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!!

Its springtime!

A few weeks ago Kooper started wrestling. We weren't sure how he would do because he's so dang little and scrawny. You're supposed to be 5 to be part of the Tiger league here but they let him start this year at 4. Last weekend we went to Salt Lake and found him a little, itty, bitty singlet. He looks awesome!! Here he is in the red.


He was so funny the whole time. He smiles and sometimes chuckles as he's pinning guys. His first meet he won all 3 matches. Pinned 2 guys and won by points with the last. This last week he won the first, lost the 2nd and won the 3rd. This is him on top of his opponent.


Kevin takes him to practice twice a week and has helped him learn different moves. This is him about to spin the other boy onto his back.


This is the best shot I could get of him in his singlet. Its his back, but he's so dang cute in it:)

Our little Koop Dog resting up before another match.


This past week was ABSOLUTELY crazy!! Each kid had about 2-3 activities which added up to me taxi driving to about 10-12 activities in 1 week. I'm hating these gas prices right now for sure!! On St. Patricks day our rec center had a fun party for kids. We enjoyed some hot dogs and homemade root beer.


Our family did a potato sac race together.


They also set up a mini putt-putt golf course in the gym. Khloe liked to hit the balls like a bat and send it flying across the gym so Kevin gave her a short safety course on how to hold the club.


Kaylee and Kooper.


In the lazy river the kids fished for ducks that would have a number on them for a specific prize. Last year they did this but they had to grab them with their hands...needless to say there were lots of kids that fell head first into the pool so I was happy to see nets this year.




The weather around here is getting absolutely lovely!! Our front yard is finally thawed and we can send the kids outside to play finally! Kevin especially loves this time of year because he gets to start fishing and golfing again. This past week he went fishing about 4 times and came home one day with this sucker...


Its a record for him...23 inches 3 1/2 lbs.
He cooked it a little different though and it took out a lot of the fishy taste and we loved it.

Ready to go on the grill.


Kevin also took us to the shooting range. He's started his collection of guns with his parents giving him a shot gun for Christmas and this past week he bought a 9mm. We went to the range with his boss Troy who also brought some LOUD guns. I mean their all loud but some of his gun shots went thru the ear plugs!

Here's Kollins shooting Kev's shot gun. We brought our BB gun for the kids but Kollin wanted to try this too. He shot it once and it kicked back and scared him, so it'll probably be a few years before he tries it again.




I was very uneasy the whole time with ALL our kids running around. We told them to stay between the trucks, but you know kids...their sneaky. So I spent most the time helping them shoot the BB gun and making sure they were out of Kev and Troy's way! I did take a turn shooting the shot gun and 9 mm though. I had a hard time aiming with the shot gun but our 9mm I was able to hit almost all the targets.


Kevin shooting a Clint Eastwood style gun. This one echoed for miles! And it kicked back so hard that the first time his hands almost hit himself in the face.




So these pictures are a little out of order but last weekend we went to Salt Lake City. Kevin's brother Kelly went thru the Temple in preparation for his mission that he leaves for in June. While we were there the kids went down to the Discovery Museum with my Mom. They love this place!
Kevin, Khloe and Kooper playing in the water.


They have a dress up area where the kids can put on costume and make up scenes to a play.
Princess Khloe.


On the top deck they have a real size helicopter for the kids to play in. The whole time Khloe played in the traffic control tower.


Kooper driving the 'copter.


The St. Patricks Day parade was going on at the Gateway while we were there. So we took a little break and watched some from the top deck.


We've go Kaylee and Koopers birthday coming up in a few weeks. Kollin, Kaylee and Kooper finished their indoor soccer (which I gotta get pictures up of). They all did amazing! They start their outdoor soccer in 2 weeks which is the funnest. Kooper has a wrestling tournament this Thursday, I've started a 3 on 3 basketball league at the rec center that we play Thursdays too and this Friday and Saturday I've got the Split Mountain Volleyball Tournament going on that I've been waiting MONTHS for!! Its 2 days of nothing but Volleyball. We play 3 games Friday night then 2 games Saturday morning before our tournament starts. Also Khloe has been doing itty bitty ball at the rec center. This is her last week so I'll get some pictures up of that. We have lots going on at the Ashcraft house so check back soon!!

Happy Spring!!

Holidays Part 2 and New Years!

We've had a fun but busy few weeks since Christmas trying to get back into schedules and activities and I realized today that I never posted the second half of our Holiday...

While we were down in Salt Lake a few weeks before Christmas Kollin and Kaylee went to my Moms work and went Caroling with her Residents. Kollin LOVED this! So much that he wanted to go caroling to all our friends and bring them some treats...sooo with MUCH love I agreed! (I love to sing...by myself! I cannot carry a tune and was nervous as heck to go sing in front of our friends.) We spent two nights caroling and visiting friends and I know I've said this in previous years posts but there are NO words for how much I love Vernal at Christmas time. Main street is decorated, our beloved town dinosaur is dressed up, there are lights on so many buildings and I just love going around the town just soaking it all in! One night we went to the city offices to see the lights with the COOLEST glasses ever! You look in them and all, I mean ALL the individual light bulbs become either Santa Claus's, snowmen or snowflakes...as if lights by themselves weren't beautiful enough!

We were hoping for more snow to fall before Christmas but it all came after...there still was enough to enjoy though. Kevin and Kooper having a snowball fight.


