Ditto Planet

2012-01-29T23:52:00.000-05:00

Tired Much?

Did you know that Hailey, more than any of our other children, has been able to fall asleep pretty much anywhere? Mostly it's at the dinner table...there was a streak about a year ago when she would fall asleep eating at least every other night!

This time though, it was the stairs...oh to be 3 again...

Weekend highlights: Snowboarding (for Kelly)

Friday night temple session

Moneyball (Kelly loved it, I thought it was good)

Saturday morning Organize-the-Laundry-Room-extravaganza

Met the new neighbors...

Movie Night with Blayre and Ryan- Real Steel (I don't really care what the movie is about if Hugh Jackman is in it!)

Sunday morning church...Sunday afternoon nap!

How was your weekend?

2012-01-24T17:24:00.000-05:00

Hello January!

I know that it has been January for over 3 weeks already, obviously I'm not quite on the ball with reflecting that change in my blog...here's to a new year and doing a better job keeping up on my blog!

Last week it snowed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday! The kids L.O.V.E.D. it!! and you can only imagine the joy when I told them on Friday school was cancelled- Addison and Laynie cheered...and Hailey cried. She only goes to school 2 days a week, so when it's NOT her day to go she is so sad...that sadness was multiplied of course on a day she was supposed to go, but couldn't! Poor Hailey.

Here is a picture from the morning of the snow day, all the kids snuggled under a blanket and Addison was reading to them...holy cow, it was so cute. Mothering has some great moments...

For some reason I love this picture...it's so sad but so cute at the same time! Maren has had a little bit of a rough go. She now has 4 teeth!! and her first only poked through about 6 weeks ago, so 4 teeth in 6 weeks is no fun (I'm assuming). But, she has learned how to scoot all around and pick up any little gross thing off the floor and eat it! so life isn't all bad for her!

This is how I spent my time on the snow day! Thanks for all the great ideas Pinterest!!! I just love copying other people's cute ideas and getting compliments on them :)

Other highlights from January include Addison and Laynie starting piano lessons, hearing Elder Holland speak at our stake conference, and making homemade bread 3 weeks in a row! (with freshly ground wheat, might I add...thank you Blendtec!!)

Kelly is out of town this week and I miss him! I have been especially grateful for our marriage lately, and not only because he's taking me on a 7-day cruise in 6 weeks...but also because he's seriously amazing.

What? did I say amazing? yeah, I'd say this beach falls under that category...6.more.weeks.

2012-01-01T19:09:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve Traditions

We love Santa Pancakes!!

And here's our Christmas eve dinner!

Okay, we didn't JUST eat treats...well the kids might have..

There was so much deliciousness!

Even Italian Sodas!!

And of course the nativity play...Aunt Julia playing the "pregnant Mary" (cause she didn't have to play the 'pregnant' part...

And here's "Mary" "Joseph" and "Baby Jesus"...bet you didn't know that baby Jesus had a binki!

The traditional 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas' pyramid!

...and of course the new jammies!

Even new jammies for Mom and Dad (picture courtesy of Laynie!)

2012-01-01T18:51:00.000-05:00

Gingerbread extravaganza!

Perhaps trying to continue to Pickett tradition, we hosted a Ditto Family Gingerbread Party...and Party we did! How can you not with that much candy overflowing in every direction?!

It may sound like fun, but it's a very serious matter...as you can see by the facial expressions.

Okay, not everyone had serious facial expressions...

...especially not Logan!

The gingerbread village!

Laynie was super proud of her house- (it was pretty awesome...even better than some of the adults!)

The whole group!

Thanks for a super fun night Dittos!

2012-01-01T18:37:00.000-05:00

I love it.

in case it's too hard too read, it says: From Alayna To Santa

Ding Santa, I Wo a play wmputur fur Kismos how do the elus make the tals

(translation) From Alanya, To Santa-

dear Santa, I want a play computer for Christmas. How do the elves make the toys?

2011-12-23T18:26:00.000-05:00

All I want for Christmas...

Kelly told me last week that all he wanted for Christmas was for his kids to get haircuts- It's been since September for Addison, since last year at this time for Laynie...and believe it or not, Hailey has never had a haircut...well, her bangs, but that doesn't really count.

So, I called my friend Shannon and asked if she wanted to have a play-date...with her hair-cutting scissors...BEST PLAY-DATE EVER!!!

Both of the girlies decided to get a shoulder length cut- they look SO good!!

See what I mean??!! We are especially swooning over Hailey's new doo- is it not the cutest thing you've ever seen??!

2011-12-23T18:19:00.000-05:00

Happy Brithday Laynie!!

Laynie turned 6 last week!!- We celebrated by eating Christmas Tree waffles for breakfast,

opening presents,

and having an after-school party for her best friends!

We LOVE you Laynie!! You are an amazing girl and such a great sister! We can't believe how fast you're growing up!!

2011-12-14T13:45:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-07T22:09:00.000-05:00

Oh Christmas Tree!!

This year, for the first time in my life, we went in to the wild woods (with a permit of course) and cut down our very own little Christmas tree! Here is Kelly so proud with the fine specimen...okay who are we kidding, it's totally Charlie Brown, but I love it.

Hailey was a big helper (no she didn't use the saw!)

And Maren LOVED it!...a perfect way to celebrate her 6-month-old birthday!! She is the delight of the family...she has 2 little teeth poking through her gums and can roll both ways now. (though she hardly gets a chance because she is held so much!) She is almost always smiling- especially at her brother and sisters! and talks and talks- WE LOVE HER!!

The Whole clan and trees! Thanks for a fun day Dittos!!

2011-12-07T19:09:00.000-05:00

We Are THANKFUL!

Thanksgiving was with the Picketts this year...and it was a smashing good time! We decorated cookies, went to the zoo, jumped at Sky High, ate ridiculously good food, and enjoyed each other's company A LOT!

I only posted this picture because the look on Maren's face in the background is PRICELESS- clearly her excitement over cookie making (eating) comes from her mother!...although Kelly enjoys the eating part too...

So many fun things in a day = one tired Hailey! Thanks for being her pillow aunt Mimi!!

This may have been Kelly's favorite part of our trip (or maybe a close second to snowboarding!!) Yes folks, Kelly is driving the backhoe! Jake (the landscape Architect in the family) had a plan for my parents' yard that required some real muscle...good thing Kelly as there :)

Images from Sky High...

A basement with wall-to-wall trampolines would Perfect for Addison!! So much energy dispensed!!

And now to the photo shoot pictures... Thanksgiving morning we all dressed up for family pics- but Papa tested his backdrop on the kids first.

And good little testers they were!

I guess some were better than others...

So sweet

Handsome!!

Here's our best family shot!

And the happy couple...

Pickett Palooza!

And now to the important part of the holiday- deliciousness! Casey deep fried a turkey this year (check out pic at the end of the post!) and it was SO YUMMY!

Who doesn't love "the trick?" Maren and Owen do!!

It rained almost everyday, but didn't dampen our spirits!! We had a GREAT time! thanks family!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2011-11-15T15:15:00.002-05:00

The Latest...

Family Pics

Our Friend Misty did a service project and gave everyone a 5 minute photo session for 2 cans of food per person...all the food went to 2nd Harvest! Thanks Misty for the service opp AND the great pics!!

2011-11-14T17:53:00.000-05:00

My Blender Issues...

I did it. I bought a blendtec from the very nice Costco demonstrator-man...and I feel like I need to justify myself! For years I have been making smoothies for the fam for breakfast! years people. I have burned up...I don't know exactly the number...a lot of blenders. In fact, the week before I bought the blendtec, my previous blender was smoking- SMOKING! So, even thought the blendtec is meg moola- it has a 7 year warranty and 4 horse power baby!!

Lately I have been making 2 smoothies a day- one for breakfast, and a "yummy" green smoothie for my lunch- this has worked wonders on the baby-weight-loss-effort! I took this picture this morning of the delish breakfast smoothie! p.s. my kids have NO IDEA that I put spinach in there!! :)

Lest you think I am a total health-nut, let me help you banish those fears- My mother-in-law hosted the 2nd annual Cupcake Wars this weekend- Here are my entries...

The Peanut butter-cup cupcake with peanut butter frosting were...I don't really know a word to describe them- they undid everything I had done for that previously mentioned weight-loss-effort.

THIS IS THE RECIPE

See what I mean!!??

And this picture really has nothing to do with this post, except that it's ADORABLE!! I LOVE my girlies!

2011-11-02T14:36:00.000-04:00

TRICK-OR-TREAT!!

Hailey the Lady-bug (if this costume looks familiar, it's because Laynie wore it last year...after she danced at her dance recital in it...recycling is so great.

Laynie wanted to be a "girl pirate"...perfect, we had TONS of pirate stuff, and I found black "piratey boots" at the $.25 sale!!

Addison is the transformer...a buy that happened THE DAY OF Halloween, but also a good deal...$2.75!!

THE LOOT!

Addison reported that his shoulders hurt from carrying his bag around...yeah, he got a lot...

Hailey was a champion trick-or-treater, and SO happy with the result!

Now for the star of the night...is this the cutest little duck you've ever seen??!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

2011-11-02T14:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!!

Addison carved his pumpkin TOTALLY unassisted this year! (When you see the finished product you'll know that Mom had nothing to do with it!)

Kelly and Hailey working on her "happy pumpkin"

Pumpkin slime was a little too much for Laynie, Mom ended up doing most of the scooping-out part for her...

TWO happy faces!!

See what I mean about no mother influence here??!! He's such a boy!

2011-10-31T00:27:00.000-04:00

Photo Shoot!

Nana and Papa were here a few weeks ago to hang out, and wherever there's a Papa, there's lots of pictures!! here are a few of the kiddos all together!

Addison wearing Papa's hat...

And thanks to Nana for helping Hailey make a SUPER CUTE preschool treat!! WE LOVE YOU GUYS!! THANKS FOR COMING!

2011-10-24T14:04:00.001-04:00

Happy, Happy Birthday Kelly dear!!

Sorry this is so late, but Kelly DID turn 31, so it should be documented...

This cake looked a lot better in my head (clearly I was in a hurry, I didn't even cross my 't'!), but in the end it tasted delish, and that's really all that matters, right??!?

We love you Kel and are so happy to celebrate you!! (wow, so cheesy, but so true!)

After the par-tay, Adam late all the kids try out their mad jumping skills in order to give him a high-five...thanks for providing entertainment Adam!!

2011-10-14T17:12:00.000-04:00

Rite of Passage...

Kelly should really be doing the blogging on this, sine I wasn't technically there...but if I wait for that, well...I'll just do it :)

In the Ditto family it is tradition to go to General Conference after you turn 8! so, Kelly and Addison made their way to Salt Lake City for Conference. It just so happened that BYU was playing that Friday night, so the trip was extra fun...especially for Kelly.

In the above picture, Mary is giving the boys an awesome tour of the athletic training center...

