The Sohms

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T12:57:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas this year! The kids were SO fun, and loved all of their presents... YEA! Meili was in heaven with all of the brights packages.

My favorite part about Christmas was the love gifts that the kids all made for each other. Jake made Riley an airlplane out of wood, and spray painted it. Riley made Jake a race car. They all put a lot of thought and preparation into their gifts.

The worst part? Being sick!! We had flu bug going around, and it hit both me and Tyler on Christmas Eve, and Christmas morning. The most comfy place was laying on the hard wood floor next to the boxes that I was supposed to be cleaning up.

Cute matching boys!

Merry Christmas!!!

Winter Dance Recital

2011-12-29T12:29:00.000-08:00

Abby did so good in her recital this year! She is always so excited to go to dance every week, and was so giddy the days leading up to her performance. Here is her jazz costume.

Ballet
Awesome grandparents come to all of her performances! You guys are the best!

Grandpa Dallan challenged Abby to an leg extension contest. Who do you think won?

Way to go Abby! You were awesome!!

Christmas service

2011-12-16T11:15:00.000-08:00

We do a fun service project every year with Tyler's family. It is always neat to see the kids get involved. This year, my Mom-in-law had the cute idea of making a pot of soup, along w/ some bread, and attach a note saying, "Hope you have a "Soup"-er Christmas". Each of us chose a family within our own ward (or neighborhood) to give our soup to. We sang Christmas carols as we presented the soup, and wished them a Merry Christmas. It was fun dong this together, and even more comical to see the carivan of cars driving slowly through each neighborhood. Good thing all of Tyler's family lives in the south end of the valley. Here are most of the kids at our house before we headed out.

Ward Christmas party

2011-12-13T21:56:00.000-08:00

We had a fun party on Saturday morning. We had great food, and great entertainment. The Bishopric was asked to "perform", so they put together a great little song and dance. Tyler is on the right. His arms were the legs, and I was behind the curtain w/ my arms for Tyler's arms. Oh, the things I get roped in to. I wanted to post the video, but Riley was laughing as he was filming it, so the majority of the film is the ceiling.

The kids were excited when Santa showed up!

This was Meili's first time meeting Santa Claus.

Please take note that Jacob did not get a picture with Santa. He wouldn't even sit on his lap. Does that surprise anyone? Hopefully he will still get something for Christmas...

Sneaky Elf!

2011-12-04T21:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome back Christopher Pop-In-Kins!! Christopher came to our house last year, and the kids were eagerly awaiting his arrival on December 1st. Luckily, he was there bright and early, with m&m's for the kids. He has been hiding in the funniest places, and the kids' love waking up early to look for him.

Christopher comes in handy when someone is being naughty. We tell them that He knows what is going on, and he is going to tell the big guy (Santa). Let's just say that they have been pretty good around our house.

Let the Holidays BEGIN!!

2011-12-04T21:20:00.000-08:00

Tyler let the kids help him put the Christmas lights up this year. Well, not really help, mostly just sit huddled in this little crevase for 10 minutes. After that, they were freezing and ready to get down. Abby and Jake were excited because this was their first time on the roof. They have one up on me... Never been up, and don't care to.

We decided to get a real tree this year for our upstairs. (The fake one is downstairs). We went with some of our friends to a tree farm, and picked out this tree. The kids had fun picking out just the right one.

Thank goodness for the fun tree swings there at the tree farm.

Meili was all bundled up for the occasion.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-12-04T21:13:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving this year at my parents' house. My brothers, Chris, Cory, and Kreg (for a little bit) were there as well. The food was excellent, and we all had a good time. I had my camera, but didn't snap any pics of my mom's beautifully set table, etc.

Here are so of the cousins playing games.
Grandpa Price with two of his granddaughters, Meili and Kaitlin .

I am thankful for... #9

2011-11-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for the last 6 months!!! Meili is six months old today, and we have LOVED every minute with her! She has such a special spirit, and lights up whenever you walk in the room. I am SO grateful that we have been blessed with such a sweet little angel!!

Meili is sitting up so well, and is starting to get around really well on her tummy. I think she is going to be crawling soon. She is getting her first tooth, and has been a little grumpy because of it. She loves her sister and brothers, and LOVES her blankie! We love you Mei Mei!!

I am thankful for... #8

2011-11-19T20:47:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for the Tooth Fairy!!!

I am thankful for... #7

2011-11-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for good friends!!

I am thankful for... #6

2011-11-18T22:08:00.000-08:00

I am Thankful for My Bed!! I love when my kids come climb in with me in the morning and we watch cartoons for a minute before getting ready for school.

I am thankful for... #5

2011-11-18T21:59:00.000-08:00

I am Thankful for Cousin Lateovers!! For the last few years, Tyler's sister and brothers and us have been trading dates nights. Once a month I get to have all the cousins over for a fun night so the other couples can go out.

The boys...Kaden, Garrett, and Riley. They spent most the night making mini-movies on the flip camera.
The Littles... Jacob, Brighton, Kate & Madison. They were in heaven playing w/ the trains.
The Girls... Abby, Avery, Camri, & Meili. They wanted to watch a chick flick on my bed. Thank goodness for Strawberry Shortcake! :)
My kids love getting together every weekend w/ their cousins!

I am thankful for... #4

2011-11-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

I am thankful that my kids are active and healthy!!

Riley's soccer team had an excellent season! They were undefeated. Their games were SO fun to watch!! Thanks to the great coach!! (I can say that because it was Tyler)

Now Jacob's team was 100% defeated! His games were a little sad, but Jake did so good on the field, and never stopped trying!

Abby is my little dancer! She has passed off her right, left, and middle splits. I could never do the middle splits, so she already has one up on me.

I am thankful for... #3

2011-11-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for Family Night!!

We have been sharing our favorite stories in the Book of Mormon for the last few weeks, then drawing little pictures of them in the margins to help the kids remember what they are about. It has been really fun seeing the scriptures come alive to them.

I am thankful for... #2

2011-11-13T19:13:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for Naptime!!!!
I am thankful for Jacobs' fun imagination that Never Stops!! Batman and the Batmobile have been making frequent stops to our house lately.
Fly Batman, fly!

I am thankful for...

2011-11-12T18:36:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about all the things I am grateful for. I guess it comes with the season. I have been blessed so much, and I need to take a second each day to help me remember how important the little things are in life.

So... I am thankful that Tyler got us tickets to Disney on Ice! It was so fun being there w/ my kids. Anything Disney makes you feel young at heart.

I LOVED the Rapunzel scene. I think she is my new favorite princess.

My favorite part was the very end when all of the princesses came out together and danced with their princes.

And the winner is....

2011-11-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

Riley!!!

He had his 2nd Raingutter Rigata for Scouts, and he did SOOO good! He did win overall, but more than that, I was so proud of him. He did all the work on his own boat, wanting it to be a Scout theme. He was able to go early to practice blowing his boat, and there were a couple of boys that were having troubles w/ theirs. Riley stepped in, observed the situation, and helped the boys fix their boats so they would do well.

He really is growing up, and I am so proud of the good decisions that he is making.

Way to go RI!!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:38:00.000-07:00

Our Halloween season has been quite eventful. I just haven't blogged about anything. There were too many things to post. All of it led up to tonight... trick-or-treating. The kids had a great time, and got WAY too much candy!
Meili had a successful first Halloween. She was a little lamb. She scored a bunch of candy, and a BIG donut from our cute neighbors, the Kings. She wanted to eat the whole thing.

Bad idea... since she doesn't even eat baby food yet.
Riley and Abby had their parade at school today. I always love seeing all the clever costumes the kids are wearing. Abby was a Hippie.
Riley was a Jedi.

Meili and her cute little friend Sofia Beccera were entertained by the parade.

We had my parents' annual Halloween party on Saturday. It was so fun! I didn't get a group photo of everyone, but here is my fam.

Love my girls!!!

At the pumpkin patch with the kids' friends William and Max. The kids picked out some great pumpkins, and decided to paint most of them. I love it! A lot less messy than carving. We did save the carving for Sunday though. They turned out awesome!

We had a great Halloween!!!

5 months old

2011-10-26T20:25:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my little baby is already 5 months. Meili has been the sweetest baby, and so fun in our family. I love this picture of her... just chillen. She is rolling over both ways, then back again, and her record for sitting straight up (not just hunched over) is 36 seconds. Abby times her every day when she gets home from school. It is fun to see her growing and doing new things. They grow up WAY to quick!
I am so grateful to have my little Mei Mei. Love you baby girl!!

From worst... to pretty dang awesome

2011-10-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

Note: read the previous post first

Jake took the news ok. He was a little teary, but I quickly suggested that we have his OWN Halloween party at our house today. He was all up for that idea. So two of his best buddies, Jax and Scottie came over in their halloween garb, and the 3 boys played Halloween games, had a spooky lunch, and played the day away. When they left, Jake told me that that was better than going to school.

