The Bev's

A very sad day

2010-05-03T17:19:00.000-07:00

We had a very emotional day today when we went in to do an ultrasound to make sure the baby was doing okay. We found that the baby stopped growing at 6 weeks and they could not find a heartbeat. I don't think I've been this sad since my Grandmother or Dad passed away. I never would have guessed how it feels to miscarry a baby until now. How heartbreaking it was to know that all these plans we had made have now come crashing down. I was so thankful to have Kyle by my side and have his support. We have been through a lot over the last 10 years, and I wouldn't change one thing without him. I am so thankful for my family and the love they give me. I feel so blessed to have 3 wonderful children who give me so much happiness.

December 4th

2010-05-01T15:57:00.000-07:00

We broke the news to our kids last night with a lot of joyfull tears of excitement. We are expecting number 4! All the kids can talk about is who's room the baby will sleep in, so Zach wants it to be a boy, and Kayla wants a girl. Erica is still oblivious, but this morning when I told Erica just the kids and I were going somewhere, Erica asked if Daddy was going to stay home and wait for the baby to come. I love it!

Zach's Baptism

2010-03-09T18:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 6th was a very special day for our family. Zach was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. A lot of our friends and family were in attendance to support Zachary which made it extra special for him. The best part was Zach was baptized along with one of his best friends, Rachelle. We all felt the Spirit and we were all pretty emotional. I am so proud of Zach, he is such a special boy. Congratulations Zach!

Aarrrgh! Party'n at Pirate Island

2010-03-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

So, for Zachary's eighth birthday we invited some friends and went to Pirate Island Pizza to get our party on! We had a lot of fun loading up on our loot from the arcade, filling up on the Enormous pizza, and ending with some yummy cake and ice cream before we opened presents. Grandma T. tagged along to guard our loot as we ran around like crazy pirates getting in as much fun as we could. Thanks Grandma T, and thanks friends for coming to Zach's party!

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-03-09T11:19:00.000-08:00

Our kids classes asked them to make their own Valentine boxes for V-day at school. Kyle's creative side was really in tune because he helped both kids make fun creations for their class parties. I didn't get a picture of Zach's because by the time I thought of taking a picture, Zach had already torn his open to get his valentine cards. He made a blue post office box. It looked just like the real thing. Kayla's of course was a school bus where she drew pictures of all her friends waving from the windows. They were really proud to show their creations to their teachers and friends.

Happy Birthday Zach!

2010-03-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I'm the mother of an eight-year old! It seems like yesterday I was feeding him Cheerios from his high-chair and rocking him to sleep at nap time. As many know, Zach was a really hard baby. I think I cried more than he did, but I have to believe that through all the sweat and tears, came this incredible young man who makes me laugh and smile every day. I am so proud to be the mother of this delightful boy.

On another note, all of us as a family participated together to go from January 1st to Zach's birthday without eating sugar, AT ALL! We made one exception on Superbowl Sunday, but we all made it! Zach was our superstar who was 100% sugar-free the entire time! Everyone we told was astonished. He did so well, especially when treats were offered at school. Still, he stayed strong. And the reward for all his efforts? A party at Pirate Island Pizza for his birthday. He said it was well worth it!

Erica's Dance Class

2010-03-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

I enrolled Erica in dance this Spring. She really does love to dance, and she loves her teacher. I love to watch her dance. I see how happy it makes her. She of course refuses to show Daddy her dance moves at home. Silly Erica!

Catch me if you can!

2010-03-09T10:51:00.000-08:00

There are days where my kids bust my gut with laughter. Let me paint this picture for you.
I was working on the computer in the spare bedroom one night while Kyle was helping the kids get ready for bed, when Zach came strolling in wearing these thermal-style pajamas that were about 2 sizes too small. Not only was he wearing these ridiculous looking jammies, but he had on his slippers that made him look like Peter Pan. I couldn't stop laughing while Zach couldn't figure out what I was laughing about. For the rest of the evening, Kyle and I were trying to take a picture of this silly looking boy. He of course was not going to be caught on camera, so it was so much fun tricking Zach into view and snapping what shots we could. After all our efforts, this is the best picture we could come up with. Zach is pretty quick!

What a sweet baby!

2010-03-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

Kyle and I have been on the fence about keeping our naughty cat, Trixie, for quite some time, but there is one little girl who loves her no matter what. Erica is Trixie's worst nightmare most days, and this day was no exception. From being strollered around the house, to being squeezed near to death with her hugs, Erica loves her kitty to the max!

Christmas Evening

2010-03-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

I always look forward to Christmas evening spent with Kyle's family. Every year it gets a little louder and a little crazier with a baby being born almost every year, but I love it and my kids love to spend time with their cousins. We enjoyed each other's company and Kyle's grandparents came and celebrated with us. It was a lot of fun!

Santa's surprises

2010-03-09T10:02:00.000-08:00

The kids woke up early Christmas morning to an array of fun toys from Santa. Erica got a doll house with a LOT of Barbies, Kayla was given an easel with some fun markers and paints, and Zach was overloaded with Transformers galore! It was a fun morning spent with Grandma T. After we opened Santa's gifts, we sat together as a family and read the story of the birth of Christ from the Bible, then it was time to delve into the presents. What a fun Christmas morning!

