The Marchant's Madness

First Day of Preschool

2011-09-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

I'm behind, I just skipped over our entire summer. Maybe one day I'll go back and update it (probably not). If I wait a few more months, my header will be back in season!

I just uploaded some pictures I took today and figured I might as well post them. Alyssa started preschool today. She has been wanting to go since the older kids went back to school in July.

So, she was super excited that today finally came.

This little boy wasn't so excited. He lost his best friend and was quite upset about it.
Fortunately, it is easy to get out of the house with only 2 kids, so we went a few places and he was easily cheered up.

Summer

2011-06-27T23:06:00.000-07:00

It's really crazy that it's the last week of June and the kids' summer vacation is almost halfway over. It was about time the weather cooperated so the kids could get in some good wet summer fun.

Ahhh, the carefree days of summer.

On the Menu

2011-05-16T21:30:00.000-07:00

Apparently, someone in this house really likes spare ribs...

Freedom!

2011-04-28T16:45:00.000-07:00

I've put off moving Benjamin out of his crib as long as I could. But, Isaac is getting too big for his current bed and it's time to move him into the crib. So, I pretty much had no choice. Benjy is obviously loving his new found freedom and the fact that he can get up when he wants. I'm not loving the fact that he doesn't stay in bed anymore. Once (if ever) he learns to stay in bed and sleeps good in it, he gets to move in with the big boys. Surprisingly, Aaron and Collin are super excited to have him join them.

Happy Birthday, Benjamin

2011-04-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

Today was Benjamin's 2nd birthday. Since he and Alyssa love to watch Jake and the Neverland Pirates, the kids decided he should have a pirate cake. I have been watching and reading all kinds of tutorials online to learn how to make and decorate cakes. I also found some really great ideas for a pirate cake.

It seemed like it was a race to get the presents opened as fast as possible. Fortunately, he had many helpers.

We love you Boo Boo and are so glad you are a part of our family! Happy Birthday.

And this cute little guy, just sat and enjoyed the action (and enjoyed playing with the leftovers).

Good-Bye

2011-04-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

About 15 months ago, some of our best friends moved in across the street. Last Thursday, they moved away. My kids were heart broken. They stood at the door and cried as they drove away. Luckily, they are cousins and we will still see them, just not as often. The day before they left, my mom had a picnic lunch for the grandkids. It was kind-of cold outside, so we had it in her basement.

We are sad they moved away, but so happy about where they are headed. We love you Colette, Cole, Hallie & Eli.

Yummy!

2011-04-01T10:27:00.001-07:00

Ever since making Aaron's cake, I've been spending lots of time online getting tips on baking. I put some things I learned to use and made these cookie bouquets for the sisters I visit teach. I love these sugar cookies and luckily only had 2 leftover to eat myself! I hope the girls enjoyed them as much as I did.

Baby Face

2011-03-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

I made these cupcakes for my sil's baby shower. Tessie told me they were blog worthy, so I thought I'd share. I saw them online and couldn't pass up the opportunity to try them. It took pretty much the whole day to make them, but I think it was worth it. They turned out pretty cute and were quite fun to make.

Look at those cute little toes!

Found

2011-03-19T20:45:00.000-07:00

Last week, the kids' toothbrushes started dissappearing. Each day, a couple more would be missing. I figured it was Benjamin and I thought I'd find them as I cleaned up during the day, but no such luck. On Friday, I started on a load of wash. As I was pouring, a toothbrush came out with the detergent. I laughed and looked inside. This is what I found.

The little stinker had put 10 toothbrushes in there!

Aaron's 7th Birthday

2011-03-10T18:27:00.001-08:00

Aaron turned 7 on Tuesday.

