The Dildine Family

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T18:12:00.001-06:00

We had a festive Halloween that began when the kids got home from school. Once everyone was decked out, we headed over to Grandma Dildine's to show off costumes

and go Trick-or-Treating.

Nathan came up with this last minute costume after rummaging through his dad's closet! :)

Wow! He is getting so big! P.S.- I adored this spot in Grandma Ruby's backyard. With all of the Fall leaves, it was a perfect place to take these photos. (note to self--remember that for next year!)

Danny made a PERFECT Harry Potter!

I tried to get him to shout "Stupefy!" when I snapped this picture, but this was the extent of his enthusiasm.

Ryan was really excited to be a vampire, but not as excited about wearing the vampire teeth.

I guess I can't blame him. Those plastic pearly whites really do hamper candy consumption.

Lydia was over the moon that I let her wear make-up. She wanted to wear it to bed.

Lydia decided that she wanted to be a Mermaid this year, the generic variety. This was not to be confused with The Little Mermaid, Ariel. That would have required red hair. :)

And here is Ruby, our Little Pumpkin Fairy.

Thank you to her cousin, Paige, for supplying some of the important elements of her costume!

Though I can't say that Halloween is my favorite holiday, I can say that I love seeing my kids all dressed up and having fun. What a great group!

Expectations

2011-09-21T19:38:00.014-06:00

I went to the hospital early on September 21st, thinking that I would have a smooth delivery...after all, it was my fifth, right? I had it all planned out, every detail. I had done this before: everything in order at home, my mom flying in the night before, pantry and fridge stocked, house clean, toe nails painted, People magazine stashed in my suitcase, tiny pre-made bows ready, make up bag handy for a stellar "after" picture with the baby. :) Well, about 10:30 a.m. I signed a bunch of paperwork releasing the hospital from any liability regarding my epidural. Soon after, everything went crazy. I warned the nurse anesthetist that my epidural might be tricky. Both with Ryan and Lydia, they had to try twice to get the epidural in. Nothing could be as bad as that, right?...wrong. The procedure that should have taken five minutes, took an hour. They tried to seat the epidural four times until finally, when I felt to sharp shooting pains down my legs, I knew something was wrong. It didn't help that the guy supposed to be in control seemed frantic and started saying, "oh, no. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." Mike was terrified and I was in immediate pain in my head, neck and shoulders. He had punctured the dura (where the spinal fluid is) and actually zinged me in the spinal chord. That is when he called for help. Enter real anesthesiologist...epidural seated...and done, but it was too late for what my recovery would look like. (And should I mention here that the epidural never quite worked all of the way?). Thanks to the pain meds they pumped into my IV, I labored the rest of the time in and out of sleep, laying flat. That is, until they set me up to push. (That is when the spinal headaches are unbearable because the spinal fluid leaks out of the puncture). I've never felt pain like that. I hope I never have to feel pain like that again.

And then she was here.

Ruby Lyn Dildine was born at 2:36 p.m. and was 7 lbs. 6 oz.

She came out crying, but soon after was calm, just taking in her surroundings.

This was after they moved me to the recovery room, on a gurney, laying flat. I could not walk yet, nor could I sit up. Don't I look like I have been through a war? Yah, at that point I didn't care so much about my glamourous "after" picture. The doctors explained that I was not a good candidate for the miracle Blood Patch that could take away all of my pain almost immediately. So, weighing our options Mike and I decided that we would wait out the spinal headache and deal with a tough recovery...anywhere from five days to five weeks.

My mom brought the kids down to see me and Ruby. After such an emotional and traumatizing day, I was so glad to see them and get hugs from each of them. I was worried for them to see me in such bad shape but I think my mom prepped them pretty well.

These older two boys have been so great with the baby. It is so nice to have an extra couple pair of hands.

Ryan loves Ruby. He likes to go up to her and say, "a-booga-booga-booga!"

The proud big sister. Lydia has some trouble saying her R's, so when she talks about baby Ruby it sounds like: baby woovey. :) Everywhere we go Lydia refers to Ruby as "MY baby."

Normally, I would have gotten a picture with all of the kids and me. I soon learned that this time around I would have to let go of my expectations. I never did read that People Magazine, we didn't get a "first bath picture" of Ruby in the hospital, nor did she get to use any of those pre-made bows. I even planned on having all of these pictures Blogged and Facebooked that very evening. But the truth is, I couldn't feed myself, walk or barely hold my own baby. We definitely had other things to worry about, and I wasn't expecting that. I had to start focusing on what was REALLY important. What was important was that I get feeling better and that Ruby made it here safe and sound.

Celebrate

2011-09-16T18:37:00.007-06:00

It worked well to have Nathan's birthday fall on a Friday. We got to enjoy "date night" as an entire family. Nathan's Uncle Jim and his new wife, Valerie tagged along, too.

Nathan didn't get a friend party this year. On our kids' "family party" years we usually take them out to dinner. Nathan chose Tucanos. We would have had the waiters sing to him, but Lydia was terrified at the prospect. That was okay. He still got the complimentary ice cream sundae.

Thirteen Candles. You're all grown up.

Nathan opened a few presents. This was one of his favorites...Jimmer Fredette's Sacramento Kings Jersey. Mike ordered it special with "Jimmer" on the back.

Valerie made the comment that this was probably one of the last pictures of our FOUR children. She was right! Just a couple days later a new little bundle would arrive. Pictures to come...

My Teenager

2011-09-16T15:39:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to My Teenager, Nathan! Yes, he is Thirteen!

This is what he looks like now, handsome and all grown up. But to me it seems not too long ago...

that My Teenager looked like this. What a cutie!

1st Day

2011-08-30T09:00:00.003-06:00

Over the last couple of weeks and days my crew has gone back to school. Here are the pics.

Miss Lydia went back a couple of weeks ago. She is on a year-round track for her preschool.

This is her latest "smile" pose. A tip of the head and a little grin. Lydia is such a social butterfly. She has already made so many friends.

My biggest boy, Nathan. He is now in the middle of the pack at the Middle School. So great that he gets to ride his bike.

The close-up.

My Danny is head honcho at the Elementary School. He is right back at home, loving every minute that he gets to spend with friends.

Danny is really excited about his teacher. Mr. Price has a whole collection of Superman and Batman toys in the classroom. Danny can't quit talking about how cool he is.

Big transition for Ryan this year. He went from half-day Kindergarten, to full-day First Grade! He is so grown up!

So far, so good. His teacher is a perfect fit for him. Although he was quite nervous the first day, he has been very brave.

I love that these two walk to school. I think it's going to be a great year.

Wedding Weekend-The Reception

2011-08-27T21:15:00.001-06:00

We made it back to Boise just in time to grab some stuff to decorate the getaway car and head straight to the reception.

The reception was held in Brad and Tricia's backyard. The setting was perfect and in the shade it really wasn't too hot, considering the High-90's weather.

Ice Cream was served along with the wedding cake. I just love how this candy topping table turned out. So colorful!

It really was a great weekend. We were glad that we made an event out of it with all of the kids. Our family was able to create some fun and treasured memories.

In the days leading up to the wedding Valerie was super worried that someone would "trash" the car. She only wanted something done if it was tasteful, so I decided to head up the project.

With the help of some of Jim's nieces and nephews, we got the getaway car all decked out.

Clanking cans...so classic.

Before you knew it the reception was over and everyone went out front to see Jim and Valerie off. Hugs were shared from moms, dads and siblings...and in Jim's particular case from about 15 cousins. He has always been the favorite uncle.

We cheered them on as they drove out of the driveway.

Jim and Valerie-We are all so excited for you!

You two are really a fantastic couple.

Best Wishes and Many Years of Happiness!

Wedding Weekend-The Wedding

2011-08-27T14:41:00.001-06:00

The wedding, of course, was lovely and perfect. And, of course, I cried my eyes out like a lot of people did, only I was ten times worse, being pregnant and all. I tried not to make a scene on the way out of the sealing room, but I'm pretty sure my sniffs and muffled cries were echoing loud and clear in that quiet room. :)

The entire time Lydia was connected at the hip with Valerie's youngest sister, Claire. She is Ryan's age, but these two little girls really hit it off.

They roamed around laughing and playing. At any given moment if I would ask someone, "Have you seen Lydia?" the answer would always be, "Oh yah, she's with Claire."

The happy couple coming out of the temple. Oh, so happy.

Mr. and Mrs. Dildine!

A multitude of family pictures were taken. This is one of my favorites. All of the brothers together.

After pictures we headed to Chili's for a quick lunch. We were good and hungry and had a great time eating with our cousins and other family. This is the "big kid table."

What a day for celebration. Now, back to Boise for the reception.

Wedding Weekend-Saturday Morning

2011-08-27T10:15:00.000-06:00

One of the things that was so fun about going up the night before the wedding, was that we got to stay in the same hotel with all of the family. Grandma, Grandpa and Jim were only one floor away, and Valerie and her family were only a couple doors away.

Downstairs in the hotel, we had a nice breakfast with Jim and Grandma and Grandpa Dildine. After pancakes, Lydia got to hear a story from Grandma Dildine.

That morning Grandpa Dildine was full of stories from when he served in the army. It was also very nice for the kids to spend some quality time with their Uncle Jim before his wedding.

About 10:00, Mike took the kids on an outing to Shoshone Falls. They were really flowing!

They all enjoyed the view and then snow cones that died their lips blue. Meanwhile, I was back in Valerie's room with her mom, sister and one of her bridesmaids. We got her hair all done and had some laughs and hugs. I really do adore Valerie. I know we are going to be good friends. After one last hug, I wished her luck and told her I'd see her in the temple. Soon she was going to be Valerie Dildine!

Wedding Weekend-Friday

2011-08-26T11:29:00.000-06:00

Mike's brother, Jim, got married over the weekend. Since the Boise Temple is closed for some kind of major renovation, we got to make the two hour drive out to Twin Falls for the occasion.

We had a late breakfast on the way out of town. We went to eat at the brand new Kneaders that just opened in Meridian.

We arrived at our hotel just in time to grab some Lunchables and Powerade at the gas station across the street, drop the kids off in the room and run (as well as you do at eight and a half months pregnant), to catch Valerie's temple session.

After a nice afternoon in the temple Mike and Jim took the kids to Buffalo Wild Wings, while I was on Hair Duty with Valerie's mom, Ann. We had practiced on Valerie's hair the week before, under the tutelage of my hair dresser sister-in-law, Jeryl. Valerie and Jim had pictures Friday night, so we were in charge of pulling off the up-do.

Since this was going to be the first time Jim saw Valerie in her dress, we had him wait in the lobby of the hotel. I was tasked with riding the elevator down before the others, so that I could capture the look on Jim's face.

I could not resist snapping this photo on the way to the photo shoot.

The photographer needed some help blocking the setting sun. Her assistant, along with Valerie's entourage got involved.

After soooo many darling and beautiful pictures were taken, we went back to the hotel. We all popped our heads into the swimming pool so Valerie could show off her dress to Jim's parents and my family, who were swimming. Though I expected Lydia to run right up to Valerie and get her soaking wet, she seemed to understand the situation. She walked up very slowly and was simply in awe!

Valerie was more than ready to get out of her dress and relax, so she, Jim, Valerie's parents and all of her brothers and sisters (she has six), joined in the fun at the pool. The kids played hard and when they got back up to the room at 10:15 they were starving. Mike made a quick emergency run to McDonald's for nuggets and fries. All were snoozing by a little after 11:00. Late Night!