Christmas Eve = Jammies from Grandma

2010-03-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

We can't go to bed on Christmas Eve without the snuggly warm jammies from Grandma T. Every Christmas Eve my mom surprises the kids with jammies. My kids love it! Grandma always brings the best jammies!

The sledding hill

2010-03-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

Since we were only able to go sledding for a total of two times this year, Kyle and the neighbor designed this great sledding hill right outside in the front yard. It was great. The kids would come home from school, do their homework, then outside to try beating each other's speed record. They even made a path all the way to the street for more thrills. The bad thing about it: It was the last snow to melt in the neighborhood. And for me who is pretty much anti-snow, not so awesome after a while, especially when it wasn't serving it's purpose anymore.

Erica, my little dancer

2010-03-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

This is Erica's first dance recital. She was all smiles the entire performance. She was loving every minute and enjoyed dancing for her family. We are super proud of her. I love to watch her dance!

Gingerbread Houses

2009-12-16T16:28:00.000-08:00

This isn't tradition, but it was so much fun to do together that it is definitely on our list of Christmas traditions. The kids love to pick the treats off when they are being good. I hot-glued the graham crackers together to form the house, then the rest was done with bags of frosting piped to the house and stuck with pieces of candy.

The annual Christmas Tree hunt

2009-12-16T16:08:00.000-08:00

As every year from the beginning of time...okay, maybe ever since Kyle can remember, the whole Bevan clan travels to Tooele to hunt for the family Christmas tree. This year was a huge success. We found the best tree ever! The kids had fun, and afterward we gathered outside the old cabin and drank hot chocolate and visited with the family. When all the trees were collected as well as the family members, we drove to Kyle's Uncle Bruce's house and had yummy soup and visited some more. We just can't get enough of the family!

Thanksgiving with family and friends

2009-12-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving was definitely one of the best! Our party was bigger with the addition of our good friends and next door neighbors, the Wills. The food was good, the company was great, and having family here that I haven't seen in months was exceptional. I love the Holidays because I see my family a lot more.

Gingerbread Festival

2009-12-16T15:44:00.000-08:00

Kyle's brother and his family invited us to go to the Thanksgiving Point's Gingerbread Festival with them. It was really fun for the kids. They got their face painted, got to look at the hundreds of gingerbread houses on display, watch some dance recitals, and end with some warm hot chocolate and a gingerbread cookie that they were able to decorate themselves. Thanks for inviting us Amos and Brooke!

Happy 6 Kayla!

2009-12-16T15:29:00.000-08:00

I can't believe my Kayla is 6 years old! How time flies when it seems that only yesterday I was rocking her to sleep with her little thumb poked in her little mouth. Kayla has made great strides in her short 6 years. This year we bumped her into 1st grade and skipped Kindergarten. At first I thought I was making a huge mistake, but watching her grow and having a huge thirst for knowledge is reassuring to me that we made a good choice. I love you Kayla!

A Busy Halloween!

2009-12-16T15:15:00.000-08:00

The month of October was really busy for us and not all that bad either. I tried my hand at sewing Kayla's Halloween costume by myself, and she came out looking like Dorothy herself! We also added a new member of our family this month by getting a cat. For me to remember when we added her to our family, we named her Trixie (you know, it's Halloween sounding). I'm doing okay after being continuously made fun of for the choice of name. And lastly, Halloween Eve we carved our spooky pumpkins and put them out for display. What a fun month!

Dancing Princess

2009-12-16T15:08:00.000-08:00

My Erica has to be the best dancer for a three-year-old. It brings me so much joy to see her dancing. The first day of class she arrived twirling and leaping all over the place and hasn't stopped since. Erica will perform her first dance recital this Saturday. I hope she doesn't come down with a case of stage fright.

Cabin, Labor Day '09

2009-09-20T21:22:00.000-07:00

Soccer!

2009-09-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

Zach and now for her first year, Kayla, has started soccer. I can really see Zach's growth this year and he's playing like a star! Kayla had a rough start when I accidentally enrolled her in the "Little Kickers" league with all the preschool children. She astounded me with her talent by getting in there and stealing the ball from everyone and getting goal after goal, but at the end she fell and got kicked in the head. She was a little hesitant with getting in for the ball after that, and now that I've changed her in the league she is supposed to be in, she still dances around the ball when it comes to her. I just sigh and tell myself she will get her confidence back with more experience, but sometimes it's a little hard to sit and watch her. :)

Timpanogos Trail

2009-09-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

My brother, Jamie and I went hiking the Timpanogos Trail at the beginning of September. I had been wanting to do it since I went the first time when I was 16 or 17 years old. It was a lot of switch-back trails, but it was so beautiful that I enjoyed the entire hike. There were a lot of waterfalls and greenery to look at the whole way.

This is a view looking out toward Deer Creek. So pretty!

This is our ending destination. Here we took off our shoes and sat back to enjoy watching the not so smart BYU students slide down this hill. We saw a lot of scuffs and scrapes from people who thought it would be fun to slide down from the top.

