Winn Family

Coleton is 7

2012-01-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Coleton turned 7 this month. I can't believe it. It seems like just yesterday he was this little toe head boy toddling around with a black eye saying "ball" at everything round.
Coleton is as patient and easy going as they come. He is such a good brother. He has a way of just making everyone smile and laugh. Things can be crazy or tense and he just cracks a joke that settles everyone down. He can make anything from doing the dishes to making a bed fun. I am so glad he is part of our family!

Smooth Skating

2012-01-25T18:55:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl I used to spend hours on my roller blades pretending to be an ice skater. I loved skating! John and I went ice skating a few times when when we were dating, but we hadn't been since. Over Christmas break we decided that our kids were all old enough and it would be fun to try out as a family. I am so glad we did because it was so fun!! Even little Easton got the hang of it. Coleton was a bit timid at first, but in true Coleton fashion, he got the hang of it quickly and was off to the races. Hailey had been ice skating once before for a party, so she was already a pro:)I am so happy that my kids love it like I did!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-24T14:30:00.003-07:00

Our Christmas began at 4:30am when Hailey and Coleton came into our bedroom to see if we could get out of bed yet. Being the awfully mean parents that we are, we made them wait until 6:30am. So for 2 whole torturous hours those two waited patiently, giggling in Hailey's bedroom.

John told the kids that Santa had found our house. Hailey was so excited, she couldn't wait another minute! I think Coleton was ready to go back to bed, and I am not sure that Easton was even fully awake at that point.

Santa brought Easton a "Motorcycle Bike"

Coleton got a 3DS....apparently a DS just isn't good enough for the boy:)

Hailey got a whole lot of Barbie stuff. I have to say that I love that she still likes Barbies. She didn't even like them until she was 8 but she loves them and I love that we haven't graduated to wanting ipods and laptops yet.

After a quick opening gift time, we hurried to get ready for church. Lucky John had to speak in Sacrament Meeting the week before Christmas for our ward conference and on Christmas. Such a lucky guy! I loved driving to church and leaving as a family. I had forgotten what that is like and I never even really think about it but it was so nice on Christmas to drive together!

We broke every Sunday rule we have at our house, but hey it was Christmas. Here are the kids playing outside enjoying their new toys. It was such a nice day and so weird that leaves were still on our trees.

Pre-Christmas Festivities

2011-12-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

We love the holiday season, especially all of the fun traditions that we do as a family. There is just something special about being together! One of our favorite traditions...building gingerbread houses.
Here are our masterpieces:

My pathetic house.., In my defense, I was busy helping the kids, then threw mine together.

Here is John's perfect house. He is so funny about these. He never wants to do it, then he takes his sweet time and his always has to look perfect.

My little non-conformist decided he really wanted to eat his.(I don't know anyone that actually eats these, but whatever makes the child happy.) What was so funny to me is that he hates eating anything new. It usually includes screaming to get him to try something for the first time, but for some reason his house was irresistible!

Easton's final product....delicious!!!

Another one of our favorite traditions is venturing downtown to the temple grounds. The lights are stunning, the nativities are awesome and just walking around the temple with family feels peaceful and sacred.

We also spent time with extended family. I didn't do a great job of taking pictures at these events, but I did get one that is a little funny. Every year my grandma has a breakfast for my dad's side of the family. There are quite a few great grandchildren. We decided to attempt a picture with great grandma and the kid-o's that were at the breakfast. This is the best we could do. Apparently there are so many different personalities in the bunch. Everything from jokers(notice the bunny ears) to covered faces to escape artists!

On Christmas Eve, we always get to open 1 present and SURPRISE it is always...NEW JAMMIES! There is just something cozy about new jammies!

And of course, we have to leave cookies and milk for the jolly fat guy....and as Coleton reminded us this year..."Seriously, leave the man a napkin!"

Easton's Preschool Program

2011-12-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Easton did great at his preschool program this year. He is doing so great in preschool this year. He loves his friends and is happy to go! I was expecting a bit of silliness from the child during the program, but he did really good. He even looked a bit nervous in front of all of the people.
This is his cute friend, Morgan.

His part was "And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof, the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head and was turning around, down the chimney St Nickolas came with a bound."

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

John's company was a corporate sponsor of a race on Thanksgiving morning. John and I of course had to run it. :) It was John's first race. He did great even though I think he wanted to kill me for talking the entire race. Apparently, he doesn't appreciate my encouraging remarks.

After the race, we enjoyed Thanksgiving with John's family. The boys played a game of football. John's nephew plays for Lone Peak High and it got a little rough between the two of them. John sustain the biggest, ugliest bruise I have ever seen. Of course, he would never let his nephew know. (Way to tough!!!) And John may have totally taken Richie out once or twice. (OOPS! It wasn't tackle John!)

Principle's Pride Take 2

2011-11-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

Hailey earned her Principle Pride Award this week. She received the award for "excellence in reading and math." Unlike Coleton, she actually cared about the award and even wore a dress for the occasion. Her good friend Raegann got the award on the same day. They were super excited to be together. Way to go Hailey!

Our Haunting Halloween

2011-11-02T22:15:00.000-06:00

....haunting only because John had to dress up for work and the man was not very happy about it. Ahahaha!
Our Halloween was very traditional this year...which I love. Sunday night we carved our pumpkins. Every year the kids are so excited to do this and every year they are so grossed out by the insides that it makes me laugh. Hailey tried to use rubber gloves to clean out her pumpkin. Easton would not even get close to a pumpkin with the top off and Coleton...easy tempered Coleton cleaned his out even though he really didn't love it. Hailey and Coleton carved the faces pretty much by themselves this year and they were very proud of the final product.

After many hours on the internet searching for the perfect costume, Hailey decided to be a Southern Belle. She was hilarious all day. She has the perfect southern accent and she used it ALL day! Easton decided on DARF VADER...cuz he's a bad guy...and because I could not find a brown gorilla costume with a huge chest that he could beat on, Coleton decided on DARTH VADER as well. (whatever, they can be the same right???)

Halloween was on a Monday so yes, I did scrub my house. Then Easton and I headed to the school for class parties and the parade.

After the parade we headed to John's work for some good old trick or treating. Then hustled home for our yummy Halloween dinner...pumpkin stew and homemade root beer...and some Papa Murphy's pizza for my picky kids who will not eat the delicious stew!

This picture just shows how mad John was about dressing up. He hates it!

After trick or treating around the neighborhood it was off to grandmas house for some candy swapping fun with the cousins and some new cozy pj's!

Pumpkin Patch'n it!

2011-10-20T13:47:00.002-06:00

Easton got to go to the pumpkin patch with his preschool class. It was a super cute little patch. The kids got to see chickens, do a FARMER dance,

go on a tractor ride, get lost in a corn maze,

listen to a story and pick out a pumpkin!

It was such a fun time. I love to watch Easton with his cute friends. My baby is growing up!!!(sigh)
This year we grew our own little pumpkin patch to enjoy. The kids planted the seeds and made little signs to put by their plants. Luckily each of the plants produced a pumpkin. Way to GROW my little FARMERS!

On a side note: meet PEARL...Hailey's turtle. She stinks, is super ornery, but Hailey and everyone in the family but me loves her.

Principals Pride

2011-10-20T13:27:00.001-06:00

Coleton received his first ever Principal's Pride Award this year. He was so funny about getting this. He totally forgot that he had a note telling me about it until 2 hours after school, and then all I got was, "oh Mom... I forgot I got Principal's Pride." After I made a big deal out of it he was super excited for a FEW minutes. Then on Monday evening we were at the dinner table and Coleton said, "Mom I feel excited for Wednesday, but I just can't remember why!" Hee Hee silly boy! He was more excited that I brought him McDonalds for lunch than anything....who cares about the award, bring on the chicken nuggets!

Good Job Coleton! We are so glad you are such a great kid!!!

26.2 miles: check!

2011-10-03T15:05:00.001-06:00

I ran a marathon! I still cannot believe that I am that stupid...but I guess I am!!!!
(I love this picture. We went to put our arms around each other and then realized how disgustingly sweaty we were....nasty!)

One of the spectators watching the marathon was holding a sign that said, "Running is a mental thing....you are all insane." I tell you it is true!!!!

I started running in April all because our Stake was having a 5k and I thought it would be fun...it was. Then in June I did a 10k...it was also fun. I started running with some friends in my neighborhood in the mornings and just kept loving it so I decided to train with them. I love getting up before the sun is up and heading out chatting with friends and watching as the world wakes up. I also love how I feel when I am done running.

We started the race out really fast (for us anyway). We were at mile 16 before the 3hour and 45minute pacer past us. I couldn't believe how fast the miles past. I loved watching all the different ways people run. It was so funny to me, not in a mean way just in an amazed way. Some people run like antelopes, some with literally one foot in front of the other and some let their feet hit the ground so hard I am sure their joints are going to break. I loved looking at the back of people's shirts for the reason they were running. i.e: cancer survivor/26 for my dad .2 for me/in memory of.../ There are a lot of inspiring stories! I also loved the amazing scenery and the hilarious signs people were holding.
At about mile 18 I started to get a bit tired, but by mile 19 I was feeling good. Shortly after mile 19 we saw a girl that was passed out on the pavement. I felt so bad for her. There was a runner that was a doctor assisting her, a shuttle van coming and an ambulance on its way so we went on but after that I think I lost my drive. It made me so sad. To be honest it kind of freaked me out a bit. Here was what looked like a very healthy, young girl completely out on the ground. SO SAD!