He asked for a cake with the little yellow guys from Despicable Me. After searching online, I got a few ideas (and found they are called Minions). This is the first cake I've done with fondant. I'm not sure I love the taste, but it was fun to try something new.
I also saw this idea for cute little Twinkie Minions. They were a hit with the kids.
A couple of months ago, Benjamin slobbered on Aaron's Nintendo DS. Aaron tried to clean it under the faucet. It came clean, but needless to say, it was ruined. Apparently, we never had the "water ruins electronics" talk. Anyway, he was devastated. I knew then that's what I would get him for his Birthday. As soon as he opened it, he left the party to reunite with his dearly missed ~~friend~~ toy. Grandma and Grandpa Marchant also spoiled him with clothes, games, and an activity bag for our trip to Hawaii. It was a full house, but we are glad our family came to help us celebrate. We love you, Aaron!

Saturday Project: Dandelion Wall Art

2011-01-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

I did all my Saturday jobs yesterday (Friday), so I could have time to do what I wanted today. I chose this project. Heather and I saw these at Bed Bath and Beyond. But, since the set is kind-of pricey, we came up with our own affordable version.

I'm quite happy with the way it turned out. And, I saved about 75% doing it myself!

Remodel Complete!

2010-12-09T12:40:00.000-08:00

After owning this house for almost 10 years, we have finally finished all of our home remodeling projects (and we have a final inspection report to prove it)! I'm pretty sure we started painting the day we closed on the house and have had projects, big and small, ever since. I finished my list of inside projects a few weeks before Isaac arrived. I was seriously bored out of my mind for those weeks in between. It's a good thing he came when he did and gave me something to do!

I usually have a hard time thinking of things to write when I blog, but when it comes to home improvement, I've got lots to talk about! Since some of you can't come see, I'll show you (with lots of pictures). Here are the changes we have made. Enjoy!

The kitchen! This was actually our second redo of our kitchen. It was one of the first things we redid when we bought the house. But, it was always small and as our family got bigger, we realized we needed more space. So, we tore out the wall behind the couch and turned the frontroom into part of the kitchen. The bar is where the couch used to be. I wish I had a better before picture of the kitchen. The wall behind the baby chair is the wall we took out. The stove is where the table once was.

This first picture is taken pretty much from the same place as the one of the frontroom above. Pretty big changes with this room!

I searched everywhere for a dark brown extension table (that didn't break the bank). I finally found this one at the wood connection and had it stained this color. It extends to fit 10 people! They also had the matching bar stools, which I love!

The frontroom. This actually started out as our bedroom. Our closet used to be where the hardwood is missing on the floor. We always hated our front door and it was always on the list of things to replace. When I was finishing the front room, I decided to paint it. I put some frosted glass film over the window with an M. Then I replaced the hardware. What a difference! Now, we actually like the door and it looks good with the rest of the room.

Thank you Erika for the idea for this shelf. I never had anywhere to display seasonal stuff. When I saw it on her blog, I new it was just what I needed and it was kind-of fun to make.

The playroom. This is the 4th time I've redone this room (2 bedroom redos, office, and playroom). Hopefully, it will stay as it is for a while. I loved the kids green bug room so much that when we moved all the bedrooms downstairs, I redid the baby room in the same theme.

This is what my rolls of vinyl used to look like.

Thanks to Ikea, I am now organized. Even the toys have a place to go.

Our family room. This used to be our garage, that we never parked in, and just stored junk in. It's now the most used room in the house.

I love this picture clock. See where the number 7 should be? We have a thermostat there and I was always trying to find something to cover it up, but still easy to get to. When I saw this clock on Katy's blog, I knew it would be perfect. I made a custom frame that was deep and just sits on top of the thermostat! Awesome. Thank you Katy!

When we first finished the bathroom, it was all green. But, this summer, I redid it to match our bathroom upstairs. The beadboard on the walls is actually wallpaper. It gives the same look of beadboard, but was so much easier to put up. Thanks Tessie for the great idea.

I learned alot of handyman (woman) skills from this bathroom. I installed the tile in the tub, (aren't the little cubbies cool?) the vanity, sinks, faucets, flooring, cabinets, and lights!

