Let the Madness Begin

It's that time of year again when the outside smells wonderful and the inside is crazy. March Madness has begun in my home. This year the boys are old enough to fill out brackets so it will be a little more fun. I of course have my two brackets, one I fill out completely and one that I go round by round. I have learned the hard way that it is better for me to have two brackets. If I am going to be watching the games it is more fun to still have teams in the tournament.

Here are the picks for the Final Four:

Ryan: Ohio State, Duke, Kansas, and Florida

Dyan: North Carolina, Duke, Notre Dame, and Pittsburgh

Jack: Ohio State, Duke, Kansas, BYU

Jay: Duke and BYU, he only picked the championship game

Picks for the championship game and winners:

Ryan: Duke and Kansas, Kansas winning

Dyan: Duke and Notre Dame, Notre Dame winning

Jack: Ohio State and BYU, BYU winning

Jay: Duke and BYU, BYU winning

It should be a fun couple of weeks. Bring on the MADNESS!!!!

Reminder

On Saturday my nephew, Raulin, got baptized. It was great but my mom gave the talk on baptism and reminded me of something that I had forgotten. When Raulin was born, Debbie asked if I would babysit Durham, so I said sure. Well, Jack was three months old and Durham was 18 months old. I decided to take them both to my dad's softball game at Mountain View. As I was driving, both boys started crying and screaming. I was frustrated so I said a little prayer for help. I was expecting the boys to stop crying but they didn't, instead I felt a sense of peace and I knew all would be okay and that I could handle it. I remember thinking after that that the Lord answers all of our prayers just not in the way we always expect. I expected the boys to stop crying instead I got the answer of "Dyan you can handle it, you will be okay." It was such a great answer to my prayer. One I didn't expect but one I got nonetheless and such a great reminder that the Lord knows us and knows what we can handle and how to help us if we just ask. I had forgotten this experience until my mom brought up the circumstances of Raulin's birth. I am grateful for these experiences and I need to remember them so I can learn and grow from them.

Basketball

We had a great basketball season this year. Both Jack and Jay played. I really don't know how people have more than two children playing sports at the same time. It was busy with just two. But we had so much fun. Ryan coached Jack's team and they improved so much. The first two games they got their booties kicked so Ryan stepped up and had them working on more drills and fast breaks and what not. It was so much fun to see their team improve and to see Jack improve.

Jack's team below: Zane, Ethan, Isaac, Chandler, Danny, Davis, Andrew, Cooper, Jack and Sterling. If we can we will have this same team next year and the year after and forever. They were so much fun.

Jay's team also improved so much. The first game was a comedy of errors, double dribbles, travels, and poor shooting. The rest of the season was similar but a lot less of the bad stuff. The coaching was great and the kids really learned the game. It was fun to watch Jay learn the game of basketball. His little team was good and hopefully a picture is coming soon.

Pinewood Derby

It's official I have a scout in my household. I was raised not liking scouts so my testimony of scouting is coming. I see that there are actually good things that come from scouting. Just don't ask me to donate to "friends of scouting".
Jack had his first Pinewood Derby. It was fun and exciting. The Saturday before Ryan went to our ward members house and cut out the car. Then they spent the next few days sanding it and getting ready. On Wednesday, the day of the race, we were painting it and putting the wheels on at 4:45, the race started at 5. But it got done and Jack came in third place. He was a little bummed out because before the weigh in he was winning all of the races, probably because the car was overweight, and after the weigh in he couldn't win. It was a great lesson in sportsmanship and winning. Thank you to Jack's scout leaders, they are two wonderful women who are teaching my son valuable lessons.

I love the anticipation on Jack's face. He was so fun to watch.

Flat Iron

A few weeks ago Joe called and wanted to hike Flat Iron on President's Day. Of course I said yes, but really I was thinking we'll see. It depends on Ryan's work schedule, babysitters, and a million other things. Well, the million things worked out so at 6:45 am Joe and Cassie were picking me up to go hiking. After getting Karrie and Jake we headed east to our destination. When we got there and I looked up I thought how in the heck do we get to the top (our destination was the part that looks like the front of the Titanic or an iron). Joe's response was "there are no switchbacks, it is just straight up." He wasn't kidding. We actually climbed the mountain and then come up from the behind the iron. I think my back, shoulders, and arms hurt worse than my legs. It was a great reminder that I am able to do hard things. When I start to beat myself up over what I ate or how my body looks I remember that I am able to do hard things. It was a great time full of laughter and jokes. In fact at one point Joe said we were about 19 minutes from the top, about an hour later I think we were there. But we made it nonetheless and I hope Joe plans more hikes like this.

