More of our Trip

Monday all of us piled into our many cars for the main part of our vacation. The Hartman's own a timeshare so we all got our own cabins at Shenandoah Crossing. It was so much fun! We had 6 cabins and they were all right by each other so we were able to hangout the vast majority of the time.

They have several swimming pools at the resort so needless to say we ended up there twice a day. Especially when we realized swimming at night was so much more fun, no sun, no sunscreen, no burning!



Tiffany brought an extra tube and let Axton use it the whole time we were there! And pink is his favorite color (not really but he's quite used to it with all of his girl cousins and girl friends). It was such a lifesaver. Everytime before when we've tried to get him to use one he refused and would throw a fit but with all of the other kids using them he jumped on the band wagon! It didn't take him long to realize he could do whatever he wanted as long as he had it on. He learned to jump in all by himself with no one there to catch him and also how to balance it so he could swim. It was one of the best swimming experiences we had experienced. I love that he is getting older and more independant.




They also host special events such as the horseshoe tournament. Greg was so excited to play in it. I love his form and the looks on his face. I guess his technique paid off because he got first and won 3 free rounds of pool.





Other activites we did that I didn't get any pictures of were volleyball (the ball was so hard that I hit it wrong on my thumb and it swelled and turned blue and purple that night and looked like one giant bruise for a week!), basketball, tennis, mini golf, regular golf, horseback riding, and the one that I'm sad I didn't get a picture of was the life size chess board. They also had some arcade rooms and arts and crafts but we didn't do any of those.

Well I'm out of time so more to come on the next post.

East Coast

We were invited on a family vacation with a family from Greg's mission, the Hartman's. One of their sons and his family couldn't make it because his wife was due a week or so after the vaction and therefor couldn't fly. Lucky us!

We left on Friday, and it was about a 4 hour flight so we brought the dvd player. I read my book while the boys watched a little Lightning Mcqueen.



We made it to our destination around 2am eastern time. Then at 6, Axton and Greg were up and ready for the day. I cherish my sleep a little more than that so they let me keep sleeping for another hour. The Hartman's had a different family reunion to go to on Saturday so we drove around and saw people from Greg's mission days. Our first stop was to Lee and Courtney Schriever. Lee works for his dad on their dairy farm so we took Axton to see the cows. He wasn't really interested in them but he was eyeing the 4-wheelers so Greg took him for a ride. I think it was the first time he wasn't scared when he actually got on it. He loves to look at them and sit on them but as soon as they start going he tends to get a little nervous and whiny. But this time he couldn't get enough of it.


Then we were off to the local gunstore to see the Hendershot's. Greg seems to think he's going to buy a handgun in the near future. Maybe if our a/c in his car hadn't broke on the way to the airport, costing us $800 to fix when we got home, it might have been a little more a possibility.

After the gun store we decided to get something to eat and took it down to the Potomac River for a picnic. Everything in Pennsylvania was green and there are soooo many trees.



When the Hartman's got back from their reunion we hungout with them that night. Axton learned how to get on and off their trampoline all by himself. Some of their grandkids, and Axton, jumping.


I didn't get any pictures because I was took busy playing, but they got a group of people together and we went and played volleyball at the church. It took me a while to get over my shyness and the fact that I hadn't played volleyball in years but when I did finally join in it was a blast. I'm really glad I didn't stay on the sidelines. Axton was a trooper. Him and some of the other kids played in the nursery pretty much the whole time. He ended up being the last kiddo there around 11pm and he was still being so good even though he was really tired. I really am blessed with such an easy going child. I guess if we're only going to have one at least we got a good one.

Sunday was the usual, go to church see more people and then back to the Hartman's for more fun and talking. Mika brought over his shaved ice machine and made them for everyone. Axton decided he wanted blue raspberry, his mama's favorite. But like his mama his mouth turns colors ridiculously easy, I've learned to go for anything red! Within ONE bite his mouth was BLUE BLUE BLUE! And like his Daddy, he can't stop at having just one!