Here we are grabbing water at the 24mile aid station. The last two miles seemed like forever to be honest. I just had nothing left. I walked a bunch. One of the last aid stations had baggies of ice. That was heavenly. I chewed the ice and started running again. When I got to the point that I could see the finish line all I could think was, "That was the dumbest thing I have ever done!" I thought I would be so happy when I finished that I would cry, but all I could think was I am never doing that again! I wasn't emotional at all.
I already have changed my mind and I most likely will do another marathon at some point. I really want to do a half because I think it is long enough to really push yourself, but not so long that you might kill yourself!
I have learned so much about life through running. It is amazing to me what you can do if you just push yourself a bit, surround yourself with others that make you happy, and put one foot in front of the other.
Just before I crossed the finish line.

Stats: 4hours 1minute 43 seconds.

Kickin it!

2011-09-27T14:19:00.000-06:00

With fall comes SOCCER! This year was very interesting to say the least. The league we play in has the first and second graders play together. Last year Coleton played on small fields with no goalies or positions and this year it changed to huge fields with goalies and positions. Our little team of first graders wasn't ready to play against teams that had played on the big fields and already knew positions! I think they lost all but one game! Oh well, they had fun I guess. John keeps telling Coleton that next year they will smoke everyone..and I am sure they will, but I am not sure that makes Coleton feel any better. (He is so competitive when it comes to sports!) Coleton was the high scorer on his team with a grand total of 4 goals. (in 8 games...I tell you it was so hard to watch!) I think that only 2 other kids on his team scored one goal each during the whole season. It was brutal!

Coleton and his good friend Sam

G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S

2011-09-13T13:02:00.005-06:00

I admit I am one that is easily shocked with how "glamorous" motherhood can be. After nine and a half years of the glamor I thought I had seen and done it all. Disgusting bums, green snotty noses, throw-up....no need to go on, you get the idea. But, I had a whole new experience the other night. I will give you a hint....it had to do with a fettuccine noodle...

and this oh so sweet face.

John wasn't going to be home for dinner...he had his own glamorous night full of meetings, so I decided to make Chicken Alfredo for dinner. The kids love it....John and I, not so much. I was thinking perfect...kids happy and I will just eat a whole lot of junk for dinner after the kids go to bed...wonderful!!!
While the kids were eating I decided to run upstairs to check for an email I had been waiting for. Two seconds later, Hailey starts yelling that Easton was choking, but I heard Easton cry so no big deal! Coleton had patted his back all was well. I had Easton take a drink to which he kept telling me it was still in his "neck". Being the kind and awesome mom I am, I just had him drink a bit more and all is well.
The evening progresses... homework...reading...a whole lot of sneezing from Easton. I think weird, but the kid has allergies like crazy so whatever. I wipe a bit of gross snot and think weird again. I give him some Benadryl because the poor kid just can't stop sneezing. An hour or so after dinner the kids and I were getting ready for bed and Easton lets out a huge sneeze and all the sudden I see this noodle hanging out of his nose. Disgusting!!!! Hailey is standing there gagging, Coleton is rolling on the floor laughing, and I get the lucky job of pulling the noodle...covered in snot mind you...from his nose. SICK! As soon as I get the noodle out Easton says, "Oh that feels so much better mommy!"
The poor kid wasn't kidding when he told me the noodle was still in his "neck."
Note to self...when one of the kids say something is wrong, LISTEN to them!

...and #3 back to school as well...

2011-09-06T14:51:00.000-06:00

Its official...everyone is now "back to school." Bring on the fall schedule! I think cute Coleton is more excited for Easton to go to school this year than anyone. He loved Busy Bees Preschool...especially the teacher! I heard Coleton telling Easton this morning that he was going to have so much fun, the teacher is so fun! etc. etc. etc.
Easton was happy to go. No tears this year! And he was plenty happy when he came out except he said he did a bad job cutting the green paper! (whatever that means;)At least he said he did a good job cutting the pink one so I guess all is well!

Back to School

2011-09-01T10:05:00.001-06:00

Our kids started back to school this week. Hailey is in 4th grade and she was so nervous to go to school this year. Now that she is in 4th grade she is in the older half of the school and that responsibility is nerve racking!!! Luckily she made it through the first few days and the nerves are starting to subside.

Coleton started 1st grade. He has been absolutely loving it. I have had to laugh at how he comes home and just needs to be free! He goes outside and runs and plays for a good hour before I can hear about school.

I can't believe how quiet the house is with just Easton home. The house stays clean so much longer which is nice, but I miss my kids like crazy. By like 3:00 I find myself pacing around nervous. Hopefully we will all get used to this schedule soon.

Easton is 4

2011-08-10T22:39:00.001-06:00

Easton recently turned 4! As I look back over the last 4 years I can't believe how Easton has changed our lives for good. He dances to the beat of his own drum, refuses to follow the norm, and doesn't let anything or anyone change his mind or push him to do something he doesn't want to do. Easton lives for trains and even calls my mom the "train grandma" because she has a geo track at her house. It is not uncommon for Easty to have 3 different tracks set up all intertwined. Easton lights up our world when he wakes up in the morning and announces to anyone he sees, "Good Morning, I missed you while I was sleeping!"
This year all he wanted for his birthday was a jet pack that would make him fly....since I have a little bit of an issue with my 4 year old flying...he had to settle for another gift!
Happy Birthday Easton! We are so happy you are part of our family!
Here is the perfect example of how Easton rolls....."Easton, smile for the camera."

and....steal a little candy...

an hour later....

St George

2011-08-03T20:39:00.001-06:00

We spent a few days in St George with John's family. It was nice to get away for a little bit and spend some time together! We went to Sand Hollow and played in the water...

relaxed in the water...

played in the sand...

and ran as fast as we could across the sand as it burned our feet as we went.

We took a very quick stop at the hotel to clean up and it was off to the Pizza Factory for some delicious breadsticks and pizza....

followed by Tuacahn. This was by far my very favorite part of the whole trip. The play was amazing. The special effects were awesome and most of all Easton loved it so much that he sat so still the whole time. Coleton fell asleep and told me he would have liked it if he wasn't so tired. This picture was taken at midnight and you can see in Coleton's eyes how tired he really was.

The next day we swam at the hotel pool and then enjoyed some shopping. (my second favorite part of the trip :) We found some excellent deals and I felt happy! After visiting with family for a bit we headed home...or so I thought... John remembered this place he went after High School graduation, so we stopped...it made John happy! It also made the boys happy....not so much Hailey...too many bugs!
The BIG boys got to climb up higher than the rest of us...they think they are tough!

The first lizard Easton saw scared him almost to death....he let out the loudest scream ever, but then he decided they were neat and searched for them.

No....John didn't really throw the poor boy into the water below even though Coleton begged and begged.

Easton loved the freedom...

Coleton loved crawling through the rock...Easton loved trying to climb up and slide down.

And a picture of us all looking our finest!

All in all we were glad we went and created a few fun memories together!

Celebrate America!

2011-07-06T14:02:00.000-06:00

We had a fun 4th this year...and surprise...I didn't take many pictures. We met some friends at a park for lunch. I must have been enjoying myself so much that I forgot about the camera. :0 Oops! After the park, we went swimming at my parents house for a few hours. It was overcast, but luckily there wasn't any lightening. The kids had a great time. I love how happy they all are when they are in the pool.

Hailey with Coleton looking just a tad bit nerdy in the back.

Cute Easton.

In the evening, we went to John's brother's house for a BBQ and fireworks. It seemed like we hadn't seen his family in forever so it was good to see everyone. I had to smile at John. He was just like a little kid with his family. They played basketball...then football...then he and his brother were so funny lighting the fireworks. They were so excited to play with fire. The kids all loved the fireworks this year. Easton surprised me a bit and said they were "so awesome." Driving home that night made me laugh because there were so many fireworks going off all over the valley. I have never seen anything like it before. I think everyone must be super excited about the new laws!

Easton, Coleton, Cory and Keaton watching the firework display

Just a little bit competitive football

Easton, Sarah and Ella

My First 10K

2011-07-06T13:39:00.002-06:00

After running the 5k in May, I wanted to run a 10k. When my sister said she was going to run the Riverton 10k, I tagged along. It was so fun. My cute friend Kristin, who has run 9 marathons mind you, had never run a 10k. She joined in and made it a blast. I was hoping to run 9 minute miles...but we surprised ourselves and ran it in 8.29min/miles...no wonder I thought I was going to die at about mile 5. I took 8th in my division and Kristin took 1st in hers....too bad I am over 30 or I would have taken 2nd! (geez..why do I have to be so old!!!) Anywho....who knows, maybe I will try a half marathon next. I have to say that I was so proud of my sister! She started training in November so she could run the whole thing and she did great!!!! Way to go!!

Holly, Marquel, and Kristin after the race with a few boys jammin to my ipod

The kido's waiting for us to finish. Coleton told me that we took forever!

Kristin and I almost to the finish line.