More Park City

2009-08-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

The swimming pool was lots of fun for the kids. It was deep enough for the kids to play in the entire pool. The second day it started to rain, so it was pretty fun to play in the rain. Of course those who didn't swim were able to be in the covered area of the pool. Fancy! Zach and Kayla found that doing flips in the pool was fun, and Erica also learned that going under water was pretty fun too.

Park City

2009-08-24T10:37:00.000-07:00

This weekend we got invited to go to Park City with our good friends from WJ. Angel and Brian and their two girls were a blast to be with. We spent the day getting some rides in at the Alpine Slide. Afterward we went to dinner at this cute pizza parlour on Main Street. We got a quiet spot in the basement all to ourselves with arcade games for the kids to play. Even though we jam-packed our day with lots of things to do, after the kids went to bed we broke out the games and played till we couldn't keep our eyes open anymore. Thanks for the fun time, Stevens!

My Girls

2009-08-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

I frequently will pass by a picture and remember just how stink'in cute my kids are. I was looking through pictures to update my blog when I came across this one of Kayla and Erica sitting on the wall of our garden. Kayla still shocks me with her beauty. I keep asking myself, how can she look so beautiful when she's my child? This picture just became one of my favorites.

Sing'in the Back to School...blues?

2009-08-23T20:05:00.000-07:00

I may be a really bad mom for saying this but I am so excited for my kids to start school. Even though this summer has been pretty entertaining, going to the movies once a week as well as visiting the pool on a weekly basis was starting to get old for my kids. Zach was so excited to start his first day that he took his own picture which is the first picture shown. I didn't cry at all when Zach walked through the doors on his first day, but I have a feeling there will be plenty of tears when Kayla starts kindergarten and Erica goes on her first day of preschool. We were able to go to Erica's preschool openhouse last week and meet her teacher and see her friends. Here Erica is playing with some puzzles with her cutie patutie friend, Logan. He won't be in her class this year, but maybe next. This is a big year for me because all my kids will be in school. Even though it isn't for all day, I will enjoy the couple hours of me time I will get a few days a week.

This and That

2009-08-23T16:00:00.000-07:00

This has been a fun summer. I definitely haven't gone as crazy this summer as I did last year. I think it's thanks to great neighbors and knowing more kids in the neighborhood for the kids to play with. Even though the weather hasn't been as kind to us for a lot of outdoor activities, we were able to get in some fun. Kyle and the kids were able to try out Payson Lakes for the first time and caught four fish. Kayla and Zach were able to play outside riding bikes and jumping on the trampoline out back. This is the big year of the birth of the Tennis Ball Launcher for Kyle and his brother from anotha' motha', Dave, our nextdoor neighbor. These two children at heart have spent hours out front just shooting their tennis balls over and over as well as finding every way to improve the designs. I can't believe I don't have pictures of them, so I'll be more diligent in getting out there with my camera.

Swimming Lessons

2009-08-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

What a great year for Swimming Lessons! Kayla and Zach have learned so much from their experience with the Spanish Fork swimming lessons. I have a couple of cute little fishy kids now.

4th of July Fun!

2009-08-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

For the fourth of July we stayed at home and had a fireworks extraveganza with our neighbors and their families. It was quite the display. Dave, our neighbor and Kyle oversaw the festivities and gave us all a great show. It was in my opionion, RiDonculous! Dave provided the fireworks and put the experts to shame!

Just keep on runn'in!

2009-06-03T21:05:00.000-07:00

Memorial Day my two brother-in-laws and I got up at 7am and raced a 5K in Woods Cross. Amos and I had a bet who would beat the other, and in the end Ryan joined our rivalry. Even though I gave it a good fight, Amos beat me by 4 minutes. I was able to beat Ryan by 4 minutes, so I suppose it all ended well. After the race we were able to cash in on free breakfast and a little entertainment. The picture shows us in winning order. I was so paranoid of standing in front them. I didn't know if I was going to have rabbit ears or experience a wedgie. It was a really fun day.

Look what I can do!

2009-05-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

Last night we took off the training wheels and said "That's it! You're riding a two-wheeler!" After a few practice runs up and down the street with Mom holding on to Kayla's seat, I let go and off she went! It was really exciting and now all Kayla wants to do is ride her bike...all the time! Kayla was so inspiring that our next door neighbor, Sierra, or maybe it was her dad...decided that it was time to learn it too. Shortly after Kayla's triumph, Sierra was also riding with the best of them. Way to go girls!

Kayla's Preschool Graduation

2009-05-22T09:52:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to see Kayla graduate Preschool this year. We absolutely love her teacher, Mrs. Mendonsa, she is an academic magician! It was a lot of fun to see the songs they sung and the skits they performed like the Chick-a-Chick-a Boom Boom skit where Kayla was in charge of holding up the letter J. Kayla's only complaint was that she wished that she could have held up the A or the B so she wouldn't have to concentrate so hard to make sure she didn't miss her J cue. Just like her brother, we had a hard time getting her to smile or do any of the actions for the songs. She said she was thinking too hard to do any of those.

Race Day

2009-05-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

So I ran in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure race on May 9th, which is also my birthday (had to add that in). I got to the Gateway in Salt Lake on time and was able to squeeze my way to the front before the race began. I could not believe how many people were there! I was able to finish the 5K (3.1 miles) in just under 30 minutes which was my best time. Kyle and the kids along with Rene, my mother-in-law were able to see me race, but because of the massive amounts of people there, my mom was lost in the crowd and didn't get a chance to see me. I am really thankful that they were all there to support me. It made it all worthwhile.