Me and some of the kids with our hip glasses!


Our sweeties...Kaylee and Khloe.


Since we moved here two years ago we've found our favorite spot to take a simple family shot each winter. This was this years...


This was last years...(as I was saying, the snow came earlier last year)


And if only Kevin were home I could get the one of our first year here in Vernal...but I cant get the dang computer to recognize our hard drive storage from our old computer...
Its sweet to see how much the kids have grown in only a year!

And now to the really good stuff...These are my favorite shots taken from Christmas Eve and Morning.
Our Christmas Jammies...


Grammy with the Grandkids at the house in their jammies...


We were so excited to have my Mom and Kyle and Stacey here for Christmas this year! I have never (since that night) heard of the TV show "Minute to win it". Well my Mom put together some of the most recent ones from the show. Man, we had a blast and the kids wanted to do them over and over and over again!

Here's Kollin and Kaylee trying to jump until all the Christmas ornaments come out of a little hole in a tissue box...


Kooper and Khloe tryin it...


Even us adults got into the action. This is my sister Stacey and I playing. (Love ya Stace...I posted this one mainly because it didn't show my crazy face, but I LOVED yours!!)


We also played one where we had to blow these ornaments til they stayed in the taped off square...A LOT harder than it looks!


One of the kids favorite Christmas Eve tradition is opening a present that they chose for each other.


Then we did the traditional "Nativity Story" and read a Up on the Housetop book the get the kids all excited for Santa Claus and got his plate ready.

All the kids placing cookies on a cooking sheet. (Yes these are pre-made cookies but they are the BEST pre-made cookies ever and their our favorite!)


"Rylan, is there something in your mouth?" He was so funny...loved the cookies and they weren't even cooked yet:)


We all went outside and spread some reindeer food (so the reindeer were sure to find our house)...


And got those kiddos to bed!! We got everything laid out...



got a few hours of sleep...

...just in time for the kids to wake us up READY to go see what Santa brought!


Kaylee asked Santa for her own Pink DS this year...I think by her expression Santa delivered!!


My Mom got all the kids snow toys which we needed soooo bad! They were ready to get out there!


And they each got their own snuggie...


Its amazing how quickly the house gets TRASHED on Christmas!


Holy Moly...bring on the trash bags!!


The kids big present was a new trampoline! Our friends that lived here before didn't want to move theirs and offered it to us...um YEA!!! The kids were wayyy excited...now we look at it under a huge pile of snow! But Christmas morning they were excited!! (I didn't want to walk out too deep into the snow so I only got their expressions in the shot...not the trampoline. But you know what they look like:)!)



Since moving here Kevin has picked up a new hobby that our boys are lovin...Hunting!! Kollin and Kooper got their very own BB Gun (that they'll only use when Daddy's around...nope, I'll shoot my eye out for sure!)


And they weren't the only ones getting a gun...


Paul and Cindy came out the day after Christmas and gave Kevin his very own Shotgun!


And I have to brag because It completely caught me off guard but Cindy and Kevin got me a KITCHEN AID!! I've wanted one for sooooo long but knew I'd never have the money. Oh man does this baby dish up some amazing cookies...well cookie dough:)


It was an incredible Christmas. I'm sad but in a way so glad its over. Because Kaylee, Kooper and Khloe got their very own DS or Leapster this is how the kids were A LOT until school started! At one point we had Kollin in the kitchen playing his, Kaylee on the stairs, Khloe on the couch and good ole' Kooper was on the toilet playing his...ALL AT THE SAME TIME!! So fun!!


For New Years we had some great friends come over. We had WAYYY too much food! But sooo good. Chocolate Fondue with pretzels, marshmallows, strawberries and bananas and Mozzarella Fondue with Cheese sticks and French bread and meatballs, and Queso Cheese fondue with quesadillas, chips and taquitos AND BBQ wieners, chips and dip, soda...I'm serious - I'm still workin all that off! We played some more games...






We had a relay that went from trying to get a cookie into your mouth without touching it...


...to scoot around the island on a towel...




...to putting together cereal box puzzles...


...to trying to pick up noodles with one spaghetti noodle!


Here's Kollin trying to do the cookie into the mouth thing...wayyy harder than it seems!


It was such a blast and was so great having friends to share it with!


I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and safe New Year!! But here in the Ashcraft house we've started yet another year...our schedule is already crazy with non-stop activities each day. The kids have soccer starting - this year Kollin, Kaylee and Kooper get to play and Khloe has Itty Bitty Ball starting in a couple weeks and Dance starting in February. Kollin has Piano each week, Kevin has Church Basketball and we're playing on a Co-Ed Volleyball team at the Rec Center which is THE MOST FUN EVER! I'm also playing on a 4 on 4 volleyball team and doing an all day Split Mountain Volleyball team in March...CRAZY FUN!!

But I think the thing we're most excited about is for Valentines Day this year Kevin and I are going on a CRUISE!!! We've never done one but have seriously been dreaming of one! Our friends here invited us to go with them on a Mexican Rivera Cruise for 7 days! YAYYYYY!!! We have some other friends who offered to move into our house for the week and watch our kids...so 28 days and counting!! And the weather here hasnt been warmer than about 10 degrees since Christmas so man on man we are dreaming of the BEACH!!!

Until next time...