Our new digs, the "after" pics

Here is the pictures of after everything is unpacked! We really like this house, and even though we have quite a bit less sq. footage (you should see the garage!) we are managing ok. I love the layout, and there are so many windows that I don't even turn the lights on during the day. It gets really hot though, because it is two stories, and power is expensive here, so it is often quite warm in our house! (When I got the bill for 10 days of usage, and it was $145, I turned the air off right then. Only $10 was connection fees!)


Here is the family room, right off the kitchen, like our house in Idaho. It has a nice gas fireplace here though. We can't wait to use it when the weather gets cool. You can't see it in this pic, but our tv is in a recess right across from the couch.


Here is the kitchen. The kitchen is very nice, but everything is smaller than I am used to . The pantry is tiny, the sink is small and shallow (dishes pile up way to quick!) the fridge is smaller and so is the dishwasher. The cabinets are smaller as well, there are some things that didn't make the cut for this kitchen and are out in the garage. But the layout is nice, and I actually really like the corian counter tops. I don't worry about water on them like I did my granite!


There is a half bath off the kitchen, which I love.

The laundry room it TINY! This is also the only place we could think to put the cat box, so it is less than pleasant. I actually wish I had a closet laudry room rather than this, I have to shimmy sideways to get in and out.


Here is Ava and Corrine's room. You can kind of see that they have a walk in closet, which helps with storage since they are sharing the room.

Here is Michaela's room, it turned out cute. I couldn't take a picture of Paydens, it was too much of a mess! Michaela loves her room for the vaulted ceiling.

Here is the bathroom the girls share.


Here is our walk in closet. Good thing its big because Corrine naps in there! Since the little girls are sharing a room, they couldn't be in the same room for nap time. So she naps in our closet! It actually works really good, she sleeps like the dead in there.

Here is our bathroom, it is huge. We really like it!





The toilet is off to the right in the picture, directly across from the shower. It has its own room.

I didn't take a picture of our room, it still isn't quite put together. But we like it. It has a nice bay window and is large.

Here is the view from the top of the stairs.


The entryway.


The stairs.


This is my favorite room of the house, the formal living room up front. I love having a place for our leather furniture and the piano.


There is a downstairs, and that is where the owner of the home lives. He is a nice guy and doesn't seem to mind our noisy kids! I will have to take a picture of the outside later, I forgot about that. The yard isn't fenced, so Kylo is on a chain and I can't let Ninny out to play, which is tough. I tried, but she would not stay in the back, she kept running out to the front and we live on a street that people drive kind of fast on. But we really like living here. We can't wait to buy though, and are keeping faith that everything will work out and we will be able to soon.

Payden's 10th birthday

Payden turned 10 on June 19th, but with our computer out and with moving, I am just now getting around to blogging it! She had a fun birthday. For her friends birthday party, we had a scavenger hunt at the zoo. I made up notes that had clues, and ran around just ahead of them to leave little gifts. It was pretty crazy, but fun! After that, we had cupcakes and ice cream at the park. There might have been some silly string involved.



One of the little gifts they got was little poppers, here they are setting them off.



It was unfortunately rainy that day, and for some of the part in the zoo we got wet. Then it got really bad when we still had more than a 1/2 hour before the girls parents were supposed to come get them. We piled in the van, and watched a movie!

Here is a picture I took of myself. I had been running around, up and down all over the zoo trying to stay ahead of the girls, all in the rain. Good times!

I made a cupcake butterfly, but the girls kept saying it looked like a bat.

We also had a party at home for her, Marlene and Corrine. She was excited to get a hymn book.

All three birthday girls blowing out their candles!



I made balloon cakes, one for each person. Each kind was a different kind of cake.

The morning of her birthday, we were having a yard sale. But we still made her birthday breakfast request, crepes!

We love you Payden, you are so much fun!

Look at Corrine!

She has been in a big girl bed now for about 2 weeks, With no binkie! She asked for it a couple of times, but has really done well without it. So we did away with it completely, we are now a binkie free home! So far, she hasn't fallen out of bed, and keeping her there isn't as hard as I had worried it would be. I have no idea why this is underlined and in italics. I can't make it stop!




She is pretty proud of herself!

First Day of School 2010

Michaela is going to a HUGE Jr. High school here. It is new and she loves it.

