Spring Break

You know those visits where everything goes perfectly? The times that someone comes to stay with you and you just have so much fun you are genuinely sad to see them leave, even when you have four adults and four kids staying in an 800 sq. foot house. I mean this is true love, especially when the kids aren't all sleeping that great. Aaron's brother and his family came to visit us during Aaron's Spring Break and we had such a great time. I love people coming to visit when Aaron can play with us the whole time. I am getting so spoiled having Aaron home, it is the best! Also I love the motivation to do all the fun stuff we have been wanting to do since we moved here. We did lots of parks, the kids had so much fun. Carson loves his cousin Hallie so much. He did not want to leave her side. 

Camilla tried her very hardest to keep up. 

One of our favorite things about Spencer and Kellie is they are eaters, like us. So we tried this taco place we've been wanting to go to and then we went to this food truck called Gordough's. Okay what does Gordough's make exactly you may be wondering. They make extra large delicious donuts and then top them with all sorts of fabulousness. Oh my goodness, they were so fabulous it was crazy. We got four, that's right four, and devoured each one. Just as a frame of reference the two tables around us both had four people sitting at them and one donut. :) 

The kids were so excited to get the donuts and each walked with Camilla to help her through the parking lot. 

It was gorgeous outside and the kids spent a lot of time playing in the front yard. 

We walked the trail by the river and the kids had a great time. 

A lot of shoulder riding. 

We went to the children's museum and had a fun time. They had all sorts of toys, and imaginative play. The kids had more to do than time to do it in. 

We also went to storytime and music time. The end of music time was bubbles, what a hit!

 

Then we went to the physics room and I had to drag the kids out. 

Finally it was time to paint right before our exit. 

We went on a small hike to show them a great view of Austin. It was so gorgeous up there and the kids could do it all themselves. 

Spencer and Kellie's cute family. 

 We took an alternative route down.

Then we had lunch in the back of our car. So fun!

So much fun = a lot of dirty kids. They loved bathing together and they got along so well. 

We loved having people visit us and can't wait for more people to come and stay with us. Spring Break is the best, I'm thinking that maybe Aaron should quit school and just stay home with us...like all the time. I'm sure we could figure out a way to live right? Inventions, inventions, something great, think Haley...think!

Phoenix Marathon

Yes and imagine a matching ones on the other foot, even bigger but it burst around mile 23. And blisters underneath those blisters.

 Yes I have pictures of me running this race, not looking horrible, and crossing the finishing line. I have a couple of pictures of me and my friend Jamie smiling together at the finish line. She's wearing her Boston Qualifier hat and smiling about her 3:28 finish, I'm just trying to keep walking. I will post them maybe someday, when I am happier about the race. I crossed the finish line in 3:40 with a total meltdown the last 7 miles. I fell apart, I just got so tired and mentally couldn't keep myself going. I'm disappointed in my race but that's how they go sometimes. I had a really hard week leading up to it without one full night's sleep and I just wore out. The first half of the race went great, me and Jamie had a great time, around mile 15 I started slowing down and she pulled ahead of me but we were still close and then it was mile 19 - I just stopped for no reason out of nowhere and it was downhill from there. (not on the course, it was flat, flat) I learned the hard way in my Cowtown marathon to not let myself walk for very long or I would never get going again. But I just couldn't get myself motivated. I missed having Aaron and my kids there and we agreed I will never do another marathon without them, at least that's what we are saying now. 

Some races are great, some races aren't. This just wasn't my day. But I will seek redemption some day...

Happy Valentine's Day

We had a very fun Valentine's Day this year. We made yummy sugar cookies (from scratch, even the frosting!) and gave them to our friends. teachers, and neighbors. I tried to roll the dough and make them into cute heart and all that but it just didn't work out. Too much work for me but the kids didn't care, they loved putting on sprinkles, of which I bought way too much. 

I decorated the kids chairs for when they woke up, let them wear their Valentine's Day pajamas all day and then made Aaron a very fancy dinner after the kids went to bed and Aaron pulled through with chocolate fondue for dessert, it felt pretty perfect. I just love doing fun stuff on holidays like making heart shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. :) I sure love my little family. I am lucky to feel so much appreciation and love from them everyday. 

18 Months

My sweet Millie girl is already 18 months old. Man do I love the 18 month mark! It is like a sigh of relief for me. I admit it right now, openly, 12-18 months is a very hard age for me but it has past us and now I'm just settling into such a fun age with my kiddos. Camilla's official stats:

Height: 31 3/4" (55th)

Weight: 22 lbs. 8 oz (25th)

Head: 49 cm (95th)

My poor baby had to endure an earache that would not end. We did two different antibiotics and shots and it is finally going away. We have to see an ENT specialist this month to make sure everything is okay. She also got a yeast infection, it was pretty bad. Poor baby, we had no idea she even had an ear infection. she has pretty much all of her teeth in now (another reason I love 18 months - no more teething!) Camilla is still not talking, like at all. We get ma ma and da da and her animal sounds but she communicates what she wants perfectly fine thank you with her grunts, pointing and nodding yes and no. Camilla loves Carson, she wants to be with every second, she also wants to make him scream. If he is building a tower, she is knocking it over; if he is doing a puzzle, she is pulling it apart; and if he is getting dressed she is hiding his shoes. It is crazy how early this has all started. Camilla's hair is coming in in patches but she is still the cutest thing I've ever seen. Camilla loves me, she wants me all the time which most of the time I eat up. She loves to give hugs and kisses and loves her blankie. She loves to go to nursery and to play with other kids and wants to keep up with everything the big kids are doing. 

This little girl lights up my life, seriously, I can't go very long without needing her to smile at me and give me hugs. She is mischievous like you would not believe and she pretty much gets whatever she wants. Camilla loves to dance and conduct music and she does this little booty shake that is just about the cutest things ever. She is our independent girl who can do everything by herself! We sure love our Millie. 

A trip from Aaron's Parents

                                               

Aaron's parents came to spend a few days with us in January during some fabulous weather. It was fun to show them around Austin and do some fun stuff. Poor Carson was still suffering from the flu and I wasn't feeling well either and Aaron had school every day and home work every night but we tried to make the best of it. A lot of the day was spend playing in our front yard, raking up leaves and jumping in them. It was so nice out that we had so much fun being outside, we went to the park and walked around UT as well. 

Carson loved reading with his Grandpa and the kids had such a great time getting their grandparents undivided attention (something you don't get often when there are 23 grandchildren in a family). We also went out to Salt Lick to eat amazing BBQ, and oh my goodness did we eat and somehow we still managed to eat dessert. 

It seemed like the days they were here went by too fast but we are happy that they got to come and see how we are living here. It has been so much fun to see Aaron's Dad retired. They are just enjoying their life together so much and it is great to watch. They are going to be such fabulous missionaries.