And here are the boys after the "big win" against Utah State!

Addison had had a long day!! Good thing he took extra '#1 foam fingers' for a comfy pillow!

Saturday was Kelly's birthday!! They hung out with the family at a special out-to-breakfast, and then hiked Stewart falls!

And Sunday they got all dressed up and went to the conference center. They had 3 tickets, so Mimi got to go too!!

And guess who sat right behind them!!?! More Dittos!!

WE LOVE COUSINS!

Addison in front of the Salt Lake City Temple- so beautiful!

This picture is a little dark- but still breathtaking. I love this statue, and more than the statue of course, I love having a testimony of Jesus Christ- he is my Savior and the source of peace in my life. Some day soon I will have Addison add his experience of his 'conference trip'! but for now, I need to blog about the rest of our October so far!!

2011-10-01T01:30:00.000-04:00

UPDATES

Addison is so Awesome! This weekend he is with Kelly in Utah for General Conference! They got to go the BYU football game and spend time with many loved ones! (more details and pictures of their trip to follow I'm sure!) Addison had his first cub scout pack meeting this week and earned his bobcat! WooHoo Addison! I am new at this whole cub-scout thing, but from what I can tell- it's SO GREAT! All the scouts got awards, and everyone there clapped, cheered, and made the boys feel so proud! Addison was beaming! He also had a cross country meet this past week and ran an 8-minute mile! He is happy, full of energy, and LOVIN life!

Laynie is loving school, she loves learning and even loves doing her homework. She is still Maren's biggest fan and my biggest helper. My favorite thing Laynie said this week was "I didn't get my card changed to yellow, so that's a phewf." I guess "phewf" is the noun form of the expression 'phew.' It was very cute.

Hailey is my happiest child...when her siblings aren't torturing her. She has a wonderful imagination, and often talks to her (imaginary) friend, Olivia. She follows in Addison's footsteps in making up words. Her latest word is "Snoggie Doggie." Everyone is Snoogie Doogie lately. She loves preschool, and loves life!

Maren is the highlight of everyone's day. She is constantly smiling and talking. On Monday she will be 4 months old!! I can't believe how fast time has gone! She laughs and makes everyone who looks at her smile.

2011-09-22T01:04:00.000-04:00

First Day!!

YAY for school!! Everyone was excited- but especially mom :)

Addison started 3rd grade and for the first time ever has a woman for a teacher. When we read the teacher lists, he was nervous and didn't think he would like a "girl teacher"- but after his first day, he LOVES her! and he told me he wants a girl teacher next year too.

Laynie is in kindergarten, and at our school, it's ALL DAY! Laynie loves it, but it does wear her out. She is excited to learn and loves her teacher!

Hailey also started 2-day preschool, unfortunately Daddy had the camera on his brother's weekend on her first day! But she's LOVIN school too!

2011-09-22T00:51:00.000-04:00

We L.O.V.E. Lake Cavanaugh!!

The kids and I were SO LUCKY this year to spend 2 full weeks at Lake Cavanaugh! The first week with the Pickett family and the second with the Dittos. Kelly joined us each of the 2 weekends! We had BEAUTIFUL weather and AMAZING company!

BIG NEWS! Addison water skied!! for the first time!! He was AWESOME!

Laynie loved the sun, went tubing, and spent most of her time in the hot tub.

Hailey also LOVED the hot tub and playing on the beach

We went hiking...

And OF COURSE we watched daddy do a lot of this!

See you next year Lake C- WE LOVE YOU!

2011-09-22T00:18:00.000-04:00

Blessings on you!

Our sweet Maren was blessed by her Daddy on August 14th- She was perfect and her blessing was beautiful!

Of course her Papa had to do a photo shoot before the whole affair...isn't she beautiful?!?

okay Papa, I think I've had enough pictures...

Some highlights from Maren's blessing were recorded by her nana:

Beautiful welcome member of the family
Strong spirit
Strong, mind and body grow and function as they should
Beacon to those around you
Burning testimony
Sweet and calm presence
Kind heart and watchful eye
Vigilant in obeying commandments
Example to siblings and all members of the family of righteous living
Do things in the right order
Marry in temple
Serve faithfully in in the church
Have a family of your own
Shine as the light of Christ shines and have a heart to love those around you

The family...

Papa and Maren's uncles

Proud Parents- WE LOVE YOU MAREN!

Daddy and Maren have a heart-to-heart (or a head-to-head)

And one last picture of the girls in their "cowboy girl" boots- SO CUTE!

2011-09-22T00:10:00.003-04:00

Addison's Big Day!

On August 13th, Addison was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! We are so proud of you Addison and all of the good choices you have made in your life!!

Kelly baptized Addison, sisters and cousins sang, and TONS of family and friends were there!! It was a GREAT DAY!

Addison and his cousins...

After the baptism, in true Ditto style...WE PARTIED!!

CUTE COUPLE!

Even cuter baby!!

We love you sweet Addison!

2011-09-08T17:06:00.000-04:00

Great to be 8! (and 33)

Super great when you get to light your own candles!! Happy Birthday to Addison! We're blown away that you are 8 already!!

Thanks for the Dairy Queen ice cream cake babe! I LOVE THEM!!!

and I L.O.V.E my present!! The IKEA buffet I have been eyeing! I'm so spoiled!!

So cute right?? Come visit us and you can see it in person :)

2011-08-07T12:49:00.000-04:00

2.MONTHS.OLD.

Our Maren is 2 months old! and we are LOVIN her smiley faces!

Could you just die at this face?

She weighed in at 9lbs 10oz at her 2 month appt. She is an amazing sleeper and has already slept 7 or 8 hours at a time...(I think she sleeps so well because at night no one is mauling her and she can finally sleep peacefully) She is pleasant and happy (except when she's in her car seat, she doesn't love that.)

Here is one who might be responsible for some of the mauling...but how could they be expected to keep their hands off her??!? she is so stinkin cute!!

2011-08-07T12:27:00.000-04:00

We are a Ditto Family!

Family Reunion Time!! Thanks to Bear Paw Family camp for hosting all of the Dittos! We had a blast!

The pool was a hit with everyone...I even had a bathing suit on for a few seconds!

Saturday night was the Luau!

The girls learned the Hula...

and the boys learned the Haka (sp?) They were scary!!

And some marshmallow roasting on the newly-crafted marshmallow roasters!! WE LOVE THE DITTO FAMILY!!

2011-07-19T16:44:00.000-04:00

The Latest...

...family picture!

2011-07-13T15:36:00.002-04:00

4th of July!

I LOVE THIS DAY!! We did some projects, went swimming, had a BBQ, and watched fireworks downtown! Happy Birthday America!!

Hailey is all smiles when she's holding a cupcake!

Oh yeah, the day also included picking cherries...from the neighbor's tree. But, since we haven't seen the neighbor of the abandon house for over a month, when he was here for a few minutes to mow the lawn...I don't feel that bad about it :)

YUMMY!

Couldn't find a bowl? I guess a backpack works too...

Thanks for bringing sparklers Grannie!! Fireworks are illegal in Spokane, but we are assuming Sparklers are okay!

Hailey LOVED it!

And then it was over- such a sad face!

Watched a few fireworks right from our front porch thanks to the Spokane Indians!!

Happy 4th!!

2011-07-13T15:16:00.003-04:00

Kelly's "Basement Shower"

Shortly after the basement was complete, Kelly wanted to have a "grand opening" party- just like the Academy awards...well, I guess it wasn't just like that- there were no celebrities, fancy outfits, or limos...but there WAS a gift bag! and good times had by all. Because Kelly (and his lovely assistant) put so much effort into the decor, gifts, refreshment, etc. Julia fittingly named the evening "Kelly's basement shower."

Welcome to our new basement! It is our new favorite part of our house! Nice and cool, comfy couches, the toys STAY downstairs, AND we have "mood lighting!" What more could we ask for?!?

Kelly's movie posters (the movies that he has made that is) adorn the walls...

The sofa, love seat, big-chair combo that we ordered, turned into 2 love seats and a big-chair combo when the sofa would not fit down the basement stairs...it's perfect though, I don't think the sofa would've fit in the room even if it had fit down the stairs!

From this angle you can make out the 'play room' where (so far) all of the toys in our house have stayed since being moved there!! I'm so happy I could cry.

Just in case you forget where you are, you're in the "Ditto Film Theater...HD"

The Goodie bags...

Hershey Kisses- "Good for romantic movies"

Tissue- "Good for sad movies"

Water gun- "Good for action films"

Glow sticks- "Good for scary movies"

Laffy Taffy- "Good for funny movies"

Come see it for yourself! We'll treat you right :)

2011-07-06T14:30:00.001-04:00

1 Month of Baby Love...

Our little Maren is 1 month already!! She is still the favorite thing about our summer so far- by far the most exciting 'attraction'...especially for her sisters!! She is an extremely mellow baby and sleeps like a champ! We Love her and are SO glad she is part of our family! (and I'm especially glad not to be pregnant anymore, now that it is 90degrees outside!!)

2011-07-06T14:21:00.004-04:00

Mimi Visits!

Mary came to visit at the end of June! WE LOVE HER!! Thanks for the great times Mimi...not the least of which involved making tie-dye shirts for the whole family! (and then taking some WILD pictures!)

Tie-Dye in progress...WAY less messy than I remember it!

We are a tie-dye family!

2011-06-08T23:10:00.004-04:00

MAREN!

Maren Kelly Ditto was born on June 3 at 4:15pm! She weighed 6lbs, 7oz and was 19.5 inches long...we are SO glad to have her here!!

I was induced at about 9:30am, so even though she took her sweet time to get here, once she decided to come, it was quick!! Kelly and I had just finished our Monopoly Deal game and I told him to tell the dr. I thought she should check me- the dr. came right in and after checking said "It's time to push!" about 5 minutes later, Maren was here!

The happy parents :) She didn't have a name before we saw her- I have always loved the name Maren and Kelly really wanted her middle name to be his...so it was a great combination!

She was very alert the day she was born...since then she's been asleep just about every moment...(I'm not complaining about that!!)

Kelly is having fun practicing his photography skills on Maren!

I went to Maren's first "bath"- the first time I have ever been there while they scrubbed up on of my babes- she was remarkably chill...not like the other three babies who were screaming! Way to go Maren!! let's keep the chill personality forever!!

A visit from the sisters the next day (Addison was hangin with his cousins) They fell in love immediately! Especially Laynie who could hold Maren all day long if we let her!

Tiny toes- the next few shots are my dad's from the 'photo shoot' he did while visiting...Maren was very patient with us.

I LOVE this little girl!!

She's so tiny! Although, she is growing! She had gained 6 oz by her first dr's appointment!! She definitely knows how to eat!

Daddy is in love all over again.

The girls beg to hold her, dress her, change her diaper, etc. They have been great helpers! (although the days they spent in Seattle with Nana and Papa right after Maren was born were pretty great...)