Sibling Prep

2011-08-20T10:14:00.001-06:00

The following are pictures that we took to the Sibling Preparation class that the kids and I attended. We took the class at the hospital where I am going to deliver our baby. Each picture was taken at about three days old, right before they were taken home from the hospital.

Nathan

Danny

Ryan

Lydia

After the teacher introduced each of the kids by showing their baby pictures (wow, they all grew up so fast!), we went on a tour of the Labor and Delivery area, the nursery, and the Mother/Baby floor.

(P.S.-you'd think that since everything went digital all those years ago that you would NEVER have a picture where someone is closing their eyes. Remember the days when you would ALWAYS take two or three film pictures just to be safe? But alas, occasionally we all forget to check the preview screen on our digital cameras and are ALSO out of the habit of taking two or three shots. Always kind of a bummer when you see the pictures on your computer. Still cute though!)

Here Ryan and Lydia are checking out the bed where they put the baby to keep it warm, right after it is born.

After the tour we headed back to our classroom, where the kids were taught to put diapers on the dolls that we had brought along with us.

Nathan and Danny were by far the oldest in the class. They were both such good sports and actually made the whole experience so much fun!

Somehow I ended throwing this poor one-armed doll into the mix of dolls that came to the class with us. I keep telling myself that I'll get her arm sewn back on, but it just never seem to happen. I think it makes this "Successful Diapering Picture" all the more funny. Good job Nathan!

Here Ryan is cuddling his elephant that he brought. Putting a diaper on an animal with a tail presented a slight challenge, but not one that deterred Ryan.

Next the kids learned to swaddle a baby, hold a baby and then burp them. What great practice!

The class taught many other things about how to help Mom with the baby, how to handle feelings, and what a newborn baby is like. The whole thing was quite a wake up call for me, too. I suppose that this whole baby thing is actually going to happen! I think these four siblings are all prepared to welcome and help with their new little sister.

After the tour was over we concluded our afternoon by having lunch in the hospital cafeteria. As we walked out of the revolving hospital door, each of the kids had their Class Completion Certificate in hand. I guess we'll be back in just a few short weeks!

1st Visit

2011-08-18T13:49:00.000-06:00

Though I wasn't sure how she would take it, last week I informed Lydia that not only would her brothers be going in for their six month dental check-ups, but that she would be joining them for her very First Visit.

Lydia has watched her older brothers go to the dentist every six months for years. Maybe that is why she so willingly welcomed this new adventure. She was ecstatic, not scared in the least. She was her usual social self, chatting with each and every person that passed by. She was confident and couldn't wait to pick out of the famous prize bucket that she had heard so much about.

I do have to say that our Pediatric Dentist is a pretty cool place to visit. With a spaceship, video games and movies in the waiting room, who wouldn't be excited to go? Once you are in the chair you can watch a movie right above your head.

"101 Dalmations" was playing when we arrived, but Lydia had no reservations about requesting one of her favorite movies for her First Cleaning: "Princess and the Frog." Lydia was so sweet and happy to be there, the "girl dentist," as Lydia called her, was glad to oblige.

Once Lydia had her teeth counted by the actual dentist, he proclaimed to the entire office: "Lydia has no cavities!" The whole office staff cheered for her. Lydia got her picture taken and a goodie bag full of prizes, along with a T-Shirt. She then completed long awaited dream of going to the prize bucket, by picking out a purple sticky hand.

Bridal Shower

2011-08-13T11:01:00.001-06:00

A few months ago Mike's brother, Jim, got engaged. He is the last of the nine siblings to get married. As it turns out, I have really hit it off with his fiancé, who will soon be my new sister-in-law. I would like to introduce you to Valerie.

Aren't they great together? They seem so well suited and blissfully happy.

Since Valerie and I have become such good friends, I decided that I wanted to throw a Bridal Shower for her.

I really do enjoy throwing a party. We had loads of women and girls over here and had a really nice morning together.

After a light brunch, I served Banana Cake. It is an amazing recipe. (Thanks to my sister, Angie, for the tip).

Valerie received a lot of nice gifts. Here she is displaying a quilt that her sister and her grandma made for her. It includes jeans from several members of her immediate and extended family.

It has been really fun to get to know Valerie. I think we are going to be great friends. Only two more weeks until the wedding. I am so excited!

Snack Crafts

2011-07-29T12:03:00.000-06:00

You know that feeling at the beginning of the summer when you feel like you can have wonderful activities and enriching plans for your kids each and every day? I don't feel like our summer really started until after our trip to Hawaii and our Family Reunion. I had plans for themed weeks, starting with the first week, which was Organizing. We did a complete revamp on the toys and created the Dildine Toy Library. Lydia and Ryan may check out one toy box each, but may not check out another toy box until the first box is cleaned up and checked back into the library. The library is in a secluded room off of our master bedroom and is under lock and key. So far the system has really worked. No more endless days of picking up toys, upon toys.

The second themed week was: Cooking and Food. I made the boys do the grocery lists and shopping. They cooked our meals and every day we did a Snack Craft. Unfortunately, our themed weeks stopped after that. Maybe next summer, when I don't have eight weeks until baby number 5 arrives, we will accomplish more than just two themed weeks. Nonetheless, here are some of our creations (tons of ideas online, by the way):

A telephone. Ring! Ring!

Ingredients: Half an apple, sliced banana, mini marshmallows, black icing and red Pull n' Peel licorice.

Hard at work.

One of the great things about doing snack crafts is that you get to snitch ingredients while creating the final project.

Peanut Butter Application on the marshmallow.

Just after Peanut Butter Application on the tongue!

This was another of our favorites: Little Strawberry Elves

Cute Right?

Ingredients: Strawberries, whipped cream, mini chocolate chips

I think this snack craft was the biggest hit: An Angry Bird

Ingredients: watermelon slice, cucumbers, olives and mango

I love how each Angry Bird seems to have it's own personality. This is a picture we texted to Mike at work, with the caption: "Angry Birds"

And this is the picture that he texted back to the kids, with the caption: "Angry Dads"

The kids thought it was hysterical!!! I have to admit I had a good laugh, too. :)

The River

2011-07-26T18:45:00.001-06:00

One of the nights in July we headed to the river that is just up the street from our house. In the Spring the water from this river is close to overflowing and in years past, actually has done so. But once the summer hits, the water recedes and slows down. The water leaves behind a rock pile for throwing and skipping, a perfect sandy beach and perfect shallow water to beat the summer heat.

The youngest clinging to dad.

Though chilly to dip into at first, the water is quite refreshing when the temperatures are in the 90's.

Ryan loves throwing rocks into the water.

Lydia May...so serious.

Sister with Big Brother.

Handsome fella.

Afterwards we headed to the other side of the bridge for a Coldstone Ice Cream Treat.

Craving

2011-07-21T12:19:00.001-06:00

Sometimes, at 31 Weeks Pregnant, you can't help but have certain cravings. Such was the case one afternoon, right about lunch time. I was in desperate need of some frozen yogurt from a new place in town called U-Swirl. We skipped lunch, well, not really...we just had U-Swirl FOR lunch.

And the pics aren't great...they were taken on my iPhone.

How bad could it be? Look at all of that yummy fresh fruit and nuts.

Both of the older boys followed suit, with a healthy lunch selection, despite it being on frozen yogurt.

By the time we got through the toppings line with Lydia and Ryan, I was second guessing my decision to have Frozen Yogurt be our lunch. The little ones piled on junk! M&M's, Skittles, Gummy Bears, Frosted Animal Crackers, Gummy Worms, Oreos and the like...not a lick of fruit. I guess there are worse things, right? I suppose it was kind of fun to veer from our typical afternoon PB and J, or PB and H (honey), carrots and pretzels.

When is the last time you had dessert for lunch? I highly recommend it! It might really hit the spot!

Danny's B-Day

2011-07-08T17:03:00.001-06:00

This year was low-key for Danny's birthday. It was a year for him to have a family party. He requested homemade pizza for dinner, but being pregnant, I was not up for the task. So he was delighted when we took him to Primos for unlimited regular and dessert pizza.

Danny's birthday this year ended up having a very specific theme. Most of his gifts had to do with Harry Potter. He is a little late being a fan, but has been reading the books and watching the movies incessantly. He wanted to be prepared when the last movie in the series came out...Which he did go get to see with his cousin Paige, about a week later.

I'm not entirely sure what Danny's wish was, but if I had to make a guess I'm pretty sure it had to do with Hermione, ya know, Emma Watson.

Danny's had a crush on her for awhile and we have caught him sleeping with her picture under his pillow. One time at dinner he even confessed to having kissed her picture. Don't tell anyone!!!!! I would be in big trouble. ;)

American Idol

2011-07-06T20:28:00.000-06:00

One of the things that we really enjoyed this Spring was watching American Idol as a family. When I got online to look at the tour dates I realized that we would be in Utah for the reunion. We took the older boys to the concert and Angie and Eliot came along. A big shout-out to my other sister Natalie and her husband Brian, for watching the other youngsters at home.

Getting ready for the show.

The stage is ready.

Here is Lauren...

and Scotty.

By the end of the concert I was beat. We had the toughest time getting out of the parking lot. It seemed to be moving soooo slow. Once we came around this little bend in the back of the stadium we realized why. The masked scary guy in this picture came right up to our van and gave Eliot a high five. I was a little freaked out until I realized that it was James Durbin. He then headed over to sign some autographs for his adoring fans.

The other man in the mask? Stephano Langone. He was one of my favorites, as he is a Seattle Native. We all had a great time dancing and laughing and singing with our favorite performers from Season 10.

Growing

2011-07-05T16:21:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun hanging out with our immediate cousins. Every night we got to come back to Angie's and hang out together. I snapped this picture of Lydia with her new cousin Lanie. The pajamas Lanie is wearing are ones that Lydia used to wear when she was small. It is crazy how time just keeps on ticking and these little ones just keep growing.

Fireworks

2011-07-04T20:36:00.002-06:00

We all headed to a nearby church to set off fireworks that we got at the store.

Lydia and Sydney were less than thrilled with the loud noises and commotion. Grandma Swensen kept them safe and they all watched the show from the comfort of the car.

Ryan looks a bit intimidated here, but was actually quite excited about all of the fireworks. He and Mitchell and Wesley made up a song about "Fireworks being so cool." The trio sung it at the top of their lungs.

Mike was close by, along with others of my uncles to make sure the younger generation could handle their role as "Firework Lighters."

It is definitely a right of passage to move from Firework Watcher, to Firework Lighter. I love how Nathan is giving a salute in this picture.

All of the firework lighters running with their sparklers.

Thanks for a great show Nathan and Danny!

Happy Fourth of July!

Fourth Festivities

2011-07-04T15:57:00.001-06:00

The morning of the Fourth all of the cousins had some downtime watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It was really fun that we all got to stay together at Aunt Angie's House. Baby Lanie and Madison are the two cousins missing in this picture.

We continued the celebrations at my Aunt Julie's, who like I had mentioned before, did a wonderful job planning the Reunion. Here Sydney and Lydia are enjoying one of the fabulous meals.

The Bounce House was a big part of the day. It had a water slide and entertained the kids for hours. I kept telling myself I would get out and take pictures, but only felt the urgency once the company came to take it down. :)

Lydia decided to take a break from the heat and enjoy a movie. Julie had prepared endless treats and snacks for the family. Goldfish...always a favorite!

After dinner, all of the kids all got a chance to take a swing at the Piñata. They are all sitting on the trampoline together, waiting with their plastic bags, ready for the piñata to burst open.

