Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day!! We hope you've had a great weekend. We sure did. We were glad to have Dave and Staci Chavez and their kids in town to hang out with. We had to ignore them for a couple days because Brennan had a fever, but luckily we had a good chance to play yesterday and today.

We tried not to let the illness get us down. We decided as long as we were outside and he couldn't slime anyone we would go to the Medieval Festival thing at the fairgrounds on Friday night. We got to take a hayride and watch knights joust. That was entertaining. What a weird sport.

Here you can see the boys at the Splash Pad on Saturday. We didn't stay long because it got really windy and Brenny didn't feel good, but it was fun to watch them play for awhile.

Sunday was busy with church and callings, then after dinner we walked to the park and fed the ducks (sorry, no pictures)and talked with lots of neighbors and friends. Yay!!
Today we went to the lake. Here is Kwint catching some air....

...and Gina wimping out, staying on the boat with the kids....

...and the kids having a blast building sand volcanoes with the dry ice Dave brought. Huh? Who randomly shows up at the beach with dry ice? Dave Chavez does, that's who.

While they played Staci, Tam and I chilled out in the hot sun. Luckily it wasn't crazy hot like it usually is this time of year. Just 92, and with the breeze it wasn't too bad.

Little Estella stuck her toes in for a few and made us all look bad because she was so cute.


Now I am too tired to elaborate, but we had a great time.
Last on the blog but earlier this week... Wednesday was Kaeleb's last day of preschool.

He had such a great year. Preschool was the best thing in the world for him. He learned a lot academically, but more special than that was the social experience with all the cute kids in his class and the relationship he developed with his teacher. Oh, Miss Mary! I will miss her more than he will!! I love her for what she has done for Kaeleb. He learned to follow directions and keep the rules. He learned to respect his teacher and the kids in the kids in the class. He learned to trust a grown up that isn't Mommy to take care of him. Most importantly he learned that he can find love and acceptance from a grown up who is "important" and isn't Mommy.

Mary went out of her way to make the class special for all the children. They had field trips and parties and the last day of school was "Water Fun Day". She made a DVD with a slide show of pictures set to fun songs and gave one to each child. Kaeleb has watched it every day and I well up with tears every time. Sheesh! How will I handle college?

Alan and Angie

Breathe in, breathe out... ah....

Does it get any better? We just spent 4 days in the great state of Washington. Green!! Our very bones were basking in the green of it all.

This, by the way is the exact spot where Kwint proposed to me more than 9 years ago, under a full moon, in the frigid cold that we didn't notice, when I had to all but beg for him to kiss me because he was so nervous.

This is the beautiful Snoqualmie Falls.

This is mom and Brenny enjoying the scenery.

And, this is the real reason we went there.... My big brother Alan got married on Saturday! We are so happy for him and so grateful for his beautiful wife, who is his perfect match and so sweet.

This is my family. Yes, as you can see, I am the shrimp of the family. I don't know how I got the short end of the stick. L-R, Gerritt, Ira, Mom (Dorine), Me, Alan.

Alan and Angie with his kids, Brittney and Tristen

Last but not least, me and my little crew of guys. They were quite handsome in their matching ties, I must say. The boys were little troopers. They were well behaved on both plane rides and pretty darn good at the wedding. We all had a blast playing with cousins, aunts, uncles and Nana.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy day to all the moms in my life. I hope Mother's Day has been a wonderful day for all of you!!

Today was the single most relaxing day I have spent in two years. I rather enjoyed the whole day... except for the part when Brennan stopped breathing and turned blue... He is alive and well and that is the best present I could have today. (The story is not that exciting, I just said that for an attention getter-- did it work?)

Brenny has had a fever for two days and it got high in the middle of the night. He got nauseous and started to throw up, gagged on his bile and couldn't get it out. He did turn blue and we were panic stricken, then he finally threw up all over Kwint's shirt and everything was fine.

It did remind us how precious our children are and how grateful we are for them. I am so grateful to be a mother. As hard as it can be, it is the only job I have ever wanted and I can't imagine greater rewards.

So, I stayed home from church with the sickie and took two naps. We had a picnic outside for lunch since the weather was very nice and not too hot. We went to Tam's for dinner and her kids cooked and did the dishes. (Paper plates- it was rough for them) but it was very nice to not cook or clean and we had sooo much fun. We truly love our sis.

This week Kaeleb got to go to a pizza place for a field trip. He made his own dough but says he didn't like the pizza he made.

Kaeleb's imagination runs away with him sometimes. Tonight on the way to Tam's there was a gorilla in the car which he punched into a bush and then a frog fell through the roof and nearly took us all out. My favorite K-dude story of the week was when Kwint asked him to do something and he ran through the house yelling "Not now Dad! I can't do anything right now! There's a boulder chasing me!"

