than ready. She posed left and right and blew kisses at us as we snapped away. I don't love the invitation after I finished and normally I would have redone them, but I'm pregnant and tired! So, I settled!

I printed these invitations out as 5X7's, rolled them up and stuck them in these clear bottles with a cork on top. Get it? Message in a bottle? I also put some sand in the bottles along with a drink umbrella and a pair of mini sunglasses. I topped it off with the names tied to the bottle with raffia and turquoise tulle. They turned out pretty cute I guess. We're going to hand deliver them tomorrow to all of her friends. This will be interesting to watch her deliver them. I wonder what she will say...

Ye-HaH

2009-09-08T19:25:00.000-07:00

We went to the local rodeo here in Kamiah dressed in our best rodeo attire. At the beginning of every rodeo they call all the little kids out into the arena for a horse race. REESE of course was the first to hop the fence, but KADEN hung back to watch from the sidelines.

REESE was so brave she even said hi to everyone and told them her age. That's my girl!

BRANDAAN and KADEN went to a father/son round-up at church the next week.

KaDEn's 1st DaY oF ScHooL!

2009-09-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

KADEN was more than ready for school to start today. He woke up this morning in a great mood and put on his clothes as fast as KADENLY possible. This is so not the norm for our KADEN. We are usually pulling him out of bed kicking and screaming with him telling us he "needs five more minutes and turn off the light!" After he got dressed he went into REESE'S room and told her to hurry up and get ready because his friends were waiting for him at school and they were missing him. He was so excited. Last year, he cried when I left his classroom. Today he simply slapped me a high five and said "see ya." He's getting so grown up.

gO TeAM!

2009-06-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

KADEN had his first T-Ball game and it was the funnest and cutest thing I've ever seen!

He's on the far left...

Batter up!

He swings and...

I hold my breath!

Yeah! Notice the ball is off the T. You fellow T-Ball mom's know this is a huge accomplishment.

He drops the bat and he's off the first. Watch the two kids behind him chasing him down.

He left them in the dust! You can't even see them in this picture.

And he makes it safely to first base! Yeah!

Rounding second and on to third!

Getting some advice from the third base coach!

And he makes it home!

He got to play catcher. Can't get anymore action than that!

CoNgRAtuLaTiOns DeDe!

2009-06-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

REESE brought along all her princesses. She had so much fun!

KADEN and REESE love airplanes. And, their so good during the entire ride. Not like these nightmare kids behind us that kept crying and kicking our seats the entire time. We really lucked out!

These two always get so lucky. They always get asked to do the coolest things. The pilot was showing them the controllers and what they all do. There were a ton of other kids on the plane all going to Disneyland . We could see the pilot smiling at them as we walked up the steps. I could tell something was going to happen. Sure enough, when we reached the top of the stairs he escorted us into his private chambers! When we were at the ER with REESE I asked him if he wanted to be a doctor when he grows up and he said, "No, mom. A pilot!" He said it like I should have known! How FUNNY!

Brandaan's parents treated us all to lunch after the graduation. They even had menu's made up that said "Congratulations DeDe!"

We have school spirit, yes we do!

DeDe and her boyfriend Todd. Todd is so great with our kids. They had never met him before this and they were best friends within seconds. Todd is a great guy. Even DeDe's over-protective brother has to admit it too!

This is right outside our hotel room.

We rented these paddle boats that are electric. These are totally my kind of paddle boats! KADEN was so scared to get on. But of course, the nice parents that we are forced him onto the boat anyways. We're so glad we did because he had a blast. He found the buttons right off and immediately took control of the steering!

Reese has no fear!

REESE was jumping on the hotel bed with all her cousins. We're pretty sure she caught a glimpse of herself in the window and while she was admiring herself she somehow fell off! We think she hit her head on the door handle of the sliding glass door or the metal running strips on the bottom. No one saw it perfectly clear because it happened so fast. I took one look at the gaping wound and told Brandaan, "get in the car, we're going to the Emergency Room." I was so scared that they're going to have to shave her head so they can do stitches. I know I'm so vain, but can you imagine how long it takes for hair to grow back and she literally has pig-tails every day? Luckily, my mother-in-law escorted us to the hospital. I knew from the last E.R. visit I don't have it in me to hold my little girl down as she screams out for me. It breaks my heart and I can't do it. After a million hours in a dirty California E.R. we walk away with four staples and all of her hair in tact. Yeah! I want to remind everyone that this is the beginning of our trip. She is the most accident prone child. When we got home from our vacation I went to our family doctor to get the staples removed. He started reading off these sticky notes, "four stitches in forehead in December, curling iron burn on face in Febuary..." Luckily, we have a great relationship with our doctor and he started laughing. I didn't think it was that funny, but I had a quick laugh too.

Brandaan's sister DeDe graduated from San Diego State University. We are more than proud of her. She even graduated in the 4 years that it's supposed to take, but we all know it usually takes a little or a lot longer! Am I right or what? This was the reason for our visit to California this year. We took the entire week and has some Southern California fun. Our hotel was right on the beach and we could literally walk out of our room and there was sand. I love that! We had so much fun with our relatives. We had DeDe's graduation, ER visit, Seaworld, Disneyland, and Carina's High School graduation crammed all into this one week. The week went by so fast. We had so much fun and are counting down the days till our next visit!

