Dance trip

This past weekend we had the opportunity to go to Utah for a dance competetion. These things are so long and you usually have to be there so early that we stay over one night. We got two rooms this time, connected, and were so much more comfortable that when we all squeeze into one. It may have even been worth the extra money! Just having two bathrooms was sublime.
We got there Friday afternoon, and after making a stop at a Super Target (love those) we went to our hotel to go swimming.


What is it about babies in swimsuits that is so dang cute? Maybe that you can see all the fat rolls; maybe that the square inches of kissable softness is now exposed. Whatever it is, I just want to squeeze her!

We had the pool all to ourselves, which was really nice.

Grandma came with us, and it was nice to have the extra help with the kiddos.

Corrine took a little while to warm up the the water at first this time, but after that she loved it.

After swimming, Jason and I took a long trip to our favorite Thai restaurant and brought dinner back to our hotel room.



The next morning, we were there shortly after nine to begin dancing. I know this picture is hard to see, none of my pictures really turned out well. That is Payden on the left. They both rocked in all their dances, which included a freestyle, four solos, and two team dances. Ava's little team did really well also.

Ava's medal! She was so proud of it.
It is almost as big as she is.

Corrine was able to fall asleep even though it is insanely loud at these things.



This is Payden's freestyle. Freestyle means they do a dance of their choice all on their own. I know this sounds like a solo, but it's not. And for their solos, they don't dance alone. They dance in a line of girls, all doing the same dance. Don't ask me why that is called a solo. This is the first year the girls have done freestyle, and they did really well.

Here is Ava's tots team. They did good!

I can't seem to find their team dances or Michaela's freestyle, but I will post them when I do.

How to make a 2 1/2 hour trip into a 5 1/2 hour trip...

First, you must start a few months before by taking your beloved mini van to the dealer for a "Honda Certified Oil Change". You do this because you love your van, and want to take care of it well, even though you know you will pay more for the "quality" service. You assume that they will treat your car better than a typical oil changing place.

Fast forward a few months, to an out of town trip. Be competely ignorant, assume that since you have a 2005 Honda Odessey EX that has recently been serviced you don't need to check the oil level.
NEVER DO THIS AGAIN.
After a fun filled weekend of dance competitions, shopping and swimming, pack 4 tired girls and 3 exhausted adults into said mini van.

But not before you eat at your favorite buffet; Sweet Tomatoes rocks.

So at 8pm on Saturday night, head off to find a Holiday gas station because they have horchata on tap.

What, you don't like horchata? This is my tutorial, I'm doing it my way. Have a Coke then.

En route to the gas station, feel van lurch.

Hear awful engine noise.

See a "malfunction" light come on your dashboard.

Quickly pull into any gas station, no longer needs to be a Holiday.

At the gas station, have husband check oil. Hear husband say that there is almost NO OIL in you van. WHAT? Spend $25 dollars on outrageously priced oil to fill your oil tank with 4 quarts of oil.
There really wasn't any in there.

Get in the van, praying that you haven't done serious damage to your engine. Begin wondering if the Honda place had anything to do with this, because you never had trouble with your van before. Also remember a slight amount of oil in your garage, which husband told you not to worry about. But also remember that your van never leaked oil before the afformentioned oil change.

Start drive home. Get slightly out of the city, and since the light hasn't gone off, decide you should check the oil level again. Pull into a gas station.

Have hubby check oil again, level is low. Get down on the ground, observe oil dribbeling out of van.

Panic.

Calm children in van who think the van is about to explode.

Have husband reach under to feel where the oil is coming from, and procede to observe as the very loose oil plug pops off.

Watch as your $25 in oil pours completely out of your van, making a huge mess on the ground.

Remember you don't swear.

Listen as husband, in a heroic attempt to save the escaping oil by trying to replace the plug, shouts when the hot oil hits his hand. "HOT! its HOT" you hear him say.

Because you are tired, grumpy, and worried about your engine, tell your husband in a slightly condescending tone that OF COURSE the oil would be hot, what was he thinking?

Realize that the Honda place may have just cost you your engine buy not properly tightening the oil plug. Really get steamed.

Go inside to tell the store clerk that there is a huge oil spill outside, because you are responsible and want to inform them.

Get snipped at by the ungrateful store clerk.

Have husband put the oil plug back on, as tight as he can get it, buy some more oil, and go looking for a Wal Mart to purchase a socket wrench to properly tighten the plug, and also some more affordable oil because hubby only bought a little at the gas station.

Spend 45 minutes looking for a Wal Mart, after having very unhelpful directions from Wal Mart employee.

Get to Wal Mart. Have hubby buy necessary items, jack up the car, fix plug and fill oil.
Go inside yourself and buy a Coke. Even though you are nursing and NEVER drink caffine while nursing, never in 4 kids. But it is 10:30 at night and you still have a way to go.

Tell kids to stop whining and go to sleep.

Get back on road, after asking very nice but poorly dressed couple for directions to interstate. (Woman was wearing winter boots and pajama bottoms.)

Notice that van is operating well, and indicator light has gone off.

Say a prayer of thanks.

Have one more stop so hubby can relieve himself, because he drank a gallon of Coke trying to stay awake to help you stay awake, but he fell asleep anyway. Oh, and check oil then. Find everything ok.

