Our Week with Ammon and Kirsten and Kiddos!

Wow, What a week!!! Ammon and Kirsten, Thank You so much for coming and staying with us!! We had so much fun and are so grateful for you guys and the sacrifice that you made to create Fun Memories for all of us!! I'll break the trip down day by day....

Saturday
Ammon and Kirsten got to our home on Saturday evening...and it was so fun to be together again!! I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready and I knew they would be there soon....I turned around and saw Ethan playing with Kolby, except it took a few seconds to realize that it was Ethan and not Brayden... The kids didn't miss a beat...they were all instantly best friends, you would have thought that they were always together every day!! Everyone enjoyed meeting Kolby for the first time. Chris came over and got to meet Ammon and Kirsten and Grandma Larsen came over to get hugs on the kids too. We had a ton of fun talking and playing together. We started the week out with a Rip Roaring game of "Ticket to Ride". It was super fun and we played it a lot thru the week.

Sunday

Sunday we went to Church all together. We should have gotten some pictures of all the kids dressed up, but if you've ever tried to get 8 kids 7 and under all ready and on time somewhere you would understand why we didn't take lots of pictures before church... The kids were so cute as they paired hand in hand to walk to primary...Brayden & Ethan, Adelyn & Brynlee, Sophie & Karli....It was adorable!!!

After Church we went over to the Ras's and had a BBQ!! It was fun to be with Megan & Dan, Joel & Beth, Cam, Chris, Uncle Lind and Grandma and Grandpa!!! We always have fun when we are together!!

Of Course we had to pull out the WIGS!!! These wigs seem to appear every time the cousins play...dating back to when I was a little girl!!! We have fun memories and lots of crazy pictures in these things....

OK, so when we got home and after we got the kids down for bed, LeGrand and Ammon had a crazy game of "PIG". They are crazy and creative with their shots. It was quite entertaining watching them.

Monday

Kirsten and i ran a few errands with 7 out of 8 of the kids (Brayden was at school) We have been blessed with really good kids, but we were reminded why it is easier to go shopping without 7 little ones running everywhere. I'm glad Kirsten and I could laugh about it...because if we didn't laugh we would probably be crying! It will be fun in the future to go on shopping trips with just the two of us, but I know that time will come, and it will probably be sooner than we really want it!

We had fun and were able to do a quick family night before they were able to go and be with Kirsten's sisters. Monday Nights(Family Night) is always one of my favorite times of the week, but it was even better with Cousins to share it with!!

Tuesday

Kirsten and I had fun going to Kick Boxing together, Everything is so much more fun when I do it with Kirsten. (I'm a little bummed, we didn't get any pictures of Kirsten or I together the whole week, It's because we were bolth taking all the pictures. Next time....)

We went to the Bean Museum with Joel and Beth and Cam and Paul. It was so much fun!!

We heard that they were going to implode the DT Towers at BYU at 5:00 on Tuesday, since we were just at the Bean Museaum we decided to walk over and watch it...The kids were all so excited, especially all the little boys!!



After we were standing there with about 300 other people for about 10 minutes, we realized that there wasn't any workers running around getting things ready...that nothing was really happening... then we all realized that it was April 1st!! We all fell for it. We thought that it was a Great April Fools joke. Ok, everyone except the kids. They were pretty upset...I still think that whoever thought it up was brilliant.

After the Bean Museam and the DT April fools, we went back to Joel and Beth's and had dinner and played games. Thanks Joel and Beth for playing with us and helping make this week sooo fun!!

Wednesday

We took Brayden out of school so he could just play all day with Ethan....We went to the community center in Lehi. It was fun swimming, we just wish LeGrand could have been able to be with us too!! The kids did great, Kolby loved his first time swimming in the pool. We will have to go again soon.

Grandma Larsen took us out to Cafe Rio after swimming. It was delicious and so fun to be with Grandma. Thanks sooooo much Grandma!! You are amazing!!! After Dinner we went back and played games with Grandma. We love you Grandma!

Thursday

Ammon watched the kids so Kirsten and I could go to kickboxing together. Thanks Ammon, I just wish that we lived closer so we could work out everyday together!! I'm sure I'd be more consistant if we could do it together!!

Grandma and Grandpa came over to visit and it was so fun to sit and talk with them. They are some of our favorite people. It's hard watching them get older, but they are still incredible and we love them so much and are grateful for their love and example to us!! You guys are amazing!!

Friday

Paul went through the Temple for the first time!! It was an incredible experience to be with him in the temple!! I feel so blessed to be able to attend the temple often, so live so close to many temples, and to be able to be surrounded by my family and friends when I'm there. Paul, we love you so much and I'm grateful that you are one of my younger brothers!! You will be a great missionary!! The people in Brasilia Brasil will be soooo blessed!!

After the temple we went back to Grandma Larsen's house and had refreshments!! It was fun to be with so many family members!! We feel the love!!!

Saturday

Saturday morning we ran to Home Depot, then we went to Grandma Larsen's house to watch the first session of Confrence. It always is fun to be with Grandma in her home!! After the session was over, we ran up to the Ras's and had lunch. It was special because all four of Grandma and Grandpa's kids were here this weekend. Aunt Susan Green came from Santa Fe, Meridee lives in Provo, My dad came up from Vegas(it was fun to see them, they came up to see Ammon & Kirsten and family and to be with Paul in the Temple, I'm grateful that we live close enough that we can see eachother on weekend trips!! We love you guys!) and Uncle Shaun came from California. It's been years since they have all been together!! What fun!!