Wheeeew. Not so bad after all.

Worst mom EVER!!

2011-10-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here, almost crying thinking about this. You know how every kid looks forward to Halloween? Plans the perfect costume, thinks about the parade and fun party at school, and dreams of trick-or-treating? Well, I realized just a minute ago that today was Jake's halloween party day at preschool..... and he didn't go. I am just sick. We even went to the store today to get his final touches for his costume (right when he should have been at school).

He goes to Alta High's preschool program, and their days change w/ the school kids' "A" and "B" days. So, I need to check every week to see when he has school. Well, this week was switched even more w/ the end of quarter at the high school. So..... of all days, I didn't check my schedule, and I didn't send my cute little 4 yr. old to to sport his Ninja Master costume that he has been DYING to show off to his teacher.

I am dreading telling Jake in the morning that he missed his big day.

Ya... I know... I am a bad mom.

Jakey says...

2011-10-07T12:32:00.000-07:00

Jake and I love playing silly flying games, etc. Today he said, "Mom, I think I am going to throw up on this ride!"

My talented baby

2011-10-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Most babies like to suck their thumbs... mine likes to suck on her big toe. She makes me laugh every day!

Scouting & Conference

2011-10-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

Riley earned his Wolf badge last week at Pack meeting. He worked really hard, and also earned 4 arrow points. We were so proud of him!
I have never really understood why they pin the pin on the moms. Anyone know?

Ri & his buddy Elliot got to show how to fold the flag.

We had a great time watching Conference this last weekend. I wish I could have paid attention a little more. I still need to go back and watch some of the talks again. After the last session on Sunday, we took a drive up the canyon. It was so beautiful with all the changing colors, and the kids had fun hiking around. Love living close to the mountains!

Happy birthday to Me!!

2011-09-28T21:06:00.000-07:00

I don't usually like birthdays. Not that I don't like them, but they just kind of come and go these days. The hype is usually on Riley, since his b-day is 2 days before mine. I did love my bday yesterday though. It started w/ getting a great massage at Massage Envy. Tyler made the appt. for me, and off I went. My parents came over in the morning, brought me a gift, and an Awesome cake!! Mom kept the little kids for me so I could go downtown to meet Tyler for lunch. We went to Happy Sumo and got sushi... YUM!!! It was so nice and relaxing to just talk without kids. Did our normal busy Tuesday things... homework, dance, soccer. Then back home for a little party and more cake. It really was a good day. Just nice and relaxed. I am glad that I have to wait 364 days until my next b-day. They are coming too fast these days!

Happy birthday Riley!

2011-09-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

Riley turned 9 years old today. Seriously? That just blows my mind. I can still remember details about his birth, which I won't bore you with right now. He has been planning his birthday for months now, and had such a great time. He wanted an "Angry Birds" party. And that he got...
My super-talented sis-in-law made this cake for Riley. He thought it was the coolest thing ever! He kept rearranging the characters, making different scenarios w/ the birds and pigs.

Tyler found these balls, and being the ambitious dad that he is, decided to paint faces on them. They turned out so cute! Again, Riley was dying!
The party guests played a mean game of dodge ball on the tramp w/ all the balls.

After dodge ball, we had the kids build angry bird structures w/ pieces of wood that Tyler cut up in our garage.

He painted bird faces on little rubber balls, and made pigs out of apples from our apple tree. Quite resourceful I might add.
They put the pigs in their buildings, then used sling shots and the balls to knock them over. It was harder that we thought, so they ended up just chucking the balls to try to get their towers down. It was hilarious! Just a side note... the 4 kids on the left were amazing at building their towers: Abby, Eva, Max and Eli! Funny, since they were the 4 youngest at the party.
After the party, Riley wanted to go to Asian Buffet for dinner. He loves that place! He got so many great gifts from his friends, so after we got home, he spend the rest of the night playing with them.

Today (Sunday) was his actual birthday. Grandparents came over for more cake & ice cream. Thanks for the great presents!!
Riley told me tonight that his birthday was awesome! He is such a good boy, and I am so proud of the great brother and son that he is! Happy Birthday bud! I love you!!

Love this boy!

2011-09-19T21:09:00.000-07:00

Ever since Jake turned 4, he has been a little "difficult" we will say. Until lately... I am not sure if it is all the one on one time that we are getting now that the big kids are in school, but he has been so sweet, fun, and such a great helper at home!! I just can't get enough of him.
He says the cutest things lately, and I just had to document this.

Yesterday we were at Tyler's cousins' farewell. I took Jake into the Mother's room with me during sacrament mtg. while I fed Meili. Luckily, they had a speaker in the room so you could hear the talks in the chapel, so we just sat quietly and listened. Here is our conversation as we were about to leave the room.

Me: "Ok bud. It's time to go back into the chapel"

Jake: "No. I don't want to."

Me: "We need to go back in"

Jake: "I want to stay here"

Me: "It really is time. Let's go back in with Daddy. Church is almost over."

Jake: "I don't wanna go back!"

Me: "Why?"

Jake: "Because I want to stay in here so I can keep listening to the Holy Ghost."

I had tears from laughing so hard at such a cute comment. Again, I LOVE this boy!!

Land of the Free...

2011-09-16T21:36:00.000-07:00

For family night this week we went to the Healing Field in Sandy. My heart was touched as we saw so many flags representing all those lives that were lost on 9/11. It gave us all a greater appreciation for what we have. It was a really neat experience to be there, and to learn about each individual life that was taken.

We found Tyler's cousins' flag. Sergeant Aaron Kramer, died on 9/16/10 in Afghanistan. The kids think that Aaron, and all of the other soldiers that serve our country are "awesome!"

I am so grateful to live in a country that comes together after such a life-changing event.

I love the U.S.A!!

Great weekend

2011-09-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

We decided to go to St. George over Labor Day weekend. We had such a good time. We went to Zion National Park, The Little Mermaid at Tuachan, a few different parks, ate good food, swam, and just relaxed.

The kids had fun hiking, and looking for lizards and squirrels.

Tyler carried Meili in the back pack carrier most of the day. So we were excited that she got to see how pretty it was here when she finally woke up.

I forgot my camera on all of our other excursions. Kind of a bummer, but kind of nice too. It forced me to just enjoy each moment with my family.

1st day of school

2011-08-23T10:17:00.000-07:00

Riley and Abby are so excited to start a new year at school. Riley is in 3rd grade, and Abby is in 2nd. I can't believe my little kids are growing up so fast. I cried a little as I watched them both go into their classrooms. Good thing I had my sun glasses on.

Riley was so excited to sport his Phineas and Ferb shirt on the first day. Was it my first pick? No. But he was SO happy that I let him wear it.
These two kids really do love each other. They are happy to be only one year apart in school

The first day was a success!

We love summer!!

2011-08-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

I think my kids have pretty much lived in their swim suits this summer. I took them to a fun lake in Herriman yesterday. They have a great beach, and my kids were thrilled since it is the most sand they have had all year. Ironic, since we have been to other real lakes.
Thanks to my mom for hanging out with us, and keeping the kids entertained. Grandma's are the best!

After we left the beach, we went to my parents to swim in their pool. The pool was much warmer than the lake.

Love my kiddos!!

Jakey is getting really brave in the water. Too brave sometimes.

This is my kind of afternoon!

Remodel

2011-08-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

When we moved into our house 10 years ago (holy cow, that seems so long), we never really loved the floor plan. We planned on remodeling, and it Finally happened!! We started it about 2 months before I had Meili, and finished it the day before I came home from the hospital. Talk about cuttin' it close. Here are a few of the before pictures. I could never really decorate because I just didn't love it.
Don't you love our oak banisters?
And great oak kitchen cabinets?
What were people thinking in the 80's?
Decision time... taking the hammer to the wall!
Drum roll...... Our New house!!! We got new hard wood floors, a brand new modern white kitchen w/ white quartz counter tops, a HUGE island that I am totally in love with!, new lights, paint, fan, office, bathrooms, carpet in the master and baby's room, etc, etc. We went ALL OUT!!

It seriously feels like a completely different house. I didn't post a pic of the kitchen, or my favorite part... my bathroom! I will put those on soon. My awesome hubby did all of the work, with the help of our great neighbor and family that would come over whenever they had a minute. I felt awful because I was 9 months pregnant, and couldn't do a thing. So Thank you, thank you to everyone that helped out!! I am loving all of the changes, and loving Tyler even more for making me so happy!!! You are the best Ty!!

Lake Powell

2011-08-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

Tyler and I have gone to Lake Powell almost every year since we were kids, and we LOVE IT! Tyler's parent bought into a house boat recently, so we get to have that luxury now! It was so nice to have w/ all the little kids, and napping babies. Here are a few shots of our week.

Here is the gang (or some of them) on the top early one morning.

Riley after he fell water skiing. He got up on two skis this year, and Loved it!! I was So proud of him!!

Abby and Kate out on the kid ski.

