Easter, Easter, Easter!

First, we colored eggs on Saturday night. Madden kept grabbing the eggs and throwing them so I guess we will just have to see if he can handle coloring them next year. In a couple of the below pics Madden has a sticker on his nose, I didn't get a great pic but it was cute cause he went cross eyed to look at it and he couldn't figure out how to grab it he just kept rubbing his face.

Sunday morning the kids woke up to find Easter baskets. Madden tried eating all his candy first thing, wait so did all the other kids :) The Easter bunny didn't do grass this year he did this confetti stuff that looked fun (and it was cheaper ;) It was all over the place. Not such a good idea, we are still vacuuming it up.

Then in between conferences we had an indoor (again) egg hunt. Madden just kept dragging his basket around and breaking all the eggs.

I liked Easter being on conference weekend this year. We didn't have to get all pretty, we were just lazy around the house as a fam. Eighmey didn't even get an Easter dress cause I just didn't care, ha! We had a yummy dinner, played games and took naps.

The talks from conference were awesome. All the talks about raising our little ones makes me excited and greatful to be a mom, yet scared for my children. I pray Mike ad I can be better parents and continue to teach our kids the gospel.

We went to the Easter Pageant this year. We thought it would be good for the kids so they can SEE the story of Easter rather then us explain it every year like we do and it still doesn't all quiet stick :) We had pretty good seats so in the end I took a couple quick pics.

Eighmey was the only kid who got a pic with an actor cause the boys all left for the bathroom and took forever getting back.

We had a fun time. We got there a couple hours early so we made subs and ate them there. Everyone else was bringing little ceasers pizzas while I was making this huge sub on my lap, I say pizza next year :)

Pinewood Derby time

The boys had the derby this past week. Once again we started WAY too late on their cars so they are kinda plain but they still liked them and had fun. Here is a bunch of pics of the boys racing their cars.

Brian and Trey had to race each other only once. Their cars weighed almost the same amount but were cut different. Brian won the race between them.

This is Brian and Trey picking up their cars after their race. Brian took 1st between them. Overall Brian took 6th (I think) and Trey took like 9th. Brian got runner up for show so if one of the other 3 boys don't get to go to district then he will, he is excited :)The whole group got root beers for participating.

We had one more fun day before heading back to school from Spring Break. We headed to good ol' Showlow to go bowling. We haven't bowled in so long we thought it would be fun now that our kids are getting bigger and can hold the ball themselves.

Brian and Trey kept swinging the ball sideways and lobbing the ball for some reason. Jaimin got a spare or an 8 every time. Eighmey started off getting strikes but ended not so well :) It was so cute cause her ball went soooo slow but it stayed in the middle so it ended up knocking all the pins down. Mike and I had fun trying to kick each others butts but in the end Mike won only by 10 points, Jaimin followed, then me under Jaimin by 10 points, then Trey, Eighmey and Brian. It was a fun game for sure.

After bowling we ate some yummy mexican food and while we were there we decided to hit a movie as well. We watched Alice in Wonderland. I fell asleep so I don't know if it was a good movie or not but they liked it :)

Swimming

We went swimming on our first day of Spring Break. I only got pictures of Madden cause he was just so cute in the water. Madden has always loved water so much.

He loves splashing in the water

Mike got a kick out of him splashing all over he place

Just chillin'

Buff Madden

Madden likes to watch his dad work out and lift weights
He kept trying to lift the heavier weights and would get so mad that he couldn't lift them so we gave him some of his own

They are 2.5 lb weights. He wouldn't stand still for a pic but it is so cute cause he will lift them high and make a grunting noise like his daddy.

This is how he starts his lifting stance. Then his arms extend up real high as he strains. He actually is pretty buff for a little guy. He is gonna give Jaimin a run for his money I am betting.

10 years baby!

Well, today is our BIG 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY. I am embarrassed to show this picture cause we look so young and I not so good :) But the truth is, we were what we were, and we are what we are so I'll show it anyway.

February 26th, 2000

I hardly remember much from that day, it was all a big blur.
It was a happy blur, but a blur. I remember my friends Rikki and Shana doing my hair and makeup at my house; being at the church; and looking at all the people that were there. I don't remember who all was there though, I read over the sign in book every now and again when I come across it and I didn't even have a clue half of them came. It is just crazy how full your head is when going through such a special time in your life that you can't even absorb anything else.

Michael and I always reminisce about the little yellow banana trailer we went home to that night. We thought it was awesome to have our own place. It is just so funny to look back cause the carpet smelled like pee, the roofed leaked, it was dirty as heck, and very spider infested. I remember hanging my clothes out to dry one late afternoon but they weren't quite dry before bed so I left them for the morning, in the morning I got up and got the clothes down, as I was folding them I saw spider eggs in my undies. Talk about never hanging laundry outside at this house again. We moved out of this house 5 months later when the roof started leaking so bad we just weren't gonna do it anymore.

We had the best memories at this house too. We played battle on Nintendo every night it seemed. We watched movies in each others arms and had romantic candle lite dinners all the time. ( you can do those things every night when you don't have kids) I loved those times with that man.

Now I have other reasons to love "these" times with "this" man.