Lydia

Ryan

Nathan

The hitting order was youngest to oldest. Even with the hard hitting older cousins, we were able to go through the order twice. I think it was my Aunt Pam that finally broke the piñata open. Danny was actually off golfing with my uncle and cousins, but we remembered to grab him some of the spoils.

It is so fun to be together as family.

Celebrations

2011-06-30T19:54:00.001-06:00

Since we were going to be traveling to a Family Reunion the next day, we celebrated Mike's birthday one day early with his favorite: a double cream lemon pie from Marie Callenders.

Happy Birthday Mike!

As a surprise, I had my sister, Angie, pick up a cake in Utah. We arrived to the Reunion just in time for dinner. Then my entire extended family was able to sing to Mike on his real birthday.

Aunt Julie really did a great job planning the Reunion. Lydia and Madison couldn't resist some of the Patriotic Garb that she had purchased for the celebrations.

One of the days we all went to a BBQ up Provo Canyon, at Nunn's Park.

Lydia loved hanging out with her cousins and some of her second cousins. Here she is being silly with Wesley and Sydney.

This group used the Croquet set to make what they called "a circus." As you can tell, they took the job very seriously.

Good-Bye Maui

2011-06-19T10:18:00.000-06:00

The next morning we headed down the open air concourse to catch our airplane back home.

Aloha and Mahalo Maui. Thank you for all of the wonderful memories.

Last Night

2011-06-18T20:02:00.001-06:00

Our last night we headed to Whaler's Village for one last Hula Show and to go through the shops.

They had dancers of all ages. Some as small as Lydia.

We got some Hula Pie from Lelani's and the Ice Cream Sandwich from Hula Grill "to go" and ate them while we enjoyed the show.

Nathan in his souvenir sweatshirt from Honolua Surf Company.

Kayla is enjoying our last sunset on the island.

Nathan, Ryan, Danny and Lydia

I love the silhouettes of the three youngest running in the surf.

This might be one of my favorite pictures from the trip. I love the color of the sand and the water, with the sunset glowing on Nathan's face. I also love that the Hawaiian Islands are on the shoulder of his sweatshirt.

Ahhh, paradise.

Beat the Heat

2011-06-18T17:04:00.000-06:00

After the Swap Meet everyone was more than ready to jump in the water to cool off.

This is another picture from the lobby of the resort. I made all of the kids stop for a photo before they RAN up to the room for their swim suits. You can see some of the spoils from the swap meet. Lydia adored that fan.

One nice thing about the resort is that it is only steps away from the beach. We love taking air mattresses out there and just relaxing. The water is perfect.

Handsome boys.

And now back to the pool again. Here Lydia is taking a break in a lounge chair with Dad.

Loved this picture.

Sun bathing.

Danny

At the resort they have an awesome pirate themed kids pool. The kids loved the slide and climbing up and down the stairs of the ship to the steering wheel.

Usually there is water spraying all over the ship, but as it was getting late in the day, I guess it was turned off. A great opportunity for another group pic.

Swap Meet

2011-06-18T12:28:00.000-06:00

We went into Kahului to the Swap Meet. Everyone was allotted about 5-7 dollars to spend. We had thought it was hot the day before in Lahaina. The Swap Meet was inland a bit and not as close to the ocean so it was very, very hot.

For this trip one of the main goals for all of the kids was to try real coconut milk from a real coconut. After asking about it all week the time had finally come.

Though the guy with the ice cold coconuts had already packed up, we settled on this little stand.

It was fun to walk around all of the shops sipping on a coconut.

What do you think Danny?

Everyone had a try. Delicious and refreshing at first, most all of the kids had decided that a real coconut was not their favorite drink. They all agreed that it could have maybe been better if it were ice cold. It is definitely an acquired taste.

Lahaina

2011-06-17T12:30:00.000-06:00

We enjoyed spending a morning seeing some of the stuff in Lahaina.

Our first stop was Hilo Hatties, where the kids were thrilled that everyone receives a shell necklace when they walk in the door. We looked for souvenirs and Hawaiian treats, like dried coconut strips. One of my favorites. Lydia and Ryan asked Mike if he would take their picture by this statue. Turned out pretty cute.

We then walked along the boardwalk in Lahaina. We had lunch and walked on the beach. There is a wrecked ship in the distance you can see. They have never removed it.

It was really hot and muggy that afternoon. There didn't seem to be much of a breeze.

That didn't dampen Ryan's spirits. We all enjoyed looking over the railing at the rocks. There were crabs jumping all over them. I didn't really know crabs could jump. They can actually jump pretty far!

Lydia tried to beat the heat under the boardwalk.

Once we cleaned up our sandy feet we trekked further down the boardwalk to our ultimate destination...

Kung Fu Panda 2. It was a welcome and relaxing break from all of our adventures. And it was cool inside the theatre. After the movie we all had an ice cream treat across the street. I was quite partial to my creation: an ice cream sandwich made with macadamia nut ice cream, between two chocolate/coconut cookies. Only in Hawaii.

Mike and I got to sneak away again that night. Through our concierge we were again able to get hooked up with awesome tables, with perfect views, right as the sun was setting.

Road to Hana

2011-06-16T10:33:00.002-06:00

We decided to take the crew on the Road to Hana. We did it the way this road is meant to be taken. Very slow (to avoid car sickness) and stopping often to enjoy mini hikes to fabulous waterfalls and natural swimming holes.

The first stop was this fruit stand where we bought the most amazing, juicy mangoes. We practically used an entire roll of paper towels to help us eat all of the dripping, juicy yumminess.

This is another place we stopped. There were tons of vines that the kids tried to swing on like Tarzan. We also took a little hike up into some really dense vegetation that reminded us of what trees in the Redwoods look like.

This beauty is one you can't see from the road, but after a short hike you get rewarded with the view.

This is what all of the crew in the back of the van did when we went over every single bridge. Cross fingers, and legs, hold breath and put your feet in the air. I can't remember if this was to done in order to keep all of your girlfriends/boyfriends or so the bridge wouldn't collapse? Either way they had a lot of fun with the superstition.

This is Ryan at another stop on the road. We hiked a short distance into a perfect little swimming hole with a water fall. Look at him in paradise.

Lydia was quite the trooper going over slippery rocks and boulders.

Nathan and Danny after their swim in the water.

The lush surroundings on the Road to Hana just take your breath away.

We stopped here for some of "Sandy's Banana Bread."

The kids were all being super silly and were tired of being in the car, so we knew we had almost exhausted what we could do for the day.

One of our last stops was here. There was a storm brewing and the wind was blowing really hard. The waves were crashing against these rocks and creating an enormous spray. It was cool to be there.

Nathan enjoying the spray of the ocean.

Wow, those waves were rough!!!

After the days hikes and sites we stopped at this fun cafe in Pa'ia, a quirky little town that is on the way back to the resort.

They sell curry and crepes...both savory and sweet. We shared a few savory and then all got our very own sweet crepe for dessert.

We all shared bites with each other: Sugar Cane with Lime Juice, Banana with Nutella, Honey with Almonds and Strawberries with Whipped Cream were some of the crepes that we all enjoyed.

We figured we made it about half way to Hana. We saw sooo much. Maybe next time we can make it all the way. But you know, that doesn't really matter. Because when it comes to the Road to Hana, it is not about the destination, but rather about the journey. What a great day.

Resort Day

2011-06-15T14:48:00.000-06:00

One of the days in Maui we spent the day doing activities that were at the Resort.

Each of the kids selected activities and classes that they were interested in. Danny wanted to do the "Adopt a Cuddly One" class most of all. So first thing in the morning we went to see what it was all about. It turned out to be a Build-A-Bear type activity. He named his new buddy Churro.

Next, the rest of the family came down to the lobby for the Koi Fish Feeding Frenzy. It turned out that we went to the wrong side of the resort and missed them handing out the food. So we just put our hand toward the water, as if we had food, and the Koi all came swarming.

Our next Resort Day activity was the magic show. The kids enjoyed many of the tricks, including the magician holding a half full cup of water upside down, without the water falling out.

Ryan got chosen as an assistant along with this other Resort guest (who's name happened to be Anna, the name of Ryan's kindergarten girlfriend back home). The magician ended up linking them by the pinkies with a sort of mini handcuff...or I guess, pinkie-cuff in this situation. :)

Once Ryan and Lydia saw Danny's Cuddly One, they insisted that they have one, too. We knew that we were going to by one nice souvenir for each of the kids, so they each agreed that a new stuffed animal made in Maui, would be their choice.

Putting on the clothes. Ryan chose a black bear with an Astronaut suit. Lydia chose a pink unicorn with a fairy outfit.

Lydia and Ryan sitting just outside the lobby. I've always loved the view from this lobby.

After the morning activities we spent some time at the pool. Popsicles...

and lounging in the shade. Nice glasses Danny!

All of the kids had expressed interest in doing the Hula Lessons later in the afternoon. As it turned out the only one willing to try it with Kayla was Nathan.

One of the reasons we brought our niece, Kayla, along with us was so that Mike and I could enjoy a couple of evenings out. After our Resort Day we hooked the kids up with dinner in the condo and headed out to Whaler's Village. This is the view from our table at Lelani's. The sunsets are amazing.

Pool Day

2011-06-14T13:10:00.000-06:00

I adore pool days. I get to RELAX and watch the kids play while sipping on a cold drink and reading a book. Sometimes it feels so good to do nothing.

All of the kids and Kayla tried their skills at Snorkeling in the pool. Best to practice there before heading to the ocean.

Aren't kiddie pools the best? Ryan and Lydia played for hours with their water toys and water guns. With the foot of my lounge chair sitting right on the edge of the pool, I did not have to worry about them one bit.

Though not quite ready to master snorkeling, Ryan had to give the gear a try.

Blue eyed Hawaiian Princess.

Blue Eyed Hawaiian Princess in flippers way to big for her! :)

Playing all together.

Yes, I had them pause for this group shot. Say "Cheese!".

I'm sure you don't need a log of everywhere we ate, but I couldn't resist showing you this photo. That night we ate at a yummy Vietnamese Place in the Lahaina Cannery Mall. We got to see another Hula Show while we enjoyed dinner. Ryan refused to use a fork and chose instead to quickly hone some serious chopstick skills.

Maui Night Life

2011-06-13T19:34:00.001-06:00

I think that these pictures are pretty funny because you can tell everyone is so exhausted. We packed a lot into those first couple of days and the jet lag can really get to you.

After a busy day of hiking we went back to the hotel to regroup. Once showered and ready for a night out, we hit one of our favorite restaurants: The Hula Grill.

It is one of our favorites because they have an area where all of the tables are in the sand. They always have live Hawaiian Music. Once they light the tiki torches, it is just magical.

Hula Grill also has one of the best Lava Flows that we have found. As a special treat for our first night, we bought each of the kids their very own. Delicious!

We had been talking to the kids for a long time about taking them to the Hula Grill. It is always a stop we make while on Maui. Lydia was confused the whole time we were there saying, "I thought we were going to the Hula Girls. Where are the Hula Girls?" We were sad to tell her that there weren't any Hula Girls at the Hula Grill, but that we would for sure see some before the trip was over.

But then, just as we were getting ready to pack up a Hula Girl came to perform with the Ukulele player. Lydia was mesmerized.

And to top off the evening for Lydia, after dinner we found an entire Hula show was going on in the courtyard of the Whaler's Village Mall.