Our stairwell before... in the middle...

and after!

I copied my sister who had someone do batten board at her house. This hallway is very long and narrow and I wanted something to brighten it up.

I did a collage frame for each child (this was my mom's idea). It's so cute for the little kids, they just love to look at them.

Benjamin's room...for another few months. I couldn't find any good before pictures. It was just a green room before. I added the cute bugs and animals with vinyl.

And finally...my bedroom. This is one of my most favorite rooms in the house. I made the headboard from three bookcases and just turned one on it's side (thanks HGTV).

Aren't the stripes awesome. I just love the way it all came together.

So, that's it. Our house is done. Now I can move on to some other projects I've been wanting to do...crafts, digital scrapbooking, and a cute little baby! I hope you enjoyed the tour.

October

2010-11-15T14:22:00.000-08:00

October in pictures.

Welcome to the family, Isaac!

Our Newest Addition

2010-10-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

New Header

2010-09-17T12:51:00.001-07:00

For you, Heather. Yes, we have 5 kids (for another few weeks).

Kylee's Baptism

2010-09-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

Kylee turned 8 last month, so the next big step was her Baptism. She was baptized last Saturday by her dad/bishop and was confirmed on Sunday. It's hard to believe she is already 8 years old. We are so proud of her and the cute, sweet, happy girl she has become. We love her so much and are glad she has taken this important step in her life.

Kylee & Sean

Our family

My cute girls
Kylee in her beautiful dress
Alyssa also started pre-school last week. She actually liked it and was o.k. to let me leave her...and she even wants to go back!

Summer 2010

2010-09-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Another short, busy summer has come to an end. I think I'll let the pictures do most of the talking.

The primary kids at the Children's Parade.

Family vacation at Pineview.

Fireworks at Granite High.

Alyssa turned 3 in July.

Kylee turned 8 the middle of August.

Collin turned 5 this week.

He finally got his loft bed.

School started the beginning of August. We have three kids in school this year. I'm loving the quiet time at home with just two kids...too bad it's only for another 1 1/2 months.

Well, I saw my baby walkin'

2010-04-18T21:56:00.000-07:00

Our cute Benjamin started walking. He only crawled on his hands and knees for about 2 weeks before he decided he wanted to be a big kid and wanted to walk. My cute little baby is getting so big so fast.

He also turned one on Thursday. I can't believe how fast a year has gone (and I still haven't updated my blog header).He is such a happy guy. And he loves to smile for the camera.He really wanted to touch his cake.Until we let him...then he had no interest (but the two year olds did).
Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Marchant for the great presents. And super cute Sunday outfit. Happy Birthday, Boo Boo. We love you!

In the Jungle Room...

2010-03-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

After we redid the girl's room, Aaron decided his room was old and told me he wanted a new room, too. I finally got around to doing it for his birthday. The boys decided they wanted a jungle room.

I used the monkeys from our website and Colette found the other animals online. Heather designed the monograms.

I found some clipart of leaves and just did a bunch in different sizes and colors for the trees.

My mom found this awesome bed online. The dresser fits right underneath it. Can you guess who was jealous he didn't get one? Don't worry, his will be coming for his Birthday...or sooner. For now, he at least has the matching bedding.

I made a mini-closet under the back half.

And behind the dresser is a little extra space we are using for food storage. Awesome!

Happy Birthday Aaron

2010-03-09T22:05:00.001-08:00

Aaron turned 6 on Monday and he couldn't have been more excited. He has been counting down the days for the past month...at least. On Sunday, he got a watch from Grandma Marchant, and then started counting down the minutes 'til he got to open his presents. He requested a jungle cake, which was perfect, because it went along with his new jungle room (pictures to come). He received lots of great gifts from our family. And, since his feet were hitting the bottom of his toddler bed, we finally replaced it with a cool twin-sized loft bed (which left two siblings rather upset). Oh, he is getting so big. We love you, Aaron.

