Camping

Every year my Dad's side of the family gets together and has a family reunion. We used to go to Bear Lake and camp, then it was moved to the ranch and this year it is in my Grandparents backyard. I haven't been to the reunion in probably 6 years! I miss going and I am going to try to make sure we are there for it next year.

I miss the yummy food, playing card games, roasting marshmallows, and getting together with family. Of course when I go next time I won't get to be so carefree, I will have kids to worry about and watch, but I am sure it will be fun!

To be honest, I haven't been camping since 2003! Ryan and I don't have any camping gear so we have never been. It would be interesting to go now with our kids being so young. Hopefully in the next few years we can start buying what we need and eventually go.

Silly Kids

Tonight at dinner Kamryn and Kade were being silly so Ryan got the camera out and took a few pictures.

Kamryn loves her big brother Kade!

MONSOONS!

The best thing about living in Arizona during the summer and maybe the only nice thing about living here in the summer is the MONSOONS! Although sometimes they bring back sad memories about the night we lost Kooper they also bring in the cool weather and some moisture!

We just pulled in the driveway when it started and Kade wanted to go out and play in the rain. I tried to let Kamryn go play, she just cried so we watched from inside the garage while the cool wind blew on us.

Kamryn watching her silly brother Kade inside the garage!

I just had to post this cute picture of Kamryn in flip flops! She wouldn't stop running towards me so I didn't get a great picture but I just love her little toes!

I realized as I look at pictures since Keegan was born that there aren't many pictures of Ryan or I holding Keegan. Although I hold him ALOT! But whenever we take his picture he is in his bouncy seat. So this morning Ryan was holding him and I just had to snap a quick picture.

Cystic Fibrosis

This disease is close to my heart. It is one of the biggest reasons I became a respiratory therapist. Even though I don't do that area of work. When I became pregnant with Kade my doctor did a blood screan that basically looked at my DNA to see if I was pottentially passing on any genes that might effect my child. I was called a week after this test to be told that I carry the Cystic Fibrosis (CF) gene. They wanted Ryan to get tested to find out our chances (since both parents have to be a carrier in order for your child to have a chance of having CF). They also wanted to give us the chance to terminate the pregnancy if we had wanted to with that information. We knew that no matter what we would not be terminating the pregnancy and decided not to have Ryan get the test done, especially since we didn't have great insurance at the time.

Knowing that I carried the gene I researched the disease and that is when I decided I wanted to help those poor kids that had to deal with the disease.

When I became pregnant with Kooper I worried that he could possibly be born with CF and at the time we had GREAT insurance so I requested the doctor to order the test and thankfully Ryan tested negative for the gene so I didn't need to worry anymore.

During school I did a few research papers on CF because it was so interesting to me. I watched (and bawled my eyes out) many videos on Youtube of kids who were fighting for their life or who had lost their life to this disease. I hadn't thought alot about it lately until it was brought up on a blog I follow. Here is the video.

Gratitude

I consider myself a grateful person. I think sometimes when we have bad days we look past the things in life that are blessings to us and the things we are grateful for. Last week when I was having one of those days I wondered why I felt so horrible and then on Sunday at church during sacrament meeting I heard a talk that really helped me get out of my funk. It was on Gratitude. Whenever I hear/think the word gratitude I think of the word attitude. When you are grateful your attitude changes and when I think of all the wonderful things I am grateful for I have a better attitude.

The people who I am most grateful for are my family.

My loving husband who has put up with a pregnant wife for the last 3 years! I don't know where I would be without him.

My kids who show me so much love and are the highlights of my life.

Kooper and the great trial that went along with him. As much as it is a heartache I am grateful for the good things that came from it: stronger person, personal growth and testimony growth.

My parents. They have always been there for me. I enjoy spending time with them. My Mom is one of my best friends and I love them both so much.

My sisters for always being there when I need them. Surprisingly I haven't even fought with either of them since moving out here 7 years ago. I guess that is what long distance can do to you. I love them both so much and am lucky to have two great sisters!

Love this boy!

I love this picture of Keegan. While I was in Utah with the kids I sent Ryan lots of pictures with my phone and this was one of them. It's currently the background on my phone.

He was about 3 weeks old!