Random June Happenings

2011-07-06T13:26:00.000-06:00

John and I went to the last night of girls camp. I did an awful job at taking pictures, but I couldn't resist when I saw John line dancing. It was so fun to go see all of the cute girls having a blast at camp!

Hailey had her end of year dance team party. The cute team moms gave all the girls awards. Hailey got the "Cool as a Cucumber" award for never getting frustrated when her teachers changed the dance a million times.

Top: Hailey, Brittany, Alexis
Bottom: Sammy, Addi, Sid, Sidney, Erin, Halee, Ashley

I went into the boys room one night to check on them and found them like this. I love that they have each other! When one gets scared, they are so cute to the other. I also had to laugh that they had stolen the pillows off my bed. GRRRR!

Play Ball

2011-06-21T19:27:00.000-06:00

Coleton PLAYED machine pitch baseball this spring. He was on the ROCKHOUNDS again this year. It was perfect because Easton had Coleton's hat from last year to wear to the games. Easton loves hats and heaven for bid he be the only boy in our family without a matching hat:)
John was the coach and Coleton loved spending the extra TIME with his dad! Coleton was good last year, but he really improved this year! He was able to play 1st BASE twice this year and he got a total of 5 OUTS. His little muscles have also GROWN and he hit the BALL really well. One game he hit it all the way to the GRASS and the whole way around the BASES he just kept yelling, "Did you see how FAR that went mom? Dad would have owed me a CANDY bar if I did that at home!"
These are pictures of Coleton batting. If you really want to you can blow them up and see better.

Even though he loved playing ball, he is 6 and the BEST part was spending the TREAT tickets at the end of the GAME!

Hailey's Fieldtrip

2011-06-21T10:26:00.000-06:00

Hailey got to go to the ~~dump~~, Landfill, Copper Mine, and Copperton Park for her field trip this year. I was lucky enough to go with her. We had a great time....except for the bee in the bus window...that was a little stressful. Luckily, Mrs Birge, Hailey's teacher came to the rescue and trapped it. Anywho, the Landfill was stinky but kind of interesting. We learned why it is called a landfill and not a dump, how they cover the garbage and about recycling. Who knew we are like the 2nd worst area in the United States when it comes to recycling! (Start using those blue garbage cans people:)) We also got to enjoy a bus ride tour of the hole where they are putting the garbage. The Seagulls where the big hit! The kids thought they were so COOL!
The copper mine was fun. I haven't been up there since my fieldtrip when I was Hailey's age so it was fun to see. I have to say that I love little girls this age. They are so grown up and funny! Good Times for all!!!!
Kyla, Hailey, Brittany, and Lisa

Hailey's friend Jackson

Beyond the No Character Zone

2011-06-21T10:18:00.000-06:00

Hailey's class performed a play called "Beyond the No Character Zone" the last week of school. Hailey loved practicing and preparing for this play. It was pretty much all we heard about during May. Hailey was the Good Fairy....a perfect part for her. She did a fantastic job!!

See Us Run

2011-05-31T21:05:00.000-06:00

Our stake held a fun run and 5k and since none of us are runners we decided to participate. :) John and the kids ran/rode bikes and scooters for the fun run. Coleton beat everyone by a long shot....too bad its because he was on his scooter. Hailey ran the mile and Easton rode his bike with John running behind him. I have been running a bit the last month to prepare and I have loved it. I ran the 5k in 28:44...not quite as fast as I had hoped, but considering it was my first 5k I will go easy on myself. We all had a fun time especially just hanging out with our friends before and after the races. We are looking forward to next year!!!
Hailey and her friends jamming at the starting line

Coleton and Sam...they rode their scooters like 10 miles before the race even started:)

John and Easton starting the race

John and Easton almost to the finish line

Mr Speed himself heading for the finish line

And the big finish for me. Cute Coleton saw me coming and started racing me on the sidewalk...he was hauling!!

Eastons Preschool Graduation

2011-05-27T13:51:00.002-06:00

Easton celebrated his preschool year with a darling program. He is getting so big it almost kills me. His teacher, Miss Joey, called the kids up one by one to present them with a trophy and certificate. As she called them up she read their favorite color, favorite food, etc. When they got to the podium, they all said what they wanted to be when they grow up. Most of the kids said, "I want to be a princess or a space ranger, etc when I grow up." Easton got up and said so clearly, "I want to be a dad when I grow up." So cute!!! It made me cry. I just have to say that this little guy is so lucky to have a great dad to look up to!!! Congratulations Easton! We are so proud of how much you have learned this year!!!

Coleton's Fieldtrip to the Dinosaur Museum

2011-05-26T10:29:00.004-06:00

Coleton and his class went to the Dinosaur Museum for their fieldtrip. We had a blast. Coleton has such cute friends that just love to goof off and have fun! The boys had a great time and especially loved playing in the erosion, sand area and they loved the scale that shows how much a dinosaur weighs. For some reason they were shocked that I didn't weigh as much as a dinosaur...imagine that!

Ethan, Jason, Sam and Coleton

Sadie, Coleton, Sam, and Sage

Hailey's Dance and Tumbling Revues

2011-05-26T10:23:00.003-06:00

Hailey finished this dance/tumbling year off with her revues at Copper Hills High School. She did an excellent job. She loved tumbling especially this year. It is amazing to me how she just can't get enough of it. I am convinced she literally can't walk over 10 steps without doing a handstand or a cartwheel, but I love that she loves it so much! She is starting level 6 in July and is so excited about it. (I'll spare the dance pictures since there are a bunch a few posts back.)

Hailey is the one in the front.

Soaring Eagle Awards

2011-05-26T10:13:00.002-06:00

This year both Hailey and Coleton earned the Soaring Eagle Award at their school. To receive this award the kids had to do extra projects and receive good citizenship. Just a few of the things Coleton did to earn his award were to memorize how to spell 11 color words, complete an oral report, participate in a service learning activity, help cook one meal each week for a month, etc. Some of the things Hailey did were to pass her Mad Minute math drills (addition, subtraction and multiplication), earn 12 100% on spelling tests, label the continents and oceans on a map, give 3 hours of service to someone in need and my favorite, a community service project. Hailey chose to go to the animal shelter and help take care of the animals. She loved this! John, being the trooper that he is, went with her and helped her. John however hated this! Way to go guys! I am so proud of you!!!!

Easton's Fieldtrip to Jump and Bounce

2011-05-26T10:08:00.002-06:00

Easton's school class got to enjoy a day at Jump and Bounce. I almost didn't take him because in the past he hasn't loved it there. With his sensory issues the giant inflatables and slides freak him out; however, he amazed me again. He loved it this time. He was all over the place and went down every slide. Hooray, just one more sign he is growing out of the issues! It was so fun to see him play with his friends and socialize like a big kid.

Dance Competitions and Las Vegas

2011-05-11T19:59:00.000-06:00

We have spent several weekends over the last two months at dance competitions! It has been so fun to watch Hailey dance. She has improved a ton this year. Her team was full of great girls that love to be silly together. Her last competition was in Vegas. Like the awesome mother that I am, I didn't take many pictures (ok...3) and I didn't get any that are worth while but oh well....next time...right? (and maybe, just maybe these are all the dance pictures I took all season as well....its a good thing another mom covered me and is putting together a DVD with a million and 2 pictures!)

Yes....these are as good as it gets. We went to the aquarium at Mandalay Bay. The kids all loved it though it was a little pricey for what you saw. Easton especially loved it which amazed me. I thought it would scare him a bit. The other two kidos are so into sea creatures that this was a little slice of heaven for them. I tell you one of these days we really need to venture to Sea World. (Dear coworkers of John...stop telling him Sea World is lame!)

Easter

2011-04-27T10:26:00.005-06:00

On Friday night our neighborhood had the annual FLASHLIGHT Easter Egg Hunt! It was super cold but super FUN! The kids had a blast! Easton only wanted GREEN eggs. He would pass up like 10 eggs just to get to the green ones. It cracked me up.

This year we made MONSTER eggs. This is the first year Easton participated in the dying of EGGS. (something about an uptight mother, dye and a toddler...) He was so funny he got a crack in one of his eggs so he just kept pushing the crack and making it bigger. In total DISGUST I asked him, "what are you doing?" He answered, "I am trying to close this egg!" The SWEET little thing was trying to fix it not smash it more.

Sorry about the missing pants! After about 1 year of trying to get this kid potty trained we just stopped wearing pants! (Whahoo...within the last few weeks he has finally got the hang of it, but we still haven't gotten used to wearing pants again...one thing at a time!)

I tell you I don't know what it is about SUNDAY but I swear that is the most HYPER day of the week! Then throw in some CANDY and something about an Easter BUNNY coming and just try to get a normal picture. What a bunch of GOOFS!!!

So far this Month...

2011-03-22T15:04:00.006-06:00

Hailey celebrated her 9th birthday this month! Crazy....she is 9!!! YIKES! We love Hailey and her outgoing personality.

It seems like we have spent a lot of March doing this.

Poor Easton got a cold that sent his asthma spinning out of control. After a week of steroids...a small break and then another week of steroids...then a week on an antibiotic, I think we just might be good to go! (knock on wood)

Hailey and Coleton are off track for the next 3 weeks. Hooray... bring on the lazy mornings!

I am a PROUD parent!

