it's a GREAT day

We can finally share the secret, Matthew got a promotion at his company!  It's absolutely incredible, and we could not be more happy!!!  It's been in the works for a few months now.  We tried not to get our hopes up, but it's been on the back of MY mind constantly.  The "what if's" and "how nice would it be if...." Many phone and personal interviews here and there, making appearances at large functions which essentially were interviews... it's been nerve-wrecking. 

  He is now the National Strategic Partnerships and Relations liason for his company to the outside companies they have business relationships with.  There are 2 people in his whole company nationwide that do this specific thing (the company employs 21,000 people), so I think it's pretty fancy.  Matthew doesn't have to GO to work anymore... like at the office here.  He can if he wants, probably would be more peaceful than here at home.  (gives me a little more help with school and preschool drop off in the mornings)  So he mainly flies  - at the drop of a hat - to wherever in the country that he feels he needs to go in that particular moment.  SO AWESOME. 

If I had to define this new job in one word, it's to schmooz.  Lots of golf and dining out and keeping others from partner companies happy.  He's in heaven, who wouldn't be!?!  I'm excited for him, WAY less stress, WAY better job, WAY more fun.  He will spend alot of time in Denver, that's where the job is centralized.  So we will be getting some sah-weet airline miles (as well as hotel rewards and car rental rewards)!  SIDENOTE: It came up during the interview process, that he will be picking up the tab at various functions.  The bill could be a few thousand dollars... no wonder there are only 2 people in the whole company who do this job.  It could get pretty expensive for the company pretty dang fast!  LOL... HOLY COW!

It's definitely a job unlike any he has ever had, and it's definitely a huge blessing for our family.  We are so grateful for it to come at this point in our lives.  Absolutely amazing and wonderful... and we are super excited!!!

Easter 2011

Our Sunday Easter Pictures

 Sometimes you need a silly one to get the wiggles out, and get a good picture later!

 All 4 cutie pies!

 It boggles my mind how old they look.  In my mind, Kylie is only as old as Kacey looks.  So it's weird when I look at Kacey and realize it's not Kylie.  It's Kacey, but Kacey can't be that old... that's how old I have Kylie in my mind... then you look at Kylie and it's like "who is that?!?!?!"  She's so old.  Did that make sense?  Basically, even though I see them everyday... in my mind, they are younger.  In pictures, they look so old :(

 *** SPRING BREAK ***

We tried to do fun things this Spring Break and enjoy our time.  We spent one day (pictures I will have to post later) that we went downtown to Circus Circus and played at AdventureDome.  Super fun day... exhausting really.

Then, the next day we made our annual strawberry freezer jam... which is absolutely divine!!!!

 Of course, who am I kidding.... all they wanted to do was ride bikes.  So we went to the middle school parking lot right up the street.  I brought a magazine and Diet Mtn Dew and they had a blast!  Kadyn was asleep by 6:15 that night.  It was awesome!!!

 The Saturday prior to Easter of course is spent coloring eggs... notice all the colors, we go all out!  Heavens NO, we can not have just one yellow... we must have 2.  LOL

 Silly girl, she is teething and drooling like crazy.  Everything is in her mouth, she's chomping on anything and everything.  And she's getting some teeth, so giving your hand to appease her for the moment hurts like heck!

Sunday Morning... the girls were really loved this Easter by extended family.  Lots of fun treats and cards and toys and stickers... spoiled rotten they are!  The Easter Bunny also created a 20 hint hunt for their baskets... it was awesome!

 The reason we have a locked gated pool fence around the pool.

 And the girls finding Easter eggs early Sunday morning. :)

Anybody else exhausted.  I am. :)

Catching Up

Can it really almost be May?

So we've moved, life is settling.  The move was amazing.  I had wonderful friends that I mentioned in a previous post who helped me move my girls' closets... without judging me on the amount of clothes we have! LOL  I appreciated it so much.  When we moved that Saturday morning, we had more than 20 guys there helping us.  Absolutely incredible.  I never realized how many good friends we have, how they were willing to help, sacrifice a few weekend hours they had with their family, to come help us with something that just wasn't fun.  Their help was appreciated beyond more than I can say. 