Rainbow

Two weeks ago on our drive home from Utah it was Kooper's birthday. I was kind of quiet and sad the whole way to Mesquite. Not real talkative. Just sitting with my thoughts about Kooper, about who he would be or what it would have been like and reliving the events of two years ago in my head. When we stopped for dinner in Cedar City, I was sitting in a booth at McDonald's and I looked out the window and saw a beautiful rainbow. It made me feel a little better and brought a smile to my face!

Miss you Kooper!

Cruise-in

I was going through some pictures on my camera and found these from when we were in Utah.

So the first weekend in July in Logan, UT they have the Cache Valley Cruise-in. Ryan hasn't been in so long and was excited that we would be there for it. I didn't go but Ryan, Kade and my Dad went. Here are a few pictures of Kade by a couple of the cars. He kept saying, "I want that car for my Dad!"

If you haven't noticed Kade doesn't like getting his picture taken unless he is in the mood for it, which isn't that often. Today was not a day where he liked getting his picture taken.

If you really knew me...

Today I was brave, I went to the mall with the kids, all 3 of them. Going to Target or where ever is fine, even the mall wouldn't be a big deal if I was just going to some store in the mall and leaving. My reason for going, letting them play; made it tough. Kamryn is such a daring little girl that it makes letting her run around on her own (only in the play area of course) tough for me. So here is the deal with the play area: Kade is great to have there but he only likes to chase Kamryn around for a few minutes and then he finds other friends to play with. Kamryn likes to run out of the play area. Me running after her with a baby strapped to me doesn't make it easy. On top of it all I am lugging around a huge diaper bag and any other purchases I have. She runs around like a wild woman, but she is so small and sometimes gets ran over by those big kids that play tag. I am not ragging on the parents that let their kids run around and play tag, because Kade does. I just wish they had a separate play area (for toddlers) like the Chandler mall. Which makes me want to move to the East valley even more!

The funny thing was when I went to leave the mall I didn't have that great of a parking spot. There were parking spots 10 cars further away but someone waited almost 5 minutes for my spot...seriously! I was thinking, "Are you serious? Do you not see that I still have a stroller to put away, a baby strapped to me to put in his car seat, and a one year old to put in her car seat and then control my 5 year old enough to get him to put his seat belt on!?" This may be rude, but I didn't hurry for the guy.

So back to me wanting to live in the east valley (Mesa/Chandler area), or more importantly wanting to live in Utah! haha! No I won't go there today. I have thought about it alot lately as I just got back from Utah and am homesick. Miss my family, miss having someone to hang out with all the time. Miss my favorite restaurants. Miss being close to the LDS bookstores. Here are my reasons why I want to live in the east valley:

1. Get to hang out with my buddy Jenna more than once a month...if that. Plus our kids would get to play together more often.
2. Lots of different malls close by to take the kids to play (instead of 1 mall 20-30 min away)
3. Costa Vida
4. Rumbi's
5. Bow/Ribbon store
6. Did I say there were lots more places close by to take my kids to play?
7. LDS book stores.
8. And lots of other reasons....I just can't think of them right now.

So here is why we don't live in the east valley:

1.Ryan doesn't want to live out there.
2.Far from Ryans work.

I think one of my biggest problems is that Ryan and I haven't made really good friends here in Surprise. We have good friends that live either in Phoenix or Mesa. We have met great people in our neighborhood and have friends from church, but we haven't become super close to any friends/families here in Surprise. I have talked to Ryan about that, about how I feel alone and how I feel like I need a close friend here. He tells me it is mostly because of me. I am quiet and shy. I don't go to a lot of the play dates (especially now that I have two little ones). He tells me I need to put myself out there. I guess I am just not good at the whole making friends thing...or maybe it's just me.

I feel like I am doing a post similar to the MTV show, If you areally knew me.

So now I really want to delete this whole post, cause now I am kind of embarassed in case anybody reads this, but I'm not. I will get over it.

Firsts!

So today there were a few first in our family.

I was holding Keegan and he was so alert, all I said was hello little guy, and he smiled. I kept talking to him and he smiled a few more times. Usually the only smiles I see are when he is asleep.

Then a little bit later, when he was in his bouncer Kamryn came over and bent down and gave him a kiss on the head! I have tried to get her to give him a kiss, but she just won't. She did it on her own. I guess she is starting to love her little brother!

For the record, Kade does know how to rhyme. I taught him yesterday and he is even better at it today!

On to clean my messy house and hopefully get ready for the day while the babies sleep.

Here are a few pictures of Keegan asleep in his swing yesterday. He loves the swing!

He was smiling alot and I kept missing it! Here is the end of the smile.

