Dinner with Great-Grandma

Last night we took Quentin's Grandma Stephens out to dinner, and I couldn't resist posting these cute pics!

New Cast

Today Kiera got her "real" cast (as opposed to her temporary splint). She chose a water-proof, glow-in-the-dark cast. I guess now she'll be prepared for just about anything! She'll go back to the Sports Medicene Specialist in just over 3 weeks to see if she can get the cast off. She has had fun letting people sign her cast - Granny stopped by this afternoon, and her best friends Sophie and Chloe came to play and they all signed it. She even signed it herself, since she's left-handed! What fun!

Field Trip

On Wednesday I got to help "chaperone" the first-grade field trip to the Museum of Natural History at the U and the Tracy Aviary. I haven't been to either of those places for years, so it was a treat for me to go too. Kiera had a lot of fun - her favorite thing was the rocks/gems (she's a rock-hound just like her Great-Grandpa Johnson)!

Ouch

Thank goodness for good health insurance. Within the last week, Kasidee had her teeth surgery, Makenna had an ear infection, and . . . we just got back from the doctor's office (after-hours kids care) and found out that Kiera has a broken arm! She was playing at her second-cousin's house yesterday when she fell out of the swing. We could tell she was hurting; she cried and wanted to lay down, then promptly fell asleep. I figured she would wake up this morning, having forgotten all about it. But she said it still hurt "a little" and wanted her arm wrapped in an ace bandage for school. When it started getting a little puffy, we decided to take her in - and sure enough, her wrist is broken in 2 spots. (It's actually very hard to see on the copies of the x-rays we got.... It's more like a bulge directly across the bottom of the "LE" on the picture). They splinted it and said we'll have to take her in tomorrow or Thursday so they can put a real cast on it. Anyway, Kiera was pretty upset and worried - until she realized that now she can be "famous!" She's the only one in our family who has ever broken a bone (except for my 2 pinky toes which didn't need a cast), and she's excited to have a cast that everyone can sign. Ah, what fun adventures!!

Preschool Graduation

Today was Makenna's preschool graduation. She was so excited until she realized that it meant there was no more preschool.... We videotaped the whole program but I wasn't able to get any really good shots with my camera (I desperately need a better camera SOON!), but here's a cute one of Makenna with "Teacher Chelsea." This program was a big deal to her - she had a part to say all by herself. Quentin got off work early, Kiera got out of school a couple of hours early, and Granny met us there. Afterward, we let her pick her favorite place to eat an early dinner - Chuck A Rama it was (why do kids love that place so much?) We're just so proud of her. She has had so much fun in preschool and has learned so much and made lots of friends. It makes her really excited to start kindergarten!

A New Playhouse!

Well, last Christmas Santa left a BIG box in our garage. When the girls discovered it was a playhouse, they were ecstatic and it's been a long 5 months of waiting till Daddy had a spare 11 hours to put it together. This past weekend he found the time in 2 big chunks over Saturday and Monday. He worked so hard, and it turned out so cute - it even has Dutch doors, a doorbell, working shutters, and a working weather vane. The girls loved "helping" him put it together and couldn't wait to begin playing in it. It's under our deck for the moment till Quentin can build a deck/platform for it and we can decide where in our yard we want to put it. The girls can't wait till they can sleep in it, and Kiera is amazed that she can even brush her teeth there, because she can just spit out the window! Ahhh, it's going to be a fun summer!

Kasidee's New Smile

Our sweet little Kasidee has been through a lot today, but she's been a little trooper! She and Makenna have both had what the dentist calls "compromised enamel" and they have both had to have some dental work done where they put caps on the 4 front teeth and the 2 upper molars. Thank goodness it's just baby teeth and shouldn't affect the permanent teeth at all. Anyway, Makenna had the procedure done 3 years ago and Kasidee had hers done this morning at Primary Children's Hospital. They had to put her under general anesthesia for about an hour which is always a concern. Quentin and I only slept about an hour and a half last night, but things went so smoothly this morning and we're all so glad it's over. Kasidee's poor little baby teeth started looking sort of chipped as soon as they began coming in; the new caps look quite different (with cute little gaps!) - but I'm sure you'll agree that she's still got the sweetest little smile!

12 of 12

Here's my monthly (except I forgot last month!) "12 pictures of the 12th day":

WAFFLES FOR BREAKFAST

PRETTY MOTHER'S DAY FLOWERS FROM MY SWEET MOM

KASIDEE AND MINNIE

FUN AT THE PARK

FINISHING MY BOOK

TAKING MAKENNA TO PRESCHOOL

KASIDEE'S OUTFIT

DINNER

SWEET KASIDEE

KIERA CAUGHT A BOUQUET AT QUENTIN'S NEPHEW'S RECEPTION

CUTE GIRLS!

THE DAY IS DONE...

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! I woke up to 2 little girls (the littlest one was still so sleepy), standing by my bed in their jammies and aprons, taking my breakfast order. Hmmm - Cheerios maybe, or a leftover waffle from yesterday? So nice to have breakfast in bed (Cherrios with soymilk, water and Smarties), plus a cute little gift - a flower made from Legos, one from each girl. I guess last week, Walmart and Lego partnered for a special Lego "event," and the girls have been excited all week to be able to build their flower and give it to me. So sweet! Boy, my life is so blessed because of these sweet girls - and their amazing dad! I guess Mother's Day is like Thanksgiving - giving thanks to those special women who have helped shape our lives, and the little girls that make life worth living!

