Too Sweet!

From Olivia's dance recital

Truth about Pox

Olivia has chicken pox! She had the vaccine for them but apparently a small percentage of people vaccinated still get them. Leave it to Liv to be in that group. Fortunately, if vaccinated people who do get it, the case is very mild. Liv's spots only touched her face and neck and are already in the last stage.

I love December

I love December (even though I hate the cold, serioulsy how did we live in Minneapolis for 3 years?). I love Christmas trees and goodies and songs and lights. And I love the anticipation of Christmas morning. But I especially love that Christ is in my thoughts more. And I love that even amidst promises of Santa coming to visit, my kids seem to be more in tune spiritually. Last night Zoey fell asleep reading her scriptures and Liv's prayers have suddenly become so thoughtful. This morning she prayed on and on about real, sincere things and ended with a plea for us to serve others today. She is 4 years old!!

complain-athon

This morning was off to a good start when a cut on Zoeys heel started bleeding and she trailed blood across my newly mopped bathroom floor and down the carpet and through her room. Then Olivia kept telling me she didn't feel good, that her 'stomach hurt.' I thought she was just making up an excuse not to have to unload the dishes. (It brought back too many memories of a certain brother who used the same excuse everytime we had to do the dishes growing up). But sure enough 10 minutes later she was laying on my bed and the puking began. Of course I felt bad, I hate when my kids are sick. But I have to admit that a close second to the immediate concern for my daughter, was for my brand new white comforter that was soaking up the orange colored throwup. The ironic thing was the previous time I bought a brand new duvet cover, the next day she colored on it with black sharpie. I think there is an unspoken rule about parenthood...that you are not entitled to have anything nice. Lastly Kellen has a cold and will not let me put him down for even two seconds. He scoots after me crying and pulling on my legs. It is so hard for me to be patient when I have to hold him constantly. Of course in the big picture, when my kids are grown and gone, I will miss mornings like these, (or so my in-laws keep telling me).

So I put thoughts of my now peach colored comforter aside, I forget about the blood now drying in my carpet because I am in charge of carpool today and need to take kids to school. So I load everyone up and head out. When I return home, I am just getting out when Joe calls needing me to take him a document at work right away. So forgetting the mess at home, I load Liv and Kellen back up and make the hour trip, grateful I at least took time to put a bra on. And while driving I eat 4 chocolate chip cookies to compensate for not having breakfast which now make me feel like I am going to throw up.

It is nearly noon and I am still in pj's (which is rare, if not nonexsistent for me by this time of day), I haven't put in my contacts or brushed my teeth but instead of continuing my complaint-athon, in the spirit of the Thanksgiving season I will write a few things I am thankful for today to try and boost my mood.

1. After dropping Zoey off at school, she comes running back to the car. I thought she must have left a school paper or something but instead she says, "I forgot" and reaches over and gives me a hug. It made my heart melt.

2. I am thankful for a washing machine and oxyclean that may have actually saved my comforter.

3. But the most important thing I am grateful for today is the plan of salvation. They installed my dads headstone at the cemetary yesterday. It has been hard for me because it is a very blatant reminder of him really being gone. But more importantly, it reminds me that life does not end at death. It goes on forever and I can be with my family forever. And that blessing and knowledge overrules every sad or discouraged feeling I have today.

Jackpot

Kellen hit the Jackpot!!

Bum Scooter

Just like Olivia, Kellen has decided that traditional crawling is not the way to go, so he has become a bum scooter! Here is a little clip for your enjoyment.

Labor Day

We loved spending Labor Day weekend in Utah and especially being with my family. It didn't hurt that BYU had an awesome victory over Oklahoma, or that the kids got tons of candy at the Onion Days parade or that we ate lots of bacon (Thanks Jilyan!) We ate alot, and stayed up way too late every night playing Rock Band. Good Times.

The girls and some of their cousins were honorary cheerleaders for the big game. Here are a few shots of them practicing their stuff.My mom is getting her house ready to sale so we spent some time helping her sort through many years of stuff that had been building over the years. Good Job mom on letting us throw away so much. This is my brother wearing an old groovy sweater of my dad's. Looking good Shane!

Totally unrelated but here are the girls on their first day of school.

And here is Kellen enduring the girls dressing him up for bed.

Hawaii

We just returned from the 7th Esplin Reunion in Hawaii. We loved every minute of it, especially being with family and friends and surrounded by such incredible beauty. We took over 300 pictures and here are some of the highlights. Kellen, the sand baby.
Zoey learning to boogie boardOur house on the beach

Temple Beach

Thanks to the Laie First Ward for the great Luau and teaching us to make coconut hats

Tide poolsOur daily trip to Haliewa for shave ice

Kellen was a really good baby even through all the hard things we made him do like getting splashed by waves.

