All Caught Up

One of my New Years resolutions was to catch up on my blog and keep it updated so I could add funny little things my kids do and thoughts that I have. I love reading that part of other peoples blogs and I wanted to do the same thing. So here it is, mid March, and I'm just barely getting caught up. I'm going to make sure and keep caught up (OK that's my goal anyway) so I can add other things as well. For now enjoy all the blogging I did today and last night. There are 10 total. I don't expect anyone to read them all, but if you want you can pick and choose which ones to read and look at the pictures. We've been busy around here and I don't think it's going to slow down any time soon.

Sarah's Friend Party

Sarah Kate's week of birthday celebration ended Friday night with a birthday party with 6 of her friends. It was a crazy night full of loud, rambunctious girls who had a lot of fun just being with each other. The party was suppose to be from 5:00 to 7:30, but the girls were all able to stay a little later to watch a movie.

Things I've learned from having 2 parties this year: Surprisingly kindergarten boys can be less roudy and quieter than 2nd grade girls, who know! 2nd grade girls also eat a lot more than kindergarten boys, so apparently it's not just Sarah. Not every party will go smoothly, just go with it, it'll all work out. And pay attention to the names of people being invited. We had a Gabby, Abby and Addey along with a Clarissa, Carina, and Karlee. There was no hope for getting names right.

I forgot to get a picture of all the girls at the party. I took this while they were hearing the safety instructions for the balloon game.

Gabby, Abby, Sarah Kate, Hannah, Ben Addey (in back) Clarissa, Karlee, and Carina

Sarah's party started with letting the girls play a little and then opening presents. Opening presents is always fun and the girls enjoyed seeing what Sarah Kate got. Next was dinner time and we served pizza and pop to loud, hungry girls. What fun! While I served pizza Kenny went downstairs and made an obstacle course. He built it more sturdy and bigger for the bigger girls. It took a while to build so I did what I could to keep the girls entertained upstairs. That means I watched them goof off, play together, be very, very loud, and become extremely impatient. The games were finally ready and we all headed downstairs.

Opening presents

Shooting balloons with Abby

We did a lot of the same things Ben did at his party. We had an obstacle course then let the girls shoot balloons. This time we filled the balloons with candy and the girls LOVED popping them and seeing candy flying.

"Everyone look at me!"

Next came the cake! I did finally make a cake for Sarah. I used the same cake pan from last year and decorated the butterfly with different colors. Sarah Kate liked it and her friends thought is was way cool. Of course, in Newbry fashion we ate cake with our faces. It was so funny because while Kenny was surviving the cake the girls were daring each other to put their faces in their cake. Then Kenny had Gracie and Hannah show them how we eat cake. The girls loved it and went at it full on. I was kind of shocked that they got into it more then the kindergarten boys did. We are the coolest parents ever. :)

The cake! Familiar, but slightly different.

Blowing out the candles.

Eating cake with only your face.

Now those are beautiful faces.

After cake we sent them downstairs to watch 'Hannah Montana the Movie'. While watching the movie I painted fingernails and the girls goofed around. It was a successful party despite its unorganized parts. I'm glad so many girls came and that they all got along so well.

A Beautiful Day for a Baptism

Sarah Kate in her beautiful white dress, right before getting changed for her baptism.

The day had finally arrived and it was a beautiful day. Sarah Kate was lucky enough to be able to be baptised the day after she turned 8. It just so happened that was the first Saturday in March. She was very excited and having the 2 special days so close made it that much more special. We had been in Salt Lake the day before and didn't arrive home until late Friday night, but come Saturday morning we were all awake and ready for this very important day.

Daddy and Sarah Kate before getting changed.

Sarah Kate and Daddy all ready for the baptism.

As soon as Sarah Kate woke up I took her to Kohl's to buy a pair of shoes. She had been given a beautiful white dress from a dear friend (see earlier post) and I'd totally forgot to buy shoes. I meant to do so while in Salt Lake, but I was distracted. So first thing we did was buy a pair of white shoes to go with her white dress. When we got home it was time to get ready. Sarah was so excited to wear her dress and I must say she looked beautiful.

