It's that time of year again!

 

...the time of the Walker Family birthday marathon! Other than Drew who is our Christmas-time baby, we all have birthdays right in a row. Kassi's is in March, Andy's is in April, Jesi's is in May and mine is in June. I'm a little frustrated b/c it used to work out when I'd post my pictures on the blog, I could see the picture (and therefore post my gazilion pictures and know which was which) to write about. But, lately, it just has all that divasldfkjsdoiuzsdpoijrw;elk stuff and I can't tell which picture is which. Someday I'll get this blogging thing figured out - or maybe I'll take everyone's advice and get a Facebook account?!?

 

Anyway, It has been over a month since Jesi's birthday and I'm finally getting around to posting pictures!!! I can't believe our little princess is 4 years old already. She was so excited about her "princess cake". I had heard how to make these cakes and thought it would be a "piece of cake" :), so I just asked Andy to pick up some plastic doll - not as big as a barbie doll because I realized our cake wasn't close to being tall enough for a barbie's dress. So, Andy got some High School Musical doll that was quite a bit shorter, but it still was way too tall. My technique to try to get the legs to go into the cake sideways did not work - but hey, she loved it :). She also loved the castle rug & Easter bonnet & gloves that Andy got for her which came w/ a headband that she insisted was a crown (as you can see in the pics!) She asked for a "big girl carseat" for her birthday which we were more than happy to accomidate. Drew gave her a cowgirl my little pony that she loves as well. Thanks for all the b-day wishes, cards, and phone calls from all of you! It is so hard to watch her grow up and I know I'm going to miss these years! We're excited to do a rotating preschool with a couple other moms in the neighborhood next year. Lately she LOVES to break into my scrapbooking paper, find the cutest sheets that I've been saving for a special scrapbooking page, and color all over them to make a card for me. I guess I couldn't have saved those papers for a sweeter purpose, right?!? Thank you, Jesi for reminding me of the important things in life and for being patient with your Mom :). We sure love you!!! Oh, and due to the problems I had posting pictures, there are several new posts below this one!

 

 

It's also that time of year when Andy's brother Jason and his wife Heather usually go on a little trip which means we get to see Andy's Mom while she helps tend the kids. This time we also got to see Andy's Grandma who came for a visit from Colorado and stayed with us for a few days. The kids have been missing having all these grandmas around. They've also been able to see a lot of their Grandma McConkie as she has been dating someone from Sandy, UT. I'll post some more pictures below and explain further! We had a nice little picnic up at Bridal Veil Falls with Grandma Walker and Grandma Starkey, played a little football catch, and LOTS of "duck, duck, goose"!

 

It's also that time of year again for Drew's baseball. He has been doing great and is getting to be a really good hitter! He plays with a boy from his class this year who has become a great buddy. They are excited to have the same teacher again next year! His name is McKay and he has red hair too! Andy has been helping out the coach a lot and Drew loves it! Jesi was excited to take her birthday umbrella to the last game when it was raining. We are quite the devout fans sitting in the rain!

 

Kassi has been training for a new olympic sport. She is amazing as well! She slides down the stairs much faster than any of us can run down them. It actually scares me pretty bad, but the only times she has almost fallen down the stairs have been the times when I was watching from above and thought that she was going to get hurt and I managed to scare her in the process. So, I try not to watch! But, it is quite entertaining! She would definitely win the gold medal in her age category!!!

 

It's that time of year when babies are born and blessed! My sister Stacy and her husband, Ryan had their second daughter Taylee recently and had her blessed in Spanish Fork last month. She is such a sweet baby!!! Most of Ryan's family lives in Spanish Fork area, so we are hoping they end up down here in Utah eventually!

