Idaho

We spent last week in Idaho. We had originally planned to leave Saturday morning, but due to circumstance beyond our control, we had to wait until after church on Sunday.  We got to Malad shortly after midnight.  The kids are pretty fabulous travelers!  Lila likes to shove things in between her little body and the straps of her car seat.  Sometimes it is her blanket, a doll, a water bottle, a book, whatever she has. 

Clint bought another piece of land in Samaria this spring.  It is across the street from the piece he bought last year.  Except, this piece has an old house on it.  This past winter the pipes burst on the main level and it was discovered because water was pouring out of the basement windows.  The owner had no insurance and just let it sit.  It is pretty nasty and stinky inside.  Clint and Dale could not wait to destroy it.  What is it about boys??  We had planned on bringing it down when we first got there, but it wasn't meant to be.  The guy with the excavator was unavailable and it was too dry to burn it, so instead, Clint and Luke cleaned the rest of the property. In 100 degree heat.  I have to admit, being pregnant definitely has its occasional advantage.  I felt sick every time I left the shade, so I spent my days watching the kids and running to town to bring the boys milkshakes, lemonade, and anything else that would make working in the miserable heat more tolerable. 

 The girls found a bunch of old fingernail polish in the garage.  They had the best time painting the house!  I let them do it before I realized that it wasn't coming down this trip.  I kinda wonder what  passersby think when they see all the beautiful artwork!

 It really was a cute little house!  It was devastating to walk through and look at all the damage.  There's a piano covered with mildew in the basement.  We salvaged a couple of vacuum cleaners, some tools, an antique sewing machine, and I want to go back to get the china, but everything else has been ruined.

 There were lots of fences dividing the land.  Clint pulled them all  out.  He made several trips to the dump, made a large pile of wood to burn, and has several loads of metal that needs to be recycled.  It looks a lot better now, though!

 A kitten had actually been living in the basement.  It was a little skittish when we first found it, but Clint's nephew, Andrew, promptly calmed it down and Haden claimed it as his own.  "Tiger" was too dumb to run when Lila would come near so he was nearly suffocated with her loving.  We moved the cat to Clint's parents house and they assured Haden they would take very good care of him.  Haden spent every extra minute with the cat and cried when we left him.

 I explained that cats like the freedom of Idaho much better than living in Colorado. (Plus, I did not want that smelly cat in my car for 10 hours!)  It didn't seem to help.  We may have to go back in September just to visit the blasted cat.

 That night we spent with friends and cousins at a hot springs.  It's on private property, so we had it all to ourselves.  The kids loved it!

 It smelled like sulfur, so I kept my distance.

 The girls loved swimming.

 Haden loved swinging.

 Lila could have jumped on the tramp all night.

The next day was more of the same.  Clint worked at the house and I chased kids.  Haden didn't want to wait to take the house down and took matters into his own hands.  Why must boys destroy things?  Despite his best efforts, he didn't really do any damage.

 The kids loved hanging out with their cousins. They helped them do chores and feed the baby animals.  But I didn't get any pictures.

 The next day we went to Downata Hot Springs.  It was a nice break for everyone!

 The last day poor Tiger got loved some more,

 Haden drove the tractor with Grandpa.  He's a pretty good little driver!

Lila helped Clint raise Grandpa up in the bucket of the tractor to trim the trees. 

 And Dale got to go shooting.  This was the only day he would be in Samaria with us and had asked Clint to take him shooting.  They raided Doyle's gun safe and then headed to our yucky house.  They collected several bottles of pop, cans of beans, and anything else that would be fun to shoot and then headed up to the gravel pit.

 Then we headed to our hotel in Park City.  We met up with some friends who had moved to Utah earlier this year.  I think this was the part of the trip Haden was most looking forward to.  He and Corbin are best friends!  Lila and Avery love being together, too!  I love that even though they haven't seen each other for 5 months, it was like nothing had changed.  The boys wrestled and the girls played like they always did.  And I loved catching up with Staci!



