Women's Conference.....

So this year they invited girls age 8 and older to join in the women's meeting for church so my niece, Kate, got to join us this year. We all went out to dinner at Los Hermanos one of our favorite mexican restaurants in the area.  Kate was excited to be part of the big girls group tonight, it was fun to have her. It was also a great meeting to listen to and attend.

Mr. Potato Head........

I was working around the house and told Christian to find some toys to play with. He asked if he could get the "tato head" out of the closet. I said we could if he was willing to pick them up when he was done. Pieces get everywhere!! Anyway, I told him to make a potato head family and this is what he came up with. Pretty creative :)

St. Patty's Day..........

I don't usually do a whole lot for St. Patrick's Day but I thought ahead a little and just put up some shamrocks and used a leprechaun Julia made in Kindergarten. He had found his pot of gold under the rainbow and had wished the kids good luck for the day! I made yummy cupcakes for a treat with green frosting. They loved it of course :)

And Down Goes Frasier..........

Usually on Sundays Christian might take a little nap during church but he must have been extra tired today! I found him on the couch like this..........

Picture of the week............

Found Christian under his bed fast asleep.

A Trip to the Chocolate Factory..........

For my sister Kasey's birthday this year we all got together and went up to SLC to Mrs. Cavanaugh's for a little tour. They had a little video on where chocolate comes from and how its made. We saw a lady sitting and making chocolate almond clusters. I think the best part were all the free samples we got to taste. It was something fun, educational, and new to try and do!

Proctor/Foster Parents.........

Well, after a hectic month of training and becoming certified it was made official today! We got the call that we were good to go and we could pick up our new proctor daughter today. To be honest, I was a little nervous and overwhelmed. We had to make some changes at home with the kids and we told them that someone would be coming to live with us for awhile. They seemed okay with it but I was nervous. Would this girl be a good fit for us? Would we be able to get along? Would she be okay with our rules and guidelines? Would she feel comfortable in our home and neighborhood? All kinds of things run through your mind, and mine was on overload!!

Layne and I were able to meet with Erika, as well as her case manager and the program managers. Erika, Layne and I, and her tracker are ALL new to this system. So we were all in the same boat not really knowing what to expect. The meeting was beneficial. We went over her history and her goals and then they turned her over to us. She literally had nothing but the clothes on her back so on our way home we stopped to get some necessities. I was able to get to know her better on the drive home.

It was an adjustment for everyone. But the kids took to Erika right away, especially Julia. She now has a big sister and right from the get go she would call he,r her sister! Julia wants to dress like Erika and do her hair like Erika. She loves being with her. They color together, listen to music and watch movies together. She has fallen in love and I think we all have. Christian is constantly making her laugh. Layne is absolutely great with her. He breaks everything down and explains why we do things. We are hopefully providing a good learning environment for her and giving her good rules and boundaries to abide by. She seems to really appreciate the advice and the help we are providing for her. We want her to succeed and we want her to be able to change and be able to return to her family.

Its been a little over a month and Erika has been fantastic. I believe she truly "gets it." She knows what she is suppose to do and how to do it. Unlike a lot of other kids in this program, Erika knows that she needs to make better choices and do better. She isn't just going through the motions. She is involved and truly wants to get back home to her family. Erika is so smart and does well in school. She is talented and can draw and write. She is a great kid and we really couldn't have asked for a better kid to start off this program with.

It's been a great experience thus far with Erika. The program and the communication between everyone involved gets a little crazy at times but we try and deal with it as best as we can. I think having Erika around is preparing me for when my kids become teenagers. They are so busy and have lots of things to do. It seems we are always running around to meetings, therapy, activities, and community service. I thought it was busy with work, Layne's internship and my 2 kids.....I think it will only get worse as we get older. But we make sure we still make time for each other. And I think that's what matters most.

Posts

I will be adding more posts if I can just get the pictures off my phone?! Not sure how to bypass the computer rejection message I keep getting. So if and when I get some pictures I will fill in the dates and they will be post dated back to Feb. So don't forget to keeping scrolling to catch up :)

Layne's Birthday.......

Since Layne's birthday was on a Sunday we decided to start early and celebrate on Saturday too. We dropped the kids off with a sitter and then headed to play some lazer tag and get some ice cream. I've never played lazer tag before and it was really fun. Layne had gone with Julia previously and found a great spot to "pick" people off. Our team came in first and Layne only beat me by 50 points. Not bad for my first time.

Sunday was a little crazy as it usually is but Layne was a good sport. He had to get up for early morning meetings. During his break he came home and we had his party. We decorated a little and had his presents and pie all ready for him. The kids were so excited to sing and help blow out the candles. While opening a present, Layne asked the kids, "what do you think it is?" And Christian proceeds to blurt out, "it's a pillow." So don't tell Christian any secrets you don't want kept. It was pretty funny and Layne didn't mind!

Back to meetings for Layne and then he left for Preston right after church. It was a crazy day and I hope Layne had a good day!

We are greatful for Layne! He really is a great dad and the kids love to wrestle and play with him. He loves us all very much and takes good care of us. We love and appreciate all he does for our family. We couldn't do it without you! Happy Birthday Layne!