SeA WOrLD

2009-06-10T12:09:00.000-07:00

The Shamu show was a hit with the kids. We bought them a Shamu stuffed animal while we were there and they haven't parted with it since. But, they call it an ORCA...Thank you Diego!

And this is when the alarm went off and we grabbed the kids and ran away FAST!

Note the ORCA in her little paws!

That dolphin just floated in one spot and starred at KADEN. Maybe he's like the dolphin whisperer...hahaha! Kind of CREEPY!

Sting Rays!

One was trying to jump out and escape. The kids couldn't believe it!

REESE with her Aunt DeDe!

The dolphin show was another big hit... not as big as the ORCA!

I think it's so cute she has to carry her bag around everywhere. BTW, it's filled with all her favorite Princess toys!

She always picks out the toys with all the sparkles on it! Just so you all know, Penguins reek!

The kids were so afraid that were real Polar Bears in the caves because they saw all of the footprints. It took me like five minutes to convince them it was safe!

Finally!

Pretty brave now, huh?

REESE watching the Baby Beluga's!

And yes, we did read the sign that said to not pick them up!

We seriously need to get a trampoline!

HaPPiEsT PLaCe oN EaRTh!!! HaNDs DoWN!!!

2009-06-09T13:30:00.000-07:00

Goofy was there to great us when we checked in. He was there when we pulled up and played with the kids for about 30 minutes while I snapped photos and BRANDAAN checked in. We will never stay at another hotel. It doesn't get any better than this... unless it was MICKEY and MINNIE!

Goofy showed them around the Lobby and pointed out the MICKEY MOUSE statue.

He even had a seat and hung out with them on a couch...

If you look closely, you can see SHAMU in GOOFYS arms. He was putting SHAMU on his nose and making him dance. The kids thought it was hilarious!

After we left Goofy, we headed to the pool. There's water slides and Captain Hook's Ship, along with Ariel's grotto over by the hot tub!

She kept pretending she was talking to MINNIE on the phone... along with some of her coveted princesses!

Seriously! Can REESE'S pose get any cuter!

After the pool, we went out to dinner with some of our favorite people...

REESE wouldn't take her eyes off MINNIE, not even to take a picture...

KADEN was fascinated by her shoes!

Showing PLUTO their bibs!

Bibbity, Boppity, Boo!

Goofy telling them that he remembered them from earlier... What?

KADEN and GOOF having another dance-off!

REESE just snuggles in for the hug and closes her eyes!

"Is this nose for real?"

This was after she rubbed noses with CHIP!

KADEN dancing with PLUTO. We call this move the "Snow Angel!"

REESE and her AUNT CARINA...

Breakfast at Jamba Juice. KADEN can spot a Jamba miles away!

Buzz was by far all of our favorites!

REESEY and her Grandma Sheryl!

The family in our Matching Mickey Mouse Couture!

Say that three times fast!!!

Pixie Hollow was a hit!

Isn't Fawn so beautiful!

TINK!

Dance Party!

I wouldn't mess with her!

REESE was so sad on the last trip that she didn't get to meet DAISY. We found out where she has breakfast in the morning and booked it over to the restaurant. REESE was so somber and just stared! I'm not sure if it was the excitement or the 1/2 mile run to see her!

REESE thought it was so funny as stitch snuck up behind her at breakfast!

Goofy thought he was hilarious this trip! Whoever is playing Goof is not getting paid enough because he's awesome. He decided to ruff up my hair, put my hat on backwards and then pretend he was going to pour ketchup on my head! Who is this guy? So funny! REESE is scared for her mom, check out her mouth wide open in fear!

Lilo chatting it up with REESE and you can see Goof dancing with KADEN again!

Another dance-off!

This one is with STITCH!

And yes, he got his moves from his mom!

(I wish I had this on video.)

This was parked right outside our hotel. REESE was so excited to see Cinderella's carriage.
Bumper Cars!!!

REESE'S poses are getting so cute.
Giving Mater a little gas.
KADEN making car noises and rubbing his hands across the paint.
Kind of scared of Brother Bear at first!
Rubbing noses...

We're so excited for the Little Mermaid ride to come. Anyone that knows REESE knows how OBSESSED she is with Ariel. I will be there opening day to take her on this ride.
She loves Ariel...

...and Ariel loves her!

REESE had a pen that had Aurora on it. She was fascinated that Aurora was on her pen and there in person at the same time!

Our dessert platter!
The seashell made completely out of white chocolate. White chocolate is my favorite and he wouldn't even share.
Cruella DeVille! She was so scary that Reese got her autograph and ran!
KADEN was so much braver. He said afterwards to me, "she was so mean to those puppies, huh?"
The entire lollipop can fit in her mouth. She thought she was so funny.

Hail, KING KADEN!

REESE had another tragic accident! She was swinging on the chains that separate the lines for the rides and did a summer-salt right on her face. This was right after it happened, it eventually developed into a very pretty black eye of course!

IT'S A POW-WOW!