The water is so high right now that there were no beaches. We found this awesome cove w/ this mountain, and the kids loved climbing up each day.

Jenni & Eric brought this fun trampoline. We tied it onto the side of the houseboat, and got a lot of use out of it!
I have never been a fisherman, but it's just something that you have to do while at Powell. Ok, it's something that other people have to do at Powell. Abby was a little scared of the carp. I don't blame her!
Riley love it on the other hand.
Jake could stay behind the boat all day if we would let him.
Surfing with Tyler. He doesn't look too happy, but he actually loves it.

Meili did SO great!! I was really nervous for her, but we kept her cool, hydrated, and in the shade.
Jake and Mei having a siesta on a boat ride.
Tyler and his brothers thought it would be funny to tie glow sticks onto the carp one night. They finally caught one, then let it go. It was funny to watch the little glowing circle moving around in the dark water. It really was entertaining. Mean, but entertaining.
All in all, it was a GREAT trip!! All the kids had so much fun with their cousins! We had good food, and great company. Thanks Dallan & Becky, and everyone else for being an awesome family!!!

Baby blessing

2011-08-07T21:14:00.000-07:00

Tyler blessed Meili today in our ward, and it was such a beautiful day. He was actually conducting the meeting, so he was able to do the blessing and share his testimony as well. We have waited a long time for our little angel, so I was so excited for this day. Grandma Becky made Meili her headband, and Abby made her her little bracelet. She was so excited for her to wear it on her big day. She thought she needed just "a little splash of color".

Most of our family was there, but we can ALWAYS count on our awesome parents!! Thanks for supporting us! We love you guys!! Here w/ G-ma & G-pa Price. Meili is #18 for them.
Grandma & Grandpa Sohm. Meili is grandkid #14 for them.
We had all of our family over for a luncheon after the meeting. Thanks everyone for coming! We love our family, and we love YOU, Meili!!

Meet Lily & Lighting

2011-08-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

I guess I could say "meet them", and then tell them "Goodbye." The kids caught baby frogs at their cousins house 2 weeks ago. They are darling little frogs. Little being the key word...

Riley and Abby always knew exactly which was which. Lighting apparently had bigger spots than Lily. Thank goodness someone is observant, because I am not when it comes to little creatures. I personally don't care for them living in my house.
They loved playing with them, but they weren't so good at keeping their home clean (Home was a mason jar with a rock, grass, and holes poked in the top of the lid.) Ya.. torture, right?
We decided to let the little frogs back into the wild, so we took them to Victors Pond by our house.
They let them go one by one, and were amazed that they could actually swim. Isn't that what frogs do? I guess not when you are locked up in a glass jar for 2 weeks.
Swim away froggies. We hope you find happiness in your new home.

4th of July in Bear Lake

2011-07-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

We spent this last weekend with Tyler's family in Bear Lake. His parents rented this cabin, and we had so much fun! In my eyes, staying in a luxurious cabin is way better than camping!! (even though camping is pretty fun too).
The kids enjoyed the hot tub, and could have stayed in there all day if we would have let them.
The water at Bear Lake is so high, so most of the beaches were closed. We had to go clear to the North shore which was a about 20 minutes away. No matter where we are, the kids LOVE playing on the beach!! We had a great camp set up, and had a good time.
They love their cousins!

Meili's first ride on Grandpa's boat. She hated her little life jacket, but fell right to sleep when the boat started. I think she liked it!

We went to church on Sunday in Garden city. It was more packed that Stake Conference. We ended up sitting on the floor in a hallway. We decided to leave after Sacrament mtg. and drove to Logan to see the temple. It was fun hanging out on the grass in the shade, and hearing about the temple.
On the way there, Jacob got car sick. Thank goodness for the barf bags that Tyler stole from the hospital when I had Meili. Coming back, Riley was sick. I took this picture when we had to pull over to let him throw up. I just thought they were getting out to get some air, and I loved the backdrop, so I stapped a pic. Good thing I didn't get the throw up.
Later, the kids had a movie night downstairs.

We were planning on staying later on Monday (the 4th), but it was kind of crummy weather, so after the kids swam in the pool for a while, we headed back home. We stopped in at my parents, and my brothers were over having a little get together. We made it in time for roasted marshmallows. YUM!

All of our neighbors were lighting their own big fireworks, so we didn't end up going to see fireworks anywhere else. Needless to say... We had a GREAT weekend, and a Great 4th of july!!

Love my girls!!

2011-06-28T15:27:00.000-07:00

I am so happy to have two of the sweetest daughters ever!
Meili was not liking getting her picture taken after church. I couldn't resist her screaming face though. That girl has some LUNGS!!

Lots of love

2011-06-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

Things are a little bit different around here lately... There is a lot of baby talk, hugs, kisses, cuddles, pink, everyone playing well together, and just being happy. Geez- who knew that a baby could bring so much love!! The kids are in heaven with Meili!! They are all such good helpers, and always want a turn holding her. I think Abby is the most in love with her. She is so excited to finally have a little sister. Last night she asked if she could have 10 more sisters... Um... NO.

The girls LOVE to cuddle together. Abby is always so good at making Meili Comfortable.
The boys need in on the action. Riley and Jake are both so cute w/ the baby too.
How did I get so lucky to have such great kids?

Awww... so cute!! How did I get such a cute baby girl? Love her! Love her! Lover her!!!

Baby girl

2011-06-06T08:05:00.000-07:00

We finally have our sweet baby Meili here!! Everything went so well, and we are so grateful that she is with us!

My sweet baby girl

2011-04-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Today has been one of those days when a mom stops and thinks, "Where has the time gone?" Abby turned 7 today. 7! I can not believe how big she is getting. The last 7 years have been some of the happiest of my life. Abby is such a fun loving girl. She loves her brothers, and is most definately a Daddy's girl!! She always makes me smile! She is doing so good in the 1st grade. She is proud of the fact that she gets 100% on every spelling test. She has passed off her middle and right splits at dance, and is one of the craftiest little people I know. She has her daddy's artistic talent. I love you Abby!! You are the best daughter that I could ever ask for! I can't wait for you to be a big sister again, and I know that you will be the best helper ever to our new baby! Happy Birthday Princess!!

Catch up...

2011-03-31T21:05:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one that finds that I haven't posted for a while, and gets stressed about all the things that I have missed? Just a quick summary... Utah's Junior Miss has come and gone. We had an Awesome show (pat myself on the back), and have a fabulous girl that is going on to the national program in June. Happy that it is over, for now. Tyler's birthday was on Tuesday. I love you Ty!! I can't imagine my life without you!!

And now... we are officially living with my parents. WHY? Let's just say that my house is no longer what it used to be. I guess that is a good thing. We have been wanting to remodel for so long, and Tyler took the hammer to the wall last week- literally. He punched a big hole on the side of our fireplace, and said that now is a great time to start demolition. SO, this past Saturday, Tyler, his dad, brother, and bro-in-law DESTROYED my house. Yes. destroyed. Fireplace- gone. carpet- gone, kitchen- gone. It is a just a big empty shell, just waiting to turn into my dream home- or as close to my dream home without actually building a brand new house. We are SO EXCITED to be doing this. It is a ton of work. Poor Tyler goes home every night after work, and puts in many more long hours trying to keep things rolling.

The kids and I (and kind of Tyler) have been staying at my Mom & Dad's house, so driving back and forth has been a bit tiring already since we have school, dance, soccer, scouts, friends, etc. all in Sandy, and they live in South Jordan. Thank heavens for the new 11400 S. road. Thank heavens!!

And lastly, I am 32 weeks pregnant. Things are going well with the baby, and I am due May 20. I have been having sciatic pains- any suggestions?, and I am getting tired of being pregnant. I have had contractions every now and again, so I am the least helpful person during this remodel. I feel so ineffective.

Happy news... Tyler's parents bought into a Houseboat at LAKE POWELL!!! We are So excited, and our kids can hardly wait! Dallan and Becky do such a great job at doing things to help the family grow stronger together. What better place to bond than Lake Powell?

That is it in a nutshell. I need to post pics of the remodel. I left my camera at my house, so next time I am there, I will get it. Hopefully I won't wait so long to post something.

St. Patties Day

2011-03-21T07:57:00.001-07:00

I just realized that I didn't take any pictures of St. Patricks day. Bummer, because we had a ball. The kids woke up to a house flipped upside down by the leprachauns. Chairs, cushions, pillows, etc. were all in obscure places. There were gold coins, and little shamrocks all over, and the pictures that the kids drew for St. Patricks day were hanging upside down on the ceiling. My kiddos were so excited to see all the crazy things that happened over night.

We had a fun party at preschool for my class as well. Hectic, but fun. I LOVE holidays, but I am always happy to put the decorations away when the day is over.

