8 years ago...

It seems like a lifetime ago but 8 years ago Kollin joined our family. I was going to post some pictures of him as a baby, but as crazy as it seems I didn't have a digital camera then:)!
He turned 8 on August 30th and it was a very very busy day for him...and us.
He got to take some treats to school and as soon as he got home we helped him celebrate some more.


He's crazy about technology, magic and Lego's. So for his birthday he got the coolest
gyro mini remote control helicopter. Its the tiniest thing but is pretty awesome.


His other new phase is Heely's. He hasn't quite mastered it yet but enjoys that he and his friends can "heely" together:)


Kollin's absolute favorite treat is to go to Cafe Rio and get some of their fabulistic "Tres Leches" cake. Usually we have the kids share one but today he was excited to get his very own.


After cake and presents Kevin took him outside to practice his heely's for a few minutes. Bless his heart, but he isn't the most coordinated person on the planet but he tried soooo hard!




We weren't able to do a party for him this year because Kevin and I were put in charge of our Ward's Summer Party. Which turned out to be that same night. So he might not have had his own party but got lucky enough to have a huge party on his birthday.


Enjoying a yummy cheeseburger.


Human Foosball.


Khloe.


Our handsome birthday boy!!


That night was a very very late one but we put all the other kids to bed and let him pop his balloons all by himself.


That Friday we went to Kaysville to participate in a Mud Run and Kollin got some fun magic tricks from my Mom and a Pogo stick from Kevin's parents.


Kevin and I have been battling back and forth to get the most hops and I only post this because its in my favor but I'm in the lead with 55!
Kevin attempting to beat me...


It must be the flying hair that helps me jump so much:) (yikes!)


Our lives have never been the same since Kollin joined our family and there isn't a second that goes by that I'd want it any other way. He is such a joy to our family! We're headed to Kaysville on October 8th for him to be baptized. I know there will be many many tears shed at another moment when I realize how quickly my kids are growing up! We love you Kollin!!

29 Years Young...

August 11th was my 29th Birthday. Kevin had to fly to Texas for work and was going to be gone that same week so I stayed in Salt Lake an additional week to spend the day with family. It really was such a fun fun day. First when I woke up and walked out of the room at my moms place, I walked into streamers and balloons and signs all around. Then my sister Stacey and I took the kids on the Front Runner downtown. I desperately needed some more exercise clothes so we rode it to Farmington to shop some stores that were walking distance from the tracks.

Stacey and Addilyn.


Me and my favorite buddy Rylan. He loves trains and it was fun to see his excitement.


Me and my kiddos.


The kids and I waiting for our train back to Salt Lake.


For dinner that night my Mom treated us to my most favorite restaurant...Outback! It was so nice having her and Kim and Stacey and Kyle there too!


When we got back to Mom's place they had some cake and some presents for me too.
The kids helping me blow out candles.


Rylan enjoying the #9!




It was such a great day. I was missing Kevin pretty bad but I'm so thankful for Stacey and Mom doing all they did to make it the most special day still! Cant believe next year I'm gonna be 30! Yikes the years are going so fast:)

Fantastic Fabulous Family Fun!

Before we begin the mumbo jumbo of pictures first things first, I don't know if all moms are feeling this way but I sure am - YIPPEE SCHOOL IS OUT!!! Our routine the past 9 months has been exhausting and I'm relieved that we're free from waking up early, rushing to the bus, lunch money, picking kids up at 3 different times every day, school clothes, early bed times, homework (uggg!), projects, parent teacher conferences and programs; oh the list can go on and on. But its NOT!! Yayyy!!

Everyday is now going be filled with rec center, lake, bike rides, hiking, trips and snow cones! Oh it just sounds lovely!! This past month has been a record breaking month of craziness. It all began at the end of April. Kooper had his field trip for preschool to a farm and Khloe and I got to join. They were both able to pet sheep, meet some brand new baby piglets, go into a chicken coop and collect eggs, and even milk a cow!


