St. George trip-Awesome Park for Older Kids!

Shane's cousin lives by this new park that was just finished. Our kids loved it because it was a little bit different than a traditional park. There were a lot of unique toys to play on for older kids as well as little kids. I tried to get as many pictures as I could of the kids playing on the different toys.

This is Taylor and Brennen on a swing. When you push one down, the other flies into the air and it goes back and forth-kind of like a pendulum. The seat is like a frisbee-you can't see it real well here. This one is a two person spinny thing. Shane had these two so dizzy!

I don't remember this one or what it does. Brennen and Parker

This is Shane's cousin Sean. We stayed with them at their house in New Harmony-about 45 minutes from St. George. This is his little baby, Ryker enjoying the bouncing thing.

A different version of a merry-go-round. This spins really fast. You can lie down on it, or straddle it sitting up.

Taylor, Brennen, and Parker

Taylor and Parker

Brennen, me, and Parker on the bouncy thing.

Parker, Ryker and Sean going down the slide

Taylor at the top of the climber.

Taylor peeking through a hole on some gadget.

These were neat little seats to sit on and spin. They spun pretty fast.

Brennen on another spinny thing. Shane held onto the top and got him spinning really fast. His head turned red and his feet started to tingle and hurt.

It took him awhile to recover from this one!

At the top ready to go down!

More cool toys.

Sean at the top with baby Ryker and Parker

Taylor at the bottom of the slide

Here's Parker!

Brennen

Taylor getting on the bridge

Brennen climbing the rock wall.

A TON OF FUN IN THE WARM SUN!

St. George Trip-Museum of Wildlife

We went to a wildlife museum. It was full of taxidermied animals and lots of bugs. The kids each received a set of binoculars to use as we walked through the "wild"!

Kellie, Brennen, Grandma Harris holding Parker, Shane, and Taylor

Our Family

Brennen, Parker, Cousin Kallee, Cousin Maycee, and Taylor

Cousin Maycee, and Taylor spotting a big species of Wildlife!

Parker looking for some animals and SPIDERS!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Leprechaun has visited again! Green milk and green sheet cake pancakes! YUM, YUM! Since the kids were small, we have had a fun tradition in our home. The kids look forward to the St. Patrick's Day GREEN breakfast! This year, Brennen said "Where did you put the green food coloring, Mom?" What? I'm all out of green food coloring!! It must have been the Leprechaun! Ha Ha! Hope you all have a great St. Patrick's Day. Here is the recipe to Aunt Mary's yummy sheet carmel pancakes.
HEAT IN PAN ON STOVE TOP:
1 cube of butter (I know-not a real healthy brkfst!)
3/4 Cup Syrup (any kind!)
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
POUR INTO UNGREASED SHEET PAN

MIX IN MIXING BOWL:
2 1/4 Cup Bisquick Mix
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 1/2 Cup Milk
3 eggs
MIX AND POUR ONTO SYRUP MIXTURE AND BAKE AT 350 FOR 10-17 MINUTES. CUT LIKE CAKE AND SERVE UPSIDE DOWN SO THAT THE SYRUP/CARMEL IS ON TOP! NO NEED TO ADD MORE SYRUP! OUR FAMILY USES THIS WHEN WE HAVE TO FEED A LOT OF PEOPLE. IT IS SO YUMMY AND A FUN ALTERNATIVE TO THE PANCAKE!

Wrestling/Missing Tooth/Honor's Reader/Getaway!