I hope we can get together frequently enough that they can all stay best friends!

We met up with my family that evening.  Dale was drawing faces on the kids.  Haden only agreed if he could draw on Dale when he was done.  Dale gave in and my kids had the best time decorating his face!  I still laugh when I think of the look the lady in hotel gave him when we got back.  I guess you don't see a 6'2" 175 lb guy with his face completely covered in marker every day!  Lila had even given him eyeshadow!  It was awesome! 

Lila did her best to clean it off of Dale, but it just smeared.  She kept telling him to "hold still!"

The next day we stopped at Utah's Olympic Park before heading home.  We watched the ski jumpers.  Lila would yell, "that was awesome!" every time.

The trip home seemed longer than the trip there, even though it was 2 hours shorter.  I love coming home and sleeping in my own bed!
 

First day of school

Regan started 3rd grade this year.  She got the teacher she wanted, Ms. Toay.  We started year round school this year and we don't know anyone else on our track, so Regan has to make all new friends.  And there are only a handful of girls in her class again, just like last year.  She hasn't seemed to mind, though.  Apparently she plays (watches) soccer with the boys during recess. 

 She got her shirt as a birthday present from Savannah and immediately decided to wear it for the first day.  Regan has always enjoyed school and always done very well.

 Haden started school two days after Regan.  The kindergarten teachers assess each of the kids one on one during the first two days.  Haden's teacher, Mrs. Dougherty, praised Haden and his academic ability.  She labeled him advanced after 10 minutes with him and put him on the advanced reading list.  He is a smart little stinker.  He taught himself to read and loves practicing math problems with Regan.  He's always been curious and is a very capable problem solver. 

 Unfortunately, Haden is also a big mama's boy.  The poor little boy was horribly anxious about starting school and being gone from me that long.  If he had never left me, his argument would be more understandable, but he went to two and half years of preschool and bunches of play dates.  I think he just gets anxious when he is faced with situations that he is not completely sure about.  He asked for countless blessings and Clint always complied.  At his request, we say several prayers every morning.  I am grateful that he knows where to go to find peace and comfort.  Mrs. Dougherty has been fabulous with him and says that he is fine once school starts.  He always has a smile when I pick him up, it is just getting him there that is a lot of work.  Poor little guy!  They had a fire drill the first week of school.  Haden was a nervous wreck!  He hates loud noises.  The principal was at the door when we got to school and asked what was wrong. He patiently explained everything that was going to happen during the fire drill to Haden.  Then, went and checked on him post-fire drill and then called me to let me know he was okay.  Can you get better attention at a public school?  I was impressed!  It might be because Clint has been instrumental in getting lots of improvements for the school, but still.  I am loving the special attention my kiddos are getting!

Lila starts preschool next month and I am looking forward to the 5 hours I will have by myself until the baby comes!  I don't even know what I'll do with myself! 

Regan got baptized!

 

My sweet little Regan got baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on July 6, 2013.  I am so proud of her and the person she is becoming! 

 Picking her dress to wear post baptism was a top priority for Regan.  Surprise, surprise....  She found several more sparkly, more grown up looking dresses, but settled on this one because it looked more like a baptism dress than the other ones.  I had intended to do invitations, but I was sick with this pregnancy much longer than anticipated and that was one of things that had to go.  We did get pictures done, though.  We went swimming with some friends immediately afterwards and her beautiful curls were promptly ruined, but she didn't care.

 Being the Primary President occasionally has its advantages.  I got to help Regan plan her baptismal program.  She told Dale he had to give a talk on the Holy Ghost and Savannah was to give a prayer.  Both would have much rather been observers in the audience, but neither one could tell Regan no.  Savannah took off work and made the drive from Provo so she could be there with Regan.  It absolutely meant the world to Regan to have her favorite aunt there!  Savannah has yet to miss an event in my family.  She has been there for every baby's birth, blessing, and now, baptism.  We love Savannah!