2009-04-17T12:43:00.000-07:00

Our little warrior!

We ate pizza before the POW-WOW

KADEN led his class around the gym.

REESE and LANEY. You can't separate these two.

Laney is my friend Jackie's little girl

The couples dance.

KADEN and LOGAN in a couples dance. This is also Jackie's little girl. They're best friends!

The boys had to watch from the sidelines during an all girls dance.

They had all the kids come and pull their parents and grandparents out of the bleachers to dance with them.

KADEN'S pre-school had a mini pow-wow last night. They spent all week making their costumes and learning how to dance. I love that KADEN (and us too) get to learn of different cultures. The school teaches the kids to speak Nez Perce and KADEN thinks the Indian warriors are fascinating. The men sat in a big circle around a large drum and sang sacred songs in their Nez Perce language. To us, it sounds like chanting and it's the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

StUDeNT of ThE WeEk!

2009-04-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

Yup! That's right! Our little man got student of the week for the second time this year. We're going to go out for ice cream to celebrate. We couldn't be any prouder. Way to go Kaden!

2009-04-16T13:12:00.001-07:00

Leo, June, Annie and Quincy

Handy Manny

Little Einsteins

All REESE cared about was Minnie... and of course she didn't come out until the very last act! The entire show she kept asking "THWEREE'S MINNIE?" I started to panic towards the end knowing I would have a little girl in tears!

So sad to leave...

They seriously held these cups the entire 4 hour ride home!

Back at the hotel...

And yes... they are hitting each other over the heads with these pillows.

KADEN and REESE love all the shows on Disney Channel. When I saw Playhouse Disney Live being advertised I wrote down the date the tickets would go on sale. I got up really early in the morning that day and I'm sure I was the first to call because I got Front Row Center. I've never sat front row for anything! I was screaming with so much excitement and I'm sure the lady on the phone thought I was nuts! I was!

KADEN and REESE loved the entire show. Their eyes were wide and huge smiles were abundant that day. These are the days I love being a mom. I love to see their faces light up and know we made them that happy...

SoMEboDy TuRnEd FOUR!

2009-01-19T21:37:00.000-08:00

REESEY getting caught sticking her fingers in the cake.

I hung streamers to get the whole jungle effect. The kids just kept running back and forth through them. I finally gave up taping them back up.

I thought it was so funny to see the kids eating their animal suckers right before they ate cake. Their parents are totally hating me right now!

Check out REESE'S crazy eyes! PYRO!

KADEN had lots of help blowing out the candles.

We seriously can't believe we have a four year old. I feel like we brought him home from the hospital just yesterday. KADEN is really into animals, so this year we had a Jungle Safari of a birthday. He helped pick out all his decorations, cake, and party favors. We spent long hours browsing Oriental Trading. He helped me put the favors in the bags and tie the decorations on them. He's been talking about his birthday for a month.

We had his party at the Pizza Factory, which is his favorite restaurant. They feasted on pizza and breadsticks while they played arcade games. The kids all had a great time. KADEN was so excited when his friends showed up. He couldn't stop jumping up and down and dancing all night. It was a hugs success and best of all, no mess for me to clean up. It was the best party ever!

A California Christmas!

2009-01-07T23:26:00.000-08:00

DeGroot Family Christmas Party

We Kicked off California Christmas with our Annual DeGroot Family Christmas Party. We started the night off with the usual kisses and hugs to all those we haven't seen in a while. The Shannon's had a fantastic feast immediately to follow everyone's arrival. After diner, we played the White Elephant Game. You know the one where you pick a number and get to steal each others presents? We chit - chatted some more and had some cheesecake for dessert. It was so much fun and thanks again Heidi and Craig for hosting!

The party favors!

And yes, the night wouldn't be complete without Reese eating their Ginger Bread House (mouth first).

Cookies With The Cousins!

Cousin Jonah

Kaden decorating his cookies

Reese and Kelsey

Forget about the cookies... Kaden just wanted frosting

Every year Brandaan's mom has all of the kids over to her house and decorates cookies. The kids had an amazing time and were all covered in frosting.

Christmas Eve!

Turkey Dinner

Brandaan made the turkey and it was the most juicy turkey I've ever had. Way to go!

The kids table...

Christmas Eve P.J.'s from Gramma and Pappa DeGroot

The Nativity Story

Jonah was Joseph and Kaden was a wise man

Every Christmas Eve the kids dress up to act out the Nativity Story. Pieter reads the story and all the kids stand there and look precious. I think next year they're old enough we can actually give them lines. It's so much fun and rewarding to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Getting Ready for Santa

The cookies...

Writing thank you cards...

Kaden and Jonah in their Christmas PJ'S guarding the cookies...

Uncle David and Kaden dancing around in circles...

Brandaan got these Santa bags last year with the kids names on them

Reese wanting to make sure the egg nog is just right..

and Kaden ready to snatch it out of her hands.

Christmas Day

What? A blackberry! For me?

Do you love the Santa footprints on the floor?

Kaden got totally roasted!

Oh...Pieter!

Ho, Ho, Ho!

2009-01-07T22:48:00.000-08:00

Santa giving him a gift.

