News and Projects

It finally happened, we closed!!! It has been a very long and a very annoying process but we are finally all done with that house and that family. A huge weight was lifted that day when we signed.

Even though it was a long and rough process, we really wouldn't have changed it. (well maybe a few things but I won't mention those here). Throughout the ordeal, we kept thinking there has to be a reason this is taking so long, and now we know why. We have decided to move to Boise. Brad's job is based out of Boise and we feel with him here he is missing out on some opportunities to grow.  Right now however they don't have an office for him. They are in the middle of building a new office building that won't be ready until the end of this year. We don't want to move the kids in the middle of the school year so we are going to wait until next May. We'll let the kids have one more year here before we move them. The kids are a little mixed on the idea of the move, but they are getting more used to the idea as time is going on. We are going to Boise for a few days over spring break to show them areas we are thinking of looking for a house, schools they could go to, fun things to do there and other things to hopefully get them excited for the move. 

So with that, it means we will be at my parents for a little over a year. We have rearranged a few things and made a food storage area.  This is the before. 

The kids thought hitting the wall was lots of fun. It was a big mess but the end product was totally worth it. 

 Brad and my dad worked really hard Saturday and finished it. It is a project that once it's done you wonder why you didn't do it sooner. 

Cake

While I was getting my hair cut, Camden text and asked if he could make cookies. I said it was ok, just be safe and smart. When we got home he had made a cake, from scratch. He was pretty excited that he was able to do it all on his own. He even got it out of the oven without my help and he cleaned up his mess. It was a pretty tasty cake. 

Jacks and Emery

For Jackson special night he wanted to go golfing and since it was too cold we had to do mini golf. He thought the glowing rooms were really cool. 

 A few weeks ago the kids were about to dress up for school. They had a lot of fun with it. 

One day was decades day. Emery dressed 80's. She didn't get the point of leg warmers, but she sure looked cute. 

 Jackson did 50's. He had glasses too but didn't wear them for the picture. 

 This was crazy day. 

 Old people day. Jackson wanted facial hair. We told him we'd shave his hair, but he didn't want to. 

 I got my hair trimmed the other day and took Emery and Jacks with me. After I had a lot of weird pictures that Jackson took on my phone.

A picture of Emery taking a candy selfie...

Jackson

The other day I ordered an air fryer. Since we have a family of 6 I got a bigger one, and it was huge, bigger than I thought it would be. Even better, Jackson played with the boxes for 2 or 3 days pretty much non stop. I love how he can take pretty much anything and play with it for hours. 

 A few days after Jacks lost his first front tooth, he lost the other one. Now he has a cute big gap in his teeth. He is our last kid to lose his front teeth.

Lesson Learned (We Hope)

This year, with Camden, we have had one argument happen a few times, and it's his lunch box. He lost his original one near the beginning of the year. He left it somewhere and couldn't find it. We gave him a week to find it, he didn't but thankfully Grandma had one that she wasn't using. He used that one for about 2 months and left it at the bus stop. Grandma said it was ok and gave him another one. A few weeks ago I noticed my lunch box was missing and asked the kids and Camden was using it because he lost the other one Grandma gave him.  We again gave him a week to find it but he didn't. After losing so many we were tired of him not caring. He has blamed Beckham for not getting Camden's box, which wasn't Beck's job. He would say he has it at school but never bring it home. So in hopes to have him take better care of box, we made him buy his own. He was not happy to say the least. We showed him very cheap one, $3, but it was something like How to Train your Dragon or wrestling. Then there was a $10 one which was just black. He had this face and stood in the isle like that for a good 10 minutes. Finally I held two different ones and told him to pick or I would. He chose the black one, but was angry the rest of the night that he had to spend his own money. We talked to him before and after how this is just to show him being responsible, how losing 3 lunch boxes in less than a year is too much. The boys have been trying to prove that they are "men" and we told them being responsible is one way to show they are 'grown up'.  He eventually got over having to spend his money and hopefully learned a lesson.

Valentine's Day

It was that time of year, Valentine's Day. The younger kids love this day so much. They were able to make boxes to take to school, which meant Brad spent a lot of time working on them, but they turned out great. 

This is Emersyn's

 Jackson's

Last But First Day

Things have changed pretty big for me. For a while I have been tired of working nights. I hate that I'm gone after they get off school but am home alone during the day. I searched for a while for a job and back in November I interview for 2 jobs. One was the perfect job time for me, I'd have every Friday off. I was very excited when I got the call and I got the job. Thanks to it being in the middle of the holiday times it took a while to get everything set up, but January 31 was my last day in HIM. The next night we had a little party to celebrate that i don't work nights anymore. We went out to eat. The kids chose the place. 

 Then we came back to the house and played cards with chips that they could buy prizes in the end. It was a lot of fun until Camden wasn't number 1 the whole time and threw a minor fit. He eventually got over it and the night was a lot of fun. 

 This past Monday was my first day at Rheumatology and Arthritis. Nervous doesn't really cover what I felt, but I didn't sleep super great that night. I just observed for 2 days and the rest of the week I have training. It helped the first day to know I had a lot of support from everyone. My trainer in the office is really good and patient. Mom and Dad sent me flowers that I got at work and when I got home Brad and the kids got me some flowers and cards as well. 

 It is really going to take a few weeks to get used to getting up early and being awake all day. I feel like I worked night shifts all week, even though I have only worked days. 

Super bowl Sunday happened, it was a slow, boring game, but one good thing happened, it was Grandpa Arrington's birthday. During half time we had cheesecake upstairs, which the kids loved, especially all of the cream and chocolate they put on it. 

Jacks had a really loose tooth this weekend, so loose that he could pretty much push it all of the way to the front and back of his mouth, just holding on by a thread. Brad said he wanted to see it. He just pushed up a little bit and it popped out. After Jacks saw the tooth he was shocked and one of the first things he said was 'Dad lied to me.' It was said in such a shocked way it was both funny but sad, like he didn't know dad would do that. He looks so cute with missing one of his front teeth. We are almost done with all of our kids losing their front teeth!

Beck Band

Before Christmas the boys tired out for a Clinic Band and Beck got to do it. He practiced a few days at school and then yesterday he went Burley all day and practiced with a Professor and kids from all around the valley. He said he had a lot of fun with it and the sounded so good. I really hope he (and all of the kids) stay in music, it is one of my favorite things that they do.

As he walked in he searched for us, I love that he is still looking for us at concerts. 

Galileo

Jackson's class had to do a research project and Jacks had Galileo. The teacher then did a wax museum and the kids could dress up. Jackson had a lot of fun with this and did great on his presentation. All of the kids liked his beard and said he looked like Santa. 

Barnes' House

We spent about 10 days at Grandma and Grandpa Barnes house not too long ago. They went to Italy for the temple open house and we looked after their dogs. Our dogs loved the big back yard and thankfully most of the time we were there we had beautiful weather. Brad and the kids loved their baths. I'm pretty sure they took a bath everyday. It was nice having all of the room but also weird. When we do get a house, it will take some getting used to all of the space again.