Since then I've been pushing myself harder and can now run the same distance in about 25 minutes. Memorial Day I have the chance to race against my two brother-in-laws in a 5K in Bountiful. I'm really excited!

Fun in the Sun!

2009-05-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

A couple days ago we experienced the warmest day of the year. Even though I told my kids that we weren't going to get out the swimming pool and sprinklers until school was out, I had to give in because even I was melting in the heat. It was fun to have the Will's kids join in on the fun, and soon we had a whole crowd of neighborhood children trying to sqeeze into our small frog pool. To make it even more exciting, add an inner tube almost as big as the pool, stick 5 or more children in and watch and listen to excited laughter and fun. Occassionally we would break for a quick popsicle and quickly run back for more water fun.

So You Think You Can Dance?

2009-05-21T07:59:00.001-07:00

So my most favorite-est show of all time is tonight and I am as happy as a monkey in a banana factory! So don't expect me to answer my door or any phone calls during the hours of 7 to 9 pm.

My Cookie Blog

2009-05-05T15:02:00.000-07:00

So I'm setting up a blog for my cookies. I hope I can get some good feedback on how well I've managed creating it. Check it out and let me know. I'm still in the process, I've got a lot more pictures coming, but I feel like I've made a good start.
http://beccascookies.blogspot.com

2009-05-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

My first 5K is this Saturday and I'm getting pretty excited about it. I woke up early this morning after a long break (call it kind of hanging off the wagon, not quite falling off...) and ran my 3.5 miles in 45 minutes. I'm hoping I can shave some time off by race day. Even though there will be no winners for this race, I will see the product of my hard work and persistance and feel like a winner.

I will also be achieving one of my goals by running a race before I turn 30, and what better day to run than on my 29th birthday? I hope that everyone will be able to come and cheer me on. That will be the best birthday present ever!

The 5K (3.1 miles) run and walk will start at 8:30am at a new start line. Both events will start on 300 W & North Temple heading north, and coming back to end near the Gateway Legacy Fountain.

Baptism Cookies

2009-04-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of providing cookies to my good friend, Angel, for her daughter's baptism luncheon. They turned out to be a big hit and everything worked out as expected. Each cookie is individually wrapped in cellophane. I made about 60 cookies and everyone loved them. Thank you Angel for getting my name out there and giving me more experience with my new business.

Cousins

2009-04-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

We've made it a tradition now to sit all the kids on Grandma and Grandpa Bevan's back porch for an Easter picture. Next year there will be at least one more making 9 grandkids for Kyle's parents. Go Julie!

My Easter Chickies

2009-04-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

What makes a mother more proud than to see her children dressed up, clean and hair combed with smiles on their faces? Well, can't think of anything at the moment. This was taken after all the candy was consumed from the Easter Bunny and after all the excited giggles subsided from the girls. Nothing is more exciting than trying on a brand-new dress that has that perfect twirling feature. Even Zachary was excited for his new tie even though Kyle said it was a little "gay." I threatened Kyle that if Zach overheard him saying that that it would be the end of him!
We drove to my mom's to attend church with her. The kids loved being in their new classes and have asked since if they can go to Grandma Thompson's church. I was glad to see some old familiar faces and catch up with some childhood friends who also decided to visit the old ward. After church we hunted some Easter eggs at Grandma T's and hung out until it was time to go visit the Bevan's. There we also took part in hunting for some more eggs and eating dinner with Kyle's parents and brother and sister with their families. It was a good eventful day and I was happy to have gotten in a small lesson of the real meaning of Easter to my children. I am so thankful for my family and the smiles they put on my face.

I got it Paid Foward!

2009-04-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

My sweet friend, Cricket, posted a blog that was titled "Pay it Forward" where the first 3 commenters would recieve a special gift. The catch was that you had to post your own Pay it Forward and gift your first 3 commenters. I got these cute little fridge magnets made by hand and they are the cutest things on my fridge next to the adorable pictures my kids draw me. Now I can stick my children's creations on my fridge in style with these cute squares. Thank you Cricket for taking so much time to make me feel special!

Yay, school is back in session!

2009-04-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

I just endured a very long week of Spring Break with my kids and am so happy to be back to normal with kids off to school and everyone's normal routine back in place. This morning I woke early to run my 3.4 miles in a record time of 38 minutes. I am trying to push myself harder every day to either run further or faster. I used to hate running but now I love it. I found myself itching to get outside this morning after a 2-day break.
Thank goodness for my next-door neighbor, Brooke, last week when she suggested we trade off kids Friday so we could both enjoy some sanity building time. I think she took pity on me when she came home Thursday to see me standing on my front porch barking orders to my kids to run down the street and back to release some of their crazy energy since they were bouncing off the walls. I can't imagine what the summer will be like for me when the kids are home all day every day. Thank goodness for warm weather, swimming lessons and art classes!

I promise I'm still here!