2011-01-17T14:53:00.001-07:00

Really? My 3 year old can dress himself with no underwear and backward pants...AWESOME!

Happy 6th Coleton

2011-01-17T14:49:00.003-07:00

Coleton turned 6 this month! Coleton is the easiest going, happy to be alive, boy I have ever met. We love you Coleton!!!! On his birthday we had 14 of his closest friends over. We went sledding...so funny with that many 5 and 6 year olds.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-17T14:31:00.005-07:00

We had such a fun Christmas season. I was a slacker with my camera though. I didn't even take pictures on Christmas morning...pathetic. At least John picked up the slack and videoed the whole thing.
Christmas started on Thanksgiving weekend with the Jensen clan. My brother and his family were in town from Hawaii. It was so fun to see them!

In October of this year Hailey asked me point blank about Santa. I just skirted the question until I could talk to John about it. We decided that we needed to answer her so we went into her bedroom to have a talk. John broke the news to her and she just busted up laughing like she had been tricked and it was the funniest joke ever! Then she said, "what about the Easter Bunny?" When we said same thing, she just laughed and laughed. She thought it was hilarious. She has been great with the boys and loved being in on the secret this year! Easton still hates Santa and refused to believe that a man with a scary beard would enter our home at night and leave gifts!

Santa brought Hailey a much wanted and anticipated turtle. I need to take a picture. It is an aquatic turtle she named Pearl. She loves it and tells everyone she sees that she has a pet. Coleton got a wii...well the whole family got it, but he insists it is his. He got video games and a bike. Easton got a whole lot of Thomas stuff.

Hello Basketball

2011-01-17T14:26:00.003-07:00

Coleton started basketball this winter. He gets so excited when he makes a basket. Too Cute!

Christmas Programs

2011-01-17T14:04:00.006-07:00

Coleton had his Kindergarten Christmas program at the first of December. He did a great job and loved to sing all but one of the songs. He was just a little bit too cool for too-ta-tah!

Easton had his preschool Christmas program as well. How can you not just love this little stinker? He tried so hard to keep his little behind on his chair while being the non-conformist that he is! He did a great job, he had his part memorized and even participated in the singing.

Heartburn

2010-12-02T07:57:00.003-07:00

Our conversation as we were getting ready for school this morning:
Hailey: "Mom I really want to see Enchanted again."
Mom: (thinking in my head, that was a random thing to announce.) "That was a cute movie."
Hailey: "It was heartwarming."
Coleton: "It gave me heartburn!"

Who said boys and girls are the same????

CONCENTRATION

2010-11-18T22:14:00.004-07:00

Who knew cutting was such serious business?

Oh no...my mom was watching!

Halloween

2010-11-18T21:52:00.005-07:00

Easton's preschool class sang Halloween songs...Easton didn't really participate, but he loved singing the songs at home. He started out all smiles...

Then he started to get a little moody about the whole thing...

Then he just hid behind his hat...

Then he just got up and went to play in the snow!
Parade at the Elementary School

Our cowgirl, toothless and captain hook getting ready to trick or treat.

This year I was too lazy to MAKE my kids carve pumpkins. Every one of them hate touching the insides, so why make them right? They made these lanterns instead.

....and last of all...John and my favorite part of Halloween....PUMPKIN STEW!

Aggressive?

2010-10-20T10:01:00.004-06:00

Our little COLETON has always been the easiest going kid ever. Since the day he was born, he would patiently wait until I was ready to feed him. He was HAPPY to sit in the swing for hours. He potty trained himself a week after he turned 2. He is happy to just go along with whatever is going on as long as the word FUN is involved. I would never have used the word AGGRESSIVE to describe him....that is until he started to play soccer this fall. WOW!!!! Put that kid out on the soccer field and watch him fight for the ball...yikes! He was hilarious to watch. He would literally just put his head down and go right through the group of kids and come out with the ball.
His team was such a cute team. He got to play with several of his friends from school. They were always cheering each other on and so happy to be together. I never thought I would say this about soccer, but I am excited for next season!

Preschool

2010-09-08T15:02:00.004-06:00

I love that backpacks are as big as they are when they start school!

When Hailey started 3 year old preschool, I vividly remember her saying to me, "Mom, don't walk me to the door, I can do it myself." When Coleton started school, he looked back with a worried look, but all it took was a big smile from me and a quick hug and he was way too cool to turn back. I left Easton today at school screaming, "MOM, DON"T LEAVE ME HERE!" (heartbreaking)

While he was gone I looked at the wall that houses the backpacks and jackets and realized I felt a lot like that wall looked.... EMPTY!

When he came out from school he was all smiles, so I guess, on we go to this new part of life!

Look at ME I am 3!

2010-08-25T21:55:00.004-06:00

After a whole LOT of persuasion, Easton is now 3. For weeks before his birthday he did NOT want to be 3. He was 2 and that was FINAL! The day before his birthday I took him to the store and let him pick out his own gifts to try and help the SWEET child want a birthday....it did the TRICK. He is now a very happy 3 year old. (I know there are a ton of pictures, but I just can't help myself, his expressions are priceless to me.)

Back to School

2010-08-05T16:52:00.002-06:00

Hello 3rd Grade!!! Oh Hailey is so excited for this year. It is a big year! Cursive, multiplication, division, oh my!

Hello Kindergarten...my heart is broken that he is this old!

My two elementary schoolers

This picture breaks my heart. It was taken just before his teacher marched them into class. I am so happy he didn't break down and cry, but oh it looks like he just might!

After school...the bus was his favorite part...and he looks so much happier.

And now, the countdown to off track begins!

July

2010-08-05T15:09:00.011-06:00

July has been such a fun and busy month! Really does it get any more relaxing?

After all of the relaxing came the camping. I am not much of a camper, but our kids love it so I really don't have much say;)
We enjoyed a family reunion with John and his family up Little Cottonwood Canyon. That family knows how to plan activities. The kids were in heaven. We Tye-dyed matching shirts, had hula hooping contests, made walking sticks, hiked up to Cecret Lake, had a talent show, and even a marshmallow war. (There were marshmallows on my car for an entire week after this trip...somebody really needs to clean her car more often.)
Easton and his walking stick. He was so proud of that thing until John took it and carved a place to hold onto the stick. Easton was so mad at John. He tossed the stick and would not use it at all after that.

Hello poser!

Easton loved the rodents

Hula Hoop Contest!

Here is the exact reason I don't like camping, it is impossible to keep anyone or anything semi-clean.

On the way up to Cecret Lake, there was snow! Well, it is impossible for John to see snow and not start a snowball fight, so everyone cooled off by having snow shoved in their faces...curdesy of John and his brother.

At the lake, there is a place that I swear always has snow. (Well both times I have been to the lake, there was snow there.) John had the great idea of sliding down the hill. It was hilarious. I was standing on the opposite side of the lake with Easton, and people would walk by and say things like, "Oh my, someone is sliding down that glacier, and Oh no, that isn't so smart." I was thinking the later comment, but luckily everyone survived with only minor cuts and bruises...and a whole lot of laughs and good memories.

The next weekend was the Ashby Reunion. We just joined in the fun for a short time on Saturday, but the kids had fun seeing cousins. It always amazes me that the kids don't see the 2nd cousins all that often, but it doesn't matter, they just pick up right where they left of and play.

And the next weekend was the Jensen Family Campout. We went up to the Granite Flats Campground. It was relaxing...so relaxing that I was horrible at taking pictures. Everyone but Grandma, Easton, and I enjoyed a very long 4 wheeler ride and then everyone had fun at the lake.

4th of July

2010-07-06T14:18:00.005-06:00

The 4th of July is my favorite holiday. I love the hot weather, red, white and blue clothes, parades, fireworks, BBQ's and spending time with family. Our holiday this year was not our stereotypical one, but we had fun. John's mom gave us a little scare on Friday so we spent some time throughout the weekend at the hospital with her. No worries, she is doing better now.
On Friday night we kicked off the weekend with a BBQ at our neighbors. After a wild and crazy fireworks display...thankfully we all survived...our little family slept in a tent in our backyard.
The kids getting ready for the fireworks...You cannot see Easton..he is hiding!

Oh the excitement of playing with fire!

On Saturday we soaked up the sun at my parents, and then went to a movie of all things..weird I know!
Easton and Brynlee enjoying a poolside snack

On Saturday night, we parked our car on a hill along Baccus Highway and watched the fireworks all over the valley. It was cool to see all the fireworks, but I decided I like to be closer to the action.
Hanging in the back of the car

All of the kids fell asleep watching the fireworks

On Monday, we went up Little Cottonwood in hopes of hiking to Cecret Lake, but the road is still closed from winter, so we hiked around on a different trail.

Some people are great at trying new things, not me! I am already looking forward to next year when we can return to a normal 4th!

Eclipse

2010-06-30T08:18:00.002-06:00

I liked the Twilight series, but I am not a fanatic about it all. I think all the hype pushed me away a bit. :) That and the fact that Bella chose Edward over Jacob...hee hee! Anyhoo...John and I got to go to a premier showing of Eclipse yesterday. The movie is SO good. I loved it and John liked it a lot more than the first two. It is that good....go see it.

Catch up!

