Easy Quiet Books

I came across these quiet books while blog surfing and immediately fell in love with them. They were extremely simple to make. I just downloaded the files (they are formatted to a 4x6), sent them to Sam’s to print, stopped by Learning is Fun to laminate them, then Macy and I chatted while we cut, hole punched the corners, and put them on a ring. They turned out just darling. The total cost was $14.00 for all 4 books.

Here is the link to the website I found them on if you would like to make some for yourself.

http://www.simplyfreshdesigns.com/2010/10/quiet-books-we-believe/

update

{I give up on trying to format this post correctly. It does not show on the post the way that I have spaced it as I type.} It seems that each time I sit down to update this blog I am doing these 6-month recaps of our life. I can never seem to stay on top of this thing as much as I would like to. Here is yet another rundown of what the Mohlers have been up to.

{September}

Back to school. Jaden is in 5th grade, Macy is in 2nd, and the twins are in 1st. Time has gone too quickly. I can’t believe that all of my children are big enough to be in school all day. Troy and Cloey celebrated their 6th birthday. All they wanted this year was money! They both really wanted to have their own money and go to the store and buy something. It has been interesting watching their spending habits. Troy quickly spent all of his money and Cloey still has more than half left.

{October}

Family picture time. I love getting our family pictures taken and look forward to it each year. I love pictures of our family together. With the kids all getting older it has become a much more enjoyable thing to do. This year Jaden turned 11. He is such a smart and very talented kid. He constantly blows my mind with his talent. I honestly don’t think there has been anything that Jaden has tried that he hasn’t picked right up on. Everything he does looks like he has been doing it for years. It is absolutely crazy. I love this boy! New job! There has been a lot of excitement in our home lately for Jason’s new job. Aside from all the perks of the job we have just been ecstatic that Jason obtained his goal. He has wanted to fly for Allegiant for so many years and has worked so hard to get to this point. I am just beyond thrilled for him. So many things just worked out perfectly in the process. We both know that it was by the grace of god that he was able to get hired there. Happy Halloween!! RESPECTFUL. Miss Cloey was awarded an award at school for being Respectful.

{November}

Maui. This trip was a very bittersweet one. Almost 18 months ago Jason’s parents planned this trip to Hawaii with our kids and us. We had such a fun time 2 years ago when we went and have been talking about it and anxiously waiting to go back ever since. Well with the new job Jason wasn’t able to go with us. That was the bitter part. The sweet part was that my sister Mindie took his place and Jason’s parents very generously treated us to a fabulous 8 days in paradise. Macy Cherie celebrated her 8th birthday. Our home is very blessed with this little lady. She is the most thoughtful girl I have ever known. Almost EVERY.DAY someone in our home finds a little love note to them from Macy. You can almost expect one in your lunch pail, medicine cabinet, shoe, make-up bag, under your pillow, on your car seat, on the bathroom counter, in the fridge, taped to the mirror, taped to your water bottle, I am telling you they are EVERYWHERE!!! She is such a happy, cheerful, funny girl and I am so glad she is mine! And I am not going to get into how tight she has her dad wrapped around her finger. Macy was baptized by her dad on December 4th. 12 years. Jason and I celebrated 12 years of marriage in November and 17 years from the first time we kissed. SHH we were really young! We were actually married on the 5th anniversary of the date we first kissed. Over the last 2 decades we have experienced some of the best and most amazing times together. We have also experienced some really tuff times together. Because of both we have become stronger and better people. If I had to narrow it down to one thing that I love the most about my husband it would be that he has always stood up for me and defended me. He has always been the biggest supporter in my life. I love him and I look forward to many more decades together. End of the season. Soccer officially ended for the year in November, which was a good thing according to Troy. I just about lost my mind with Troy and his soccer cleats this season. In his defense he does have extra wide feet. They are like little squares. He hates anything tight on his feet and cannot stand it if he can’t wiggle all of his toes while in his shoes and heaven forbid if the seam on the toe of his sock isn’t in the right spot. Jaden on the other hand doesn’t know how he will possible survive until January when soccer practices start up again. Jaden’s team finished the regular season ranked #1 and took third place in the Henderson cup. Thanksgiving. We decided to travel up to Brianhead with the Mohler clan for Thanksgiving. The kids had a really fun time playing in the snow with their cousins. Jason and I enjoyed the relaxing time together visiting with family and playing games. One of the days Jaden had the itch to go skiing. He had only been once when he was 4. A couple of his aunts were going and his uncle Wes and they were nice enough to let him tag along. The plan was to just stay on the bunny hill. After 2 runs down the bunny hill Jaden begged uncle Wes to take him on the big hills. So off they went. They spent the rest of the day skiing on the big stuff. Jaden came back and reported that he never once fell. Thanks uncle Wes for hanging with Jaden for a day.

{December}

Jaden’s instrument ensemble concert. He signed himself up and tried out for an instrument ensemble that his school was sponsoring. He played the xylophone. He was very diligent to his practices. He had to go to school early every Monday for a few months and then they performed a Christmas concert. It was very cute. We all enjoyed the activities, festivities and traditions that we participated in this time of year. Two days after Christmas I got my wisdom teeth out. I was one of the “lucky” rare people who has had what is hopefully not permanent numbness. For the last 3 months my chin and bottom left side of my mouth have been numb. Like really really numb. Like the same numb that you have when you first leave the dentist office. I really hope it eventually goes away!

{January}

Jaden cut his hair off. 10 inches of thick, curly hair. He donated it to Locks of Love. I have to say that although I liked his long hair I think he looks even more handsome with the short version. Macy started taking voice lesson in January and I think this is going to be her niche. She has tried lots of other activities and this is the one she has taken to the best. I have no singing talent what.so.ever and so she must get her lovely voice from the Mohler girls. In January Jason and I did a special 2 days with just the twins to make up to them not bringing them to Hawaii in November. Friday we let them miss school and we took them out to breakfast then to Bounce-U then to Chuck E Cheese then to a movie then to the dollar store and then out to dinner. We also arranged for Jaden and Macy to have a sleepover at Mindie’s so that the twins could have us really all to themselves that night and the following day. They slept in our bed with us and we spent the following day at home with just them, coloring and playing whatever games they chose. Soccer season began again. Jaden is still with his same team and they are currently undefeated as of late March. Cloey is also playing on an all girls team that her Uncle Jared Barlow is coaching. She has always been in dance, which she has loved, but she has also really been enjoying soccer. I am actually surprised. I didn’t think she would like it this much or be near as aggressive with the ball that she is. She is actually pretty good. Again she must get her athletic side from the Mohlers.

{February}

Girls Weekend. My Grandma, Aunt and cousins headed down from Salt Lake and me, my mom and sisters spent Thursday-Monday husband and kids free at my moms house (except for the when Jason and the kids stopped by with a box of fresh out of the oven Winchell’s donuts). I really enjoy spending that time with my family. Next year us girls that live in Vegas will make the trip to Salt Lake for our girl’s weekend to give our family there a break from diving here. It really is a special tradition that I hope keeps going.

For valentines Jason and I decided to make a fondue dinner and dessert for the kids and us. When we were first married we used to do fondue and invite couples over quite a bit. It was really fun, well after we had kids we just kind of stopped doing it although it was something we both enjoyed. We decided that the kids were all big enough and would probably enjoy that for a special valentine’s dinner. It was really fun and the kids got a kick out of it. They had always wondered what those sticks were for. Now they want to do fondue every night but we will save it for a fun valentines tradition.

{March}

I ran my first 5K race in March. I started running with my sister in January and that little race was our first goal we had set for ourselves. I know it is not much compared to those that have run ½ and full marathons but it was a big deal for me. In January when I started running, I was having a hard time running for 2-3 minutes at a time and was watching the timer hoping it was time to start walking again. I was more out of shape than I realized. Well, now I can run for a full 30 minutes without stopping. I am registered to run another 5K race on May 7th and am looking forward to it.

PROVO, UTAH 2010

One of our summer traditions is a vacation to Provo, Utah. This year we spent 10 days enjoying Utah’s incredible summer weather. It is absolutely gorgeous there in the summertime. We were there the first few days with just our family and then my sister Mindie and her family came to stay with us the remaining days. We enjoy this trip together and the kids love to have their cousin with them.

Here is a little recap of some of the fun things we did.

Hike to the "Y"

This was a first for us. We have been waiting until our littler ones could do this hike on their own. It is a pretty steep trail up to the “Y”. But we did it. The weather was a little warm at first but just as we were starting to second-guess ourselves an enormous rain cloud moved our direction covering the direct sun. It was so much better after that. I was very proud of our little kids for sticking it out and not giving up. Jaden who is the most physically fit in our family jogged most of the way up leaving us in the dust. He waited on the “Y” for us timing how much quicker he had gotten there. Once we had all made it to the top we sat and looked out over the city, pointing out different landmarks that were familiar to us. And that enormous rain cloud broke and it rained and rained. It felt sooo good. I love the warm summer rain. We were all so hot and that rain felt so good. All in all it was a good day.

The Trapnell Family

One of the highlights for us while we are in Provo is visiting the Trapnell Family. They always treat us so good and we love seeing them. On Sunday they invited us over for dinner, homemade ice cream and of course a game of Settlers. There kids have grown so much and we wish we could see them more often. They have got to be some of the cutest kids on the planet. We were thrilled to hear that baby number 3 was on the way. We feel very lucky to have such great friends.

Later in the week we were able to go to our traditional dinner at Carabba’s together with no kids. We also had to make yet another stop at the Creamery. We just have a fun time with them. I haven’t laughed as much as I did with them in a long time. They are so fun and nice. We just Love them.

Roller-Skating

Jason and I have very fond memories of the skating rink. We both loved roller-skating while we were growing up and have many great memories together of that time. We thought it would be fun to take the kids to a roller skating rink while we were on our trip. It has been years since either of us has skated and Jaden is our only child who has ever skated. It was a funny experience. Troy was a natural and the girls could hardly get past laughing to really learn. They fell everywhere. But at least they laughed it off instead of crying. The neat thing about the rink we went to was they have 2 giant bounce houses in the middle of the rink. So when the kids had skated all they wanted they jumped in the bounce houses while Jason, Jaden and I skated. We had a blast and decided we need to skate more often. I was certainly rusty but was getter better by the end. Jaden and I had several races and he beat me every time. I don’t think he believed me that I was a very good and fast skater back in my day. I wish I could have raced him then.