He still loves watching movies but now we involve our 5 beautiful children whom adore this man. We still battle on Nintendo (yes the same system even) but now our kids kick our butts at it. We still light candles at dinner time but mostly to get rid of the yummy kid/ diaper smell that likes to linger in our home (comes with the territory I guess), and sometimes we light them for one of the 7 birthdays we get to celebrate every year.

I guess what it all boils down to is, I fell in love with this man when he was a hot, fully haired, awesome kid. Since then he is still smokin' hot but has gone bald, and grown up from a kid to a man, to a father. We have grown up together, learning as we go, wondering some days how we are ever going to raise these spirits God has blessed us with to their fullest potential. But, we have done it together. We never make decisions without one another. We are in it together, forever! My thoughts may be all over the place, for this I am sorry. I just want Michael and my prosperity to know how much I love and appreciate Michael Dean Yarn. I want them to know what a perfect father he is. He is always there for them and if he can help it he never misses anything of theirs. I seriously could never do it without him, I am not the single mom type of woman. Call me needy but YES, I need him, I need my husband. I am grateful for how strong of a man he is. I am grateful for how hard he works for and worries about his family. This past couple years have been tough with having our own business and all but Mike never gives up, he keeps on going. I love that. I love his attitude about it, he says "as long as we are together as a family we will be fine". It has helped me realize alot. I have been humbled through his words.

So here is to the next 10 years, hope they bring us as much fun and happiness as the past 10 did. I'm sure they will :)

Happy Anniversary Dean, I love you from here to eternity!

Madden's bday party

Well I finally squeezed a cake in before Mike had to go to the valley to work again. Between that schedule and us moving, this past 2 weeks has been a little crazy. Here is Madden's BALL cake. He loves balls so that's all I could think to make. It didn't turn out like I had hoped but it wasn't like I cared at that point. I had been trying to do this cake forever it felt like so something was better then nothing.

Madden got 3 shots earlier that day so he didn't really care either. And, NO, he didn't blow out his own candles. I had 2 extra weeks to work with him and I never made it that far. Well. I lied, I got him to blow out of a straw but as for just putting your lips together and blowing it wasn't happening.

I guess I taught my kid to be a clean freak while eating cause he didn't want to grab it with his hands :) He just kept bending over and biting it.

And I gave him a spoon with his ice cream, he liked that.

He got a blue bouncy ball cause he loves balls so much. I don't know if he didn't want to unwrap it at first or if he thought it was a colorful ball or something. He just played with it with the wrapping on for a little.

I finally took the paper off so he could see what was inside, no surprise really.

Thoughts

Today as I sit here somewhat alone, I think back to a family that has been on my mind this past week. I don't know this family, never spoke to nor have I seen them. They are a family I feel grateful to have "known" through the blogging world. ( stakerzxposed.blogspot.com )Read the story: This mom made one simple mistake, a mistake all of us moms make, we worry too much on the small things. We let time slip away from our hands, we let our busy schedules consume us. The difference between this mom and most of us is the consequences we get in return, we may find our kids just into the cupboards making messes with you name it, food, dishes, toilet paper, and yes even cleaning supplies (I am guilty of all), but we rarely walk into the bathroom and find our child has drowned. I do not point this out for blame, I point this out because of shame, shame I have in my heart to think I have made this same mistake and have been blessed thus far to ONLY walk into the small messes that you can simply clean up and move on with your day. Never do you think your life could change that quick, that you, like this mom, would have to leave your home in a matter of minutes to sit and sleep for days in a hospital waiting and praying for the news you hope for.
I was on edge as I returned to this families blog everyday to see how their little 16 month old boy was doing (4 months older than my baby). The first few days look grim, I cried as I sat on the other side of the computer saying a small prayer in my heart that this babies sweet spirit would return to his family. As a few more days passed and I checked on them I learned his condition was better but they still needed a miracle. Finally Thursday they announced they are going home, their baby boy made it, he was whole. My heart just burned. I don't even know this family, why did I care so much? That brings me to today, my heart is full.

I am grateful for my Heavenly Father, I am grateful for His plan, the blessing of knowing He is real and He loves me, that He answers prayers, even when your not so diligent He still cares and would never turn His back. I am grateful for my family, for my rock of a husband, for our 5 beautiful healthy children. I am grateful for those few close calls our family has had that ended safely, even though we might not have thought much of it at the time I know Heavenly Father was there to catch our fall. I pray I have more patience with my kids and cherish more moments with them. I am not a perfect mother, but through our Savior I know I can improve daily.

I am grateful families can be together forever, no matter what path this earth life way lead us, we still have family and they are ETERNAL!

Now go hug your babies, I know I will :)

My eternal family

Another trial cake

I made a bday cake for Eighmey's boyfriend, I mean my friends son :) (She says she is going to marry him when they are older) He was so excited to pick what kind of cake he wanted so I was sure to bring his dreams to life.(don't know if I would go that far)I really enjoy making cakes, especially with fondant but I still haven't got the swing of it. I think I do okay with just quickly bday cakes but for any other occasion I think I would be scared out of my mind.

So here are the pics of it. I am going to find a class to sign up for to teach me some better skills so hopefully that will help.
All in all I still think it was pretty good and my friend and her boy especially loved it so that's good. I am going to try to squeeze Maddens cake in this weekend. Wish me luck cause when I say squeeze I mean SQUEEZE!