Addison LOVES baby Maren too- he loved the time that he "had Maren all to himself" while the girls were gone.

Thanks to Becca for the C.U.T.E. hat and diaper cover...they make for great pictures :)
Thanks to everyone who has helped with dinners, babysitting, play dates, etc. We have the BEST family and friends ever!!

Are we first time parents?

I included this picture only because after Kelly and I took it, we laughed at ourselves...only first-time parents take pictures of sleeping babies right? Maren has captured our souls! We LOVE YOU little girl!

2011-05-31T14:02:00.007-04:00

The Waiting Game

The kids have been way more patient than I have waiting for our baby to come...but I still get the comments from Laynie each day: "Is that baby going to come today?" My thoughts exactly Laynie!!

p.s. aren't my girls the cutest ever when they are loving each other??! when they are fighting...not so much, but I could just eat this picture up!!

Addison also likes to make remarks on my pregnancy, but usually they have to do with the size of my tummy..."wow mom, your tummy is really big!" Well yes it is thank you. I don't mind his comments as much as the one from the perfect stranger last week on the walk to school when he stuck his head out of the car window and yelled "You're gettin' LARGE woman!" how very perceptive of you- man with no manners.

So here's the last of the belly shots...ANY DAY NOW!! (in fact I thought it was going to be last Saturday because I had contractions for 12 hours...and then they stopped...that was depressing.)

We (I!) can't wait for you to be here!!!

2011-05-26T15:19:00.008-04:00

Summer at 65

Sorry for the horribly blurry pictures...obviously I need some practice at the action shots, but I had to post these because my kids (plus Jake the next door neighbor) were SO excited with the recent 65 degree weather, that they dawned their swimsuits and jumped on the tramp with the sprinkler on! Seriously guys? 65?

They really tried hard to convince me of how hot they were, and I almost believed them...except when all four little jaws were chattering like crazy after the jumping ended...

Summer's not quite here...but it's on its way!

The girls are so cute camped out in the living room as we awaited new carpet!!! They only had to endure 2 nights of living room sleeping before their new room was all put together- and you would have thought it was Christmas at the our house...the kids were so excited, it was VERY hard to get to sleep!

Addison still had to be in his room the nights of "camping"- Can you believe we found wood floors underneath our carpet?!? It really killed me to carpet over it again, but it was in really rough shape and re-doing wood floors would have taken way more time than we had planned for...so carpet it is :( It is nice carpet though and I think it will grow on me...

And here are some basement-progress pictures. We have had SO much help from our family and friends- THANK YOU!! For all the painting parties and moving furniture around and organizing, etc- YOU ARE WONDERFUL!!

Primed and painted!- coming soon: THE FINAL PRODUCT! Kelly is installing his "media room components" as we speak! (Speaking of feeling like Christmas, he is positively giddy)

Come hang out with us in our new basement soon!!

2011-05-04T23:53:00.005-04:00

Happy Birthday Hailey!!

3!!!

Hailey turned three last week, although according to her she's been 3 for a LONG time... We love this girl!

She loves to make us laugh! Her favorite thing is crack a joke and have everybody laugh at her! She loves to spell her name and write 'H's' everywhere...she can't wait for preschool next year! She makes up her own songs constantly, and she loves to 'make believe' and will assign parts to whoever is close by...usually she is the princess of the hour and I am the wicked witch or step mother.

After seeing a rainbow cake at Costco, she wanted a rainbow cake too, so here's my best effort...

I even tried the trick of turning the cake batter into different colors...and it worked!!

All the Dittos came to celebrate with Hailey- she was thrilled to open presents!

Her pink "warm-up" suit...(the older kids have really been in to their 'warm-up suits' lately, so now Hailey has one too!)

Sunglasses from Grannie!

Thanks for coming everybody! and Happy Birthday Hailey! We LOVE you!!!!

2011-04-19T23:58:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter!

We had a wonderful Easter weekend in Seattle! getting there was a little bit of a problem... all went smooth until just before the pass- there had been an over-turned container truck in the pass, so it was closed. We spent 2+ hours in a TINY town called Easton, before we were finally on our way again to Seattle. Saturday morning was an Easter-egg hunt at the park and this blessed meeting with the Bunny himself!

Then we were off to the beach with our picnic lunch, and another bag full of eggs that Nana and Emmy hid for the kids. The day was SO beautiful! a PERFECT day for the beach! There is really NOTHING like a sunny day in Seattle! It was breathtaking!

Laynie posing

Addison posing

The beach hunt was definitely more challenging than the park "hunt"- more rewarding too! Casey and Kelly filled a bunch of the eggs with Papa's left over change! The kids made like $9!!

Addison and Laynie even let Hailey find a few eggs!

And they all played for hours with their fav aunt!

Sunday morning brought clues from the Easter bunny to find the baskets...

And find them they did!

The Easter bunny even left mommy a basket!!...with an IPOD! yahoo!

Photo shoots with Papa are a given whenever we're together!

and a few photo shoots of our own too...

Too many of these? I just can't get enough of my cute kids!

I love this one of them laughing at each other!!

Hailey is sitting on what's left of my lap...

2011-04-19T23:36:00.003-04:00

Spring Break!

Nana was nice enough to drive with me and the kids all the way to Utah! We got to meet our newest cousin- Owen!! and we all fell in love with him! He is so sweet and so handsome! We couldn't get enough!

Kisses from Hailey...

Kisses from Laynie...

And tons of love from Addison!

I was able to attend my mission reunion with a lot of the people I served my mission with in Germany. I was THRILLED to see everyone and catch up with them! We chatted, had dinner, had a short testimony meeting, and then all stood together and sang "Called to Serve" auf Deutsch! (in German) I couldn't contain myself at that point and bawled my eyes out!! I was so grateful for the experience of my mission in that moment and the emotion overflowed! (plus pregnancy hormones, PLUS I had woken up at 4:30am!)

We watched general conference together with the family on Saturday and Sunday and had 2 relaxing days at Casey and Katalyn's house in Springville.

Sunday dinner at the kids table was a little wild...it's hard to contain yourself when you just love your cousins so much!

Monday after a nice visit with aunt JoAnn and lunch with Kera, we drove to Logan to stay with Becca and Jake. Cache Valley was SO beautiful and we had a GREAT time just hanging out, visiting dinosaur park, and the zoo! The picture above is me and Hailey at the Logan zoo- yep, I'm pregnant, REALLY pregnant!

Hailey was "so hot" (it was about 50 degrees that day) she just had to take off her long-sleeve!

Playing at the park after the zoo!

And some portraits of the kids by photographer Papa...

Thanks for a great spring break family!!!

2011-04-19T23:29:00.003-04:00

The Rest of March...

I guess March had a few other elements besides a HEAVENLY trip to Mexico...so here are the REST of the happenings-

GREEN breakfast on St. Patty's Day= green waffles & green smoothie! So delicious :)

Oh the wonders of food coloring...

These little beauties I just had to show off. I made these instead of the cake I was supposed to make for the scout auction that Kelly was in charge of. If you have never tried Oreo truffles you are TOTALLY missing out! Mix one package oreos with one package cream cheese and roll them into balls...then dip them in chocolate- AMAZING! These are made with peanut butter oreos and drizzled with peanut butter- yeah, they turned out pretty good. And the price they fetched you ask? $55!! Woo hoo!

The other "event" in March was the re-piping the road right on front of our house = disaster for several days! This is my FRONT YARD people!

But LOTS of entertainment for the children!! They are finally (just now in the middle of April) re-paving the road- so there is an end in sight!

And the basement continues to make progress!! We CAN'T WAIT for our extra rooms! Especially a play room where the kids will want to spend ALL their time!! right?!

2011-03-18T13:48:00.011-04:00

MEXICO!!!

This is a perfect picture to start with, since it is some of the first moments of our trip, and since the relaxation symbolized in this lovely palm-tree-hammock contraption was pretty much how our whole trip felt! SO BEAUTIFUL! SO WONDERFUL! SO Hard to come back to real life!!!

So, the trip: the moment we were through customs, we were attacked by the time-share people- Sara had mentioned that a family member had listened to a presentation and got a bunch of free stuff for doing so, so I was interested- AND WE DID! We got massages, tickets to a GREAT dinner/show (more on that later), breakfast, and cash for taxis! It's a pretty sweet deal!

So after that and getting to our sweet and CHEAP hotel, we took off to the city and scoured the flee markets and had a great dinner...here we are on "Dead man's beach" that night!

The next day, after listening to the time share blah blah blah and securing all of the free items promised, we bore our white Spokane skin on the beach for a while and read- HEAVEN!

Then that night was the free dinner/show- so we took a boat across the Bay of Banderas to a private beach accessible only by boat- Open bar on the the boat, might I add, so we had all the virgin-pina coladas we could drink! :)

When we arrived at the beach we were greeted by the "natives"- ripped guys with their bodies painted, playing the conch shells, and girls wearing as little as possible dancing along... Our dinner was at this very table, right next to the waves- SO GORGEOUS- and the food was delish! Mounds and Mounds of guacamole, so I couldn't have been happier!
The show was awesome! Lots of fire and drums and crazy dancing...it was a FANTASTIC night, especially because it was FREE :)

Thursday morning we cashed in on our massages- HEAVENLY! Kelly had never had a massage that wasn't "therapeutic" so he thought it was pretty amazing too- and then we were off to the resort where NFIB had booked us- Here's a the view from our balcony- ridiculous. P.S. we never did see a cloud the entire trip, and every day was right around 78-80 degrees...seriously perfect.

We met up with our friends the Paynes...it is rare to find other couples who are below 50+ in Kelly's company gatherings, so we were fast friends with Lyle and Kerissa last year, and so happy to see them again this year!

This dress-up night was the night of all the awards, thus Kelly's cheering pose. I am so proud of Kelly for working so hard towards his goals- and I don't mind reaping the rewards of his heard work either :)

Some of Kelly's fellow NFIB sales reps...from TX, IA, and TN!!

The happy wives.

So, Saturday I was ready for an adventure and we decided upon Yelapa as our destination point!

We convinced our friends the Hopkins to join us and lucky we did- THEY ARE SO FUN! We took a water taxi from Boca de Tomatlan and when we arrived at Yelapa were told to follow a nice little man so we could see the waterfall- sweet!

It was a gorgeous, authentic, little Mexican city and after winding our way down from the waterfall experience, we played on the beach, kayaked, had lunch, and then reluctantly said good-bye to Yelapa.

Of course, we came back to the resort to this sunset, so we can't complain too much huh?

It was awesome to watch the sun slip into the ocean...although that was our last sunset- the next day we packed up and said our good-byes to Mexico- It was a FABULOUS trip!!

And now for your viewing pleasure: Kelly tried his hand at some 'artsy' photos of the landscape.

The view as we came into Yelapa

Another view from Yelapa

And another view from Yelapa

Awesome bird.

