Spring Break

Here are a few pics from our week.  Jake had to work so we didn't do anything too eventful, which was nice for a change.  Usually we try to drive out to visit family but I don't think I could have handled another 20 hour drive.  It's great to think that our next drive back home will include a moving truck, even though that does make for an even longer drive. 

The first of this week  the weather was awesome!  It was mid 70's to 80's,  so on Monday we went to the zoo with some friends from our ward.  

Later on in the week the weather got colder but I had promised the kids that I would take them to the city park. They had a lot of fun.

The next pictures are of Kennady and Brooke helping me make a cake.  This whole week Kennady has been trying to convince us that it is her birthday.  I had to keep telling her that it wasn't her birthday until June and she kept getting so mad.  I finally figured out that all she really wanted was a birthday cake.  So I told her that we would make her a cake....not a birthday cake. So now that she has had a piece of her cake she hasn't said another word about it.  Except for now she is convinced that we are going to go to the beach and make sand castles.  She keeps offering to help Jake drive to the ocean, because we told her that it was such a long drive. We will see how long this one goes on, because a trip to a beach is unfortunately not in our future plans. 

Here is a little clip of Kenna trying to pedal her tricycle yesterday. Her little legs are finally long enough to reach the pedals.   In the clip I probably sound a bit cheesy but it's only because I was trying my hardest to be patient and encouraging.   Helping kids learn how to pedal is almost as bad as potty-training in my world.  One second she had the hang of it and totally got the concept and the next minute she had no clue what to do.  AHHH!

Over all we had a pretty good week, although I must say that if anything spring break is always a good eye-opener for the upcoming summer months.  I think we need to invest in a trampoline or something.

 Jake and I topped off the week by talking in sacrament meeting today.  We have known for three weeks that we were going to talk today, which is good and bad.  It gave us plenty of time to prepare and to worry! I do not enjoy public speaking.  You would think with the number of times we have moved and given talks in various wards, that it would get easier but that is definitely not the case for me.  I was shaking like a leaf up there today.  Jake says he was nervous too but at least he doesn't show it.  He always does such a good job. 

Brooke's Birthday

Brooke turned six years old yesterday!  We let her open her presents in the morning and then later that afternoon we headed to Topeka to see the Arab Shrine Circus.  Brooke's favorite parts of the circus was the trapeze acrobats, eating cotton candy and getting to ride on the back of an elephant with her dad, Kenna and Tyler.  I volunteered to be the picture taker since I was the only one who had rode on an elephant before.  (When I was little, Hogle Zoo offered elephant rides.)   Despite the overpriced concession and toy stands, I must say it was a worth while trip.  The kids really liked it.  

Last Thursday Brooke made a much needed trip to the dentist.  She had a permanent tooth growing in behind her baby tooth.  The dentist ended up pulling both of her two bottom baby teeth.  Brooke was quite the trooper.  She showed no signs of being scared, she was actually really excited.  I'm sure a lot of that excitement was because she knew the tooth fairy would bring her some money that night, and that she could show her friends at school her new smile.  

Here we go again!

We are moving again but this time closer to family. Jake got a new job in Afton, Wyoming at Star Valley Medical Center. Afton is a small town close to the Idaho Wyoming border, about 45 minutes south of Jackson Hole. "Star Valley" is made up of a handful of small ranching, farming towns, one of which is Afton. We feel very blessed and excited to be able to get this job and move closer to our families. My family will be about one and one half hours away and Jake's parents will be about three and one half hours away. Much better than 19 hours and our kids whole heartedly agree. They could not believe that we are going to be so close, they let out screams of joy!

Jake will probably move to Afton the first week in May to start work and then the kids and I will move after school is out which is May 22nd. We are hopeful that our house will sell. I have heard that the market has not been affected too much here in Manhattan but I will believe it when I see it. All I know is that I am not excited about spending the next 3 months keeping every single crumb off of my floors while we try to sell. What a pain. Does anyone have any great ideas about how to keep your house spotless all day long? At least it is just Kennady and I at home during the day so we don't make too big of a mess, although I do find myself cleaning a lot anyways. Why is it that kids can't keep their toys in their rooms? I guess it's because Kennady is attached to my side so she figures her toys need to come along too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Job Hunt

We visited my family this last week for a few days.  We are job hunting around Idaho, Wyoming and Utah trying to find something not so far away from our families.  We are sick of missing out on family outings and get togethers.  It was a quick trip so we didn't have much time to spend with everyone but I did manage to get in some quality baby snuggling.  I keep trying to convince my sister, Val, that she should just give me one of her twins.  She doesn't need two, right? I am sure that somedays she would consider it, I just have to catch her at the right moment.  Brooke loved every second that she was able to hold them and did a great job! Kennady, on the other hand, had to get over her jealousy and then she decided that the babies were kind of fun to be around.  Tyler was just to busy roughing up his uncles!

Cute Pictures and Tis the Season....

Here are a few cute misc. pictures

TIS THE SEASON.....

To play in the snow:

We got a little bit of snow a few days before Christmas and the kids we're so excited. They couldn't wait to get their snow gear on and try to make due with the little bit of snow that we had. Our driveway and yard is slighty sloped, just enough for some sleds to coast down slowly. If you know my kids they are not extremely brave and so our little slope is perfect for them. A couple of days after Christmas our almost 60 degree weather melted away any snow that we had so we went from snow boots, coats and sleds to flip flops, short sleeve shirts and bicycles.

To get new pj's on Christmas Eve:

The kids were so excited on Christmas Eve. I thought for sure that they would still be awake when Santa stopped by but they all were sound asleep about 15 minutes after their heads hit their pillows. We even had to wake them up at 6:30 on Christmas morning! Jake and I couldn't believe it! When we were kids we remember it taking forever to fall asleep and tossing and turning all night long, then wanting to get up to open presents as early as 4 a.m. We will enjoy this while we can, I'm sure that there our upcoming sleepless Christmas Eve's.

To welcome a new niece and nephew:

Jake's sister's, Cherish and Sunny, both had their babies. Sunny had a baby girl, Hailey, on Dec. 27th and Cherish had a baby boy, Rylan, on Dec. 29th. My kids are excited to have more little cousins. Hopefully we will be able to see these sweet little additions to the Crosby family soon!

Rylan

Hailey

Trip to Idaho

Jake had a week off from work and being the good guy that he is watched our kids so I could fly out to Idaho to see my new neices, Sadie and Mya.  My sister, Valerie, had twin girls on November 17th (almost one month early).  They both weighed  4 lbs. 11 oz when they were born.  They had to stay in the hospital for 3 weeks due to complications that come along with premies but they are doing very well now.  

It was so fun to get to spend some quality time with my family.  I was able to get my Christmas shopping done, went to a movie with my mom and sisters, played with my nephew Max, and held the twins a lot.  I thought that helping my sister out with her twins would satisfy my baby craving but it only made it worse! They are so fun to cuddle with and that baby smell gets me every time!

Dance

Brooke had her dance recital tonight. It started at 6:00 p.m., but I thought it started at 5:30 so we had quite a long wait.  At least I got a good front row seat.  Brooke looked a little nervous at her practice this afternoon but did a great job at both the practice and the recital.   She is growing up way to fast.

Brooke after her recital

A little clip of Brooke's practice dance. She is in the middle. This practice one will have to do because it was too dark in the auditorium when they performed their actual recital for a good recording.

Kennady and her friend Clara doing some dancing of their own while we were waiting.