Our family with Grandma's and Grandpa's. Thanks for coming.

Sarah Kate with the flowers Daddy gave her.

Grandma and Grandpa Newbry arrived a few minutes before we headed to the church where we met Grandma and Grandpa Gass. I know most people invite all the family and friends they have nearby to baptisms, but we decided to make it a simple day. We only invited grandparents because we wanted Sarah to be able to focus on the spirit of the day. Family and cousins would have been fun, but we felt it was important to be simple in order to focus on what was taking place.

Our little family. What a happy day.

We arrived at the church just in time to take a few pictures and then send Sarah Kate and Daddy to change close. Sarah was so excited and she was smiling from ear to ear even before it started. The program before the baptism was very nice and it even featured a talk give by Kenny about baptism. They did a spotlight on each of the kids and then started calling them back to be baptized. Sarah Kate was third and she was very excited. She didn't get to see anyone else get baptized, but she decided that was OK.

With Mom and Grandma's

With Dad and Grandpa's

It was so fun to watch. The little kids got to go up to the glass and watch which I absolutely loved. I loved that my little kids got to see their big sister be such a good example. Sarah was nervous but she did wonderful and we are so proud of her. Kenny was never able to baptize anyone on his mission so this was a first for him. I think it's so neat that his first baptism got to be his little girl. She was glowing and I could tell she was touched by the spirit. After the baptism we all went in the primary room to have her confirmed. Kenny gave a beautiful blessing and Sarah was so beautiful sitting up there.

We are definitely lucky parents.

I'm so grateful Sarah decided to be baptized. We are so proud of her that she chose to make this important step in her life. I'm grateful for her example. After she was baptized Hannah insisted on practicing getting baptized by Kenny. She practiced over and over again and when they got done confirming her, as soon as Sarah Kate stood up, Hannah Beth ran to the front of the room and sat in the chair, waiting for her turn. I love watching the excitement my children have for the gospel. Sarah's great example has definitely lit a spark for Hannah.

Cake For Sarah (Birthday Part 2)

We decided to wait and do Sarah's cake while Grandma's and Grandpa's were here for her baptism. Being the nice grandparents that they are, they took us out to Chuck-a-rama for lunch. We were all WAY too full to have cake afterwards and so we decided to wait until Saturday night after dinner. The kids had a lot of fun, of course, and even thought I didn't make it, they still seemed to like it. :) Enjoy the pictures.

Blowing out the candles.

I'll go in order of age:

Here's Sarah Kate putting her face in the cake. I think she forgot she was suppose to be eating it. :)

Nice!

Ben's got a nice face and you can tell he ate some.

Hannah's next. What a cheeser.

Best messy face picture I got of Hannah. She's goofy looking, but hey kids are goofy.

Gracie's next. She's becoming a pro at eating cake messy.

And finally Daniel. He didn't get any cake, but he really enjoyed watching the other kids. Oh and his fingers, he really enjoyed his fingers.

A Funeral for Uncle Greg

Death is always hard, not matter the situation. My Uncle Greg was diagnosed with ALS, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, back in May of '09 (I believe it was May.) From what I understand ALS is a disease that affects the neurons that control muscles. Over time your body looses control over your muscles, including the heart and lungs, and this is the final cause of death. We stopped by and saw him the first of February and honestly he looked better than I thought he would. I'm sure this was due to all the info I was getting from people, the image in my head was way exaggerated. He was definitely not what he used to be and I could tell he was in pain, but I was surprised at how alert he was. His brain was working fine, it was just his body that wasn't. It was so sad. I'm very grateful I got the opportunity to see him one last time and that my kids were able to see him too. He was a wonderful man and he'll be missed by many.

This is Chris and Andy (son-in-law and granddaughter) playing a song at the funeral. They are very talented and did such an amazing job.

