Kayleigh's Talk

Kayleigh did great today in Primary! She spoke right into the microphone and wasn't scared at all. She improved a ton from last week's nervousness. Last Monday for family Home Evening we sat down and wrote her talk about how Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. I asked her what she wanted to say and she said she wanted to talk about when Jesus was born. So, here is her talk, with a little help from Mom and Dad of course.

Jesus is my Savior. He was born a long time ago in a stable in Bethlehem. As He grew up He made really good choices. He was kind and helpful to those around Him. To be obedient He was even baptized. I want to be baptized like Him. I can follow Jesus' example by being obedient and helping others. I know Jesus loves me and if I follow Him I will be happy. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Article of Faith #5

This month in our ward in Primary it is the Sunbeam's turn to help with the talks/prayers/etc. Today it was Kayleigh's turn to say the 5th Article of Faith. She practiced hard all week singing it and saying it. She seems to pick them up very fast when she can learn them in a song. By last night she knew it and had it all memorized. She even said it for my parents.

Sunday morning, nerves were running high as I knew they would be . I had prepped her by telling her she might get nervous standing in front of all those people. I told her to just look at Daddy because he'd be in the back of the room. She was very excited to do it and had a big smile on her face as she sat at the front or the room during the announcements and stuff. Her turn came and she said in the microphone, "Article of Faith number 5..." and then she turned in to me, I was standing right by her. She got very nervous and didn't want to finish. I told her to just look at Daddy but that didn't help. Then I told her she'd be sad when we got home if she didn't do it. After that she just looked at me and recited it to me.

Since it wasn't in the microphone it was really quiet and I don't think many heard her but I was so proud that she did it! I know for her first time it must have been really scary for her. I was just happy that she at least said it and she had it all memorized and she remembered it.

Next week it's her turn to do a talk. We are going to practice a lot again and hopefully have better results. After church she told me she just needed a practice and the A of F was the practice and now she's ready and will do her talk next week. We'll see...

St. George

Every two years I am required by the state to complete 20 hours of continuing education for my pharmacy technician license. Eight of those twenty hours have to be live. The easiest place I have found to get these hours is at the Annual Utah Pharmacists Association Convention. It was held this year at the end of March and into April in St. George at the Dixie Convention Center. Since Michael’s sister and her family live in St. George we decided to kind of make a trip out of it. Kayleigh got very excited when we told her we were going. She really likes her cousin Tyler that lives there. Tyler has a little sister, Brooke, who is actually closer to Kayleigh’s age than Tyler is, but for some reason she really likes Tyler. During March she often asked how many more days till St. George. We were glad she was so excited to go. I wasn’t as excited to go and sit in classes all day long.

My dad was able to arrange for Michael to play in a golf tournament in place of me while we were down there. Since this began on Wednesday at noon, he left with my dad pretty early Wednesday to get there. The weather was very nice that day and Michael had a great time. I drove down with the kids, my mom and Nathan. We left at 10 that same morning. Because of the stops we had to make for lunch and the potty, we rolled in finally to Michael’s sister’s house at 3:45. The drive really wasn’t too bad, but it’s nicer when you don’t have to stop. Nathan did better than I expected him to. Kayleigh did great with the drive and Landon even did okay too.

Once we arrived, Kayleigh began playing immediately outside in their backyard. They have a tramp and swing set and she loved them! That day we got all unpacked and settled in. We had some great hamburgers off the grill that night for dinner. That evening I ran up to the outlets to use a coupon I had for The Children’s Place. When I came back the kids were in bed thanks to Michael and so we sat down to play a game. Staci and Bill taught us a new game called Nine’s that you play with Skip-Bo cards, it was pretty fun. We ended up playing that a couple nights while we were there.

The next day (Thursday) we just chilled in the morning while the kids played. I then had to leave and my first stop was Bill’s office. He was nice enough to check my eyes and get me an updated prescription while I was down there. Apparently my right eye is getting worse and now needs a little stronger contact than my left eye. Really, I am only 26 and my body is deteriorating already!

Next stop the convention center where our first C.E. began. That night followed with a dinner and I finally got back at 10 at night just in time to go to bed so I could get up at 5:30 the next morning to go back for more lectures. Fun! Unfortunately, on Friday Brooke got sick and started throwing up. So Michael took the kids on a little walk to the local school and he played with the healthy kids on the big toy. Kayleigh thought it was great! It’s basically just like a park anyway.

From then on we washed hands a lot and tried to stay away from Brookie, poor thing! It’s kind of funny because it seems any time we go down there, someone is sick. Last year we went about this same time and Brooke broke her leg the day we got there. Landon got a cold also. The year before I went down with Kayleigh and left a day early because she got a cold. I don’t know what it is about us being together, something like that always happens though.

Friday night we went to dinner with Mom, Dad and Nathan for Mom’s 55th birthday. We went to the Pasta Factory and it was really nice. We ate outside and the weather was perfect. Then we accidently left Landon’s binki and binki clip on the table. So long farewell to that, oh well. Saturday we made the journey home. Kayleigh did great and Landon not so much. He just isn’t that happy in the car for very long. We did manage to have him watch a little of the Baby Einstein’s DVD and that helped a little. We rolled in a few minutes after six and Michael ran off to the Priesthood Session.