Lanakai

Turtle Beach

Zoey loved snorkeling

Waimea Falls

Some of the great-grand kids

The Esplin Cousins (this was only half of us)

Bathtub Beach

The kids crashed at the end of a hard day at the beach

Helping with a Hukilau during Laie Days

We are look forward to 2014 (if we can stay away for that long.)

June

So I know July is halfway over but I'm finally getting to all our pics from June. Here are some of the happenings.

Two trips to Kanab to see my brother Jason and his family on their 'farm.' We especially love their backyard and sitting around the fire. North Rim of Grand Canyon

This is our family pic from my dads funeral. Thanks again to everyone for their kind words, and thoughts.

My kids with my cousin Erin's kids...Parker and Ben. They came to Vegas and stayed with us for a night. We loved having them.
Climbing at Mt. Charleston

This climb is not easy to get to. You have to hike 1/2 mile up a trail, then you turn off the trail and hike straight up the mountain for another 1/4 mile. It's tough hauling kids with us but they love it and Zoey and Liv are getting to be great hikers and can do it all by themselves. Joe was so sweet, in addition to carrying all the climbing gear (which is not light) he hauled a chair for me to sit in so I can nurse Kellen more comfortably while we were up there.

This pic might look familar. We take one of the girls in this hollow tree every year at the same time.

Dad

My dad passed away this last Sunday, June 21 - Fathers Day. It's been a bittersweet week, everything feeling very surreal and passing through periods of heartache and happiness. I feel so much gratitude for the plan of salvation, knowing the seperation from him is temporary and that we are an eternal family.

I gave the life sketch at his funeral and feel so blessed to be apart of the legacy he left behind and pay tribute to his life of service and unselfishness. I love you Dad.

Running

Before I got pregnant with Kellen I had just started running. I fell in love with it and completed my first 5 and 10k's with my eye on the big 26 miler. But all came to a stop when I got pregnant. Well I've begun running again post pregnancy and literally have had to start from scratch. I'm making some progress though, slow but sure. And the past week the running conditions in Vegas have been perfect. So since no one is reading my blog these days, I thought I'd just run amuck and describe my ideal running environment, which to my great satisfaction have been possible the last few days.

Going to bed and 11 and waking from my uninterrupted sleep ready to run by 7. I pop some peppermint gum into my mouth and step outside into the low 70's. There is a light cloud coverage, not overcast, but blocking the burning hot rays of the sun. A light almost tropcial breeze is blowing, just enough that the palm trees swaying can almost convince you that the ocean will appear over the next hill. My ipod is shuffling through my workout playlist and landing on only my very favorite songs. I'm not following any premeditated route but running as far and as long as my body will keep going. My breathing is even and my mind is clear. The sweat lightly rolls from my forehead, just enough to coat my lips with a salty cover like sea water. When I finally round the corner onto Amulet St. my running slows and I know I'll be able to handle anything the day brings.

By the way, this little device has completly changed my running. I highly recomend it.

Summer

I keep waiting for some big event to blog about, but it seems (as made obvious by my last post)that my life is made up of a series of teeny tiny less eventful things. So as the summer is underway and I have my kids home all day here is a list of a few things I have discovered so far.

1. I will never be caught up on laundry.

2. Kellen is deathly afraid of my hair dryer.

3. That 3 miles under the hot Las Vegas Sun is too far for a 4 year old to walk.

4. I will never be caught up on Sleep.

5. To keep the girls swim suits in the car at all times.

6. It IS possible for Zoey's obsession with Miley Cyrus to get bigger.

7. The weeds don't pull themselves.

8. There are few things more satsifiying or tasty as eating my own homemade bread covered in homemade jam.

9. After going camping with kids in the rain, it is not possible to get rid of all the mud stained in our clothes.

10. That I'm so excited to go to Hawaii in July, I don't know if I'll be able to wait the 40 days, 10 hours and 30 minutes untill we go.

Pesky Bug

Is it just me or have flies evolved and suddenly become smarter? I sware they hangout by the door and the second it opens, no matter how quick you are, 5 flies slip inside your house. And the next level of their evolution is they never land! They swarm past your head, circle over your food taunting you, but never land long enough to swat them. And if they do tire themselves out with the endless taunts they seem to always land just high enough on the wall that you can't reach them. But I will take it no longer, war has been declared against these little buggers!

Ode to Redrock

Oh Red Rock! How do I love thee, let me count the ways....hiking and repelling, horseback riding and climbing, beautiful blue skies and scorching hot sun, wildflowers and wild donkeys But why oh why do I have to drive your 13 mile oneway road, 10 miles per hour past ancient gamblers and European tourists to find all your treasures.