 I am also very grateful that Clint was able to baptize and confirm little Regan.  He is a wonderful dad and husband!

 Regan had been planning this day for a while.  She insisted that she WAS NOT going to get baptized in those "ugly jumpers" and wanted me to make her a dress.  Clint and I did our best to talk her out of it.  Clint was worried that the dress would float up and I was still recovering from morning sickness and didn't really want to make her one.  In the end, she won.  The dress got finished, and as long as nobody looked too closely, it looked pretty good.  And it was heavy enough fabric that it didn't float up while she was being baptized.  She also insisted on having pearls throughout her braid that ended in a messy bun.  Rather a high maintenance little girl! 

Regan was beaming when she came out of the water and wanted to go back in.  It was just like a hot tub! 

 

Afterwards we were going to eat lunch at Cheesecake Factory (Regan's favorite restaurant), but she changed her mind and wanted to go to Golden Corral at the last minute.  She had never been there and decided to give it a try.  We had both Dale and Savannah with us--they ALWAYS get my money's worth at a buffet!  It was fun.  The kids loved the chocolate fountain and dipped way more than they ate.  They've all been asking when we can go back. 

 

I'm proud of Regan and the choices she has made.  She is a good example to her younger siblings.  I love having her as my little girl!

Pocahontas or Toby-Wan Kenobi?

 

We're adding another one to our crew this Thanksgiving!  The kids are over the moon excited! In usual Waldron tradition, we chose not to find out the sex of the baby.  So, now we have to come up with both boy and girl names.  Lila insists we name her Pocahontas if it is a little girl and Haden thinks Toby-Wan Kenobi would be perfect for a little boy.  (Bonus points goes to whoever knows where he got that name from!)  Regan likes Scarlett Rosella if she's a girl, but is thinking it is probably going to be a boy.  We can't wait to meet this new little person!  I'm sure that, regardless of gender, they will be the perfect addition to our family!

Lila

My feisty little Lila turned three!  We had company staying with us for a few days around her birthday, so she got a big party!  Her presents all had a princess theme.  She is the most enthusiastic present opener I have.  She ripped open each present as fast as she possibly could, and then did a deep bow when her performance was done.  Total show off!

 She wanted a heart shaped chocolate cake and picked out "Sofia the First" figurines for the top.

 

Lila is always very entertaining.  Her imagination is awesome!  Depending on the day, we get to be characters from her favorite shows.  And we have to act the part or get reprimanded.  For instance, no one gets to call Clint dad.  They have to refer to him as "your majesty" or they get yelled at. Unless he has reprimanded her lately, then he has to be the Peculiar Purple Pie Man from Strawberry Shortcake.  When she is Doc McStuffins, she sings the song, "Time for your check up" before she checks you out, decides on a diagnosis which she writes in her book, and then will caress your cheek telling you "don't be scared, sweetheart" in her very most tender voice.  She loves to play Star Wars with Haden, too.  Haden uses the force to choke her.  Both her hands go to her neck and she pretends to gag and then passes out dead.  It's very entertaining!  She is incredibly opinionated and just as head strong.  I pick my battles with her, and even those are tough to win!  She gives fabulous dirty looks, you can't help but to laugh!  Her new favorite song is, "My Boyfriend's Back" which I love!  She even sings along!  We listen to it every time and all the time we are in the car.  She loves wearing dresses, but only ones she thinks are pretty.  She cannot get enough princess lip gloss and asks to wear sparkles (eyeshadow) and perfume every day. (I promise those genes did not come from me even though they seem pretty dominant with my girls!)  However, she can hold her own in every light saber fight anyone has ever attempted with her and is as tough as they come.  We were at the park a few weeks back and another little girl asked to play with Lila.  Lila tried to sword fight her.  The poor girl ran off crying.  Because she only has one speed, fast, she regularly wipes out.  She shakes it off and says, "I meant to do that".  All that being said, she has the most tender heart.  She comes running to comfort anyone hurt and loves to snuggle.  Her laugh is contagious and she loves to be the center of attention.  She is a wonderful helper and is always busy.  When she knows she's in the wrong, she says, "I'm super, super sorry.  I promise I won't do it again" and then hugs you.  She cannot wait to take ballet lessons and start preschool.  She adores her Uncle Dale and even calls him her Daley.  We all love little Lila.  Our family would be almost boring without her!