2009-04-08T16:20:00.000-07:00

I know, it's been over a month since I've blogged and I'm truly sorry. It all happened when we decided to move our computer to our upstairs spare bedroom and since then I haven't had more than a couple minutes to myself before I hear the usual "MOMMY!!" from downstairs. It's so predictable, I'm either in the bathroom, on the phone or now, playing on the computer and my children all of a sudden need me now!
So one of these days I will get some more pictures added and some more stories and I can stop hearing the complaints of me not updating my blog. But here's the deal: you all complain that I don't blog enough, but how am I supposed to know anyone is reading it if I don't see any comments at the bottom??? So if I'm going to blog, then you're going to have to send me comments, okay?

More Vegas!

2009-02-13T15:29:00.000-08:00

While staying at the Excalibur, we took the kids to go see the Tournament of Kings where we saw jousting, fighting and got to eat a lot of food with our fingers!

By the last day, Daddy and Erica couldn't take it any longer and gave in to a nice little snooze before waking up to go see the Tournament of Kings show.

One rule when staying in a hotel: Make sure you jump on the beds!!! The kids had a blast jumping wild on the beds and getting that cooped up energy out after all that driving.

This vacation wouldn't be the same without some great friends to share it with. We snuck out for an hour the last night in Vegas and visited Bellagio and whatever casino that has the Volcano show.

My cutie patutie kids were so good during all the walking and waiting. I was honestly scared to death that one of them was going to walk away from us and get lost. We didn't have any problems this time! Yay!

Viva Las Vegas!

2009-02-13T15:03:00.000-08:00

So...Originally we decided to bypass the whole birthday party drama and bribe Zach into going to stay in a hotel and swim in the swimming pool. After getting an excited "YES!" we then thought to ourselves, "Selves, as long as we're going to stay at a hotel, let's go all out and go to Vegas!" So we set out Saturday afternoon and caravaned with our neighbors/friends where we stayed with their family in St. George that first night.

After a fun Saturday night and yummy breakfast served to us Sunday morning by our friends' gracious parents, we were off to Vegas! The kids were seated in luxury with their DVD players and refreshments just at their fingertips.

Here Zach and Kayla are with excited faces after I show them the "castle" where we were to be staying. They loved that they were going to sleep in a castle!

This picture is funny to me because in the background is Mr. Peanut M&M, but when I told the kids to go stand next to him for a picture, they immediately started into their hysterics about being too afraid to get a close-up. This was as close as it was going to get for these two chickens!

We were able to go to the Sponge Bob 4-D ride (can you say pricey???) and so couldn't resist getting a picture with our square friend.

The whole time we stayed in Las Vegas it was cloudy and cold. I was hoping to shed the oversized down-stuffed coat and maybe work on my tan? Is that too much to ask???

2009-01-19T19:37:00.000-08:00

OK, I saw this on someone's blog and made a comment and...I WON! So now I get to pay it forward. Here is how it works......

–Be one of the first three bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me. (That in itself is a really good reason to comment!!!)

–Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift for the first three bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

–The gift that you send to your Three Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. This means you should be willing to maintain your blog at least until you receive your gift and have shipped your gifts. And, remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

–When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it, sharing appropriate Linky Love!If you are not one of the first Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Please take the button and post it on your blog; start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same!

Get Ready. Get Set. Comment!!!

Eric'a's Danc'in Skills

2009-01-09T12:22:00.000-08:00

I've been telling everyone that Erica is a great dancer and is always getting up and dancing when Choo-Choo Soul comes on TV. I've gotten a pretty good video of her as she's shak'in her groove thang.

Christmastime for the Bev's

2009-01-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas was really fun this year. We went and saw Santa at the mall, however Zach is still frightened of him and wouldn't even stand in line with us to see him. No matter how much we bribed him (highest offer of $20 offered from our neighbor, David, who's family also came with us) would not budge him. So maybe next year Zach will change his mind.

Christmas Eve Grandma Thompson, Jamie and Allison arrived and we had dinner and then we all hopped in the van and drove to see the Spanish Fork's Festival of Lights. It was very pretty and the kids had a lot of fun.

Before bed Grandma gathered the kids around and gave them their Christmas Eve gifts which were the traditional jammies. I'm a big fan of the jammies.

The kids went to bed and the grown-ups stayed up and played games and ate a lot of sugary treats. Uhgh! I felt that later! Late into the night when we noticed on Santa's special website that he was getting close, we hurried off to bed.

Christmas morning felt like it came way too soon when we heard a knock, no, a pounding on our door at 6:30 a.m. and seeing the kids jumping off the walls in anticipation. Santa had certainly delivered to the Bevan household! The kids were very pleased. But that wasn't the end to our very exciting day...

After brunch and cleaning up, getting dressed and sending my side of the family off, we loaded in the car and headed to Kyle's parent's house for more Christmas fun. There we exchanged more gifts and ate more food. Grandpa Bevan even got a hooded towel like the rest of the kids. He's been telling us that he's wanted one. It was very fun and exhausting. Another great Christmas celebrated with the people we love best!

Kayla loses teeth!