A few projects

2010-02-02T14:33:00.000-08:00

It's never easy to find time to start projects and nearly impossible to finish them. Somewhere I found the motiviation to get a few things done around the house. I had some people tell me I should post a few of the finished projects, so here they are.

These are job charts for my kids. I think they turned out great. I searched online forever to find something that would last and might motivate my kids to actually do work around the house. I got the idea from here. But I changed it around to fit our family better.

Our refinished bathroom...so much nicer than the old one.

My seasonal shelf and pictures of the kids. We haven't had pictures of our family displayed since Aaron was a baby, so I was glad to finally get pictures up of the kids.

Thanks to all those that gave me these great ideas!

Halloween Fun

2009-11-10T09:57:00.000-08:00

This year we made a trip with some of the cousins to Gardner Village. Kylee and Aaron were both at school and still don't know we went...

We also took our kids to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point. Such a cute place for kids.

Eating hot dogs after the neighborhood Halloween parade.

What a cute bunch of kiddies!

Summer Wrap-Up

2009-09-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

Summer is officially over. So, here is our summer in pictures for your viewing enjoyment.

Benjamin's Blessing (Doesn't that food look yummy?)

Birthdays (Alyssa's 2nd)

birthdays (Kylee's 7th...Grandma Marchant got them matching cakes),

and more birthdays (Collin's 4th)!

Family Reunions

and family vacations.

And finally, back to school. Summer was fun, but it's nice to be back on a schedule...especially when the schedule starts at 9 instead of 8!

Room Redo

2009-09-16T09:58:00.001-07:00

Since Benjamin is almost ready to be in his own room, we decided it was time to move Alyssa into Kylee's room. But, to make Kylee "ok" with it, I told her we would redo her room. I was so excited when I found this super cute bedding set in both twin and toddler size.
We painted the walls and added vinyl flowers, butterflies, and polka dots (thanks to thoughtsthatstick). The monograms above their beds were Kylee's request. I couldn't find matching window valances, so I made them out of an extra bed skirt. They both love it...and best of all...it's finished!
Now Aaron is complaining that his room is old, so I guess it's on to the boys room!

Mommy's Little Helper

2009-08-26T20:59:00.001-07:00

The other day I went downstairs to check on Alyssa. She had been playing in Kylee's room, but wasn't in there when looked in. I asked Kylee where Alyssa was and she told me she had put her in bed for a nap. I laughed and went to see if she was in her room. I found her tucked in bed, sound asleep. What a cute big sister and a great little helper!

Easter 2009

2009-05-12T21:24:00.000-07:00

I know this is late (having a baby is a pretty good excuse, isn't it?), but I spent a lot of time to have the kids match this year, so I thought at least I should post some pictures.

What cute little kiddies!

It's a boy!

2009-04-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Aaron

2009-03-14T22:51:00.001-07:00

Sunday was Aaron's 5th birthday and he couldn't have been more excited. It was a 3 day event starting on Friday night. Sean took him to the Jazz game. He thought it was loud.

Our Thanksgiving Point membership expired on Sunday, so we thought we'd use it one more time and go to the dinosaur museum.

Sunday we celebrated at Grandma Marchant's with cake, ice cream and presents.

And finally, he got to open a few presents from mom and dad.

Aaron and Collin trying out Aaron's new toy. Too bad it snowed about 30 minutes after taking this picture and they had to quit playing.

It must have been a good birthday because when Aaron woke up Monday morning he told me it was the best "birthday day" ever!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-24T17:49:00.000-08:00

This is a close as I got to a Christmas card this year.
From our family to yours...Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Lots of fun on Halloween

2008-11-10T20:19:00.001-08:00

I told Colette I wasn't going to change my background until I got my Halloween post up. So, I thought I'd better do it now so I don't get too far behind. We started the week off with the big parade at Grandma Tess's. It was a crazy madhouse. But, the kids had fun and got a great start to their Halloween stash of candy.

Can't leave out the funny faces!

