I shed a toddler!

Okay I don't usually blog about myself or have pictures taken of me. Case and point just to find my before pic I had to look back in my folders like 9 months ago whereas I have pictures of my kids from yesterday and at least once a week every week before that. I am use to being on the other side of the lens! So right around Christmas time I had had enough of my weight gain and decided to finally weigh myself to see the massive damage- oh it was bad- I think the most I have ever weighed aside from when I was pregnant. So I decided that come January 1st I was going to work my butt off aka work out on my elliptical every day but Sunday for 45 minutes and do Weight Watchers. I can say how much I love Weight Watchers - so easy after the first week and I know what I can have- I love simple and straight forward. I also learned that weight loss is 80% how you eat and 20% working out, which sucks why can't I work out and eat whatever I want-like ice cream for breakfast! I can say I reached my goal of losing 30 lbs before I turn 30 in December- so I lost a small infant of my body and it feels great but some days it doesn't seem real. Thank you Angie for taking my after picture and for all my sisters for cheering me on! Charice, thanks for being my partner in crime and doing Weight Watchers with me- so proud of you! One thing I did learn for the whole experience is that weight doesn't define you- I thought that if I lost the weight I would suddenly be this confident person , the weight loss makes me feel good but the confidence has to come from within. Oh crap I just got all Oprah on you- I just wanted to share my good news and motivate myself to stay with the program!

April Wrap up-

April brought a lot of showers, which wasn't so great being couped up escially when Daryl was out of town for work. So what to do when it's raining- jump on the trampoline of course!

Bella decided just to watch this time~ although she can hold her on the trampoline. Little Bella decided this month that she wants to potty train! She is doing pretty well but not quite there. Just the other day I found her putting her doll on the toilet, clapping for her and saying "good job!"
Grandma Joy came into town and Emma loved having her French braid her hair. Thanks for coming Grandma.
On to Grandma Rita's 29th birthday- funny how that number never changes! I remember when I was in third grade and I told my teacher it was my Mom's birthday and she asked how old she was- so I told what my mom had told me that morning-"She's 29!" Then she said "and she has SIX KIDS?" Little did I know my mom was 35 when she had me. Nice little white lie- Mom!

All the cousins crowding for Shelley's famous chocolate cake.

This was one of the few days that it was warm enough to break out the swimsuits and popsicles. Can't wait for summer. The kids are so excited we have new neighbors that moved in across the street and have already had them over to play a few times.

Emma's back to sucking her thumb:(
I love Emma's curly hair when it is wet - such a little beauty.
It rained so much so we decided to join the rain instead fight it. So on with the rain boots and puddles to find.



So last week I decided to take the girls out to the orchard for pictures. Good idea- not really. Emma peed her pants in the first five minutes so maybe we'll try again next week.

Easter Weekend - Trip to Zion's National Park

Our trip started with treats and movies- a good way to start a six hour car ride. It went pretty well until two hours in Bella kept saying "I wanna get out" over and over.

Bella playing peekaboo in the back.

The kids favorite part of camping always seems to be riding bikes around the campground.
Angie, Anthony, Chloe and Tate came up to came with us and kids couldn't of had more fun with the cousins. Tate had his try at Parker's bike and he did pretty good. Parker and Tate had so much fun together, they played nonstop.





Apparently this is how Bella thinks this is how you ask for a cookie- but it worked so there you go!



Cousins hanging out in the top bunk in the trailer:)










We have a picture of Bella like this from last year - I guess hiking just takes it out of her, you being carried everywhere is so hard!

We loved that Grandpa Wayne and Grandma Colleen came down too. Even Chloe and Tate attached to them quickly and started calling them cousins.
On the third day it rained and then rained some more and yea and then a little hail. So we headed in to St.George and say good friends, went swimming with Shelley and Heber and the boys. We waited out the storm in the trailer with movies and playing old maid. All in all not a bad way to pass the time.

Emma holding the dog Angie got for her the day we went into town with the girls, man she loves that thing~

On the last day we went on a fun bike ride and then attempted to go on more hikes but the kids were not having it so we ended up hanging around the trailer for the rest of the day and packing up early.
Parker loved using his new skills of riding his bike with no training wheels- he even lasted pretty long on our bike ride. Before we left I reminded Parker of all the caterpillars we found last year so he asked me to bring a jar so we could catch one. Well we came a little early this year and there were none to be found until we were walking to the shuttle bus and Parker and Tate saw one. Before we knew it Tate stomped on it and Parker was near tears ( he's a bit sensitive) but the next day he found this really cool beetle the was a bunch of different colors. He kept it the whole trip and freed it when we got home.