Brennan is continuing to add to his vast vocabulary. He loves to bang on the door to our bedroom early in the morning and yell "Dad! C'mere! Soccer ball, rard!" (rard means yard) He also begs to "dig a hole, rard" He would be outside 24/7 if we could. We'll have to get creative when the heat sets in.

I have decided to move to Disneyland and try out for a Disney Princess. Last week I curled my hair for church and bore my testimony. When I stood up, my friend's 3 year old asked his Dad if I was Giselle. (from Enchanted) He said, "No, that's Sister Kemp." The little guy thought for a minute, then shook his head and said "No. It's Giselle." Is it weird if I'm flattered?

My Little Talker

Brennan and Mama


There hasn't been too much in the way of excitement around here lately, unless you count the worldwide panic over the swine flu. We are aiming to keep that in perspective.... on one hand, it's just a flu, right? On the other.... ugh.

We are having so much fun watching our boys grow up. Brenny has been changing so fast and is getting so big!! Our baby is a big boy! If we didn't have such an aversion to me being pregnant we would be baby hungry.

Bren has decided to go ahead and speak in sentences. They are short, but we have had some actual conversations. For example, tonight Kwint and the boys were waiting in a parking lot while I ran in to pick up a quick item. Bren said "Mommy go?" Kwint said "She will be right back." Bren asked "When?" We didn't know he knew that word.

It is always fun to hear what toddlers come up with for words. Brennan says "wongy" when he's hungry-- it took us forever to figure that one out-- and asks for "daburs dandy" (starburst candy)or "boo suck-errr" (blue sucker). Then he either says "Dink yooou" or "dinks".

He has been tattling on big brother lately, though if Kaeleb hurts him it is usually because Bren has antagonized him. :-) He will come to me crying and say "Budda push me!" or "Budda bonk me!" Tonight he said "Budda puh Hair!" One day this week Brennan ran into something and hurt himself, so he came to me crying and said "Me push me!" So cute. I usually say "Do you need a kiss?" He will stop crying and say "Diss? Uh-huh!" and then "Dinks." and go on his merry way. He is such a fun, playful little person.

Kaeleb is awesome, as usual. One funny little Kaeleb story that made me smile happened on Monday. He and a friend were playing that they were pirates and arguing about whether pirates used guns, swords, or both. Kaeleb finally settled it by saying "We will just have to ask my Grandpa because he LOVES pirates."

So, like I said, not too much, but sometimes a boring week is better than a crazy one.

Ah, the wonders of St. George. When President Hinckley came to visit us after the floods of 2005 he said, "This place is like a vampire. It's beautiful to look at, but it turns around and bites ya."

In all of the 5 and 1/2 years we have been here, the weather has never ceased to surprise us, except that we know that the blazing heat WILL scorch us throughout the summer. We had a the year of the flood, then the year of the fires, warm springs, cold springs, warm winters, cold winters and now a very windy spring... Weird!

Here are the boys in their coats, which I had put away for the summer...



Personally, I am loving it. It feels like Seattle. I would way rather be chilly in a jacket than sweating buckets with no way of cooling down.

Our favorite little friend had a birthday party at the park last night. McKay Miller is one now. We had so much fun that we think we will start crashing ALL their family functions.

Just look how cute his cake was!! My friend Mary Lynne is super talented, is she not?

And look how cute he is!! He has grown some since I posted pics of him a year ago.

My boys love McKay. Brennan calls him "Kay" and when I told him we were going to see him he said "Kay? Yay!" and clapped his hands. Kaeleb asked "How old is McKay turning?" I said "He will be one." He asked, "So is he going to start saying something?" I giggled.

Brenny is really getting into talking. Yesterday at breakfast he fell off his chair and wailed "Fall down! Bonk! Ear! Sad!" He said it over and over while Daddy held him. At the park last night he got "stuck" on a platform and couldn't find his way down. He said "Mom, me, down, here." That very nearly counts as a sentence, wouldn't you think?

Our Kaeleb is learning about bugs in Preschool. He told me all about how ladybugs open up their shells to let their wings out when they fly and how caterpillars eat and eat before they go into their chrysalis to change into a butterfly. I love hearing how much he is learning and watching his mind develop. Sometimes I can't figure out how any one person could grow and learn so much in 4 and 1/2 short years.

Kwint and I are happily busy. We are so thankful that the Lord led us down the TurningLeaf path. It hasn't been easy doing the private practice thing, but it has been so filled with blessings. We feel so good about the programs and watching people find hope. Obviously he gets to see more of that than I do, since he is there for 40 hours a week and I am there for two, but I am glad to make my little contribution and I love my clients.

Blogging away...

Has anyone who lives by me had a book made of your blogs? If so, I want to see them. I am contemplating making ours into books because I seem to have lost the "umph" for writing in a personal journal. I filled book after book from high school through my pregnancy with Kaeleb, but since I became a mother it has been hit and miss. Ironic, isn't it? The time in my life that I most want to remember is now, watching my children grow and discover this world... and I am too tired to write it down. I forgot yesterday already!