The next night was cookie decorating and pumpkin painting/decorating at Grandma & Grandpa Marchants.

I think Sean & I have lost our creative pumpkin decorating skills.

And finally, the long awaited Halloween finally came. The kids looked super cute in their new costumes. I think Collin's costume was the biggest hit - especially from the back! Each year our neighborhood has a little parade that goes around our block. I finally talked the kids into participating this year. It was such nice weather and an easy way to gets lots of candy!

Did I mention funny faces?

All in all it was a great Halloween. Now, on to the next holiday!

Fall Fun

2008-11-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast time goes. It seems like not very long ago, we couldn't wait for winter to pass and spring to come. And now, it's already fall.

The kids love to jump in the leaves. They like to watch the wind blow them down and all around the yard. Luckily, Sean takes care of the outside, and he gets to rake them and rake them and rake them...

Aaron and Collin love to make silly faces in pictures. Alyssa is trying to copy them. So cute!

This year, Aaron played his first season of soccer. I think by the end of the season, he at least sort-of understood the game. At least most of the time, he was running in the right direction. It was fun and funny to watch him play. He had lots of fun too, but I think he enjoyed the treats at the end of each game the most!

A little behind

2008-09-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I'm not doing a very good job at keeping up on my posts. Luckily, it hasn't been a busy month, so there really isn't much to catch up on. Our cute Collin turned three the end of last month. We are crossing our fingers he has finally passed the terrible twos. Sean was craving one of those chocolate cakes from Costco, so that's what Collin got. He was really excited for us to sing to him, but even more excited to blow out the candles. In fact, he didn't even wait for us to finish the song. He just decided it was time and blew them out.

Aaron and Collin also started Joy School this month. They love it and are constantly asking if they can go back. It is so strange to only have Alyssa at home with me. Luckily, she still takes a morning nap, so I have plenty of time to waste on my own.

I did have fun today creating a new background and header. Too bad it took me all day and I'm gonna have to redo it in another month. Oh well, it looks good for now. Thanks to Becca for making the super cute halloween kit. Best of all, it was a freebie!

1st, 3rd, 6th and more remodeling

2008-08-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Our cute Kylee started 1st grade the beginning of the month. I was a little worried because she loved her teacher last year and her good friend is going to a different school this year. But she seems to really like it. She has homework every night! That part, I don't like so much, but we're really good at doing it. It seems like she is gone a long time, but it's so much better than 2-3 hours of kindergarten. One morning, Aaron came up all dressed ready to go to school himself. It was really cute and really sad that I had to tell him he couldn't go until next year.

Kylee also celebrated her 6th birthday this month. She got some princess toys and lots of cute clothes. She also lost her 3rd tooth the day before her birthday. Hopefully her bottom teeth can start to straighten out a little bit. Though, we have already told her braces are in her future. It's amazing how fast 6 years have gone. We love her so much and glad she is a part of our family.

And more progress on our house! After moving all the bedrooms downstairs, we converted our bedroom into the front room and the kid's bedroom into the office. We had the carpet put in about 3 weeks ago. It is so nice to have a front room and office back. We don't have couches yet, but the kids love to play in a big empty room. It's just nice to have more room to spread out. It is also nice to have the office back! For the past 6 months, our office was packed away in our kitchen pantry. I was so excited to get a desk and set up my computer. Sean was excited to get all of his books out of the boxes.

Now we can use our pantry for the intended purpose and start working on our food storage. We also got the stairs carpeted and a new railing put up. I've wanted to have that done for 7 years (at least the carpet part)! But it wasn't so important when we weren't using the basement. I always used to say "can you imagine looking down the stairs and seeing it finished instead of the ugly steps and cement at the bottom". And we are finally there! Last, but not least, we had our basement toilet hooked up this week (thanks Cody). We don't use it yet because we still have to install the sinks. But it's progress and it's one step closer to the end. Hopefully another week and the sinks will be in. I'm still loving everything we've done so far and am so glad that we've made it this far.