Moms & Muffins

This morning I got to join Kiera at school for "Moms and Muffins." Kiera read a book to me, then gave me a tissue paper corsage and some flowers that she had colored (with chores written on each one!). Then there was a little class program that the kids put on. Some songs made me laugh, and I was caught off-guard when one song made the tears come! Kiera was so excited to have me there and wanted me to stay for the rest of the day. Oh, how I love my girls!!

Daddy Was In Charge . . .

So I had my yoga class last night, and gave the girls a quick bath before I left. I asked Quentin to get them out of the tub since I was running late, and I mentioned that since their hair was wet, it might be a good time for a trim. We have issues with Kiera's hair every morning - she HATES getting it brushed and it just gets so snarly. And Makenna's preferred hairstyle (braids) has had issues lately, because there is a strand of hair that's shorter than the rest so it makes it hard to do braids. Anyway - I thought a 1 to 2 inch trim would do them both good. So imagine my surprise when I walked into the door after my class and heard excited shreiking. And in ran Kiera and Makenna - with their hair much shorter than I expected! It's what Kiera had requested and when Makenna saw it, she wanted hers done the same way. I must admit that I love it - it's so cute on them!

#7 Continued

So Kiera said she had the "best birthday EVER" yesterday. She went to school, where the kids in the class all made her a little book. Each kid made a page with a drawing and then said, "I like Kiera because ______." Kiera treasures it! Then right after school we had a luau party with some of her friends. We had a hula hoop contest, a tropical relay race (where each member of the team had to don luau attire and run down the yard and back, and coconut bowling (though Kiera didn't want to use her coconut because she didn't want it to get broken, so we used the little plastic balls the set came with). Then presents, cupcakes and ice cream. Then we took a little breather and geared up for more fun with the "family party." More presents, more cupcakes, and more ice cream - and 4-wheeler rides from Quentin. Kiera stayed up late playing with her presents and was excited to get her alarm clock up and running. She's just so amazing and we're so happy to have her in our lives!

Happy #7, Kiera!

Can you believe Kiera's 7 today?! I sure can't - it seems like she was just born! Boy, time sure goes fast. She has been WAY excited for today. She woke up at 7:00 and came bounding into our bedroom saying, "It's my birthday!" (Like we forgot!) She asked if she could open "just one" present before school, so we let her. And she requested a K-shaped pancake for breakfast, on our special "Today's Your Day" plate that Granny gave us awhile ago. And then she headed off to school. Quentin took the day off, thinking Kiera might want to skip school and do something fun - but no, she wanted to go (I guess that's a good thing). So while she's at school and Makenna's at preschool this afternoon, Quentin, Kasidee and I will get ready for Kiera's party!

We are just so blessed to have our Kiera in our lives. She is such a happy girl and finds joy in every situation. She really is "pure light," like her name means. She is sensitive to other's feelings, is very conscientious and responsible, and is simply a good girl. She loves to learn, is very smart, and makes friends easily. She loves to draw and make lists, loves riding her bike, and loves getting absorbed in a book. She's a good big sister and a wonderful daughter. We're blessed because of her! Happy birthday, Sweetie!

I'm a Sucker . . .

I've never really been a big fan of the D.I. or garage sales (why pay for someone else's junk when I'm trying to get rid of my own junk?) Occasionally I think it's fun to browse, but I've never been addicted like I know some people are. However, library book sales are different. I love them. It's crazy, crowded, and people smell like greasy hair and morning breath - but hey, I love the thrill of the hunt. This morning I left my house at 6:20 to go to the library sale at the big library in Salt Lake. After weeding through tons of books (and people!) I think I scored some awesome things - a whole set of yoga videos (and even one for kids), some American Girl books to add to Kiera's collection, some Little House on the Prairie and Little Women stories, and other books that have been on my wish list. 26 practically new things for 28 bucks. Not bad, eh?

Getting to Know You . . .

I guess Quentin and I either know each other a little too well or we are just very much alike. On several occasions, we have given each other the same gift. Like last year on our anniversary, we each got each other a windmill for our yard - and they were exactly the same, even purchased at the same place. So I guess we shouldn't have been surprised that we did it again! For some reason, I have always liked Precious Moments figurines and Quentin has added to my collection over the years. While in Disneyland, he saw a figurine of a couple wearing Mickey Mouse ears. He bought it and hid it from me during the rest of the trip and on the way home. While I was contemplating what to get Quentin for our anniversary, I recalled seeing a Precious Moments figurine wearing Mickey Mouse ears and went to Hallmark to get it. (I know that's kind of a girly thing to get a guy but I figured Quentin would appreciate it anyway). Well, imagine our surprise when we saw that we got each other VERY similar things! So either we know each other too well or we're very much alike - either way, it's a good thing!

Happy #12!

Today is our 12th anniversary (and 15 years to the day that we first met)! Yes, we met and married on Tax Day, which also happens to be my Grandma Johnson's birthday. So it's a good day for a lot of people!

The girls and I are just so incredibly blessed to have Quentin in our lives. He is always thinking about others' feelings and is so thoughtful. He's genuine. He is a great husband and a wonderful dad. He loves his girls more than anything and he works hard to make our lives peaceful, secure, and happy. I respect him and I love him and I thank him! Happy Anniversary, Sweetie!