Kaden opening his present from Santa.

Kaden's school had a Christmas Concert this year. His class sang two songs, in which we spent an entire month memorizing. I'm sure I wasn't the only mom in the audience singing along quietly. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time because Kaden had cold feet and decided right when we got there that he wouldn't be joining his class. What? After some extreme coaching, he decided he wanted to sing with them (mostly because his teacher said he could shake the bells during the song.) He sang both songs and knew all the words. When he was done, I could finally breathe. I never knew these things could be so stressful. How come nobody told me? Thanks fellow moms!

2009-01-07T11:21:00.000-08:00

The First Snow of the Year!

We came out of the house to find KADEN making Snow Angels. We didn't even know he knew what Snow Angels are!

Oh, Christmas Tree... Oh, Christmas Tree...

REESE decided she's rather undecorate the tree instead.

A Trip To The E.R.

Brandaan and I had just sat down in our seats in Sunday School when one of the ladies from Nursery called to me from the doorway. I thought, "Oh great, a poopy diaper already. It's only been five minutes!" The lady then told me that Reese had an accident and was bleeding. My heart sunk and I rushed down the hallway towards the Nursery. Reese was screaming at the top of her lungs while two other ladies were holding a wet paper towel to her forehead. She removed the paper towel when I got closer and blood just started gushing. I started to panic and asked another lady to get Brandaan. I'm the worse in these kind of situations and he's always so calm. Luckily, we have a lady in our ward that's a nurse and told her we should take her to the E.R. and get her stitches. We pulled Kaden out of Primary and headed for the hospital. After Reese was buckled into her carseat, she began to calm down. She then noticed that her new dress had blood all over it. She started crying again and kept saying over and over, "oh nooo, my dreth...my dreth..." She's my daughter through and through.

We met with the doctor and he said she needed stitches. They suggested Kaden not be there. I left the room and waited with Kaden out in the lobby. We could hear Reese screaming all the way out where we were waiting. Kaden asked, "mommy, why are they hurting my sister?" I explained to him that they were helping her and he decided he wanted to go see her. We went into the hospital room and Kaden took one look at her and said he was ready to go back to the lobby. It was so funny, he was so worried. When the crying stopped, Kaden and I went back into the room. Reesey was given 4 stitches and Brandaan said he could see her bone. The doctor did a great job. I wish I had a before photo. I didn't have my camera, having to rush and all. The gash was really wide and deep. The doc sewed it together so well, it looks like it will be a thin scar. Reese went back to being upset about her blood stained dress and wanted her necklace and shoes back on. She would dress like she was ready to go to Church every day of the week if I'd let her. After she got all her precious items returned to her, she gave the doc and the nurses all hugs and said, "bye."(with her little wave)

Kaden and Reese playing around the house...

Yes, those are underwear on her head...
Eating a snack and watching Little Mermaid II...
Ready for the snow...
She sleeps with the bunny Gramma DeGroot made for her when she was born.

As Promised...

2008-11-18T13:39:00.000-08:00

As promised... Here are the indoor pictures of KADEN and REESE. They were both crying the entire time. We were so lucky that these turned out so good, considering. I was a basket case the entire time and of course so embarrassed! You all know the feeling!

2008-11-08T11:09:00.000-08:00

My mom bought my sister and I these matching Twisted Heart sweats on their last randevoux in Seattle. They brought us back all kinds of loot. Thanks for spoiling us mom and dad!

Witches Night Out...

2008-11-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

My wonderful husband had these beautiful flowers waiting for me when I got home.

My sister has been trying year after year to get us to go the Girls Night Out at Gardener Village. This year we finally went and we now know what all the hype is about. There is seriously hundreds of witches and their costumes are to die for. We went to the dinner show Witch A Palousa. It was so much fun, even our 58 year old mom was shaken her bootie all night. Thank you Matt for watching the kids. We had a great time and we're in next year for sure!

THrIcK oR ThrEaT!

2008-11-03T20:49:00.000-08:00

Tinkerbell and Peter Pan or Captain Hook was what I was going for. KADEN had another idea. To Infinity and Beyond!

What officer? No candy!

She wouldn't put her candy in her bucket. She would just take a piece, eat it, finish it and then move onto the next door.

Here's a glimpse of my little Main Street for all of my friends that don't understand where I come from. No stoplights! Anywhere!

Logan and Reese

Kaden, Logan and Reese.

Getting ready for the parade to start.

The Landmarks came over and we did Make-Up on the girls!

I finally made the famous DeGroot Family Pumpkin Stew. It tasted amazing! We will be making it every Halloween. Promise! 5 1/2 years of marriage and I finally gave it a try. Why did I wait this long?

Is Halloween always the coldest day of the year? Or is it just my imagination? My Sweet Home Alabama of a town I live in had a parade down Main Street for all the little ones. The vendors on Main Street all come out to the curb and hand out candy.

The parade was also equipped with a costume competition...um...no... REESE didn't win and yes I'm still a little sore from the loss. I wish I would have snapped a photo of the winner. You would all agree with me that Tinker Bell is so much cuter than Little Bow Peep that didn't even have a staff! It made the loss even worse when all the people on Main Street kept asking me if REESE won. It hurt each time I had to say no and try to keep a smile on my face! If anything, I feel bad I made REESE wear these wings the size of her entire body and she had to try so hard not to fall over backwards! ...and she still didn't win!