2009-01-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

Kayla lost her first tooth shortly after her birthday in November. We noticed it was wiggly before her birthday and I threatened her if it came out before she turned 5. She was lucky and really excited. She handled it very bravely. She wrote the toothfairy a letter asking if she could keep it one night to show her friends at school and when she put it under her pillow the second night and awoke the next morning she was devastated to find that the tooth was still there. Why had the Tooth Fairy let her down??? (oops)
The following night the Tooth Fairy delivered! When Kayla woke the next morning, to her surprise were two stuffed figures of Santa and Frosty holding a note and a Golden Dollar. The note explained that the Tooth Fairy was busy helping Santa get ready for Christmas and he was running behind. He thanked her for her patience and rewarded her with a special Christmas present and her Gold coin. Let's hope the Tooth Fairy doesn't slip up again. What will be the excuse next time???

A short couple weeks later, her other tooth came out and now looks very toothless! Congrats on being so brave, Kayla! Mom and Dad are so proud and can we say Zach is a little jealous of your bravery??

2009-01-04T14:02:00.000-08:00

I want to post this to remind me of what the kids should look like when they go outside to play in the snow. This picture was taken when it snowed for the first time this season. Now when the kids want to go out and play in the snow I have to remind them that its frigid out there and a sweater and a baseball hat won't cut it! Do I really have to do this for two more months???

Holiday Tag

2008-12-13T18:07:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAY TAG!
Hey....lets play. Just copy and paste into your own blog and answer the questions.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both
2. Real tree or Artificial? We go and chop it down the Griswald Family Christmas way, except we bring our saw.
3. When do you put up the tree? Usually the day after Thanksgiving, but this year we did it the weekend before Thanksgiving. I hope our tree survives to Christmas (crossing fingers)
4. When do you take the tree down? If I have any say-so, then the day after Christmas or the day after New Year's
5. Do you like eggnog? Love It!!
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Playstation GameGear (first color hand-held game)
7. Hardest person to buy for? People who won't give me any ideas!
8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, on a the tallest shelf of my bookcase
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail, if I'm lucky
11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I'm not at liberty to say
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation (hence the comment in #2)
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Soon after Halloween
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Absolutely!
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Chocolate!
16. Favorite Christmas song? I want a Hippoppotomus for Christmas. (I'm embarrased if I spelled that wrong :0)
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Stay home with my Mom, Brother and his G-friend. It's at the top of my favorite list.
18. Angel on the tree top or a star? Star
19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? We open jammies on Christmas Eve, but the bulk of the gift giving is on Christmas.
20. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? My bank account draining quickly to $0
21. Favorite ornament theme or color? We collect an ornament every year so it's a tree full of memories
22. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Whatever
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? A new cell phone and a wheat grinder
24. Do you go "Black Friday Shopping"? Yes, and I can't figure out why I keep doing it since I'm mad every year when I go and all the deals are gone.
25.What is your favorite Christmas cookie? All of them!!

Christmas Tree Chopping Day

2008-12-04T17:45:00.000-08:00

As tradition goes for the Bevan's, we pile in the car and travel to Bevan Cabin in Toole to hunt for that perfect Christmas Tree. Here we have spotted it. Let's hope it still looks good when we chop it down!

The big strong men take turns sawing at the tree while the women stand back and watch while we complain about the chill and how our hands are cold.

Are you ready for Christmas?

2008-12-04T17:19:00.000-08:00

Erica, are you ready for Christmas?

No Mommy, how can we possibly start celebrating Christmas so close after Thanksgiving? I just got done digesting all that dinner. I'm too tired to sing Christmas carols, make Christmas cookies, watch endless Christmas movies, and unwrap all those presents that Santa brings me on Christmas morning. Plus, I don't want to take off my awesome Pilgrim hat!

I'm sorry Erica, Thanksgiving is over. It's time to take off your pilgrim hat and put on your Santa hat.
No! I won't do it!
Celebrating the Holidays is hard work!

Halloween with the Cousins

2008-11-10T20:13:00.000-08:00

One Halloween tradition we celebrate is getting together for some yummy food and games with our cousins. Of course it is mandatory that everyone dress up (even the grown-ups). All came together and showed off their unbelieveably awesome costumes. I swear they get better and better every year! Even we put in a little more thought this year as to what we would be for Halloween. It was especially a lot of fun putting Kyle's costume together. After all the dressing up, he now wishes to be addressed as K-Bev. What goes better together than a Gangster with an Aerobicizing wife?

Halloween Fun

2008-11-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

As tradition goes, we go get our Punkin, bring it home and start in on painting it up. For the first time in four years, we finally have a painted face on one of our pumpkins! Usually we see a full pumpkin smeared with large amounts of a brown, reddish color from the paints getting all mixed up together. Everyone had their own preferred way of painting their punkins which makes it so much fun to watch.

Erica preferred to tap the painted brush to the pumpkin which made it cute, but we later found lots of paint splattered on our kitchen wall from all that tapping. Oh well, it's all worth it when you see such a happy face as Erica's!

Juice, anyone?

2008-10-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist getting a picture of this little cutie drinking in her big-girl cup today while I was making dinner. Sitting at the counter I could hear loud gulping sounds with a big "HAAHH" then her sprawling her body across the counter with cup in hand saying, "Moe Jshuice, Mama!"