It has been a busy week mainly for Brennen. He reached what they call here in school "Honor Reader". This is where they read thirty chapter books and a few other things with reading. The kids get a hat from the library that they get to wear all the time at school. They have a "school sing" once a week in the gym where the whole school gets together to sing and cheer on the honor readers for that week. The librarians come in the dark gym with light sabers and the Star Wars theme song playing. They call up the children who have reached honors, second honors, etc. The children get to hold a flashlight on their face and say their names. They have a big screen pulled down on the stage where the kids get to do the "honor reader" dance. They have a black light along with a strobe light. The kids line up and get to do dance moves across the screen until the song ends. Brennen had a fun time dancing! It was fun for Parker and me to go watch him.
The middle set of pictures show Brennen and his cousin tonight trying to wiggle out their teeth. Brennen was able to get his out. Taylor, worried that it was Sunday, and knowing that I never carry cash with me ran upstairs and said "Mom, do you have money to put under Brennen's pillow tonight?" So much fun having a child in on the SECRETS! I don't think kids take debit cards so I will have to scrounge tonight!!!!
The first set of pictures shows Brennen's first official wrestling match. Brennen is only eight years old and weighed in at the eighty five pound range. He is a big kid for his age. We drove to Cokeville for his match. We waited three and a half hours, watched his two cousins wrestle, his good friend wrestle, the neighbor kids wrestle, and finally, they came to get to the heavy weights. He wrestled two other kids and won the silver medal. He pinned the first kid and had a good match losing to the second kid. I was so proud of him. He did well remembering some of the moves the coaches had taught him. I really hope that he likes basketball instead when he gets older, but here, wrestling is the sport to play. I hope my nerves are ready for this intense sport! He's loving it and so, for now, wrestling it is!!!
This weekend, Shane and I traveled to Pocatello for Shane to take the Praxis II test for teaching. Long story, it's required here in Wyoming. He had taken the test over ten years ago to get into the college of Education. They dispose of their records after ten years. So guess who's records were deleted??????!!!!!! Luckily, the school district hooked us up with a hotel room for the night and paid for the test as well. Shane and I took this opportunity to drop the kids off at my parents house in Soda while we enjoyed one night alone. I think everyone should get away even just for one night. It was so great to go back to where we both attended college and lived. We had so much fun driving around to the different places that we lived and remembering so many fun memories. The food was great too! I miss Mandarin House!!! We also took this opportunity to drop in on some old friends of ours too. It was a great trip and a much needed one. It was also nice for Shane to be done and over with this test. (Sorry-forgot the camera on our little getaway!)

When the kids were weighed in, they wrote with permanent marker on their arm the weight and age. Here is Brennen showing off his muscle with his marked arm. Hyrum Heuseveldt-cousin, Brennen Harris, and Jarom Heuseveldt-cousin
"You want a piece of me???"

Nice pin buddy!

Silver Medal

I accidentally posted these pictures backwards. Here is the smile with the missing tooth.

Here is Brennen and his cousin, Hyrum Heuseveldt wiggling their teeth.

Showing their teeth-still in the mouth!

Brennen in front of the screen dancing with the blue light and the strobe light. (He's the kid on the right.)

Getting ready to say his name with the flashlight for Honor's Readers

Brennen and his friend, Logan at the school sing. Parker thought it was fun to hang out with his brother.

My cute little honor reader! Dad and I are proud of you B!

SWIMMING? Oh Yeah! Gym Time Too!

This weekend was so much fun for the kids. My brother Rob and his family invited us to go with them to Jackson Hole to go swimming at their indoor rec center. Shane had to spend all day Saturday in his classroom getting ready for a sub for a couple of days so that he could go to Casper for a teacher conference. I decided that we would go with him to his classroom for a little while to let the kids play in the gym until it was time to go to Jackson. The kids loved playing with the basket balls, hockey sticks, dodge balls, basketballs, footballs, jumpropes, hoppidy(sp?) balls, yoga balls, etc. The kids and I then followed Rob and Rachael and family to Jackson Hole (about a 50 mile drive-not too bad). We had so much fun. Parker and I hung out most of the time in the kiddy pool, I couldn't help myself from thinking that I was swimming where the little kids don't get out to go potty. Ha Ha-GROSS! Luckily, I never saw any floaters in the water phew! No, it was really a lot of fun. Parker loved chasing the ball around and playing with the noodles. He smacked every kid in the head that came within reaching distance of his noodle. (The bully of the pool!) We got brave and went down the big hydrotube slide. He was terrified! We decided to stick to the kiddy pool slide. Uncle Rob became the designated slider on the kiddy pool slide with Parker. After about a half hour of going up and down the kiddy slide, Rob came and asked Rachael and I if we were done swimming-he was tired and ready to go!! Thanks uncle Rob! We are glad that Parker wore you out! Taylor and Brennen hung out mostly in the hydrotube pool. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pics of the kids coming out of the big hydrotube, but I did get them coming down the kiddy slide. They also had a ton of fun doing summersaults in the water and jumping off the sides. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins in the pools. When we pulled back into Star Valley, we went back to Shane's school where Shane was still working. We went back in the school to play in the gym-this time we had Hyrum, Rob and Rachael's boy with us. The kids played for a couple more hours until Shane was done. It was a really fun day. We hope to go swimming again sometime soon-this time, hopefully Shane will be able to come with us!

