One nice weekend

A few weekends ago we were able to go up to Draper and spend the day with Stacy, Jaden and Kysa. It was actually a pretty nice weekend for the weather so it was great to be outside. We first went to the park and I took some family pictures of Stacy's family and then we had a picnic. After a fabulous lunch, we took the girls to play on the swings and the slides. They both loved the swings but the slides were really weird so they didn't enjoy those as much. After playing we went to Temple Square and walked around. We were going to go to the new church library but discovered it had closed at 2 and we got their around 3:30 so we just enjoyed walking around. It was really windy but it was still nice to be outside. Afterward we went back to Stacy's house and had a superb dinner together that we made together. It was such a fun day and so nice to enjoy the spring weather that only lasted a couple of days. Unfortunately we are now experiencing SNOW! Yuck!

Here are just a few of the cute pictures that I took of Stacy's little family:

At the park:

Stacy enjoying the swings too!

Jaron getting stuck on the very narrow slide, apparently it's not made for people with hip bones

The Rime Family

The Shaw Family

Alexis has been a little stinker when it comes to pictures lately so we haven't been very successful at getting any great ones. However I still wanted to post a few that we have!

She loves to pretend she is talking on my old cell phone

I have no idea why she looked like this after eating a strawberry but at least she enjoyed it

Watching Television and would not look at the camera

Refusing to look at the camera again, but at least her hair is cute

Ready for church

A New Hairdo

Stacy and I have been trying to experiment with Lexi's and Kysa's hair and luckily she found these great blogs that have tons of ideas. Many of them are very elaborate, time consuming, and require much more hair than our girls have. However with some creativity I think I captured one pretty well. I was pleased with it anyway. Let me know what you think!

Without a bow

With bow

Side view

A new bedroom and Easter

Two weeks ago, my mom came up for her Spring Break to hang out with Stacy's family and mine. She also came to help paint Lexi's new room and get it ready for her to move in. Saturday, the day my mom flew in, Stacy and her came down and painted the room with Jaron. I supervised of course but mainly just did my own thing since I'm not supposed to be around all the paint fumes. My mom came back down Monday from Draper to help finish it all. It turned out really cute even though we don't have a lot of decor up on the walls, but that will just have to come later. Thanks mom and Stace for all of your help!

The Friday before Easter we also did a little egg hunt for Lexi and Kysa. Unfortunately the weather was freezing cold and snowing so we did it indoors. Luckily Jaden's dad is a bishop and let us use the church to do the hunt. We just used the Relief Society room and the girls had such a blast. It was Lexi's first egg hunt and she loved gathering all of the eggs. The candy was just a bonus! Kysa just crawled around and gathered them but I think she liked it too. We all had such a good time with my mom visiting but we just wished she lived here so she wouldn't have to leave!

Alexis is growing up so fast. She says new and interesting phrases daily and Jaron and I both wonder where she comes up with it. She still loves to dance and sing songs and is slowly but surely learning more of her numbers and colors. Her favorite thing to do is to go outside and play on the slides so hopefully the weather will continue to get warm. She is finally staying in nursery by herself and Jaron and I were able to attend all of our meetings at church yesterday. Lexi makes me laugh daily and is especially very silly when Jaron gets home from work! Potty training is still a never ending battle but at least we haven't had any problems with her sleeping in her new bed. She usually asks to take a nap and will lay down without any problems. She loves her new bed even though she won't sleep under the covers or on a pillow. She just has her blanket and her froggie close by and goes right to sleep. I guess in that area we are very lucky, but the potty training is going to kill me!

Ready for church

Her new big girl bed

Her new room

Lexi and Grandma

Finding eggs

Kysa dumping out her eggs

Cute little Shaw family

Lexi being very stubborn and not wanting to take a picture

Going to church in her new dress

Ready to play outside

The big #2 birthday

Alexis turned 2 years old last Tuesday and unfortunately her and I were both sick! I had already been sick for a little over a week with a bad cold when she got it. Last year we were also sick during her birthday week with a bad cold. It is definitely an unwanted tradition that I hope doesn't continue! On the day of Lexi's birthday we made a quick cake together since I was making her a big cake on Saturday. We decorated it with M&Ms and she loved it. Actually she mostly picked off the M&Ms and left the cake. She also got to open a couple of presents too.

On Saturday Stacy, Jaden and Kysa came down for Lexi's party. Stacy and I worked all day making the girls birthday cakes. Kysa's birthday was Friday and Stacy wanted to use my decorating supplies to make a cool cake for Kysa. Stacy and I worked really hard on their cakes and they turned out pretty cute. I made the cutest little frog cake for Lexi since she loves her "froggie" and Stacy did a 3D bear for Kysa. Lexi had a hard day though since she was pretty sick. Lexi had a very long nap and when she woke up she was lots happier and the party was fun. My parents got Lexi a bike or a "bicycle" as Lexi would say, and loved it. She can't reach the pedals very well so she just likes to sit on it and move the handle bars back and forth. Hopefully when it gets warmer Jaron can take her outside on it. We got her some other cute little things for her birthday. Jaron also got her two roses since she turned two. We started a little tradition last year when he bought her one rose and will buy her as many roses as she is old each year. My brother Tyler, who is on a mission, sent Lexi and Kysa little Disney dolls for their birthday too. Lexi loved it especially since it was "Rella" (Cinderella) as Lexi says!

Lexi is definitely a two year old now. The tantrums have definitely started but she is still a sweetheart. She always gives us hugs and kisses and says "Love yer guts" and "Love you too". She is quite the jabber box and most of the time I know what she says but she still has her own language. She still calls a bowl a "biv" and calls water "monos". Who knows where she got that? I will say, "You want water" and she will say "Monos". She refuses to say it is called water. Even with her own words, she still has quite the vocabulary. I notice she has picked up on some of the things I say and what others say as well, unfortunately! Often times she will say, "Oh Great!" in an irritated voice when something is wrong. She is so smart and does something new everyday! We are still working on colors and shapes but at least she knows her letters. Alexis is such a joy to have in our little family and I can't wait to see what she will say or do next!

Opening presents

Playing with one of her presents - Playdoh

Luckily we caught this before she actually licked it

So cute posing for the camera

She is getting so big

The frog cake I made

Stacy and Kysa

Lexi with her cake

On her new bike sporting her shades

Kim, Ben and Ellen Center who were so nice to attend the party

In her tutu Stacy made with some of the beads from Mardi Gras

Lexi with the Cinderella doll Tyler sent her

Lexi and Kysa "playing" the piano

The bear cake Stacy made

Kysa not really enjoying her little cake