2010-06-08T09:25:00.019-06:00

Wow! Can you get enough of this time of year? The weather, the BBQ's, swimming, field trips, long walks, end of "stuff" ceremonies...I love it! No wonder it has taken me so long to catch up and blog...we have been BUSY!!!
Soaring Eagle Award
Hailey earned the Soaring Eagle award at her school. She did extra projects throughout the year to earn it. Way to go Hailey!

Preschool Graduation
Coleton graduated from preschool on June 1. I was not prepared for how sad I would feel about this. I guess I just assumed that it wouldn't be hard because I have already been though all of this with one child, but I was so wrong! I sat through the whole thing fighting back tears. I cannot believe my blue eyed baby is going to start kindergarten in a month...yikes!

Giving is teacher a bear hug!

Hats off to the graduates

Good Friends and carpool buddies, Coleman and Austin

Coleton with Ms Hilary..she seriously is amazing!

Coleton and Jones

Our Clan

Childrens Museum
Coleton got to go to the Childrens Museum with his preschool class. It was such a fun time. He has such cute kids in his class.
Exploring the Helicopter

Coleton and his little FRIEND Abbigal

Blow this one up and look at how proud this little guy is.

These boys were hiding the chickens in the mailbox so the other kids couldn't find them. Whose kids are they anyway???

Taking work seriously

Memorial day
Memorial weekend was such a much needed break. We spent Saturday swimming with my family. On Sunday we went to Grandpa Winn's grave. We were so happy the see the "other Winn family" there.
The kids decorated the grave with any weed flower they could find.:)

On Monday we enjoyed a hike up Yellowfork Canyon. It was perfect for the kids. Hailey screamed any time she saw a bug, and the boys got nice and dirty. After hiking we enjoyed lunch at a park and then soaked up the sun and grandma's pool!

Quilt
In the middle of all of the chaos I made this quilt. I was so proud that I had to show it off. :)

Dance Revue
Hailey had her dance Revue. She did an excellent job. This is her cute friend Addi.

Fathers and Sons
John took the boys and headed to our stake's camp out. They had such a fun time even though it was super cold and rainy. Hailey and I on the other hand enjoyed a fun, warm night. We went and saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid. (Yes, Hailey was dieing to see it), dinner and shopping.

All 3 of the boys slept in the back of our Mountaineer because it was so wet. At least they stayed dry! John deserves a metal for being such a great dad!

Wheeler Farm
When we were in Las Vegas, we missed Coleton's field trip to the farm. He was really disappointed, so we took his friend Coleman and went when we got back in town. The boys had a great time. I am always amazed at how much fun it is to just let them run and explore. I wish I took a picture of the goose that totally chased us, but I was laughing way to hard to take a picture...oh yea and I was trying to save my children.

Las Vegas
Hailey had a Dance Competition in Las Vegas so we made a quick little trip out of it. (Note to self, next time stay at a Hotel off the stip with a nice pool and just swim, do not venture to the strip with 3 kids at such impressionable ages! :))
Kids outside the Hotel

Hailey and Coleton with Mr. M&M. Easton would have nothing to do with this guy!

I love that these two look so similar!

Waiting to watch the water show at the Belagio. This was our favorite thing on our trip. It was the simplest little thing but we loved it every time we saw it!

We went to the Timberlodge to see the aquarium there. The kids loved it and could have watched the fish forever.

The gardens at the Belagio. They smelled so good!!!

All tired out on the way home!

MELODY
Hailey joined the Melody Choir at her school. The performance was super cute and she did a great job! Hailey and her BFF's Brittany and Kaity.

Really?????

2010-05-24T07:39:00.003-06:00

Please go easy on my tender plants out there under the plastic!

Tractor Tippin'

2010-05-05T15:18:00.003-06:00

Anyone who has seen the Disney Movie CARS as many times as I have will enjoy what I found during the monotony of my day!

The Story of our Lives!

2010-04-27T15:00:00.005-06:00

And we love every second of it!!! (Or most seconds of it :)
These dance pictures are awful, but this was Hailey's 4th competition and the first time I remembered my camera...pathetic!

We have spent a lot of time waiting to dance....

And waiting to dance in front of the huge speakers....seriously why do they have to line up in a place that is going to cause them to be hearing impaired???

And in the end, we crash!

We have also spent a lot of time hitting the ball and running....

And talking smack as we play catcher. We had to have a little talk that you don't thank the other team for not hitting the ball.... but seriously with a bum like that who really cares what you say??

We also entertain ourselves by picking the grass....

and falling asleep on the storm drains....

Oh the life we live!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame!

2010-04-18T21:51:00.002-06:00

Coleton started machine pitch baseball this year. He LOVES it. He could play ball every hour of every day! When we pulled up to the ball fields for his first game he was so excited that he got to play on the "BIG" fields with dirt, dugouts, backstops and all. I love when it is his turn to bat, he gets up to the plate and taps the plate with his bat. Oh he is all that!!

Easter Weekend

2010-04-06T14:08:00.007-06:00

We woke up on Thursday morning excited to start our Easter break and found a good 6 inches of snow outside. Instead of pulling out our short sleeve shirts and flip flops, we pulled our gloves and snow pants on and went outside to enjoy the snow. I am excited for summer to come, but I do love the snow. I love to sled and I love having "tame" snowball fights. The constant giggling that goes along with these two activities melts my heart. The kids stayed outside playing for most of the day. They had a fantastic day relaxing in the snow instead of on the beach:)

Friday was pretty uneventful. We did dye Easter eggs during Easton's nap, but because I am in the running for mother of the year, I didn't take any pictures. On Friday night Easton did provide us with some entertainment though. Oh how I wish I took a picture, but because of the indecent exposure I didn't. I went to bed and John went to check on the kids one more time before going to bed. He came in and got me out of bed and told me to go look at Easton. My first thought was, "Oh no, where could he be this time?" Amazingly, he was tucked in his bed fast asleep. It wasn't until John pulled down his covers that I understood. Easton was totally and completely naked. He had taken off his pj's and diaper and then crawled into bed. I tell you this kids keeps things interesting.
On Saturday we enjoyed conference and an Easter Egg hunt in between the sessions at Grandma and Grandpas house. We love all the candy around this house.

Saturday was also Hailey's BFF's birthday party. They got to ride in a limo to the Grand America Hotel for brunch. She loved getting dressed up like a princess and riding in a limo.

Easter morning was soooo exciting. Easton was the first to wake up. He went downstairs and found, in his words, "A BIG MESS." He came back upstairs and woke up Hailey explaining what a disaster downstairs was. Hailey tried to explain to him that the Easter Bunny came. He hates Santa and the Easter Bunny. He kept saying, "No, the Easter Bunny not come, Bob the Builder come." All day long if anyone asked him if the Easter Bunny came to his house, he would insist the Easter Bunny did not come and that it was bob. The Bunny left a trail of eggs from the bedroom doors to their baskets. They were full of Jell-o beans as Easton calls them.

On Sunday afternoon, we enjoyed an egg hunt at Grandma Winn's house. The kids had a great time playing with cousins. Too bad I was awful at taking pictures and only took this one. :)

It's Great to be 8!

2010-03-11T14:52:00.004-07:00

Hailey's birthday festivities started out with a late night birthday party. The girls had pedicures and decorated flip flops. I must say that this is one of my very favorite ages so far. Everything is so incredibly exciting and new and the whole no booster thing is fabulous!

Cute cousins in matching pj's!

Hailey got her first set of "nice" scriptures with her name on them.

On March 6 Hailey was baptized. When I say that Hailey has been counting down for years for this day, I am totally serious. She has waited and waited for this day. It was such a neat experience and I know that she made the right choice!

After the baptism and confirmation, we had a luncheon with our family and a few close friends.

This is a picture of the most delicious cake ever! (No, I didn't make this one.)

Sarah, Savannah, Hailey & Grace

Hailey and one of her BFF's.

And on a side note, who says monsters don't sleep under your bed?

What happened to bedtime???

2010-02-10T14:47:00.006-07:00

Oh how things change! Bedtime used to be smooth sailing around the Winn home. Not anymore....Easton keeps us on our toes! We never know where we are going to find him come 10 o'clock. Sometimes, he persuades Coleton to follow him, sometimes he takes over Hailey's bed, and sometimes he is in the bathroom rubbing soap on the mirror. (notice there is not a picture of that one, I did not find it amusing!)I swear, this kid is going to be the death of me!!

DANCE, DANCE, DANCE..the season begins

2010-02-10T14:44:00.002-07:00

Hailey had her dance revue on Friday. She did a great job...way to go Hailey!

Coleton's 5 Year Old Birthday Festivities!

2010-01-17T20:45:00.005-07:00

Our little Coleton is 5! (All 32 pounds of him!) We have had a fun birthday week consisting of plenty of parties, gifts, and cake!
Last Sunday we celebrated with the Winn side.

On his birthday, he had his friends party at Jumping Jacks. That was a blast. The kids jumped and jumped and by the time it was over, they were all ready for bed.

Tonight we were able to celebrate with the Jensen side. Here is his cake for this party.

For his birthday this year, Coleton wanted a DS. Needless to say there has been plenty of this going on this week...

Happy Birthday Coleton! We love you and are so glad you bring so much laughter into our lives!

