Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Walmart Car

While we were in Salt Lake for the funeral I had an unfortunate meeting with a yellow parking lot post (at least I missed the car I was trying to avoid;). I let out an appropriate "CRAP!" and Aiden was sure that is going to affect my standing with Santa. Kaylee made the comment that "now our car looks like one of those crummy dented up cars you always see in the Walmart parking lot." The next day Chris was driving and the car in front of us came to a sudden stop, so we did as well. Dalin said "Fhew I'm glad we didn't crash, I don't like to crash." I replied, "I don't like to crash either." Without missing a beat he said, "Yes you do!" (Thanks pal!) I still feel smarter than the ladies we saw in the parking lot wearing only sleeveless cocktail mini-dresses in the 29 degree weather!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Grandpa Romney

Last week Chris's grandpa passed away (his mother's father). Grandpa Romney delighted in his family. I loved how happy he would be every time we came to visit. He loved to be kept up on what his grand children and great grand children were doing and he could tell you what most of them were up to. He was a lover of learning and passed that quality onto his posterity. He was literally a genius and took every opportunity not only to learn new things for himself, but teach us. He graduated from high school at 16 and had originally wanted to be a lawyer, but he tested to well and the military picked him and trained him to be a doctor during WWII. He always made me feel welcomed and loved. He had been in a wheel chair for about 25 years but he never let that slow him down. He was an adventurer and he loved to travel and U never heard him complain. We love him and we will miss him so much, but we are happy that he will no longer be limited by his earthly body and can be with our Heavenly Father again.

Ralph & Patricia Romney on their wedding 1949

Grandpa was infamously frugal. Instead of using air conditioner he would put nickles in the freezer, then stick them on his forehead to cool off. Here is most of his family paying tribute to that eccentricity.

Friday, November 26, 2010

A bakers dozen

On Monday Chris and I celebrated our 13th anniversary! We went to Mesquite and took advantage of their hotel/spa package. It was supposed to be a surprise, but Chris had been doing something to my phone so he checked my e-mail to see if it had worked, and he saw the confirmation I got from the hotel (oooh so close!) We had a choice of a massage, seaweed wrap or facial. Neither one of us are massage fans, and I feel claustrophobic if I'm wrapped (no I never tried it, but just thinking about it makes me panic a little bit) so a facial was our choice, or mine anyway. When we got there they sent us to the "quiet room" to wait for our appointment. We chose just to keep our clothes on rather than get a robe, but there were several old bodies in robes in the quiet room. Fortunately we waited less than five minutes before they called us out. The look on Chris's face was priceless as he went one way down the hall for his appointment and I went the other. I kind of loved it, Chris not so much, but for my benefit he told me he liked it. It was fantastic just to be with each other for a whole 24 hours (Chris even held true to his promise not to talk football with any of his fantasy leaguers). I love him and that he is my best friend and can still make me laugh after 13 years!

A great heritage

After the soccer festivities we moved on to a family reunion with my dad's brothers and sisters. Most of them live here or in southern Utah, but my dad has one brother who lives in northern Utah and he and his family always make an effort to come to the reunions and I really appreciate that. It gives my kids a chance to know my cousins and aunts and uncles. I'm really terrible at knowing who my parents relatives are so I'm really happy that my kids get a better chance, even if they only mumble out a quiet hi. There was lots of food (we are Hafen's after all) some Bunko fun and reminiscing about our grandma and great grandma. Everyone told a memory, but what impressed me the most was how much my grandma's daughters-in-law loved her. They all agreed that they had the best mother-in-law. I knew she was a wonderful grandma and it was nice to hear she was fantastic to everyone.

My niece Abby and my cousin Courtlin. They are only three months apart. Aren't they cute

My cousin Trevon giving the kids a ride

Le Fin

Soccer season has come to an end. Actually it came to an end a couple of weeks ago, but I'm a slow poster. My team the Ghost Hunters had a 2-5 season, but at least everyone had fun. They said that was the whole point in our coaches meeting to I'm going to hold tight to that one:) A lot of the parents asked me if I was going to coach again. In the end I enjoyed it but my friend, who actually knows about soccer, is moving and I was worn out by the last game so that would be a no.