Totally Star Struck.

Hawaii Pics

2011-06-13T14:51:00.001-06:00

A couple of days after school got out we took our kids, plus our niece Kayla, to the island of Maui. There were hundreds of pictures taken. Hopefully, over the next couple of posts I will be able to share some of our favorites.

The first day there we got up early and went to breakfast at our favorite spot: "The Gazebo" in Napili. After that we headed to the other side of the island for some hiking. Here are the kids at the Iao Needle. Quite the animated face Nathan! ;)

A lot of hiking in Maui is over slippery boulders and down riverbeds. Hold on tight!

Once we made it downstream a bit we came to the location we desired. We rested there and soaked in the beauty.

Others were brave enough to get in the waterfall.

Here are Danny and Kayla getting quite refreshed from the heat.

After hiking we headed into Lahaina for some Shave Ice. Can't beat it! They put a scoop of ice cream on the bottom and pour cream over the top.

We ate and hung out in the shade of Banyan Tree Park. It is quite an amazing thing to see. These are some of the details I found on the Internet: This Banyan Tree was first planted in April, 1873, and marked the 50th Anniversary of Christian missionary work in Lahaina. The tree was imported from India was only 8 feet tall. It now stands over 60 feet high, has 12 major trunks in addition to a huge core. It stretches over a 200-foot area and shades 2/3 of an acre.

Wow! What a busy day! Now on to some of the night life that we love so much in Maui.

Graduation

2011-06-08T09:54:00.003-06:00

Ryan passed Kindergarten with flying colors. We went to the school to enjoy a great program of songs and handing out certificates.

Here Ryan is getting his certificate and giving his teacher a big hug. Mrs. Atkinson was such a great and loving teacher.

You can see Ryan right in the middle in the brown polo, doing the actions for "A is for Alligator."

It was hard for me not to get a little weepy when the kids sang, "It's Time to Move Along!" Ryan has come so far this year! Hope you enjoy a little sample of one of their last songs as Kindergartners. (If you click on the "full screen" button you can see better. Ryan is smack dab in the middle--brown polo)

Way to go Ryan! We are so proud of you! Look out First Grade...Here we come! :)

Birthday Book

2011-05-26T15:25:00.000-06:00

Ryan's kindergarten teacher had a wonderful tradition for each of the kids' birthdays. Ryan chose to take brownies to school and then got to read his Birthday Book to the class. Ryan and I put his birthday book together. Once he shared it with the class his book became part of the classroom library, along with "Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten" and "Where the Wild Things Are."

I was glad for the excuse to go through and scan some of Ryan's old pictures from his younger years (pre-digital). I thought you might enjoy a look at his Birthday Book.

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Friend Party

2011-05-24T16:46:00.001-06:00

This year Ryan got to have a party with some of his friends. We played games and had loads of fun.

Ryan really wanted a pinata this year. I was cool with the idea, but wanted to put something in it besides candy and junk toys that get strung all over the house. We filled the pinata with pretend coins. Once the pinata was broken the coins went flying and the kids grabbed them up.

Once I made sure everyone had about the same number of coins, they got to spend them at this Concession Stand. It was run by these by these two handsome fellas.

Kids could buy juice, popcorn, corn dogs, chips and other goodies. I think it was a real hit! I kind of assumed all of the kids would want to buy the same things, but it was interesting to see how each child spent their spoils.

Here's the crew.

The cake.

Make a wish Ryan!

You are one handsome Seven-Year-Old!

Pre-Party Celebrations

2011-05-23T18:38:00.001-06:00

The night before Ryan's birthday we took him to Chuck E. Cheese for family night. It was a great celebration for all...well, with the exception of Lydia, who had a panic attack as soon as Chuck E. showed up.

This was how Lydia looked the entire time we were there, even after we went to the back closet and showed her the Costume that Chuck E. Cheese wears. "See Lydia, it is just a costume!" It was no use, as soon as he came out to greet the kids she went ballistic and Mike had to take her home.

Ryan was "over the moon" excited to hang with Chuck E!

The next morning it was Ryan's actual birthday. It just so happened that Ryan's kindergarten class had planned a field trip to the Zoo that morning. Lydia and I tagged along to help Ryan feel extra special on his special day.

All of the kids rode the bus back to the school, but I got permission to keep Ryan with Lydia and I at the Zoo. We had a nice lunch and then Ryan got to pick a special prize from the gift shop...a little stuffed Meerkat.

I couldn't resist taking this pic of them with the beautiful blooming Irises.

Crazy

2011-05-22T17:08:00.005-06:00

It's official...well, and has been for awhile now, as I'm 23 weeks. We are having baby #5 in September. I was at Yoga the other day and was explaining to a few people why I had missed so much lately...That morning (or anytime of the day or night) sickness is tough stuff! A few of the older women asked, "Oh, how sweet! Is this your first?" "Flattering...but no, not quite," I explained. "This will actually be our FIFTH." (I'm sorry, did I just hear those words come out of MY mouth!!?) Then, my good friend sitting next to me added, "Yah, she's one of the crazies." We all laughed. And since then I've completely owned it. We are definitely a little crazy! Point well taken! :) Even so, we are all getting really excited as we get to know more about this little one that will be joining our family.

Some things we know about this babe:

1) She is a girl. Lydia is over the moon and already picked out a name for her--Hello Kitty. Ya know, it is hard NOT to consider it when realizing that there will not be a SINGLE OTHER girl in her kindergarten class with the same name. "Hello Kitty Dildine"...you have to admit it has kind of a ring to it, right? ;)

2) She likes music. She totally starts a movin' and a groovin' when we watch American Idol. I can't really tell if she's a Scotty or a Lauren fan, though. She also likes rides in the car. She always starts in on some serious movement.

3) She's an acrobat. In the 20 minutes that we were at our Fetal Fotos ultrasound, she had done 180 degree somersault. This was helpful because in her first position the chord was right between her legs. Once she flipped, we could tell that she was a girl for sure. You can see evidence of her flip in the pics above. In the first her head is down and in the second her head is up toward my ribs. We also got to see her have the hiccups and suck her thumb.

4) She will have a whole group of older siblings just waiting to love on her and protect her. When we asked Ryan what he thought we should name his sister he replied, "Rosie." When we asked him why that name, his response was, "because it's a very useful name, don't you think?" Ryan is already looking out for his youngest sis. We'll definitely have to keep "Rosie" in the name game, too.

Every day I wonder more and more how I'm going to be able to handle crew of five. It can be daunting and overwhelming to think about, especially when you are pregnant and exhausted. I just know that the big payoff will be when we get to hold that little bundle. I'm pretty sure that we will be so glad that we are part of the crazy club.

Recital

2011-05-21T19:05:00.002-06:00

Both of these boys are really starting to come along with their piano skills. We enjoyed watching both of them play at their recital. Hope you enjoy the video clips, too! :)

Danny playing his piece: "The Dancing Bears"

Danny's Video

Nathan playing his piece: "Feelin' Good"

Nathan's Video

Project

2011-05-17T20:24:00.000-06:00

Danny has been studying Idaho History this year. He was required to have a covered binder to put the year's worth of projects and papers in. So, I dug back in my memory to the days that I was in Young Woman's, and helped him create this beauty. Those skills you learn do come in handy! He thought it was cool how it mixed old fashioned with new and hip. The neon green almost perfectly matched his Vans that he wears to school every day.

Mother's Day

2011-05-08T16:06:00.002-06:00

Mike put together a very nice dinner on Mother's Day.

He and the boys set this nice table and prepared salmon, rolls, watermelon and salad. As a special treat Mike got chocolate covered strawberries.

As a tradition, we try to have a Mother's Day photo shoot with the kids and I. We have it outside and in our Sunday clothes. Well, this year it was pouring rain and the kids had mostly changed out of their Sunday clothes before I even had the energy to mention it. So, this year's shoot was not as glamorous or organized.

Later in the evening I got to open a few little gifts from the kids. When we all went in for a group hug, Mike took the opportunity to add this shot to our Photo Shoot. The kids all have strawberry stained faces and you can see how baby #5 was pretty intent on being part of the photo op festivities. It is nice to feel so loved.

Reason #3

2011-05-01T12:49:00.000-06:00

Reason #3: Photo Ops

Like I mentioned before, there are oodles of reasons to love Weddings and Blessings, but my last Top Three Reason is the great pictures that you get. Here are a few that I couldn't resist.

Ryan with Great Grandma Smith

Bones! Love it! An older cousin teaching a younger cousin the ways.

My mom with her newest Grandbaby, Lanie

Check out these blue eyed babes.

Story time with Grandpa Swensen

An action shot of all the cousins (I guess minus Lanie) eating and chillin' in the backyard. I wonder what they are chatting about.

Three girlies all ready for bed.

What a great weekend! Thanks for the wonderful visits, the hugs and all of the perfect memories!

Reason #2

2011-04-30T19:40:00.001-06:00

Reason #2: COUSINS!!!

This is our traditional "Cousins in a Line" picture. They almost create a perfect stair step. We've taken a few of these over the years, though it is sometimes hard to get our the entire family together. But when we are, we try to make the "Cousins in a Line" picture a priority. It is definitely fun to see how they all change and grow.

Nathan, Danny, Madison, Ryan, Mitchell, Lydia, Wesley, Sydney, Lanie

These are the digital pics I had and I'm sure I have earlier snapshots in my file.

May 2006

December 2006

June 2007

January 2008

July 2008

April 2011

Reason #1

2011-04-30T19:09:00.001-06:00

The last weekend in April our family headed to Utah for two important events:

My cousin Megan got married in Salt Lake and...

My niece Lanie had her blessing. Doesn't she look pretty?

In my mind there are several reasons to love Weddings and Blessings. But the biggest reasons to love these occasions are the people that you get to see. The following posts will contain MY top three reasons to LOVE Weddings and Blessings.

Reason #1: Sisters, Parents and Grandparents and Great Grandparents

It has been awhile since all of us ladies were together. I love hanging out with them, swapping parenting ideas, laughing and trying to figure out life.

Natalie, Angie, My Mom, Me

This is a similar picture accept we added in my Mom's mom, Grandma Smith.

I love this picture with my Dad and his Dad...Nathan is sandwiched right in the middle. They are all enjoying the food at the reception, but more importantly, each other.

It is so cool that me and my sisters' kids have Great Grandparents! Here are Natalie's kids with Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Swensen.

Seasons

2011-04-26T10:16:00.001-06:00

All three Kindergarten Classes presented a very nice music program this Spring. It was all about the different Seasons.

Some of my favorite songs were the ones with the actions.

On one particular song, Ryan got to play the triangle with his "girlfriend." Since then they have broken up, but I think are back together?...or maybe just friends. Ah, young love. ;)

What is your favorite Season?

Easter Evening

2011-04-24T17:29:00.001-06:00

After a nice Easter Dinner and Sunday Naps, we told the kids that we were wanting to go on a walk around the neighborhood. When we got to the front yard this is what they found. There are endless bike paths around Boise. Some of the most beautiful are down by the Greenbelt. Since all of the kids had grown out of their bikes (not to mention that all of the bikes were in complete disrepair) Mike and I decided that Easter, and the sales at Target, were a great excuse to get everyone hooked up.

Summer cruising on the Green Belt, here we come!

Lydia was in love with her princess bike. She immediately went upstairs to find some toys to put in the front pouch. She could not stop ringing the bell. At first she thought she had to stop riding to ring it. Once I showed her that she could keep pedaling and just use her thumb to ring the bell, she was on cloud nine.