O...L...D

2010-01-07T20:53:00.003-07:00

***picture courtesy of Hailey***
You know you are 30 when:

A. You need your 2 year old to help you blow out your candles, and you just pray that the smoke alarm won't go off.

B. Your daughter is old enough to take the pictures.

C. You look at your wedding pictures and cannot believe how young you look.

Here is to another 30 years!

Welcome 2010!

2010-01-07T20:23:00.003-07:00

New Years Eve was a blast this year. John, Hailey and Coleton stayed up and enjoyed the midnight fun....I am ashamed to report that I fell asleep before them. Easton made it to 11:00 which was WAY to late for him.
We started the evening off at my sisters where we enjoyed good food and some wii. Well, the guys enjoyed the wii. We came home and did sparklers at 9:30....it was already freezing cold and we didn't want to wait to go outside any later. The kids loved it and our cute neighbor girls came out and added to the excitement.

Easton enjoying his sparklers!

Nothings safer than running around with sparklers....

After sparklers we all got in our PJ's and enjoyed a little G-Force. The kids loved it and John hated it....I slept through it.

And last but not least, here is a picture of the blue moon on New Years Eve. This only happens on this night once every 19 years so I am taking it as a sign that 2010 is going to be a great year. Happy New Year everyone!

It's a JOLLY holiday.....

2009-12-30T20:33:00.005-07:00

On Christmas Eve we spent the evening with John's family. The kids acted out the nativity. This year there was a way cute star, a bale of hay and a shepard that rode a donkey??? Each year it seems to get more creative.

Our sad shepard boy who did not want to be dressed up!

Coleton the shepard riding a donkey to see baby Jesus....(i am pretty sure that Mary was supposed to ride the donkey????)

All of the cousins

There is nothing like wresting in the wrapping paper

The annual Christmas Jammies. When Coleton opened his, he was so disappointed that it wasn't a toy. Apparently he hasn't realized that is what he opens every year on Christmas Eve. I love this picture because it shows so much personality.

Christmas Morning

What did Santa bring...oh the suspence was killing them!

Exploring what Santa left!

Easton playing with his fire/police house

Hailey with her "real" digital camera

Easton's favorite toy...a garbage truck

Easton and a dino
Poor Coleton...I didn't take any pictures of him opening gifts. He got some transformers and a remote control car that can go on water...(the requests that kid has....)

On Tuesday we were able to go to Soldier Hollow tubing. It was a blast. We left Easton at grandmas house where it was nice and warm and the rest of us braved the cold and loved every second of it.

Coleton all bundled up ready to go

The pink marshmellow girl....oh I love that she LOVES pink!

Relaxing on the way up the hill

All Coleton needed was some hot chocolate and he would have been set. Aunt Marquel would pull him on his tube and get him hooked to the rope and then she would pull him to the hill and push him down. The lucky kid hardly had to get off his tube. No wonder he thinks she is the greatest....that and she drives fast:)

All of us at the top of the hill.

Happy Graduation Easton!

2009-12-21T08:36:00.004-07:00

Easton graduated from speech therapy on Friday! He is doing phenominal. The progress he has made over the last 6 months has been amazing.
Here are his stats from before and after....
before/ after
Gross Motor 37%/ 99% percentile for age
Fine Motor 50%/ 92%
Cognitive 56%/ 73%
Receptive Lang. 75%/ 82%
Expressive Lang. less than 1%/ 82%****HOORAY*****
Social 43%/ 43% peer 95%
***He really does not handle large crowds at all, but he
is nice to the kids in nursery now, so we are making
progress!
adaptive 16%/ 99%
Easton knows most of his colors and shapes and all of his letters and numbers to 9. He is very interested in the letter sounds which makes me laugh. He comes up to me holding a letter and say, "Mom, what that say." He is so much happier most of the time and loves to laugh and make us laugh. We are so proud of you Easton!

Coleton's Preschool Program

2009-12-21T08:28:00.002-07:00

Coleton had his preschool program on Friday. He did a great job and we found he really isn't bothered being in front of a lot of people. He sang his little heart out and danced like a crazy man!

Coleton saying his part.

Austin, Coleman, Coleton, Jones, and Dylan....That doesn't look like trouble at all does it???

WINTER WONDERLAND

2009-12-10T12:33:00.005-07:00

One of our favorite things about winter is sledding at the hill by our house. Even though it was FREEZING...literally like below freezing, we braved the cold,(checked Hailey out of school..shhhh!), and headed out. Easton amazed us and loved sledding and eating the snow. He would fall down, put his head in the snow, and then declare, "delicious!" Coleton and Hailey loved riding down on Johns back. Their faces shone with pure delight, but I couldn't make myself take my gloves off again to take pictures...maybe next time.

Because the Bathroom Floor is more COMFORTABLE than a bed?

2009-11-22T20:50:00.001-07:00

Fall 2009

2009-11-11T13:22:00.005-07:00

I know it has been FOREVER since I posted, but I have had sooo much to post that I just haven't wanted to take the time to do it! (I am becoming quite the procrastinator....yikes!)

We were so excited for the first snowfall way back before Halloween. Coleton waited all day for John to get home because he wanted to hit him with a snowball....oh the love around this house! Of course the minute that John starts throwing snowballs, the neighborhood comes alive!

It is official....John and I are now a GREAT UNCLE and AUNT....John's niece just had a darling baby girl! We had a shower for her and it was so fun to plan. She wanted a book shower because she did not know the gender of the baby. We went with a Dr Seuss theme. The invites were little books with a poem inside, and the food all coordinated with Dr Seuss books. I only took a few pictures, but here they are....

We had a fun Halloween. We ate our traditional pumpkin stew...well the adults ate the pumpkin stew and the kids ate pizza. Hailey informed me that the stew is the only thing she really doesn't like about Halloween. Hailey was a "Twilight Tiger", Coleton was a dinosaur, and Easton was supposed to be Tigger, but he would not wear his costume, so I settled on his Superman cape. (You can tell he is the third child, at this point it is really not worth the fight...right??) Coleton was very specific that he wanted to be a brown dinosaur with green spikes and a club on the tail. I ended up making his costume. It was so fun for me and I hope next year to make all 3 of the costumes...if Hailey will let me that is :0

Here is the very large trick or treating group!

The costumes

Our pumpkins. The kids will not put their hands into a pumpkin so John and I carve and the kids paint.

After trick or treating we go to my mom and dads and they give the kids matching jammies....one of our favorite traditions.

LOST....

2009-10-16T12:11:00.003-06:00

Yesterday evening we decided to go up to Copperton Park and enjoy the nice weather. We played on the playground with the kids and ran around the entire park. We made a huge pile of leaves, jumped in it covered each other with it, etc. We came home got the kids in bed and John and I were watching old reruns of The Office when I noticed I did not have my wedding ring on. We searched everywhere in our house. I knew I didn't take it off anywhere. I started to get so upset and worried. John just kept telling me, "it's OK, it's just a ring....", but I was sick. I prayed like crazy that I would find the ring and I know John was as well. A little after 10:00pm I remembered that while we were playing in the leaves something kind of heavy hit my foot. (I was in flip flops and I thought, that was a heavy leaf...) I told John and I told him that I had to go look. He told me there was no way I was going to find it in the dark. He told me just to wait until morning and then go look. I tried to go to sleep, but I was too worried that maybe they would mow the lawn before I could get up there or that a raccoon would find it, etc. I begged him to let me just go look. He kept saying you can't go up there by yourself and I can't go with you because the kids are asleep. I finally text my cute friend that lives two houses down from me. I am sure she was thinking I was crazy, but she dropped what she was doing without any questions, grabbed her shoes and a flashlight and off we went to Copperton Park.
We searched for a little bit where I thought it was and didn't find it. We decided to re-trace my steps. We went over by the swings where I was with Easton, and then to the monkey bars where I crossed with Coleton. I remembered that when I crossed the bars my ring pinched my hand. When I remembered that I knew the ring had to be at that park. We went back over to the leaves and we found the ring. I happened to be on the phone with John when I found it and I started to cry and he was in shock I think and couldn't say anything. Kristin and I where both in tears. I am so thankful that we found the ring and that even though it was late and Kristin had been helping other people literally all day that she came with me to help me find it.
I think of the small chance we had to find it in the pitch black in a huge park with millions of leaves on the ground. I know that Heavenly Father knew it was important to me and he answered my prayer.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

2009-10-14T20:31:00.003-06:00

Saturday morning John and I woke up and realized we did not have anything we HAD to do. Immediately I started listing off projects I wanted to do and John just looked at me like I was crazy...in reality I know he just wanted to spend the day watching college football, and really who can blame him. After suggesting that we accomplish HUGE projects, he finally settled on letting me paint the living room (while he watched football :)
Well I think the truth is I must have been subconsciously craving one of my favorite flavors of ice cream....mint chocolate chip. Every time I walk into the living room I think of ice cream...am I crazy or is that what it looks like????

CUTE-CUTE-CUTE Quiet Books!!!

2009-10-06T20:56:00.009-06:00

My mom finally decided to sell the darling quiet books she makes. Last year she made some for the festival of trees and they sold out in the first hour. Lucky me...she made Easton one and all of my kids LOVE it.
Her pay pal account is not set up yet, but if you want to order you can email her or me and we can help you. cutestquietbooksever.blogspot.com

Small Sampling of Life Around the Winn Home

2009-09-30T14:04:00.008-06:00

We have been enjoying the efforts of our hard work from the garden.
I am not ashamed to admit that sometimes we look like white trash at our house.

