FLORDIA!!!

Jacksonville Beach: the kids had SO much fun! and it was perfect weather the day we went!

We'll definitely have to keep the beach in mind this summer!

Children's Museum...can you find Kelton?

she seriously wore these shoes for 2 hours! they were womens size 6! she loved the dresses!
pump it up...the kids had a BALL! (and daddy too!)

4th of July!!!!

It was hot...really hot. But we still had a great time at the beach (a fav. of the kids'), a jump place, a kids museum (the grocery store, etc.) and lego building, movie watching, duck feeding, computer playing with oma and we even got a little shopping in! It was fun to be together and the best part was that the plane rides weren't stressful! It was nice to have time away from Idaho, and get to do fun Florida things. The 4th was small with just our fireworks...and we realized how much we really do love living in a highly populated LDS community where they don't celebrate things on sundays!

My Baseball Boy

Dear Chase: You love baseball like I have never seen a 3 or 4 year old like baseball. I am sure you are a replica of what your Grpa Choffin would have been like at your age. You hollar for Kimber at her games and ask each players name so you can cheer them on...and you cheer on all of your teammates even tho you only knew 2 of them when we started this tball team. You are mesmerized by the game, rules and passion for the sport. Well, most sports really. I love your passion to even play by yourself, no one else is needed as far as you are concerned. You picked out a tball bag and helmet as your bday present, I should not have been surprised.

You LOVE this game and I am SO glad that we could give you a taste of summer tball! I love you SO much and am so proud of how hard you worked for your team! Love you Sweets!

Happy Father's Day!

I know I am behind....but we can't go without saying that we think we have the bestest daddy in the whole world. We all adore you and think you are just grand. We love that you play games with us (and most of the time you are asking us to play), tickle and wrestle with us, read to us, and are always available for a hug and kiss.

WE LOVE YOU DADDY!

Taelin Talk

maybe its just me, but i think she's dang cute!

STAYCATION 2010

Friday: Idaho Falls Temple

Saturday: 9:00 am BIG breakfast

11:00 Riot Zone (mini golf and go karts)

2:00 Lunch at Wendy's

4:45-6:00 girls and jake at the mall (sorry kyle!) and kids in the car with Kyle
6:00-7:30 Bowling at Bowlero's (and some arcade)

Sunday: Church at Mom's (great talk Bryce)

Dinner at Mom's with games, tball, and baby Grant!

Monday: 11:00 am Kelton's tball game 2:30 pm Chase's tball game (whole family came down)
Chase is one serious player - he never looses focus or has to be told to run, he's a really fast runner and for barely 4 years old, this kid LOVES the game of baseball. Well anything really, he would rather watch sportscenter/espn than cartoons most days!

4:30 Zoo with Family

p.s. happy anniversary! 7 years and I love you more!

7:00 pm Dinner @ Applebee's

Tuesday: 4:00 am Jake is back to work

6:00 am Kyle and Courtney head back to Boise

Staycation scale: 10.5! Altho Bear Lake would have been fun, this weekend rocked!

Happy Birthday Chasiepoo!

Baby Chase Choffin Jansen ~ born 6/5/06

1 year old! 06/05/07

2 years old ~ June 2008

3 years old ~ June 2009

4 years old ~ June 6, 2010

He's 4!!! We had great friends and family here to celebrate with Chase! He was so excited to start playing with all his toys and was such a great sharer!

Can't believe its been 4 years since I was holding him in the hospital. Happy Birthday Sweets!

Happy Birthday Chase!!!! (6-5-10)

My favorite part is that he sings to himself. :)

When did my little man get to be such a big boy? I am sure that everyone asks themselves this question, but seriously today I looked at him, felt his little frame (he is really short for his age) and yet couldn't believe how big he has gotten. My little boy is now responsible, serious and committed to everything he does. Happy Birthday Chase (iepoo)!!!!!

May/June 2010: is it summer yet?

We are FINALLY getting some summer weather, but in between all of the rain, we've still managed some great moments here! Jacob and I (since he worked rotating shifts, most of the time it was me, but when he was able to be there he was SO helpful) coached Kelton's soccer team this year and Team Lightning did GREAT! They all improved so much! Kelton LOVED playing defense after the first 3 games and then started liking offense again towards the end of the season...which was silly. He's really good, but when you have asthma and your a little kid, the "out of shape cause its been all winter" feeling you get in your lungs VS. the asthmatic feeling of "soon-will be outa breath and without air" is very close...so he got scared and like defense.

I don't know why, but my kids have such short attention spans when it comes to sports. 2 weeks into the sport they are like, "we're done. i don't want to play, i hate that you signed me up." but by the last game they are all chanting, "i want to play more soccer (insert activity), when's our next game?"

So, Chase ended Gymnastics in May; started tball 4 days later. Kelton finished soccer and started tball (no pics yet sorry) within 3 days of eachother in the beginning of June.

