update...

this is more for my records...so please do not feel obligated to read!! :)

I haven't been great at blogging. But i wanted to share this update with the grmas. I know we haven't been around alot lately, life hopefully will ease up with summer life soon! :)

Kelton started soccer. I am his coach. He is great with the ball and makes some amazing passes, that surprise me. But, his lunges take a few weeks to get back into shape. He has a hard time telling the difference between asthma and his lungs/exercising pain. We're looking at getting him into a winter sport other than basketball so he can keep up his lung activity and strength. He is almost at a breakthrough with reading. I am worried that his retention will fade with summer since he is so much like Jacob, and after playing piano for YEARS, jake cannot play. So, I am looking into having Kelton do some one on one tutoring with his teacher. She is AMAZING. Kelton is in LOVE with these Magic treehouse books and asks me to read them every night. The author writes and Kelton just gets it. Its wonderful. He is in love with the nintendo DSi we got the family near his birthday. He wakes up early to play it every morning (which is amazing b/c he is SO hard to wake up) for 15-30 minutes. After the first 3 days, he started going to be right at 8:00 pm. :) Its nice when their rewards also serve a good purpose for me too. :) He really enjoyed easter and egg hunting. He kept talking it up when he'd find one and got so excited with the busyness of it all.

Chase started soccer too. I am also his coach. He scored 5 goals, one from a throw in. The game was only 25 mniutes. He only played 20 b/c he was doing too well it wasn't giving the other kids a turn with the ball. We will play him up in next year if this continues. He gets slightly bored. But loves when he scores...so for now, I guess he'll just build confidence. He realyl genuinely LOVES the game! :) Its fun to see him have the understanding of the game, want to win and the skill to play well. :) We are probably going to start him in Kindergarten in the Fall. He took the rediness test that they will give him in February 2012, and he knew ALL the letters in 30 seconds, upper case and lower case and although he didn't know any sounds, that is what they work on in kindergarten! If i send him next year, he will be readinga nd I think super super bored! So, if we feel he doesn't do well we can always hold him back again. He also LOVES the DSi and gets to play 1 hour a day. :) He really loves make believe play and plays with his dress up clothes and buzz/dragon toys weekly. he is So excited to get out and ride his bike more. He also can't wait for tball. He goes to preschool MWF and has friends over on different days. He is at a fun age where his friends and him play well together and he enjoys their company. Luckily, Kelton shares friends too. :) He is such a lover or a fighter. Him and Taelin play SO well together and giggle and giggle and he also has such a soft spot in his heart for evan. I usually find him sitting straight at Evan and talking to him about Evans toys and hugging him.

Taelin has been napping again lately...and she actually fell asleep in the pew at church on Easter Sunday. :) Which means she wakes up SUPER grumpy. She has also been eating like crazy...which means she's growing! (hopefully) She calls Evan, "sweetie" and seems to try to "get everyone in line" more often than not. She is afraid for her life becuase of a very naughty girl in her JoySchool and Gymnastics class. I have contactedt he mother and asked if things cannot change, to please let me know and I will remove taelin from the situations. Taelin came home last week with her hair pulled completely out of her pony tail...the only thing the mother said was, "she left her alone the whole time until the end." its incredibly frustrating!!! I figure that if taelin can tell me that she is scared and reasons why she doesnt want to be near this little girl, I cannot blame her or put her near frightening situations. Taelin refuses to hit back, so I feel I have been well over patient while this has been happening for years (the girls biting, hitting, pulling hair, etc.). Taelin LOVES cd's and can sing almost all the songs to Mulan and Tangled. She will sit in the back of the van most days while we are driving and sing along to a lot of the songs even on the radio. her memory makes Jacob and us smile. she copies alot of things, sometimes not good things! :) but she also LOVES books, painting, lippy, aand painting her finger nails. She always has a say in what she wears and how her hair is done. But adores her brothers and being close to them at all times. She is silly, watchful and bossy. She giggles, and twirls in her pretty dresses until she is dizzy, then still continues to twirl. I look into her eyes and see a familiar face, I must be triggering reminders of seeing that face when i was little. she is stubborn and relentless when she really wants things, but often has mroe than one reason of why she wants it. :)

