Catch Up!

Well, I know I've been a slacker blogger but it's time to finally catch up. So, since the last (real) posting for Kaden's birthday back around March 17th, we've had Easter, Jackson learned to walk, Kaden learned to ride a two-wheeler, and Mother's Day. So, I'll take each one and expand a bit.

First, we had Easter. Since Easter was one week after Kaden's birthday, we really tried to keep it low key (yeah, right) so that we would avoid Kaden getting spoiled...I think it partially worked. But needless to say, Kaden had quite the two weeks with presents galore. We did talk about the true meaning of Easter though but I'm afraid he focused more on the Easter bunny than Jesus so we need to do better with that next year. With so much focus on his birthday, it seemed like Easter was here before we knew it. I hope Easter doesn't fall in March EVER AGAIN!

So, after Easter, things were really hectic with both my work and Ray's work and just life in general, as well as trying to get our basement finished (yes, we're STILL working on it!) It's really hard not to compare your kids and I know that you're not supposed to, each one is an individual and each one learns and progresses at his/her own pace. But, since Jackson was just getting ready to turn 15 months on May 23rd and he had really shown absolutely NO interest in walking (whenever we'd try to walk with him, he'd go straight to his knees and crawl), and Kaden was walking by his first birthday, we were getting a little worried but low and behold, on Thursday, April 17th, I went to pick up the boys at Debbie's house (our daycare provider) and Jackson took 4 or 5 steps to me. Whew! What a relief. Now he's walking all over and I'm so glad because we can go outside now and he's really content to just toodle around the house, he thinks he's pretty cool now that he's walking like big brother.

Now that he's walking, he's tackling other things like climbing into and on top of things...

Yes, in and out of the laundry basket...glad it was clean clothes inside.

A week or so after Jackson's big breakthrough, I went to pick up the boys at Debbie's house again and when I got there, she told me to come outside because Kaden had something he wanted me to see. So I go outside and there he is in his helmet riding a bike with only two wheels! No training wheels, just riding around in circles and the look on his face was priceless, you could just tell he was SOOOOO incredibly proud of himself and even more proud of showing me what he'd accomplished. I was so proud of him riding his new bike with training wheels and here he was, less than two months later riding without training wheels. But, we've had quite a few spills and some pretty nasty scrapes, but he's still in one piece and riding every chance he gets.

So, last but not least, today is Mother's Day. Yesterday, Ray surprised me with a diamond pendant and matching earrings and Kaden and Jackson gave me a pillow (see below) that they made at Debbie's house. Kaden also took me on a date to see Speed Racer (probably more my idea than his) but it was fun to go...just me and him.

Today was great also, the boys let me sleep in and made breakfast for me. Although the primary kids went up to sing during Sacrament meeting, Kaden was a little too shy to go up. But, I'm sure he'll have plenty more chances in the years to come. Kade has the best Sunbeam teachers, Cal and Suzy, who are not only great teachers, but they are some of the few close friends we have in the ward. When he came home from class, he brought the two items below for Mother's Day also.

In case you can't quite read it, it says, "Mom, I will grow to be what I am. And I will be the best Man I can be. Because you were my MOTHER. Love, Kaden"

But, no matter what gifts I got, the best Mother's Day gifts I've ever received will always be...

I am so grateful for my boys, and even though I'm not the perfect mom, they love me unconditionally despite my weaknesses. The love between moms and their kids is AMAZING and beyond explanation. Even on my rough days, when I think the boys MUST be just waiting for dad to come home because mom is crazy, they still want to be with me...they teach me so much.

You Know You Live in Utah When....