(My favorite) view from Yelapa

2011-02-25T16:36:00.002-05:00

It's still Winter...

After a crazy BLUSTERY storm on Wednesday night, we woke up to A FOOT of new snow on Thursday morning...and I heard the cries of joy as Addison discovered it was a snow day! The first snow day of the year!

I still made them do chores, and then some friends came over for a play date, so we didn't go too stir-crazy...but I was so happy (and a little shocked) when Addison and Laynie played outside on the "the hill" together for over an hour! They hiked all the way to the top (that's why my picture is from so far away...and this is WITH the zoom lens...) and explored, etc. Today it's all Laynie can talk about and she can't wait until Addison gets home so they can hike the hill again!

In other news, we have started working on the basement (maybe I should clarify that by "we" I mean Steve, my next door neighbor!) The sounds of sawing and drilling coming from the basement have been music to my ears!! can't wait to have a place the send the kids to play!
Also, my pregnancy "app" says I have 100 days of pregnancy left- wow, that sure seems like a lot- BUT, I only have 10 days left until we leave for Mexico!! That number it much nicer :)

2011-02-18T22:26:00.008-05:00

What's in my head?

My head has been full of thoughts this week, thoughts and snot (did I just say that?!)- it has been a sick-y week for me...cough, sore throat, gross nose, and then the sinus infection hit- bah! Did you know that my only other sinus infection in my life was when I was PREGNANT with Hailey! Shouldn't there be a rule that pregnant women are NOT allow to be sick with sickness unrelated to pregnancy?!? So, after a full day of feeling like I had been punched in the jaw- I saw the doc and got some antibiotics- hallelujah for drugs is all I can say...I'm on the up and up folks.

Maybe I feel compelled to write this record of my week because of my newest client who promptly reported that upon learning who her therapist would be, she googled me...of course google found this very blog and after perusing through she wondered how a person "with a perfect life and perfect husband" (her words people!) could possibly counsel her! Wow, I realized I do a great job writing about the positive points of my life! (although it should be noted that Kelly was not shocked at all to learn someone thought he was perfect...)

Not to state the obvious or anything, but unfortunately my life is not perfect. I yelled at my kids a few time this week about really important things like cleaning their rooms, setting the table, etc. and then I cried for feeling like such a crummy mom; I layed on the bed and closed my eyes for at least a half an hour while the girls "read books" next to me...which turned into jumping on the bed and ended that 'nap;' I let Kelly fold the clothes all by himself Monday night while I wallowed in the depths of my sickness despair...nope, my life is not perfect- B.U.T. - I really do love it.

This same client who googled me has posed some incredible questions that have really got me thinking this week...how can a woman yell at her children and then go teach Sunday school? (um, that one was directed right at me I'm sure!) How come we can "do everything we're supposed to be doing" and still feel like something is missing? and the one that has made me ponder most of all: How do we use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to better our self esteem? I have had some deep and productive thoughts thanks to her this week, and although I don't have all the answers, I have realized (again) that the most important thing in life is our relationships. Our relationship with Heavenly Father, with our families, with our friends... yep...so go make your relationships better!

I promised Sara some tummy shots, so here you go! I am 25 weeks today...feels like forever til' she's here!! She's super active and I seriously love every time I can feel her move.

P.S. You'll notice my too-small BYU apparel...well we're all a little star-truck with Jimmer at our house- Addison asked me yesterday if Jimmer is better than Michael Jordan! and the kids love watching the video on youtube "Teach me How to Jimmer" if you haven't seen it...it's pretty fun...if you even know what I'm talking about!

2011-02-14T20:55:00.003-05:00

Happy Valentines Day!!

We celebrated our "LOVE" for all the Dittos with dinner at our house Sunday night...

Thanks to Julia for this beauty heart-shaped-3-layer-cake!! Seriously, is she a Martha Stewart or what?

Here are my less impressive conversation-heart-cupcakes...

And this morning was nothing but the best, heart-shaped pancakes and pink smoothie!

HAPPY VALENTINES!

2011-02-11T14:59:00.002-05:00

Tickets Please!

This past week has been fun for the Ditto family...we bought a 'deal' from www.thedealplanet.com last Friday- 4 movie tickets, a bottomless popcorn, and 2 large drinks for $12!! We took the whole family to Megamind- and it was a hit! The kids loved it and Kelly and I thought it was hilarious too!

Then on Saturday morning our friends called to say they had 2 extra tickets to a Gonzaga basketball game! It had been a long time since Kelly or I had been to a live a game and it was so exciting! Gonzaga had an awesome student section, and they ALMOST won...but not quite.

Tonight Kelly and I get to go to Legally Blonde the musical!!!!! Notice all my exclamation marks...Kelly wouldn't have put any behind that statement- he is not super excited. But I am!! AND, the tickets were free!! Thank you to the parents of the Sheffields who are in Hawaii- we get their tickets!! I'll let you all know my review :)

2011-01-31T01:17:00.002-05:00

Something's Missing

Chalk it up as another miracle in the Ditto house...along with Hailey learning to use the potty, Addison finally lost his first tooth!!! Yes folks, it seems a little late, but I guess it's a hereditary thing in the Ditto family to lose teeth a little late...at least that's what my SIL Sara tells me, so I'll run with it.

It happened DURING church while sitting in the pew...there was a little blood on his suit jacket, but it came right off thanks to the wipes I had on hand. This is one HAPPY little boy!!

2011-01-24T17:54:00.002-05:00

Speaking of Accidents...

Hailey has been accident free for like 3 days!!!

And just when I was thinking it was time to give up for a while...by george, I THINK SHE"S GOT IT! (knock on wood) On Saturday we went swimming at the YMCA and Hailey told me TWICE that she had to go...AND SHE DID! It feels like a miracle folks.

NO MORE DIAPERS!!!...well, until June that is :)

2011-01-14T19:29:00.004-05:00

The newest member of our family...

Here it is, the "new" van...new to us at least! It is a 2005 Honda odyssey and we plan on driving it for like the next 20 years or so...NO MORE ACCIDENTS! and no car problems until we reach at least 350,000 miles :)

The kids think it's pretty cool that we got a new car...good thing they're not looking for anything special- cause this van would probably NOT have it, what it DID have was low miles, the Honda engine, and the right price!! (After I negotiated that is!)

And in more exciting news, we ARE actually welcoming a new member to our family that is not a car...June 4th (or so) We will need all but one of those seats in our new van! The ultrasound tech knew that Kelly was looking for a boy in there, but he had to disappoint Kelly...he found a little girl! Kelly really wasn't that disappointed, it was Addison who cried when I told him, he really wanted a brother!! But we are all so excited for our new little baby to join our family!!

2011-01-11T23:32:00.002-05:00

Just a few more...

Come on, you KNOW i have to post a family picture where EVERYONE is smiling! it just doesn't happen!! and look at this...2 of them!! Maybe we're turning a corner here folks...

Hailey's smile probably wins the smile contest...

Laynie LOVIN baby Zoey!!

and again...

Jammie picture! Christmas Eve new jammies...Clay is super happy to be taking this picture.

Aprons for all the sisters made by the uber-talented Emily! Thanks Em!!!

Kelly's favorite present, the football signed by the BYU football team! It's so fun to have connections! Thanks Mary!!!

Yeah, he liked it.

BYU cupcakes I made for Casey and Katalyn's 'Graduation Party'...Congrats guys!!

Hiking Discovery Park on our day of departure...like my hat? I think Hailey was pulling on it...

A gorgeous day!!!

We love Family!!!

2011-01-04T14:01:00.005-05:00

Pickett Style Christmas...

After the accident incident, the nice insurance company gave us a rental minivan to drive while we waited to see if ours would be totaled or not (it was; more on that later!) So, we drove the rental van all the way to Seattle for a Christmas filled with new and old traditions.

Old tradition for sure- the Famous "Stair" picture! The kids didn't wake up until 7:30am!! That still seemed a little early for some of the elves who stayed up late preparing.

Addison was concerned about where to hang our stockings, but after checking out Nana and Papa's house, he found a spot.

Old tradition- ginger bread houses! Addison ate just as much candy as he put on his house.

Laynie worked hard on her marshmallow-y house...

And Hailey bossed me around to the perfection of our house :)

As always, Kelly was intense about his gingerbread...perfect patterns and creativity- love it!

Newer tradition- Santa Pancakes!! Christmas Eve morning is time for Santa pancakes, we started this tradition as a Ditto family last year, and introduced it to all the Picketts this year!! So Yummy!!

After Santa Pancakes, we went to...the Zoo! Who doesn't go to the zoo on Christmas Eve morning? It rained the whole time, but it was fantastic! The animals were active and fun to watch, and the kids were lovin it!

Laynie and Ella LOVE being together-

and Addison loves being silly.

But really the 'silly award' goes to Hailey.

New pajamas on Christmas Eve...so adorable! Thanks Mrs. Claus!!

Christmas Morning!! The cute hat that Addison is wearing is also an old Pickett tradition...we always have to be wearing 'the hat' the open a present- this year Becca made our hat: Adorable!

Addison and Nana at the Science center...just one of the many 'activities' that Nana and Papa planned, mostly to appease Kelly :) He likes to have a plan and be going going going! The Science Center hosted the Harry Potter exhibit which was pretty awesome, at least for the family members that have read Harry Potter!- Addison loved it!

And he also loved being with his cousin Clay- here they are in their first moments, playing "Spies."

Laynie also loved her Christmastime. Here she is trying out her new Chinese jump rope that come in her stocking. I'll admit that I had to look it up on you tube to remind myself how we used to do this in elementary school...

Laynie also L.O.V.E.D. spending time with new baby Zoey...I love this picture with all the little girls mauling her :) This was a pretty typical scene when Zoey was not sleeping- and I LOVE Zoey's expression- like she is saying HELP ME!!

Laynie and Ella in their dress-ups...

This was Hailey's uniform over the Christmas holiday- for some reason she LOVES her swimsuit and wants to wear it ALL the time...because some battles just aren't worth fighting, we let her wear her butterfly bathing suit like everyday-

Okay, so it was either her butterfly bathing suit OR a princess dress-up... here is Hailey with Papa Bob, who she has wrapped around her little finger!

And with Grandma Lucy... my kids LOVE their Papa Bob and Grandma Lucy, and I am so happy we live close enough to see them regularly!!

One of the last days in Seattle, the adults went to the temple together- we had to brave the snowy roads, but it was worth it to be in the temple with the fam!

Goofy Kelly :) I LOVE HIM!!

The last night together, we went bowling!!

Seriously, how cute is Laynie in her bowling shoes?

I helped Hailey a little bit...

And Kelly got the 'high score' for the night...which was cut short by faulty equipment, but we don't have to point out that everyone only played 4 or 5 frames :)

Thanks Picketts for an AWESOME Christmas time! We loved every minute! and we love you ALL!

2010-12-20T12:49:00.006-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

A few pictures of the kids in their Christmas-y clothes, actually looking like they like each other!!