Thanks guys! I've vented and now I think I'm over it. Probably not!

ThERe's nO PlaCE LiKe HoMe... ThERe's nO PlaCE LiKe HoMe... Can somebody please find me some red slippers!

2008-10-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

The front

The back

First Floor

Second Floor

Can you see the fear in Kaden's eye's

Kaden peeing in a pile of rocks of course...oh...to be a boy!

My dad and Brandaan

Brandaan and Reese...

My dad...

Zack

Zack and Brandaan playing with their toys!

My dad...

I'm sure she thinks she's helping in some way.

Brandaan with his shiny new toy!

I haven't even mentioned our new house yet mostly because I didn't want to jinx it. Now that it's officially on it's way I can give you all the latest in the process. My dad is doing all the excavation work and it's almost all done. He's so nice to do all this work for us. The road into our property is totally done besides some last grading.

Our house is nestled right in the trees. My dad had to take out some of the trees and BRANDAAN and ZACK cut them all into logs. BRANDAAN came home one day with a shiny new chainsaw and my mouth fell open and followed with lots of laughing. I'm sure you're all as surprised as me that BRANDAAN could run a chainsaw. I would think you would have to get some kind of training...not if you're BRANDAAN. Well, he did cut his pants right open! Luckily, our friend ZACK was a logger for a long time and was able to show BRANDAAN the ropes. ZACK had about fifteen trees cut when BRANDAAN finished his third. If you ask BRANDAAN the reason for that is because BRANDAAN'S trees were so much larger! Right! That's totally BRANDAAN!

We should be ready soon for the foundation!

We CaN HaRdLy BeliEVe iT's TrUe...ReEsE tuRNed TwO!

2008-10-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

The Birthday Girl and her balloon.

The Birthday Girl...

The girls were all given wings and wands. Then they got their faces painted by the talented Miken and Matea. They finished turning them into fa

iries by sprinkling them with pixie dust. It was very magical!

Thank you to Miken and Matea for all their help!

Fairy Ashlynn...Look at all the pixie dust in her hair!

Fairy Laney

The Schoening's brought a pony and gave all the kids pony rides. Thank you so much Danny and Amber. It was definitely the highlight!

The Birthday Girl...

No party is complete without a pinata!

Logan hits like a girl...

And Ashlynn hits like a boy! No kidding!

Notice how all the kids backed up when Kaden cocked back his swing!

Finally... she makes her wish!

I posted this picture because I thought it was hilarious she started using her teeth to tear the paper...grrr!

And Yeahhh! It's Little Mermaid. Her favorite!

Say ChEeSe!!!

2008-09-16T09:54:00.000-07:00

I've been struggling to get good pictures of KADEN and REESE together. They just don't seem to want to cooperate. They take great pictures separately. I'm taking them again to get pictures taken this Friday. The photographer suggested to try shooting some indoors so they're not so distracted and we can trap them in a specific area...I'm not sure she knows what she's getting herself into. I've never been happy with any indoor photos so far, so I'll let you all know how it goes.

ThE 4tH of JuLy!

2008-08-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

This year for the 4th of July we planned to spend it with my sister TIFFANY'S family. They were driving all the way from Utah. We were headed back from Disney Land and our flight was cancelled. This was the day before the Fourth and there wasn't any flights until the day after the Fourth. Luckily, we were able to spend the Fourth in California with BRANDAAN'S family. We had the best time. We had a barbecue and spent the rest of the day at the beach. We watched fireworks at Pismo Beach. KADEN and REESE love G'MA and G'PA DeGroot's house. I refer to BRANDAAN'S mom as G'MA SHERYL and KADEN calls her "the Grandma by the beach!"

My sister was so understanding and we were able to spend a couple of days with her and her family before they went back to Utah.

WheRe DrEAmS ReAlLy dO CoMe TrUe!

2008-07-30T19:32:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law Julie know all the secrets of Disneyland. She got us these buttons for the kids to wear. Apparently, when the characters see a kid wearing this special button they drop everything and flock to this kid. During the parades, all the characters came up to KADEN and REESE and would pose for pictures and give them extra attention...hence Peter Pan here during the parade. It made it so much more magical for the KADEN and REESE.

The Button...

KADEN just kept saying very somberly..."Is that really Lightning McQueen?"

Just as excited about MATER!

Nothing like a high five from PRINCESS JASMINE!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Live on stage. We sat front row center and there was this yellow line they told us we couldn't cross...of course KADEN was jumping up and down so full of excitement...We couldn't hold him back...the "bouncer" escorted him back to his seat like we were at a Nickelback concert!

Now that we're home...REESE has made us watch Little Mermaid about a hundred times...noo joke. She didn't even know who she was before we went to Disney Land!

Belle...

Snow White...

At the end of the day...KADEN and REESE still loved their mouse ears! They still wear them around the house now that we're home!

Autograph from Princess ATTA!

FLIK!

Bumper Cars!