Sleepover

2011-02-25T10:05:00.000-08:00

One of the nice things about having late church on Sunday is having all morning to play. The kids spend the majority of the morning doing crafts, playing w/ legos, and building forts. They asked if they could have a sleepover on Jake's bunkbed/fort on Sunday night. I agreed-- on one condition, that they were GOOD in church. They remembered their deal, and really were good the whole time. They were so excited to get to bed that night. They spent half the night giggling, and then fell asleep. I need to make "church deals" like that more often.

Jake says...

2011-02-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

Today as we were driving in the car, Jacob starting crying uncontrollably. When he could finally stop long enough to tell me what was wrong, he said, "Mom, I want my birthday to be May 27". (His is May 29th). When I asked why, he said, "because May 29th is SO MUCH LONGER!."

In a 3 yr. olds' mind, two days really is a long time. To make matters worse, Riley, Abby and I all started laughing at his cute remark. That didn't make him so happy, and he started crying even more. Poor boy.

Grandparents Day

2011-02-19T13:21:00.000-08:00

Riley had his 2nd grade Grandparent program in school. It was the cutest thing I have ever seen. They learned so many songs that were geared to the "older generation" :). He did such a fabulous job, and LOVED having ALL his grandparents there to support him! They also did a bunch of dances, including the Waltz. He got to dance with both Grandma Price and Grandma Becky. He thought that was pretty cool.
Riley serenaded us every night at dinner time for weeks leading up to the program with all of the songs he had been learning for it. He was chosen to do a special dancing number to "Sunrise, Sunset" with just two couples while all the other kids sang. He was so cute!!

All of the kids were paired up, and had to do all the dances with them. I guess being the tallest boy in the class means getting paired with the tallest girl.
His partner, Brooklyn played a part in the army. Hence, the army outfit.
Riley is quite the mover. He had so much fun during the whole performance. He thought it was fun getting to learn new dances. I love my little guy!!

Way behind

2011-01-20T10:32:00.001-08:00

I just realized that I haven't blogged for a long time... Christmas, New Years, House updates, pregnancy... the list goes on. I have lots of pictures to post, and I will get to it. However, I am running out the door in a sec to go teach preschool. One thing I will mention right now...

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!

Let it snow

2010-12-17T08:09:00.000-08:00

I have to admit that winter is not my favorite time of the year. However, I do LOVE the fact that my kids have so much fun playing in the snow. They made a cute snow family the last time that it snowed, and were so proud of their creations. Thank goodness that we are going to have snow during Christmas break. I foresee hours of fun on its way...

Christmas Dance recital

2010-12-11T18:53:00.000-08:00

Abby switched dance studios this year, and is now taking at AED, which I LOVE! I think she will go wherever she can, because she loves dancing. But I love it because they have great teachers, do technique- yes, even at 6 yrs old, and they are serious about what they do. Do I wish that it was a little cheaper?....... yup. But who doesn't, right?

Abby was so excited for her costumes this time. She just had to model them right when she came home. Anyway, she is in Ballet and Jazz. Both of her dances were darling, and she is getting so good!!
She really has a knack for dancing. Abby always challenges her brothers to arabesque contests, splits contests (now that is a picture for the blog). She has her middle splits down, and is almost there on right and left. Jake loves dancing with her. Here she is warming up right before she had to go backstage.
Friends always make things more fun! Jane is in her class, and they are the cutest ballerinas ever!
Here is her jazz costume. Is it just me, or does she look like she is 16 in the picture?
The boys are always so good to come watch her dance. Riley was so cute, and proud of his little sister after the recital.
Way to go Abs!! You rocked it!

Polar Express

2010-12-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

We took the kids to go see Santa and the North Pole on the Polar Express. They were so excited when they finally figured out where we were going. Everyone was so good on the train, and we had so much fun!Jacob was the most excited, due to his love of riding trains.

The conductor was so cute, and the kids were excited they got their tickets punched "just like on the movie!"

The kids were in heaven with their hot chocolate and cookies.

We rode on the train for 45 minutes out to the North Pole. Everyone was so excited to see Santa Claus out the windows! He went from car to car on the ride back, and spent time with each child.
There really was something magical about the trip. I could tell because Jacob actually sang the songs on the train, talked into the microphone, and talked to Santa!! It was such a nice night, and perfect way to start the Christmas season!!

Thankful for...

2010-11-19T20:08:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking a lot about Thanksgiving, so I will more than likely do a "thankful list" post. But for now, I just can't imagine a day going by without my kids being silly with me, and just having fun. Now THAT, I am thankful for!

Halloween Festivities!

2010-11-01T20:45:00.000-07:00

We had a great Halloween this year. I am happy that it is over... oh yes... I am very happy. The kids had a great time. Riley was a pirate- I don't think he ever wore his complete costume once- oh well. This is him, William, and Eli getting ready for their big night out.

Trick-or-Treating

Abby was a devil. She was happy that she had big Abbie to be with on Halloween, who was a genie. So cute!!

Jake was a pirate by day, and a dragon by night. He was smart and realized that he would be warmer as a dragon.

Preschool Program

Little pirate at his preschool Halloween program. Do you think he sang one song? No! I even bribed him with ANY toy that he wanted at Target. Um... still nothing. At least he was cute.

Trunk-or-Treat
I decided to dress our trunk up cute this year... I don't do spooky. Abby wanted to do a Hawaii theme, so she and I dressed up as Hula girls. I guess as hula-y as you can get w/ long pants and jackets. Tyler dressed as a Hawaiian tourist, but I never got his picture. We had a great turn out, and the kids had a ton of fun!

Halloween Parade at school

Riley, Abby, and Jane as Dorothy right before school. I didn't check my camera battery before we left for their parade, and sure enough, it died on me right before I saw my kids. At least my video camera caught them.

Grandma Price's annual Halloween Bash

My Mom & Dad go all out for Halloween. The kids love being with their cousins. We played fun games, ate great food, had the traditional dance party & parade around grandma's house- this year w/ a twist... you had to slide under the streamers in the doorway.

Here are G & G and all the kids, plus me because Jake wouldn't participate in the picture.

Family picture

Tyler went all out this year... really... this was quite a stretch for him- dressing as a BYU fan.

Grandma was Hermione from Harry Potter, and my cute nephew Tanner was Harry himself.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!!

Fall leaves

2010-10-17T20:10:00.000-07:00

We decided to go on a Sunday drive this afternoon, and the mountains were so pretty! We had fun going on hikes, watching deer right by us, Abby freaking out and almost breaking her other arm because she was terrified of a little dog, Jacob finding every stick possible to be a part of his weapons collection, etc. Here are a few pics.

We saw a ton of granite, and this one in particular was awesome that the kids are sitting on. You can see clearly the lines from being cut, quite possibly by the pioneers that built the Salt Lake Temple. We had a nice teaching moment w/ the kids, and they all wanted to keep a little piece of granite from the mountain.
I love living close to the mountains!

Ouch!!

2010-10-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

One thing a mother hates more than anything, is seeing her child suffer. Last Thursday evening we were at Riley's soccer practice. Abby was playing on the Zip line, and she fell and landed on her elbow. I knew there was a reason I don't like those zip lines on playgrounds. I took her to instacare, where she was x-rayed, then sent immediately to Primary Children's. We got there around 9 p.m. According to the x-ray's, she broke her elbow in 3 places. One in particular was worse than the others, because it hit right on a growth plate. They decided to take her in to surgery, and fix her up with pins and wires- OUCH!! That just makes me cringe. Anyway, the surgery went well, and she was a trooper! The ER nurse gave her this little white bear for being so brave. She didn't let it out of her sight the whole time she was in the hospital.

The doctors told us that she will have the pins taken out when everything is set back in place- thank goodness!

Just after surgery. Tyler stayed with her all night in the hospital. I don't do so well there, knowing what is going on w/ my child. Thanks Ty! He deals with that stuff much better than me!

Abby discovered that she could make a seat belt for her new bear snowy on her arm. Finally, a real smile!

The best part of the whole deal... Abby had a loose tooth right in the front, so the doc asked Tyler if he wanted him to pull it. Why not, right? Good choice. The doctor wrote this cute note to Abby. In fact, she doubled her money at the hospital, then brought the tooth home, put it under her pillow, and got another dollar out of it. What a deal!

Abby is having a hard time getting used to her cast. It is the full length of her arm, so she isn't able to bend it: put on her shoes, jacket, carry lunch tray at school, can't run and play at recess, etc... There are things that she has to figure out how to do. This might be a long road, but she has been ok so far!

Riley's Baptism

2010-10-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a great day for our family! Riley was baptised and confirmed a member of the church. He has been preparing for so long, and looking forward to this day. I am so proud of him, and the good decisions that has been making. I am so grateful that Tyler was able to be there with Riley on his special day. There is just something special about Father's baptising their children.

Yes, those are Jacob's hand on my skirt. Has anyone noticed that he HATES cameras?

Riley's friend Abbie was baptised with him on Saturday, so that was fun having their family there with us. We made them pose here, but it looks more like an engagement picture! Hmmm... that could work.