Evan started scooting across the floor lately and LOVES that he can get places. he opens his mouth really big when he smiles at us (in the family) and usualyl will give smiles/grins to those outside our home. :) he kisses me with an open mouth and only on the cheek making and "uh" sound. He said mum and da once and hasn't said them since. little stinker! he claps now, holds a bottle (prune juice cause of his constipation) and LOVES to clank things together for their sounds. I love how he looks at people in different ways and is so expressive. He lunges twoards me and most of the time when he's grouchy, he just wants to sit on my lap and bounce. he's gotten quite crazy lately and unless he's sleeping, he's going 100 miles per hour. i'm sure he'll be the funny one of the family because the smallest thigns the kids do will make him belly laugh. he loves to watch them be crazy, and most mornings i will find taelin and chase sitting in his crib with him, all playing with his toys and talking to him. it melts my heart. he is sweet, light hearted and loving. he loves baths, oreos, has two teeth and has finally started to get over his asthma issues from teething and being sick all winter! yay!

Well, hope this update helps! :) its nice to sit down and remember their fun moments. we had a busy busy day on saturday and all the kids did some weird/funny things in a few hours and i wanted to sit down and journal about them, but i forgot and now i can't remember! :(

all for now, love,
vanessa

Good Thing I"m Cute!

If it weren't for this face...his mommy would be going crazy. He's been teething for a long while now, and SCREAMS everytime mommy leaves the room or walks 2 feet away (seperation anxiety age too).

So....good thing he's cute. Or we'd have issues.

Daddy's 30th!

April 1st brought in Daddy's 30th Birthday!!!

We had a family party on the 3rd and I snapped a quick cousins shot of Evan and Grant. Daddy was so great to let all his "helpers" open his gifts! :) He is such a great man, and we are all so lucky to have such a great provider and teacher in our home. He is calm, assured, extreme and thoughtful. He is one of the most sincere men I know, and I am grateful that he deals with all my spastic characteristics on a daily basis.

Catch Up...Kelton Birthday!

Look who is 7!! I can't believe he's getting SO big! Seriously, he takes me by storm with his wittyness, his charm and his love. He gets frustrated just like his daddy, he jokes like his mommy and he is caring, playful, serious, determined and independent all himself! :) We are so happy for this sweet boy that came to our family first, and has been such a great big brother to all of these little ones. He has a hard role of being the example, but he does such a great job!

Who looks like who??

When people ask me who Evan looks like, I always thought I had it right. Then, I compared baby pictures. And this is what I found....

I did 2 different ages, because they change so quickly and I was amazed at how different they all looked with a smile, or a stare or a goofy pic.

Can you guess who is who? (i know taelin is kinda given away with the pink...)

Personally, I think its the eyes that are so different. We have always said that if we have a baby without any cheeks...we'll wonder who the parents are (since we both have cheeks even as adults). :)

TOP: (left to right) Evan, Kelton, Chase, Taelin

BOTTOM: Taelin, Kelton, Evan, Chase

We got 2 teeth!

Evan got two teeth in the last 2 weeks that has left him on more prednisolone cause his breathing got so bad (doesn't help his little tubes) but alas, he's definitely a boy in our family cause the breathing treatments started and he was NOT a happy camper. Since then, he has "found" his voice. We have to let him "hollar" for a while to decided if he's talking or crying...it kinda all sounds the same. Except for his lack of developed patience with the kids for being in his face. He swats now, and screams. :) He's been uber cuddly and I guess only whines when I'm around. Daddy and the sitter both say he's great for them! :) Little Stinker!

Get the word out! Ride for Kids!!!

PLEASE CHECK OUT

RIDE FOR KIDS

click on name to diret you to our website!!!

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6 months & 3 years!

Taelin doesn't love to get her picture taken...so we did hers over a few days, and did Evan's in like 5 minutes. I took a bunch...but these are some of my favorites!!

new backdrop!

so, i love photography. I've always loved it. Its been a muse for me. its quicker than scrapbooking and making crafty things. most often i can find a great scene quickly and it helps get the crafty itch to pass till the next time. i've been looking for this fabric pattern for quite a while now, and have driven everywhere in idaho falls to find it...but alas. i FINALLY ordered it online and LOVE how it turned out!!!

