Spring School Pictures

I can hardly believe another school year is more than half way over!

Here's the latest school pictures...

 Parent teacher conferences were last week and they all came through with flying colors!  I think I get more nervous about meeting with the teachers than the kids!  It's like I'm in the spotlight and afraid that the teacher is going to tell me I am a horrible parent {even though that had NEVER happened...LOL}

Dallin's teacher said he is doing awesome!  "He is a JOY to have in class!"  She said he is very smart and tries hard to do the right thing.  I never worry about Dallin too much...he's always been that way.  He just came home with the "Patriotism Award" for being such a great kid!  He's concerned about our earth and wants to keep it clean.  His teacher says he's very respectful of the flag when they say the pledge and always happy!  He's FINNALY lost his two top teeth and loving every second of not being able to talk.  {Note to self...it was funny that Grandma Herbison pulled it out the second she got here to watch the kids while we were on the cruise...yuck!  I guess once a mom, always a mom.  There is no end to the gross things you'll do!} We are so proud of Dallin.  He's a great kid!  I'm absolutely certain that I needed him to be first.  I don't know how I would survive without his help every day.  He is my rock.

 Alex is growing right up!  His teacher says he's smart as a whip.  Too smart sometimes.  He's figured out that if he just does what he HAS to, he can do what he WANTS to.  She says sometimes he hurries a little too fast.  He's the hit of the playground...has lots of little buddies and all the girls are constantly on his case.  The other day he came home and said it was the worst day of his life!  When I asked him why he said because the girls wouldn't leave him along and he didn't get enough time on the monkey bars! LOL!  He's growing up.  Makes me a little sad sometimes.  He's very caring with kids that are smaller than him and only hates a few foods now {broccoli and mashed potatoes LOL!}He's a great reader.  I never worry about his homework and usually don't have to ask him if it's done.  He LOVES to be outside! Alex is my reminder no to take life so serious.

Derrick is my giggle.  He's always laughing...or making me laugh.  He has this little squeaky voice that I secretly hope he keeps for the rest of his life.  He's trying very hard right now to prove he's independent.  He wants to get out there and be big.  Every day the first thing he says is "Mom what can I do?"  His teacher says he's a riot and right on schedule for first grade.  He has a smile as big as the whole world. (This picture isn't the best...this doesn't do it justice and this is why I don't buy school pictures LOL!) Derrick loves a good joke.  He does everything to the max with his whole heart. When he sleeps you know he's sleeping deep, when he's playing you know he's playing his heart out.  It's so fun watching him grow.

My little Zeke.  He's finally been told his real name and he thinks it's so fun.  He goes around telling all the kids "I'm Austin Zeke!"   We're working on letters every day with the kids I tend and they are learning and growing so fast.  I've been taking their pictures with the letters we work on each day and it's so weird ho much they grow and change in just a few weeks.  He's his mommas boy through and through.  He loves to play and pretend as long as I'm in his sights.  {I secretly love that about him}  He's talking in full sentences and making sense.  He's loosing that baby look.  I didn't realize how much until I started tending a baby.  I love this age.  Loves to learn, but still loves his Mama!

The Best Valentines Day Ever!!!

t's taken me a week to get this posted, but it was worth it!!!  This Valentines Day or rather Valentines WEEK was so much FUN!!! Dustin surprised me at Christmas with the news that we were going on a cruise with his work over Valentines Day! It was awesome!

 Thanks to the HUGE favors both our Mom's did us by coming to stay with the kids we were able to go guilt free!  We stopped in Mesquite for a yummy dinner and then we were off to Vegas to catch our flight(s).  We flew all night to Florida, but it was worth it!  We even got to fly FIRST CLASS  on the second flight!  It was awesome!  Did you know they give you a steaming hot towel just to wipe your hands off on???  I was in heaven.  Dustin was trying to sleep most of the way and they kept waking him up to see if he needed anything.  It was hilarious!  About the sixth time I saw he was getting ready to punch that overly attentive stewardess in the face!  I however was on cloud nine!  I couldn't sleep so I took the breakfast they graciously offered...Hey if someones going to hand me food that isn't leftover from some kids breakfast I'm not turning it down LOL!  This is what they brought!  A muffin TOP!  I felt spoiled!  I admit though that my "left over Mom's stomach couldn't eat it all and I sent most of it back.

 We got off the plane, took a shuttle to the docks and this was our first glimpse of our new home for the week!  SOOOO COOL! and HUGE!

 This should give you some perspective on the size of the boat!  It was a giant.  Even more amazing when you were off of it looking at the whole thing!  I still can't believe that those things can float!