Finally!

2008-08-04T21:00:00.002-07:00

After many months of wishing, hoping, dreaming, and praying, we finally made major progress on our remodeling. We spent the last few weeks working like crazy to get things ready for carpet. The kids were so excited, they started moving down 10 minutes after the carpet installers left. I was just as excited as the kids...o.k. probably even more excited. By bedtime, we had moved all the beds down. The next day, we had everything cleared out of the bedrooms upstairs. There is still lots and lots to do, but at least we now have room to spread out a little (four kids, one bedroom...made bedtime a little difficult). Although it took way longer than I ever would have imagined, it was worth it. All the planning in my head and on 3D Home Architect paid off. I'm loving everything about it and can't wait for the rest to get finished. Now I just need to find the energy to get it done. Thanks dad for all your help, we couldn't have done it without you!

Here's Sean priming the walls. I seriously can't even tell you how I dreamed of this day!

Kylee in her pink room. I actually think she kind-of misses sleeping with the boys.

Alyssa's little room. We don't care about the size, we're just glad she can sleep without the boys climbing in her bed.

The boys room. It seems like so much space when there are just two beds instead of four. They still don't go to bed good.

One and Walking

2008-07-31T16:29:00.001-07:00

Our cute Alyssa turned one this month.

She is such a cutie and we are so glad she came to our family.

She stayed surprisingly clean for demolishing her cake.

She also started walking last month and loves that she can somewhat keep up with the other kids.

Summer Time Fun

2008-07-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy summer and I haven't been very good at keeping up. Here are some pictures of the fun things we've been doing.

The kids enjoying the SSL parade.

Fireworks at Granite High.

We went to Thanksgiving Point on the 4th of July with Sean's family. It was so hot. I even wet my head in the fountain.

We spent last week with my extended family up at Pineview. The water was cold, the weather was hot, but it was nice to get away...even if it was for only a few days.

Camp Rocked and Camp Rock

2008-06-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Sean took the boys camping for our Stake's Fathers & Sons overnighter. I was really surprised that he wanted to take them, but I'm glad they went. Aaron was so excited, he asked about every 5 minutes when they were gonna go. They had a really great time. They got to sleep in a tent and blow bubbles, at least that's what they told me. So, I got to spend the night with the girls. We went to McDonald's for dinner (yum, my favorite...Kylee's choice). It was also the premier of Camp Rock on Disney Channel. Kylee has been waiting for this movie to be on for months. She kept scrolling ahead on the DVR, waiting for it to appear so she could record it. It was on kind-of late for her, so we watched it Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon and probably again Saturday night. Yeah, we've pretty much watched it everyday since then. I think Kylee is trying to learn the songs. I thought it was pretty good, but I had a hard time with the style of clothes. Skin tight pants...yuck. Are we really heading back to the horrible styles of the 80's?

Seven Years

2008-06-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

Today is our seventh anniversary. It's amazing how fast time has gone. I've been trying to think of all that we have done since we've been married and it's kind-of hard to remember (Honestly, I can't even remember what we did last week).

I do remember that Sean graduated, has been Ward Mission Leader, E.Q. President, in the Bishopric, High Council, and Stake Young Men's Presidency (is he ever home?). I've cleaned the house thousands of times, washed hundreds of loads of laundry, and have cooked too many times to count. We have wrecked one truck and killed one car and now we drive a cool mini-van. We are in the third round of remodeling. Best of all, we have four cute kids who we love so much. We have been blessed with a such a great family and I am very grateful for all of them. I look forward to the future and many more happy memories. I love you Sean!

Kindergarten Graduate

2008-06-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

We made it through our first full year school! It's amazing how fast time goes. Kylee finished school last Thursday and I am excited for the break. Kylee...not so much. Every time I would ask if she was excited to get out of school, she would get all teary-eyed because she was sad to leave her teacher. Luckily, that has worn off.

She made her teacher a present and a cute card.