Ashton's team the Wildcats did better with 4-1-2 season and she really enjoyed herself as well. They have both told me they would like to play again next year so I count the season a success!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Not everyone can be Spiderman

I know my stories primarily revolve around Dalin, but let's face it I spend probably 95% of my waking hours with the boy. Currently his super hero obsession is Spiderman. He imagines a world where every one has been bitten by a radio active spider. Where sticky hairs growing out of our fingers give us the ability to climb walls and holding your fingers in just the right configuration will cause webs to shoot from your wrists. The other day after pumping gas I got into the car and noticed a spider crawling on my shirt (crazy right?!?) After a yelp and some flailing hands, I sent that spider flying out the door. Dalin, who was sitting behind me, asked what happened. I told him there was a spider crawling on me. Excitedly he told me, "Quick try and shoot a web!" I don't think he's fully convinced that not all spiders have the ability to give you super human powers.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Correct!

This morning Dalin had a grape Kool-Aid Jammer and Aiden was trying to get him to trade it for his tropical punch Kool-Aid Jammer. The deal was almost done when Dalin decided Aiden need to work for his prize and he told him he had to answer a few questions first. This is the conversation that followed:

Dalin: "Aiden, I'm going to ask you some questions and you have to get them all right if you want my grape Kool-Aid Jammer."
Aiden: "Okay."
D: What is my favorite color?
A: Green
D: Correct!
D: Who is my favorite super hero
A: Spiderman
D: Correct!
D: What is my favorite tree?
A: Uh...um...a tree?
D: CORRECT!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

TA DA!

(Fun fact, I recently learned that is short for Da ta da da! If you already knew that aren't you a smartie:)

Here are the finished results

If you don't know what these characters are, you obviously don't play enough video games.

Chris: Luigi
Dalin: Mario
Kristen: the mushroom coming out of the question block
Aiden: Sonic the Hedgehog
Kaylee: Penguin
Ashton: Goomba

I wasn't planning on a theme, but everyone picked out their own costumes and it kind of just ended up that way. I have to say I love the internet, because I found the tutorial that started it all for the Goomba here. I'm excited with how everything turned out and I did make most everything(Chris made Sonic's awesome shoes), but I am hardly the over achiever my husband would have you believe. Everything was pretty easy and I'm enjoying sewing more and more since my mother in law gave me her old serger machine, but I think the sewing itch has been scratched and I am done for a while.


Saturday, October 30, 2010

Can you see that?


Look really hard, what do you see? What? You don't see anything? Just an empty table you say? Well that my friends is exactly the point. There are no pins, patterns, fabric, needles, thread, velcro, elastic, scissors or sewing machines to be seen. After five (maybe even six) weeks of costume construction they are done! I have reintroduced my children to the foreign concept of actually eating at the table, and I'm trying to remember what I did with myself before the sewing started. I'm pretty happy with the results, but I'm not going to post pictures until tomorrow. I will leave you with a little teaser.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Kaylee and the Bee


A few weeks ago Kaylee came home from school and told me she had taken a spelling test and gotten the highest score in the sixth grade. I thought that was a fantastic achievement, but I didn't really know what it meant until she brought a letter home a few days later telling us that her score had qualified her for the regional Spelling Bee semifinals. She was one of only sixteen sixth graders to represent the Clark County school district (the 5th largest school district in the nation). She didn't make it to the finals, but we are soooooooo proud of her!!

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Aiden's Baptism

I am currently all consumed by the creation of Halloween costumes so a lot of other areas of my life have been getting neglected i.e. blogging, housework, grocery shopping even (I'm embarrassed to say) some of the bills (no worries we're all good now). This post is long over due, but the occasion is no less important. On October 9 Aiden was baptized, and to make the day even more special his soccer team got their first win (I'm sure it added to the Spirit:) My dad gave a talk on baptism and my youngest brother who recently received his mission call was able to be one of the witnesses. It seems like we always have some sort of hitch when our kids get baptized (we had to go to a funeral when Kaylee was supposed to be baptized, and Dalin dropped a heavy wooden box on his toe right before we left for Ashton's) and this time was no different. After Aiden had been baptized we were all headed to another room for the conformation when I noticed that none of the members of our bishopric were there to preside over that part of the meeting. Luckily the bishop only lives a few minutes away so we didn't have to wait for to long, but I still found it funny because of course that would happen to us. We are so thankful to our families and friends who came to show their love for Aiden. We are very proud of his decision he made to be baptized and the kind spirit he has. We love you Aiden!


Chris too a behind the scenes picture. I kind of think this kid is adorable!

