Summer Already

Today we mourned the last day of Caleb's preschool.
He was so cute with all his friends.
Cupcake celebration. Caleb enjoyed his usually syringed snack.
This was Caleb's teacher, Mary, and the two kids behind him, Tony and Talise were in his classroom. I'm so appreciative of all the teachers and aides and therapists and school bus drivers that took care of him while he was at preschool. I know he did not make their day any easier with his g-tube, but they took it all in stride and fell in love with him. Only two more months and his new year starts, thank goodness!
Talin and Collin had crazy hair day today. Literally five minutes before they had to walk out the door we busted out the razor and did some designs.

We've nicknamed Talin Joe Dirt, we just need to work on growing out that mullet this summer.
Just kidding. I told them they could keep the craziness until the weekend, then we're cutting!
And I married Peter Pan. Not that I'm complaining. I'd rather a jolly, young at heart companion than an old man attitude.
This is everyday for Tom, jumping, otter pops and squirt guns and sometimes a little DS time.

9 Years

April 22nd, Talin turned 9 years old. We headed to the valley for Easter weekend with family and decided to invite everyone to the park to help us consume his massive chess cake.

Are all 9 year olds this silly all the time? Mine is. I still love him, but he makes us all crazy.

Talin, Ryder, Wyatt & Noah.

We had lots of cousins come and play and eat cake.

Wesley, Talin, Ryder & Wyatt.

It's crazy to think he's 9!
Time is really flying by, it seems like just yesterday he was my only baby.

Wyatt, Reagan, Collin & Davyn.

Wesley's awesome wrapping job. Who needs a ribbon when you've got painters tape?

Caleb & Savannah.

This picture is significant because Savvy usually does not like Caleb and finds him to be quite annoying, which I totally understand. But I think they bonded.

They put the soccer ball to good use at the park. Especially with the army of children around.

Squirt gun from Grandma and Grandpa Chambers. They had lots of fun with this.

Our family is so blessed to have Talin in our family. Despite his silliness, he's always trying to do the right thing and he brings a beautiful spirit into our home. I love you Talin and am proud of the older brother you are and the example you are to our family. You are so smart and I often call you the "absent-minded professor" because you're so busy dreaming and coming up with brilliant ideas all the time that you don't have the time for life's little details. You make you're mother crazy, but I look forward to watching all your creations and ideas come to life over the years. I love you like crazy!

Easter Sunday

From Left to Right: Standing-Wesley, Noah, Caleb, Talin, Savannah, & Wyatt. Sitting-Reagan, Ryder, Collin & London
Our crazy Easter gang. Mine, Tyler's and Mandi's kids.
It was great food and company.

Just in Time for Easter

The night before we left Cedar City, Shane told Tom and I that he had a little piece of Utah for us to take home. 4 Baby Chicks.

My boys were beyond thrilled.

It took me awhile to find my manners and say, thank you?

So they chirped and chirped the whole 10 hour drive home.

Thank you.

But we've grown to love them and even bought two more expecting some to not make it through their chick phase. But they're all super healthy and chirpy and fast.

You should see Caleb catch them, it's hilarious.

Tom did an awesome job building the chicken coop. It turned out great. I painted. We make a perfect team, he builds, I paint.

Although I ran out of white paint, I need it for the roof.

He even built openings to reach in and grab the eggs everyday.

They love their new home. Probably just happy to get out of the box they were living in. They grow so quickly.

Talin keeps telling everyone that we're going to have "farm fresh" eggs by July.

And Tom's cute butt. He's actually throwing the chicks down the ramp.

Cedar City

I am seriously the worst picture taker ever when I go up to Utah for an Adair family visit. I have no cousin pictures, no Pirate Pizza pics, no swimming pics, no quad riding pics, no play night pics, you get the picture, or not. I did get my camera out and snapped this shot when we visited the St. George Temple. The kids loved going through the visitor's center and watching the movies.

And I managed to take plenty of snake pictures. This is Andee's boa, Rango (I think that's his name, he had like five different names).

Caleb was enthralled.

Talin and Collin begged to hold him everyday.

Tom and Caleb at the property with the donkeys. It was cold. So I literally took this picture and went back to the house.

JoDee and I always have something we make while I'm there, and this time it was a Cub Scout cake for her wards Cub Scout Cake Auction.

We thought it was going to taste divine, so we made Shane buy it.

It really wasn't divine, but worth the contribution for the scouts.

Overall we had a great week playing and hanging out, drinking Pepsi, playing monopoly and letting the kids run wild.

And I'll have to post about Uncle Shane's departing gift to the boys.

Super exciting.

"A little piece of Utah", as he put it.

Belated Birthday Post

Caleb turned 3 on March 17th. We went to the park to have cake and play, but it was too windy for the candles to stay lit. He was a little disappointed.

So we went home.

And I'm pretty sure this kid got his wish. No issues in blowing those candles out.

New birthday bike.

He's already mastered the pedalling and the steering.

Presents from Talin & Collin.

I'm always saying how blessed we are to have Caleb, but we really feel that way everyday.

He is exceptionally special and is going to do great things.

Everyday is a trial and he pushes buttons and boundaries all the time.

He's quick as lighting, physically and mentally, which makes him difficult to keep up with.

Who would have thought this was who he was going to be three years ago?

He constantly surprises and impresses us with the hurdles he is overcoming. Nothing will hold this boy back from what he wants to do and accomplish.

So despite the constant stress of lost/broken hearing aides, mixing food on a daily basis, eternally cleaning feeding tubes, and the occasionally vomiting (still!), Caleb is worth every minute of stress, tears, and exhaustion.

I wouldn't trade him.

By the way...

It's a GIRL!

Busy Saturdays

The first Saturday in March the extended Jones' family got together to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa's birthday. Grandma was turning 86, and Grandpa was turning 96.
Of course Amy made the super fabulous cake/cupcakes that tasted as amazing as they looked.

It was just Caleb and I for the party that day. Tom stayed behind with Talin and Collin so they could play in a chess tournament.

Everything on these beauties were edible, the pearls and the pictures. So cool.

It was great to drive up to Mesa for this and see my Grandparents and all my family, close and extended.
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The following Saturday we packed the entire family in the car and went to the Renaissance Festival.

Talin, Caleb, Savannah, London, Collin & Reagan.
We met Mandi and her girls there, prepared for a day of food, sun, heat, more sun and lots of fun.

Collin & Reagan.

Reagan, Collin & Caleb.

I have mixed feelings about this fair. I love/hate it. You have to go prepared to spend a lot of money, get really dirty, have some frightening Renaissance images ingrained in your brain and even more frightening outfits. All I can say is that at least my children are low to the ground while walking around. The dirt is much more desirable than the outfits and images.

But of course they loved it and had a great time. Talin in the swing with dirt all over his face from the Wild Men/Mud Show.

Even Mandi took a break with the kids in the swing chair.

Collin swinging around.

You can tell it's the end of the day because the kids all look hot and trashed.
The day went by super fast.

$30 on lemonade, I think I drank a whole stand myself.

Losing Collin for awhile. Worst part is that it took us a while to realize we had lost him, I felt real bad about that. I spent the rest of the day counting our small army of children.

1,2,3,4,5,6. All there.

Okay.

1,2,3,4,5,6.

Again.

1,2,3,4,5,6.

That's how the rest of the day went in my head.