Bumper cars...of course the kids thought it was hilarious to bump into each other!

Mi-th-ter Rabbit...are you home???

KADEN and JONAH with their drivers licenses! We were surprised KADEN didn't ask to drive our car later...

Autotopia! We all want to know when they'll change this ride to the movie CARS! Hopefully soon!

KADEN was freaking out with excitement...that's why he's all blurry and everyone else is clear in the picture! Mickey was by far his favorite. He didn't freak out like this with any other character!

Finally settled down so we could take a pic without him jumping up and down!

The TeaCups!

She wanted to wear all of Grandma's accessories!

Watching the parade with Grandma

Exhausted!

Cousin Jonah spent the night in our Mickey suite. They stayed up and watched this channel that just played Disney cartoons over and over!

Princess Snow White and Princess Arora. Between Minnie and them it was a toss up to which was her fave!

She handed them her autograph book and had a seat. She wasn't going anywhere and she was so happy about it!

The kids were so excited to get autographs.

REESE calls Goofy...Foofy! It's so cute I don't even try to correct her!

REESE just squealed when she met Minnie...I did a little bit too! She just kept stroking her face to make sure she was really there! I couldn't stop laughing!

A proper goodbye with a kiss on the nose!

We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel and splurged for the Mickey Mouse sweet! KADEN and REESE were so happy that it made it so worth it. The first night there we could see and hear the fireworks festival from our balcony.

KADEN got the biggest kick out of this light. Every time you push the button it would say a Mickey phrase and then yank the cord and the light would turn off. We were surprised it still worked when we left. He seriously would turn it off and on a hundred times before falling to sleep.

Apparently, this guy is from Pinnochio. The kids loved him just the same even though they've never seen him before.

And Alice! Seriously 3 ft tall! OK...an exaggeration, but you get the picture!

GuiTaR HeRo III

2008-06-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

We are the proud owners of Guitar Heros III! Five years of marriage and two kids and this is the first video game system we've bought. We should have held out longer because we're all addicted. KADEN tries so hard and he rocks the yellow notes. We never knew our family has so much rock n' roll running through our veins. KADEN and REESE also love Mario Olympics. They play against each other. You have to see it in person because pictures don't show enough of how competitive they are. We're having so much fun and we have 4 remotes so we can all play as a family. Who says video games are bad for you? This is family fun 24/7! I'm trying to justify it...it makes me feel better!

BrEtT's GrADuaTioN!

2008-06-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

My little brother Brett graduated from the University of Idaho. We're all so proud of him. He's worked so hard to accomplish such a hefty goal. It was a great celebration, although the Davidson family were very much missed. Here are some pictures from the day long celebration.

Kaden and Savannah. One and a half hours into the event the kids made there way over to the vacant side bleachers to play.
Left to right:The Grad, Meggie, Tammy, Jackson and Brad.

I joined the kids as they played on the bleachers. They just didn't want to sit in their seats with their arms folded for two hours...imagine that!
My niece Savannah at dinner.
The Grad with Aunt Carol and Uncle Jerry.
Sister-in-law Tammy with Jackson.
Brett's girlfriend Meggie with her parents.
He opted to not wear the Sombrero! No Fun!
I got him a cake made in the shape of a graduation hat. Black and Gold are Vandall colors!

The kids didn't want a piece of cake. They just wanted to eat the frosting off the top part. Brandaan was counted in the kids category!

2008-06-02T13:29:00.000-07:00

My birthday this year was very low key and was actually one of my favorites. It fell on a Monday, so we had to work. I really didn't work hardly at all. BRANDAAN'S parents came to visit us that day and stayed for a couple day's until they had to go back to California:( They came with lot's of great gifts. Sheryl always puts so much thought into her gift giving because she always gives you just what you need and want! The local flower shop delivered three bouquets of flowers. Two of them were from BRANDAAN and the other was from my parents. My sister TIFFANY got me these aprons I've been wanting for a really long time. Aren't they so cute? Brandaan got me the boyfriend watch I've been wanting...so happy! He got himself one too by the way! I got many other presents and ended the day by Brandaan's parents taking us out to our favorite steak house. Thanks to you all for making this day so special for me!!!

2008-06-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

We fenced in a little play area at our office. The kids love to be outside now that the weather is so much nicer. I can see and talk to the kids through the window by my desk. We found this great little playhouse at CostCo. They love having their very own house that's just their size. KADEN and REESE loved helping me lay down the sod and planting all the flowers. They have their own little watering cans and help me almost every morning to water. REESE likes to water herself and KADEN likes to water REESE!!!

2008-04-22T17:00:00.000-07:00

It snowed yesterday...it's almost the end of April! It all melted the next day, so I broke out the rainboots. These are REESE'S most favorite shoes of all time. When I finish dressing her and start to put on some matching shoes, she screams at me. I know each time that it's the scream of "No, not those ones!" I am forced to put these rainboots on that she can hardly walk in. She seriously thinks it's hilarious to stumble and fall all over herself. Do you know how hard it is to find outfits that will match these wild boots? It's hard!!! They don't match anything!

