Break it Down!

Man I love this girl! This was her end of the year dance recital. She was so excited about it too.

 I was a little concerned that she'd get up there and glare at everyone instead of dance (this has happened in the past with other sport activities) but she is really growing up and starting to be less shy. She did a great job and looked adorable (or according to her she looks like cotton candy, that is what she thinks the costume looks like.)

got some treats from Grandpa and Grandma Callahan and something from the dance company too.

Grandma Sheri & Papa & GG took her (us) out to ice cream afterward to celebrate a job well done.

Meanwhile, back when it was Easter ...

 My mom gave Embrie a unique gift for Easter, which we forgot to open on Easter ... but anyway, It was an oyster with a pearl inside.

Embrie got to open the oyster herself and find the pearl inside, see what color it was and put it in a necklace. Kinda cute, she was pretty excited.

busy little bees

So I've been a little bit absent as a blogger, journal-er, family record keeper etc. I don't know what happened to my life since last summer .... ok well yes I do know what has happened but still it seemed like I was a lot more on top of things than I feel like I am now. Maybe its because I have more things to be on top of? or I am getting older and loosing brain cells? or I need to start taking my omega 3's ? or all of the above.
Not just blogging has slackened, but my workout schedule definitely took a little nose dive too (although there has been recent improvement!)

So last summer I found myself training for a half marathon that I was going to run in August. I hadn't run one since before being pregnant with Maren so I was ready to get back into it. Well between my kids doing summer sports and getting ready for Garrett to start 1st grade and planning Maren's 1st bday things got a little busy. The date for the 1/2 marathon wasn't going to fly with M's birthday so I decided to change that idea, I was struggling to keep up with the training schedule anyway. We have year round school so Garrett was getting ready to start that big mile stone of all day school in August, and I signed up to be the room mom for his class. Exciting!
By the end of August I was also planning a big extended family picture photo session and trying to get everyone on the same page for that. And getting ready for my annual Witches Tea which I was planning to write my own murder mystery dinner, so you know.. a little more involved than usual. Man, what was going on? I was just keeping myself really busy I guess.
Pretty soon I found myself sitting in the bishop's office one Sunday with Brad, thinking that Brad was getting a new calling, after all I had just received a new calling a couple of months previously as a RS instructor (intimidating calling btw). Not what I thought.  I was a bit surprised to be getting another calling so soon. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to hear. I kept thinking to myself ... ok I still think to myself, I am not "president material". No seriously. Do you know how many things I forget??? That I am not as organized as I should be, that I can become an anxiety mess? Not to mention that I am more imperfect than I care to admit.  So I am the Primary President now in my ward. (a more intimidating calling btw) All I can say is thank Heaven for my wonderful counselors and those who serve dilligently in their primary callings! I realize how much I have taken for granted. There are so many awesome people who serve and give and do it willingly. I am so thankful for my Lord and Savior! I haven't been alone. And I love these primary kids. All 230 of them. Yep its a lot. 135ish active primary kids and 70ish nursery kiddos. Adults are out numbered in my neighborhood. But I tell you these children are amazing. I have served in the primary and nursery a lot in the last 10 years and almost the whole time I've been in this ward (6 yrs). And I loved these kids before this calling, but I can definitly say that that love for them has grown. They are such sweet, smart,  spiritual giants. I wouldn't change a thing (unless it meant making myself more worthy to serve them).
This year Embrie has had preschool and dance, with some indoor soccer in the middle. Garrett has had 1st grade and 2 seasons of soccer, and Maren is keeping us on her toes the little smarty-pants. Brad is still working his hind end off and so am I. So to sum that up, we're doing good!
That was September. Here I am in June still struggling to keep up with my life ha ha! Oh well, aren't we all? I can't think of anyone else who isn't just as busy or more. So I don't know what my excuse is really for not blogging much, but I am planning to get caught up.  ;)

Easter

The Ugly Egg contest this year was only posted on facebook, because we didn't have much time by the time we got to dying the eggs.

from left to right:

Randi, Brad, Garrett, Embrie, Maren

turns out that will all the votes in, Maren is the winner!

Easter morning my kids woke up with empty baskets in front of them and a note telling them to go find the eggs. Nobody seemed to be too worried about the empty baskets yet, but it was puzzling.

While hunting for eggs (which they LOVE to do) they stumbled upon some new baskets and some goodies. Funny, the Easter Bunny must've known they'd practiced hidding and finding eggs so often that their other baskets had taken quite a beating!

I have some plans to do some more spiritual things leading up to Easter next year. I wasn't quite on top of it this year because I was planning a sharing time Easter lesson (both my older kids got to hear anyway), which was also cool. But, we had a great FHE about who we are and talked about the things that Christ did for us. 

I'm so blessed, ..We're all blessed, really. No matter what. Whether we wanted His gift and sacrifice or not it is done for us. I'm so grateful for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He has saved me and saved us all.

Kiss me! I'm Irish

Well ... sort of Irish. Callahan is an Irish name and we do both have Irish ancestors so hey, when it comes to St. Patrick's Day ya gotta go big or go home right?

(or in our case we're just really into holidays period.)

The kids had fun things going on at school for St.Patrick's Day and so I helped them make some shamrocked t-shirts to wear.

Garrett wanted his to say "Top O' the Mornin'" and Embrie chose "Kiss me I'm Irish". They were pretty cute.

That must be why the leprechauns always visit and play tricks on us!

All of the kids' stuffed animals had been moved around doing different things.

These ones were found in the hall set up for a tea party. Maren didn't skip a beat when she walked out of her room, just sat down and joined them.

And they left the kids some cookies, coins, and silly glasses too!

We also had green bread for breakfast, an Irish dish for dinner, and mint chocolate chip milk shakes while we watched (traditionally) "Darby O'Gill and the Little People."

he lost it!

Back in February...or March ... I think... geez! see! if I don't get it down in this blog I forget stuff.

 Garrett lost his first tooth!!!

This boy was so stoked! I think he was most excited to get on the 'tooth chart' at school with some of his other classmates. He placed his tooth under his pillow and wa-la in the morning he had a dollar! But mostly I think was excited to get to school and tell his classmates.

Just another one of those reminders that he is growing up!

Little bit about Maren

Maren turned 18 mo. old in February.

A little bit about our baby:

Boy does this girl love her daddy! She prefers him to anyone else in the family. Everytime she gets dressed she says "I show daddy", even if he is not home. She likes to run to him so he can tell her she looks "cute cute".

Here she was hanging out with him before he went to work.

Here she was after he left....

She thinks she is a super big girl. She likes to play with Embrie's toys maybe even more than Embrie does. Forget that "baby stuff"

She thinks she can do whatever they're doing. She has even to my dismay learned how to climb up to the top bunk bed.

She has learned to use a spoon and fork pretty well. Very early on she wanted to do this and she is pretty good at it considering.

Here she is playing the tablet which is fairly new to our family.

She thinks she can wear makeup (mascara in this case)

she loves to bruch her teeth.

And she loves to play with her friends.

She has been an amazing talker early on and now she is starting to sing songs (yes she knows the words) and talk in phrases.

She also thinks that if she wears little bloomers under her dresses that they are underwear like big sister's.

I think this little girls is trying to be bigger than her britches. Don't grow up too fast!