We have really great friends... girlfriends of mine, who I love dearly... not sure what they bribed their husbands with... but 2 men in particular stayed the day with Matthew and me... putting beds together, hanging large pictures, hanging LARGE shelves, making my girls' beds... measuring and hanging my stupid pottery barn organizational chart... they stayed 9 hours with us to make our house a home!!!  Words cannot express how much you appreciate someone when they help you do something that you don't even want to do yourself.... when they take on your load and burden, when they don't have too... but they do because they are your friends.  For that, I am grateful.  We are grateful.  Matthew was dreading hanging that stupid pottery barn thing and that big black shelf from Rodworks.  He came home from returning the Moving Truck, and they had done it.  As well as putting Kylie's new desk and hot pink swivel chair together.  No words to describe.  Just Grateful.

So we are in a new ward at church.  I'm slowly being known as the lady who dresses her girls all alike, people are starting to ask questions.  (been there done that, here we go again!)  What's nice is still seeing all our friends from the old ward in the halls at church.  Moving kept us in the same church but different time.  Prior to even leaving our old ward, I got a calling... as in while I was Primary Secretary still in our old ward, I was called as the YW 2nd counselor.  HAHA, it was all very funny.  Matthew was loving life as I don't camp; I know he can't wait to see this all play out.  3 words in the English language do not ring as true as the following,  "I Don't Camp."  YW = Camp July.  So I guess we have some figuring out to do, especially with  Matthew taking time off of work so I can be there a little bit.  But it's been really great.  The Young Women's program is huge here, I have about 15 beehives and 3 advisors who are all wonderful and I'm glad to be in this calling to get to know them.  There are roughly 50 Young Women and alot of leaders so I'm able to make friends quick (and babysitters).  They have welcomed me in and become my friends instantly.  Ironically, one of my advisors grew up in PA and knew the Boyds- she's between Brad and Bryan.  Small world, but nice to have a connection.  One of my dear, sweet beehives just so happens to be my bff's niece... gotta love that too!  :)

Upon receving my calling, Matthew figured he was home free.  He's been Elder's Quorum President forever.  In fact our Stake President, has given Matthew the title of longest standing EQ Pres in the stake.  And I know Matthew's enjoyed every minute of it.  He's the type of person that even if he's worked 12 hours that day, and he has a stake meeting that night, he wouldn't miss it for the world.  I can say that he gave that calling his all, even when it meant he'd come home to a cranky wife... but he's done it because he knew it would bring us blessings.  So anyway... here I have a calling and he's loving life without church responsibilities -other than to be the support character to me.  And as the roles reversed he actually he did a great job.  I started to have some meetings and things Sunday mornings, and we did responsibility reversal.  Him getting the girls dressed and fed Sunday mornings, preparing snacks and diapers for our 3 hours of church... he even did hair.  Which was impressive.  No doubt I fixed it when I came home, but the effort was dually noted and appreciated.  But no sooner was he loving a free life of duties, was he called as Membership Clerk.  But it's been nice to be welcomed into the ward with callings and new responsiblities to get to know people. 

We definitely hated leaving our friends, which mainly means leaving our ward.  The group of girlfriends I have are amazing.   But I'm really no further from their homes than I was before.  I'm only in a different direction, which I'm really glad about.  :)



I think...

I think we are settled in.  The boxes are few and far between.  Only a few leftover in the 3rd car garage.  And THIS place is really starting to feel like home.

My most favorite part of packing up was this one particular day, I rounded up some of my most awesomest friends... and I gave everyone a closet (in the old house).  So up and down the steps, we ran... loading up our cars.  And we convoyed to the new house to unload in the appropriate closet.  This was a huge help!  Thanks you fabulous ladies for your help! :)

 Happy as can be, in the midst of the boxes.

