Duck, duck, duck, GOOSE!

I just recently had a birthday and turned 26 years old! Yep your read it right, 26. So, I thought about what I wanted to do on my special day, and realized that when you get older , birthdays really don't mean as much anymore. Sad , I know, but true. I realized that I needed to do something that my kids would enjoy doing. So we loaded up in the car and headed to the nature park in Rexburg to feed the ducks and geese. Holy Moley! There had to be over 50 birds!! It was awesome! They swarmed us like flies on a cow pie! We couldn't feed them the bread fast enough. I was getting bit by the same duck the whole time. I think it was her way of getting my attention, and yes, it worked. OUCH! It's a good thing they don't have teeth. The kids and I absolutely enjoyed every moment of the crazy birds. It was so much fun. I highly recommend it. Just beware, they will run you down until you give them something to eat!!! All in all, I had a wonderful birthday! Thank you everyone who called, text, wrote on facebook, and stopped by, on my special day. I appreciate all of my friends and family!

A Happy Halloween

The Hillman family had a great Halloween!! We started off the day by doing our ward trunk-or-treat at 3:00, which was a great idea to do it that early cause the weather was awesome! The sun was shining and there was not even a breeze. Perfect. After that we went trick-or-treating to our neighbors and friends, and gathered more candy. Mind you, this was only 4:00 in the afternoon and the candy buckets were loaded. We had some time to kill before our family party, and decided to go to the Chester trunk-or-treat with Grandma Hillman. Once again, the kids loaded their candy buckets. SWEET! We had so much fun everywhere we went! Finally it was time for the family shindig. We filled our tummies with yummy soups and bread bowls, relish trays, homemade root beer, and hung out with great family and cousins. It was a great way to end our day. I hope you all had a great Halloween.

Happy Birthday Karter

September 22, Karter had his 4th birthday!! CRAZY! He is growing up so fast, and I swear he has grown another 6 inches. He's definitely not my little boy anymore.
For his birthday we just had some family over and ate cake and icecream. It was very laid back and enjoyable! Karter had a good time playing with cousins and opening up presents. Thanks everyone who came and supported Karter on his special day!!

Seven Years and Counting!

Zach and I had our seven year anniversary on September 6th. I can't believe it has already been that long. Not that 7 years is very long, but for me it is. We have had some very interesting years!
Zach and I met when I was 14 and he was 15, at a Z103 dance in St. Anthony. He was the only boy who asked me to dance, and I was very excited about it. I thought he was so cute!! We danced one song together, Because you loved me, by Celine Dione. After that we went our separate ways and I didn't see him again until after the weekend. He called me a few times on the phone, and started talking to me at school. On September 6, 1999, Zach asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes. We have been together ever since! Eleven years of excitement, sadness, tears,laughter, hard times, and loads of great times. He has been the only boyfriend I ever had! Crazy, I know, but I guess when its right, its right. I love everything about him. He is my best friend. We have no secrets with each other. I can tell him anything. He has took care of me very well. He spoils me as well as our two amazing kids. I am one lucky girl!

Butterfly

So a few weeks ago I decided to take my kids caterpillar hunting, and we were successful! We found 4 fat milkweed caterpillars and took them home to keep them as our pet until they hatched into butterflies. If anyone hasn't ever done this, I highly recommend it. Your kids will LOVE it. Karter thought it was the coolest thing ever! When they turned into Monarch butterflies, Karter got to hold them until they flew away. It was a fun thing to do with my kids.

WATER anyone?

Saturday was the day of the biggest water fight we have been in, in a long time! We had a bunch of friends over for a barbecue and then the WAR was on. No one escaped dry. It was a blast. The kids enjoyed it just as much as the adults did, and the weather was perfect and HOT. Thank you everyone who came and participated. It was such a great day. I love it when you can hang out with all your friends, eat yummy food, and get soaking wet!

My HERO!!

Today I had an unwanted CREATURE in my kitchen. A huge, NASTY, spider!!! Aaahhhhh!!! I am petrified of these horrible things and as soon as I saw this one, I panicked. Thank goodness for me I have a super hero that lives in my house. KARTER to the rescue! This spider didn't have a chance. He was TOAST! Karter grabbed the squirt bottle and a shoe and took care of business. He shot the BEAST with the water and smashed him into the floor. Like I said, my HERO! If any of you suffer from fear of spiders and you need a super hero, I'll send Karter your way! He definitely saved his mom today.