Uncle Greg died on February 24th and his funeral was held in Salt Lake on March 5th. This also happened to be Sarah Kate's birthday so we had to do a little changing of our plans in order to attend the service. We left the house around 7:30 in the morning on Friday the 5th in order to make the service that began at 11:00. I was impressed we were able to get everyone ready and out of the house that early. It's a good thing we did because we arrive just minutes before it started. My Uncle Greg was very liked and had many, many friends. All of which seemed to be at the funeral. We had to squeeze our way in the church, cutting in line in front of people, in order to make it to the family prayer. Sadly, right before we got there they closed the door and we missed it. After the prayer the family headed to the front for the funeral. As I said there weren't many seats left and we decided to stay in the back where the prayer had been. We could still hear, most of the time, and the kids were able to move around a little. I think it was a wise choice. Sometimes you have to make 'sacrifices' when you have kids. The service was very nice and the parts I heard were beautiful.

My Aunt Paula with her son Jared and daughter Kelli. They're from California and it's been years since I've seen them.

The girl cousins (minus Megan.) Sometimes I find it hard to believe we're all grown up.

The kids.

Sarah Kate, Maddi, Andie, Jackson, Hannah, and Logan (I'm sure Ben and Gracie are around somewhere)

After the funeral there was a luncheon at the church and then we all went to Aunt Val's for a visit. It was so nice to see so many family members, some whom I haven't seen since my Grandma died when Ben was a baby. I loved visiting, catching up, and watching my kids play with distant cousins they barely knew. It's sad that it had to be a funeral that brought us all together.

Aunt Val with daughter Becky.

Uncle Greg's other daughter Jenny with her husband Chris.

My heart and prayers go out to Aunt Val, daughters Jenny and Becky and their families. I'm sure the loss of a loved one that close is such a hard thing to take. I'm happy Uncle Greg is at peace now and is no longer in pain. That is definitely a blessing.

Sarah's Birthday Part 1

Getting ready to open presents.

The weeks before and after Sarah's birthday have been CRAZY! We had a birthday, a funeral, a baptism, and other issues I'll talk about later. That was all the week before and the day after. The following week we had job things that took up most of our days and then sick kids along with a birthday party. I'm not sure how we managed to get it all done. Let me start with Sarah's birthday and I'll go from there.

Sarah's birthday was Friday March 5th which also happened to be the day of my Uncle Greg's funeral in Salt Lake. Because of this we decided to let Sarah open her presents the day before her birthday. Sarah Kate was lucky in a way because it seems like her birthday has been a week long celebration. :)

Opening her book about fun things girls can do.

Dan just loved eating the paper. Typical baby.

Sarah opening her ZuZu pet. I think she was pleased.

It wasn't much of a party, but all she really wanted was presents and that's what she got. She, like Ben, didn't get much for her birthday this year, but she loved what she got and was happy. Her favorite present would probably be her ZuZu pet Nugget. She loves her gerbils, but Nugget isn't a real pet and therefor can be left sitting around with no real fear of him running off. That is definitely a bonus. She liked her so much she took her to Salt Lake with us the next day. I will admit, she is king of cute.

Sarah watching nugget roll across the floor.

Visit From Friends

So I'm way, way behind on my blog and with a house full of sick kids today I've decided to take this morning to get caught up. My friend Cami came for a visit the last Saturday in February. If you go to her blog you'll notice 7 blogs since she posted about this. That's what happens when you keep up on your blog. Oh well! I guess better late then never.

Back to my blog! It's a really wonderful story actually. Cami's daughter Samantha came to her awhile ago and said she wanted to find someone special to give her baptism dress to. Samantha was 9 in November so she's just older than Sarah Kate. A few weeks later Cami read my blog about my experience at church and thought it was the perfect opportunity for Samantha to give away her dress. She assured me it was what Samantha wanted and she was supporting her daughter. So February 27th they headed up here for a visit with the dress in hand.

I couldn't believe it. What a wonderful dress and what a wonderful thing for a 9 year old to do. It amazes me the people the spirit can touch and work through. I hope Samantha is happy with giving her dress to Sarah and that she know how much Sarah LOVES it. Not only is it beautiful, but it was from one of her new best friends.