Regan

My sweet not so little girl turned 8 this year.  I love this girl so much!  She was the one who made me a mom.  I cannot imagine life without her.  She is a very good friend to everyone, not the least bit interested in boys, and still spends considerable time dressing and accessorizing.  Her favorite part of every vacation is planning and packing her outfits.  Peer pressure doesn't seem to phase her, but everything her Aunt Savannah tells her is law.  She is becoming quite the accomplished pianist and dreams of going to Hawaii.  She has expensive taste in just about everything, but loves finding fabulous deals on the jewelry clearance racks.  She regularly tells people that when she turns 16, she wants a Lexus IS 350.  She and I went to look at model homes one afternoon.  When the salesman asked what we thought, she told him, very politely, that none of the houses were for us because there was no where to put her grand piano or do cartwheels.  (She doesn't yet have a grand piano, but is very good at planning ahead.) We left the salesman speechless.  She loves going to Disneyland and will ride Splash Mountain as many times as she can get someone to go with her.  She loves eating at Cheesecake Factory and getting bouquets of flowers from her dad.  I hope my girl know how much our family loves her!

 Since a trip to Hawaii is not imminent, we got her a shaved ice machine.  All three kiddos love it.  We were having shaved ice daily for a very long time!

I love you, Regan!

Custer State Park

The last day, we packed up camp early.  Dale kept all the kids entertained with Haden's bow.  One of the arrows found its way to the very top of a tree.  I thought Haden was going to lose it!  Dale saved the day by throwing rock after rock until he knocked it down.  He had gotten quite an audience from the other campers and he got a good applause when the arrow finally came down.  Dale's arm was sore for a couple of days from it, but it made Haden's day!  We were talking about this incident this morning.  Haden commented that Dale had a really good arm.  Lila immediately piped up with, "And a big nose!" before she dissolved in laughter.  I don't know where she got that from, but she is always teasing him. And for the record, his nose is just normal sized!

 At Custer State Park's visitor's center, we unintentionally stumbled on a gold panning activity.  The kids loved it.  Most of them found several chunks of "gold".

 

 

 We found the wild donkeys.  Those poor donkeys eat anything and everything they are offered.  They have to have iron stomachs!

 Last time we went Regan yelled if we even rolled her window down a little bit.  She was much braver this time!

 

 I wish this one wasn't quite so fearless.  Those donkeys tolerated an awful lot of loving from Lila.

 

 We saw buffalo, antelope, turkeys, and bunches of prairie dogs. 

After the park, we headed towards Cheyenne at full speed so we could hit Sierra Trading Post's outlet before they closed.  We made it with 20 minutes to spare!  Luke and Shayna were going on Trek the following week and needed to get some things.  We spent the night in a hotel--I was done camping at that point, and we drove the last two hours home the next morning.  It was a fun trip!

Mt. Rushmore

The next day we spent at Mt. Rushmore.  We had planned on going for the lighting ceremony the night before, but everyone was just too tired!  We took pictures with every combination we could come up with.

 

 

 

 

 We hiked around and then spent some time in the artist's studio.  I loved that building!  Clint and I both brought it up later wondering if we could recreate a smaller version of it.

 

That night after I had cleaned Lila up (the girl likes to play in the dirt and gets filthy), I banned her to the tent.  She was perfectly happy as long as she could read her book with her headlamp.