Ryan made his first attempt at riding without training wheels. Though nervous at first, he was very brave. Way to go! We all rode/walked all the way around our subdivision and stopped at the front to throw rocks in the creek. It was such a pleasant evening.

Easter

2011-04-24T07:38:00.002-06:00

Easter morning the kids awoke early to find their baskets full and Jellybeans, Robin Eggs and Peanut Butter M&M's in small piles around the house. And so the hunt began.

This Little Miss woke up ready for action in her stylin' PJ's that her brothers threw together for her.

Lydia really cleans up nice, right?! ;) Mike took this picture of her before we left for church. This is only one snapshot of a long string of ten photos. Lydia has been playing a lot with one of my Iphone Apps, Barbie Fashionistas. So, all you have say to her is, "Lydia, be a Fashionista," and she will deliver...striking pose, after pose, after pose.

Enjoying some of the spoils from the Easter Bunny.

It was hard to get super calm and composed shots of the kids this year. They just wanted to be silly.

This was the best shot of the bunch. Pretty good lookin', despite the silliness.

Easter Eve

2011-04-23T17:04:00.002-06:00

The Saturday before Easter we spent the afternoon together and then did the yearly tradition of dyeing eggs.

The crew is hard at work.

Beautiful!

I've never been able to figure out how to get the kids to finish the Egg Dyeing Process without stained hands. At first I try to get them to use the little wire thing that the kit comes with, but at some point they give up on trying to use it. I can't say that I blame them. Pink hands that last a couple of days can't be that bad, right? Especially when it is only once a year. I say, "Dip right in my friends, the colored vinegar water is fine!"

After the eggs were complete and the Easter Baskets were all set, Mike and I had to run off to the Adult Session of our Stake Conference. Nathan has become a great babysitter. After Conference Mike and I enjoyed a candlelight dinner at an Italian Restaurant right here in Eagle. We love Davinci's. When we came home we sent Nathan up to bed. We later went to check on all of the kids before we went to bed and didn't expect to see them camped out like this. They all wanted to sleep together in the Media Room to celebrate Easter Eve.

Forever Friends

2011-04-20T12:02:00.002-06:00

Ryan and our family had two very important people enter our lives 9 months ago. These are Ryan's IBI Therapists. They have helped Ryan and our family in so many ways. I figure that Ryan and I logged over 500 hours of therapy with these two. One of them would show up every morning, 5 days a week. They would teach, talk to, and encourage all of us.

No question that when you spend that much time with someone you become Forever Friends... especially when they have done so much for you. Ryan had his last day of IBI Therapy on April 20th. He has come such a long way. These two women truly made an impact, did something that really mattered and have been a blessing in each of our lives. Thank You!

My Birthday and Lanie

2011-04-01T19:08:00.001-06:00

We got to celebrate my 35th birthday in Utah with my sister's family. Angie and I got facials and pedicures and spent some time shopping.

Mike ordered this Nothing Bundt Cake, which was really darling and yummy, too.

We loved spending part of our Spring Break with the Wards and getting to know our new niece/cousin, Lanie. Our whole family was completely enamored with her. She is such a little doll, with a perfect temperament. I couldn't get enough of holding her and neither could Mike or the kids.

One funny thing about Lydia and Lanie: We started to affectionately call Lydia the "Baby Stalker." She could not get enough of seeing and holding her--to an extreme level. Where the other kids would pay Lanie a bit of attention and then be on their way, Lydia had a one track mind the entire time we were there. We would often find Lydia trying to sneak into where Lanie was sleeping, just to get a glimpse of her. One time Angie had fallen asleep feeding Lanie in her room. She awoke to Lydia only inches from her face, "Where is Lanie? I need to see Lanie." There is no question that Lydia has those Mothering Instincts...and doesn't she looked just delighted in this picture?

Thanksgiving Point

2011-03-31T12:39:00.000-06:00

We have visited Utah for many years and have never been to see the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. We went to visit my sister and her family for a few of the days over Spring Break and decided to make this one of our outings.

We had a quick morning snack at the snack bar before heading into the museum.

One of the favorites of the kids was this area where they could move sand around in the water, causing it to run in different paths.

Nathan and Danny created a flash flood that washed away all of the trees and dinosaurs downstream.

Another favorite was the Archeology Dig. The kids enjoyed using brushes to uncover dinosaur remains.

We were sad that Madison was at school and had to miss out! From now on when we visit Utah, this should be something we do often!

Court of Dreams-Take Two

2011-03-12T12:30:00.000-07:00

When you have two boys playing club ball it means a couple of things: 1) That you will spend a whole bunch of time in the car driving to and from practices and 2) That you get to go to several events twice--like the Court of Dreams. It's all good though. I love watching them both play!

These older boys didn't need as much fan fare as the younger group, but I think Nathan still enjoyed the experience of playing in this big arena. Here you can see him in the Black and Light Blue Jersey, going for the rebound.

Awesome Shot Number Eight!

Jump

2011-03-11T19:53:00.000-07:00

Danny worked hard to make it onto the Eagle Elementary Speed Jump Team. He competed in the Fourth Grade Boys Forward Jump Division. All of the people on the chairs had counters, keeping track of Danny's every step.

We think that his sweet Fluorescent Green Shoes must have given him quite an advantage.

Danny won Fifth Place in his division over all the schools competing that day. His winning jump? 108 jumps in one minute. Now that is fast! Great job Danny!

Day Trip

2011-03-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of March we were all tired of the gloomy, cold weather keeping us cooped up in the house. One Saturday we planned a Day Trip out to Twin Falls.

Our first stop was next to the bridge that spans the canyon as you come into town. The kids were impressed with the plaque of Evil Knievel. Could he really have jumped this canyon with a motorcycle? Crazy!!

Our next stop was Shoshone Falls. I had read that it had been running full force for most of the winter, which is unusual, I guess. It was bitter cold! I love this pic of the boys in their hoodies.

It was refreshing to get out of the house and to scope out some places we'd like to visit again this summer. Before we headed home we had a nice lunch at a Buffet Pizza joint. Thanks Twin Falls! See you again soon.

Derby

2011-03-03T18:25:00.000-07:00

This year Danny and Mike worked on his Pinewood Derby Car. Mike has become somewhat of an expert. Danny liked the idea of a Domino Design. Both he and Mike collaborated on which domino number it should be and what color: The number 3 and then 2... for Jimmer Fredette and in the color blue. As you can see, he won the award for Best Craftsmanship.

Incidentally, Danny's new little cousin Lanie was born on the same day. All of it quite a cause for celebration!

Court of Dreams

2011-02-26T12:54:00.000-07:00

This year Danny played basketball on a local club team. Mid-season they got the opportunity to play on the court of the Idaho Stampede. They got to use the locker rooms and drink from the Gatorade coolers. They called it the Court of Dreams.

Before the game started they had an announcer using the loud speaker. "And at number eleven, D-Danny, D-D-D-Double D, Dildine!" The crowd went wild!

The huddle.

Great form Danny!

It was sure fun to watch him play in this arena, maybe we'll be back to watch him play here again someday.

Tramp

2011-02-13T12:32:00.001-07:00

By far, the best purchase we have ever made was the Trampoline that is in our back yard. Most of the year 'round you can find the kids out there. Not even the snow will deter them, they just put on their snow suits. Been raining? Doesn't matter. I often find piles of my nice bath towels out there. They use them to dry off the tramp. Every day after school they drop their backpacks and run straight out there. Unlike other toys and things we have purchased, the trampoline NEVER gets old, no matter your age. Mike's been on it with his brothers and in fact, Nathan's Deacon's Quorum is coming over here for Mutual tonight...Just so they can play Slam Ball on the Tramp. Ask me if you should invest in one?...I'll say, "Absolutely."

This is often the view we can see out our back windows. Though the scenery around the kids changes from bleak and gray to green and lush, still they stay...Jumping on the Tramp.

Looks like an exciting game of Poison Ball.

A perfect way to hang out with family.

Four

2011-02-12T19:02:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to Lydia May! I'm not sure if you noticed the huge bruise from her cheek bone to her eye brow. Well, the morning of her birthday she woke up with that. Mike says she did wake up in the night crying, but he put her back in bed and she calmed right down. The only thing we can figure is that she fell out of bed and on the way down, she landed perfectly on the bed rail. After explaining this to her preschool teachers, one of them told me that the same had happened to her son when he was young, only he actually broke his nose! Who knew that was even possible? I guess we will have to wait for Lydia's four year old pictures until the swelling goes down. :(

Despite her rough night, she was able to be thoroughly happy for her family birthday celebration.

Make a Wish!

Ever since we saw the movie, Lydia has been a huge fan of Rapunzel, from "Tangled."

This doll house was Lydia's present from Mike and I. I had been eyeing it for a long time, and every birthday or Christmas I would ask myself if she was old enough to really enjoy it. After having three boys, I really relish the opportunities to buy this girlie stuff. Well, the perfect time had arrived. It has gotten a lot of use. Little People, Loving Family, Super Heroes, Ice Hockey Figures and sometimes full size Barbies make this there home. The accommodations are a little tight for the Barbies, but Lydia finds a way to make it work. Lydia-we love having you as part of our family. You are such a treat!

Pillows

2011-01-22T21:27:00.002-07:00

This is how you will always see Mike sitting on our couch. He adores pillows. I think I can count 5, though I'm sure there is one sitting under his other arm, too. Whether to sit down for a chat, watch a game or American Idol, he hogs all of the pillows in the room. We each have to politely ask for the use of one, to which he will oblige, but unwillingly. Mike drives around with a small pillow in his car and yes, he also sleeps with several pillows. Do you think he has a problem? ;) I guess he's just a softy.

Fire Drill

2011-01-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Ryan has quite a sensitivity to loud noises, especially ones that are unexpected. We learned this last year, when all of a sudden, a School Fire Drill sent him into a tail spin of anxiety. This year we have been working with him a ton. We audio recorded the fire drill noise from school and practiced listening to it every day. We also have helped Ryan learn to put in his own ear plugs. After six month of daily practice and desensitization, it was time for Ryan to give the School Fire Drill another try. He has quite a passion for Ice Hockey (which he has never played), but saw on the movie "The Tooth Fairy." So, we told him that if he could be brave enough to listen to the loud noise of a fire drill, that he could probably also handle the loud noises at a real Hockey Game.

Success! It's hard for me to relate the feelings of relief that I felt, once he had overcome this huge obstacle.

Ryan was given the special job of holding this bucket. Man it was cold that day!!

Off to the Idaho Steelheads game downtown. I'm bummed that this picture ended up blurry. I guess when someone else is taking it, you're never sure what you are going to get. :)

The boys chillin'. We actually saw quite a bit of fighting in the game that night. I had never been to a Hockey Game. Kind of exciting!

Lydia May was also there to cheer on the Steelheads.

We bought Ryan a souvenir hockey stick that he now has in his room. We were lucky to catch a picture with blue (yes, apparently it starts with a lower-case b), the mascot. He was on cloud nine.

Ryan, we are so proud of you! Way to go!

Human Rights

2011-01-17T15:36:00.002-07:00

Normally Mike would have taken Martin Luther King Day off from work. But, this year he started a new business and that was his opening weekend. If you'd like to see his website you can click here.

So the kids and I were on our own.

I heard that there was some stuff going on downtown at the Capitol. We started off our tour by having lunch in the cafeteria. We dined among Senators and Congressmen. I made sure to tell the kids ahead of time what kind of behavior was expected. I think they felt the importance of the building and the day, as soon as we walked in the doors.

