April

Dane's #1 Birthday!!  We celebrated by spending some time with some friends and had beans and rice and chocolate chip cookies (Dane's favorite meal).  He enjoyed some nice gifts and cards from family and friends.  (Hoyts, Stahelis, Ingolds, Atkins, Mackays, Martins, Christiensens)

Blue and Yellow seem to be his favorite colors. I kid you not, he usually always picks something yellow out of a selection, and he says the color blue when we show him blue things.  So we did blue and yellow balloons.

Here's a copy of the invite poem....

It's called....APRIL 4th 2014

April 4th (although we're celebrating on the 3rd) is coming up!
This year has flown by, can he already be drinking milk from a sippy cup??

He's walking around- there's much to explore,
with this kid around our house is never a bore!

His surprise copper hair goes just right with his sweet disposition,
as little brother, patience he's learned, and if he wants to play- how to be in the right position:)

So yep, let's have lunch, April 4th, 2014 means Dane's going to be ONE,
Come celebrate with us- as we anticipate his next year to be just as much fun!!

He has loved his new basketball hoop and ball!  Friends/strangers often comment on him being a natural football player/fullback.... I don't know if I could handle that.  Plus, look how natural he is with the basketball!  So I'll cheer on the dunks:)

 After church & lunch Braelynn & Dane were able to get their Easter baskets.  Braelynn was really hoping for a chocolate bunny and luckily that Easter Bunny brought her one:) We had been reading an Olivia Easter book a few weeks before Easter and Olivia and her brother got chocolate bunnies but they melted.  She never stopped thinking and talking about how she hoped for one, but she'd be careful so it wouldn't melt:)

Then we went on a Sunday walk to the LaVista Park.  The Easter Bunny had left a note saying there would be eggs to find at the park.  So Jadd went ahead and checked to see where they were hidden, then Braelynn & Dane were able to find them.  They were filled with coins and fruit snacks.

 Three and a half year old business tycoon, Braelynn, was quite successful with her first business venture.  She has been wanted to earn some money for activities to do when we go to Utah.  So, she decided to do this lemonade stand.  We enjoyed doing this one hot day as neighbors and others stopped by.

 Enjoying some spring time sidewalk chalk coloring:)

Braelynn, the big sister.

Then... last but not least, we had to start doing some special activities with the Hoyt's before their move to Nampa, ID in May.  We are so excited for them and the opportunities they have earned.  They have been such a blessing in our lives and have been such good family friends.  Stephanie has been so nice to have as a close friend and neighbor.  She is always looking for ways to serve and include others.  We also have gone through our 2nd pregnancies and having two children life adjustments together!  Braelynn & Emery have been the best of friends:) Braelynn will miss being able to do all our activities with her.  Also Braelynn and Emery would deliver drawings, colored pictures, or stickers to each other, or just saying hi, to each other frequently throughout the day.

Planting flowers

Bouncing at Hippo Hop with Cam and Davis

The Big Obstacle Course at Hippo Hop!

Krispy Kreme Field Trip

More Splash Pad Fun

Splash Pad Fun

Making it Happen March

   This is titled "Making it Happen March," because I wanted to share how we "make it happen" moving across the country into a "foreign land" without knowing anyone here. This is especially for me, because I have never lived outside of Utah & Rexburg, Idaho.  Well, two things will summarize it all (even though they really go hand in hand).... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints & friends!!
   A few of our ward members/friends live here at the Marquis apartments and are going through the same thing we are.  So we all rely on each other, and it is so fun to get to know other families and support each other!  So anyway, here are a few things we do with some of our local friends.

-Stroller Running (Sad I don't have a pic of this yet.) Stephanie, Whitney, & I caravan our children in strollers around the neighborhood!  Best way to get out the door and go, and to distract the hardness of running, is enjoying the company of the others!

-Cleaning/Getting whatever we need done Swap-Stephanie and I have expressed many times to each other how hard it is to keep up with the house sometimes and how we could use just a couple hours to get a little ahead of things so we can function with the kids again!  So every now and then we call each other up and swap the kids for awhile and wow, life is refreshed!

-Girl's Nights- Us girls have needed a few Girl's Nights where we enjoy some fondue, do crafts, and just have fun talking!

-Family PotLuck Meals- About once a month we've gotten together for this.  We bring our own meat, then a side to share, socialize... it's good:)

-Monday Yoga Night- Wow, I've never really done yoga much before, but our dear friend Anna is amazing at it! We get together at her place Monday nights (& sometimes Thursday nights too) for an hour of Vinassa(prob spelt that wrong) Yoga!  It is just the right balance between strength & flexibility building, which I love, and my body has needed!  I am usually trying to keep up with back/core exercises ever since I hurt it my Junior year of High School, and this does the trick.  I haven't had a sore  back at all since I've started doing Yoga- so I will probably not ever stop doing it!

-Visiting Cicero-  Cicero is our neighbors, Leslie & Greg Macfarlane's cat. We get to visit him a couple times during the week & sometimes when they go out of town.  One of the kids favorite outings of the week:)

























-Date Night Co-op- . A few of us families were able to work out a babysitting co-op in which 2 couples would watch all the kids (3:-6:pm) and feed them dinner, while the other 2 got a date night!  It was splendid and fun for the kids and good for us to get dates in!  Jadd and I still like to pass the football and pepper on our dates most often:) (The pic below is when we were watching the kids- the boys playing.  The girls would not hold still for a pic- they are always off going to the North Pole, or Camping, or having Tea Parties)

Jadd's Serving on far side

-Men's Tennis-Jadd has enjoyed getting together to play tennis with one neighbor Greg Macfarlane, and also with this group of guys.  Team Pete (Pete Hoyt & Mr. Pete- one of our very nice neighbors) vs. Team "Ja" (Jason Staheli & Jadd).  The kids and I love watching them play!

Dane's Hero:)

Another favorite activity we do in our neighborhood is visiting the LaVista Park. We usually run there once a week and stop to play.  Also, we often walk there on Sundays as a family for a little bit.  Many who have visited have joined us at this park.)

Braelynn's Monkey Swing

Fearless Climber Dane

Last but not least, Atlanta has great Story Time programs.  There are sessions for different ages.  So we typically attend one for Dane on Monday mornings at Dunwoody & another for Braelynn on Tuesday mornings at Chamblee.  Dane and Braelynn love them.  During Dane's story time, Braelynn brings Maximas, her kitty, and does the songs with him.  During Braelynn's story time, Dane mostly runs around the back of the room sucking on his binkie.