I loved how his little monkey feet were sticking out.

This is the usual Kamryn hair do after waking up from a nap!

I don't have many pictures of me holding Keegan. Kade got a hold of my camera yesterday and started taking pictures. This was me with Keegan in the sleepy wrap changing Kamryn's diaper. It's much easier to carry both of them with this on. Notice the big sheet over Kamryn's window? That's to keep her from waking up at 5am! Totally random I know, I just thought I would share what I look like on a day to day basis...wearing comfy sweats and always a baby in my arms. If Kamryn doesn't want to be held...Keegan does and it goes both ways. And when I am not doing that, Kade wants me to play cars or mariokart! I love my kids!

Keegan's Birth Announcement

I finally finished his birth announcement. I was in Utah for a while and had to wait to do it until I got back home. I have been so busy with life and I finally sat down last night and finished it. Don't you just want to kiss those cute little cheeks!?

I wish it was 80 degrees outside!

I am going to complain for a minute.

Oh how I wish Arizona didn't have hot summers. If I didn't have to work I think I would move to Utah in the summer. In my inexperienced opinion it would be easier if my kids were older (like 10 and older) to live here in the summer because I think they understand how hot it really is outside and don't ask daily if they can ride their bike. I think I have already told Kade 3 times today, "No, I am not going outside to watch you ride your bike."

Not only is it too hot for me, but the kids too. I know what you are all thinking...do indoor activities, visit indoor places where they can play. Well right now having two little ones doesn't make taking three kids out in public very easy. It's not too bad when Kamryn and Keegan are confined, but Kamryn is getting to the point where she wants to be FREE and not be tied down.

Okay I am going to stop complaining now!

I can't wait until Kindergarten starts! There are only 19 days left to be exact, but who's counting? Kade had a kindergarten pre-screen today. He said he did good. He fogot the letter V though. The person screaning him said he did great, but can work on rhyming. So I guess that will be our task for the next couple weeks.

Speaking of school...I love school supplies! The smell....I especially love white-out, the tape kind! I don't know why.

Lizards, Cats, and Crickets...Oh my!

We have had a few cute but unwanted visitors at our house lately. A few days ago we had a stray cat that walked up to the sliding glass door meowing. He sat and nuzzled the door and Kade and Kamry had so much fun petting him through the glass. Kade kept asking if he could keep him. They also fought over who got to sit directly in front of the cat. It was cute...although I don't want a cat so I of course said no to keeping it!

Then this morning Ryan yelled to me, "Kami, come here. I need a piece of paper!"

I walk into the kitchen and there he is with a small bowl on the floor and a tiny lizard about 2-3 inches long (including the tail) trying to get out from under the bowl.

This picture was taken of it outside.

He was so cute. I would have loved to keep him to eat all the crickets we are getting in our house. (Luckily the pest control guys are coming this week!) I love lizards! Of course Kade wanted to keep him and was sad that we let him go.

Happy Anniversary

Today is my parents 30th Wedding Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to them! I love them so much!

Favorite Color

For quite a while (probably a few years) I have had a second favorite color next to pink. Orange. I have a lot of orange shirts. Just after I bought Keegan's picture outfit for his newborn pictures I realized that all my boys had blue and Orange outfits and Kamryn had Pink and orange. Here is a look back on their newborn pictures....

Kade April 2005

Kooper July 2008

Kamryn June 2009

Keegan June 2010

I wish they would stay small! I guess if they stayed small for too long then you would never want another one. I love to see them grow and learn new things. Like today when Kamryn went up to the door and started knocking. Or when she finally on her own decided to sign "more" when she wanted more food. Or when she went up to Keegan and rocked him in his carseat and then patted him nicely! That is a first! Or how Kade is actually listening better and he gets to start school soon. His memory amazes me. Hopefully it will help him in school.

I feel kind of jipped. Keegan weighed 9 pounds (8 pounds 15 ounces to be exact) and was never really small. He is such a big boy. On Thursday at the doctor's office he weighted 12 pounds 7 ounces (fully clothed). That is 2 pounds more than Kamryn weighed at one month!

Kamryn's 1 year pictures/ Keegans Newborn pictures

Before I went on my trip to Utah I had Lori come take Kamryn's 1 year pictures and Keegan's newborn pictures. Here are my favorites!

My FAVORITE of Kamryn!

My FAVORITE of Keegan

During this photo he is peeing all over me!