Slime and Snails

For our 4th of July we took the kids to go play at the famous Egin Lakes. It was so fun and relaxing! Believe it or not there was no one at the lakes! It was sooo nice, except for the fact that the waters edge was nothing but green slime! That didn't stop my kids . In fact I think Karter liked it even more with the slime. It was so gross! Once you got past it, the water was nice and clear and the bottom was completely covered in snails. Right up any little boys alley! Karter caught a bottle full of them and has officially adopted them. They are so nasty looking but whatever makes your kids happy. RIGHT! As for Kaidynce, she didn't mind the water, all she wanted to do was sit on the four-wheeler and mess with all the switches and buttons. Easy enough for me!! Our weekend was nice and relaxing, yet full of exciting things. I hope you all had a great weekend!!

26.......ALREADY!!!!

Ok so Zach turned the big 26 on the 22nd, and I can't hardly believe he is that old. Where in the world has the time gone! Its hard to think of him being 26 years old, and even wierder that I have been with him since he was 15!!! CRAZY.
So for Zach's birthday all he wanted was to spend it with his kids and me. So we ended up taking our little monsters to the zoo, and it was pretty dang fun. Karter and Kaidynce had a blast! They loved all the crazy and stinky animals. It was a great way to spend a birthday.

CAMPING!!!

We finally went camping! We have waited and waited long enough! We packed up all our stuff and headed off to Island Park, for a weekend of FUN! This has been a family tradition for a very long time. We look forward to it every year. Usually we are camping in snow, but this time the weather was gorgeous! It only rained one day and it was off and on. We couldn't have asked for better weather! We had a lot of fun times. There were four wheeler rides, paint ball wars, fishing, horse shoe playing, and long nights laughing by the campfire. What a great way to spend the weekend!

Special Day

Mother's Day has come and gone and I hope everyone had an amazing day! You all deserve it you hard working mommies!!! I had a great day with all my family. We enjoyed the warm sun and a scrumptious hamburger in our picnic spot in the mountains. It was a nice way to spend the day.
This post is different this time. It's not about me or my kids, its dedicated to my mom, Sandra Lynn Larson. As most of you know, my mom passed away 1 1/2 years ago, from a long, hard struggle with cancer. She fought so hard and showed everyone just how strong of a woman she really was. She died when she was 48 years old. The reason I am writing this, not only because of Mother's Day, but today is her birthday. She would have turned the big 50!
I just wanted to let everyone know how much I love my mom! She was a HUGE part in my life. We were very close. I loved doing everything with her. She enjoyed being outdoors all the time! One of my favorite things that we did together was go on long walks anywhere and everwhere. I looked forward to that all the time! My mom was an amazing example to me. My sisters, and I all learned how to be strong women. She also taught us how to be hard workers. Her love for animals was passed down through all of her children. We all miss her very much. Watching MOM die was the hardest thing any of us has ever gone through. You can never imagine something like that unless you witness it first hand. It was such an emotional roller coaster ride. The feeling I got when I realized I couldn't help her anymore was unbearable, and knowing I wouldn't be able to have her in my life anymore was extremely painful. It was such a helpless feeling watching her stuggle before she took her last breath. It is a picture in my mind that I will never forget. I am so thankful though, that we were all able to tell her how much we loved her and how much we were going to miss her. I remember touching her hand, and whispering to her that we would be okay. Even though I wondered if we really were going to be. Shortly after we all said goodbye to her, she left us. It was such a relief to know that she would not suffer anymore. We all felt a calmness in the room. It was amazing. I will never forget that day.
So I just wanted to say Happy Birthday Mom! We love you and miss you soooo much! We all look forward to the day when we will see you again!
As for everyone out there, please let your mom know how special she is to you. You never know when she will be leaving you. Let her know how much you love her. Be thankful for the time you have and be grateful that you can call her when you need to talk to her.

Happy Birthday

The day has finally come! Kaidynce is 1 year old!! Her birthday was on April 22, but we celebrated it on April 25 with our friends and family. It was a great time. The weather was awesome so the kids could play outside, and we had yummy food to eat. Kaidynce got spoiled rotten with cute new outfits, shoes, jewelery, and baby dolls. She didn't quite know what was going on, but she seemed to like it! I just can't believe my baby is already a year old. Holy cow! Where did the year go? I am so grateful for my kids!! They are such a blessing in my life! Thank you to everyone who came on Saturday! We appreciate the support and the help in making Kaidynce's birthday special.