2008-09-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

So I got tagged by two of my good friends, Cricket and Leah. You can see thier blog links on the side of my blog to check thier's out. I do consider myself to be extremely ordinary, so I'm sorry I wasted 5 minutes of your internet time when you could be paying bills online or checking your email. :)

Here are the rules:
1. Post a link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag a few blogging friends. Let each person you want to tag know they have been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blog site under the latest posting.
5. Let your tagger know when you have posted the "6 random things about yourself" on your blog.

6 random things about myself:

1. I have an extreme fettish for the smell of fabric softener and bleach in my clothes and bedsheets. When I fold my clothes, I have to press every other garment to my face and take in a deep breath. Yes, I even do it to underwear, that way I know if they are truly clean, ya know? I will also try to go outside and do some yard work after just putting my clothes in the dryer so I can work and get whiffs of my laundry from the vent blowing outside.

2. When I have unexpected visitors, I have small panic attacks while they are visiting because I start seeing everything in my house that I have neglected to clean and tidy. I don't consider myself the best housekeeper, and it sticks out like a sore thumb when I have visitors. It even happens when I have scheduled visitors, but not as bad because I've had at least some time to tidy up.

3. I love to sing as loud as I can in the car, but not when my husband is driving with me. Don't ask me why, I just can't. Maybe because he does enough loud singing for the both of us, but even when I try, I just can't get it out. I will sing with him in church and anywhere else that requires me to sing, but I cannot sing in the car with Kyle.

4. I love my church calling. My husband and I are Nursery leaders in our ward and I love going every week. What's better than entering a room full of happy smiling faces that are meant for you? When you sit on the floor and they all come swarming over to give you a big hug, and that accidental "Mom" when a child needs help. I love it. I feel that there is nothing much better than recieving love from a child. (Don't tell my husband I said that part about loving my calling)

5. I can make myself cry on demand. I'm usually a cry baby as it is, but if I give myself enough time to think about something to cry about, the tears will start flowing. So if you need anybody to sympathize with you, invite a bawlbaby to make you feel better.

6. I love my Husband's ears. I can't get enough of them. I love to rub them between my thumb and finger. They are warm and squishy, and it gives me tingles just thinking about them. Unfortunately, they are the best when he's tired and his ears are hot, but that's usually at the time when he's grumpy... and I forgot to say that he hates having his ears touched, tired or not. It makes him mad when I touch them. What do I do???

Alright, that was embarrassing, probably more for those that I wrote about, but there it is. Now, tag, you're it!!!

Labor Day at the cabin

2008-09-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

Labor Day for the Bevans was spent being lazy in the comfort of a nice heated cabin. This picture was taken after a fun ride on the 4-wheelers in the middle of a hail-storm. Hot chocolate all around!

Aren't these two just precious? Thanks to Brooke for being the smart one and bringing her camera, she took pics of Erica and her best buddy and cousin, Kellie. They spent a lot of time chatt'in it up and hanging out. What could be funner than playing with the people you love the most?

Since the weather turned sour, the kids used their imagination and played a game of Peter Pan. Okay...not really, they destroyed the box seconds after the picture was taken.

Kayla's first day of Preschool

2008-09-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Here Kayla is with little sis just about to start her first day of preschool. Although she's the oldest in her class, she comes home every day with a big smile on her face. Her only complaint is that she doesn't get sent home with homework like her big brother does. That's okay, Mom can keep her busy with some of that stuff.

Zach's first day of 1st Grade

2008-09-10T15:53:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, even though I've been going to 1st grade for a total of 15 days now, I thought I would share my first day pictures with everyone. On my first day I got to take my first lunch that Mom made. It had a PB&J, a juice pouch (that I told my Mom never to send with me again because I don't like asking the teacher for help sticking in the straw), and a granola bar. My Mom asked if I would be interested in eating the school's lunch, but I said, "No way, they serve different stuff every day." I'm pretty okay with eating PB&J's every single day for the rest of my 1st grade life.

While I was at school, Kayla and Erica decided to visit Daddy at work and practice driving the fork-lift. Of course Daddy wouldn't let them actually drive it, but playing with the steering wheel and sitting in the driver's seat is pretty fun.
When I got home my good friend Rachelle came over and we got out all of the blankets and made a fort. Rachelle is pretty fun because she finds fun ways to play with our cat, Gary, and we made a nice little bed for him in our little house.

A trip to the State Capitol

2008-09-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

When hearing of the Declaration being on display at the State Capitol Building, I decided to load the kids and a cranky husband in the car and drive to Salt Lake to take part in the festivities. To my dismay however, everyone else seemed to have the same idea because when we got there, the line to see the document trailed around the building for about a mile. It was fun to see the renovated building and the grounds, and we invited my mom so the day ended up being pretty worthwhile after all.

The Results are In...

2008-08-14T15:25:00.000-07:00

So here are the results of what Hydro-seed looks like after about 8 weeks of growth. We are still trying to get rid of a local weed called Green Foxtail, but with a lot of pulling and some weed-killer, the grass is looking lush and green. We were able to start walking on it at about 6 weeks, but in just the last week we can run and even LAY on it.

Now that the grass is coming along, we can now start thinking about installing cement curbing for our flower beds, and if our finances permit, maybe extend our driveway on the east side. There is nothing better than seeing the fruits of your labor.