We were free to walk around and tour the chambers. Everyone was so welcoming. There were different speakers and performers in the main rotunda. It was really cool to be there among humanity. I tried to help the kids understand why we honor Martin Luther King on this day. I told them that he fought for everybody's rights, especially for people who were different.

Love these kids.

This was such a cool experience. We are definitely making this a yearly "must do" tradition.

Before we headed back to Eagle we went to Goody's, one of our favorite old school ice cream parlors, downtown. Think "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." You know, the Candyman Song? I think this picture is so funny. Especially with the blow-up lips in the background. :)

Nathan and Danny shared an old fashioned Oreo milkshake.

Ryan chose candy over ice cream, picking a long red licorice rope.

Lydia chose a Ring Pop, along with a few Sour Patch Kids that she shared with Ryan. What a great outing!

Sunbeam

2011-01-09T13:37:00.001-07:00

The first Sunday in January this little miss joined the Big Kids in Primary. I loved that I am the chorister and got to make a big fuss over her and the other 8 new Sunbeams.

This is Lydia in her new dress she got for Christmas.

This is Lydia in the T-Shirt she and all the newcomers got. They were all so cute up in front of the whole Primary wearing these and big sun headbands. We all sang, "Jesus wants YOU for a Sunbeam!" Lydia, her brothers and I were all beaming.

Flight

2010-12-27T09:52:00.001-07:00

All of us decided to enjoy one last adventure together. We went up to the Air and Flight Museum in Seattle. It is usually a stop we like to make when visiting Grandma and Grandpa Swensen.

Here we are inside a replica of what the Space Shuttle looks like.

Ryan working hard at the control tower. He loved this museum. He has really been into flying and spaceships, etc.

All right gang. Signing Off! It's been a great year! Here's to Flying High in 2011!

Ryan-6, Danny-10, Nathan-12, Lydia-3

Christmas Highlights

2010-12-25T14:57:00.003-07:00

Bright and early we were awoke by the kiddos, ready to see the spoils that Santa had delivered.

Mike always has the kids wait on the stairs until the video camera is set to go.

The younger bunch waiting patiently after breakfast for the gift opening to begin. Madison, Lydia, Ryan and Mitchell

Later in the afternoon, Ryan and Mitchell opened a Barber Shop where all of the men and boys got haircuts and shaves, with the pretend shaving kit Ryan got. Here is Ryan with Great Grandpa Swensen.

Before bed, all of us took turns dancing to the Michael Jackson Wii Experience that my dad received as a gift from his daughters and their families.

Beat It, Thriller, Wanna Be Startin' Something...They were all so much fun!

Dear Santa

2010-12-24T20:45:00.000-07:00

For better, or for worse, our family writes their letters to Santa on Christmas Eve. Each letter is then placed inside a stocking. The kids and I assume that one of the first things that Santa does when he arrives at our house is read the letters and have his cookie and milk snack. We know this because we always find the letters unfolded and in a pile next to the empty cookie plate. Even though Santa might get an occasional request for a gift that the kids have never mentioned through the entire month of December, for the most part it has been a great tradition. I get to keep every letter, instead of having them filed away somewhere in Santa's Office at the North Pole. :)

Now hugs good-night and off to bed.

Talent

2010-12-24T19:23:00.001-07:00

After several years of making complete fools of ourselves, it was fun to pass some of our "Talent" show tradition to the younger crowd. But first Great Grandma and Grandpa Swensen wanted a picture with the oldest Great-Grand.

Great Grandma LaRue

Great Grandpa Russ

And now for some of the highlights from the show:

Nathan's talent was Swing Dancing which was performed with Danny. I think they are BOTH pretty talented!

Eliot surprised us all with a well rehearsed performance of "Oh, Holy Night" on the iPad Violin. Quite impressive.

One crowd pleaser was Lydia's rendition of "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam." Her solo rendition inspired Mitchell's encore performance of the same song, shown here with audience participation. Man those kids were catching some air!

Christmas PJ's

2010-12-24T18:19:00.002-07:00

After a nice Christmas Eve dinner of Clam Chowder with Bagels and Cream Cheese, the time came for all of the cousins to open their one Christmas Eve Present.

I loved this picture of all of the cousins together. We were sad to not have Sydney and Wesley there with us. The fun thing that I realized about the picture is that they Sydney and Wesley actually ARE in this cousin's picture. Natalie and Brian's Christmas Card is hanging on the wall just behind this eager group.

As always, everyone quickly donned their new Christmas PJ's and joined in on the Photo Shoot!

My Four

My dad had an idea and came back to the family room with a rolled up pair of his socks for both of the older boys. Look at those muscles! This is their "I'm Tough" face, which was actually hard to get, as each snap shot was followed by lots of giggles.

Tradition

2010-12-23T13:54:00.000-07:00

Some people think it is crazy that we pack up all four kids and presents and get them to Puyallup, Washington every other year. It might be...but that is what we do. It is one of our Christmas traditions.

A couple days before Christmas we headed up to Downtown Seattle. The new LINK Rail System was running and we decided to give it a try. We rode it from the Sea-Tac Airport clear into downtown. Here you can see Danny, Nathan, Mitchell, Eliot and my Dad in the back, looking out the window.

My niece, Madison.

Ryan is sitting next to my Uncle Kirk and his Great Grandma Swensen is behind him.

Lydia and Nathan

A snap shot after riding the monorail to the Seattle Science Center. We braved the pouring rain the entire day. And we'll be doing it again in 2012! :)

Misc. Lydia

2010-12-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

Mike and I have a nightly ritual of checking in on each of the kids before we go to bed. One of the nights in December, this is how we found Lydia.

For Christmas Lydia got to help me pick out some hair things for her cousin, Sydney. Of course she couldn't leave the store with out grabbing a couple of the matching accessories for herself. I don't think this is exactly how Sydney wore them, but I think Lydia created a pretty chic look!

Basketball

2010-12-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Ryan's Y-Ball and Nathan AAU finished up on the same day.

Nathan's team lost in the tournament, but had an outstanding season! Nathan has worked really hard to improve his game. Go Eagle!

Ryan got to play on a team with kids from his class at school. He got to do the beginning jump ball for the last game of the year.

Kindergarten Basketball in Action!

In my mind, and Ryan's, one of the main reasons that you play Y-Ball is for the End of Season Party and the Trophy that is usually presented. After years of watching his other brothers come home with trophies, Ryan was ready for his turn. He talked about it for weeks, wondering what his trophy would look like and how much longer it would be until he got one. I'm not sure how it happened, but the team mom and coach decided that a party wasn't necessary. What??? Hmmm... they are only 5 and 6 years old and the party may well be the most important part! If I had been organized enough, or realized in time, I suppose I could have thrown one together, but instead we decided to have our own family party. Y-ball teams all over the valley were celebrating. As we were walking into the pizza joint, Ryan was seeing other kids walk out with their basketball trophies. Ryan politely said to me, "Mom, I am going to try and be happy even though I don't get a trophy this time." Lucky for him, Mike and I went and picked out a trophy just for him--maybe the best six bucks ever spent. :) He was pretty surprised and proud of himself. We recognized all of his basketball accomplishments and cheered for him. Great season! Can't wait until next year.

4th Grade Concert

2010-12-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a very nice Christmas Concert at the Elementary School on the very same day as Lydia's Ballet Performance.

It was a neat performance that included a slide show of different winter artwork and Christmas carols in different languages. One of the highlights was when the kids all played their recorders.

This is Danny with his cousin Paige. I couldn't believe how hard it was for me to get them to put their arms around each other! Too funny! They have been best buddies for a long time. Paige is at our house at least once a week and I practically consider her my second daughter. Though their friendship has remained constant, I have notice some subtle changes. They like to IM and email. When they get together they want to talk about who they "Like." They are also mortified to call their get-togethers "Play Dates." Danny will call Paige, or Paige will call Danny and ask if the other wants to "Hang Out..." a much more sophisticated term, don't you agree?

Ballerina Girl

2010-12-09T09:55:00.001-07:00

Mike, Ryan and I got to go watch Lydia's Christmas Ballet Performance.

It was a sweet little number to a Instrumental version of Away in a Manger. Despite her big yawn early on in the performance, I know Lydia was thrilled to wear this fancy ballerina skirt.

After the girls performed they invited the Dads to share a dance with them. Ryan even got in on some of the action. Christmas cookies and milk were served. A perfect way to get in the Christmas Spirit.

Sugar Cookies

2010-12-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

The first Sunday in December we always make sugar cookies while we watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional.

More dough usually ends up in stomachs before being cooked, than after. But that is the fun of sugar cookies, right?

Often individual cookies have enough sprinkles for a whole batch.

Nice work Ryan!

Yum.

Since November

2010-12-03T16:14:00.004-07:00

I have always been pretty religious about waiting for December to put up our Christmas Decorations or listen to Christmas Music. I am not entirely sure what prompted us to start early this year. Maybe it was the unusual amount of snow that we've had. Maybe it was the fact that we didn't travel anywhere for Thanksgiving, so we had extra time on our hands. Maybe it was because I couldn't wait to see our stockings hanging above the fireplace. My stockings are my very favorite home decor item that I own-Christmas or otherwise. (Would it be odd if I kept them up all year round?) Maybe I was subconsciously craving that warm cozy feeling you get when you sit in a family room only lit by a Christmas Tree and a Fireplace. Ya know, it might have started four weeks ago when I asked Nathan to select a new scent for my Scentsy pot...Gingerbread. Maybe that is what got me in the mood earlier than normal. Well, whatever the reason, the tree is up...

It's been up Since November.

Oh yeah, and the Christmas Music has been going strong ever since.

Snow Day

2010-12-01T16:26:00.000-07:00

When woke up last Wednesday, we discovered six inches of newly fallen snow. Boise is usually pretty temperate, so it was unusual to have a Snow Day, especially so early on in December---December First, to be exact. Mike worked a little from home and then decided that Highland Homes needed a Snow Day, too. Mike got up the gumption to clear the driveway. It took him an hour and he was soaked. That day marked only the second Snow Day we've had in 6 years. The kids were thrilled!

Our kids' elementary school has the best sledding hill in town. After getting some cleaning done, the kids walked around the corner to the school.

Let the fun begin!

Danny is not trying to make a Snow Angel. Danny is actually trying to go down the hill upside-down. Not sure if it is the safest thing, but he thought it was fun.

Good thing Santa brought everyone Snow Gear last Christmas. We didn't get to use it last year, but it sure has come in handy this year. Nathan and Danny both felt pretty adventurous trying out this Sled/Wanna Be Snowboard.

All of the kids were hoping for school to be cancelled the following day. One part of me hoped it was cancelled, too, but no such luck! I guess we all really enjoyed the day off.

More Snow

2010-11-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

We rounded out the rest of our Thanksgiving Week with another trip to the movie theatre, one huge day of college football (I still can't believe that BSU lost like that in overtime), relaxing and playing with friends. We were all surprised to see this much snow the week of Thanksgiving, but all of the boys really enjoyed it.

The boys have loved playing on the tramp in the snow. It gets super slick. They like to wrestle and just fall around on it.

Ryan got to hang out with one of his best friends. Nick and Ryan have been tight since they were just a few months old.

Best Buddies

Grateful

2010-11-25T11:11:00.003-07:00

We had a few festivities planned for Thanksgiving. On Wednesday, we took our little family to see Tangled. We all liked it. That night we continued to prep food and set tables up at Mike's bachelor brother, Jim's house.

