Catching up!

I realized today that I am a horrible blogger...I wait way too long to update what is going on in our family, and then after a few months I try to make up for it by posting one big long post of what has been happening in our lives.  So I will try to be better, although I've made that same goal many times before.  Here is what has been going on the past few months...

I don't know where these were taken, but I thought they were cute... Kasen 18 months, Aidyn almost 3

Jeff's work got us tickets to see the Padres.  It was a fun night...although after driving through downtown San Diego Jeff and I were reacquainted with our distaste for city life...we will NEVER live in a big city!  We had wristbands that got us all you can eat hot dogs, popcorn, drinks and peanuts...what more could we ask for?  The kids had fun playing with their cousins and we enjoyed a night different from the usual outing to the park, pool, or play place.

Jeff's brother Jerry and his kids Cash and Carson

I don't remember where this picture was taken, but  I happen to have my camera near by when Kasen was throwing one of his daily "tantrums."  He follows me around and the second I stop he grabs hold of me and wants me until I pick him up.  Fun stuff :)

Aidyn's first ring pop...fun for Aidyn, not so much fun for Mom

Over Labor Day we took a trip to Panguitch Utah to spend some time with Jeff's family at his grandparents' house.  They have a few slot machines with coins for the kids to play with...and this is where my kids practically spent the entire weekend. I'm glad we drove 8 hours so my kids could sit all day on a slot machine...  :)

We did have fun driving around on the quads and playing outside.  Jeff's grandparents own 120 acres so there is literally nothing around you...Jeff enjoyed the surplus of rabbits on the property, and I enjoyed hanging out with the other women, cooking and reading.

 Who needs a bath when you go in the hot tub every night?  This is Jeff's argument.  The kids, and Jeff, loved spending time in the hot tub every night

Aidyn's birthday was the day we left for home, so we celebrated it the night before.  Grandma Gallego got her a Dora microphone and cash register.  She loves them both, but she was particularly fond of the microphone.  And our ride home the next morning was much more musical...as she sang Dora songs on the whole ride home...Thanks Grandma! :)

Aidyn's actual birthday party was the following weekend.  We went to the park and had a slip n slide Dora themed party. We had dinner, played on the slip n slide, had a water balloon fight, presents, and of course cake and ice cream. As you can tell from the pictures, Aidyn was not in the best mood.  I tried to get her to smile, but she was so grouchy it kind of made me mad.  We (mostly me) had gone through so much effort to make it fun for her, and she was the only one not enjoying it! 

Here she is sporting her new Dora swimsuit...are you getting the sense she likes Dora?

The only picture I could get her smiling was when she was eating her chocolate cake and ice cream...

The first time we went to the pumpkin patch this year they wouldn't let us use the passes we had bought online because we hadn't printed them...lame.  So we had to literally drag our kids away kicking and screaming, promising them we would come back next week to ride the rides.  I did catch a few pictures though...

Aidyn started pre-school a few months ago.  A group of 5 women, including myself, take turns teaching the kids each week.  It has really been great for Aidyn.  She loves going to school and is so excited to turn 5 so she can go to school on her own...her and mom both :)  She got dressed for preschool one morning and I couldn't help looking at her and thinking she looked so grown up.  Where did my baby go?  She is now 3 and before I know it she will be 5 and going to real school.  It makes me sad but I am excited for her to get involved in other activities.

Kasen felt a little left out as I was taking pictures of Aidyn, so I snapped one of him

The other day I was on the computer during Kasen's nap and after about 20 minutes I realized Aidyn was being very quiet.  As I went to find her I found she was playing "preschool" on her own and she was the teacher.  She had found tape and had taped letters to the coffee table and was "teaching" the other kids about letters and number...she is so awesome.  I was also very grateful she hadn't made a huge mess or gotten into something she knew she wasn't supposed to...which is what normally happens when she is quiet for so long.

Halloween was last week...Aidyn had the cutest witch costume my mom found for her at a boutique thrift store...but on the day of she decided she wanted to be a bumblebee and wear the costume she used last year.  I wanted to fight with her on it because her witch costume was so cute, but Jeff reminded me that it should be her decision...I guess that makes sense, although I was not happy.

Kasen "chose" to be a dinosaur (which means I found his costume at a thrift store and it fit him).  He hated wearing it at first, but he got used to the idea after 2 ward trunk or treats and on Halloween night.  We also had him wear his cow costume the shake it up a bit (a garage sale find).  Jeff and I decided he makes a much better cow than he does dinosaur...not sure why and not sure if that's a good thing :)

Jeff and I of course wore our Elf costumes...we also won the prize for best Adult Couple Costume...Yay!  We got a ribbon...

My friend dressed her boy up as Harry Potter.  It was really the only other kid worth taking a picture of at the party besides my own...awesome.

We finally made our way back to pumpkin patch to let the kids enjoy the rides.  Well, we bought hour passes for them to play on the bounce slides, houses, jungle gyms, but that lasted all of 5 minutes before they wanted to move onto the bigger more expensive rides.  After a few minutes of whining, Aidyn suckered Jeff into buying more tickets for the bigger rides. She can always count on dad to give her what she wants :)

Chaparral Ward Trunk of Treat Party

Aidyn's Pre-School dressed up and we had a little party

We went trick or treating with a group of friends.  It was a lot of fun.  Jeff and I were done wearing our elf costumes...we had already been in them 2 nights that week.

And finally, Jeff turned 25!  A third way through his life as he puts it...he doesn't want to be too old so that he can't enjoy doing the things he loves. We met a few friends at Dickey's BBQ for dinner.  It opened up not too long ago and he has been wanting to try it.  And then we all went back home and met with a few more friends for dessert...Oreo/Mint chocolate Ice Cream Pie and Peppermint Patty Brownies were his requests.  It was a lot of fun getting together with everyone.  His big gift was a 6-Pack of snowboarding tickets for this season.  He has been talking about wanting to snowboard ever since we were married, and he hasn't gone since, so I hope he better enjoy going. It was worth buying the tickets to not hear him complain about it again :)