While down there, Mom and Dad brought their empty car over to Staci’s where we loaded her crib, changing table and lots of Tyler’s old clothes for Landon. She is done using them and offered them to us if we wanted them. We thought sure, we’ll take them, they are free and newer than the ones we have. A huge thanks to her and Mom and Dad for doing that. All in all, it was a fun trip!

Saturday

Went to work from 9-1
Dropped some things off at the DI
Picked up some needed items at Costco
Returned some pants at Kohl's
Ate lunch
Cleaned out the garage
Cleaned the car
Made dinner
Ate dinner
Gave kiddos baths
Got church bags ready for tomorrow
Blogged a little
Watched a movie
Went to bed

Got lots done-love those days!

Learning about spring

Last week Kay did the cutest thing at pre-school. They learned all about spring and about birds. She brought home a birds nest she got to make. It was made out of a doughnut, chocolate frosting, those La Choy noodles and jelly beans. As Kayleigh explained to me, "Mom, we pretended that the icing was dirt and those other things were sticks."

I just thought it was so creative and cute. I can't believe Kayleigh's pre-school year will be done here in a couple months. I feel like she just started. Where does the time go? I think it has been really fun for her to go and learn about different things and have interaction with other kids her age.

Park

Some days it acts like spring here and on those days we try to get out. Kayleigh loves going to the park and Landon is quickly learning to enjoy it, too. He loves going down slides and swinging! This year Kayleigh is a little more daring than last. She likes to try the monkey bars and the fire pole. She's pretty brave and slowly getting the hang of it.

Landon isn't really scared of anything at the park. He crawls thru the sand and all over the big toy. When Kay was his age she never did that. I am sure part of it is that he's a boy, but he is really in to everything. Maybe one day we'll have a swing set, but for now I am glad we have parks to go to.

Skiing

Michael was able to make it up to the slopes one time this skiing season. He went with his friend Lance and they had a great time! They went to Park City. For the past couple of years Michael and his friends go to the Warren Miller movie where they get a free day ski pass for viewing the video. It seems to be a great deal since the movie ticket is only $17.

This year Lance told Michael he would buy his to "pay him back" for all those times in high school that Michael footed the bill. (If you know Michael, he is a great host and loves to help people out and share. I need to learn from him.) Thanks, Lance, that was super nice of you! Michael had a lot of fun not having to go to work and going skiing. I wish he could do more skiing, maybe in the next lifetime...

Clothes from Nana

Usually every year my mom heads down to St. George with her sisters. One of the fun things they do while down there is hit the outlets. The Children's Place down there always seems to have great clearance stuff and my mom always finds stuff for all the grandkids. The things she found this trip she had planned to give all the kids for Easter, but she decided they better wear them now before everyone grows too much to fit in them. Not like my kids grow fast or anything...

Kayleigh got a cute dress and Landon a very cute shirt. I liked his shirt so much I went and got him the same exact one in a size bigger so he can keep on wearing it! Thanks, Mom, for thinking of my kids. They love their new stuff!

15 month check-up

Yesterday I took Landon in to the doctor for his 15 month check-up. All I can say is this kid is growing right up! He is 27 lbs. (81st%tile) and 33 inch long (94th%tile). I guess that would explain why he is in 24mo./2T clothes. His head circumference is in the 95th%tile.

His doctor was a little surprised that he's not walking yet, but he said enjoy it while it lasts. I agree. The doctor asked what words he is saying, I said not really any. I guess by now he should have three distinct sounds/words. He does say Dadda, but I don't think he knows he's saying it. By the time he's 18 mo. he's supposed to have 12-18 words, so I guess we'd better get this kid talking.

With the whole UTI thing we've dealt with this last month I asked the doctor if this would be something he is going to be prone to now. Dr. Doug said he was really glad I brought this subject up because he kind of forgot about it since he wasn't the original doctor to treat it. (The instacare was.) He went on to say that when little boys get one then they need to have some tests done to check and see if their anatomy is built correctly inside. Boys really shouldn't get them at all.

So, in a few weeks when RSV season is over, we'll head down to Primary Children's and have a VCU (voiding cystourethrogram) and renal ultrasound done. What that means is that they will cath him again and inject a dye into his bladder. Then with the ultrasound they can watch and see where that dye goes as the bladder empties. The urine should only go down, if it goes up into his kidneys then something is wrong and will possibly need surgery to correct.

Dr. Doug said that since Landon's fever was so high that day (105 degrees) that he's positive it was up in his kidneys. My poor little baby, I feel so bad for him. I know this is not going to be fun for him. After his traumatic experience at the instacare being cathed, he really hates doctor offices now. Yesterday during his check-up he cried the entire time and wouldn't even look at Dr. Doug. Once he got a sucker after his shots then he finally calmed down. Thank goodness for sugar! It really does help that medicine go down.

Okay, now we are done

Got word from the doctor today and Landon got the "all clear", hooray!