Then we headed to Salt Lake City for a long fun weekend. First the kids and I went to Chuck-e-Cheese with Stacey and her kids and my Mom. We don't go here often but I just might start. My kids are old enough now that they can go off on their own and remember to grab their tickets so all I had to do was sit and watch them play. It really was sad and exciting and relaxing all at the same time:) Khloe got her jam on when the music started. I'm not sure where she learned it but she sure can shake some booty:) And Kollin is our computer child so all the arcade games put him in his own perfect little heaven!


We then went to my Mom's work and helped her and some of the Residents dye and decorate some Easter Eggs. After the kids went thru the building and hung some eggs with treats in them on every door. They LOVED doing it.


Later that weekend we went to Kaysville to visit Kevin's parents. The dyed some more eggs and went to an Easter Egg hunt with the rest of the Ashcraft Cousins. Kaylee, Kollin and Koop found a Golden or Silver egg. Khloe was big enough this year to understand that you get as many eggs as you can then open them. Not like last year where she was so excited about the candy in her first egg that she only ended up collecting about 3.




Easter Morning at Nana's and Papa's.


On April 29th our no longer little Kaylee turned 6 years old! It was a very very simple birthday. Next years birthdays we'll have parties but we're doing the easy way this year. We had our cousins over and she helped make some yummy cupcakes.


Cindy gave Kaylee a Easy Bake oven for her birthday and made her a super super cute apron with chef's hat to match.


The beginning of May Kooper graduated from Pre-School. The teachers gave each child a "Best Kid Award" certificate with a title which their personalities fit. Kooper got one for "Future Parks and Recreation Manager". If you know our family this one fits him perfectly! Kaylee also had her Kindergarten program. It was the same day as Kollins Mom and Muffin day so Kevin went to her program with her. I'm dying because I cant get my video camera to download but there was a sweet little boy beside Kaylee who threw-up mid program and Kevin got EVERYTHING on tape! Yes, even the throw-up! Right now I'm just too excited that school is out but I cant believe I'll have 3 kids in Elementary School next year!


Finally the weather has started getting warmer so we've been able to get outside!
For Mothers Day Kev got me a beautiful patio set which will be sooo great when the kids are outside playing and for those great summer bbq's! Also one of our favorite spots here in Vernal is the Sno Biz. They have some of the best snow cones and root beer floats we've ever had!


This past Saturday we went to a breakfast at the Fire Station. It was the same day I was running a 5K so I couldn't enjoy much but the kids loved the pancakes, eggs and sausage! And they had great activities for them to enjoy too. Little fire trucks and police cars for them to ride, they got to slide down the fire pole and sit inside of the fire trucks.




I am so proud of my kids for accomplishing everything that we throw at them each day. I have realized more and more lately that my kids are growing up. Next year Khloe will be in Preschool and I will be all alone! Its something that I used to look forward to but now that its here...not so much!!

I've also done our first project in the house that I'm very, very excited to share, but that deserves its own post:) Happy Summer time!!

Doing what we do...

You can tell spring is FINALLY in the air!! Its warming up, the grass is getting greener and greener everyday and our tons of trips that we have planned have begun! This past weekend Kevin had a convention in Salt Lake and I didn't want to spend the entire weekend by myself so the kids and I decided to come along.

First, in all the pictures of me I have a little buddy that has seriously cramped my style and has made life extremely hard the past two weeks!


The beginning of April I was playing basketball and landed on a guys foot, rolling it and ended up fracturing my foot. I was trying to figure out the best way to show where the fracture is so here are two pictures...one with the fracture circled and the other with it traced.


The doctor said it was the best bone to break because there's no muscle or tendons attached and its only bone that needs to heal. On the bright side I'm glad I broke it instead of spraining or pulling something because Ive been told it will heal faster.

But we're not letting that stop us!! This past weekend we were in Salt Lake and took advantage of the nice weather and went to see the Bunny at the mall. Since the pictures that they take seem to go up $10 a year I was happy to take a picture after the kids saw him.