1. The ice cream truck that comes through your neighborhood plays church hymns instead of children's songs.
2. One of the callings in the Relief Society is "Birthday Specialist" (the person in charge of keeping track of sisters' birthdays and getting them on the monthly newsletter).
3. The person in front of you in line at the customer service counter in Wal-Mart is a young VERY PREGNANT polygamist "sister wife".
4. One of the T-shirts on the Wal-Mart discount rack says "I'm a Member of the High Priest Golf Association"
5. The church you actually attend is not the church closest to your home.
6. One of the first questions you get asked after accepting a new job is whether or not you're LDS.
7. One of your co-workers is named Russell M. Nelson, Jr.
8. Every other billboard along I-15 is a new mormon movie that will be released soon.
9. The high council representative for your ward has starred in both Mobsters and Mormons and Singles Ward.
10. The local news reports daily on some aspect of the LDS church (negative or positive).

We just started noticing all these crazy things that only happen in Utah and thought we'd share. I promise to post more later with pics...it's been VERY hectic here the last while. Stay tuned....

Happy Birthday Kaden!

Kaden is now officially 4 years old. We had his birthday party on Saturday with his cousins and some of his friends from the ward. We had it at Gymcats and the kids got to swing on the rope and fall into the foam pit, jump on the trampoline, swing on the bars and rings, jump in the bounce house, and run all over the place. Moms and dads got to join but mostly the kids got to run around and get all their energy out. We did presents and cake there too so when it was all over, we just had to grab the kids and go and didn't have to worry about any of the mess. IT WAS GREAT! I think the kids had a great time but as easy as it sounds, it was still a lot of work to get ready for it. Invitations, cake, goodie bags, RSVPs, presents, etc. But, seeing the kids have so much fun...it was well worth it.

I loved my friend Sarah's collage of Kennedy's pictures from birth to age 4 so I'm going to do the same. It's amazing to see pictures next to each other and realize just how much Kaden has grown up. I can't believe he will be 5 on his next birthday and then off to kindergarten and then I have a feeling that at that point, time is going to fly even faster than it already has. We had a great day and I'm so lucky to have such a sweet little 4 year old. Since this blog posting is dedicted to my sweet Kaden, I'll share some of the things I love about him:

1. He is the BEST big brother...he loves Jackson so much and has never even had one second of anger or annoyance toward him, just pure big brother love.
2. He is extremely forgiving of his parents and is so quick to hug us and tell us he loves us even when we're not the easiest people to love at that particular moment.
3. He is kind to others and people love to be around him.
4. He has so much confidence in himself...he can try anything and talk to anyone.
5. He has a smile that just melts my heart and reminds me what is really important.

Enjoy the collage of pictures of our sweet Kaden over the last 4 years. We love you sweet boy.

WE LOVE YOU KADEN!

Ugggg....Family Pictures

We were much overdue for family pictures, especially pictures of the boys since Jackson turned 1 at the end of January and Kaden will turn 4 in a couple of weeks so it was time to get all done up and head to Kiddie Kandids. All I can say is I'm so glad they allow appointments now and it actually went very smoothly. Since we hadn't had a family picture since Jackson was about 3 months old, Ray and I decided to join the fun too. All I can say is I'm glad it's over, the new pictures are on the wall, and we're covered for quite a while. Anyone else get extremely uptight about family pictures or am I the only one. Well, below are the fruits of our labor on Saturday. I know they're hard to see but I'll post bigger ones when we get them.

Monster Trucks!

Well, it's been a while since I've posted, most of you have probably given up on us. But, I finally found some time on a quiet Sunday morning. Just to catch you up, Kaden and I went to the Monster Jam monster truck show at the Energy Solutions Arena a few weeks ago while dad stayed home with Jackson. It was fun, we got pit passes and went down on the floor before the show to get autographs from the drivers and up close looks at the HUGE trucks. Kaden went last year with dad but wasn't as into it this year so I'm not sure if we'll go next year or not. I thought it might be a yearly tradition with my sister's kids but not so sure now. Oh, the fun of having boys...enjoy!

This is Kaden with cousin, Kasen, in front of Arachnaphobia

Kaden didn't want many pictures in front of the actual monster trucks but really liked the beat up cars that the monster trucks were going to crush.

