Eliza is 6!

HAPPY 6th BIRTHDAY ELIZA
(you will always be my baby girl)

It has been a privilege to watch Eliza grow up. I have loved everything about being her mother. Today when I was calling my friend Kristi, Eliza asked who I was calling I said, "One of my best friends." Eliza was immediately upset, "I thought I was your best friend?" She is my best friend and will be for the next few years. I'm not looking forward to those years when she wants nothing to do with me and I know nothing about how life is so hard. Hopefully we get through those years fast and back to BFF's. That's what she calls us in the book she made for me for my birthday. I think I am the luckiest Mom on earth to have Eliza in our family. Love you Eliza can't wait to watch you grow up even more over this next year. Just don't do it so fast this time. Love, Mom

Love you Eliza, I'm glad that I get to be your Dad you make me happy all the time. I'm so proud of everything you do especially because you dance and play baseball. Love you, Dad.

Eliza had her dance recitals this week. She was the cutest kitty cat up there. Also the best dancer, says her mother!!!

Class Play & Reading restaurant

Dallin's class and another first grade class joined forces and put on a play "The Three Bears", for the school and parents. They did four different shows. Now I don't want to brag but really I do! Everyone keeps coming up to me to tell me how good Dallin is. I've been asked if we practiced a lot but truthfully no. He had all of his lines memorized the first night he brought them home. He was coached a little by his teacher but he came up with a lot of it on his own. He was very animated a did a very good job. I was proud to say the least.

So Eliza's cute little class put together a restaurant for the parents to come to.They served us, sang to us and read for us. They read clues describing different foods then we got to guess the food. Then for our main course they read two different books to us. They did have dessert for us. Eliza tried to carry it like I do by stacking the plates up her arm. I wanted to go and help but I was also enjoying watching her squish the chocolate cake into her elbow. It was cute when Eliza came up to us at first to welcome us to the restaurant she could not stop laughing. It made me laugh which didn't help. All this end of the year stuff has been absolutely exhausting, but it has been so much fun to watch how they have grown up over this last year. I have the best kids.

Fathers and Sons/Mom and Eliza night

Dallin's only memory of the camp out is peeing on the fire. Apparently this was the best part of the night and following morning. He has also talked about how he and his buddy built the fire. In Dallin's words,"I can't wait to be a Dad so I can just sit around the fire all night and tell kids, go get more wood, go get more pine needles. Now I know why Dad likes to take me camping. I keep him warm."

So while the boys where gone the girls had a fun night. Eliza and I pitched a tent in the front room. We cooked dinner together, then we made these cute head bands. we were going to watch a movie but by the time we finished it was late and she had dance pictures the following morning.So we went to bed.

Busy Kids

So this morning I was so tired even though I went to bed around 10pm but I was up by 5:15 and making pancakes by 6. So this morning while Steve and I were taking the kids to school (We took them this morning because we have been helping the kids out for the past 2 months with there class play and today was the final performance, so we were going to watch and then we brought them donuts for all there hard work. Steve also lectured me while we were waiting that I try and do to much which I think might be true. I blame my mother. Who should blame hers.anyways way off track)So on they way to school I asked the kids to pray for me to make it through today and really up until Wednesday. They asked why and I then told them ever thing that was going on. So Dallin took it upon himself o give em really good advice. "Mom, when we go to school you just go home and sleep until we get back home so you can be ready for us." If only that is what I could do.

Also I just want to share with you what Eliza has told me what she really wants for her birthday. If any of you want to pitch in to help cover the cost feel free. She wants a, "Credit Card" I laughed when she told me and of course this upset her. She then wanted to know why she couldn't have one? If she could just get what she really wanted then she could always just buy anything she wanted and she thinks it is a great birthday present!!! I think we are in trouble.

Disneyland

Dallin in the main street parade. They picked both Dallin and Eliza but, Eliza is to shy. They also got picked to plat the drums for one of the songs but our battery died.

So about a month before we went to Disney we started having family home evening lessons on money and how to budget. The kids went to Disney with $50.oo each for toys. They earned about half of it and the other half was a gift from there grandma and grandpa codner. Plus we gave them $30.oo for food and treats for the 3 days we were there. It worked out really well and it helped the kids when they were picking out what they wanted to buy. Eliza would not buy anything over $10.oo. She would ask the price and if it was over $10.oo she would shrug her shoulders and say,"never mind." Dallin decided to buy one expensive thing and then some small things. He really just wanted to go to Target to buy some bakugons. I am happy to say they both came home with money. Above is some of the stuff they bought. They both got a light up necklace. Dallin bought a Pirates of the Caribbean necklace, and a light saber. Eliza bought a skeleton ring, a Minne mouse pin, and her face paint.

Below the padiwans are being made into Jedi's. Dallin is on the far left and Eliza is middle right. Eliza didn't feel like fighting Darth Vader.

Dallin fighting Darth Vader. I'm going to brag for just a minute. Dallin took the training very seriously. So when he got up to fight against Vader the instructor didn't even have to tell him the moves. Makes me realize what he is really capable at if he wants to be.

Eliza at Pixie Hollow. When we left she got her face painted.

Dallin, Eliza and Steve on Space Mountain.Don't worry I'm not scared of roller coasters in fact I love them. However, I don't know if the baby is a big fan. So for his sake I stayed off.

The kids at Toon Town. We bought our tickets through AAA so it came with a few extra perks. On Friday morning we got to go into Toon town 1 hour before it opened. They put on this whole show and then made the kids honorary members of the town .

The Streeter's

We stayed with my Aunt and Uncle for a couple of days. It was a lot of fun. My Uncle Greg is trying to talk Lucy into having another baby. And I hoping Luke's back has recovered from Dallin's body slams. They live by this huge ranch which we walked over to every night and fed the horses carrots. Dallin went the first two nights but then he kept breaking out in a rash a so we figure he was allergic to something outside.

BEACH

Out of the 7 days we were there we spent 3 of them at the beach. While i thought the water was way to cold the kids did not care. They were a bit hesitant to go in the water at first , however those fears went away with the first wave. We did it all. Walked up and down the beach looking for sea shells We now have a bucket full of them in our garage. Dallin got buried. We built a sand castle. Eliza tried to fill the moat by shoveling about 1/2 cup at a time and then carrying it up the castle and dumping it in.It didn't take her long to figure out that the sand was just absorbing the water. But it was cute to watch. It was fun to watch them just relax and have fun. I think I enjoyed the beach more than Disney. It was peaceful to sit back and watch them enjoy the freedom.