Dance, sing, slap face, generally do anything to stay alert and awake on drive home while hubby snoozes next to you.

Don't get resentful.

Get home at 1:30 in the morning, exhausted, but grateful.

Because you still get up two more times with the baby, have your wonderful husband let you sleep in until 10:30 am.

Do not repeat.

Corrine's Pruney Piggies

Looking at the future

This morning when I was getting dressed, Ava looks at my underwear and says, "That's modest."
We have been having discussions about modesty lately, becasue Ava likes to modify her dress up clothes, and much of the time they end up sleeveless or even strapless for some reason. So we discuss what could make it modest, and usually she complies.
The other day in the store, we saw some cute dresses that were sleeveless. She commented on how cute they were, then said she would need to wear a shirt under them.
I am so glad that she is taking this in, and making it a part of herself.

Today, after her comment, I explained that after you get married in the temple, this is what you wear under your clothes. I told her that they help keep you modest. She smiled up at me, and said:
"I want to get married in the temple."

I want you to get married in the temple too, sweetie, for more reasons than you know right now.

Sunday brawl

Sunday, Payden and Ava went outside to play. These two fight like you would not believe, which always amazes me due to their difference in age; Payden almost nine and Ava 4. It seems no one told them they shouldn't fight like that, especially Payden, who should be an example to her 4 year old sister.

Oh, wait, I say that daily, sometimes many times a day.

Anyway, they went outside to play and I kid you not, 5 minutes later they were both screaming at each other. I am not exaggerating; they were screaming at the top of their lungs.
When this happens in the house, it bothers and aggrevates me.
When it happens outside, I am mortified. We have a rule; if you fight outside, you come inside.

They were fighting over a stick.

So they came inside, and Payden wouldn't stop fighting and whining, so she was sent to her room, after being told she should be an example, its just a stick, blah blah blah. ( Sometimes I think the only thing she hears is the blah part.)

When she came upstairs, she brought a note with her, apologizing for fighting with Ava and for over reacting about a stick. She wrote that since she calmed down, she realized what she could have done instead, ask Ava to share the stick and be kind.

I loved the note, and I hope it is a sign that Payden might be getting what I am always trying to tell her. Maybe it means this phase of over reacting and not being able to control herself is winding down. Payden is such a sweet girl, sharing, compassionate, loving. If she could learn to think before she acts and calm down more, she would be so much happier.

At least she would spend less time in her room.

What a beautiful day!

It was such a pretty day out that we decided to walk to church. We were supposed to leave by 12:00 because our ward starts at 12:30, but we left at 12:15, so we had to hurry. We did make it! There were a lot of people leaving in their cars at the same time, we felt kind of funny walking as they cruised by. I liked it though; it would be kind of nice if we all didn't have cars and we had to walk or bike everywhere we wanted to go. How different our lives would be! So much slower paced.

It is almost 1 mile to our church. The walk home was much more enjoyable, we took our time. It was so nice to walk home, waving and chatting with our neighbors as we went. Michaela commented that it was so nice that we knew almost everyone. I agree. I love our neighborhood and our ward.

I think we will continue to walk until it just gets too hot!

Easter 2009

I love Easter. It is so relaxed and laid back compared to Christmas, and cheaper too. You get to have dinner with family without breaking the bank buying presents.

These are a few of the eggs the girls did. Try using a rubber band around your eggs when you dye them; we did, and it made a cool effect. I just love the tiny finger prints on the other eggs! I wanted to keep those forever, but I guess a picture will have to do.

Easter baby!


Family dinners are one of my favorite things about holidays. The weather was beautiful on Sunday, too. A wonderful Easter. We did our egg hunt Sunday before church, then at church I sang.

I absolutely love Easter for the excuse to go shopping with all my girls and for us all to get a new outfit at the same time. That only happens twice a year; Christmas and Easter. The Easter colors are usually better. My mom said she saw a commercial where a dad is buying four Easter dresses and the cashier says "4 Easter dresses?". That would be us. Except I get one too, so I guess that makes 5. This year Jason got a tie to match; it was pink! Really, who didn't see that one coming with a house full of girls?

To find their Easter baskets this year, I gave them clues to follow until they found it. They had a lot of fun doing that, and asked me to do it next year. I had seen a really cute idea of using a different color yarn for each child. Tie it to their bedpost, then meander through the house with it and tie it to their baskets. They have to follow the yarn to find their basket. The clues were easier, and less messy!

We colored eggs on Friday, after my swim. Even Corrine tried one!

You can see where the tiny finger prints on the colored eggs came from!


This is another reason I love Easter, dying eggs is just so much fun. Everyone loves it, then we have all those hard boiled eggs for deviled eggs, cobb salad, egg salad sandwhiches, yum.

Of course, we have the picture with the Easter bunny. It might be our last with all 4, I barely got Michaela to agree to this. Then we saw a couple of her friends in the mall, she was a little embarrased. I thought Corrine would scream, but she didn't. She was very interested in the bunny's fur. Also, kind of lame set up for the Easter bunny this year.A sheet and some garlands. I could have done a better job of that.

We started Easter off right with a FHE the Monday before on Easter and why it is important. After that, my girls kept asking me, what do eggs and bunnies have to do with Easter? I have no idea! They know the true meaning, and that is what is important to me. All in all, a great Easter. Hope you all had a good one too!