So anyway, Cami and her 2 girls came and it was so nice to see them. I haven't seen Cami in months, maybe even close to a year. We were going to go to the Idaho Museum, but instead we talked and got caught up on each others lives and before we knew it the museum was closed. So instead of going to the museum we decided to take a walk by the falls.

The weather was nice, for February anyway, and Cami had never seen the falls. We walked along the falls avoiding the slushy snow parts and puddles from melting snow and found ourselves by the geese. Someone had left a bunch of bread on the ground for the geese. The kids helped themselves and had a lot of fun feeding the geese as much bread as they could. It was such a nice day and I'm so glad they were able to come. Hopefully they'll be coming back during spring break for another visit.

As I said before Sarah now has another best friend. She and Samantha hit it off and had a lot of fun. They even decided to write letters to each other. I'm so glad she gets a pen pal of sorts. Thanks for coming Cami and for all that you've done for us. You have no idea how much it means to us.

The End of Ben's Basketball

Ben finished off his 1st season of basketball on the 25th of February. He had a lot of fun, but by the time the season was done I think he and the rest of the team were ready to be done. They practiced once a week and then had a game once a week and for kindergartners 2 months of that is a lot. I'm so glad we were able to let him play and I really hope he gets to do it again next year, hopefully with the same team.

I think this picture is so funny. He's in deep concentration as he runs.

Both Kenny and I were impressed with how much Ben, and his team for that matter, learned this year. I think our BenBen isn't going to be the best shooter (his parents have no athletic ability and he seems to have picked that up from us) but he is awesome at defense. By the last game Ben was getting rebounds, stealing the ball, and doing great 'boxing out'. He was very impressive. We'll have to work with him throughout the year so he maintains some of his skills and somehow work on shooting. The poor boy was very discouraged the last game because he couldn't make a shot. We'll definitely find a way to work on that.

Ben going for a rebound.

Again, I didn't get any good pictures of the game. My other kids were ready for the season to be over as well, and were not sitting very nicely. They didn't give me much chance to take any pictures and well our camera has issues so the pictures I did take didn't turn out. Next year, right!

The Rimrock Rockets (team named by the kids.)

Team with coaches.

Jeremy, Payton, Hansen, Annie, Hailey, Haley, Ben, Kenny

Jacob, Dalton, Kace, Gavin, Ryker, Mckay

Ben's Birthday Cake

As I mentioned earlier I had failed to make a cake for Ben's birthday. The following day was his party and I decided to give it one more try. I did away with the instructions that said to use shortening and flour to make sure it didn't stick and sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray instead (something the directions said not to do.) I then floured it to make sure I had sprayed everywhere and to my amazement the cake came out perfectly. I know now not to read the instructions when it comes to those cakes.

Ben's Scooby Do cake. I almost wrote a 5 on it. Thanks goodness I didn't. :)

I decorated it quickly, got ready for the party, and when it was time for the cake I was so relieved that it had worked. The boys all thought the Scooby Do cake was cool and were excited to eat it. We sang Happy Birthday to Ben, dished out cake to everyone, and then let Ben show the boys how we eat birthday cake at our house.

Ben blew out the candles before we finished singing and I didn't get a picture of him. Here he is before the candles were blown out.

Ben showing the boys, nicely, how we eat cake. It got messier, trust me.

The boys were surprisingly a little apprehensive. I thought for sure they would just dig in with their faces, but instead they looked around at each other. You could just see them asking each other with their eyes, "Is this really OK?" It took a few minutes, but they all started eating cake like Ben and then the mess and silliness began.

The boys starting to dig in.

Here we go. Now we're getting some messy faces.

By the time they were done the boys had cake in their eyes and up their noses. I know they all loved it because it was the first thing they told their parents they did when they came to get them. I talked to our friend Sara awhile later, she's the mother of the twins, and she told me Gavin and Ryker have already informed her that they are going to do that for their birthday. Looks like it may become a Hix traditions too. Sorry Sara! :)