I did however sneak my phone out and snag one of Khloe. She refused to go unless Kaylee or I went with her.


We also went to the zoo with my Mom, Kim, Stacey, Kyle, rylan and addilyn. This Giraffe was my absolute favorite...he was going to town on this ball. These pictures were all taken with my phone so sorry but I don't know if you can notice that gray, long, worm looking thing under his chin...that's his TONGUE!! It grosses me out and amazes me at the same time how long it is. I don't know what was on this ball, but ide love to try it:) :)


Kaylee and Kollin.


My kids are obsessed with Rylan. Its so cute but also very annoying for him! Khloe and Kooper loved taking care of him.


Grammy with the 6 grand kids that were with her that day.


Our sweet kiddos and I. (that's khloe hiding under him)




Kollin said he wanted a picture that made him look like he was touching the baby elephant.




Before we left Kevin was able to leave his convention long enough to come and ride the train with the kids at the zoo. Here's Addilyn, Kev and Kooper.


The kids and I went with Stacey to Tai Pan Trading. Only one of the coolest decorating stores in Salt Lake! They even had some baby chicks out for the kids to see.


One of the funnest things though was that we cashed in on some points we had and got to spend two nights in a very nice hotel for free!!! So the kids swam a lot!! I was the picture taker...I tried getting in but was nervous about hurting my foot anymore so I just sat with my legs in the hot tub and took pictures of everyone.

Kevin throwing koop.


Sweet Khloe hanging out in the Hot tub with me.


Kaylee.


All the kids with Kevin.


Kind of a weird picture of Kollin but a store I get SO excited to go to in Salt Lake is my long lost BFF - Target. I've missed it sooo much...and no Wal-mart doesn't even compare!! Here's the kids showing all of our excitement on the "big balls":)!


So my post is backwards but its the effort to have time putting one on the blog that counts...in the afternoons around 3 o'clock on the dot the wind starts blowing like crazy so we've done this a lot too...


And school is coming to an end (YAYYYY!!!!!). So the kids have been doing field trip after field trip. Khloe and I got to go with Koopers class to the Dinosaur Museum here in town.


"hang on Koop"!!






Khloe finished 5 weeks of itty bitty ball too. Its a great program that the rec center puts on for kids 3-5 here. Each week they learn about a different sport. This is my favorite striking a pose stretching picture of her...












At the end of the 5 weeks they have Dizzy the Dinosaur come and hand out their metals and t-shirts. Khloe's terrified of the Easter bunny, but she'll squeeze a dinosaur to death??!!


And while we're talking about her I mind as well show off a few cutie patutie pictures of her recently... We got home really really late one night and we woke her up to get out of the car, she walked into her room took off her pants (to put on a pull up) and we found her like this...

(I wonder if I should have blurred it out or something? it was just so cute)

Another time when we missed naps she laid down on the couch by herself and when I got up close to see if she was really asleep I noticed she had a buddy with her...

(soo precious!)

And she LOVES when Kaylee leaves for school because that means Khloe can have her way with Kay's makeup. After my shower I came out and saw her doing her nails...



What a sweetheart huh:)

The other big thing around here is that Kooper had his 5th birthday on April 1st. He chose a skateboard birthday. This year I'm NOT doing parties! I did one for each kid last year and I need the year off:) So we invited cousins over and that was that!




The cake was AWESOME!! One of my friends is soooo good at it and offered to do his for his birthday. She did absolutely amazing!!!


All the cousins playing outside.


Another special thing about Koop is that he finished wrestling in March and won 1st in his weight class!! He's our little champ!!


Lots of exciting things going on! Our kids are growing faster than I can keep up with and I love seeing all their accomplishments! Soccer is going great. Kollin, Kaylee, and Koop are all doing it and they each have scored multiple goals! Their each so amazing at all their individual levels and I'm one proud momma!!