We had a ton of family and friends there with us for the big day. Our ward Primary Presidency makes neat books for the kids being baptised, so Riley has a great account of everything that happened. Also included are testimonies of everyone that was there. They have been so neat to read! Thanks everyone for supporting Riley and our family! We love you!

Happy Birthday Riley- 8 years old!!

2010-10-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

Riley's birthday was last Saturday, so we gave him the Mario party that he has been dreaming about for months. Ok, so I'm sure it didn't quite meet his expectations, but we ended up having 16 kids over, so we had to improvise a little. They played some fun games, including Mario Kart (using our roller coaster), Bowser Bash (dodgeball on the tramp), a fun obstacle course, and a few other things.

Jake was so excited for the party, so he could dress up like Yoshi. He is the little green dragon in Mario (at least I think he is a dragon- maybe a dinosaur). Just so happens that we have a costume to kind-of fit the Yoshi description. Jake came up with the idea all on his own. The kids were in heaven as Yoshi chased them around the yard. He even did the Obstacle course. It was too funny!!

Now this is what made me cry... Riley getting his first scout uniform. He was SO excited! He looks so cute in it!

My b-day is right after Riley's, so Tyler was sweet and through me a surprise party for my birthday with a few of our friends. I thought that was a great idea, since I TOTALLY forgot to give Riley candles on his b-day cupcake, AND I forgot to SING TO HIM! Bad mom!! SO, we made the little get-together a Riley and me party.

It was fun having our neighbors over! Our birthdays were both fun- crazy, busy, but fun! Happy Birthday Riley! I can't believe you are 8 years old! Where has the time gone? I love you so much, and I am so proud of the great son you are! You will always be my bud!!

Lotoja

2010-09-14T20:32:00.000-07:00

This has nothing to do with me, but I have to brag for a second. Lotoja is a huge bike race going from Logan, Utah to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. My brother, Cory rode in it last year, and got a relay team to do it again this year. The race was last Saturday, so Cory, his wife Emily, and another one of my brother's, Kyle, did a relay team. They finished in just over 10 hours.

Here are my bros in all their gettup- Cory in blue, Kyle in red.
Here is the team: Emily, Cory, Zack (Cory's friend), Kyle and my cute nephew Finn.
Way to go guys!! I want to be there with you next year! I haven't done much racing since my last triathlon in Moab. I need to get back in shape!!

Little Getaway

2010-09-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

I bought tickets to the Lion King awhile ago, and so we decided to make a weekend of it. The kids LOVED the show, and had a great time- especially since they had their own pair of binoculars!

We got a room at Little America, where we swam, played, rode trax, and just enjoyed being together. I forgot to pack a sleeping bag for one of the kids, so we just turned them sideways so all 3 fit. I brought the Lion King movie and the laptop for them to watch in bed the night before the show.
The kids thought the pool was pretty cool. They loved swimming under the tunnel to the inside pool. It doesn't take much to please kids!
Abby was in heaven in the hot tub.
Off to Iggy's for dinner. The food was so good! My favorite part was the Huge ice cream sundae the kids got w/ their meals. It was yummy!

Jake's favorite part was riding the train of course. Word of advise... always look at the front of the train to see which direction it is heading. We ended up getting on the University-bound train at one point. We had to get off, get on another train to go back to where we started, get off that one, then got on the right train to our hotel. It was a headache, especially with two Very, Tired children!

My boys!

I loved our close little trip. The kids had fun, and didn't even realize that they were only 20 miles from home. It was cheap, fun, and full of good times!!!

Fun night out

2010-08-29T15:18:00.000-07:00

Friday night was our wards' Father and sons campout. The boys had been looking forward to this night for a while. Abby and I were as well, since we were going to have a Girls' night out when the boys were gone. Keep in mind that Friday night was the "big" rain storm. I was a little bit nervous for them, but Tyler assured me that they would be fine. They are "men". They did get rained on, but it cleared up after awhile, and they had so much fun. Tyler bought this little tent so he wouldn't have to take our hotel tent w/ them.
Snug as a bug
Abby and I had a fun night w/ out the boys. She got to choose where to go for dinner. So.... McDonald's it was. (I was begging for anything else). We went to Sweet tooth fairy to get cupcakes, then off to Justice for shopping. We were amazed by the beautiful rainbows close to our house, so we went rainbow chasing, just sure that we would find a leprachaun, and a pot of gold. Much to our disappointment, the rainbows kept disappearing every time we got close. Shucks. We ended the night w/ a sleepover in my bed, and fell asleep watching Percy Jackson and the Lighting Thief. It was a fun night out!!

What a Week!!

2010-08-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I love the first week of school? Really. I think it is more of a selfish reason than anything. I love getting back into a routine, even though it has been a little crazy the last few days. Riley started school on Monday, and was so excited. He has a great teacher, and is already making new friends.

Abby started 1st grade on Tuesday... sigh... I can't believe she is growing up so fast. She has been so excited, and hasn't complained, or even made mention of the LONG day at school. Yea! She is just excited to eat lunch w/ her friends, and even got 3 recesses the first day. Can life get any better?

I love having Riley and Abby so close together. They are best friends, and totally look out for each other.

Ok, so I know I am her mom, but Abby is just so dang cute!

Abby was excited to get to line up next to her friend Ellie's class outside the first grade doors. Friends always make everything easier. I did really well all morning, except for right when she started walking into school w/ her class. I got a little teary realizing that I wouldn't get to see her ALL DAY! That lasted about 10 minutes, then I was fine and dandy!

Now this is the crazy part... I have 3 school kids this year! Jake started preschool on Tuesday afternoon. Talk about a tear-jerker. He looked so cute in his school outfit, and was insistent on getting his picture taken outside. He had a great first, and second day of school. He loves his teacher Miss Debi, and is excited to be a "big kid"now.

Awww... he looks so big in this picture!

Hurray!!! It's time for school!!

I actually started teaching preschool at Corner Canyon Academy (where Jake is going). I am teaching Tues & Thurs afternoon so I am there when Jake is. I totally lucked out, and got an awesome class. All of my kids are darling. It is definitely an adjustment, and has made things a little crazy (as mentioned previously) with trying to figure out carpool, etc. It is going to work out, and be a good year.

So, all in all, it is good to be back in school.

My kids are famous!

2010-07-26T22:27:00.000-07:00

Ok, not really. They just like to think they are. Tyler does a lot of work for the University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics, and they are breaking ground for a new Community Health Center in Daybreak tomorrow morning. They did a fence wrap to go around the site where they are doing the building, and they needed some models for the wrap. So, Riley and Abby got to go do another photo shoot, get their faces on a fence, and get free movie tickets. What else can a kid ask for? Next time you are in Daybreak, you should check it out. It is just West of Soda Row, on Daybreak Parkway.

Thank goodness for...

2010-07-23T22:54:00.000-07:00

Snowcones!! Don't snowcones just scream "Summer"! Sorry that every picture lately is of the kids in their swimsuits. Well, that pretty much sums up our lives this past month and a half. We had all of the Sohm cousins over tonight for Late-over, so the other two couples could do their date night. We stayed out and played until 9:30 p.m., and I had to practically drag them in to get in their pajamas. I love when cousins are good friends, and love being together.

Love these days!

2010-07-20T20:49:00.000-07:00

All of the Sohm girls spent the day at my mom's pool today. It was so fun just relaxing, and enjoying the sun! I LOVE my parents pool. My kids could spend their whole summer there. Thanks for the fun day everyone!

Jacob, Avery, Camri, Madison, & Abby snacking in the shade
Abby was excited to see Madison in "almost the exact, exact, EXACT same pink coverup!!!"
Jakey's weapon of choice for the afternoon

My Sis-in-law Nicole and cute little Kate

My parents have a great view of the mountains from their backyard.

The boys- Garret, Riley & Kaden

Lake Powell

2010-07-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

We spent all of last week at Lake Powell with Tyler's family. We haven't been able to go for a couple of years, so it was so fun to be there again! Tyler's dad bought a new boat, and it is awesome!! It is made for surfing, but we also had fun tubing, skiing, wakeboarding, and just relaxing! The kids loved being with their cousins more than anything! I am posting a bunch of pictures from the trip, and you might get more later when I get the good ones back from Tyler's brother.

The kids' favorite part of Lake Powell was the beach! Can you blame them?

Jacob had fun holding the flag

Abby and Grandpa

One of the exciting moments of the trip was with Riley. He was getting in the back of the boat, and he hit his mouth on the platform and broke his front tooth. He was pretty traumatized when it happened, but luckily there was no blood or nerve damage. My brother Cory is going to fix his tooth for us. It pays having a dentist in the family!

This is how Jacob spent a lot of time in the boat... thank goodness! He woke up so early every day, so the hum of the boat put him right to sleep. Love it!

We had such a great trip! Thanks Dallan and Becky, and everybody else for being so great! We LOVE our family!!