Parker and his noodle

Brennen coming down the kiddy slide

Taylor's turn!

Taylor jumping off the side-way to plug the nose!

Brennen playing with the ball

Brennen and his cousin Hyrum-good buddies!

Watch my trick mom!

Me too!

Rob's job for the day-taking Parker down the kiddy slide!

Big smiles! "Again" says Parker!

In the gym at Shane's school

good swing Parker!

Kick a goal B!

Beach ball volleyball-good bump Tay!

Grandparent Valentine Weekend

It's been a busy couple of weeks! To start off, we had a Grandparent Valentine's Day Weekend. Grandpa and Grandma Heuseveldt came to Star Valley to see the kids on Friday, the 13th. We had Rob and Rachael's kids too because Rachael went to the Drill Team Competition and Rob had to work. Grandma Heuseveldt thought it would be fun to decorate sugar cookies with the kids. They loved it! Especially Parker! We also went out for ice cream and a tour of the big town of Afton Wyoming. Mom and Dad Heuseveldt had to go home that evening so we packed up and on Valentine's morning, we went to St. Anthony to visit Shane's family and some friends. Shane took his mom out for a Valentine's lunch-funny story! Shane had his wallet with the debit card and credit cards in it (of course-who carries cash anymore?). He and his mom happened to pick a restaurant that didn't except any of them-cash only!!!! They didn't find this out until after they had eaten. Shane had to ask his mom if she would pay for the dinner and he would pay her back when they got back to the house where I had the check book in my purse! He felt so bad having her do that!!! Needless to say, he has squared away with her! Grandma Harris gave all of the kids a Valentine with money in it. We had a family Valentine's dinner with Papa Murphy's pizza-the garlic chicken is the BEST! Shane would have to disagree with me! We had a really fun weekend with both sets grandparents. We love them all for their efforts and love they show us. We have the best! This past weekend, we were back in St. Anthony for Shane's Uncle's funeral. Shane had to speak, I had to sing, and Shane had to pray twice. He's a good man! (I forgot my camera the second trip.) That's been our lives for the past couple of weeks.

"Parker stole the cookie from the cookie jar!"

"Who me? YES YOU! Couldn't be! THEN WHO?"

"GRANDMA HEUSEVELDT stole the cookie from the cookie jar!"

"Who me? YES YOU! Couldn't be! THEN WHO?"

"MOMMY stole the cookie from the cookie jar!"

"Who me? YES YOU! You're right-BRING THEM ON!!!"Here I am patiently waiting for my cookies to be frosted. Tay is the photographer for the day!
"After you dip your knife in the frosting can, don't lick it and then put it back in there!" Ha Ha! I'm sure we shared a lot of germs that day!

Grandma H. with Tommy and Jarom frosting their cookies.

There is no correct way to eat a sugar cookie. This is Parker's way. Lick off all of the frosting and leave the cookie.

Tay says "I'll try Parker's way!"

St. Anthony with Grandma Harris reading Parker his Valentine.

Grandma Harris with all but three of her Grandchildren

Brennen, Taylor, Shad, Kailee, and Laker (missing: Parker, Shayna, and Riley)

Shane and Parker taking a rest from the activities of the day-waiting for the pizza to cook.

Shad and Brennen-cousins hanging out and having fun!

Shad, Laker, and Parker "Say cheese!"

Parker was ticked off getting dressed for church. This is his pout-who gave him that cookie anyways?

We went to our old ward in St. Anthony so the kids could see their friends. Tay had a sleep over at her best friend Natalie Chelson's house. She loved it! She misses her friend. This is a pic of the kids right before church.

Grandma spoiling the kids again! Hot chocolate and Twizzlers-yum!

Fun times!

House Update

I have promised to keep you all posted on our house situation. Great, well, good news! Our house in St. Anthony was shown for the first time this week since last summer. We haven't heard anything yet, and we might not, but we are encouraged that there are actually some people looking again. We have been so blessed by all of our circumstances so far, I hate to keep asking for our house to sell; however, keep us in your prayers! I know it will sell when the time is right.