 We were at sea the first day and on the second we woke up and were in beautiful Jamaica (or as Alex called it when we got back..."Jam-i-ca" so funny!) It was so pretty there!  I love the ocean!

 These guys greeted us first thing off the boat.  They were pretty cool, but little did we know they were looking for money!  They asked us if we wanted to have our picture taken with them and of coarse all of us girls were saying "Sure!"  Gotta have those Kodak moments right?  Well as soon as the picture was safely in our cameras these guys started holding their hands out.  We walked off without getting the hint and I think they were a little mad.  We felt bad, but paid generously in tips the rest of the day.  Above is Dustin, Kerry, and Brian.

Amy - Rachel- Sherri

(I had so much fun making friends with these nice people while were were cruising together.  They were so friendly and fun to talk to!)

 We decided to take our chances and not book an "excursion" on the boat.  Instead we stayed in a group and found this nice guy "John" to drive us around all day to see the things we wanted to see.  He was very nice and super funny!  He took us right to the middle of down town Jamaica to shop.  Very interesting.  I am always amazed at how blessed we are to live in the good old US of A.  We have so much!  It was fun though.  We checked out the grocery stores...amazingly they had most of the same things (brands) that we do.  I actually thought I could probably survive there if I had to LOL!  The weird thing was all the lights were off.  I guess the owner couldn't afford to pay for electricity so we mostly shopped in the dark.  I thought that was weird.  Simple pleasures I guess.  Check out that HUGE tree behind us!  It was incredible!

John took us to the beach for a few hours (that is were I acquired my sunburn.  We were only there for a couple hours and I did indeed have sunscreen on, and most of that time us girls weren't even sitting in the sun.  We were busy under the canopy getting massages!  :-)  It was awesome!  The beach was beautiful!  Everything I could have dreamed!

 After the beach everyone was hungry so John took us to this restaurant to try some of Jamaica's famous "Jerk Chicken"  It was pretty good actually.  Spicy but good!

Let's eat!  A side note: See that kid sitting at the table just behind us.  He was selling candy bars (kind of like nutter butter bars) and had no shoes on and a hole in his sock.  We determined that he only had one pair and was only allowed to wear those to school.  This disturbed me of coarse....my kids don't know who lucky they are.  Why just as we were leaving my mom showed up with bags of new socks and Sunday clothes for the whole lot of them.  They are spoiled!  (I am too!  Thanks Mom, for all you do!)

 Tuesday...Valentines Day...we woke up in the most beautiful place I have ever been!  Grand Cayman Island!  It was incredible!  The water was so so blue and clear as glass!  You could see right to the bottom!  Paradise does exist people and I'm going back there someday LOL!  We had to take a smaller boat to get to the island.  It was a fun ride!

 Yes...it hurt! ...and we are both still peeling!  I wouldn't have posted this picture, but none of the others did justice to the blue water!  Disregard our sunburns and take note of the ocean in the background.  It was amazing!

There were a few cool pirate ships we passed on our way to the Island.  They exist too!

 We went swimming with the stingrays and snorkeling on the reef.  It was so cool!  Most of the pictures we took in the water are on another couples camera and I will post them when we get them.  I can't tell you how much fun it was!  So neat!  On our way back our boat driver dove right off the edge and caught these HUGE starfish!  They were so neat!

 Look at that water!  The island is in the background.  We were about thirty minuets out.  The dark splotches you see at the bottom are the stingrays on the sand bar!

 Me and my Valentine!  Dustin was so cute.  He planned ahead as usual and surprised me with a beautiful necklace for Valentines day.  He really is so thoughtful and sweet.  I had so much fun hanging out with just him for a whole week.  It was the best "date" ever!

Our last day on the ship out to sea!  It was so cool to stand up on deck and look out at the water!  We had so much FuN!  Can't wait to do it again!

P.S. Thanks so much Mom and RaeAnn for taking such good care of our Boys!  They've been calling me "Grandma" for the last two days!  They miss you and it was so nice not to have to worry while we were away!

Happy Super Bowl!

Ya, Ya...I know what you're thinking...huh? Well it seems I have finally lost the foot ball fight in this house.  It was bound to happen with four boys, a sports addicted husband, and three maniac dogs!  So I figured if ya can beat 'em...join 'em!  We had a fun Sunday afternoon together with the works {ie: Junk food!} Sandwiches, caramel popcorn, soda, chips, more junk!  It was fun.  My kids were in heaven.  I even found these cute football Oreos that I secretly wish they had all year!  They were huge and very yummy.  I admit I am not a huge fan of the frosting in the middle so the big cookie on the outside made me happy!  Happy Super Bowl Everyone!  Hope your team won!