Remember when.....

A present like newly organized toothbrush holders and stick figures made you excited? (My kids thought I was awesome!...which I am...._)
Or when the highlight of your Saturday night was creating psycho hair-do's and showing your mom, (who always "gets" to be the audience)?...

And lastly-when you could create anything out of duct tape. Like a new wallet.
With homemade dollar bills in it. :)

Why?

Here's a little gem to share: For FHE we are starting to learn about the YM/YW standards (For the Strength of Youth Pamphlet), and I found this book to go along with it. I think it is a FABULOUS help with having a discussion on any one topic. Last night we talked about "Friends"-how to choose one and be one. The book talks about gospel principles concerning friends, scriptures about friends, the Why? question in regards to friends (thus the title) and funny stories/pictures to keep school-age dumplings engaged. I like it. So I must share. :)

Ha Ha Ha

Tonight Hailey told us that we make the perfect parents because "Dad makes everything fun and Mom makes everything safe".We had a laugh with that. (Sweet Tyler piped in and said that I make everything fun, too. Always worried about my feelings. :)

What the....

Nathan and the kids have been planning a tree house since last fall. Apparently they decided to start it during my Saturday 3-hour nap. I woke up to find this massive apparatus in our backyard. Nathan-who does everything SO BIG-told me that the very top beam (the one that is like 15 feet off the ground) is the FLOOR of the upper level. What in the.... I don't take a stand too often, but I did against this lawsuit-waiting-too-happen. So now the top beam is the TOP of the upper level. The unveiling of "the coolest club house ever" will take place soon....

Derby War, Baby War and Indian War

Tyler's 1st PineWood Derby didn't result in a first place, but it was fun regardless.

No. 1 pencil. "I'm going to teach you a lesson".

Bad picture but I like how Nate had to go up and figure out the race rules. He wasn't the only Dad. :)
My Mason war: I turn around for a minute and he grabs the chocolate marshmellow bunny. NO chance getting that out of his hands, so I let him have a candy lunch. (Those aren't bad every now and then, especially if I can spoon in some sweet potato in between bites.) But it is isn't as funny in the grocery store where he turns around and grabs 15-20 things out of the cart and hurls them onto the floor. grrrrr. (no eggs yet though)
Tyler, Hailey and friends played Indians last weekend. All fun until I hear the pitter patter of kid feet on the roof. Had to go extinguish the fun.

Easter Weekend Eaton Extravaganza

Mason's first word: "Ball". (Same as Tyler's 8 years ago):

Somehow I got perfect ball-in-the-air photos:
Easter morning I was following the kids and saw that ghetto Nathan left the Oriental Trading trash/box on the counter. (Uh, this is where I ordered all the eggs! Good thing our kids did not notice all the wrappers with "20 Filled Easter Eggs" on them.) That dang Easter Bunny...
Mason would grab an egg and book it. He found a golden egg, (with money inside).

Tyler finds the one and only golden egg every year, so this year we had 10, one a "Super Duper Golden Egg" with 5 bucks in it. Hailey was the VERY happy winner.
Finally! A picture of the handsome Eaton males:
Stinking cute purple girls: (I wore purple, too so we could match. Just like Rachel, Mom and I a gazilion years ago in the Bentrock House!)
Dyeing Easter eggs:

Well, we tried...

Easter Morning

 2008..........................................................

Easter Morning 2009.......................................

A Moment

After all the kids were in bed last night, one by one they came out again for such random things:

Tyler: His room was scary. EDITED: He found a dirty diaper in his bed!!!! Ha Ha Ha Now I remember! (This happens when Nate changes diapers)

Hailey: Her left lung hurt.

Emma: Wanted to talk about her 4th birthday coming up April 13th.

Nutty kids. These are the moments when I have to struggle to keep my patience (Momma's tired), and struggle to not laugh at them. :)

General Conference Weekend

As I was preparing to "hunker down" for Conference weekend, I realized that I had been hunkering  down all week in my Vernal bubble. 

(A little cabin fever?!?!?) I needed to see something different. So we decided to drive to Grand Junction Colorado. I knew I needed it when I got an adrenaline high seeing different Colorado trees. We went to Olive Garden and I have never tasted such a divine taste. (Can you tell it has been awhile). Good for the spirits. And afterwards we came home and enjoyed- REALLY enjoyed-Conference. 

A Clean-Cut Mormon Boy

Occasionally Tyler asks if he can "grow his hair out long" or try a mohawk for fun. I tell him "Sure, when my bones are 6 feet under", because he is my clean-cut Mormon boy. The other day I told him he was absolutely adorable in his BYU shirt and I MUST take a picture. I kept taking pictures until he got frustrated with his mother telling him to "smile one more time" (see last picture). I just can't help it...

Stay tuned...

...for Tyler and friends' band called The Sand Sharks. 50 cents buys you a ticket on June 4th in the garage... 

(Nate got  a little mad because Tyler sold 3 tickets already and it is so far away. I had to remind him that HE tried to sell "swamp weeds" on the side of the road when he was a kid...with no success I might add.)