 Kadyn

 Kloey

 Kylie

 Kacey and Kloey

 And what's been going on this past month.  They dug this up...

 And now we have this!

(taken from the window over my kitchen sink, that bar is from the window)

To be perfectly honest, the house is amazing due to the pantry (which my mom organized) and the laundry room.  The pantry is a little slice of heaven!  Yes, there are 2 doors and 2 windows and 3 lights!  I love the house, it's great... really it is... but the pantry is what rocks my world!!! LOL

Addendum to K3 is a Big Girl Now

K4 is crawling, as in up on her knees and is fully mobile to any and everything on the ground.  If it were K1, yes there would be a picture.  But it's not the first child, so at least it's noted and documented in our family history!  Love you Kloey Belle!

K3 is a Big Girl Now!

Kadyn is potty-trained.  How exciting, how wonderful, how great!  She has been my easiest child to potty-train!  i just decided last week when her diaper wasn't on right, and her pee went all down her leg... and she didn't like it.... that we should start.  So on came the panties and she's done great!!!  Mind you, the first accident was in my pantry (GASP, if you've seen my pantry.... it's a little slice of heaven) and I thought I'd cleaned it all because she said it was by the door.  Well, I have 2 doors in my pantry. So 15 minutes later, barefeet and all I found the big puddle accident.  But who cares, she's potty-trained and I only have 1 in diapers!!!  Wahooooooo!  (although I do travel with a little potty in the back of my SUV, but whatever... life is good!)

Sunday Morning Pictures

And we are back up and RUNNING!

Sunday morning pictures before church...

Matthew took this one and said it was great, look at Kylie... what the heck is she doing? LOL

I found a bunch of random pictures on the camera.  Matthew just kept snapping; we had no idea he was taking half the pictures he took... sometimes those are the best ones!

I love this one, never a dull moment... Kadyn capitalizing on the lack of supervision.  Child is obsessed with that candle- I never light it.

 Love my sweet Kloey Belle!

For those of you who KNOW Kacey, she's such a treat!

 Kloey likes pulling hair, Kacey still in her funk.

 It's hard to get everyone happy... but we try and then life must go on :)

Kylie, the Politician....

A conversation with my daughter, the future politician... kind long but i loved every minute of it....


me: were you good in school today?

k1: yes, -insert smile here, a smile only a mother could read into!

me: hmm.  did you lose any stingray bucks today?  (her school's mascot are stingrays, the reward program in her class is by gaining and losing stingray bucks for good or bad behavior.)

k1: hmm, i'm not sure.

me: well, did you?

k1: i don't remember (while she's very busy doing other things around the house at this point trying to discontinue the conversation)

me: kylie! answer now! did you lose bucks today!!!

k1: i don't know.

me: i don't know is never an acceptable answer. from now on, anytime you answer one of my questions with i don't know, you will be grounded.

k1: but what if i really don't know?

me: answer the question because you do know!

k1: what type of grounded? no tv?

me: yes

k1: for how long?

me: 5 days

k1: make it three...

me: KYLIE, ANSWER THE QUESTION... DID YOU LOSE BUCKS TODAY AT SCHOOL?

k1: i may have.

me: for???

k1: not sure.

at this point, she saw the frustration on my face and freely plead the 5th and said,

k1: i think i may have been kinda chit chatty. just a little. i think.... i don't remember. but i think i did, but i don't really remember.

then i gave up and decided i really didn't care all that much anyway.  she makes straight A's... who cares!  back to packing!

We're going down for a bit...

Taking a break... lots going on around here.  Be back up and running as soon as we possibly can.

Sunday Morning Pictures

What is funny is that this is the picture I choose to put on here.

Everyone goes, "oh you have such a cute family, oh your girls are so sweet and precious," etc etc

I purposefully omit this one which is the one with Kadyn...

Yes... which leads to this picture and Matthew saying, "why is Kadyn holding her hand in there air."  Oh there's something gooey and gross on it.