We are so thankful for this season and the meaning it brings to our lives. We know that this holiday is really about our Savior and his love for us. We feel particularly blessed this weekend to be safe and healthy. On Saturday we were all in a car accident with 7 other cars! It was an icy day and the hill was just too much for the van. Thankfully no one was hurt and thankfully we have good insurance. Oddly enough, there was a news guy a the bottom of the hill filming the whole thing! Watch this crazy video and pay close attention to 1:02 minutes in (that's the car coming down the hill that will hit us) and at 1:14 minutes in, you can see Kelly (in the red coat) jumping out of the way!!
This is the video of our car crash...

2010-12-15T21:06:00.005-05:00

Laynie is 5!!!

I always hear my mom's voice in my head when I found out Laynie's due date (my mom's b-day is the 18th of Dec...) She made me promise to make Laynie's birthdays special and not just lump them in with Christmas (childhood experience on her part perhaps?) Anyway, we have tried to make Laynie's birthdays just as fun and special and everyone's of course! So here is her requested Hello Kitty cake, frosted at 6:30am! Maybe I should always wake up early!!

We made necklaces at her party, so here's the girls (and Quinn the little brother) showing off their new jewelry. The idea of making necklaces sounded so fun when I thought of it...after the 500th bead fell to the floor, I was wondering what I was thinking!

Laynie also requested a pinata, and lucky me...I found a butterfly pinata at Goodwill like 2 months ago!- for $.99!! So, here's the party, moved down to the scary basement, pounding the butterfly hoping for treats...

Especially my little Hailey LOVES treats. She also loves the Halloween socks she is wearing in this picture. But I'm not complaining- at least she has clothes on! Lately I will dress her, and she will undress herself to put on one of three "outfits": Laynie's strawberry shortcake swimsuit, the dress-up lady-bug costume, or her "Zoey" leotard...she even slept in the swimsuit last week.

WOO HOO! A whole set of nail polish!!! (it's okay actually, our carpets are already beyond repair.)

You wouldn't know it by her face, but she loved her cake-

Cake and ice cream = life is good!! We love you Laynie!! We can't believe you're already 5!! Happy Birthday!!

2010-12-06T00:02:00.005-05:00

Where did November go?

My own mother has called me to repentance for not updating my blog sooner, and it's true, it's been too long...To think that December is here already is Crazy! but exciting! We are LOVING the Christmas Spirit everywhere!!!

To back-track a little, Thanksgiving was wonderful! We gathered the WHOLE Ditto clan into Grannie's house for fun, games, incredible food, and Memories!!! This family shot is pretty amazing considering the fact that the photographer is also IN the picture (thanks Birch!!) There are 22 grandkids now! (the OTHER reason for the amazing-ness of this picture...no one is sobbing, fighting, or running away! YEAH!)

Thanksgiving day it snowed all day! It was a wonderful holiday feeling to watch the snow fall... from inside :) and it just kept right on snowing! We broke the record in Spokane for the snowiest November!! and the kids are LOVING it!! We made this snowman together, and then Addison built one of his own- he was very proud.

Snow Angels...actually they were being angels that day, playing so well together- it's when we stay cooped up in the house a little too long that the angelic behaviors seem to dwindle a little...

Does this girl look happy or what?!!?

And on Friday we picked out our lucky tree! We had grand plans this year of driving into the mountains with our cheap permit and cutting a tree ourselves! but...the snow put a damper on those plans, so this tree came from a nice little parking-lot sale, and it looks perfect in our living room!

Merry Christmas!! We are loving this season!!

2010-11-05T13:05:00.004-04:00

The Festivities...

Warning...for whatever reason we were SUPER lame about taking pictures this year, so I'm sure this post will leave you very unsatisfied in the picture department- SORRY! Above is Laynie at school doing her Halloween program with her school buddies.

Hailey threw on this puppy get-up right before we went to see Laynie so she could have a costume too...but it wasn't her REAL costume...

This was her real costume (I know, you can barely see it!) ADORABLE jammies from Chinatown and a little make-up= China Doll! In her mind though somehow "China Doll" turned into "Baby China" and that's what she called herself all night.

See what I mean about LAME pictures? The girls loved the Halloween party we went to at church- Addison did too, WISH I HAD A PICTURE OF HIM!!

Here is our traditional Black & Orange dinner- on the menu: Black bean soup, Orange rolls, Carrots with black olives stuck on tops, and Orange jello with Blackberries....pumpkin bars for dessert! YUMMY!

And Kelly thinking he is super funny when I was trying to take a picture of the table...

Even Kel and I dressed up for Halloween, he was a Janitor in his sexy coveralls :) and I was Pippy Longstocking- sorry you didn't get to see it! Hopefully we learned our lesson and will be better next year!!

2010-10-26T16:26:00.004-04:00

Family Night Jack-O-Lanterns!

Hailey in the pondering stage: "hmmm, how shall I do it??"

Laynie loving the "yuckiness" of pumpkin guts.

" Dad, why are you making me pose, I just want to use a knife and start slashing away at this pumpkin!"

In the end, it's really mom that scrapes all the guts out...fits perfectly with all my other dirty jobs!

YAY! All carved...and only five minutes past bedtime!

Yeah, this is what most of the pictures we took looked like...

Candles in pumpkins, cookies in hand, Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-25T12:05:00.002-04:00

YAY for Italy!!

Kelly and I were thrilled to watch this video about the temple that will be built in Rome...Kelly obviously has a special place in his heart for Italy after serving his mission there almost 10 years ago! We're making plans to be there in 2013...anyone want to come with us? :)

2010-10-19T19:55:00.006-04:00

Fall Happenings...

Who would believe it's already the middle of October? Visiting the pumpkin patch yesterday with the girls and a bunch of their friends sure made it feel like Fall! Not to mention it's a great place for cute pictures!

See what I mean?

I got to push this wheelbarrow with 3 girls and 3 pumpkins!! I definitely got my workout for the day!

Here's Hailey with her "teeeeny tiny baby pumpkin"- She speaks in a high voice to it, just like it were a real baby...so cute.

The aftermath of Halloween cookie decorating= sprinkles everywhere!

Also this fall we have attended Addison's cross country meets...both of them! Did I mention I love the way his school does cross country? 3 practices a week, 2 meets, and we're done. It's a great experience for the kids, but not overwhelming at all!

Addison at his 'take off'- notice the kid next to him checking him out, oh yeah, he's knows Addison is competition!

Okay, maybe not serious competition...he seemed to be more interested in posing for the camera than running hard, but he finished both races in great time (1 mile in just over 8 minutes) We are proud of you Addison!

Hailey continues to make everyone's day. She is constantly smiley and happy. She is obsessed with "h's" She yells whenever she sees one on a billboard or in a book, and she writes them everywhere- really- the first time she wrote an H was on the kitchen floor...(Do I praise her for being so smart that she already writes her letters? or lecture her about not writing on the floor?)

Miss Laynie is loving school this year and has become a little fashionista putting her outfits together every morning...I have to remind her sometimes that she is not going to the prom, but rather to preschool where you paint, play, get dirty, etc...she rarely accepts my advice though.

Last week at preschool was grandparents day. Laynie was so happy to have her Grannie there with her. Grannie won the "who has the most grandkids" contest...I mean really, who else could beat 22? Laynie spent the whole day with her Grannie and felt very special!!

Our pretty Laynie...thanks aunt Emmy for the awesome hair-do!

2010-10-06T17:36:00.003-04:00

Will the PARTY ever end?

Kelly FINALLY turned 30 last week!! WHOO HOO! we are now in the same decade again! He decided that instead of a birthDAY, he would celebrate a birthWEEK...and celebrate we did.

Monday: we went geocaching with the fam and out to ice cream

Tuesday: Temple night with his favorite wife, and basketball with his brothers

Wednesday: Out to the movies with his brothers

Thursday: Wii night with his brothers (I'm sensing a theme here...'with his brothers')

Friday: (His actual birthday): Play all day, watch football, party all night

Saturday: Water ski....with his brothers.

Here is the Friday night festivities with lots of food and friends and football...Although BYU could've helped a little more in Kelly's Happy Birthday and won their game...oh well!

We're still fans!!!

Getting ready for the Saturday morning ski...it's October 1st in the northwest, not exactly warm (notice everyone but the skier in winter jackets and wool hats!)

Kelly tearin' it up regardless of the temp!

Saturday morning walk to the park...

Some football of their own...(Daddys had a game and kids had a game)

And finally some relaxation after a full week of PARTY! Thanks to everyone who came and partied with us...and a special thanks to 'his brothers.' :)

2010-10-05T21:26:00.002-04:00

Yakima throws a party!

Is there anything more fun than a weekend in Yakima with TONS of cousins and a PARADE? The kids all quickly learned that their screaming and waving= candy! Suddenly they were Super loud and friendly with every float that went by!
Mesmorized by the dancing horses...

Addison had a real problem: all the candy that he shoved into his pockets made his pants fall down! Here he is trying to hold up his pocket weight so the pants would stay on!

Hailey showing off her loot...

Hmmm...I wonder who we are supporting in the US Senate race...

The real reason for making the trek to Yakima was to be there for Alysee's baptism! Way to go Alysee, we love you!

2010-09-13T01:30:00.006-04:00

Summer's End

Labor Day was chilly and felt just like a fall day in Spokane, so I guess it really did mark the end of summer...which is kind of lame since we really only had 2 warm months- no one's garden did very well this year- but on the up side, we didn't melt with heat in our non-air conditioned house, and we didn't spend a million dollars going to the pool...so I won't complain any more!

We took Nana and Papa to Greenbluff on Labor Day and found a farm that had a late crop of raspberries!!! So Yummy! Laynie was my best picker!

Addison was my best eater...

Then we walked over to the peach orchard and picked there...right before this picture Laynie held 2 peaches up right at her chest and said "Look! 2 big ones!" Kelly and I thought that was pretty funny...

These peaches were SO good! I made freezer jam, cut a bunch up and froze them for smoothies, and peach crepes for breakfast. Delish!

See what I mean? Delicious!

Then we played at the farm's park area...yeah, I've still got it!

Underdog daddy!!!

Papa's got it too...

And Kelly....

And Addison!!

Even Hailey had a fun turn on the bar!

And then it was off to Pig Out in the Park at River Front park! We actually ate some lunch too, not just ice cream!

But faces with ice cream on them are much cuter than faces with lunch all over them...Hailey has both :)

Kelly tried to eat the clock tower for lunch!

And of course we played on the big red wagon!

Thanks for coming mom and dad! It made Labor Day so fun!! We love you!!!!

2010-09-13T00:30:00.004-04:00

I HEART SEATTLE!!

This post is way late, I know...but just for the record, WE HAD AN AMAZING TIME IN SEATTLE! We spent the first day downtown, eating fish & chips, visiting Pike Place, and relishing all the memories that are always abundant when I visit my home :)

Pike Place is a difficult place to keep track of 5 children, thank goodness for some extra sets of hands and eyes!