Kaden getting his shirt signed by the Monster Trakker (Maverik) monster truck driver...doesn't he look totally freaked out and ready to dash?

Another picture in front of the beat up cars

A picture of the pit party from our seats.

Snow, Snow, and...MORE SNOW!

Well, we woke up this morning to find this...

So, Ray and I had a little wager going as to whether they would cancel chuch...he said, "If we were in Washington, yeah, for sure they would cancel, but we're in Utah and the churches are so close, they won't cancel it." Well, earlier this morning we got a call that they had decided to cancel church. Oh how sweet it is to be right...I don't even know why he challenges me sometimes! :) Anyway, we have about 15 inches of snow on the ground. Last winter was pretty mild so we're definitely making up for it this year. There's going to be some flooding in the spring, I'm sure. So, with so much snow, what better to do than this....

Well, today we'll just stay inside and turn on the fire and watch the Superbowl, have chicken soup for lunch, some hot chocolate, and a nice dinner and hope we can get out of the house tomorrow. I think there's even another storm coming in the next couple of days.

Happy Birthday!

Well, it's been a while since I blogged, to say the least it's been hectic. But, I'm back on and what better to do on a Sunday than blog. I just wanted to share some of the latest pictures of the boys and also a couple of pictures from Jackson's first birthday on January 23rd. I can't believe that he's one already....time sure flies. I remember counting down the days until Kaden turned one but before we knew it, Jackson had turned one. Since his birthday is so close to mine, we shared a rainbow chip cake that daddy made for us. But, rather than make him (and the rest of us) try to blow out 30 candles, we just stuck to his one candle. We had just a small celebration with just us, a couple of presents, the video camera, and a cake. He had a great time and LOVED his cake. Big brother was so excited to help him open his presents and we have to keep reminding Kaden that the toys are for Jackson, not for Kaden. Luckily, Jackson is so easy going, he doesn't seem to mind that brother loves his toys way more than he does.

Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam!

As a lot of our friends already posted, it was Kaden's first Sunday in Sunbeams. It's so hard to believe that he will never go to nursery again and that his journey through Primary has begun...I know that it will be over before we know it. When Ray and I took him to the sharing time room and showed his where his seat was, it was such a moment of mixed emotions...excitement, anxiety (will he be good and listen and learn?), sadness, disbelief, thankfulness, etc. I'm sure all of you that have kids in Primary have experience this at one time or another. Anyway, I just wanted to share his first day with everyone, we thought he looked pretty handsome wearing a white shirt and tie for the first time. I am so thankful for my boys (husband included) and hope that I can be a good mom and continue to teach them the things they need to know and be a good example for them. Niki - I don't even want to think about missions yet...I can't imagine my boys living away from me and on their own for 2 years so I'm not going to think about it yet and try to just enjoy each day as they come. I am in awe daily at how many times I look at my boys or kiss their chubby cheeks and realize how much I love them and how perfect I think they are and how blessed I am to have them. I am usually asking myself what I did that was so great that the Lord thought I deserved such a wonderful husband and two beautiful, happy, loving, and healthy boys. I've come to the conclusion that maybe I haven't done anything to deserve them but that the Lord wants me to understand how much he loves me and how much he thinks I'm worth so he gave me a family that will motivate me to be what he knows I am and can be in this life. Well, all I can say is that it's working but I have a lifetime of improvement to go.

Kaden's first day of Sunbeams...he's so handsome!

Dad and Kaden on his first day of Sunbeams

Kaden and Jackson with my cousin, Kazmir. As usual, Kaden was not paying attention and couldn't hold still so he ended up with a crazy look on his face. We love you Kazmir!

The most recent picture of our boys together. I've come to the conclusion that it's nearly impossible to get both of them to sit still and smile at the same time so we take what we can get.