Still here

2010-06-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged forever, and I have SO Many things to put on here: End-of School activities, dance recitals, birthday parties!! I really need to be better at this! However, now is not the time. Tyler and I are off to Las Vegas for the weekend! We are first going to stop in Ephraim for our wards' Youth Conference, then head down to Vegas. Of course it is 11:00 p.m., and I haven't even started packing for our early morning departure. So... until I get back, this is all you get.

I promise I will post lots of fun pictures asap!

Mothers Day

2010-05-19T08:52:00.000-07:00

I know I am a little late posting this, but it has been on my mind a lot lately. I can't think of anything else that I would rather be than a mom. Some days are good, some days are bad. Sometimes I want to make my kids sleep outside in the rain (which I have threatened them with), and some times I just can't get enough of their smiles, their laughs, their hugs, their licks (yes, licks), helping them with homework, making sure they practice the piano, playing soccer, watching home videos with them, chauffering them to all their dance classes and sports practices. The list goes on and on. Being a mom is busy. But I LOVE it! I can't imagine my life without my sweet little angels. I am so grateful that they are MINE forever! I couldn't ask for better kids, and I love being home with them every day. Along w/ the kidlets, Tyler is my hero! There are days when Tyler gets home from work, and he is just as exhausted as I am after a long day. He can just tell that it's been "one of those days", and he takes over for me. I can't ask for a better husband!! You are the best Ty! I love you to pieces!!

My other greatest hero is my mom!! She is the best! I have learned so much from her!! I thought having three kids was hard, I can't even imagine having 6!! I have learned that you have to be pretty amazing to have so many kids! I love my Mom-in-law too!! I have been so lucky to have two of the greatest examples of women in my life!! I love you guys!!

Here are a couple of pics of my cute kids on Mother's day.

Sous Chef's

2010-05-19T08:34:00.000-07:00

I asked the kids if they wanted to make cookies the other day.When I came into the kitchen, they were all ready for me!! Too cute! I love my little helpers!!

Jake had more fun pouring the sugar back and forth.

Flag football

2010-04-30T19:48:00.000-07:00

Riley decided to put soccer on hold for a season, and try out flag football. Can I just say that was the best decision ever!! He LOVES it!! He has a great coach, a fun team, and has already learned a ton!! He has gotten a couple of touch downs, extra points, and has pulled a lot of flags from his opponents. He is really fun to watch, especially now that he is really getting the game down. The best part is, their team name is the "Utah Utes!"

I love to see the Temple

2010-04-25T20:18:00.000-07:00

This last week has been an interesting one for our family. Tyler was called to be in the Bishopric in our ward. He is the 2nd counselor. It is humbling, exciting, scary, and every other emotion all at the same time. He is such a great man, and will do an amazing job serving our ward. I need to post more about his calling, but I want to get these pictures on here. He had a Stake Priesthood meeting this afternoon, so my cute neighbor Sandy Lloyd came up to the Draper Temple with us to take some fun pictures of my kids. Jacob fell and cut his arm pretty bad within the first few minutes of being there, so he didn't want to participate in many pictures. It was so beautiful, and I am glad that we were able to go. I LOVE living so close to the temple!

Funnest party ever!

2010-04-13T21:02:00.000-07:00

Abby's birthday party is one she will not soon forget. The youth in our ward did a fund raiser dinner and silent auction to earn money for youth conference. One of the things they were auctioning was a "Day of Beauty." I was already planning Abby's party, and thought that would go perfectly with her "Girls just want to have fun" theme. SO... I bid, and won. The day of the party, we had five of the most fabulous young women EVER come over, and set up a whole salon downstairs. They did the girls' hair, makeup, nails, and just made them feel like princesses. Abby and her friends were so excited when they saw what they got to do for the party. Here are just a few of the many pics for you...

Here are ALL the girls, big and little after all of the makeovers.

Abby loved getting her hair done!

My nieces Ellie and Lily came over to join in the fun.

Do you think this little girl was in heaven or what?

My favorite part of the party was a CD I made for the girls to take home. It had all of Abby's favorite "Dance Party" songs on it. I was just giddy watching these girls dance to the music and being so girly. Little girls are the best!

I've said it once, and I'll say it again... I love you Abby!!! I hope you had a fun birthday party!

Birthday girl

2010-04-09T12:20:00.000-07:00

Abby turned 6 on April 6! She has such a special birthday, and is such a special girl. I can't believe how fast she is growing! I honestly can't believe that she is getting so big. She is so full of life, and I can already see the teenage years are going to be so fun!! Abby is my little sweetie, and I couldn't imagine my life without her!!

We are moving things around a little bit in our house, so all three kids wanted to move their rooms downstairs. WooHoo!! Abby has always shared a room w/ one of the boys, so she now got to create her own room! She picked out the purple, and was so attached to her bed the minute she saw it. I would have picked something else out, but I guess she is only young once. We got the carpet in on her birthday, and moved in her bed and dresser. It tuned out really cute! I will post more pictures later of it complete.

Abby's best friends Eva and Jane came over to have a dance party in her new room. I just can't get enough of these little girls! They are so dang cute!

Abby got to go to Build-a-Bear for her birthday. She has been wanting to get the little mermaid costume for a bear for the last few months. She finally got it, played w/ it for her b-day, and the bear hasn't been in it since. Can I say, "waste of money?"

Happy Birthday Abby!! I love you!!!

Happy Easter

2010-04-08T11:13:00.000-07:00

We had fun on Easter Sunday. We tried to squeeze in coloring the eggs between Conference sessions on Saturday. The kids were up early, and were very prepared to find eggs. They have been having "practice" easter egg hunts for the last week just to get ready for the big day. I must say that their idea was a good one, since Jacob didn't quite know what to do with his basket the first time Abby handed it to him, and said "go find some eggs". I don't blame him. He was quite the egg finding whiz after he found his basket.

We went to my parents for dinner, and had a fun Easter egg hunt outside. My brother Cory and his family were there, so the kids had fun w/ their cousins.

Happy Birthday Ty!!

2010-04-07T20:04:00.000-07:00

Tyler's b-day was last last week, on March 29th. Our friends watched the kids for us, so we could go to dinner. We went to our favorite sushi place in Holliday, "Oh Sushi"- I highly recommend this place if you are into it. I love you Ty, and I couldn't ask for a better hubby!! You are the best, and I will keep you forever!! Happy (late) Birthday!!

Early Easter

2010-03-28T20:06:00.000-07:00

Since we aren't going to church next week, I let the kids wear their new clothes to church today. Mainly for Abby, who was dying to wear the Easter dress that she picked out. Might I add that she looked darling in it! (I know I am biased) The boys looked quite dashing as well. Too bad there weren't any pretty spring flowers to take their pictures by.

Happy St. Patty's Day

2010-03-18T11:48:00.000-07:00

Of course, I forgot to take pictures of how cute the kids all looked in their green attire for the big day. They were excited when they woke up to find the leprechauns had turned our house upside down, and left magic leprechaun dust all over. They left lucky charms and green milk for the kids. When Riley went to bed, he left a note on the table for "Tippety" the leprechaun to please leave "one girl toy and two boy toys" during the night for the kids. Do leprechauns really leave toys? I don't remember getting any when I was young, but Riley was insistent on what he thought was the norm. If anyone has insight on this holiday policy, please fill me in. He did not get any presents, but a note from Tippety that said to wait for Easter for a fun toy.

For the record...

2010-02-27T16:43:00.000-08:00

My husband got a hold of my blog, and the previous post is all his doing. I, for the record, am extremely horrified of mice, which he is fully aware of, and the sole reason for his post. He thought he was being funny. I think otherwise.

My new favorite commercial

2010-02-26T10:26:00.000-08:00

Usually, I write about my kids, or my wonderful husband (did I mention how awesome he is?) but today i thought i would share my new favorite commercial with everyone. I just cant get enough of this little guy. He is so cute, just lying there helpless. I am thinking of getting one for the kids to play with.

too cute

2010-02-23T20:23:00.000-08:00

Abby is such a good big sister. She and Jake were playing so cute together all day. They wouldn't leave each others' sides, and couldn't even stand to be apart for one minute. Not even while Abby had to practice the piano.

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T14:11:00.000-08:00

How did I get such sweet little Valentines! They are the best kids, and I just couldn't love them any more that I already do!! Tyler wasn't in the picture, but he is my true valentine!! He is the best husband, and I love him so much!

Ski bums

2010-02-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

I started skiing at an early age, and just recently decided that my kids need to learn. They have been before, but both really want to do it now. I made a goal that I was going to take one of them skiing each week. Riley and I went two weeks ago, and he did so good!! I was really proud of him, and he had fun. It was such a nice day, we had to take off our coats and hats. Riley wanted to take off his pants too, but the extra padding was much needed.

Abby and I went on Friday, and I don't think we have ever laughed so hard together. She did so great getting on and off the lifts, and wanted to keep doing it.
I love spending one-on-one time with my kids. This is such a fun way to do it, because they have my undivided attention, something they don't always get at home. I am looking forward to our next trip to the ski slopes.