A big Thanks to Kyle's dad, Craig with Craig's Toe Tikl'in Turf for Hydro-seeding our yard and making many trips to Spanish Fork to ensure we were on the right track. We love our grass!

Swimming Lessons

2008-08-14T14:51:00.001-07:00

Zach and Kayla had their first experience with swimming lessons this summer. Of course they had lots of fun. The last day of lessons they were able to spend the whole time going down the waterslide and off the diving board. Although I was curious how they would react to going off the diving board, they loved every minute of it and went off both the slide and the diving board multiple times.

Fiesta Days and the 24th Fun!

2008-07-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Spanish Fork's Fiesta Days last week by going to the carnival and hanging out at the park to watch fireworks. We sure had a lot of fun and my mom even came down for a couple days to hang out with us.

Memory Lane

2008-07-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Memory Lane.....
MEMORY LANE- I saw this on my friends blog and thought it would be fun. Here are the directions:
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember! I guess good or bad, but be nice!!!!!!!
2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

Kyle's new ride

2008-07-11T18:05:00.000-07:00

We made a brave decision this week and bought ourselves another car. It was about time to let go of the beloved Jeep and get something to fit our family of five. It's a 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. No more packing the Jeep with 3 car seats and making one of us drive the other car! It's kind of a fixer-upper, but Kyle loves the opportunity.

Our grass...updated

2008-07-11T18:00:00.000-07:00

So I've gotten a couple complaints that I'm not keeping up on our grass pictures. So last night I took this picture of what our grass looks like. Purdy, ain't it? We did get a lot of weeds because of the topsoil we put down, but you can see the lush green grass below the weeds. Not to worry, we just need to spray it with weed killer to get rid of them.

Camp'in with the Bevan's

2008-07-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

We spent the 4th of July weekend camping with Kyle's family in Heber. There was lots to do like canoeing, fishing, zipp'in down the zip-line, and eating lots and lots of S'more's! The kids had a really great time and it was good to get together with the family.

Zach and his cousin, Sadie canoeing all by themselves. Wow, they grow up so fast!!

Kyle's catch of the day. There were some really big fishies at the lake!

Erica's favorite activity was digging in the sand.

When Erica wasn't digging, she was talking Great Grandpa Bevan's ear off. Aww, isn't it cute?

2008-06-26T15:42:00.000-07:00

Now this looks like grass! I took this picture just a couple of minutes ago. This might seem really nerdy, but I consider watching the grass grow a highlight of my day! We are going on two weeks now and already we are lookin' good! Do you like the image in the background? They say the Sugar Beet Factory in Spanish Fork was built in the late 1800's/early 1900's and is considered to be an historical landmark. The first thing people say when they come to visit? "When are they tearing that eye-sore down?" We thought the same thing until we learned it's history. It's really quite cool. But what's more cool is the sight of these blades of grass. It's like watching your own children grow...okay, not quite, but almost as exciting.

My two kiddies napping together

2008-06-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

How cute is this?? I caught these two napping together while Kayla was watching a movie. Just when I think that Gary has had enough of the kids, he shows us how much he loves our crazy family by snuggling up and napping with us. Either that or he loves Kayla the most when she's asleep!

One week later...It's grass!

2008-06-23T07:40:00.000-07:00

It's quite amazing actually. I came out in the afternoon on Friday to look for grass with no success. When we came out later at about 6, to my surprise there was a whole yard full of these beautiful blades of grass sticking out of the ground. That was Friday. After fertilizing on Saturday, it looks even more beautiful. It's really fun to watch!

Erica's 2nd Birthday

2008-06-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

Erica's Birthday was the 18th of June, so we celebrated with a little cake and some singing. When we asked her what day it was, she responded, "Happy Too-day."

Some of Erica's favorite birthday presents included her little pink car and a simple Elmo mylar balloon she carries everywhere. You can't help but smile watching her drive her little pink car around. You gotta love the terrible two's!

Zach's Staples...what did you say?!?

2008-06-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

That's right, Zach had a little accident two Saturday's ago which involved a little sibling rivalry with some pushing and shoving that ended up with Zach falling back into the corner of our staircase and split his head open. He got 3 staples in the back of his noggin. What was the scariest part, I asked him? The shots! He actually thought the putting in of the staples was cool. Believe me, we were freaked out!!!

Gary, our kitty

2008-06-18T16:06:00.001-07:00

Over Memorial Day weekend we drove to West Jordan to pick up our newest member of the family. We named him Gary because we are die-hard SpongeBob fans and thought the name suited him well. The kids love him and he tolerates them well enough.

Planting Grass

2008-06-18T15:12:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we planted our grass in our front and back yard. It was a lot of fun and Zach actually got to get into it and do some dirty work. We are really lucky that Kyle's Dad owns Craig's Toe Tickl'in Turf and that he came down and planted it for us. He did a fantastic job. Now the challenge is having the patience to watch the grass grow.

Erica and Dallin's Birthday

2008-06-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Since Erica and her cousin, Dallin almost share a birthday, we've started a tradition where we get together and celebrate their birthdays. This year we got together at Thanksgiving Point and went to the Dinasour Museum. It was a lot of fun and although the other kids had more fun than Erica, she perked up after we ate dinner, because as we all know, Erica's happiness comes from her stomach!