(The afore mentioned hands and eyes) Casey and Katalyn were the life of the party...and certainly the favorite aunt and uncle that day!

Dear Fish and Chips on the waterfront: I love you.

Ferry boat.

Emily's girls-camp tiara really made this outfit, don't ya think?

Okay, on to our 2nd day...the beach!!! and not only did the kids get to play and hang out with their cousins, I got to see Jaime!! YAY!! It was so good to see you Jaims! Hopefully every summer will bring us to Sea-town at the same time!

Laynie and Ella's favorite game: roll in the sand, then wash off in the waves!

I had to put this one in cause Aunt Becca was so impressed with Addison's throwing arm! His rock went farther than hers every time! Time to sign him up for baseball I guess!

Day 3 = Seattle Science Center!! It's fun to go to a place you haven't been to for 20+ years and realize, it's almost exactly the same!!

Addison trying uncle Bill's hat on...

The crazy mirror...

The touching tide pool...

The N.A.S.T.Y. Madagascan cockroach...yeah, Hailey HELD it!

Laynie on top of a...giant grub? larva? not sure really.

Yes people that's me, like 100 feet in the air on a weighted bike! sweet ride!

Hailey fitting in the circus box.

It's a little tighter squeeze for mommy.

And the famous fountain...we when first sat down the fountain action was coordinating with Nirvana's "Smells like Teen Spirit"- so Seattle!

2010-08-27T17:12:00.003-04:00

60 Years and counting...

My Papa Bob and Grandma Lucy just celebrated 60 years of married bliss! and nearly everyone one of their posterity was there to party with them! Of course Lake Cavanaugh was the venue...did you ever think we'd fit almost 45 people in there? we did.

We played partied hard, ate too much, played minute-to-win-it, swam, skied, bingo-ed, hot-tubbed, etc. It was SO FUN!!
A little Pajama-beach-marshmallow-roasting session was definitely in order...

With a view like this makes it even better!

Addison loving the lake!

and he loves his Aunt Mimi!

Making scones for breakfast- SO YUMMY!

And a little jog with my sistas!

Of course Kelly enjoyed a lot of this...

And he also (shock) enjoyed Hunger Games!! (I made him read it)

P.S. I finished Mocking Jay yesterday...what did you think? I was slightly disappointed, but I guess that's because I'm such a happy-ending type of girl.

The whole Hickman clan! Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for such a wonderful legacy! I love you!!

2010-08-04T16:03:00.003-04:00

CELEBRATION TIME ...come on!!

Here is my big 7-year-old right before his party- in fact he instructed my dad to take this picture... Again, a big thanks to Steve, the best neighbor ever, for constructing the lovely blue-tarp canopy...I thought we'd need it for shade, which we did, but it also came in handy when Addison was opening up presents and the sky decide to open up too, dumping rain for a good 15 minutes...but thanks to Steve, we all stayed dry, happy, and OUTSIDE!

Addison was dying for a pinata this year, but I was dying when I saw the price! So, Aunt Mimi and I tried our hand at paper mache! It didn't work so well for our first 2 attempts, but the 3rd time's a charm! The kids painted and decorated it, and Kelly strung it for the kids to hit...

And hit it they did!, or should I say hit it HE did...Addison was the only one who got to swing at it before it broke and the pandemonium began!

This was the best I could come up with for a "Lego Cake" also at Addison's request.

How did he get to be 7 already?? and SO handsome!

After opening these legos up, he promptly disappeared into his room for at least an hour building this contraption...

Only later did he discover that some of his other presents are also fun!

I got pink toes for my birthday! (the other ones are Mary's)

And I also got to eat my favorite meal CAFE RIO PORK, or if you live at our house and are trying to get the kids to eat, you call it Root Beer meat. Such a yummy dinner was followed by an even yummier cake- Chocolate Ganache SO DELICIOUS! Thanks Deena!

And so many kids for share my birthday with!

Like Happy Henry,

teenage Laynie, (what is she even doing?)

And the whole group doing the traditional Ditto leaf throwing ritual-

JUST KIDDING, there are really no rituals in the Ditto family, but doesn't it look like it could be?

2010-07-27T18:37:00.005-04:00

Some Summer Pics...

Thanks to my Dad, we actually got a few family shots where everyone is smiling!! That's a true miracle right there-

Handsome Addison has been LOVING summer and has the bleached-blond hair and the dark skin to show it! Someone asked me the other day if he was a different ethnicity because he is SO tan- nope, just a dark little white boy...

Laynie has also been Lovin summer- She is a great little swimmer and is trying to learn how to dive! When surprised about something she'll say "OH My Chinny-Chin Chin!!" I'm not sure where she picked this one up, but it always makes me smile.

Hailey continues to be the highlight of everyone's days. She will run full speed (even after the life guards have told her not to at least 1000 times) and jump off the edge of the pool into the 6-inch water, right on her bottom...and she'll do it for hours! She can sing almost all the words to "Hoe-down, throw-down" by Miley Cyrus (it was on Laynie's dance recital CD) and if you take your shoes off, she will definitely put them on and say they are hers!...shoe fetish?

So Silly!

These girls LOVE their Daddy!

See what I mean? We're ALL smiling! Amazing!!!

And of course, the jumping pose...

2010-07-26T11:52:00.004-04:00

Dear Lake Cavanaugh,

I LOVE YOU!!!!

This year our lake Cavanaugh trip was planned a little last minute, in fact Sara didn't even think she would be able to go cause Birch couldn't get off work...well, forget about husbands then! We'll take the kids and go by ourselves! That's what my mom used to do!! So, we did it- Sara and I left with 11 kids in tow (her 6, my 3, and 2 of Deena's) and took off for my FAVORITE place on earth!!

that was such a good decision...(I'm really proud of you Sara!)

Best friends/best enemies- Hailey and Chloe

The boys taking the paddle boat out for a ride...

Bedtime snack in jammies on the dock...thanks for the undies shot Laynie!!

See, and husbands eventually DID show up after their boring work stuff was all done-

this ladder-ball game was a huge hit this year, among the kids AND the double mint twins above.

Good thing Hailey sported this super-trendy life jacket, cause she actually DID fall off the dock into the lake- but being the daredevil she is, it didn't even phase her!

Laynie loves Lake Cavanaugh, just like her mommy!!

No lake trip would be complete without a good game of "I-throw-the-ball-to-you-and-you-catch-it as-you-jump-off-the-dock" It's a great game, perfect for the show-off gene in each of the Ditto brothers.

P.S.- could the weather have been any better? Oh my word it was AWESOME!!!

So studly.

And here's how I spent most of my time, in my suit, in the sun, reading! I finished two books, and one since then- I LOVE SUMMER!! (btw, I read The Hunger Games and L.O.V.E.D. it!, can't wait to get my hands on the second book!)

So Studly, again.

The last night there we promised the kids a fire to roast marshmallows- I started the fire which I have to say was ROARING before I knew it...didn't know I had some pyro-maniac in me huh?

We Love you Lake Cavanaugh! We'll be back soon!!!

2010-07-12T19:56:00.002-04:00

Dittos + Montana = F.U.N.!!!

The kick-off to our Ditto Family reunion was an amazing float down the Missouri River! The scenery was gorgeous, the water fights avoided (due to small children), and the snacks were plentiful! We sang, threw grapes to the other rafts, tried desperately to follow Captain Logan's instructions, and had a Marvelous time!

That night was a campfire with lots of smores- here's Grannie snuggling two cute granddaughters...

And here the boys are LOVIN the fire!

So many Dittos! and there are a bunch missing too...had Sara/Birch, Brent/Deena, and Tavia/Vaughn been there, there would have been 20 more of us!!!

I LOVED getting the know the cousins who I had only met briefly at our wedding one hundred years ago! and I LOVED meeting cousins I had never met! It was a BEAUTIFUL trip and a memory that will last forever!

2010-07-07T01:32:00.002-04:00

8.Y.E.A.R.S.!

and I've loved them all!

Happy Anniversary Kelly McCann- Sure wish I were spending it WITH you, but hopefully the scouts know how much you must love them and scout camp! Can't wait for you to get back tomorrow! I LOVE YOU THE MOST!!

2010-06-29T22:06:00.002-04:00

Some Random Tidbits from life lately...

Are these the most fun treat you have ever seen? If you have never made/tried CAKEPOPS, you should! You mix a baked cake with icing, roll the goo into balls, and dip those balls into chocolate! What could be better?? These were for cousin Chloe's birthday, and they were a hit!

The same day we celebrated the afore mentioned birthday, we also celebrated FATHER"S DAY! Amazing breakfast in bed, a new camera lens, and 4 HUGE Root-Beer Float mugs complete with a case of Root Beer was what we got our daddy :) The camera lens was a HUGE hit, and this picture of Laynie was the first picture ever taken with said lens.

If you look closely, you can see that one of Laynie's front teeth is gray :( She was paying frisbee with her friend (a little 5-yr old) when suddenly there was screaming, blood, swollen lips, and apparently a tooth that had been knocked from its spot and died...all that from a frisbee! It doesn't seem to bother her at all though, her mom (yes me) is way more sad about it than she is!

I couldn't find a great picture of Addison from the past couple of weeks...mostly because I don't think he has held still long enough for anyone to take a picture! He was in heaven to have his cousins here an extra week after the wedding, and lately we have visited the local pool where he swims for seriously 4 hours straight...this boy's energy astounds me.

Hailey also astounds me with just how cute she can be! and how she can flash a smile at her daddy and get whatever she wants! Hailey can sing every song imaginable, she 'swims' like a fish, and has also picked up a few habits I don't totally love...like the other day when I said "Let's go put Jammies on..." and she said "No, I NOT put jammies on!" and promptly ran away. "I NOT" is her new phrase- but sometimes even that is cute :)

Talk about cute...check out my black eye! Okay, I know it's not bad at all, but it's my first black-eye ever, so I had to post! I was reading stories to Addison and Laynie in bed, and Laynie sat up to readjust, and then promptly laid back down, right on my eye! Actually, when my eye is open it just looks like I'm wearing purple eye shadow :)

And here's a sad story, with a happy ending: I rear-ended a lady last week...she had slammed on her breaks right as I was looking in my rear-view mirror to see why Hailey was crying, when I looked forward, I slammed on my breaks, but I was too late. I say this story has a happy ending because our favorite neighbor Steve, called the junk yard, found a new hood and bumper, took them to Macco to be painted, and tomorrow will put them on my van! and all for under $400! (Steve still owes me hours for babysitting, so it's not ALL out of the kindness of his heart....but still!) I still wish it hadn't happened, and I still feel STUPID when I re-tell the story, but hooray for insurance and awesome neighbors!

2010-06-21T17:43:00.002-04:00

Marwage is what bwings us togever today...

(Princess Bride people!)

And the million-picture post begins...