Fun weekend

2010-01-29T20:43:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Tyler and I went up to Midway, and stayed at the Zermatt Resort. Despite the ugly fog, and blizzard on Saturday, we had so much fun! The resort is Swiss-style, so it made me feel like were on vacation far away. We enjoyed good food, a day of skiing, massages, meeting new friends in the hot tub, and just being together.

Here is the resort on Saturday night- ya... it was a blizzard all day! But still so pretty!
We woke up Sunday morning, and we could actually see everything. I love when the sun comes out.
So this is about the coolest thing ever. These are "Ice Castles". Really! They have little sprinklers that constantly run on these structures, then w/ the snow and cold, it turns to ice, and gets bigger every day! They were seriously breathtaking.
We took a walk through the ice castles on Saturday night. There were so many castles, and one that you could even walk inside. I highly recommend a trip to Midway just to see them!
After a long day of skiing at the Canyons. The guy that took out picture was proud that he got the "Snow God" in the picture.

We fell in love w/ Midway, and especially Zermatt. We are definitely going to be going back soon! Thanks for a great get-a-way Ty!! Love you!!

Life is good

2010-01-05T21:22:00.000-08:00

What a great way to kick off the new year, than to go sledding! I love seeing my kids happy, and having fun!

We love having friends come w/ us! Max and William are pretty much part of the family.

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T21:11:00.000-08:00

2009 was by far my most challenging year. We had so many hardships, and moments that made me wonder "why?". As I have thought through this year, I have had so many blessings as well. I couldn't ask for a better husband, kids, family, friends, etc... Even though trial after trial seemed to hit me in the face, there was always someone there to help me through it. "Thank You" to everyone that stepped in, and actually made 2009 better. We are surrounded by sweet spirits that make ever day worth living.

I am excited for this new year, and hope that 2010 brings good luck and happiness to you!!

Christmas morning

2009-12-29T19:27:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things about Christmas is when the kids wake up early in the morning, and I can hearing them whispering in their rooms. Wondering if Santa came, and if so, what did he bring? They were so excited this Christmas, and made Christmas so fun!!

Riley was examaning the "loot" before any presents were opened.
Jacob LOVED opening presents!! He was so excited with each one!

What was Jake's favorite gift to GIVE? Well, when I asked him what he wanted to get Daddy for Christmas, he said, "Coke". He wasn't kidding. I tried to persuade him to choose something else, but the 2 yr. old knows what dad likes best.

Riley was happy to get more legos! He is getting really good at constructing new things with them!

YEA!!! She was a good girl! Abby got the princess vanity that she has been dying to get. Notice her cute leotard & tutu, which has not come off for 4 days.

Darth Vader invaded our house Christmas morning. Jake is always pretending to be one of the "bad guys." Is that a sign?

Riley was happy w/ his Pokemon cards.

These next two pictures show what made our kids the happiest... Chipmunk dolls, and a new little roller coaster. They have had so much fun with Alvin, Simon, & Theodore. Who knew they would be such a hit!

Santa brought Jacob a cute little roller coaster. I need to take a better picture of it, but it is a 10 foot long track that this little car rolls down. They LOVED it! I got the idea from my friend, and have never been so pleased. This was the "in-between" entertainment as they were waiting for their turn to open their gifts. Friends, cousins, and even Grandma (ask me about that one) have ridden the roller coaster. It is a hit!!
Over all, we had a great day!! We spent the afternoon with my family at my parents, then saw Tyler's family as well. I love Christmas, and was grateful that everyone was good this year!

Christmas Sunday

2009-12-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

I am so lucky to have such a great family. Just seeing my kids in their Christmas clothes makes me smile (even though I wasn't smiling while taking the pictures. No one would cooperate at the same time.)

What cute boys!!
I love Abby's Christmas dress! She looked darling, (even after church). She is such a sweetheart!!
Jakey sporting his new outfit. I could not get him to hold still to get his picture taken.

Busy day/night

2009-12-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

I guess packing your days full is expected this time of year. On Saturday, we started out w/ Grandma K's Christmas Party. She is Tyler's Grandma (and Grandpa) and they are the greatest people in the world.

Then we were off to Abby's dance recital. She is taking tumbling, Jazz & Ballet, and is doing so good. She loves taking w/ her "girls" - 5 cute friends from our neighborhood.

Her cousins Camri & Avery came to watch her dance. They were so excited to see Abby on stage.

My mom comes to almost every event the grandkids are involved in. She is the best!!

After the recital, we were off to Grandma Price's house for her Christmas party. We had a great dinner, then the kids did the traditional Nativity. Abby was Mary this year, and Issac was Joseph.

Jacob was Luke Skywalker, the Shepherd. Hey, we will do anything lately to get Jakey to participate.

I love his pose!!

All the kids

My mom is the best pianist ever! She literally can plan anything on the piano!! I so want to be like her one day. She played all the songs, then we had a little talent show where all the kids played the piano, pretended to play the piano, and sang. It was really fun!

The kids always look forward to Santa coming. Jake of course, freaked out, and would not sit on Santa's lap. I literally had to drag him to where he is standing in this picture. Take being a timid little boy, to being forced to sit on some big scary guys' lap... not so fun.

Jakey does, however, love his little cousin Finn. We just couldn't resist their matching monster jammies. Too cute!!

I love Christmas time

2009-12-15T21:40:00.000-08:00

I usually either stress-out during the holidays, or sit back and enjoy... So far I have done both. I am the activities chairperson in our ward, and we just had two big activities that I was in charge of. We had a Christmas breakfast (which I highly recommend instead of a dinner), and neighborhood Nativity. Both turned out really well, but that was the stressful part. Now that they are over, I get to really get into Christmas. All of the shopping is done, and presents are wrapped (almost). So I am really looking forward to the rest of the holiday season.

Riley and Abby made these cute mini gingerbread houses w/ my mom on Thanksgiving, and have been displaying them on the kitchen counter ever since.

My sis-in-law is a great photographer, and wanted to take some pictures of the kids at Gardner Village on Friday. Can I say "COLD"!!! The kids were freezing, but still had fun. Of course Jacob wouldn't cooperate and be in any of the pictures. Maybe next time... (These pics are from my camera- not Nicole's good one)

My neighbors Tyler and Marie were Mary and Joseph for our Nativity last night. All the kids got to come up and be part of the Nativity as well. It was a great night!

Cute Kids

2009-12-15T21:28:00.001-08:00

I came into my bedroom to find Abby & Jake snuggling together as they watched a Christmas movie on my bed. They are too cute!

Have you ever tried a 3-tiered pyramid on top of an unstable ottoman?

Um... it doesn't always work...

and always seems to end up in disaster!

Random pics

2009-12-08T11:43:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else feel like the days, or even weeks go by without blogging? I have the best of intentions, but the day seems to fly by, and by 11:00 at night, I just simply don't have the energy to post all of our fun adventures. I am making a goal for the new year to be better at this. So, to feel like I am doing at least something, here are a few random pics in the last couple of weeks...

Jake was so excited to finally put his shovel to good use a week or two ago. Now, he will have PLENTY of snow to shovel for me!

Jacob always makes us laugh! He loves wearing Tyler's hats, and thinking he is a big kid!

Jacob playing "pilot" in the "copter" at Discovery Gateway.

Oh ya... This is the best Turkey Bowl attire ever!

I don't know who Riley is pretending to be with his big bum and belly... maybe me?

Ok. So for some reason, whenever I ask Riley to strike a pose, this is what I end up with. It is so him!

At least Abby had fun eating her peas.

Draper/Sandy Junior Miss

2009-11-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

We had our Jr. Miss program on Oct. 29, and it was so much fun! We had 11 girls, and they were all amazing! Talk about talented, bright young women! I had a great experience directing a whole program, which I am not used to. I do the Production for Utah's Jr. Miss, which is always in March, so this was a new undertaking. The girls made it worth it! We are taking 4 girls to the state program. The winners are: Shelby Erasmus, Lauren Dixon, Shelby Dixon, and Lexi Childs. I just found out that Shelby Dixon (#5) won't be able to go to state, so Megan Abrahamson, who is the next runner-up is going to take her place.

Me w/ the girls

Awwww, my kids were so good during the program. I always look forward to their hugs when it is over!

Happy Halloween!!

2009-11-06T20:17:00.000-08:00

I loved having Halloween on a Saturday!! I feel like we are always rushing around on Halloween, but we just took it easy this year. Thanks to Tyler, being our designated pumpkin carver, he got the kids out at made them dig out the "guts". Of course Riley hated sticking his hands in the gooey mess, but they had fun.

Cute kids, getting ready for their big night out.
I didn't spend a dime on costumes this year. My sister in law, Emily let me borrow her costumes for Riley and Jake- Thanks Emily!!! Another friend in my ward gave me Abby's lady bug costume last year, and we have just been waiting to use it. Thanks Kim Schipp!
Luke Skywalker

Cute little Lady Bug Abby. She just HAD to wear her angel wings. "Mom, don't you know? A lady bug can't be a lady bug without her wings." Ok. Whatever.