When we woke up Thanksgiving morning it was only 9 degrees outside, so the Football Turkey Bowl was out. Mike and I came up with the idea to play "Turkey Ball." Everyone had so much fun that we thought it should become a Traditional Plan B, for when the weather is miserable.

The boys got to practice their B-Ball skills on friends, cousins and uncles.

Mike took a small hoop for the munchkins that found the short hoop height more inviting.

Mike and I rounded up enough tables, chairs and dishes for 28 people. It was quite a Dildine crowd. Thanks to Jim for providing a venue and to Sarah for helping him get it spic and span. We all agreed that it worked great to have the person hosting not have to cook. I think it is a great plan for future Thanksgivings. If you host, you just provide a clean house. Everyone else does the cooking. As my kitchen was getting more and more crazy, I just kept thinking how glad I was that everyone was showing up around the corner from my house, not at my house. It would be a huge undertaking to cook AND keep everything clean for a crowd like that.

We had an adult table and a teen/pre-teen table. Lydia and Ryan were one of 4 little ones at the kid's table. After dinner and a partial clean-up we went just around the block to sing some songs to some darling ladies at the retirement center. There were only four of them, as others had been picked up by family for the day. All of the Dildines joined in, even the ones that don't profess to be singers. I knew they had it in them! ;)

For the month of November we had a big piece of paper on the inside of our front door. Sitting nearby was a box of markers. All month long each of us scribbled down the things that we were Grateful for. Anyone that came and went from our house was also invited to write down what they were Grateful for. By the end the month the paper was practically a work of art, with signatures, words, tributes and pictures written all over, in all different colors and sizes. I wanted to include the list here...for all posterity. :) So, in no particular order...

BSU Football-Mike

Food, Water, Shelter-Danny

The Most Beautiful Fall I have ever Witnessed-Mom

Cars-Danny

FAMILY-Nathan

Vacation-Nathan

2 Very Awesome parents-Danny

Mutual-Nathan

Doors and Windows-Lydia

Snow!-Dad

Chocolate/Banana Smoothies-Mom

Pretty Dresses-Lydia

Friends-Danny

Gum-Nathan

Clothes-Danny

Warm Water for Showers-Mom

Friends and Family-Nick Majors

Nathan's Peanut Butter Cookies-Jim

My Cumfy Bed-Nathan

Good Friends-Mom

A Handsome Husband!-Jennie

A Beautiful Wife-Mike

Great Kids that Help with Chores!-Dad

Mom who Makes our Dinners-Danny

That Ryan is learning to Read!-Mom

a picture of Macaroni and Cheese, drawn by Ryan

Money-Danny

Music-Danny

Getting to Work with the BEST family and a great boy!-Miranda

Scriptures-Danny

Kirk Herbstreit..."You Feeling the Love Boise?"-Mom

Shopping-Nathan

Church-Danny

Friends and Family-Jake Majors

Friends and Family-Savanah Majors

Turkey-Ryan

Mom's Delicious Dinners-Nathan

Getting to Do Lydia's Hair-Mom

Snow-Nathan

Warm Home-Nathan

Lunch Dates with Dad!-Mom

Dad's Mint Brownies-Nathan

Shoes-Nathan

Jackets-Nathan

Air-Danny

And really this list could go on forever, right?

I hope you enjoyed your November and had opportunities to spend time with those you love.

First Snow

2010-11-20T09:00:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday we woke up to a blanket of snow covering the ground. Ryan's basketball game was at nine, and so in order to fill our First Snow Tradition, we grabbed Hot Chocolate on the way to his game. It has been snowing pretty steadily ever since then.

I guess Winter has finally decided to pay us a visit.

Zoobs

2010-11-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

I have started to fall in love with Specialty Toy Shops. I can walk through them and almost every item I come across I think, "This would be so good for Ryan." or "This would be so fun for Lydia." I like that the toys are educational and not just electronic gadgets that clutter my house. A friend of mine tipped me off to the fact that we had a Specialty Toy Shop in Boise. It has been here all along and I never knew. I paid The Children's Store a visit and could have spent hours there. After a recommendation from another friend that I ran into at the store, I purchased these Zoobs. The idea is that once your creation is put together, it actually has movable parts. Ryan, his IBI Therapist and I created this Dinosaur together. He felt pretty proud of his accomplishment.

Swing

2010-11-09T09:40:00.004-07:00

At the beginning of the year Nathan decided he would try out for the EMS Swing Dancing Team. EMS has had a Swing Team for the last 15 years or something. It took a little convincing, but after explaining that "guys who know how to dance are WAY attractive" and Nathan realizing that many of his friends were trying out (meaning...it wasn't a "nerdy" thing to do and tons of kids really hope they make the team), Nathan was game. He found a partner and worked on the audition dance over and over and over. Not very many 6th Graders made the team, but Nathan and his partner did! We got to see them perform at the Veterans Day Assembly.

Nathan goes to school early every Thursday morning at 7:10. That is when the Swing Team practices. He has really enjoyed it. We are excited to watch him in other performances throughout the year.

Parent Observation

2010-11-04T09:21:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago Lydia's Ballet class had a parent observation day. It was so fun to see her enjoying herself so much. All of the girls take it pretty seriously and have pretty somber looks on their faces. Lydia, on the other hand, is just Over the Moon every moment that she gets in the studio. She cannot wipe the smile of her face. She just beams.

Miss Lacey often lets the girls use props like these "Butterfly Wings."

Look at her concentration.

I love Lydia in Ballet.

Fall Photos

2010-11-01T17:31:00.001-06:00

The following are some spontaneous pictures we took down by the river, right here in Eagle. It was a beautiful, warm evening to throw rocks in the river, toss leaves, climb trees and throw the football. You can tell that these were impromptu fall photos because the clothes the kids are wearing don't even remotely coordinate and Lydia still has traces of her dinner on her face. I hope you like them, just the same. :)

Carving

2010-10-31T18:02:00.000-06:00

Because Halloween was on a Sunday, we used the evening to carve our pumpkins, while handing out a candy to Trick-or-Treaters.

Nathan decided that he would rather watch football, than carve his pumpkin. That was okay by me. I could not believe how much Nathan looks like Mike in this picture. This is exactly what you would see Mike wearing on a Sunday Evening.

Halloween

2010-10-30T19:07:00.002-06:00

We had the most glorious weather for Halloween this year. We started the festivities with a Tri-Ward Trunk-or-Treat. Wow! Now that is some efficient Trick-or-Treating! All of the kids came home with their Halloween Pillowcases really weighed down. When Lydia and Ryan needed help to carry their bags around from car to car, we all decided that we had plenty of candy.

The Crew

I snapped these pictures just after the Trunk-or-Treat, and just before a whole bunch of the Dildine Family showed up to our place for Hot Chocolate. We had almost 40 people here to visit and show off costumes to Grandma, Grandpa and other Cousins.

Nathan-The Neon Ninja

I do have to say that there were quite a few Ninjas at the Trunk-or-Treat. Neon Ninjas??? Not a single one, except for Nathan. Great idea Nate!

Danny-The Werewolf (traditional variety)

Danny originally wanted to be an Evil Cookie Monster. All of the Cookie Monster Costumes in town and online, were either over 60 dollars (made for adults) or only 20 dollars (but made for toddlers). Darn! That would have been sooo cool! At least that's what he told me. :)

Ryan--The Fighter Pilot

For quite a while now Ryan has been way into airplanes and spaceships. A Hockey Player costume was in the running, as he adores ice hockey right now, too.

Lydia--Alice in Wonderland

We went through every Princess imaginable, in trying to decide what Lydia would be for Halloween. I finally talked her into Alice, which fit her perfect with her blond hair. I had to hem her costume (that I ordered online) because it was just a tad too long. Well, actually she would have tripped on it had she worn it as it showed up in the mail. I added the sequins and used a flat iron to straighten her hair.

I was devastated to realize that in the first round of pictures taken on Saturday and also at the Trunk-or-Treat, I didn't put Lydia's apron on (See above picture). Shoot! It totally makes the outfit. So, here are some "retakes" of the next day. Nathan wasn't up for the Neon Ninja garb again, so he is a Basketball Player in this group pic.

Basketball Starts

2010-10-30T10:54:00.001-06:00

Some people may think that I am crazy, but I love when my boys start to play basketball. Right now we have 3 games every Saturday, and Danny is not even playing until the Spring. That means one game for Ryan and two for Nathan. Miraculously, we rarely have a games that conflict with one another. The great part is that we spend the entire day together as a family. In between games we go out to lunch, or do a little Christmas shopping. The whole season becomes even more magical once it starts to snow. It is just a little reminder that once we have the last games of the year and the time clock reads 00:00, that Christmas is only days away.

Ryan's Team---The Tiger's (a name that all of the boys came up with)

Nathan made the AAU team again this year. Mike and I can't believe how hard he has worked to improve his game.

Strike!

2010-10-22T17:37:00.001-06:00

Because Nathan turned 12 this year, he was due for a Birthday Party with Friends. He decided that rather than have a boat load of boys over for pizza and cake, he would rather have just a couple of friends join him for bowling and dinner at Chili's.

Looks like fun.

Strike! a pose.

I'm not sure if this reaction should be read as "I was robbed!" or "I'm the man!"

Mike said that he had never seen kids devour hamburgers and french fries the way these boys did. Mike ordered two desserts for the 5 of them. They were gone in a matter of mere seconds. Though it was not part of the original plan, Nathan's friends ended up coming to our house after dinner "to hang out." I guess that's what you do when you turn twelve. No more "play dates," just "hanging out." All of the boys reported that it was the best time that they had ever had. Well, that was easy! :)

Linder Farms

2010-10-18T19:10:00.001-06:00

A yearly Dildine Tradition is visiting Linder Farms, a Pumpkin Patch in Meridian. We usually take one family night in October to enjoy all of the festivities they have there. Here are just a few of the many pictures I snapped.

Corn Box

Feeding the Animals

Old Tractor Tires Play Area

Hay Maze

Hay Ride

Other activities included: Bounce House Jumping, Mini Swing Riding (the kind that go around and around--Lydia's size), Chili Cheese Fry Eating, Bon Fire Gazing and Pumpkin Picking. We've had the most Beautiful October that I can ever remember. So the weather was sublime.

End of Season

2010-10-16T15:30:00.001-06:00

Danny had a great year of football this year. One of the highlights was when some of the boys from the Boise State Football Team came to practice. They talked to them and coached them. Danny even got to have a pass thrown to him by Kellen Moore, one of the front runners for the Heisman Trophy this year. Nathan and Mike hung out with Danny at that practice. They all came home pretty star struck.

I have no idea who these men are (with the exception of the one in the green shirt-Kellen Moore). I am sure if Mike were here he would tell you all of their names, what position they play, and how each of the guys on the team has created "a perfect storm" for Boise State (a non-AQ team) to win the National Title....I think. ;)

This year Danny's End of the Year Football Party was at Idaho Pizza Company. They decided to give all of the boys this poster, instead of a trophy. I was all for it! What a great idea. Awesome job, Danny. You had a great season!

***One other interesting side note: Danny's team was selected to star in a commercial that will air several times during the Humanitarian Bowl. So, a couple of Saturdays ago we took him out to shoot the commercial with the rest of the team. Danny was there the whole day and they fed the boys breakfast and lunch. Each of the boys got some compensation. They got to keep the their "costume" (a football jersey made just for the shoot) and they each received a $50 bill. Now that made Danny's day!