OK, here are the four siblings, the one on the left is when everyone is trying to relax their faces and then shaking their heads back and forth as fast as they could. You should try it sometime, you can have the worst black mail pictures on the plant it you do this..Maybe I'll post some of our favorite "shaking the head" pictures later...I guess I'll have to get permission first...some of them are really bad!! Then of course they took a cute one. I have incredible aunts and uncles..

The kids had so much fun playing together and exploring and hunting the mountian lion they said was in the back yard. These guys are cute and have fun imaginations!!

I'm grateful for the oppertunity that we had to listen to our Prophets and Apostles this weekend. I have grown to LOVE Confrence weekend. I feel inspired and lifted. I'm grateful for the Truths that I know are true! I'm grateful for our Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. He is an amazing man whom I know is God's mouthpiece on this earth! I'm grateful that we have modern revelation and that God speaks to us today through our Prophet!! We are truly blessed!

Sunday

David and Sheri had us up to their house for the Sunday morning Session. I love this tradition!! Dave and Sheri you are the Best!! We always have an incredible breakfast and have so much fun being with them in their home listening to our Prophet!! Thank you guys for having us all over. Stew and Emily, we really missed you, Every time we go there for confrence it makes me think of you guys, since we did it together while you guys lived here!! We love you guys too and missed you lots this week!!

We had fun playing in the back yard, jumping on the trampoline, playing with OBI, (no the boys weren't killing him, it just looks like it in this picture!! We even had confrence mints... the little pink candies, when I was growing up we used to get these every confrence and have contests to see who could keep it in their mouth the longest... Ammon won this time..Ammon and Whitney were the champions, they bolth had it in their mouths for about an hour. You should try it sometime, it's hard!!! Good job Ammon!!

For the Sunday afternoon session we went back to the Ras's. Here are a few pictures we took after Conference was over.

Ammon, Kirsten, Ethan, Brynlee, Hailey and Karli, we love you guys so much! Thank you for coming and staying with us, we only wish you could have stayed longer!! We couldn't ask for better friends and family!!! You are ALWAYS welcomed at our home!!

Monday

We were sad that it's already time to say goodbye!! We love you guys and are glad that you guys made it home safely!! We have fun memories with you guys and can't wait to create more!!

Potty Training!!!

Ok, I am working on our post of the week that Ammon and Kirsten were here, but until that one is done, I thought I would post about Sophie's Potty Training experience! Sophie is such a smart, cute little girl....who hasn't wanted anything to do with the toilet...ever!! She would come up to me with a diaper and wipes and tell me that she was either wet or Blah(that's what she called it when she was stinky!;)) Anyway, I would keep asking her if she wanted to go potty on the toilet and she would always say "Not Yet!!" Well for her birthday she got a bunch of really cute "princess" panties, I thought that would do the trick...but she still said "Not Yet".

One day I asked her if she wanted to wear panties..to my surprise she said that she wanted to, I told her that she needed to keep them dry. She wouldn't sit on the toilet, but she kept them dry for 7 hours and then she disappeared, she had gone and taken off her panties and put a diaper on all by herself and gone potty in her diaper. Yea I think she's smart enough to be potty trained.

So Monday morning we put the diapers away and got the potty ready for her. She was terrified of the toilet...so to get her to sit on it, I let Sophie and Adelyn decorate the potty with a bunch of princess stickers. We got her excited with her little princess dolls(Princesses work wonders for her if you can't tell.) So when she decided this was FUN I couldn't get her off the toilet. Adelyn had so much fun taking pictures of Sophie with her princesses. I thought it was adorable even though I had about 100 pictures of Sophie on the toilet after the photo shoot was all done. Most of them had to either be edited or deleted. It was cute though!! Thanks for helping me capture the moment Addy!!

After that she was excited to go on it. She has done really well, we've only had 2 accidents in 2 days....I'm so proud of her...But there is a problem. She is terrified to go poops in the toilet... I know this is kind of a gross topic, but I need some creative ideas of how to help her not be scared.... She has gone #2 two times, but she screamed each time....She says she's scared and that it hurts.... I've even given her some stool softener, maybe that would help... I need some help.. I thought that this would be really easy after I've already potty trained 2 kids, but I'm here to say that all kids are different and need different things. Thanks for your ideas!!!

Hope you enjoy these pictures!! All the ones with the princesses in it were taken by Adelyn. When Sophie fills up her potty chart she's going to be able to have her Sleeping Beauty dress and shoes. Hopefully that will help her overcome her fears.

Kolby's 3 month Photo Shoot

Kolby is 3 months old now, and is such a joy to have in our family. Kolby, you are such a good natured baby, I feel so lucky to have you. You are sleeping really good at night, some nights are better than others, but you have started sleeping thru the night more often than not!! Ya!!! We've never had a little one sleep from 8 pm to 6:30 am and then eat and go back to bed for another hour!! I'm very lucky!! You are all smiles, you have found your hands, you are getting so strong and are so fun to have and to cuddle with!! You bring so much peace into our lives. I could just eat you up!! I love everyday of having you and watching you grow. In some ways I want you to stay my little baby forever, but it's amazing to watch you grow too. We love you Kolby David Laing!!

Sophie's 3 year old Photo Shoot

Here is our beautiful 3 year old Sophie Kathryn Laing!! Sophie adds so much to our family. I'm so grateful that our Father in Heaven has sent her to our family. Sophie you are such a Princess, you love to make everyone around you happy. I love how you are growing up into a precious little girl, and becoming less and less of my little baby girl, even though you will be my "baby girl" forever!! I love when you say cute things like.. Mom I need to tell you some-a-ting, or when you pretend you are a princess and dance and sing for hours and hours. I love how you always give everyone kisses after our family prayers before you go to bed. You make my days Brighter and more full of life!!! I thank God everyday that I have the privilege of being your Mother!!! We love you Sweetheart!!