Artprize winner...

This past Thursday they announced the winner of Artprize and our favorite piece won! In my mind Artprize was a HUGE success, because it totally captured my kids and peaked their overall interest in art. Shaelyn loved it! She would think about it, talk about it and wonder what she could make to enter into the competition someday! It was fun to see!

The piece that won was a sketch all done with a #2 pencil. This fascinated Shaelyn, she was amazed by all the different shades the artist could create! She wanted this piece to win so badly! We were downtown on the night the announcement was being made, they were showing the announcement on tv's/projectors all around town, but it was getting late and the kids were tired. Shaelyn was so eager to find out who won that she was begging us to stay, but McLleyton was ready for his bed, so I told her we'd check online as soon as we got home. The whole way home she was going through different art pieces explaining to me what place she thought the would get and why. There is nothing like learning hands on!

The DeVos family (who puts on Artprize) have done SO much for our city, this has definitely become one of my favorites :)!

The Winner was: Cavalry, American Officers, 1921 by Chris LaPorte

Shaelyn really wanted me to take her picture in front of it, since she was sure it was going to win... too bad she blinked :)
Monreau liked this one :)
This piece was also really cool...placed in the top 10...
Uncle John & Aunt Kelly came with us :)

California getaway...

It's always refreshing to get a break from the kids and have time with just Matt, but it's a rare treat to have four full days together! We left early on Thursday morning and didn't get home until late Sunday night. It was an great trip filled with lots of beautiful CA sun, amazing friends, great meals out, a fun football game and more!

Growing up my mom and dad always told us that the greatest gift they could give us was an inheritance of friends. I always valued the relationships they brought into our lives, but it's been amazing to see what a gift it has become in the past few years! We loved getting this weekend with the Parton family! We are so thankful for these friendships!!

We were so spoiled :)....

The amazing beach @ the beach house...
Stenn and Matt out on paddle boards...

We drove down Highway 1 back to L.A...

We are so excited for Betsy and Stenn ... I loved getting time with Betsy...Stenn is a lucky man!

We had two fun meals at an awesome L.A resturant Wurskuche (owned by Stenn's good friend Tyler!) 

Loved getting time with Shae...
Off to the USC football game... SO much fun! 
Our seats were amazing...
Stenn & Betsy...

Group shot- it was fun seeing Sarah Sherman too :)...
Night @ the Ritz (did I mention we were so spoiled!)

Dinner out at L.A. Live...


Papa Linds and Mama Lo... we love you guys!! 

Thank you to my sweet in-laws, parents, John & Kelly and Jill & Darren for helping with our kids while we were gone! These getaways our always so great and important ... and knowing our kids are having just as much fun makes them that much better! Thanks for loving them! 

Monreau Jillian...

As I was looking back at a few posts of the last few months, I noticed that I definitely do fewer updates on Monreau. It's definitely not a reflection of her :). She, in many ways, is the star and center of our family! But, at moments she definitely falls into the middle child role- for better and for worse!

Monreau is magnetic! She is sweet, easy going, loving, affectionate, smart and funny! She has a spunk to her that fills my days with joy and keeps me on my toes! Most of the time she acts far older than she is! She keeps up with Shaelyn and her cousins and has truly become "one of the girls!" At other moments she'll fall on the floor crying and struggle to use her words to communicate, reminding me that she is indeed still 3!

I am loving having my afternoons with just her this year, as Shae has school and McLleyton naps! I went back and forth about sending her to school this year (mainly because she really wanted to go!) and as the school year was starting I really wasn't sure I had made the right choice. But, now I know she is just where she should be! This is the most one on one time her and I have ever had and we're both loving it! She thrives in it! We've been spending a half hour each day working on letters and numbers! Monreau is so smart, but it's fascinating to me how she has little to no interest in "school work." She's behind a bit, but it's been fun having goals to work toward and seeing her start to pick up on different ideas! It's been great for me to start to understand how she learns and what holds her attention! I am so thankful we are just in the beginning of a whole year of fun afternoons!

This week Monreau had a big week! She decided last week that she was ready to get her ears pierced! I always said the girls could do it when ever they were ready. She was ready :). I made her think about it for a few days and I do not sugar coat it- explaining that it would hurt and I will have to clean them. My mom took Shaelyn to get hers and had always told Monreau she would take her too. So, on Wednesday she picked her up and she did it! No tears and a lot of smiles! She was so excited to come home and her sister and cousins! They look adorable on her and make her look older!

Here's some pictures of the adventure..

Getting ready to go with Nanny...

SO excited...
Looking so grown up...
She said "it just felt like a shot" :)... she is definitely my tough child!
She did it!
A Slurpee to celebrate! :) She was so happy to show me!
The girls got home from school and were excited too...
Shaelyn was so sweet and as she left for school that day she hugged Monreau and said "Roey, I'm so proud of you and I can't wait to see your earrings when I get home." Got to love those moments!
She picked square diamonds...
Thanks nanny!

Weekend fun...cows & art!

 I am a bit behind on organizing pictures and updating! Being sick/having sick kids for so long has definitely set me back in all areas! But, hopefully I'll get caught up soon!

Matt and I just got back from a really fun trip to California! Four full days with no kids :). It was a great getaway! I haven't uploaded those pictures yet... but here's a few fun ones from last weekend!

 Matt and the kids went to check out Grandpa's new water system for dairy farms at a local farm. This of course involved a lot of cows which made McLleyton very excited! The girls enjoyed it too! There is nothing like learning hands on! McLleyton has been looking for cows in all his books ever since!

We also headed downtown GR for the amazing ArtPrize competition! I can't say enough about how amazing this is and what an incredible thing it is for our city! It was so much fun walking around with SO many other people and having the kids enjoy the experience! I didn't take very many pictures, but the art is awesome! Check it out www.artprize.org  ... the winner is announced this week! We're definitely going to be back down as you could probably go for 3 full days before you see it all! Pretty fun! 

This was all carved out of driftwood (made the top 10)... the kids loved it!... the picture doesn't do it justice...




This one was Monreau's favorite - it played music (which you could also feel in the seats)...