Big Fun

So in May we took a trip to see Jason's brother and his family in Texas.  We were gone a week and pawned our kids off on my mom, Jason's mom, Jason's sister and our really good friends.  We decided after this trip that it is getting time to start taking the kids with us.  Don't get my wrong we will still take our little trips here and there, but for big trips, it is just too hard leave the kids.  We miss them a ton, especially when you have adorable niece and nephew that were reminding you of them the whole time.  Here are a few pictures of our adventures!

This is us at a plantation call Oak Alley Plantation http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/.  It was so cool, Jason and his family put up with my fancy to visit a plantation.  We got a tour of the old mansion and ate lunch at there little restaurant there. I love the history of places like this.  These trees themselves are over 300 years old.  Nothing in the west compares to this kind of history!

From there we headed to New Orleans.  We were right next to the border between Texas and Louisiana, I couldn't let an opportunity pass to see "The Big Easy".  This picture is of our cute little "hotel" we stayed at.  it was fun to get a little taste of  the south.

This is The Saint Louis Cathedral in New Orleans it was very beautiful inside.  I have never been inside such amazing Cathedral before (I know go to Europe, right, I'm working on it) it was so different from our places of worship!  Yet, none the less beautiful! 

A little stop at Margaritaville, and some shopping.  Jason was a really good sport, he just followed me around and did what ever I wanted to do!

We went on a little tour of the Garden District, where I took about a million pictures of all the mansions.  I won't bore you with those, but wow!  I was eating this stuff up.  Another stop we made was to Lafayette Cemetery.  I wanted to see tombs, I have never seen in person the above ground tombs they have there.  It is so neat to see them, I learned a little about the way they "bury" their dead, and why.  It was very interesting!

Then back we went to Texas, Orange, TX to be exact. I have to say this little community has a lot to offer!  Thanks to a family named the Starks.  They left behind quite the legacy!  We tour their family home "The Stark Mansion" which is just amazing! This family were philanthropists they created the Stark Museum http://www.starkmuseum.org/The-Collections.aspx  to house there vast collection of art.  They collected cut glass, china, figurines which are all display.  They created the Stark Foundation that has been the benefactor of so many projects there!

We went on  a trip through the bayou, we didn't see any "gaters" though.  We went under this like 27 mile bridge it was amazing that they can do things like that! You call also tell by the bridge and the trees that it was low water.

 Later we went on a tour of the Tabasco plant on Avery Island, and the Jungle Gardens. The Plant was not that impresive, but the Gardens were.  We saw tons of "gaters".  Jason and his brother got a little too formiliar with them for my comfort, but it was fun!

Here is a picture of Jason's brother and his family.  We had a really good time with them.  I was nice to see them, we don't see them that often.  They were wonderful hosts and put up with us for a whole week!  I absolutely loved getting to know my niece and nephew.  They crack me up!  All in all it was a great vacation.  Thanks guys!

Dillon's big day

Have I mentioned that I am the best mom ever?  Well I am. This year Dillon's birthday landed on Mother's day, yeah I know, totally unfair right.  Jason had to work, so we decided to take a trip to Mackay and hang out there for the festivities.  Dillon was a little disappointed, because he is used to having lots of family and friends over for is big day (my dad was working also),  but he soon rallied after we said he could invite great grandma and grandpa to come over.  I am a bit disappointed in myself, I never got pictures with said great grandparents.  I rock, where is my sister when I need her?

I made this awesome birthday cake!  It's a football field for those of you who can't appreciate my genius.

 As you can see it was a group effort to blow out the candles, even Elleree participated!

Dillon got cloths, books, battleship the game, and a bike.  Great grandma Vaden put battleship together while we ate cake, then she stayed and showed the kids how to play it.  They even got grandma Ann to play, which if you know my mom is a miracle!

I think Dillon had a good birthday, and as for mother's day......  How wonderful to be reminded that 7 years ago I had my first little (okay not so little) boy, and was a mother for the first time!  My kids are what it is all about!

More Good Times

I am not loving life right now..

Two weeks ago someone hacked into my e-mail account and sent a message to all my contacts.  They said I was in the UK (I wish) they were just trying to get money from everyone.  This would have been fine, but then they took it one step further and hacked into my Facebook account and  proceeded to have live chats with anyone of my friends who happened to get on.  They almost got a few people to send money to them/me.  Need less to say I was bombarded with phone calls,e-mails, and texts regarding said conversations for the next day or so.  I spent two days changing every password, username and e-mail address that I ever had, and finding out what to do to protect against this happening again.  It sucked!

Also, about two weeks ago I started complaining of a pain/chaffing sensation on my skin/side.  No one really thought anything of it, except me because it really hurt! Then about 4 days ago a bunch of red bumps started showing up in the exact spot where I was having the pain. These bumps itch and really hurt.  Some of you have probably already guessed, the rest I will leave you in suspense no longer.  I have Shingles!  Yes, I know, my life rocks!  After researching shingles though,  I realized my case is a very, very mild case. 

 Don't be grossed out, but this is my side/back with the rash.