Blayre and Ryan got married Saturday and our whole world has been revolving around this day for so long...we hardly know what to do with ourselves any more!

My sweet Dad flew out from PA to be the "professional photographer" at Blayre and Ryan's wedding. He almost killed himself (a couple of times!) getting the best shots...like the one above- seriously a gorgeous couple!

It rained until 6:30pm on the picture taking day :( but we were able to find some cool in-door spots- in fact, out of 681 pictures, my dad swears at least 500 were amazing...

Finally no rain!...so a little smooch in the middle of the road won't leave them soaking!

I was the "photographer's assistant"...just in case you're wondering why I'm posting so many pictures of the couple...I feel some ownership here!

Speaking of ownership, this one was my idea...I thought the chairs looked like King and Queen chairs, so this is Queen Blayre and King Ryan...

Friday afternoon I hosted Blayre's bridal shower for the family...I actually fit 27 people into my living room!! Here is the spread, we tried to keep most everything turquoise or yellow!

Thanks to my S.I.L.s (Sara too!) the party went off without a hitch!

Saturday morning was the big event...here are the little girls waiting for Blayre and Ryan to come out.

And here is the family/friends that showed us for the blessed event (My dad was on top of his car to get this shot!!)

Blayre, and now Ryan, have 11 nieces! and all of them looked ADORABLE in their pettiskirts... all the way from Hong Kong (we found a great deal!!)

And they have 10 nephews, who are also pretty cute.

I couldn't help but steal some time away from the photographer to catch some pics of my own cute kiddos.

Could it be? Everyone is sort of smiling!
A Miracle!

Jumping for JOY!

All the nieces and nephews did a dance for the "talent" portion of the reception...(a Ditto family tradition!)

And the brothers sang a lovely little diddy...or maybe not so lovely, so they used the wigs and just made it funny!

And then we danced the night away! It was a Wonderful day and a Fabulous party!! Congratulations Blayre and Ryan!!!

2010-06-15T20:59:00.006-04:00

Summer Begins!

It has officially begun! And the kids are loving it... Here are the girls on Addison's 'Field Day' -yes Hailey has cookie all over her face-

Speaking of Hailey, I should probably mention that the girl has an unusual love of airplanes- she can even hear them from inside the house sometimes and stop what she is doing to tell everyone that she hears an airplane... is this some sort of crazy sign or something?

Laynie loves to help- she'll come in the bathroom when Kelly and I are taking a shower, and she'll lay out all of the things we need to get ready...deodorant, lotion, shaving cream, hair stuff, etc! Then she'll hand each one to us as needed :) Very helpful.

Mr. Cool here is trying his best at Field Day...he finished school with flying colors- His teacher tested him to the end of 2nd grade in his reading! He LOVES school, but was also excited for summer. His summer didn't start off too awesome though, he threw up Sunday night a few times and then took most of Monday to recover, but he's feeling better now.

The Long Jump

On an unrelated note, I have been busy getting ready for Blayre's bridal shower at my house...I found these pots at Good Will and painted them blue- they turned out super cute!
We're so excited for you Blayre!!

2010-05-31T00:57:00.003-04:00

Nice quiet Sunday Activity...

You know the scary quiet when you suddenly realize the kids MUST be up to no good? Here's what we found today following that very silence...

The kids made a nice size mud hole in my soon-to-be flower garden...all three of them were covered in thick, black, mud.

My biggest concern: Can the dress be saved? Only time shall tell....

And in other news, school is over for Laynie, and here is her cute class pic-
She ADORED preschool and can't wait to go back next year!

Addison has 2 weeks left of school, or 9 days as he would tell you- he also loves school, but is super excited for summer time! (Yes his teacher really is gigantic, like 6'7, it's not JUST that the kids are small...heck, he makes ME feel like a first grader when I stand next to him!)

2010-05-24T14:51:00.004-04:00

Deliciousness= Chocolate French Toast

Disclaimer: Not a recipe for the calorie-phobic

This ridiculously yummy recipe comes from the book my Mother-in-law gave all the girls for our All Girls Weekend...I can't wait to try some more of the recipes!!

Chocolate french Toast:
1 cup milk
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs
1 loaf bread

Place milk and chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave until chocolate is soft, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Stir to combine and let cool. Add eggs, and vanilla and stir well. Dip bread in mixture and cook until bread is toasted and firm (takes a little longer than your average french toast.

And just as equally delicious as the french toast (maybe even more so!) is this Butter Syrup recipe that goes with the french toast...to die for!

Butter Syrup:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sigar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine butter, buttermilk, and sugar and heat slowly to dissolve the sugar. Add vanilla and baking soda and stir- it will became very foamy-frothy...this is what it's supposed to do! Serve warm over you french toast, die and go to heaven!

2010-05-15T01:07:00.002-04:00

Dancing Queen

Laynie was in a dance class this year because most of her friends were doing it...and it was cheap! But she really loved it! and she loved even more being on stage and having everyone clap for her! She also loved putting on makeup and looking at herself in the mirror while I did her hair...should I be worried?

This was her costume for the "Love Bug" dance.

Cute Sisters!! Hailey is quite the little dancer too...last weekend we went to the "Family Disco Night" at the elementary school, and Hailey can boogie!! (just like her daddy!)

2010-05-10T01:08:00.002-04:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

I really do love being a mom. I have officially decidedd that when it comes right down to it, nothing else REALLY matters in life except family. I aspire more than anything to be a great mom...not quite there yet, but I sure do try. I love my kids! Thanks for a wonderful mother's day!! (that thanks is mostly for Kelly!) and thanks for the priviledge of being your mother.

And mom, happy mother's day to you!! You were (and are) the perfect mom and an amazing example for me to follow. Thanks for loving me always- I LOVE YOU!

2010-05-02T17:24:00.006-04:00

Hailey is 2!!!

Nana found this cute pink pettiskirt and some pink shoes for Hailey's birthday- Hailey cried that night when we tried to take off the shoes so that she could go to bed! This little girl LOVES shoes and she LOVES pink!

Hailey helping me make her cake...it was a pink cake, of course!

Happy Birthday Hailey Baby- We love you so much!!

2010-04-28T19:05:00.005-04:00

True Love!

Congratulations Blayre and Ryan!

Kelly's little sister is engaged! It was quite a dramatic proposal, and we all got to witness it! Ryan invited us all to the "Shock" game (Spokane's indoor football team) and during the 'Tracy Jeweler' ad, he popped the quesion! Check it out for yourself on youtube:

you tube video: Blayre and Ryan get engaged

Sorry this picture is so blurry! We were using the Flip, and it doesn't have a flash! :(

I have had more fun planning with Blayre than I had planing my own wedding! and check out these skirts that the little nieces will be wearing!

It will be a little sea of chiffon and it will be adorable! Watch out for tons of pictures around the middle of June!

2010-04-21T01:27:00.003-04:00

Hailey Jean

Hailey, you are almost 2 years old, and you are amazingly cute. We love you too much- and here are some reasons why...

You are SOOO SILLY! You make us laugh every day. The first thing you say every morning is "I want weckwest (breakfast). You can sing the whole 'Super WHY' theme song. You sing all day long. You ask for the COWS song every time we get in the car. Your favorite time of day is when Daddy gets home...you run to his arms every day. You give great kisses. You HAVE to pick your jammies. You make us so happy! WE LOVE YOU!!

2010-04-18T16:50:00.001-04:00

HAPPY SPRING!

The weather has been BEAUTIFUL and finally warm enough to wear the C.U.T.E. dresses Nana sent! Happy Springtime!

2010-04-15T11:29:00.003-04:00

Blog Slackin....

Yes I am aware that I am a big blog-slacker...I've had to apologize to my mom a few times already! So, lets get back on track! Sheesh!

WE ARE FAMILY!

This is the first picture of ALL the Dittos taken in a long time because Andrew (Kelly's youngest brother, better known as "uncle Juje") has been on a mission for our church for the last 2 years...but HE'S HOME! and we are so happy to have him home!!

Here are Kelly's siblings and beautiful mother...don't they look great together!!?

The weekend after Juje got home, we were ALL together...the girl cousins love to be together and make up plays, sing songs, and be generally girly-

The boys love to wrestle, find anything to turn into a weapon, and be amazingly boy-ish together...here they are modeling the masks that uncle Juje brought them all from Mexico!

Not long after our exciting weekend in Spokane, we had spring break...and since nothing was planned, the kids and I decided to take a little trip to YAKIMA! Hey, don't make fun, the kids were so excited to go to Yakima, you'd have thought we were going to Disneyland- and we had a great time...doesn't Hailey LOOK like she's enjoying herself? :)

And the boys really did have a great time making up games on the trampoline and almost breaking several bones...

The weekend after that was Easter, and though it was COLD, the kids still had a great time at the Easter egg hunt on Saturday.

We spent Easter with the Ditto Family, watching conference, and eating delicious food, and most importantly feeling grateful for the Savior and His life and death.

Lastly, Kelly and I have been contemplating moving. We even made a blog to post to 'advertise' our house. We need a little more room in a little safer neighborhood...so if you know anyone looking to move to Spokane, we have a CUTE house for sale! Check it out: http://www.hartsonhome.blogspot.com/

2010-03-09T16:17:00.004-05:00

Bountiful Baskets!

About a month ago my sis Becca sent me this picture. This is the PILE of produce that she got by participating in a program called Bountiful Baskets. They are a Food Co-Op and are now operating in a bunch of the western states. She pays $15 online, and then picks up a Laundry Basket FULL on Saturday mornings. I decided it might be worth looking into how to get it going in Spokane...

And last Saturday was our first go at it! We had 55 people sign up for baskets!! Everybody got 2 of the baskets you see in the pic above, and EVERYBODY was delighted!! We got: 1 bag clementines, 4 grapefruit, 4 bananas, 1 bunch asparagus, 5 pears, 5 kiwi, 2 heads romaine lettuce, 4 red peppers, 12 read potatoes, 5 zucchini, 1 pineapple, and 4 navel oranges! All for 15 Bucks!

My beloved mother-in-law and sis-in-law helping out that day...bless them, it was EARLY!

And here's the booty! So delicious and so NOT expensive! HOORAY! We all know how much I LOVE a good deal!

2010-03-08T12:14:00.003-05:00

Another Little Trip...

(Why are my kids so crazy?) The day Kelly and I got back from Dominican, my mom and I drove the kids to Seattle to see my Grandma Lucy and Papa Bob. This trip was extra special because we got to go to Hickman Park! This park was named for my very own Papa Bob for all of his wonderful accomplishments as a doctor...and it was THE COOLEST park I have ever been to! The equipment is from Sweden, and it was seriously awesome!

Addison looks very thoughtful up in this tree...He has had some great moments lately, and I can tell he's really growing up- for example: We were just finishing dinner and Laynie asked Addison to play with her, he said "Yeah, just a minute though, I have to clear the table." Woah! I almost fell off my chair! This has been his job for a long time now, but it's never been done without MUCH coaxing, prodding, begging, etc! Way to go Addison!