These were taken quicky...and i only have a yard of the fabric...but what do you think?!?!!?

my hobby

jake and i have been taking pics alot lately (these all taken in az) to spell out names. its been fun.

p.s. for those of you who don't know, this is my maiden name: CHOFFIN

my little chasipoo

bzzzzz....we're biizzzy!

Da' Life: (don't wanna read? there are short explainations above the pics...i won't take offense)

I always love reading my friends blogs that live far away, because they write so well and I feel like I get a little window into their fun and interesting lives. Lately, we've all been sick. Well, since Christmas its been 3 weeks sick, 4-5 days off, then someone else starts up again and mommy gets no sleep at night. This time our sweet little guy Evan got the first bug, with Taelin 2 days behind him, Jacob 2 days after her, and Kelton 3 days after Daddy. Wew. Chase and I are trying to stay out of it, but Chase has been sleeping a TON, so i'm not sure if he's sleeping it off or if he's sick. No fever, so I'm going with what I have. After 3 dr. visits with our little Evan, and a rough rough week (wheezing hard, congestion that wouldn't expectorate and a relentless fever) we finally got a diagnosis....pnemonia (well, had a good dr tell me what taelin had, and luckily evan was on the same meds to treat it, good thing WE asked for them!).

We headed to Boise this weekend and started his anti-biotics...he still fevered and then Taelin puked and fevered on Friday night at a game...urgh. Anywho...we are home now, hanging out in our pj's and yet I do have to make a public apology for the way I looked today. It was horrific...but I am sure the gymnastics teacher, pharmacist, school teachers and mcdonalds people have see comparable. And thank you Kelton for not being embarrassed when your mommy came to school in her warm ups and icky hair to make sure you were breathing ok. Today has been one of those days...but at least I got my crown put on (even tho they had to strengthen the contact between the tooth in front of it by replacing a filling on the tooth in front of it) and now I can DRINK WATER without turning my head and using my tongue to filter the water thru the right side, I can also chew on the left side (after only 8 weeks!). I'm officiall DONE with dental work...says the girl that's getting BRACES next month. Grrrr I say. Grrr....

Evan is 6 months old and got pnemonia!

Taelin is now in gymnastics! She LOVES it...and her "outfit"!

We attended Girls State Basketball Tournament in Boise, Idaho: Sugar Salem WON! And our auntie Kimber did terrific!! We love her!

Chase did a Basketball Clinic offered by: Back to Basics (grpa's company)

He played with the 5-6 year olds and was amazing at defense. Whatever kid he was on, never got the ball and i'm pretty sure he was bugged with Chase in his face the whole time! :)

We got a new TV! Evan loves it...

Kyle and Courtney Sealing

We traveled down to St. George for Kyle and Courtney's sealing the end of January. We love being around these guys. Our kids get SO excited to them and hate saying goodbye. We are so happy for them! Congrats guys! We love you so much!

The kids were just getting over the sicknesses, and I had just been diagnsed with influenza B the previous week...luckily I was not contagious tho! But, we still had a great time! The kids traveled great and altho Evan is getting busier and doesn't like the carseat at much, they still did awesome. We went swimming, minature golfing, ate at yummy iggy's and got to spend some time with family! It was a fun weekend, wish we would have had another day!

A Few Firsts

Look Who's Sitting Up!!!

It happened overnight it seems. It seems like everytime I turn around, he's doing something new. I finally feel like he's a normal part of the family. Not sure why it took me that long...but I always see him and feel like he's new. But now, he's a big boy and loves to sit and play with toys!

Eating Some Oatmeal With Breastmilk added in...SO yummy. For the first few bites he just tried to put his lips to the spoon and make a sucking motion....but he quickly figured it out.

"i got skills mom"

So, I have a confident child...but his favorite part of basketball...taking the ball out. EVERYTIME the referee goes to take the ball out and calls red, Kelton is right here ready to pass it in. And I love how he guards, never looking at the ball, just watching the person he's guarding. Talea has plays with him on this team (she was gone this weekend). I love how he always looks to her to pass. He's really having fun...and now wants gymnastics open gym. He's always looking forward to the next fun thing!