Easter Fun

I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter as much as we did. We have lots of fun with the kids. There were tons of Easter egg hunts and loads of candy!! We spent time with family and cousins. All in all, it was a great day.

Booger Patrol

Zach went to get Karter in bed for the 3rd time the other night and this is what he found. When Zach asked him what he was doing, he simply said, "Its so my boogers wont leak out." I was trying so hard not to laugh, but failed horribly! He was struggling with a runny nose and tried to find a way to stop it. I have to admit, he is pretty creative!

Our New Love

We finally got some baby chickens! We have been trying for 2 weeks now. Every time we went to get some, they were sold out! We already have two full grown hens, but we wanted more. We use our chickens for the eggs. They are so good and fresh!! Not to mention, they are sooooo cute as chics!! Karter has been learning to take care of them. He waters and feeds them everyday. We have told him when he learns to take care of a pet, he can have his own goldfish. He has been very motivated! He loves his new chics. He named them, Dory, Dot, Dixie, and Daffney. He has also asked me if we can put bows in their hair! What a character. We love our animals!!!

A Face Only A Mommy Could Love

Need I say More!

A Little Update

Our little family has been pretty busy with life lately! We have been enjoying the awesome sunny days that we have been having! Its been so nice to be able to get out of our house and enjoy being outside!! We have been doing a lot of family walks. One of our favorite places to go is the nature park in Rexburg by the fair grounds. If you haven't been there, I highly recommend going. The kids will love it there. They have a large pond filled with all sorts of ducks, and there are lots of airplanes landing in the airport all the time. Karter loves watching the airplanes so its perfect for him . My kids are growing every day I swear! Karter has been riding his four-wheeler almost every night when Zach gets home. He is such a good little rider for only being 3 years old. He can spin a cookie better than his dad! He also wrecks all the time too! Last Friday he was spinning a cookie and tipped the four-wheeler over on top of him, pinning him on the ground. Zach was right there to lift it off him, and luckily Karter escaped with only a few huge bruises! I swear that kid has 9 lives! He was a little shaken up but got right back on his four-wheeler. I was so proud of him for not quitting. He is a strong willed little boy.
As for Kaidynce, she is just CRAZY! Her little personality is really starting to shine. She definitely tries Karter's patience. She loves stealing his toys from him, and then gets upset when he takes them back. Now that she is walking she gets into EVERYTHING! Right now my biggest struggle with her is getting her to hold still for a diaper change or getting her dressed. She is a wiggle worm that can't hold still! She is constantly go go go! My kids definitely keep my days buys and interesting!

One Step At A Time

Kaidynce has finally took her first steps!! I can't believe my baby is finally starting to walk!! Holy cow, how time flies!! She is growing up so fast. She just had a checkup and she weighs 17 pounds and is 28 inches long. It's so hard to believe that she is 10 months old already. She is such a character! She is a go-getter just like her big brother.

And the TREE is the WINNER!!

Karter went sledding at Grandma Cynthia's and smacked right into a tree. He's not a very good driver!! The branch got him right in the eye. Lucky it didn't hurt him bad, just a nice little gash. The swelling has gone down a lot! He is such a boy! It definately didn't slow him down any! He had a lot of fun at Grandma's house!! Everyone who has boys understand how crazy they are, and loads of fun!!!

Picture Day

Today I have been struggling with boredom. I'm tired of the same stuff that a stay at home mom does everyday. You all know what I'm talking about. The never ending laundry, dishes three or more times a day, and the bathrooms that just never stay clean. So, instead of just sucking it up and getting my mommy chores done, I decided to take some pictures of Kaidynce. It only took up a few minutes of my day, but sometimes a few minutes of something different, helps me get motivated again. I love taking pictures of my kids. It is a hobby that never gets old.

Finaly Enough!!!

It's about time! Kaidynce is 9 months old and she finally has enough hair for PIG TAILS!! Woo Hoo!! I have been so excited to do her hair, but it has been a long journey to get here! My beautiful baby is bald no more. She has a long way to go before braids, but piggy tails work great for now!!