The park's version of a merry-go-round was WAY more fun than the traditional!

After the Hickman park experience, we ate lunch, put Hailey down for a nap, and I took the big kids to the beach in Edmonds. I have a special place in my heart for this beach...I went here when I was a little girl and LOVED it! It is certainly nothing like the beaches I was at only days ago in Dominican- but I'll take it...the kids and I looked through the tide pools and found crabs and other sea creatures (I only wrote that because I don't know how to spell words like anemone) And we found all kinds of "treasures" that unfortunately made themselves all the way back to Spokane!

Baths were required after such a fun-filled day, and lucky for the kids, Grandma Lucy has an awesome jacuzzi tub. They sure loved turning on "the motors" and watching the bubble level rise exponentially before their eyes!

Thanks for a fun trip Grandma and Grandpa!! and thanks to Sara for talking to me for an hour during one of the more boring stretches on the way home- it seriously did the trick to keep me awake!

2010-03-03T14:43:00.003-05:00

A Little Piece of Heaven

Our long-awaited trip to the Dominican Republic has come and gone, and it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.! I have never felt so spoiled-relaxed-happy-warm-energized at any other time in my life!! We had quite the trip to actually get to the island...Spokane to Salt Lake, Salt Lake to NYC, NYC to Punta Cana...all in all it was 16 hours of travel- but worth it!! We arrived at the airport and a little tropical band was playing! We arrived at the resort and they greeted us with music, drinks, flowers and clapping! We arrived at the beach (About 2.2 minutes after arriving at the resort) and I was IN HEAVEN!

See, here's the picture to proved my heavenly mood! The turquoise water and white sand was unreal! And it was 85 degrees! Hallelujah!

Kelly was a little worried in days preceding the trip that all of his thoughts and fantasies about the greatness of 'President's Club' couldn't possibly be fulfilled- but guess what? THEY WERE! Kelly was also in TOTAL awe at the amazingness of it all...the smile above is his 'disbelief' smile "How could we possibly be in such an incredible place?"

And now I am dancing for joy!

The first night of our stay was a special welcome dinner on the beach. It was set up very festivly, a live band played, and scores of waiters asked what the could get for you, and would always reply "It is my pleasure to serve you." Seriously? We met lots of new faces and I ate dessert for the first time in 6 weeks! (not counting the York peppermint patty that I had in my carry-on and devoured the minute I could see the D.R. from the plane above!)

The next morning we had a scrumptious breakfast and I tried Passion Fruit for the first time in my life- I L.O.V.E.D it!! So yummy and tart!! and then Kelly and I had a vicious game of tennis, followed by a lap around the resort on roller blades! And of course swim suits after that vigorous morning! We had a great game of beach-volley ball with Kelly's co-workers and cooled off in the ocean blue! WHAT A DAY!

But of course it didn't end there, the awards ceremony was that night, which was what I imagine the grammy's to be like! AMAZING! The decoration was over-the-top, the food was DE-LISH, the entertainment incredible, and they honored each of the employees there for their accomplishments- Way to go Kelly!!

The next morning Kelly had a mini-golf tournament with a bunch of guys from work...here is Kelly and Lyle, one of the TWO other guys that came to President's Club who is still in their 30's. Everyone else is like 50+ (not that that's bad, I'm just glad there were a couple of people our age there!) While the boys golfed, Lyle's wife and I soaked up the rays on the beach (maybe a little too much soaking...I was RED at the end of this day!) It was so relaxing!!

Our trip ended on Sunday. We spent the day with Uncle Mark and aunt Marlene. Uncle Mark has been with NFIB for 16 years, and he was the one who got Kelly an interview. THANKS MARK! It was so fun to get to know them better and spend time together! PLUS, aunt Marlene is a great photographer, so she took A BUNCH of picture for us!

The trip home could have been better...our luggage was still in Punta Cana when we arrived in Atlanta. The Delta lady was very nice and told us that we could get the things we need (up to $50 each) and send the receipt to Delta, and they'd pay us back! Good thing too, cause both of us were in Island clothes still, and Atlanta was 31 degrees!!! So, we found a Walmart (since it was already 10pm) and each bought long pants and hoodies so we could be nice and snuggly on our flight home the next morning.

A H.U.G.E thanks to my mom for staying with the kids- we LOVE YOU!! It was a unbelievable trip and we couldn't have done it without you!!

Here's to next year in Mexico- we can't possible miss out now!

2010-02-18T16:55:00.006-05:00

Create!

This post is prompted by a client that I've been thinking about all week. He and his wife came in a few weeks ago and we talked about all the normal 'fix-your-marriage' kind of stuff. And then last week he said "I've really been pondering and praying and the same answer keeps coming to me." really? what is that? "well, first I just feel like I need to be really honest with my feelings, and my feelings are that this marriage is not working." You're Right (I almost screamed!) Your marriage isn't working...but that feeling doesn't mean you need to divorce- you do have another option- you can change!

I have been thinking about how as human beings sometimes we give-up a little too easily and go with what's easy instead of WORKING to CREATE the life we want! (sorry to all my friends who have to put up with these little counselor raves all too much!)

Probably something you don't know about me is that I'm always writing a book...in my head. This week's book is all about creating the life we want...NOT going with the flow, but working to become the person you want to be and create the relationships in your life that will be happy and fulfilling. I think God wants us to create, and where better to start than our own lives?

Okay, enough of this...here are some random tidbits that kind of have to do with creating, since we "create" children and (sometimes unfortunately) realize they are so much like us.

Addison said to me "Mom, can you put on some music?" Sure, and I reached for the kids music... "Not kid's music! something like this 'bawm-chica-bawm-bawm'...yes he was attempting to beat box...sound like anyone else you know? (Kelly is the right answer...he's a champion beat-boxer)

Today Laynie and I were talking about being nervous and how sometimes you feel a little sick to your stomach when you're nervous. Laynie said "Oh, just like you feel sick in your stomach when we whine?" uh, yep...just like that.

And my sweet Hailey has finally started putting up with a little less from her siblings. Lately when they do something she doesn't like, she points at them and says in her toughest voice "Right Now!" ...I have no idea where she learned that...

2010-02-08T12:52:00.002-05:00

All you need is L.O.V.E.

See these delicious morsels...the ones that I didn't even TASTE because of my silly goal to not eat treats until Dominican comes... yeah- they're amazing. These are MAMA MAY cookies (named for my Dad's great aunt Aglaia May, but every one called her "Mama May"). Since I can remember my mom has made these for every holiday...Becca and I would mix our icing pallet and decorate (and probably make a mess)-- and now it's MY kids making a mess!- seriously, is there a harder thing to sweep up than sprinkles? (sorry Grannie!!)

Here's the recipe:

2 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

(cream together)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

4 1/2 cups flour

Chill if you have time...roll out with extra flour and cook at 350 for 10-13 minutes, or until golden brown. Decorate with icing and sprinkles and make a mess! :)

2010-01-31T22:00:00.002-05:00

Goodbye January!...(or was it March?)

As you can see, our January has been very mild for Spokane- this particular day that the kids were jumping in short sleeves, was Martin Luther King Jr. day...January 18th...and 53 degrees!! We have loved the weather! and hope that a mild January does not mean a crazy winter-y February!!

Addison was attempting the air guitar in this picture- The kids were both excited to be exercising that day!

This month out Relief Society started a program called "New Year, New You"...we all set goals, and we get points for exercising, eating right, drinking water, etc. It has been very motivating! And the kids have noticed my new motivation for exercise and are great spectators! Not only do I have "points" for motivation, but also the promise of a beach body when we go to Dominican Republic!! I even signed up for a "boot camp" this month with a trainer! He is pretty tough, so I better be looking good by the end of February!!

(Are you proud of me Mom?) Not keeping at all with my goal to eat less...I also made bread for real for the first time! I added cinnamon chips to one of the loaves (and then made French Toast with it...YUM!) I've tried a few new recipes this month and all of them have been a hit! I'll add them to http://www.domesticdittodiva.blogspot.com/ very soon!
I also kept busy this month by adding one more child to my already crazy brood- Our next-door neighbor had to do a certification that lasted all month long, so I had an extra 2-year-old every day, all day! I'd love to say that it was terribly hard work and I earned every second of the work that same neighbor will do on our basement...but let's be honest, what's one more child? Unless he was stinky, it was pretty easy :)

Kelly has had a great January also- He's been snow boarding twice with his new bindings!, nearly been drowned in mud at a scout camp-out, and found out from his latest eye exam that his vision is now 20/15! Better than it was when he wore glasses!!

Addison continues to blow us all away with his reading skills, that and the fact that night after night he can have the same argument with us about clearing the table...

Laynie also loves school, has to get a cavity filled tomorrow (be nice uncle Logan!), and is a great help to me.

Hailey astounds us with her cuteness...just when we think she couldn't possibly be any cuter, she is! She is a pure delight and we are in total denial that the terrible two's will ever come!!

2010-01-25T17:14:00.004-05:00

Casey and Katalyn's Wedding!

We left Spokane on the afternoon of the 29th of December and got to Baltimore at 12:45am! By the time our heads hit the pillow...it was 2am, and we were up at 7am to get ready for the wedding breakfast! It was a short night, but the kids were happy to be with their cousins and aunts, and we were just happy to be off the plane!!

We LOVE aunt Mimi!!

Getting ready is always tough...

I kind of like the wet hair look!

Finally we find uncle Casey!!

And we're off to the temple-

as a side note...Hailey had the toughest time with the time adjustment, she fell asleep DURING breakfast! however, despite her tiredness...she is still adorable!

I got to hold Katalyn's bouquet and try and protect it from the little girls!

Lots of loved ones outside the Washington DC temple...what a perfect day!

Addison looked VERY handsome in his new suit coat...

But I think the little girls took the prize for cuteness-

Especially Hailey!

Congratulations Casey and Katalyn! We love you both and are so happy for you!!

2010-01-21T17:49:00.004-05:00

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Kelly was a great "giver" this year- so I had an awesome Christmas! :) My favorite present is the book Laynie is holding; Kelly "slurped" my blog into a book! It is SO fun for the kids to look at ad really makes me feel like I am keeping a family history, instead of just playing on the computer! He did a BEAUTIFUL job and I know it will be a family treasure forever!

My other favorite was the 'FLIP'- it's just a tiny video camera that makes it so easy to put videos on my blog! FOR EXAMPLE: here is Addison making his own music video? He thinks the Flip is a dream come true and he totally cracks himself up!

And here is my sweet Hailey "reading" inside her toy drawer while singing the ABC's!

This took a lot longer to post than I wanted it to, because I didn't know how to get my videos from the FLIP to my blog THANK GOODNESS for an oh-so-clever husband who has taught me everything I know about computers! Hopefully now I'll get back-on-track with blogging!