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!

Not Freaking Out

I am so happy I can hardly stand it!  On Monday I had an appointment with a rheumatologists. I had been having more joint pain in my hands and knee, and Jason wanted me to get a second opinion about  Sjögren's syndrome that my general practice doctor said I had.  Jason made the appointment and had my records transferred and everything.  I didn't have much hope that anything different would come of it, but I decided to humor him. 

Turns out I don't have Sjögren's syndrome I have something called Hypermobility Syndrome. What is that... nothing at all compared to the other.  I was so happy I almost started crying.  He said just because tested positive (weak positive) doesn't mean I have it, I also have to display symptoms (which I don't, except the joint pain).  Often times people with (BJHS as it is called) get miss diagnosed by their general physicians.  I know it sounds stupid, but I am so happy.  Not only that I don't have Sjögren's, but that he knew what was wrong with me, and there is something I can do about it!   Anyway here is some information about hypermobility syndrome.

The joint hypermobility syndrome is a condition that features joints that easily move beyond the normal range expected for a particular joint. The joint hypermobility syndrome is considered a benign condition. It is estimated that 10%-15% of normal children have hypermobile joints, or joints that can move beyond the normal range of motion. There is a tendency of the condition to run in families (familial). It is felt that certain genes are inherited that predispose to the development of hypermobile joints. Genes that are responsible for the production of collagen, an important protein that helps to glue tissues together, are suspected of playing a role.

Because the joints are capable of excessive motion in people with the joint hypermobility syndrome, they are susceptible to injury. Symptoms of the joint hypermobility syndrome include pains in the knees, fingers, hips, and elbows. There is a higher incidence of dislocation and sprains of involved joints. Scoliosis (curvature of the spine) occurs more frequently in people with hypermobile joints. Joint hypermobility tends to decrease with aging as we become naturally less flexible.
Signs of the syndrome are the ability to place the palms of the hands on the floor with the knees fully extended, hyperextension of the knee or elbow beyond 10 degrees, and the ability to touch the thumb to the forearm.

Often joint hypermobility causes no symptoms and requires no treatment. Many individuals with joint hypermobility syndrome improve in adulthood. Treatments are customized for each individual based on their particular manifestations. Joint pains can be relieved by medications for pain or inflammation. Proper physical fitness exercise can strengthen muscles and stability, but the nature of the exercise should be designed to avoid injury to joints.

Little bit of sewing magic (or not)

Okay, so I have been really into sewing lately!  I am loving it.  It is like a creative release for me.  Like I have said before, I don't know how to do much, so I decided to try and get better at what I do know how to do.

 First project jumper/dress for Elleree.

I debated on whether to do the flowers on the front, but it seemed plain without them. 

In the end I had to design them myself, that is why they look so weird, I mean...good.  It turned out okay, not perfect, but okay.  

My next project was a skirt for me.  It was a pattern I have had for awhile now, and never found the right matieral for it.  Some of you are saying, yeah......you still haven't.  

Truth be told it really does look better in real life.  I am not very good at taking pictures.  There really is that color of green in the material :)  I was proud of myself, because I sewed my first zipper.  It looks really bad, but it is done, and now I can move on, and learn from it.  I want to get to the point where you can't even tell that I made it.  It will get there.  Mean while it is costing a lot of money, turns out sewing is not cheap, especially when you make lots of mistakes.  HeHeHeHe.

Peyton is here!

Peyton Bradly Vaden finally arrived on March 8th.  He was 6lb 4oz (I think thats right)  and 20 inches long.  He is super cute here are some pictures of him.

No one can agree who he looks like.

Heath says he looks like Emilee.

Emilee says he looks like Heath.

He is way smaller than any of our babies!

He is super precious though!

Trains, Trains, Trains

This last weekend we went to Utah to spend some time with Jason’s brother’s family.  Jeff and Michelle were kind enough to put up with us.  On Saturday morning we headed to the thrift stores to do some shopping.  Jason loves Savers.  Halfway though the day I realized that I had forgotten to bring my medication, thus forgotten to take two doses.  The effects of which cause me to feel like I have been hit by a train, doctors description not mine.  Jason drove quickly to the nearest Walgreens and produced enough pills for the rest of the trip, he doesn’t like me crazy!  Who does? 

After getting some pretty sweet deals we headed over to the Ogden train depot to view a miniature train exhibit that was going on.  Needless to say I loved it, so did the kids. They had some cool displays!  One was made up of Lego’s it was really amazing!  The kids also got to climb all over the trains outside.  They even got to ride on the cutest little train I have ever seen.  I fell only once and only got into one altercation with the train personnel.  I felt pretty good about the day!