Tonight We're Going to Party Like It's 1999...er, I Mean 2007!

As I mentioned in the previous blog, Ray and I went to my company's Christmas party and also his company's Christmas party in December. Mine was pretty low key but his was an all-out extravaganza! They held it at the Grand America hotel and it was black tie. It was kind of fun to have a reason to get all dressed up. They had a great band and we had steak and lobster for dinner and could have partied until the wee hours of the morning but being the responsible parents that we are and knowing that our kids would wake up as early as usual no matter how late we stayed out, we headed home around 10 p.m.

They had professional photographers there and this is one of the pictures we got. Sorry, but I couldn't figure out how to resize it. I wanted to post our engagement picture next to it so you can all see how much 7 years of marriage and 2 kids has changed us, but even though we would look different, I know that I am more in love with my husband 7 years later than I was when we got engaged.

Christmas Has Come...and Gone!

Well, I've finally gotten back onto blog...it's been more than a month. Boy, how time flies. Since the last time I blogged, we got the house ready for Christmas, went to two Christmas parties, Ray traveled to L.A. for work, I traveled to Chicago and San Jose for work, and we celebrated our 7th anniversary! Not to mention finding time to buys gifts, make goodies for neighbors and co-workers, and spend time with our boys and try to help Kaden understand the "true" meaning of Christmas. Now you all know why you didn't receive any Christmas cards this year. I'll do better next year, I promise!

Anyway, Christmas has come and gone and I wanted to post some pictures of our Christmas. We stayed at home this year for Christmas (which was WONDERFUL!) and talked my mom and dad into coming down. Kaden was so excited for "Grandma and Grandpa from Wyoming" to come, he could hardly wait for them to get here. When they finally arrived after driving through a huge snow storm, we had a big Christmas Eve dinner with my mom's famous jumbo breaded shrimp and warm apple pie and pumpkin pie. It was a great dinner. We finally got Kaden to bed and Santa came and we had our Christmas around 8:00 the next morning. I had to help Kaden open his last few presents because he was on present overload. I think he had a great Christmas, we all did. We are very blessed.

The holidays have been great for us, we have gotten to spend a lot of time together as a family and over the past couple of months, I have realized how truly blessed I am to have such a wonderful husband that loves and supports me as a wife and mother and two beautiful, smart, and healthy boys that love me despite my daily imperfections. We have a beautiful home that keeps us warm (which is crucial since it is FREEZING right now). We have great friends and family that love and support our family.

Ray's dad's cousin was killed in an avalanche on Christmas Day and left behind a wife, kids, and grandkids. It really made me think of how grateful I am to have my family with me and how quickly that can change. I pray that the Lord will keep my family healthy and safe but even more, I pray that if he can't, that I am prepared for whatever he has in store. I hope that as the new year approaches, I can be a better wife, mother, daughter, and friend and that my family will stay safe, happy, and healthy. I wish the same for all of you, our friends and family! Happy Holidays. We love you all!

This is our house all decorated for Christmas. We had to do a better job than usual since we were staying home for Christmas this year and Santa had to be able to find us!

The Balls Family Christmas Tree 2007 - I finally let Ray talk me into a fake one and boy, was it nice to not have to water it and it always looked great. But, I did miss the real pine smell.

Jackson on Christmas morning. As all toddlers, he was very excited about the paper and boxes, not what was in them!

Kaden with his gun that Grandma and Grandpa got him. He can shoot at some toy bottles on a log and somehow, when he hits the red dot, they jump off the log. He LOVES IT!

Jackson with his Christmas toys...seems that he is pretty happy with his Christmas.

Kaden with his Lego train set that works by remote control. It took mom and dad quite a while to put the train cars together. Santa should have assembled it the night before!

Kaden and Jackson in their monster truck PJs from Grandma and Grandpa Balls. Kaden also got tickets to the Monster Jam show at Energy Solutions Arena in February...he can't wait to go again this year!