Wednesday was her field trip to the zoo. It was a rainy, gloomy day. When I asked her if she had fun, she said "only a little bit."

Kindergarten Program

2008-05-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

Kylee's first year of school has almost come to an end! Yesterday was her kindergarten program. The kids sang and danced to some of their favorite songs.

The kids were supposed to dance with their parents on this song...but Kylee didn't want to dance with me. She said she'd rather dance with her friend.

I love this song. It was so cute to hear Kylee singing and practicing it at home. It was even cuter to watch her sign it. Oh, our little Kylee Coo-Coo is getting so big. We are glad she had such a wonderful time in Kindergarten.

Aaron and Collin enjoyed the show for about 5 minutes. After that, they just wanted to play on the rock wall and scooters.

Alyssa's Way

2008-05-21T19:25:00.001-07:00

Apparently, Alyssa didn't like the turn-around method, so she made up her own. I thought it was pretty funny. Good thing there is only one step.

The Great Outdoors

2008-05-13T18:05:00.000-07:00

It was pretty nice outside today. So, we decided to go on a walk to see Becca's baby. Well, Kylee and I saw her, the boys were more interested in playing with the balls. Then we came home and played in the backyard for a little bit. It got windy and cold so we didn't stay out long, but the kids enjoyed it while it lasted. Hopefully, warm weather will be here soon to stay.

Alyssa is getting used to the grass. She actually
smiled when I put her on it.

Kylee was sad because Aaron
found the sprinkler flag first.

Luckily, we found a flag for everyone and
Kylee was instantly happy.

Tell me again, why do we buy toys?

Family Home Evening

2008-05-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

So, after having to give my little talk about ideas for Family Home Evening, I felt like we should do more to help our own Family Home Evening be more effective. This week, we played hide and seek with church pictures. Before we hid them, we went through and said who or what was in each picture. We then sent the kids out while we hid them (in very obvious places). The kids absolutely loved this game (Aaron cried because he wanted to find more). After, we sang songs. They love this, too. As long as they each gets a turn to pick and sing their own song. This is my favorite of Collin, it's so cute what they learn. He probably doesn't know half of what he's singing (Aaron still ends the song with righteousleep), which makes it even cuter. All in all, it was a pretty good FHE, not too much crying and no fighting, maybe giving that talk was a good thing afterall.

and she's off...

2008-04-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

Yeah! Alyssa is finally crawling! She started last week and each day does more on her hands and knees and less of the army crawl. I know my kids are kind-of slow at the whole crawling thing, but she cut a month off our fastest time! One of her favorite spots is on the landing. The past few days she has been trying to climb the step. Today, she figured it out. She thought she was so clever. Her other favorite spot is the bathroom. I guess we need to get in the habit of closing doors. She's really loving that she can get around wherever she wants. She doesn't stay put very long at all. Well, except for outside. Yesterday I took her outside on the grass, and she just sat there because she didn't like her hands to touch the grass. Oh, she is a cutie!

Earth Day 2008

2008-04-22T21:02:00.001-07:00

Sean is having major issues with whole global warming thing. He had an especially rough week with Earth Day approaching and how political it has become. There was so much stuff on t.v. about it, and everytime he'd see something that got to him, he make me come in the room to watch. So, I thought I'd be a supportive wife and make him an Earth Day cake. Kylee and I surprised him by singing "Happy Earth Day to You!" It was really funny. It may become a new Marchant tradition.

If I could only have my two front teeth.

2008-04-17T08:42:00.000-07:00

Kylee finally pulled out her second bottom tooth yesterday! It was so loose for the past few days, but she didn't want us to pull it She wanted it to come out when it was "a little looser". So, we were at my mom's yesterday and she fell down the stairs and must have hit her mouth on the wall, cause a few minutes later she had her tooth in her hand. Later, she asked, "If I fall down the stairs again, will another tooth fall out?" Kids say funny things, don't they. So, we had to take a few pictures. Of course, Aaron and Collin wanted pictures of their mouths, too. And Alyssa is just cute, so I had to include her too!

