Nickles and Dimes

I don't know if your life runs a little like mine when it comes to CHORES around the house. It usually involves simple tasks like making your bed, picking up the Little Pet Shops, etc. Nothing major, just little things to help around the house. (and learn that dumping everything out on the floor isn't all that fun to pick up)

With that said, most times when I ask, they go in their rooms to pick up. An hour later I check in and their room looks the EXACT same, maybe a tad bit worse! You know how it goes, they start to pick stuff up, then end up just playing. So usually when they're both tucked in bed and sound asleep, the 'Magic Fairy' (aka muah) sneaks in and picks it all up!

Well, that is until a little 'moolah' was introduced as an incentive! I told Paityn that I would give her 2 quarters if she cleaned her room. She then twisted my arm and asked if she could have 3 dimes instead. (I'm sure Kindgergarten will teach her the value of money) I gave in and she went to work. After she had cleaned her room spotless, she asked if she could have 2 more dimes if she cleaned Presley's room. Sure! So after she was done, I paid up and she was so proud of her work!!

Today she asked if she could clean the (extremely messy) playroom for 5 dimes! I really didn't think much of it because Presley and Paityn were playing downstairs together. She came up a few times and told me not to come down until she came and got me. So sure enough, an hour later I finally got to check it out and it was

S.P.O.T.L.E.S.S.!

LIKE EVERYTHING IN IT'S PLACE KIND OF SPOTLESS! I about died! Devin and I were laughing we couldn't believe it! So here's a little proof of the room!

Presley even joined in the fun walking around with windex and a rag, spraying everything in site! Door, windows, floors, cardboard box...

i LOVE these GIRLS!!

Another has come and gone

Art City Days has come and gone SO fast!

Every year it comes faster and ends quicker. Time just picks up every year!

The kids seem to enjoy the carnival more each year and we spend a lot of time (+ $$)!

Some things never change though. The scones are still just as hot and delicious as they always are and Devin spends A LOT of time over at the Kiwanis Booth. This is his last year being President and I'm proud of him for all the time he has spent serving in the community! It's been good for the girls and I and we've enjoyed being apart of it!! With that said, he will still spend A LOT of time in the scone booth for years to come helping out. Which means, we will spend a lot of time hanging out over at the carnival and snacking on all the carnival food!

Here's the little factory

Paityn even threw on some gloves and helped

I love the colors of a carnival

Paityn's favorite ride: The Ferris Wheel

We spotted our friends Steve, Kanyon & Scarlett from up on the Ferris Wheel

I'm dreaming of

I've had this picture on file now for months!

I love so many things about it!

I'm half way through turning Presley's room to look like this!

Isn't it cute though??

Just simple and sweet, just how I like it!

Official Preschool Grad

Paityn has officially graduated from Preschool!

Kindergarten is soon approaching and I can hardly believe she'll be entering Public School for good! That means PTA, Class Mom, Bus Rides, Shots, SEP Conferences, Homework...

READY or Not, here it comes!!

Here she is with Pres and her cousin Lottie

Aunt Erin was able to come too

Paityn with Mrs. Holman, the best teacher!

Paityn and her little friend Kylee she spent a lot of time with this year

We're proud of you Paity!!

You're such a good girl who loves to learn and you're always surprising us with the things you know!

Blue, Blue Skies

We escaped a few weeks ago to Lake Mead with my family and friends!

Devin had to stay home because of work and so I packed up the girls and we headed south for the sun!

My family has been going to Lake Mead since I was a little girl.

In fact, I learned how to water-ski behind a wave runner.

We've gone with the same family friend's every year and now it's a complete 360 now that I have my own kids and we're still playing in the same Lake Mead water!

I started out playing in the sand/water, to the teenage years: laying out and reading People magazine, to now back in the sand/water playing with the kids! My kids had an absolute blast and hardly took a break from building sand castles.

Here's Presley, Abby & I on the tube

Miss Paityn on the boat

Kali (our friend's little girl), Paityn & Presley

(Presley calls Kali her "favowit fiend" now)

And you know my little model, striking a pose!

As always we had a blast! We always have the best food (amazingly enough on a beach; I'm always asking for recipes after the trip) and the best company!!

The start to a great summer!

Brother Bird

Here's our exciting news:

(a picture is worth a thousand words)

This is his early morning class

In case your wondering what in the world?

Devin is teaching seminary!!

. . . It's kind of a LONG STORY . . .

(here's the short version)

Devin has always talked about being a seminary teacher, even before we got married. He always thought at some point in life, he'd like to teach, but just wasn't sure when. So when life gave us a breath, he decided he'd just take the first class and see how it went. Now, it's hard to become a seminary teacher. Anyone can sign up for the first class, but from that point, they start making cuts until they end up hiring just a few people. So we thought it would take some time before we even knew if he would make all the cuts, but if it didn't work out, we figured it wasn't meant to be and could cross that off the bucketlist.

Well, Devin got done with the first class (Jan-April) and hadn't even taken the final yet and they said they wanted to have him teach a few classes over at Maple Mountain High School (right up the road from us) ON MONDAY!! So right now he teaches A Day: 7:55-9:20, B Day: 6:20-7:40, 7:55-9:20. It's perfect because he gets up early, teaches, then has the rest of the day to work. (FYI: I am skipping soo many details and the whole spiritual experience part of it all..) But bottom line: I think I might be married to a seminary teacher!! Somewhere in me, I always knew he'd be one, it was just a matter of timing!

I am so proud of him!!

We feel so blessed!

Our Dog Poppy

This is our dog Poppy.

She's the best dog we've ever had. (and our first)

She lives in Centerville with Aunt Erin.

But when we are up there, we are responsible to walk, pet, and take care of her.

Isn't she cute??

The girls are crazy about her . . .

Almost as crazy as they are about this Cutie!

Isn't my niece Lottie May the cutest thing you've ever seen?!

Now here's the real story about our dog:

My sister saw this dog being caught by the dog catcher in her yard. Being the dog lover she is, she had Dane go to the dog pound to put her name down if no one claimed the dog. (Her husband knew if she went, she'd adopt the whole pound) So, when no one claimed the dog, they adopted her! Now her cute dog Knox (my kids call him the Horse) has a buddy!

So . . . until we get a fence, we can convince our dad, and I'm done changing diapers, the girls are content with claiming Poppy as our dog. (Literally they think she's ours and that it's normal to have a dog that doesn't live at your house) Paityn even took a picture of her to Preschool for pet day!

Although, that's exciting news, it's not the news I was talking about. I just need a picture to put along with it!