 

It's also that time of year when people fall in love - Andy and I fell in love in the Spring anyway :). My Mom has met and fallen in love with a wonderful man from Sandy, Utah. His name is Kimball Richard Sanderson and they are actually getting married this August and moving into a home in Draper! We are so happy that she has found someone who she can spend the rest of her life here on earth with and we have really come to love Kim. He will be a wonderful husband and our kids love him like a grandpa already (as you can see in the last picture as they are all over him)!!! His wife passed away 6 years ago of cancer and we are so happy that both my Mom and Kim will not be alone for the next 30 or more years of their lives on earth! Kim's father passed away when he was very young and he is very understanding of Nicole's situation. Heavenly Father sure seems to have put these two together and we are so excited to have Mom and Nicole close!!!

 

 

 

Well, one of Andy's favorite places in the world is Tucanos Brazilian Grill here in Provo. We like to go once a year or so when the "free birthday meal" comes in the mail. Up until this year Drew was FREE and he eats more than I do - he is our little carnivour. Last time we went the kids did awesome - but I think that was before Kassi was born - or I guess she was probably a sleeping newborn! Well, lets just say that about 5 minutes into our meal this time I told Andy that this was the LAST TIME we were bringing the kiddos to a nice restaurant :)! Of course, I'm sure that in a few months I'll somehow forget how much FUN it was!!! You can tell by looking at the last picture how much fun we had -Kassi has ripped out her hair and I just won't even go into all the details of that experience. Andy and I are laughing because Jesi is crying as someone wanted to take our picture for us and it was just too funny - sometimes you just have to laugh so that you don't cry! But, it was all worth it to celebrate Andy's birthday :)!

 

 

 

Drew's school had a fundraiser at the end of the year. It was a fun little carnival and Drew's principal even made the cotton candy w/ the little cotton candy maker. Can you tell the kids LOVE these blow up toys?

 

 

 

 

Kassi's first taste of corn on the cob. She's been loving all the barbeques we've been having!!!

 

The kids all helped me plant the flowers and garden this year - okay, maybe Kassi wasn't exactly the best helper. She did enjoy hitting the flower witht he shovel and eating the dirt - nothing could distract her either! But, it was fun to all get dirty together and we are starting to see the fruits - or should I say vegetables - of our labors!

 

 

Kassi has also decided that she LOVES watermelon. She is content with just the rind!!! I really miss my brother's pigs that used to eat the watermelon rinds, but apparently Kassi is happy to devour most of them and most of the time she smells a lot better than those pigs ever did :)!

 

The kids are loving summer time when they can help me bake up some goodies. Drew is actually taking a "cooking class" at his school this month. This particular day the had made muffins, so we made some muffins with Jesi afterwards. Drew won't eat muffins typically, so I was excited that he ate these! (of course, that could have been b/c we made them with chocolate chips?!?) Lets choose to think positively:) I think I should suggest potatoes and rice as their next foods to learn how to cook - now that would be wishful thinking with Drew - he gags on those two staple foods every time!!! Gotta love that kid though!

 

Jesi and Drew wanted to make cupcakes for my b-day and when we cracked the eggs we found a set of twins! Kind of weird, but kind of cool! Has anyone else ever seen that before?

 

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So, we made cupcakes and had them without frosting for breakfast - what a way to start out a birthday! Then Cari and Darren brought an oh so yummy dessert! Thanks, guys! The flowers you see in the picture - please look at the flowers and not me :) are a bouquet that Andy picked for me before work from our rose bushes. Isn't he sweet. He also left a message from our web cam that was hillarious, yet very sweet. He ALSO picked up tickets for us to attend Broadway's "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" performace in Salt Lake, which we just watched this weekend thanks to Darren and Cari watching the kids. Thanks the the wonderful birthday memories. Also, thanks again to all of you who sent birthday cards and wishes and for my friends from Moses Lake who took me to the movie "UP" yesterday, which I must say is a WONDERFUL movie. I highly recommend it. I have such wonderful family and friends - thanks you guys! I love you all to death!