After the shaved ice, one of the Schrievers brought a parachute thing out. It was the first time Axton had ever seen one, I hadn't even seen one since middle school. It didn't take him long to figure it out and would run under it every chance he got. Greg of course had to show him where the hole in the center was.




Axton also discovered dirt! He made a slide down the hill where they had dirt instead of grass. And of course Greg had to get in on the action too. Unfortunately Axton's slide drew the attention of the other kids who's parents weren't so thrilled to have their kids get dirty since they were still in their Sunday clothes.



Greg had also bought some fireworks on Saturday so the kids got to play with sparklers while the big boys played with the bottle rockets and other loud fireworks. They put on quite the show but it was Mika and not Greg who was the crazy one by holding them until right before they went off and even sticking one on top of his head. You'd think the bishop would be a little smarter than that!!! :)



After that it was off to bed since we were all going to the Shenedoah Resort the next morning.

Not Again

Axton is quite the little color. Too bad it's never on PAPER!! At least I have gotten wiser and the only crayons he can get his hands on are the washable kind for the bathtub, that I forgot we owned.

I was on the phone with my grandpa and Greg was on the phone with the Hartman's finishing up the plans for our trip next week. I thought Axton was in with Greg but then I realized he was being way to quite. I went in where Greg was to see what Axton was doing and he wasn't there. I then hear a noise from the hallway and the bathroom door is shut. I can tell he is in there so I open the door and take him out with it. My wonderful, precious little boy was coloring me a picture on the back of the door. EXCELLENT! Then I see the wall and the toilet. What an artist! I was caught a bit off guard since I was still trying to listen to the phone conversation while having the battle within myself to yell or get the camera. I decided to get Greg first and then take pictures.





Apparently he thought it was time for the bathroom painting to be finished, I've been a huge slacker on it.

Luckily for him he caught me in a good mood and all he had to do was help clean it up. No timeout, no yelling, what a lucky little man. Unfortunately I don't think him having to clean it up was a punishment at all. It could have been worse, like the permanent markers he colored with a year ago, that you can still see in the picture! Yep I'm a slacker, I told you I was.

Scrapbooking

Does anyone do digital scrapbooking? I am looking to switch over but I don't know what programs people use. I am really into embellishments and all that jazz so smilebox and shutterfly don't really do it for me unless I'm missing something! I have been told to use Photo Shop Elements?! Also do any of you actually print off the pages you do and if so from where? Help!!!! Oh yeah... I don't want to sped my life's savings either!

Couch

When we bought our house we knew we wanted a large living room so that we could have lots of people over at one time and socialize. What Greg didn't know or think about was that I had dreams of a very large couch so that we had seating for all of those people. We love having people over, the more the better. I've had an itch to buy this so called couch since we bought our house but went looking on my own knowing Greg would never allow the purchase of a new couch because 1. ours are ok, 2. we don't need to "waste" the money, and 3. kids are just going to destroy it anyways.

So many people around us are buying new furniture which has made my itch for this couch even harder to resist, and then throw in tv ads about discounts and Memorial Day Weekend Sales and I was a goner. Rarely do ads work on me but this time I had to at least go look. Greg for some unknown reason agreed to go "looking" with me and at least get costs of how much my dream couch would be and what the likelihood of it would even be, along with how many years I'd have to save up to get it.

I think I gave away pretty quickly how much I had been thinking about and planning this couch because as soon as we walked in I told the salesman I wanted to see a sectional that could be expanded to make it huge (I wanted the equivalent in size of 2 couchs and 2 loves seats), it had to be dark, not microfiber (our recliners are a pain to keep clean), and it had to have at least two reclining seats pretty close to each other because our beloved recliners would be going in other rooms. And at all of the stores we had ONE option and they all ended up being dark, leather sectionals. I must say everyone was skeptical of the size I wanted but I was adamant.

