Building a snow fort

A day in the LIFE..

I sure hope I never forget these years, I sure am enjoying life these days, Monday through Friday Kevin has kindergarten every morning, It sure is fun to watch him learn and enjoy, Cameron has preschool on Mondays and Wednesdays so I go work in Kevin's classroom while he is gone, I share babysitting for Lorelei with two ladies in the wards, so I have their kids on Thursday and Friday mornings. Tuesdays I don't have to go anywhere for carpools, or anything so I get to cuddle with Cameron and Lorelei all day. After Kevin gets home, we eat lunch and play all afternoon, Lorelei crawls around the house amusing herself with her brothers and toys until she is ready for a nap, We recently took away technology on Monday through Thursday and there is never technology before school, so the boys only get to play with it Friday nights and the weekends, sure has helped in the behavior department. We pretty much have packed all the boys toys away and they color, play puzzles, and build things. (the things they can make out of popcicle sticks and pipe cleaners are amazing) The house stays cleaner and they are more imaginative these days. I enjoy the busyness in the morning and the down times in the afternoons. The evenings are beginning to be busy. Usually Daddy comes home from practice and we eat dinner and start the bed time routine of showers, patching, reading, and prayers about 7, but Kevin is now in a basketball clinic, we just signed him up for wrestling which will be Tuesdays and Thursdays, plus the boys are doing spring soccer together this year, and after that, T ball will start... I keep telling my self this is just beginning! I am counting my blessings to be able to stay home with them, and watch them grow and learn. I have come to realize that life is going to continue weather I want it to or not, so I better engage and enjoy it while I can. Makes life much more enjoyable. I hope I never forget the joys that the little cuddles, talks in the car on the way home from something, and hide and go seek games bring me!

Valentines day!

my new toy!

I got a new toy! So there was a "gold party" at one of the ladies house from the ward. I was sick but sent some old jewelry from middle school, and guess what I got $85 for two tiny chains! Wahoo! So I took my money and got myself a new toy! (see pic) its a baby carrier, I got it, cause Lorelei out grew my snugli and needed to get her used to wearing her on my back before Disneyland this summer, I will not be wearing Cameron in it! But I got it at once upon a child and it is like brand new! Score! I love a good deal! Smile!

9 month pictures

Lorelei 9 month apt

Today was Lorelei's 9 month apt. She is20lbs 14.5 oz, about 80 percentile and 29 inches long, about 90th percentile for height. She is ahead of the game development wise, already pulling herself up, walking along things, walking with walker, and standing up on her own... She is so proud of herself. She copy cats pretty well, playing peekaboo and clapping and blowing raspberries... One adorable kid! Love ya baby girl, I will upload her pics later!

Teeth

Kevin lost his 3rd tooth today! The dog knocked it out! It was loose but when I told Kevin to let the dogs out this morning,Oso got excited and jumped up, knocking it out! We didn't find it til this afternoon after we got back from the primary activity... I thought he swallowed it, nope, it was just sitting there on the floor... I have to say it was a better way of getting it out than the last two... No pain! Thanks Oso!
On Other tooth news, Lorelei's 2nd tooth came in today!-bottom right!

Catherine

Christmas letter 2011

December 2011-

We send you love and warmth this season!

It's been a great year for our family. Our baby girl, Lorelei, came bounding into our lives April 27th weighing in at 10 lbs and 22in! She is beautiful, strong and growing fast. Already crawling, pulling herself up and enjoying her brothers. She is such a happy baby and keeps the smiles on all of our faces.

Cameron is 4, in his first year of preschool, and doing really well! He enjoys trains and cars and never stops moving or talking. He loves to sing to "baby sister" and loves to cuddle! He had a blast in swim lessons this year and also got his first pair of glasses... Blue... It's his favorite!

Kevin is 6 and is doing quite well in kindergarten. He is enjoying learning how to read and comes home singing new songs all the time. He still loves dinosaurs and dragons and is beginning to be his own little man. He played soccer in the spring, went straight into t-ball, went to swim lessons, and did well in all of them. Everything is in his favorite color...red!

Tyler is keeping himself busy. Between IDLA, his PhD and coaching wrestling, on top of teaching technology and doing tech at the high school, the man doesn't get to sleep. He had fun this summer running the tech squad for the district and we are proud he is our Daddy!