We had some fun visitors, Aunt Becky and cousin CJ from California! Taelin kept calling him JP (a kid from our soccer team) but at the end got his name right! :) They had fun together and it was cute to see them all play!

Us and the Noyes' at the River Belt feeding the ducks. How fast do you say it takes to go through 3 packages of hotdog buns? 3.4 minutes (including running time back and forth to get 1 piece of bread each time). I'm sure those ducks were so dang full! It was fun to have a picnic together (so the mommy's can talk mostly) and then watch the kids all chase eachother and play. Can't wait for a fun summer!

say what?

blogger right now is ridiculous! i'm not posting again until i don't have to do it 6 times! urgh!!!!

Ride For Kids

Ride for Kids is coming up in Idaho Falls! Register now HERE! Register your family for this fun local event! It supports getting bikes to kids who could never imagine riding bikes of their very own...until now! It also supports local schools to get adaptable P.E. equipment funds (to the winning school with the most points) and all proceeds go to the Children with Disabilities Foundation for SouthEastern Idaho children!

For those of you who know these kids, you know its worth a day of your time to contribute to this great cause! Repost on your blog and PLEASE let your friends and families know!

DATE: Saturday July 17, 2010

My sister ROCKS!

So, post #300! Wew! I thought I needed to do something special. So, I thought of someone that I know that gives her HEART and SOUL to her friends, family, fastpitch diamond, basketball court, school work, horses, and just about anything else she touches. The sad thing (for me) is that I can remember when she was born! She will be 18 in the Fall and I CANNOT believe it! But, what she doesn't know is that I admire her, for everything that she is, does and believes in. Those that are around her feel her love and true generosity for others. She gives of herself in a second, and yet is always the last person to accept a compliment or acknowledge just how great she really is. She shys away from the spotlight. But, I think its just another Christ-like trait that she possesses. So Kimber, today you cannot hide from the spotlight (or my teeny blog), today I want everyone in my network to know that you are a FABULOUS pitcher and that overall, you ROCK!

Tink

We love Tink. We had Lindsay's baby shower last Saturday, and so we got to spend most of the weekend with Courtney who visited from Boise for it! After the baby shower we (just the girls, sisters and mom) all went to dinner! It was SO fun to hang out and laugh so hard! My kids were worried that Kyle didn't come, but didn't skip a beat playing with Courtney every second (and she's a great aunt!) they could! Seriously, she makes me look like a looser mom, these guys LOVE her so much! They always ask me to go to work like Courtney does...I know, she's just too good! :)

Anyways, we LOVE Tink now! Taelin especially, who now talks about her everyday! Talea (my little sister) got her a while ago, but Taelin has only enjoyed her from a distance until lately! Now, she's obssessed. We put a towel/blanket down b/c of the boys' allergies...so it keeps everyone clean. The kids rode and rode and put poor Tink to "bed". And both Taelin and Rylin balled and balled because they love her so much. :)

Monkey's on the Bed

Taelin loves to sing. Every night we sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and she sings most of it. But she surprises me everyday on what new song she knows. And when she explains why she doesn't like things, she always uses details so you know what she's talking about: "I don't like the shower, so I want a bath." or "Mommy a mommy, Taelin a girl, Chase a boy, Kelton a boy too, Daddy a Daddy."

soccer boys

Jacob and I both loved soccer growing up. And we're happy that these guys enjoy it too. Chase can't wait until he can play, just another season and then he'll be old enough. But to tell the truth, he can keep up with Kelton and his friends without a worry. Kelton has gone from aggressive on the field to wanting to play defense and goalie because of all the running. :) we're trying to break that with good old "incentives" for playing hard and scoring.

chores and cheez!

The kids have started doing chores and earning allowances! Jacob and I came from very different houses, but at the end of the day, we feel that teaching them money management is really important, and they need to learn that upgrades and things that they want need to be saved for and bought in time. A little self restraint never hurt anyone right?! So, our journey begins. I never realized how much I wouldn't have to fight them to help out. One morning (before we started this) Kelton came into me in bed still and said, "Mom, just wanted to let you know I woke up early and did the dishes." Me, not sure what that meant thanked him and when I went to get bowls out of the dishwasher for breakfast, realized he had emptied the ENTIRE dishwasher! What a big boy! I realized that I wasn't using his abilities to his the fullest. And let me tell you, chores were made for this kid. He asks EVERY day if he can empty the dishwasher! He loves having something to do that is HIS job and he knows he does well. Its been my saving grace too...don't know what I would do without this boy! Chase and Taelin have smaller but definitely helping chores as well. Its such a fun life lesson to see them accomplish everyday. And they get so excited on "payday". :)

The rest of the pics are our practicing with smiles for our soon-to-be family pictures. I really want the smiling "so all our neck skin stretches" to stop...trying to get them to feel different smiles. I know, strange I'm sure, but hey- it'll save time later right? and they were great sports.