So, if I can at least get a blog out there once a week with a couple good stories, maybe it will do. I may not capture all the feelings of my heart, but maybe that is ok. I don't want to remember how tired I always am and how often I feel like I have no control over my own life or how irritated I was this morning when Kaeleb and Brennan were chasing each other around with toy shovels and plastic guns, screaming wildly (not play screams-- these were "I want to seriously, truly MAIM you because I can't stand the sight of you anymore" screams).... but I DO want to remember how cute they were playing at the park this morning.

We went early, because it is getting too hot for me already in the middle of the day. I am a wimp, I have accepted that. We were the only ones there. The birds were singing and the trees were so pretty in the early sun with the bright colors of their spring leaves. Kaeleb commented, "Wow Mom, isn't it so nice and peaceful?" I sat and watched them play, wishing it could last all day. But... I had to get a safety inspection on the car...

I also want to remember last night's FHE lesson, which was on being thankful. We asked Kaeleb what he was thankful for and the first thing he said was "I am thankful that Heavenly Father gave me Brenny and that he is so sweet."

Kaeleb is doing great. I registered him for Kindergarten last week and we attended the Kindergarten Round Up. I am glad we chose to register him. When they explained the assessment test they give I realized just how ready he is. The only thing he won't do yet is write his name in lower case letters. But we have all summer to work on it.

He got Lego Indiana Jones and is now as obsessed with it as he was with Star Wars. We do, of course, limit his play time and he only plays with Kwint on certain days, but when he pretends during the day, he runs around the house with Luke, Ben, and Indiana now. Bad guys don't make it far here.

Bren is talking like crazy. We are starting to realize that he is not a baby anymore. I asked him last week, "Are you a baby or a big boy?" He smiled and patted his chest, saying "Beeg bow!" However, when he wanted a bottle (I am trying to wean him)I told him that bottles are for babies. "I thought you were a big boy." I said. He patted his chest and said "Baby!"

He tries out every word he hears. In fact, today I was trying unsuccessfully to clip a silk flower stem which was super thick. I said "What the heck is this flower made of, anyway?" I left the room but heard Brenny behind me saying "Heck! Heck! Heck!" Nothing gets past these little guys. It is a good thing I don't swear.

I am glad that he is communicating better. Now when he throws a fit it's not just incomprehensible screaming, he screams real things. For example, last night, when I pulled him in the house after helping Daddy wash the cars. I was going to give the soaked kids a warmer shower, and he protested, "NO! NO PANTS! AH WANNA WASH! AH WANT CAR! NO BATH! NO PANTS! DADDY! AH WANT DADDY!" It is easier when we can talk things through.

My days are full of much to remember and I won't remember much of it, but hopefully I will remember the important stuff.

Happy Easter

Here is a bit of Easter Fun Footage!

Watercolors and new coloring books

Hunting for eggs

Baskets o' fun

Dippin' eggs

My little Bunny, who by the way was much too smart to buy the whole "Ginormous Bunny brings me candy" bit. I had to 'fess up, but he played along anyway.


We have 9 am church, so we waited until after to do the hunting. As you can see, they were stoked about their stuff and way too excited to eat (anything besides candy) or take a nap today. Not so fun for us.

Easter has always been my favorite holiday because Spring feels so happy. This spring, especially has been nice. By some random act of God it has been so nice and cool this year. Usually it is in the 80's by now but has hung around 70 for the last 3 months. LOVIN' IT. We have been hiking like crazy and playing at the park, blowing bubbles, sidewalk chalk, etc.

We have been busy as usual. Kwint is super busy at TurningLeaf and working on our website. He gets really excited about watching it grow and loves his work.

I am revising the workbook, but it is coming along really slowly. I love doing the group on Tuesday nights. Right now I am doing a teen group and I love it. They have so much left to do and if they can conquer their "stuff" now it will make a world of difference. It also makes me feel young again. :-)

Kaeleb had his kindergarten physical. He has more than perfect vision. When he did the exam he said the picture of the plus sign was a jack. I thought it was funny. He wasn't so hip on the shots, but he was very brave and got an ice cream cone out of it.

Brennan is currently going bananas and taking us all with him. He is talking up a storm, though he didn't show off much in the video. The other day after breakfast he looked at the floor and said "Ah made ah mess!" Indeed, he did. We watched "Bolt" two nights ago and he loved it. He said "Dog fast!" My favorite word he says is elbow. He now tells me which body part he hurts when he falls or bumps something. If he hits his elbow he cries "bonk bol-bo!" I often hear "Bonk head!" and "Bonk knee" as well. He calls Kaeleb "Buh-da" (brother) or "bell-o" (somehow that is Kaeleb) and he loves to say "Huh Mackow!" (Holy Mackerol)

Happy Easter to all, we love you!!