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Drivin' the Mom Bus


It's official. I have become a soccer mom. Not only am I a soccer mom, I am the coach. My friend Meghan and I thought it would be fun if our boys were on the same soccer team. The only way to ensure that would happen was if we were the coaches, so here we are. The down side is now everyone has something all the time. I don't know where all these activities came from from but now we have preschool, soccer (four tomes a week!), PTA, achievement days, primary, dance club, cub scouts and I some how let the kids talk me into picking them up from school every day (apparently the bus driver ruins their life on a daily basis). I don't know how my mom did it with nine kids! I myself am thinking of changing my address to 2005 Dodge Caravan, Every Where Henderson, NV:)

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Happy Birthday Aiden


Aiden lost a tooth just for his birthday



Can you believe he's EIGHT!

Families are Forever

And so, apparently, is the amount of time it takes me to post something new. I know it's been a while so let's do a picture review.

Ashton got on the honor roll

We went to Salt Lake to visit Chris's grandparents and mom and brother and the only picture we took was of a duck with a fancy hair do.

We visited BYU campus and the kids needed a picture with a cougar.


We had a family "retreat." We couldn't really call it a reunion since everyone who was there gets together every Sunday. Hopefully next time we can all be together.


While on our retreat we played at this super cute park with enough of a pool for the kids to have fu-un.

The next weekend my brother and his wife and daughter were sealed in the Las Vegas temple. It was a beautiful session, and I am soo happy for them



School started and Kaylee lived through her first day of middle school. Don't expect much of an answer if you ask her how she likes it, so far "meh" seems to be her standard response for that question. Ashton started fourth grade and Aiden is in second. The way the school is set up means I have three kids in three different schools. Luckily they're all next to each other.

Ashton got glasses. Being the stellar mother I am, it only took her eight months to convince me she didn't just want them because her cousin's have them. (No awards for me this year)

Monday, August 2, 2010

The Award Winning Kaylee Edwards

Today was Kaylee's Fifth Grade Promotion ceremony, just another event to remind me that she won't stop growing up. We are always proud of Kaylee but today she gave even more reason to beam with the several awards she received at the ceremony. She got the three-peat (all three trimesters) A honor roll certificate, Great American Challenge award (she was one of only about ten in the whole school who completed that one) and the Presidential Academic award (signed by the president himself) for receiving straight A's for the entire three years she was at Treem. We're both a little nervous for what middle school will bring but I know she will do brilliantly, and I will try to get by:)

I love that my kids are such great friends with their cousins. Emily and Abby came to the ceremony.

Awards! Awards! Awards! Our favorite fifth grade teacher Mrs. Smead. We sure are going to miss her!

Principal Esplin

The students were allowed to go home after the ceremony if they chose. Of course Kaylee wanted to go back to school, so rather than giver her flowers or balloons to carry around all day I made a cookie message to greet her when she came home.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Where have all the Edwards gone?


That's where.
We decided to take a trip to Arkansas to visit Chris's parents. Originally it was just going to be Chris, but we decided to make it a family affair. We went to help his parents put in laminate flooring (with a partial bathroom remodel thrown in for kicks and giggles). The drive wasn't bad and the kids were fantastically behaved. Chris's Sister and brother were there for a couple of days while we were and it was nice to visit with them as well. After the flooring was done we got to have some fun.

The almost finished product

This is the road Chris's parents live on, and the reason he thought we should spell Dalin's name with only one "L".


Old Mill park.
My sweet sister in law was going to take some family pictures for us with this beautiful park as the background. Unfortunately it was so hot and humid that within a minute of stepping outside we were sweating so much that I was sure our facial features were going to start sliding around our faces. I wasn't looking to have a Picasso family portrait, so we decided to do it another time.

The kids were so patient and helpful while we were putting the flooring in that grandma and grandpa gave them some money. Dalin used his cute face and his own money to get this package of strawberries for only $1 at the farmers market. We told him since he used bought it himself he didn't have to share if he didn't want to. He didn't, and he had eaten the whole box by the time we got back home.

Gettin' Piggy

They were supposed to pretend to eat the carrot, I don't think Dalin heard the pretend part.


Making smoke signals and petting lizards at the childrens museum.


Lawnmower rides were the hit of the trip

Oklahoma

Besides Arkansas, we made a few other stops along the way. (I know how wimpy are we that we couldn't just drive the entire 23 hours straight:) Most of these pictures are from our trip home, we didn't stop to smell to many roses on the way there.

When we stopped in Oklahoma City walked through the Brick District, where our kids favorite part was getting some old fashioned glass bottles of soda. (Too bad I didn't take any pictures)



There was a Celebration Station (think Chuck E. Cheese meets Scandia) down the street from our hotel so we bought a pass for the go carts and bumper boats. The boats had sprayers on them and we all ganged up on Chris so he was drenched when our time was up, unfortunately (or maybe not) Dalin had decided to team up with his dad so he was a casualty of the battle.