TeE-BaLL

2008-04-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

The weather's been awful, so KADEN'S league sports have been held indoor's. I didn't get any photo's of BRANDAAN and KADEN playing catch. I think tee-ball is his favorite so far. Did you all notice they use cones instead of tees? We thought it was weird, but it seemed to work really well.

As you can see, little sister is still so sad to be left on the sidelines. The coach felt bad for her and gave her a ball to play with.

SoCCeR StAr!

2008-03-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

Every morning I have to fight with KADEN to get him out of bed, except on Saturday. Saturday morning is when he has soccer. He lays out all of his clothes the night before and he makes sure we lay out the "soccer socks." You know the ones. They are the tall ones that go all the way to the top of the calf. He seriously thinks he's David Becham.

It was really rainy this week, so the kids played soccer in the gym. They didn't seem to mind. KADEN had so much fun. I was such a proud mom and loved every minute of it.

Poor little REESE wanted to play so bad. Every time the ball got kicked out of bounds she would run as fast as she could and snatch it. KADEN would have to pry it out of her hands. I couldn't do it..I was too busy getting it on camera! She would just run up and down the sidelines with her arms up in the air wanting someone to kick it her way. It was so cute and so sad. She would even try to kick it like her big brother.

Go DiEgO gO!

2008-03-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Last night Brandaan asked Kaden what was on the T.V. Kaden say's, "Oh...That's a whale." Then Kaden asks Brandaan what kind of a whale it was. Brandaan told him that it was a killer whale and Kaden says, "Um...no daddy that's a orcha." Brandaan and I look at each other like...um is that our son?

Then today at the bank he asked me what the teller was doing and I told him that she was counting the money. He then points his finger at the money she's counting and says, "uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis, siete..." When we got back to the office I told him to tell daddy how he can count in Spanish. Brandaan looks at me like...yeah right! Sure enough, he counts to ten in Spanish once again.

As much as I would like to take credit for this intelligence, I had no idea. He watches Diego in the car, but he wears head phones while I listen to my XM. I really had no idea that Diego was so educational. Kid tested and mother approved! Go DiEgO gO!

SwEeT HoMe AlaBamA!

2008-03-13T13:18:00.001-07:00

ThE LaST FeW MoNThS...

2008-03-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

We moved to my home town of Kamiah, Idaho. My friends ask what it's like living in this small town. The best way to explain it is that it's like the movie Sweet Home Alabama without the cute southern accent. We don't have any fast food nor do we have a single stop light.

We went to the annual Crab Feed. I hadn't been since I was in highschool and this was Brandaan's first time. They serve all you can eat crab and the locals perform. We were laughing the entire time and Brandaan of course is now itching for his time in the spotlight. Reese was dancing on our table and clapping her hands while we were unsuccessful at pulling her off the table. My little girl sure does know how to party!

We're loving the small town life. Brandaan loves that everyone knows everybody else. It's such a friendly little town. The kids seem to be happy. They love that they get to see their dad so much more. We put Kaden in a sports club. He just finished up basketball and now he's in soccer. After soccer is over he starts T-Ball. Reese is such a happy little sister as she is forced to watch from the sidelines. She wants to grow up so fast and can't understand why she can't play with the big kids. I miss you all and now that we're settled into our new life here in this small town I will be better about updating my blog.

CaCHoW!

2008-03-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Kaden turned three on January 29th. As you can tell from the pictures he's totally into the movie Cars right now. I ordered a Cars decorating kit. It was a 3-D mold of the famous Lightning McQueen and came complete with all the tools to make this fabulous cake. I ordered it and paid for the extra shipping to make sure that it got here on time. You all know my luck and can probably guess that it didn't make it here on time. I couldn't disappoint the birthday boy that was telling everyone all week that he was going to have a Lightning McQueen cake. It didn't turn out too shabby and Kaden was more than proud of it. He topped it off with one of his Lightning McQueen cars. Yes, we did disinfect it!

MeRrY ChRisTMaS!

2007-12-26T21:08:00.000-08:00

We made our way to California this year to celebrate Christmas, and it was by far our favorite. Mostly, because our kids were at the perfect age. Kaden was so excited for Santa to come. He put out a plate of cookies, a mug of egg nog and carrots for the reindeer.

After the kids were in bed, Brandaan and I put together Kaden's new train set. It was a lot bigger of a job than we thought. Brandaan even had to swallow his pride and use the directions! Reese's four-wheeler was a lot easier.

Brandaan's mom had a stencil of Santa's footprints. Brandaan used baby powder and the stencil to make footprints coming from the fireplace. It really looked just like footprints coming in from the snow. Of course the footprints were leading in the wrong direction. Even though we made a rookie mistake, Kaden didn't catch on.

Sheryl had all kinds of Christmas goodies for us to snack on while we opened our presents. We also had the traditional DeGroot Strata. It was so yummy, we all had seconds.

We all were more than pleased with our presents. Happy smiles were all around this Christmas.

MicKeY MoUsE BirTHdaY!

2007-12-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

My sister Tiffany threw her little boy a Mickey Mouse birthday party. Carter loves Mickey Mouse. Tiffer spent alot of time putting this party together and it showed. She started with the fabulous invitations that she made by hand. Kaden carried the invitation around and kept saying the magic words, "Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse."