Hailey getting the Principles Pride award for always being willing to help others.

Last weekend we took a drive up the canyon to look at the leaves. We had a fun time in between all of the busy-ness we have had lately!

Coleton just finished fall tee ball. He loves it!!!! Blow this picture up and look at his face...it is so worth it.

Eastons speech therapy is going well. He now yells "oly ow" (Holy Cow) all day long. He has graduated from calling John mom. He now calls him "Hun." It is fantastic when he stands up on the bench in church and yells, "HI HUN" at John sitting on the stand. Fabulous! He can pretty much say whatever he wants, he just omits the first consonant sound. Minor details really.

Off To School Coleton Goes

2009-09-09T20:26:00.001-06:00

Coleton started 4 year old preschool today. Hopefully he takes it semi seriously.

Coleton and his buddies.

the FUN we can have at GRANDMA & GRANDPA'S

2009-09-07T20:57:00.006-06:00

We spent the best part of Labor Day at my parents house...after John fixing my car and me cleaning the house. (Thanks to the neighbors who came ready and willing to make my car run again....thankfully it was just a loose wire.)
We love it at grandma and grandpas and it doesn't take long to figure out why:
WE CAN FLY.....

WE CAN PICK FRUIT OFF THE TREES AND SAVOR IT....

WE CAN RELAX IN THE POOL

WE CAN RIDE HORSES WITH GRANDPA.....

OR ALL BY OURSELVES...(just a wee bit nervous)

WE CAN SPLASH AND PLAY IN THE IRRIGATION WATER....

THANKS FOR LETTING US CREATE FUN MEMORIES GRANDMA AND GRANDPA!!!

A SAD DAY AT THE WINN HOUSE....

2009-08-23T21:18:00.001-06:00

.......EASTON LEARNED TO OPEN DOORS. ENOUGH SAID!

A Hail of a Time

2009-08-17T21:49:00.005-06:00

What in the world is up with this crazy Utah weather????
The minute it started storming, Coleton and John headed outside to play football with the neighbor boys. The boys always come over to see if John can play. It makes me laugh when 4th & 5th graders show up at our door to play with my husband, but I think John fits right in!

A Dream Weekend for John

2009-08-17T21:34:00.006-06:00

This past weekend a family that John met on his mission came to stay with us and see Salt Lake. There was a whole lot of conversation that the kids and I could not understand, but we had such a great time. We took them to see the Salt Lake Temple which was Idalia's dream,and we went up the Canyon.. it was freezing, but they were in awe at how amazing the mountains are. Mostly, we enjoyed spending time together. This family is amazing. You cannot help but feel happy when they are around. I hope that my kids are as respectful and kind as the Delgadio's are when they are teenagers!

FALL TEE BALL

2009-08-14T08:58:00.004-06:00

Coleton is going to play fall tee ball with Gene Fullmer. He plays in the 4 year old group. It seemed like during the spring session there were a ton of kids from our area on a million different teams. We thought it would be fun to make a team with the kids we know. If you are planning on playing let us know. John will help coach and anyone else that wants to help is more than welcome. Registration is due on Aug 20 and I think it is $35.00. Games start on Sept 1.

Birthday Festivities

2009-08-11T10:07:00.002-06:00

Easton got 3 parties the lucky little man. On his birthday we celebrated with just our little family.
On Saturday we had a swim birthday party at my mom and dads house. Too bad it was record breaking cold! The pool was nice and warm though. I love having a dad that is as big of wimp about the cold as I am!
On Sunday we had John's family over. It was so fun to see all of the family!

Happy Birthday Easton!

2009-08-06T11:21:00.006-06:00

Easton,
When we found out that we were pregnant with you we were surprised and grateful! During the pregnancy there were a few minor complications that sent me to my knees in prayer to find out if you were healthy. The answer that I expected never came. I had an overwhelming feeling that it did not matter if you were healthy or not, but what I needed to know was that the reason you were coming to our family at that specific time was because it was part of Heavenly Fathers plan for you and for our family.
When you were born healthy I was shocked and overwhelmed with gratitude to our Heavenly Father. You have been such a blessing in our lives. You light up the room when you walk in with your twinkling eyes and huge smile. I love the way you stomp your little feet when you get excited, I love that I find cars in every little space all over the house, I love that you escape from nursery with a mission to find your mom, I love the way you get out of bed and play with trains until you are tired and then you fall asleep wherever you happen to be.
You truly are an amazing little person and I am so glad that I get to be your mom!

Family Reunion & Back to School

2009-08-05T11:38:00.007-06:00

Call it busy, poor time management, or just plain lazy......but finally here is an update :)
We celebrated the 24th of July in East Canyon for a family reunion. It was fun to see my cousins and their families. I do wish however that I got to visit with people more, but Easton kept taking off to a place where he found a zillion trucks. He would run up to the trucks and say "Hi truck" over and over and over. Oh well, maybe when he is 4 camping will be semi relaxing???????

Coleton with Marc, playing at the playground.

Easton & Ethan playing trucks

The BIG boys jumping across the tires.

Hailey started second grade and is having a fun year so far. She has a fun teacher this year so she is very excited about that.

And last but not least...I had to throw this picture in because it always cracks me up that the minute Easton decides he is tired, he just falls asleep. He started speech therapy and it is going well. I am happy to report that Easton has mastered the use of the word "NO" and uses it very loudly! Every time he yells it at me I say, "Yes Mommy" to which Easton replies in a sweet voice, "Yes mama." Then he continues NOT to do the thing that I ask....what a sweet little guy!

So I Am Not Crazy....Maybe

2009-07-20T13:46:00.003-06:00

For almost a year now I have been stressing about how little Easton talks and lacks making different sounds. I kept asking his doctor and every time I did she would send me to the hospital for blood work because he is small according to the charts. (You would never think that he is small by looking at him:) All of the blood work came back normal and I just got so frustrated that she wasn't listening to what I was saying that I finally changed pediatricians. His new doctor has 4 kids that are very similar in age to my children. I love the fact that he is parenting at the same level I am. At Easton's 18 month appointment Dr. Johnson told me that 2 of his kids were fast talkers and two have not been. He told me he didn't think that there was anything to be worried about but that we should check his ears just to be sure. There was fluid in his ears in February and March, so in May I took Easton to an ENT. His hearing test came back great. Some of the noises scared Easton to death and it was kind of comical to watch the hearing test.
So by July he still is not talking other than mom, car, truck, and a few other random words, so I finally just called a speech therapist. She came and assessed Easton. Apparently he speaks less than 1% of the average child...meaning he really does need some help. Finally.....someone thinks I am not crazy! Hopefully speech therapy will help him learn to talk quickly. I can't wait to know what is going on in his little mind!

Tough to Find a Soft Place to Sleep

2009-07-12T20:49:00.003-06:00

The other day Easton finished lunch and then I ran upstairs for a few seconds to do somethings and went back downstairs to get Easton for a nap. Apparently he was already tired. He found the softest place he could find and then went to sleep. How nice is that? (Disclaimer: So the reason why Easton is naked is because he is such a messy eater that he has to eat in a diaper to save the clothing from stains!)

4th of July

2009-07-12T20:35:00.007-06:00

We had one of the most relaxing 4ths I can remember. It was great. We started at a neighborhood breakfast. It was fun to see everyone and get to know some neighbors that we hadn't met before. After the breakfast we enjoyed visiting with friends and being what I would call extremely LAZY!

For lunch we grabbed Subway and headed to the park. It was mellow and the kids had a great time.

After the park we went to my parents to swim. We of course had an excellent time with good food and good company! Look at this dive from my 4 year old! WOW!!! Notice the nice mismatched arm floaties....ya I should purchase new ones so he doesn't have to wear bright pink!

After swimming we went back to our neighborhood for fireworks. Thank to the neighborhood pyros for a good show!

High Aspirations!

2009-07-03T11:37:00.002-06:00

We were talking to the neighbor about how hard it hailed yesterday while we were gone. Coleton was listening intently about the hail and then proclaimed, "dang it, I have always wanted to be in hell." Apparently he has very high aspirations for his future!!!!

A Much Needed Family Fun Friday

2009-06-27T20:41:00.009-06:00

For some reason, the normal everyday things in life have seemed extra stressful lately. I think John and I both have felt way too stressed...John with reason, me without much reason. Any how, we all needed to have fun and relax so we took the kids bowling. (It cost $6.00 for our family to rent shoes and the bowling was free...thanks to a summer pass Hailey brought home from school....hooray!) We had such a fun time. (Not that we bowled great, but hey we had a good time.)

Easton even got in on the action. He loved it. (It only took one run down the bowling lane and he discovered it was slippery and he never did it again.)

Here is the final score....it is not pretty! Hailey won....maybe next time John & I should have bumpers too!

After bowling we went to good old Texas Roadhouse for dinner. It was yummy and the best part was Easton sat by John so I didn't have to keep him entertained.

.....and on to Second Grade!

2009-06-13T19:52:00.003-06:00

Hailey is out of school for the summer! Hooray!! On Friday night we got to go to an awards assembly and Hailey got her Soaring Eagle Award. Way to go Hailey!!!