Buzz Light Year. a.k.a. "Bud lite". We would ask Jakey who he was over and over again just to get him to say the name of a beer. It was so funny!

Sandy City Volunteers are the best! Thanks for the candy!!

And off they go...

The kids had so much fun trick-or-treating. They went around with their friends. Tyler had fun too, since he was with the kids dad's, who are his good friends. I got to stay home and pass out candy. Does anyone feel bad for throwing their kids' candy away? I think ours needs to go soon.

Trunk-or-Treat

2009-11-06T20:02:00.000-08:00

I am now the Activities Chairman in my ward, so I was in charge of Trunk-or-Treat. I was so busy w/ Junior Miss, plus I felt horrible on top of everything else, but all in all, it turned out to be a great night! The kids decorated our trunk like a beehive, since I was a bee. (Thanks Callee for the costume). It turned out to be less of a beehive, and more of a jumbled mess. Whatever. We still had fun!
Riley and the Beutler boys playing in our "beehive" (tent).

Abby, Sammie and Rachel- two of Abby's FAVORITE big girls!!!

Luke & Luke. Too funny that Riley and William both planned to be Luke Skywalker, WITHOUT consulting one another about it. Great minds think alike.

Yes, I'm here

2009-10-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

I feel like the last month and a half has flown by. I have been so busy. I haven't even blogged about Disneyland, Riley's b-day, My b-day, parties, etc... My life has recently been consumed by Junior Miss. I am the director for the Draper/Sandy Junior Miss program. This is a scholarship program for girls that are seniors in high school. We have 11 girls in the program, and they are so fun! 3 of the girls are from my ward, which makes me want them all to win. Our program is this Thursday, Oct. 29 at Summit Academy in Draper. I would love for you to come and see our program.

Until that is over, I will probably drop off the face of the earth again. I am promising myself that I will catch up on all of my posts. Some day...

Sohm Family Campout

2009-09-11T08:18:00.000-07:00

We went up to the Heber Valley Campgrounds w/ Tyler's family last weekend. It was so much fun! My kids are already looking forward to next time. Here are a few pics of our weekend.

Jacob was fascinated with the wood pile. I lost track of how many times he climbed up the little path, and came down with a log, and continued over to the fire pit to drop it off. He was so dang cute!

Grandpa kept all of the kids entertained. He had them play cherades for each other.
Leave it to Grandma Becky to devote a whole cabin to games and crafts. The kids loved finding their rocks and painting them. They had other crafts that they did as well.

The funniest part was when Grandpa sat all the kids down, and told them how the missionaries used to fight off the indians with special guns. He instructed all the kids, step by step, on how to make their own "missionary guns." They were made out of PVC pipe, and mini marshmallows were their ammunition. Um... can we say, "marshmallow fight"? Kaden, Garrett, and Riley were all trying to attack me as I was taking this picture of them.

Here is most of the fam getting our wrist tags to do the obstacle course.
Abby flying high on the rope swing. She loved it, and wanted to go again.
me getting all hooked up.
Riley slowing down after a big swing.
Of course, Jake just couldn't miss out on the fun. He was so cute in his little helmet and harness. He is so brave.
Hold on tight Jakey!
Tarzan, I mean Tyler, swinging through the trees.
Sohm Family photo. Thanks Dallan and Becky for a fun weekend!

School Girl!

2009-09-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

I didn't know whether to cry, or shout for joy for this day. Abby started kindergarten at Sprucewood Elementary. She is so excited, and has been counting down the days- literally. She asks how many more days until school starts every morning when she wakes up. She has a great teacher, and is so thrilled to be a "school girl" now! She couldn't wait to wear her 1st day of school outfit. She looked so cute!

Abby was so excited to finally put her Dora backpack to good use!
Awwww. Abby just loves being able to go to school with her big brother Riley now! He feels pretty cool too, since he "knows his way around".Jane is one of Abby's best friends. I think it makes things easier knowing they are going on this crazy adventure together. The craziest thing was the sign behind them saying "I will be College Ready in 2022". I so don't want to think about that right now!

Mommy had a hard time saying goodbye. I will miss my little Abby Cadabby as my sidekick every morning.
Abby's other best friend, Eva, just happens to be in Mrs. Barton's class with her. They are going to have a great year!
And, off they go. I love you Abby!!

1st grade

2009-09-05T20:02:00.000-07:00

Riley started first grade this week. I can't believe my little boy is growing up! Time really needs to slow down! He has a great teacher, and is so happy to have his best friend William is in his class. He is loving having lunch at school (as am I). He loves having 2 recesses, and has already started playing "chase the girls" with his friends at recess. He said that he loves it even more when the girls chase them. Is he growing up TOO fast?

Lining up at the first grade door. He was so nervous, which was so cute! I love my boy!!

Take me out to the Ball Game

2009-08-09T21:37:00.000-07:00

One of the perks of Tyler's work is being able to do fun outings. We went to the Bee's game on Friday night, and had a ball (ha ha). We were in a suite, and the kids were in heaven w/ all you could eat popcorn, hot dogs, drinks, etc. Before we went to the game, they were asking if they would get to see Bumble again this time. You can imagine their excitement when he came walking right down to see them.

I love his picture of Abby just hanging out with Bumble.

early morning

2009-08-09T21:01:00.000-07:00

I took the kids to the Sandy City Balloon Festival on Friday morning. I was a little reluctant to wake my sleeping kids at 6:30 a.m., but I knew I would get the 3rd degree later if I hadn't done it. It went from 6:30 to 8:00 a.m. Luckily, it was just at the park down the street from our house, so I didn't feel like it was such a big ordeal. As you can see the fall-like attire, this was a CHILLY morning. It was really fun to see all of the balloons flying around. They kept going up and down, and there were so many of them.

They thought it was so fun to see the baskets up-close. Riley really wanted to get in, but apparently they were not allowed to let anyone in any of the baskets. I think I caught Abby mid-yawn.
This was Abby's favorite balloon. She loved the rainbow.
Riley and a bunch of other kids ran to "help" the man hold the balloon while it was deflating. (He is in the grey jacket closest to the ballon)
And their favorite part of the morning? Playing on the playground. I have to say that I was thankful for this part. It got their energy out, and prolonged the adventure just a little while longer.

Fun night out

2009-08-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

Tyler and I took the kids over to Safety Days at Draper park on Tuesday night. We had so much fun doing the bounce houses, getting faces painted, going through the ambulance, fire engine and helicopter. Riley and Abby wanted to climb the rock wall more than anything. I was quite impressed w/ how patient they were waiting in such a long line. They both did really well, and Riley actually made it up to the top.

Jacob loved watching the helicopters zooming all around the park. He thought he was pretty cool to go in a real one.
Our favorite part of the night- the safety bike course. It was Jakey's favorite because he rode a two-wheeler (with training wheels of course) for the 1st time ever! He was so excited, and did awesome on it! It was my favorite part because he was too little for any of the helmets, so the lady in charge opened up a brand new helmet and gave it to Jacob to use for the course. She then said that he could just have it, along w/ the knee & elbow pads. SCORE!! I could have done w/out all of the little Pokemon guys on it, but hey, it's free, right?
Riley had fun in the police tank.
The kids had a ton of fun, and learned a lot about being safe in many different situations. It was good for me to hear everything again too!

My awesome hubby

2009-08-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

I usually save my "tributes" until special days: birthdays, anniversary's, graduations, etc. Today isn't really a special day, but just one of those bitter-sweet ones. Tyler has served as the Young Men's president in our ward for over 3 years, and was released today. He served in the YM's for the last 8 yrs. in one calling or another, and has watched these young men grow up- literally. I know I am biased, but I think he did such a great job. Hearing the testimonies of a couple of his young men today in church proved that he has made such a difference in their lives. He has done so many fun things w/ those boys: Camping, boating, biking, teaching his Priests how to ask a girl out (without texting them), and actually dating. We have hosted MANY date nights at our house where the boys came over earlier to make food, decorate, etc... then go home and get their dates. We have had movie parties outside where the boys have come over in the middle of the day to claim their Love Sac's, and carry them outside to the backyard for me. He invited the boys over to study Preach My Gospel before school once a week, followed by their traditional cereal buffet. Sunrise hikes, coming over to tell us where they got their mission calls, rallying around us when we lost our little baby... The Young Men in our ward have truly been a blessing to our family, and especially Tyler. I asked him earlier if he said "good-bye" to them today in Priests quorum. He told me that it isn't goodbye. They will always be a part of his life, and will always be some of his closest friends. I love you Ty, and I am so grateful to have you in my life!

You're the best!!

After water-skiing interview

2009-08-02T14:38:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this after his water-skiing. Oh well. He was so cute!