Who needs toys?

2008-04-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

So, I've read a lot of posts recently about kids and the things they find around the house (other than toys) that provide hours of entertainment. So, when I saw Aaron playing this morning, I thought I'd share, too. Recently, Aaron has been into instruction pamphlets. He loves to unfold and then try and fold them back up. He carries them around all day, puts them under his bed when he sleeps, and is constantly asking if it's the right way. It's pretty traumatic if the instructions end up ripping. But luckily, there is usually another one somewhere to be found. Collin is into computers. It's amazing what a 2 year old can do on a computer! Seriously, he can navigate all over pbskids.org and playhousedisney.com. He can drag and click and do all kinds of stuff that even some adults probably can't do. It's crazy to think what these kids will be like with computers when they are older. I think he's addicted - he must get that from me!

Happy Birthday ziggos!

2008-04-08T19:48:00.000-07:00

ziggosfifties just hit it's 2 year mark! Thanks to everyone for making it and the rest of the network such a huge success. Go ziggos!

Happy Easter!

2008-03-24T22:35:00.000-07:00

The kiddies

Our Family

We had all the cousins over to color Easter eggs.

Aaron loved coloring eggs.

Our cute Alyssa just had to sit and watch. Maybe next year, she can join in the fun.

Aaron's 4th Birthday

2008-03-11T12:11:00.000-07:00

Aaron's birthday was March 8. He was so excited for it to finally be "his" birthday. He has a hard time when we have a cake for anyone else, but hopefully this year, he might get over that.

We planned a real family outing. We took the long journey out to Thanksgiving Point to the Dinosaur Museum and the little farm. The kids loved playing in the water and digging for dinosaur bones. And, Aaron keeps mentioning the big shark we saw.

To our surprise, Aaron actually wanted to ride the pony, Collin also joined the fun. Kylee wasn't interested at all. Aaron loved opening his presents. He could have unwrapped all night long. He is a cutie and we are glad he is part of our family.

Hurray, spring is almost here!

2008-02-27T22:33:00.000-08:00

I think that is what Collin is shouting. We are all very excited for winter to be over. I think Sean's excitement is almost uncontrollable. The snowplowing has been anything but fun and way to often this year. So, we are very excited to welcome spring. This week has been so nice and warm. The snow has almost melted. Kylee says the tulips are starting to grow. And the kids were finally able to get out their bikes and cars and play with dad on the grass.

Kylee

2008-02-27T22:27:00.000-08:00

Kylee is getting so big. Last week, she graduated from a toddler bed to a twin. She loves it because you can now see all of the princesses on her comforter. With the extra room, she has at least doubled the number of dolls and stuffed animals she sleeps with.

Collin

2008-02-27T22:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, the whole reason Kylee got a big bed was because Collin basically demanded a new bed. He was sick of being in the crib and decided that Kylee's bed was his. He would climb out of the crib and take naps in her bed. He pretty much refused to go to bed in his crib, claiming that Kylee's bed was his. So, we had no choice but to make it his. I guess 2 1/2 is kind of old to be sleeping in a crib...

Aaron

2008-02-27T21:52:00.000-08:00

You think we could get "new" beds for Kylee and Collin, and not Aaron? Think again. Luckily, a new comforter and sheet set were enough to make him happy. So, now everyone is happy with their beds...if only they would stay in them when it's bed time.

Alyssa

2008-02-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

And cute little Alyssa, is still stuck in a little bed next to mom. Hopefully, she too, will get to graduate to a bigger bed (crib) soon. Alyssa finally got her first tooth last week and the next one isn't far behind. She is happy most the time, except when mom leaves (especially when mom leaves her with dad). She has learned to roll to get pretty much where she wants, although she does seem to get stuck in corners and under chairs quite often. The next big step will be crawling. Although coming from this family, she's still got a few months before that happens.