All of us at the top, Jake, Karrie, me, Cassie, and Joe

The picture below is why I live in Arizona. I love that there is a desert with snow in the background. It was so clear fron the recent rain and breathtaking.

My baby is three

My baby girl Kate is three years old today. I know I often ask and wonder how does this happen? How do three years fly by and my children grow up? I don't really like it. I swear it was just yesterday that I was at my parents house with Karrie, Debbie, and Cassie and Kate was only two weeks old and we took a picture of all the little girls. Now they are all three. When did this happen and how?
Kate is without a doubt the baby and the only girl. She still has her pacifier that we keep threatening to throw away but haven't yet. It would mean too much work for me. She will not be potty trained so I change poopie diapers daily. All because I am too lazy to make the effort to potty train her. I don't know how women have more than three children.
But I love my Kate. She loves to dance and sing and play. When she runs she looks like she is trying to dance and run at the same time, moving her shoulders instead of her arms. It looks funny and cute. She loves princesses but will play power rangers with Jay whenever he wants to. She wants to be a cheerleader but will pick up the ball and play too. She is all girl but can hold her own with two big brothers. She is so special and I am truly blessed to have her to raise.

Disneyland

We has such a blast at Disneyland. It really is the happiest place, even when my kids are tired and hungry and want to buy stuff that is way overpriced, we still had fun. In fact we had so much fun that we ended up buying season passes so we can go back as many times as we want.

I took Kate to the princess lunch. After waiting in line for 40 minutes just to see the Tangled princess I decided to suck it up and pay to see the princesses. It was so worth it. We walked in and there was Ariel. Kate got to meet her and spend time with her. Then we sat down to lunch and each princess was announced. Then they went from table to table to talk to everyone. First was Sleeping Beauty. When Kate saw her she waved so cute to her and was so excited. Next came Kate's favorite, Belle. Kate was wearing her Belle costume. She walked up and hugged Belle then Belle asked Princess Kate to twirl with her. Of course Kate did and it was darling. After that was Cinderella and Snow White. It was so fun to talk with the princesses. When Kate asked Rapunzel where Flynn Rider was her reply was "he is with Maximus getting me a Valentine's Day present." Too cute and too sweet I am so glad we did this. Kate's pictures with the princesses.

Kate's favorites besides the princesses: the tea cups, the caterpillar, Toy Story. Kate's non princess pictures of Disneyland.

Jay's favorites: river rafting, Monster's Inc., space mountain, soaring over California, pirates, and the tea cups. I had to bribe Jay with ice cream to take a picture with Woody, he never wanted to get in any of the pictures. Jay rode on the Tower of Terror and will never go again, but he did it. Jay's pictures of Disneyland.

Jack's favorites: Tower of Terror, California screaming, Indiana Jones, Thunder Mountain, river rafting ("it was like the best ride"). Jack was a trooper he wanted to go on all of the big kid rides but everyone once in awhile we had to do little kid things and he did them. Jack has no fear and wanted to ride all of the scary rides again and again. Jack's pictures of Disneyland.

We really had a great time and our kids had a blast. Even though the first three rides we took them on scared them, Indiana Jones, Pirates, and the haunted mansion. Once we got those rides out of the way and they started to see Disneyland they were so happy.

Ryan's favorites: seeing Kate smile, going on rides with Jack and Jay and watching their faces, Jay still being young enough to cling to my arm cause he is scared.

Dyan's favorites: all of it. I loved being with my family. I loved having a group of friends to show us the ropes of Disneyland. I loved that Jack has no fear. I loved watching Jay become a little less afraid of the rides as the days went on. I loved Kate wanting to see the princesses and calling Sleeping Beauty, Stinky Bootie. I loved watching Fanstamic. I loved it all.