Now for this weekend....
Jason the cute man that he is planned another one of his "adventures".  Yeah I know.  This one was to the great city of Twin Falls.  Jason had to work in Jerome on Saturday, so he thought it would be nice for us to go with him and stay at a hotel, swim, go to a movie, and just have fun.  Nothing ever works out the way we plan. On our way to our destination we stopped at Tasty Treat for dinner......... Truman threw up (big surprise there)  and Elleree had the runs so bad that she literally had poop oozzzing  out of the top of her diaper.  It was great!  Jason ended up staying up all night with Truman while he threw up (don't feel too bad for him there have been plenty of other nights I have done it too).  Elleree and Truman procedded to be sick for the rest of the day.  We were kicked out of the hotel at noon (needless to say no swimming) and we ended up at the theater.  I am happy to say no one puked, or pooped the entire length of the movie!  Then we had to hang out at R and R Pharmacy until Jason got off work. 

So, I am not having good times lately.  I do hope everyone else is doing better than we are!

Grandma's helpers

Five posts later, and I am finally caught up!  Any of you who have been to my parents house have seen the greenhouse and all it's plants and trees.  Watering them can be a big job for Grandma, so sometimes she lets the kids help her.  

They have to fill big buckets of water and carry them through the house into the greenhouse.

Each tree or plant needs at least one bucket of water.

Sometimes more, sometimes less.

It was hard work for them, but they were up for the challenge.

Sometimes they spilled, but Grandma said it was okay, it ends up in the Spider Cave anyway.

Elleree had it the hardest she tried real hard to get to any of the plants.

But, in the end she decided it was too hard and decided the dog needed water in it's bowl instead!  What good helpers!

Easter 2010

Easter was spent in Mackay, and the Easter bunny spoiled my kids for sure!

We did things a little backwards this year.  Normally we decorate eggs the night before Easter, but this year we got a bit distracted watching a movie and didn't get around to it the night before.  So, we did it  on Easter day instead.  

The kids didn't care a bit.

It gave them something to do while they were on their sugar high.

Funny story though, my mom gave us a bunch of eggs that she boiled the day before.

We got them died, and got them home.

Then my friend Lori and I decided we were going to make deviled eggs, because neither on of us had ever made them before (a kin to rocket science I know).

 The first egg I go to peal, and it cracks open. 

Yeah, my mom only boil about half the the eggs.

Some how we died all these eggs without breaking a single one!  Now that.. is an Easter miracle!

Slim Pickens

The day before Easter we went to Mackay.  We were going to participate in a Easter egg hunt in Idaho Falls, but there was hurricane/tornado...okay just bad weather, so we brought the Easter egg hunt to my parents yard instead.  Jason was so cute he went out and hid like a million eggs in the yard so the kids could find them.  Funny thing was that after they found them, they begged him to hide them again.  Jason came up with the idea for them to each take a turn hiding them and finding them.  They spent the rest of the day doing just that.  Kids crack me up!

It took Elleree a really long time to figure out what she was supposed to do.  My mom took her around though and helped her.

When the time came she was not afraid to tackle Dillon, so that Elleree could get the egg.

Like I said it took her awhile to get the hang of it, it could be right in front of her and she still wouldn't get it.

Truman was a bit better, but not much.  Let's just say Allison's kids ended up with more eggs than mine.

Dillon just followed the girls around and tried to race them.

Jason walked around with the kids to make sure they got all of them.

Truman's pride and joy!

Spring Break

Allison and the girls, and Eli (I can't say just the girls anymore...weird) came up to Idaho for Spring Break this year.  Normally our breaks don't coincide, but this year they did, so it was nice for the kids to see each other.  I don't know how much fun the kids had.  The weather was really crappy, and Allison and I both felt really crappy, so we didn't really do anything.  One day I did make some sugar cookies and let the kids help, and then they decorated them.  That was the like the most fun they had.  We are sooo lame.  Anyway here are some pictures of the kids frosting the cookies, way cute.

Elleree was halarious, she would just glob on the frosting, and put sprinkles on it whether it was on the cookie or off, she didn't really care.

Truman was a professional he just got in, and got it done.

Dillon on the other hand is the one that we had to wait forever to get done.  He always takes his sweet time with everything, bless his soul.

I tried something new, I put the cookies on stick, so they were like suckers, wand, stem, thingies.  These were the kids favorite, even if they were lame.

All the kiddies with their creations!

The Big "Oh-Two"

March 28th was Elleree's second birthday.  I know it seems like just yesterday she was my tiny baby (okay not that tiny).  We had a little party for her with some friends and family.  Allison and the girls where even there, they were in Idaho for spring break.  

This is my first attempt at a "princess cake"  Allison does them all the time, but I had never done one before.  I think it turned out okay.  Elleree loves the Princess and the Frog movie, so I picked Princess Tianna.

She needed help blowing out the candles, but loved, loved everyone singing happy birthday to her!

My mom got her this huge teddy bear all she wanted to do was love on it.  All the boys wanted to do was punch it.

Her "big" present from us was a tricycle.  One with a handle to push it, so I don't have to bend over all day pushing her around!

She was a pro at unwrapping her presents.  She got books (which she loves just like Dillon does), lots of clothes, and some really awesome toys.  She was very spoiled!

All the kids waiting for their piece of my fabulous cake.  I love all these kids, but most of all mine!  Happy Birthday Elleree!