The party was just as fabulous as the invitations. She made rice krispie treats in the shape of Mickey Mouse and dipped the ears in chocolate. She wrapped them in these bags with magical stars on them. Kaden couldn't wait for dessert, so Tiffer let him eat one early. They were so yummy. We had Chili and hot dogs for dinner. It was perfect because Carter wished for a blizzard for his birthday. It was so cold, so the warm food was perfect. When it came to the cake, Carter dove in head first. It was a great party and we all had a blast! Happy Birthday Carter!

HaPPy ThaNKsGiVinG!!!

2007-11-27T22:00:00.001-08:00

The MeXIcaN RiVieRa!

2007-11-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

2007-11-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

2007-11-20T18:43:00.000-08:00

Mexico was a blast! We dropped off some extra baggage, aka "the kids" at Brandaan's parents house and hopped on a cruise ship to the Mexican Riviera.
The first stop was in Acapulco where we hung out at the beach. The guy's played a few games of football and the girls were more adventurous and rode jet skis. After the beach we made our way over to go bungee jumping. Brandaan and I didn't jump, but our friends did. We regretted not jumping later. We then ate some authentic Mexican food and then made our way over to see the cliff diving show. We ate some Mexican Pizzas and drank apple soda as we watched. MMMM! We were addicted to this apple soda the entire trip. We then made our way back to our ship to set sail to the next destination.
The next place was Ixtapa. We took a water taxi over to a beach. The guys went snorkeling, kayaking and rode the banana boat. The girls sunbathed, got massages and drank some fruity drinks. MMMM! We packed up and went to swim with the dolphins. This was the highlight of our entire trip. When we got there, they had already started their last show and didn't have room for us. Luckily, Ben spoke spanish and talked the guys into giving our group of five our own private showing. Those of you that have gone before know that you go in a large group and have to wait a long time to ride the dolphins just once. We were lucky that it was just us five. We got to skip the introduction and ride the dolphins the entire time. It was a blast! They have two dolphins put their noses on each one of your feet and then push you out of the water. The guys were attempting flips. Imagine that they are so strong as to push Brandaan out of the water! Wow!
Our last stop was Manzanilla. We got a taxi over to a beach where there was a sunken ship. The guys went snorkeling and the girls soaked up the sun. We then decided to ride ATV's through the jungle. We went to a place where there were jumps and of course the guys were crazy! Check out the pictures of them popping wheelies! When we went through the jungle, we went through a river. The guys were crashing into each other and pulling some serpentine evasive driving through the water...water was everywhere. We were all soaked and sooo dirty. It was so much fun!

HaPPy HaLLoWeeN!!!

2007-11-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

Sorting out the candy!

2007-11-01T22:37:00.000-07:00

2007-11-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

We started the day by going out and getting pumpkins. Kaden was so excited to carve them. He decided to carve a pirate into his since that's what he was dressing up as for the big night!
After that, we got all dressed up and hit Trunk-or-Treat. It was at the park, so Kaden and Reese were more excited about the playground than the candy.
We then met up with the Fitch's and the Howard's and hit the neighborhood. Kaden had a great time with Boston and it was so cool that they were both pirates. It took Kaden a little while to believe that Boston was really Boston because of the costume. Travis was being so funny trying to weasle his way into the pictures I was taking of the kids. Thanks Travis for making our night so much fun. You get funnier each time we hang out with you guy's.
After we cleaned out the neighborhood, Kaden had to go to Gramma Nash's house. He was heartbroken when she wasn't home. It was so funny...in a good way...that he would get so mopey over this. We then made our way home to sort out the candy and have hot chocolate and cookies. It was a perfect night. Thanks to all that made it so much fun and all our neighbors for all the great candy!

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-01T21:45:00.001-07:00

CoRnBeLlY's

2007-11-01T01:05:00.001-07:00

CoRnBeLlY's

2007-10-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

2007-10-05T12:58:00.000-07:00

2007-10-05T03:28:00.000-07:00

With Reese's 1st birthday coming up, I wanted to get her pictures taken. I splurged and got them taken professionally. I'm so sad I didn't get Kaden's taken professionally earlier. I always took them to Kiddie Kandids. I'm not sure that I'll ever be able to go back. These turned out so much better than I wished for. The photographer gave me all the proofs. I was so happy because I obviously won't frame all 75 shots, but I'll be able to put the rest in albums. I have so many great ones that I couldn't put them all on here...so here's a little taste for ya!

2007-10-05T02:15:00.000-07:00

Reese's First Birthday

2007-10-03T14:58:00.000-07:00

The Party Table

Her Cake...it was Bananna Truffle!

We let her drive, after all, it was her BIRTHDAY! She wasn't shy about digging right in!

Opening one of her many present's that day! Thank you everyone!

She picked it up with both hands and stuffed it in her face!

She put her foot up on the table and relaxed while she took it all in!

"There's more yummy stuff under the frosting! This is the best birthday ever!"

2007-08-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

Kaden and his cousin Jonah have the best time playing with each other. They dressed up as pirates and chased each other around Grandma D's house. Ahr! You scurvy pirate!