the bushes are gone

The missionaries came over Saturday afternoon and helped Dallin get rid of all our evergreen bushes. They even dug out the roots -- definitely back breaking work. The 3 of them worked for about 3 1/2 hours, and then the Elders went home to clean up and came back over for some pizza. We are "paying" them back with referrals and inviting investigators to our home.

All the bushes are gone and so is the random cement flower box that was the end of the front walk.

This is the next project. The hostas on this side of the house will be moved to the other side of the house -- where we just took out all those bushes. This is going to get cleaned out and my vegetable garden will go in here. It is the only side of the house that is not shaded by any trees.

check this out!

You'll want to mute my music on the side bar for this one.

Taylor Swift's Love Story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHxXaY7NR3w

Coldplay's Viva La Vida:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE

Now the 2 of them together:

pig tails

I tried to do big pigtails in Addie's hair today. Usually I just do a couple small ones. What I discovered from this is that Addie needs to learn to hold still, and Mommy needs to practice more so she can do it faster.

Not to be out done, Tyler wanted his picture taken, too.

mom and addie

tyler's first soccer game

Tyler had his first soccer game on Saturday. He did very well for not having really played before. There are 6 kids on a team and the games are 3 on 3. There is no goalie, and the goals are similar to the little backyard goals you can buy just about anywhere. They play 7 minute quarters, and switch out the 3 players each time. It was so funny to watch the kids just run after the ball in mass form! Even the teammates are fighting over possession of the ball! Most of the time Tyler was content trailing the pack, but every once in a while he'd get a good kick on the ball. One time he was the "break away" kid who took the ball down the field and he actually scored a goal! We were so excited for him, and he just nonchalantly turned around and gave us a smile and a thumbs-up sign. :-) One game down -- 5 to go!

getting ready for kick-off

tyler just did a goal kick

leading the pack

headed for the goal

just before he scored a goal

success!!

Tyler got a "big boy bike" last summer, and the last couple of weeks with the weather being nice he's been riding it around really trying to balance off of the training wheels. This was no small feat because he always favored one side. He's done very well at staying off those training wheels, and Dallin and I have been talking about taking them off his bike. The thing with Tyler though, is that you've got to do stuff like that when he's ready to do it. If we were to push him to do it before he felt ready, he'd never ride the bike again. Today while he was riding his bike I mentioned to him that he's been staying off the training wheels very well, and I said, "Maybe we should take them off today."

"No. Not today."

"Okay." Not more than a minute later:

"Mom, let's take them off." And so we did. And here he is literally minutes after we took off the training wheels.


The best part about watching my kids learn something is the excitement they get in their eyes when they realized they can do it! Tyler was so proud of himself!

easter weekend

We did our simple Easter egg hunt and goodies Saturday night. Easter is one of those holidays where I don't go all out in the secular sense. It feel like it is such a holy celebration, that I really try to avoid any association with the Easter bunny. The kids were with me when I bought the candy, eggs, hand bands, and their one toy. Only Grandma & Grandpa Ensign's gifts were surprises. And the kids knew that it was I who hid the eggs.

Here are the kids gifts pre-opening:

Tyler found an egg. The kids each had 3 eggs to find. Tyler had Spiderman eggs.

Adeline had flower eggs.

Here's Adeline with her flower head band.

Opening presents. Grandma and Grandpa Ensign gave Adeline a bunny. She has slept with it every night since.

Grandma and Grandpa gave Tyler some books on tape. We have found that is one of his favorite things ever! This week the story of choice has been The Three Little Pigs. He listens to it literally ALL THE TIME. This is probably why he also enjoys listening to old time radio with his mom and dad. His favorite radio show is Sam Spade.

Tyler and his bunny ears. When I got these head bands at the dollar spot at Target the kids were so excited they wore them throughout the store.

Sunday morning Easter outfits. I like getting the kids new summerish Sunday outfits for EAster, but Tyler didn't get a new Sunday outfit this year. I looked all over town and couldn't find a short sleeve dress shirt -- which is usually what I get him for his Easter outfit. So instead, I made him dress very well that day. Adeline's dress was given to me by a friend in Dubuque whose daughter used to wear the dress. I always commented how much I loved it, and so when my friend's daughter outgrew the dress, it was given to me. Thanks, Kim!

the trees are gone

Yesterday our 3 pine trees came down. Unfortunately, Tyler was at school, so he only got to see the very end of the project, so I took a lot of pictures so he could see what happened. We decided almost as soon as we moved in that we wanted the pine trees down. We live on a corner lot and so had a large front yard and a small backyard which is made even smaller by the large deck and tree in the middle of it. We wanted to have more yard space in the front -- and there are parts of the lawn that have been under the shadows of those trees for years. I have moss growing in areas because of all the shade! So, after getting a couple estimates from places around town, we scheduled with a company to come take them down.

Addie was fascinated! She and I stood on the front porch in the freezing morning air to watch the guys cut down the trees. I did convince her about 1/2 way through the project that it was warmer inside, and she could still watch them from either my bedroom window or the storm door. It only took about an hour and a 1/2 for the trees to cut cut down, and completely mulched. The part that took the longest was cleaning up all the landscaping stones and lava rocks that were under and around the trees. Tyler was able to see them grind the last stump just as he got home from school. And he's been watching our new patch of dirt for grass ever since!

Here is the before picture:

Addie outside to watch all the excitement.

All the in between pictures:

Addie watching through the storm door. I don't know why she decided she had to hold her nose.

Here's the after picture: