Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to us! Can you believe it's been two years since we adopted and were sealed to Shaylee and Devin? They're the best kids ever and such a part of our family--I laughed when someone in our ward commented just last week, "They're adopted?!? No way! They look just like you!" We know. They were meant to be part of our family, and I'm so glad they are. To celebrate, we ate Hobo dinners (which the kids love), watched "Alvin & the Chipmunks" (another favorite) while eating popcorn, and ate molten chocolate cake (to die for) for dessert. So all in all it was a fun day together (the most important part). Here's our picture to commemorate the occasion:

I guess I should also say "Happy Anniversary!" to my sister Summer and her husband Tyler--they will celebrate their second anniversary tomorrow. Congrats!

For her Young Women value project, Shaylee is doing our family garden (it will be at least 10 hours, if not much, much more). We waited until Mother's Day because we are not the kind to plant and replant due to freezes, etc. (we love Utah weather). So . . . Saturday was the day. Dennis and Shaylee spent the better part of the day prepping the ground, pulling weeds, tilling, raking, and then planting. But it looks awesome!!! And I am so excited for fresh vegetables to eat and can this summer (yes mom, I'm going to take the plunge and try out the canner you bought me for my birthday last year, even after swearing off canning as a teenager when you made me do all the tomatoes myself while you picked up your parents from their mission). Okay, I'm off that soap box. These are some cute pictures of Shaylee in the garden:

So happy about tilling . . .

How she really feels . . .

We decided to save a little and not buy soccer pictures this season (playing spring & fall plus basketball can really hit you in the pocketbook). Anyway, Dennis took a couple pictures of the team and Devin for posterity:

Devin's team did win this week (and Devin scored a goal!!!). They have now played every team in the league and have won every game except for one, and they tied that game. Not bad, huh? They'll play all the teams once more before the end of the season.

My new exercise routine . . . I've been carrying Connor in this handy dandy backpack and pushing Aspen in the stroller. It's quite the workout! So I decided to try it on roller blades . . . not my best idea ever! The canal trail was great, it was the hill leading to and from it that killed me. I sprained my knee and my ankle trying not to go too fast on the way down the hill to keep from getting off balance and toppling over with Connor in tow. Yikes! I ended up blading with one foot in the grass to keep the pace somewhat moderate. Anyway, if I try that again I'll drive myself to the head of the canal trail, go up and back, then drive myself home.

Speaking of working out, Dennis and I have been doing really well. He has been using our elliptical, and I do cardio 3x/week and strength training (weight lifting) 2x/week. It's been great. Aspen comes into my room in the morning, "Are we going to exercise?" When I'm lifting weights and pause she chimes in with, "You can do it, mom!" I'm definitely keeping her around!

Poor Connor has been teething and miserable. The child never cries, seriously. He's always happy and pleasant to be around. But this teething go round (two have broken through and he's still crying, so I'm betting there's another on its way) has been awful. He got the runny nose and fever to go with it and he just has this miserable whimper/moan that breaks your heart. We've been giving him homeopathic teething tablets and otter pops (I'm a bad mom, I know, don't tell).

Is he so cute?

Aspen loves Sunday shoes. Not just a little, a lot. Her newest white Sunday sandals have heels, and she adores them. She recently found her black winter Sunday shoes in her drawer and wouldn't even take them off for her nap.

Who couldn't love a face like this?

Shaylee's working on her self-portrait . . .