I thought she was so brave. The day before I started them in school, I went and got them registered, and we walked both Michaela's A days and B days so she would be familiar with them. She didn't seem nervous for her first day, she was excited to meet new people. The only thing that showed she was nervous was that she not only let me walk her inside, but actually let me walk her to her first class. I think this was because we were late getting there, and there wasn't any kids in the halls. It was still sweet, though. I felt for her, I know exactly what it is like to enter a new Jr. High in a new state. Scary. But she did good.

Payden was pumped to go as well. The day before they started, I took them clothes and supply shopping, and took them out to lunch. I think this helped them feel more prepared for entering new schools.

Payden was excited because they had lockers. It is unusual to start your kids when school is already in. They have year round elementry here, and the track Payden and Ava are on had already been in session for one week. We missed orientation, back to school night, and all those other things that help the kids feel prepared. Poor Payden even got lost looking for the bathroom in school. To her credit, it is a VERY large elementary.






They also have computers at all the desks, but Payden got "stuck" with a laptop because she wasn't expected. She was a little put off by this, but I reminded her that seating changes in class frequently, and she will get a "real" computer soon enough!


And last but not least, Ava started kindergarten this year. I am glad we moved, because back in Idaho they went to full day kindergarten this year, and Ava would have struggled with that. Here it is half day, every day, with early release every Friday. She couldn't wait to go to school. She wasn't worried at all; she was thrilled that it was finally her turn to go to big girl school! She is a fit thrower, as many of you know, and I had been telling her to not throw fits in school, no one here knows she does that, she can start over, etc. Then I said something I wish I could take back; I told her that the kids might not like her if she throws fits. I was trying to save her from being teased, but this introduced the idea that she might not be liked, and then she started worrying about that. I reassured her that the kids would like her, she is very likeable, she just needs to not throw fits. Gosh, I hate it when I make mistakes like that. Anyway, we got past that and she was ready for her first day of big girl school!



I was having a hard time thinking about leaving her here, in a new school where I didn't know anyone.

She looks so tiny, but so big at the same time!

My fears were lessened when I met her teacher, and she and Ava hit it off right away. Just look at how Ava is looking at her! We got there a few minutes before her teacher, and Ava had a chance to look around the classroom. She was so excited and kept pointing things out to me, saying she couldn't wait to use that, and that, and that.

Here is how I left them, going out to get the other kids. Her teacher really made her feel welcome and safe. The next day when I dropped her off, she ran right up to her like she missed her! It was so cute, as they walked out, her teacher looked down at her and said, "Aww, what a cute little face you have!" I am glad she will love my little girlie.

Ye Haw!

Corrine, you are so cute!

Ava's big summer

Here are some pictures to go along with the post I did a few weeks ago about Ava learning to swim and ride a bike. She really did have a big summer; learned to ride a two wheeler, swim, and moved.

Here she is getting ready for a dive.

She swims with her face in the water, and is so good. A true little fish.


She LOVED swimming lessons. She couldn't wait to go everyday.


She looked so cute in those goggles!

She also learned how to ride a two wheeler. She has two bikes, this tiny one and a big one. We took the training wheels off the tiny one and she went for it. She is so proud of her new ability.


She is pretty speedy on that little bike!

Our big move

Who is ready to go? The girls were! Here they are inside the moving van. I had tried to tell Jason that I thought we needed TWO U-hauls, to which he replied he thought we could "get away" with one. Um. 15 years and 4 kids worth of stuff is a lot of stuff.


How heavy is a piano? Just look at this picture and take a guess.

Here is our caravan. Not a very good picture, but we had our extremely overloaded U-Haul, Marlene's horse trailer packed full, a trailer Brian borrowed from a neighbor at the last minute when it became clear we needed more room, and my dads little trailer. All overloaded. We could have used a second U-Haul. Oh, well, we made it! We had many ward members help us load up, and lots of friends and family who helped clean, pack, load and drive.


Here is a picture of our new house. I thought I would show you these, then show you "after" ones later! This one is like Where's Waldo only Where's Corrine.


Oh, boy. I packed it all up myself, and unpacked it all myself. What fun.


Our first night there, we went out to eat with all of our helpers. The second night, we toasted to finally being in Utah!


Ahh, together at last!



Too cute.


Such a gourmet dinner to go with our toast, I think it was bratwurst!


So there you have it, here at last. I am so glad to be here, all together, and finally unpacked!