Catherine is adjusting well to the land of three kids and is enjoying having the boys in school. She gets to work in Kevin's kindergarten classroom every Monday and Wednesday and is busy with carpooling, her primary calling at church and keeping up with all three children. Life is full and fun! She is 2 1/2 years cancer free!

Our 2011 was great and we look forward to a wonderful 2012. We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Idaho Wardles,

Tyler, Catherine, Kevin, Cameron & Lorelei

Christmas Break

Christmas break sure has been fun, and we are only a few days in. Grandma and Grandpa Powers showed up thursday and Uncle Ken showed up later that night. and we have been relaxing and eating unhealthy food ever since! Christmas came a day early for us ( good thing Santa is so flexible) and Tyler's birthday came today. I think we all went a little overboard on the gifts but it was fun! and the kids have been entertaining themselves all day! I will have to upload pics of the tree and everybody.... Lorelei sure had a great first Christmas.... she is mobile enough to have lots of fun but not mobile enough to get into trouble... such a fun age! Such a cutie... and she has Grandpa tied around her finger ( along with the rest of us!) Uncle Ken had to leave last night and Grandpa and Grandma left just after noon today, (something about have to get back to real life) but it sure was fun to have them! Now one more week of enjoying our Brown Christmas... no snow yet! where is it!?! This was the year of dinosaurs for KEvin, the year of Thomas the Train for Cameron, and the year of noise makers for Lorelei....Pics to come!

Santa pic 2011

Nativity

Kevin was a camel, Cameron was a donkey!

Growing up!

Lorelei is crawling everywhere now! She went from crawling two feet to across the room in about an hour... She caught on quite quick! She has a little hitch in her giddy up, just like Kevin did. Instead of crawling on two knees she likes to use her right foot and her left knee. Kevin did the same thing!(they remind me a lot of each other as infants!)Last night about 1 am, I went in to check on her and she was standing up holding on to the side of her crib! Only took her the weekend to figure out how to pull herself up! She is just growing up too fast! She only turned 7 months yesterday! Still no teeth but likes a fruit and vegetable everyday thickened with a little cereal and she is a happy girl! Her smile is contagious and I am so grateful for her in our family. She just fits, our little Miracle baby! Love ya baby girl!

Catherine

Cameron speech update

So sad. Today was Cameron's last day of speech with Miss Lisa. He no longer is behind enough to need it. What r we gonna do with him now? Tuesday's and Thursday's are just gonna seem empty. Sure hope we can stick with it here at home so he doesn't back slide to much!

My babies, playing together!

Hide n seek in Mommma's bed in the morning

My cuties

Cameron getting casts in July

Kevin in Kindergarten

Kevin is doing great in Kindergarten! I get to work in his class for a couple hours on Mondays and it is so much fun to watch him learn. He had his first parent teacher conferences yesterday and he is doing great! They are putting him in an extension reading class, (the highest level) because he is doing so well. It's very exciting! He keeps coming home with good bees and he has never come home with a stinger bee! Great news! Love watching him grow up and learn so fast!

Cameron helper

Cameron helped raspberry jam yesterday. After I washed them, he would smash them for me and later he would stir in the sugar, he made my day being such a great helper! He was so cute saying "Fe Fi Fo Fum! while he smashed the raspberries!

Cameron 4 year apt.

Cameron turned 4 a couple of weeks ago, and today was his 4 year apt. He is 42lbs heavy and 43 3/4 inches tall.... which means he is 97% for height and weight.. he is a big boy! ( we think he will be tall like my Dad, brother and uncles) He got all his shots so he is ready for Kindergarten in that respect, even though he has two years to wait for that! Me and Cameron also got our flu shots, Lorelei will be getting hers at her 6 month apt in a few weeks! We sure do love our big boy and are greatful for him. He has one last week of speech, because he doesn't have the nasality problem anymore. We are now working on sounds v and l... it is great that he is caught up with speech. We will continue at home to work on those sounds he struggles with. He is still waking up with growing pains. but he is getting stronger and is meeting 5 year 7 month development levels. No longer behind needing physical therapy! My big preschooler is all grown up! Love ya bud!