Drew, Jesi & Kassi's photo shoot - May 2009

 

After many attempts of getting a good shot of all three kids together, we decided to try a studio! We were worried about Jesi smiling! She normally refuses to even LOOK at the photographer unless it is Andy or I! Luckily, with a little coaxing from Grandma Starkey and Grandma Walker, she was smiling from ear to ear the entire hour of the photo shoot! Kassi on the other hand was not in a very good mood other than each time we took her out of the studio for a little break!!! She was happy whenever her turn was over and she could explore and play with great-grandma Starkey! The picture of her smiling at the top of the collage is when she was scooting the brown ottoman thing around the room as fast as she could with the photographer chasing after her! Our plan was to get a little $9.99 advertised package, but I have to admit we gave into the pressure a little this time - I figure you can do that every few years, right?!? So, we got a cd w/ all these cute pictures and more! With Kassi being in a somber mood, we thought they still turned out pretty cute. By the way, these collages are really fast and simple to do in the program "Picasa" that came on our computer. Andy and I highly recommend it! Hope you enjoy! It is kind of fun to figure out these little tricks on the computer :o)! Who knows, maybe my next photo shoot at home will turn out with pictures like these (after lots of editing)?!?

Happy Belated Cinco de Mayo!!!

I helped with Drew's school's "Teacher Appreciation Week" this year and one of my main responsibilities was getting vases and flowers for each of the teachers at the school so that the teachers could have a place to put the flowers their students brought them (and so that the teachers who didn't have a student bring them a flower would have one)! Anyway, I found the vases at Dollar Tree and we couldn't resist the temptation to buy this cute hat in honor of Cinco de Mayo. It was actually Jesi's, but Kassi screams at the top of her lungs every time she sees Jesi wearing it! So, I think Jesi decided it was easier to just let her have it! They both look so cute in it though! I'll have to get a picture of Jesi wearing it when Kassi isn't around! I thought it could be our b-day hat since Drew's first 2 b-days were celebrated at a Mexican restaurant called Chevy's that used to have you wear a sombrero! I'll have to dig those pictures up sometime! I don't think Chevy's is in bussiness anymore?!? Anyway, we hope your cinco, seis, siete, ocho, nueve, diez, once, y otro dias de Mayo are full of fun!?! (I hope I didn't slaughter the spelling of those numbers - I know how to pronounce them, not spell them!)

We love you, Andy! Happy Belated 34th!

Just a little summary of a few of the things we love about you, Andy:

You are always willing to accept help! It makes others who serve you love you all the more!

You are always good for an adventure!

(Even if it means getting very little of that much needed sleep!)

You always lift us up and support us so that we can reach our goals and dreams whether they be short or tall!

You always love a good game - especially if it involves those BYU cougs, even when it means packing up the cheerios and trying to entertaining kiddos through hours of fun!

You are always so easy to talk to - that is probably why Drew has ALWAYS loved chatting with you on the phone!

You have always helped us enjoy the sunrise and you help us endure life's unexpected sunsets.

You are always willing to share - whether it be clothing or anything else! (Jesi in Andy's Cowboy hat and Drew)

Drew decided to put Andy's new b-day outfit on and surprise him instead of wrapping it up. I guess we should have wrapped up Drew. I think Andy loved the site of Drew better than the outfit that year!

Kassi trying on Andy's baseball hat.

You let us believe you need help unwrapping your gifts which creates all kind of fun. The kids enjoy your birthday as much as their own!

We celebrated Andy's b-day when my mom was in town by going to the Pizza Factory. Lets just say the food was good and we survived the restaurant experience with 3 kiddos - thanks to Mom sharing her salad with Jesi!

Kassi enjoyed those breadsticks!

I love you, Andy!

We love you more each year, Andy. Thank you for being such a supportive husband and father. We love the incredible man that you are and how you treat us. You take care of us when we are sick, make us laugh every day, and remind us every single minute through your words and actions that you love us with all your heart. We love you with all of ours!!! Happy belated b-day, Andy!