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House

2009-06-07T16:25:00.002-06:00

On Friday night, we took Hailey & Coleton and went to the Temple openhouse. (After Easton saw the oxen in the Draper temple, he would not stop MOO-ING throughout the entire rest of the tour. We decided to leave him at Grandmas this time!) We missed him, but it was very nice to just take the two older kids. This temple is amazing. We loved the modern decor and we loved watching the kids learn and feel the spirit.

Preschool Field Trip & Graduation

2009-06-05T09:09:00.010-06:00

Coleton had his 3 year old preschool graduation last night. They did a cute little program and got to do a graduation walk and throw their hats. Too Cute!!!

Coleton & his buddy Coleman. They really were not that into the program this time.

This is not a very good picture, but the look on his face is just too cute not to post.

Coleton's preschool field trip was to the Discovery Gardens at Thanksgiving Point. I have never been down there, but I will be taking my kids back. It was so fun. The boys ran and ran and got to climb and have a great time.

Playing on the bug!

Climbing to the top!

Easton saying "CHEESE"

Catching Potato Bugs

2009-06-02T08:55:00.003-06:00

Sometimes one spoon is simply not enough!

Lets Celebrate!!!

2009-05-28T20:09:00.002-06:00

Easton is now sleeping in his big boy bed without any tears!!!!! Hip Hip Hooray! The first little while I would lay by him until he fell asleep. Seeming that I did that with Hailey until she was 3, I was not very patient with Easton. The last two nights, I just put Easton in bed and shut the door...he figured out very quickly that he just needed to get in bed because I was not letting him out of his room! Sweet Dreams Little Guy!!! (PS...the only reason I put him in a twin bed so young was because the crib bedding didn't match the room and I was ready to have that room decorated and looking nice.....very selfish I know.)

A Marathon Post

2009-05-16T20:57:00.010-06:00

Have you ever seen a REAL LIVE PIG?
Earlier this week Coleton posed that question. Apparently he doesn't remember the millions of times we visited Wheeler Farm when Hailey was preschool age. I made his day by telling him I would take him to see a REAL PIG. Oh the excitement.....I think he was a little disappointed when he finally saw the pig. He just keeps telling everyone, "Pigs are so lazy, they just lay there."

Hailey had her last dance competition today. It was the Champion Dance Nationals. Three of her cousins were dancing there as well, so it was fun to see them! Way to go Girlies!!!

And finally, we decided to TRY and put Easton in a big boy bed. He was not very happy about it. After head-butting me numerous times, punching me in the face, biting, and screaming at me, he finally gave up and went to sleep! Isn't he sweet....when he is ASLEEP! (and yes, that is an Eeyore stuffed animal laying by him...it kind of fits his personality don't you think?)

Its the Little Things in Life......

2009-05-04T15:07:00.004-06:00

That Make Me Smile!

Two little boys completely loving driving a truck around my bedroom! It might just be me, but it just melted my heart to see Easton laying there, feet up watching his brother!

Batter Up!

2009-04-23T13:15:00.006-06:00

Coleton started Tee Ball this spring. He loves it. The first thing he asks when he wakes up in the morning is if it is a tee ball day. When Easton goes down for a nap and I ask what he wants to play with mom it is always tee ball. He loves to run the bases, bat and catch!

Swing Batter!

He is MAJORLY competitive!
Coleton...don't fight with your own team to get the ball!!!!

He takes it very seriously. Waiting for the ball to be hit!

The Happiest Place on Earth!

2009-04-19T21:38:00.002-06:00

We spent the last week of "off-track" time in Disneyland. We left at 3am on Monday and we got home on Saturday morning at 6am....just in time for yet another dance competition. Despite the very late nights and little to no sleep, we had a great time and made some great memories as a family. We went with Hailey's best friends family and the kids (and adults) loved it.
Hailey is one brave little coaster rider. California Screamin is her favorite ride. She rode it 3 times and even got to sit on the front seat one of those times..which was so much fun for her. Coleton loved Tower of Terror...or so he says, but The Matterhorn was by far is favorite. I finally got to go on the Maliboomer. I wanted to so bad last time we were in Disneyland, but I was pregnant, so I didn't. I will be honest..it was not as big of a rush as I had hoped, but it was still fun. I have to agree with Hailey that California Screamin is the funnest. However the Toy Story ride in California Adventure was pretty fun! Easton loved any time he got out of the stroller as long as there was not a character around... he did not like them one bit! Johns favorite part was watching the kids smile and laugh and laugh! We have a zillion pictures, so I just made it into a slide show! Enjoy!

Our Week in Review

2009-04-05T21:13:00.007-06:00

My brother and his family came to visit this week. I have not seen him for a year and a half! It was so fun to visit and get to know his kids again!

Jess and Beth are not dumb..they know the way to get the babies to like them. Just feed them candy! It worked....Easton just doesn't sit on any lap!

On Sunday night Tessa slept over at our house. After staying up until after midnight, the girls finally crashed...just for a few hours. They were up and going by 7:30 the next morning. Tessa loved the snow. Apparently in Hawaii they throw sand balls. Snow balls were almost as fun though.

On Saturday, Hailey competed at Energy Solutions Arena in her third dance competition. Her team took first place at the first two competitions and high point at one. I am not sure how they place at this one yet.....we had to leave before awards. She did a great job though!!!

On Saturday night, a bunch of the family got together at my Grandmas house. It was fun to visit with cousins while the men were at Priesthood Conference. The little boys had fun playing games and "wrestling" playing twister.

Hailey, Tessa, and Braeden getting ready to say goodbye.

It was such a fun week! Thanks for coming you guys.

Under Construction!

2009-03-27T14:58:00.004-06:00

We have been in the process of transforming the boys' bedroom from a "baby" room to a "big boy" room. One minor problem....we still technically have a baby that sleeps in a crib. (Seriously is 20 months old enough to sleep in a twin bed?)This is the progress we have made so far. Until I am brave enough to take Easton out of the crib, the rest will have to wait.

A year or so ago I found this picture and fell in love with it. The whole room will be centered around this saying.

I need honest opinions because I am not sure if I love the paint. The lower wall is a darker tan than the top..(unless you have eyes like John does and insist that it is practically the same color :0) I painted the whole back wall the darker tan...I am not sure if that is the reason I don't love it. Maybe it would look better all the same...ideas anyone?

On a side note, what mom cannot be proud of this! "Look how much food I can fit in my mouth."

The Story of my Life

2009-03-18T10:54:00.006-06:00

Remove Easton from the table.

Turn the dishwasher back on for the millionth time...we need clean dishes and they just don't seem to be getting clean...I wonder why????

Get Easton off the table AGAIN!

Put Easton in Time Out for Being on the table. (He looks way to happy for time out!)

Finally.. he is somewhere safe....hurry get something done!

Seriously, no wonder I am exhausted at bed time!

Spring has Sprung at the Winn Home

2009-03-18T10:48:00.005-06:00

Hooray!!! We are so excited for spring flowers and warm air...next stop green grass!!!

Monster Dreams!

2009-03-12T14:01:00.002-06:00

Coleton has started having dreams about monsters. This morning he asked me if I wanted to know what he dreamed about... this is what he said...
"I dreamed that there was a pink monster with purple underwear over his eyes and he was hungry but he couldn't see the people to eat them because of the underwear. So he ate the underwear and ate some fish."

Should I be worried that my son dreams about monsters and underwear?????

Oh My Heaven Hailey is Seven!

2009-03-04T13:26:00.006-07:00

I can't believe it was seven years ago this morning that I was trying so hard NOT to have a baby because John was in California. But, when Hailey sets her mind to something there is no turning back..and so she came. John got the call at about 10 am to come to Utah as fast as possible. I am sure that the hours following my call were some of the longest of his life. I can picture him sitting in the airport with his leg bouncing a million miles an hour. About 4:30 that afternoon, the nurse told me we couldn't wait any longer. I was to a seven and that was really too far considering I was having a C-section. My reply..."John is at 4500 S. PLEASE JUST WAIT!" And so they did. John reached the hospital, they dressed him in the space suit and in we went to have our precious baby.
She is such a kind person and we are so glad she is part of our family!!

My Weekend Project

2009-03-03T12:05:00.004-07:00

First, I will apologize for the crappy pictures. My camera died and my video camera will not upload pictures to my computer. I am holding out for a nice camera, so my trusty old phone camera had to do the job.

On Thursday, I was driving Coleton to preschool and realized that we have now lived in our home for three years and I have yet to paint anything! I was sick...the lack of painting was not for lack of desire, but John talks me out of it every time I bring it up. I dropped Coleton off and headed straight to Home Depot. I bought some paint and I got right to it...without mentioning it to John. I love her room now...the white line and pink just added the newness I have needed. Watch out house...and John...I am going to be a painting maniac!

dance...DANCE...dance

2009-02-08T20:57:00.004-07:00

Hailey had her dance REVUE on Saturday. She did a FANTASTIC job. I have always known that she likes to PERFORM, but my goodness, she can turn on the CHARM and do facials. Ever since she started to learn her dance this year, I have practiced with her and said, "PLEASE SMILE..." she would tell me that she really didn't want to, but that she would when she is on stage...apparently she was telling the truth. Those lights came on and she danced her little HEART out! Way to go HAILEY!