And my favorite... we just weren't quite ready when this one took.



CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Morning... the anticipation, the "did he come, did he come?," the "did he eat the cookies?," all the excitement, all the thrill... and Matthew makes them sit on the step as he's downstairs getting the cameras ready and rolling.  So funny!  It takes the girls every ounce of self-control to hold themselves there until he gives the go ahead.  He likes to situate himself so he can see each girl's face as they run from the stairs to the tree.  Here are some highlights of the morning.

*******

KYLIE

 Yes, that is the Tangled Art Set... huge hit, as you can see!

 KACEY

 KADYN

-this child cracks me up with her facial expressions

 You see this vanity... she didn't move from it the moment she saw it.  She sat there the whole time.  She said she didn't want any presents, didn't like them... only liked her vanity.  She got up for 5 seconds because she saw a couple of dollar bills.  Ran to them, took them... and plopped back in her vanity.  Matthew laughed and said she's just like her mother :)

 She did like this little texter, although she still didn't get up for it.  I think Matthew actually had to unwrap it for her.

 Notice her legs crossed.  HAHA, she's such a little stink!

 She did end up moving for the Tangled doll.

 KLOEY

-this truly captures her: happy, content, loving life.

 Christmas morning, off to the buffet with Yaya and Papa!  Gotta say, love enjoying the day with no dishes to make or clean up!

 Afterwards, we went to Yaya and Papa's house for Christmas #2.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This next picture is funny.

 Kloey and my dad have the same shaped head.  There's a story.....

A few days after Kloey was born, I began getting nervous about her head shape.  Call me crazy, call me hormonal, I was on heavy meds... but then out of no where Matthew said to me, "do you think her head is shaped oddly?!"  Well if he notices it, then something is wrong FOR REAL!  Nothing was wrong, I remember crying and getting all upset.  My mom came over and she was like, "Nicole!  Chill out.  You need to calm down. (I'd been going through a patch where I was petrified about everything, probably because of all the stress and difficulties with Kloey's pregnancy and birth.)  My mom says, "She's got Daddy's head."  Lo and behold, look... they've got the same head.  Looking at it from the side, it's a smushed football.  (Dr said her head is fine.)  My dad says it has to be that way to contain all the brains.

\

AND, that was Christmas in a nutshell.

2011 is going to be a great year.  We're hoping for some fun changes with life, obviously with the girls growing and maturing and entering new phases of their life.  Matthew will begin his Masters Program, and he's got some possibilites of different things at his finger tips at work... he may dabble in and is kinda excited about the prospect of that.  We've got hopeful economic plans with paying our home off significantly earlier than the loan term- thus avoiding a whole lot of interest and saving some money in the long run.  As always, I've stocked our home with an incredible food and home storage, probably never needing to buy diapers, formula, and wipes ever again... as well as every tolietry you can imagine from toothpaste to hair spray.  Planning on building out our kitchen, tearing down a wall- eliminating the 6th bedroom (who needs SIX bedrooms anyways!!!) to make a monsterous, enormous kitchen.  Hopefully that wall isn't too important... I guess we'll see.  We're interviewing contractors and coming up with ideas.  Keeping an "eating healthy" plan.  I enjoy maintaining a size 4 after 4 kids... it's do-able.  It can be done, eating healthy is actually quite fun because I get to eat alot and introduce my girls to new foods.  I'm amazed when I see my 2 year old enjoying cucumber, and my 4 year old eating black beans.  I've found an amazing food store with such great food, no preservatives and yucky stuff put inside... but REAL ingredients... the family has no clue I've insituted the change... which is even better that they haven't noticed :)

My New Years Resolution is to SIMPLIFY.  I do alot, have a lot of things I'm involved in with the girls- and that can't change- I enjoy it too much.  But I feel like our lives can get filled with clutter (literally and metaphorically) and I'm going to get rid of that clutter (literally and metaphorically) and SIMPLIFY.  Less STUFF, more QUALITY, more things that really matter... in every aspect of our life.