Park City

We took the scenic route up the canyon and over to Park City. I hadn’t been there since I was a teen and Jason had never been. It is a cute quaint town. We enjoyed walking around and peeking in the fun shops. Of course the highlight was the rides down the Alpine Slide. It was just like I remembered. We had an absolute ball. Everyone LOVED it. We arrived in the late afternoon so we didn’t have a lot of time. Next time we will go earlier so we can spend most of the day there. There is a lot to do.

Bridal Veil Falls

On our drive to Park City we stopped at Bridal Veil Falls. We also added that to our list to spend more time at. Next year we would like to hike to the top of the falls.

Bowling

A stay in Provo would not be complete without a game of bowling at the Wilkinson Center. We always enjoy the trips there. We are not the best bowlers but we do have a fun time.

BYU Creamery

Another staple for us are the trips to the Creamery. We enjoy walking to the Creamery on 9th for the most delicious ice cream. We loose track of how many times we stop. We do walk when we go, so that helps right??

Climbing Mt. Timpanogos

This hike has been the longest hike we have done. It has a 1,065 foot gain in elevation from the start of the trail to the end. It is also 3.5 miles long. Once we were at the top we went on the cave tour. That was incredible. I would highly recommend going. The caves are very cool and give you a chance to cool off while seeing some incredible formations. Everyone did a great job climbing the mountain and slept very well that night.

Canyon Picnic

While we were in the American Fork Canyon we stopped for a picnic dinner at one of the picnic areas. The weather was so nice and the river came right along the site. The kids enjoyed putting their feet in the cold water and trying to skip rocks. It was a nice chance for Jason and I to sit back and relax while watching them play.

Movies

We saw a lot of movies while in Provo. The whole family went to the theater to see Toy Story 3 in 3D and also Despicable ME. They were both great movies. It was the first time the kids had watched a movie in 3D. They thought it was pretty cool. Me and Jason were also able to have a kids free date night and went to see Date Night. Then all the boys both big and little went to go see Iron Man 2.

Parks, Parks and more Parks

Our favorite way to end the night is with a trip to one of the many great Utah parks. Just about every night we drive or walk to a park and let everyone finish getting their energy out. There are parks everywhere. The kids love to play on the playgrounds, roll down the grassy hills, play frisbee, throw around the football, play track ball and just run around. Jason and Jaden were also able to get in a few games of tennis. The park is always a perfect way to end the night.

Seven Peaks Water Park

This day concluded our picture taking. We accidentally got our camera wet and it broke. I was so sad. We keep it in a waterproof case so that we can have it with us when we want to take a picture. Well somehow the case came open while we were going down a ride and it was totally submerged in water. We had a great day otherwise.

The Sarah and Tyler Barlow family met up with us for the water park day. They were staying the night in Provo while on their way to Idaho for a family reunion.

This year was different for us. We were at the park from opening to closing. It was the first year that all of our kids could hang that long. And it was the first year that we allowed Jaden to go off on his own. He and Mackenzie Barlow paired up and went on every single water slide. Even the very scary straight down ones. He enjoyed the extra freedom and had a great time with Kenzie.

Beautiful Ballerina

Cloey enjoyed another year of dance with Mrs. Lori. What a wonderful teacher she is. We have been so lucky to have her as Cloey’s teacher. A few days before the Big Show, Mrs. Lori had a brain aneurysm and was unable to attend the recital that she had worked soo hard on. Luckily Lori was able to get quick medical attention and has recovered remarkably well. She was very much missed at the show but was insistent that the show go on. Cloey enjoyed being on the big stage. She is usually very shy in those types of settings but is getting more and more comfortable. She is definitely our beautiful ballerina.

Arrow of Light

This has been a while ago. In May Jaden received his Arrow of Light, which is the highest Cub Scout achievement. We are very proud of him and his diligence in completing this goal. Jaden has really enjoyed his Cub Scout years. We feel very blessed and are grateful for the remarkable leaders that Jaden has had.

Wetlands Trail

This was a fun short hike our family enjoyed. The whole thing is paved and so we learned that it would be a fun place to bring bicycles. It goes by a swamp area and occasionally when the wind is blowing you get some of that smell which isn’t very nice. It was a good place to let the kids run and get some energy out.

Little girls

One of the things I love and appreciate about both of my girls in their IMAGINATION. They come up with the silliest, funniest, craziest, cutest, creative and some times weird stuff. They both know how to have a good time and make ordinary things become incredible things.

Lately they have been into writing plays. Their latest production was “The Princess Frog”.

These pictures are also of them pretending to be Indians, chanting for the rain to come one cloudy afternoon. Boy were they loud!

April

I guess time flies when your having fun. Here is a little overview of the month of April with the Mohler family