Bruneau Sand Dunes

2010-10-08T20:13:00.001-06:00

On one of the Saturdays in October, Danny had a football game two hours away, in Mountain Home. We were trying to figure out something fun to do that would put us a little closer to the game. We landed on Camping at the Sand Dunes. We lucked out and got to rent one of the heated cabins for the night. We arrived just in time to play a little on the dunes (by the light of the car headlights) and to see the presentation that they had at the Observatory. We all got to look through some telescopes and get glo-stick necklaces. We then headed back to the campsite for some S'mores and Soda.

Lydia wasn't crazy about the smoke from the camp fire. What do they say about smoke following beauty?

We were glad we brought plenty of bedding. We weren't sure what to expect of the "cabin." It was barely large enough to accommodate this bunk bed with pads, a futon, a two person table and a heater--in my mind, the most important part. It was TINY...really a glorified tent...but warm and cozy! :)

After a breakfast of Bacon on Campfire Roasted Doughnuts (I let Mike plan the menu), we headed to the dunes.

All of the sledding gear that Santa brought for Christmas last year finally got some use. I am pretty sure that Santa couldn't predict that once Christmas came and went, that we would not see another lick of snow.

I kind of like Optimist Football Away Games.

Fire Station

2010-10-06T13:21:00.000-06:00

Lydia has been going to Discovery Preschool through the YMCA. It is actually held at a local school in Eagle and really prepares the kids for Kindergarten. Since the funding for school buses got slashed this year, we got to go on a walking field trip to the Fire Station. Some of the kids were nervous the entire time, but Lydia warmed right up.

Lydia sitting in the Fire Truck, talking to another kid on the headset.

Lydia demonstrating the "Stop, Drop and Roll" Technique for all of the Preschoolers, Teachers, Parents and Firemen.

All of the kids got to spray the fire hose.

I just LOVED this picture. What a treat!

Boys' Weekend

2010-10-02T20:02:00.000-06:00

We have been planning for a long time that when each of the boys turned twelve Mike would take them down to Salt Lake for their first General Conference Priesthood session. I think it was really cool for Nathan and something they will both remember for a long time.

Here Mike and Nathan are getting ready to pull out of the driveway.

At the end of the Priesthood Session.

Mike and Nathan ate their way all over town: Brick Oven, Magleby's Fresh, Cafe Rio, and the Skybox Sports Grill. They also got to see my sister Angie, her husband and kids, as well as Nathan's Great Grandma Smith.

Ballet

2010-09-23T10:15:00.000-06:00

In September Lydia started taking classical ballet classes downtown, at Ballet Idaho. I've waited 12 Years for this and it is just how I imagined....So much fun.

Milestone

2010-09-19T14:18:00.001-06:00

The Sunday after Nathan turned twelve he was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood, in our church. It was nice to have both of his Grandparents at the occasion. After the ordination we all visited with the Bishop in his office. We were each emotional as we were able to share our feelings about Nathan and how proud we were of him. Since then he has been passing the sacrament each week and attending Mutual on Wednesday nights. Their Deacons Quorum planned the Joint YM/YW activity just days after his joining the group--No Utensils Spaghetti Dinner. There are only three Deacons right now. I guess that makes for a pretty straight forward Deacons Quorum Presidency...Nathan is the First Counselor.

Birthday Boy

2010-09-16T19:49:00.003-06:00

In September our oldest, tallest and biggest son turned 12 years old. It seems like not long ago that Nathan was just a little fella imitating elephants, practicing football "Hikes!" in the living room and singing in a munchkin voice, "Heavy Equipment, you better get ready for something heavy!"

Now he is all grown up, almost my equal height and surpassing my shoe size. I enjoy our talks and the time that we get to spend together. It sure has been nice having a built in babysitter and someone we can count on to be responsible. Nathan- you are a great kid.

D.C.

2010-09-07T11:42:00.001-06:00

Mike had been planning on going to the Boise State-Virginia Tech game since it was announced, like a year ago. Besides cheering on the Broncos, he and two of his brothers spent time seeing the sights of Washington D.C.

Balloons

2010-09-04T06:40:00.001-06:00

We weren't very ready for the early morning wake-ups that first week of school. I kept trying to get everyone to "practice" getting up early in the weeks leading up to the first day, but those last few days to sleep in are just so delicious, that no one was willing to give them up, I guess even me. :) So after the first week of school we were really looking forward to a nice, relaxing, slow-to-wake-up-Saturday. However, I found out that Boise was having their Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival. I had done this as a kid and for some reason have always remembered it. You have to get up early. I think we left our house at 6:15 a.m. It was dark when we got to the downtown park. As it got lighter it was cool to watch the balloons fill with air and then take off. To me there is something magical about watching the balloons go up. I'm not sure if it is magical to me because it reminds me of that scene from "The Wizard of Oz," or because the music played at the launch is moving and awe inspiring. Either way, it WAS magical watching the sun peak out over the mountains and the hot air balloons defying gravity. It was a perfect morning. We followed the launch by eating breakfast at a cafe downtown and then checking out the Downtown Farmer's Market. We missed some ZZZZ's that morning, but made up for it later in the afternoon with naps. (Those are delicious, too). We are definitely making this a Yearly Labor Day Weekend Tradition!

About the Backpacks

2010-08-30T07:30:00.001-06:00

I would like to say that I was one of those mom's who was just so sad when school started...that I would miss our playful frolics in the park...and our meaningful conversations under a shady tree...or maybe our unscheduled blissful afternoons---But alas, when August 30th came around I was ready for some order to our lives. While last Summer was perfectly peaceful, this Summer I felt like I was in Survival Mode. And you know, I'm okay with that. We have many more summers ahead of us. Bring on the backpacks and Back-to-School nights!

Nathan started at Eagle Middle School this year. This is a whole new ball game. We actually HAVE to get up at 6:30 a.m. to get him out the door on time. Everyone that I talked to this summer said, "Aren't you worried about Nathan starting middle school?." I wasn't worried at all. Nathan was ready, and just such a good kid. I knew he was going to do great! We put off getting Nathan's backpack a little until we knew how much stuff he was going to be lugging around from class to class, and how much stuff he could keep in his locker. Mid September he settled on an Under Armor Backpack, from Dick's Sporting Goods. It fit his HUGE binder like a glove. A match made in heaven.

Danny has this Elementary School down pat. The only question...is it cool for a fourth grade boy to have a PURPLE backpack? Nathan a Danny both seemed to think it would be AWESOME! Hmm.....I told him that he could choose what he wanted, but it might be safer for him to go with the more traditional variety.--Still cool though. Part of the elementary is actually the original Eagle High School, so it has an upper and a lower campus. This year, as a fourth-grader, Danny got to make the switch to the big time: Lower Campus. I love the history in an old school.

Ryan repeated Kindergarten this year. We really thought it would be best, given his late birthday and other struggles. It turns out it was the right decision. He is doing great. Ryan picked out this styling, perfectly coordinated outfit. :) He thought it was brilliant that he could layer shirts like this. To curb Ryan's anxiety, he went to school with a Social Story he had written that morning in Therapy. Ryan's backpack selection was Star Wars.

Now even though this Little Miss had been going to Preschool for 3 weeks, we couldn't leave her out of our "Back to School Photo Shoot." Lydia's preschool is on a year round calendar. Lydia's backpack of choice? It's a no brainer: Princesses.

Stryker Football

2010-08-21T12:04:00.001-06:00

Danny really started to excel in football this year. It was his first year of Tackle Football, so we weren't entirely sure how it would go. He loved it! He became a great blocker and a real asset to his team, both on offense and defense. Toward the end of the season he actually was awarded the "Hit Man" practice jersey. He got to wear it every day in practice that week. We traveled a lot of places this season. We had games in Emmett, Hailey, and Mountain Home.

The first game was a Jamboree. I think they play eight minutes on defense and eight minutes on offense. It is really fun for the kids because they get to play at Bronco Stadium, down at Boise State. In case you haven't heard, BSU is a BIG deal around these parts! :)

Here are some of the fans that were there to cheer Danny on. The thing that is so funny about this picture is that Nathan is still WAY taller than the other kids, even though the cement is slanting up.

From the left: Nathan, Madison, Ryan, Mitchell, Lydia

Visitors

2010-08-13T19:30:00.000-06:00

This picture represents a couple of things about our summer. A few times we were visitors to this lake with family and friends. We even got to go tubing a couple of times thanks to Mike's brother, Brad. We also liked driving up there to play at this beach and have hot dogs and hamburgers, as the sun went down. In August we had my sisters kids, Madison and Mitchell, come and stay with us for 10 days. (I'm not sure how Mitchell didn't end up in this picture). Our family got to enjoy these visitors because their mom and dad went to the Kyiv Ukraine Temple Dedication. That is where Eliot served his mission.

Preschool

2010-08-12T12:55:00.000-06:00

Lydia started Preschool on August 12th. She was sooo excited to reach this milestone. She had been looking forward to when she was going to "be a big girl and go to school like my brothers." She was thrilled. Even the fact that she was the ONLY girl in a class with eight other boys, didn't deter her. I guess she is used to being around all those boys. They have had one additional girl join the preschool each month since then. Three girls is just perfect to play BABIES during centers. I think she looks so grown up in her pig tails.

One thing Lydia says to me often, even several times a day: "Am I turning into a mommy now?" "When am I going to turn into a mommy like you?"---Lydia, my darling girl, preschool is a wonderful first step. You are well on your way.

Thriving

2010-08-02T09:04:00.000-06:00

This summer Ryan was diagnosed with PDD-NOS. So on August 2nd, he started attending ICA for therapy five days a week. Now what do all of these acronyms mean? PDD-NOS stands for Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. ICA stands for the Idaho Center for Autism. My six-year-old son, Ryan, has been found to be on the Autism Spectrum...VERY high functioning. They don't give him the diagnosis of specific Autism because he does not exhibit all of the characteristics, only some of them...that is where the "Not Otherwise Specified" comes in. In all of the research I have done I think that Ryan most closely resembles Asperger's Syndrome. The thing I have realized about kids on "The Spectrum," as they are sometimes called, is that they are all so different. No two kids are alike. Ryan has made huge strides and we continue to be impressed with how far he has come in these few short months. We have gotten so much help, advice and therapy from ICA. They have been amazing. Ryan receives three hours of therapy from ICA every morning and then goes to Kindergarten every afternoon. In addition to this, Ryan receives 1/2 hour of Speech Therapy, 1 hour of Physical Therapy and 1 hour of Occupational Therapy every week. This summer I was so worried about where to send Ryan to school and if ICA was right for us. I just kept telling myself that if September came and Ryan fell apart, that we could make adjustments. Not many decisions are permanent, right? Well, as of right now, he couldn't be in any better place! He is thriving...really thriving.

B-Day

2010-07-27T20:45:00.000-06:00

In July we had much to celebrate. We ended the month with a visit from my Mom and Dad. Even though we went to Kauai in June to celebrate my Dad's 60th, we decided to have him come down for the weekend of his actual birthday. With such a guest of honor, we had other visitors join in on the fun. My Sister, Angie and her kids spent the weekend and we had a nice dinner with my Grandparents and Uncle from Idaho Falls.

Back Row: Uncle Kirk, Grandpa Swensen, Grandma Swensen, Nathan, My Dad-Craig

Front Row: Madison, Mitchell, Ryan, Danny, Lydia