Greg and I talked a lot about it and he gave in!! Rather easily I may add which is a total shock. While we were buying it I had to keep leaving so I could go sit on the one in the showroom and make sure it really was what I wanted. Up until the time the delivery guys had it assembled I was a total wreck. It's the exact size I wanted (the chairs are oversized so for every 2 chairs it's the same size as our previous couch) and perfect in every way for us. I love it. I am so excited to sit on it, and have people over, knowing that 9-13 people can easily sit on it and be comfortable. I'm also very impressed that it hasn't made our living room seem smaller because this bad boy is 15'x15'.

This is the couch we will have for the next 10-15 years at least, as long as the kids don't get ahold of it. And we won't be moving anywhere in those years either because I don't know if it would fit.

His and her's recliners right next to each other so we can cuddle while watching movies in style.

All of our pens, markers, and scissors are now way beyond Axton's reach. He has already had the "discussion" of what is and isn't ok to do on the new couch, several times. Let's just hope and pray that it holds up!

Kidz Club

For the last month and a half I have been babysitting for greg's sister Kim. I have her two kiddos Brooklynn and JJ (Joshua Justun Jones Jr!) in the morning from about 8-12 M-F and so I am always up for new entertainment for all of us.

One of my friends Kimberly has been posting about their kids club that they go to and so when my friend Jessica told me about one that they do here at our mall I was very excited to take the kiddos and go, but I couldn't do it without her help!

Well I got the times mixed up and ended up at the mall an hour before the thing began so the kids got to play in their new play area. They were in heaven. They could climb and jump on everything without fear of punishment. (We are looking to get Axton something for the backyard that he can climb and play on so if anyone has any suggestions let me know!)

They had a little truck and it's back is a slide.


Jumping off the newspaper, always an Axton favorite.


JJ getting to play without twin 2 year olds bugging him


The kids kept climbing up and over this wall for almost 30 minutes. It was pure heaven for me!


I just like Axton's face here!


When it was finally time to go over the the kidz club event they had a huge colored rug layed out. They were so excited to pick a colored square to sit on.


The stage where most of the sining and dancing is done.


The mascot is a Praire Dog, it took me a while to figure out that's what it was! Brooklynn couldn't get enough of him and took off running a few times to get hugs from him. Axton liked to look but didn't care to much if touched him or not.


We got cinnabons, and then headed home. On the way home Axton fell asleep. One kid down, two more to go!


Overall it was ok but my favorite, and I'm pretty sure the kids' favorite was the play area, or the cinnabons! The club is an hour long, and with 3 kids under 3, not the most enjoyable. All they do is sing and dance. I was hoping it would be a little more varied with different kinds of activities each week like Kimberly's but hey it's something to do. We've back a few times and everytime the experience gets worse and worse. So we'll wait until Kim can come with us before we'll come back.

Yep Still Easter here!

I've been trying to get caught up on everything in life. Watching three kiddos everyday puts me behind a bit, plus I'm a slacker. So I was going through my list of what to blog about along with pictures and couldn't pass up finishing the easter festivities!

Axton was a blast to dye easter eggs with. Although Greg is a slacker, he disappeared when we were making cookies and dying the eggs, and during the easter egg hunt he was slightly preoccupied (another post to come.... someday). But I was impressed with how well Axton picked up the concept and was able to lift the eggs out of the cups with wire thing. He didn't make much of a mess which honestly I'm grateful for!


This one is my favorite!

The finished product:


We had a little easter egg hunt at our house with the 6 Leavitt grandchildren, but no Leavitt grandparents :(. The kids got 12 eggs each to find and it was Axton's first time. He enjoyed all of it thoroughly. And yes, Axton is always running around the house undressed, special occasion or not. One of the down falls to teaching him how to put on and take off his clothes.

Talia eating the "hidden" eggs before all the other kids came out!





The kids sitting down to compare their loot, and of course shove it in their mouths as fast as possible.


In the end it was a great day. Unfortunately Axton decided to only eat candy (and really not that much of it) and refused normal food all day. So he ended up a stomach ache that night and didn't go to sleep until almost 10. Needless to say the easter basket with more goodies in it is still sitting in the closet. I decided to not even go there. Maybe next year.