YAY For Our Fathers on Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the two men and fathers I love most and have made my life the happiest and best! Thanks for providing a safe and happy home and the love only a father can give his daughter (the sentiments work for both the special daddies in my life)!

And a happy Father's day to the Father who is loved by my sweet hubby!

The Many Faces of Grace's!

So our little Grace is getting quite a wild personality! she is so fun! She loves to laugh and play, but beware, if something makes our cute and happy little baby upset--she is very capable of letting you know how she feels. So I've gotten a few of Grace's faces on camera--so darn funny yhe way she expresses herself!

Fun Junk!

We have been so busy around here lately (and I thought things would slow down once summer began!)!

I'm taking summer classes and tests so that I can teach in the spring. And Deryk is working full time and getting some projects around here finished.

So I have let a few things fall to the wayside, trying to prioritize the events of our lives. Unfortunately, it was the blog that was neglected first. But we have some fun pictures to post, the thought of putting it off any longer bothers me--I'll have a thousand pictures I'll want to post if I wait 'til things calm down around here!

Grace has started to cruise the couches, chairs, and even the tub! She does pretty good standing, but she gets very scared without the security of her support. One day I was sitting on the couch and Gracie stood up using the couch. When she let go of the couch she was totally fine, but then she realized she was no longer holding onto the couch and panicked in a very big way! She grasped for me, but lost her balance and fell on that diapered booty! It was so funny, though I know I shouldn't have felt it was--after all, it was so frightening in her mind.This is Gracie's favorite new toy (given to her by my sis, Miriam and her kids)! She is so funny with it! When all the pieces are in the puzzle she likes to take them out with her mouth (they have a large round wooden dowel in them) and suck on them like they are her Passifier. It's just to cute to me!!And Finally, Deryk and I planted a garden this year (actually Deryk planted the garden while I hung out with my fam at Benjamin's birthday party--I have an amazing husband). I do help to care for it, and a week or two ago we were weeding one night. Grace was just playing in the grass, but then noticed we were doing something and decided she needed to be a part of it (as she ALWAYS does). I can only imagine that she thought whatever we were doing must be something important--and in her sweet little mind anything important has got to be eatible. So she ate the dirt! Oh well--it can't kill her can it?!

Memorial Day Fun

We spent Memorial day with my family at Green Canyon. We swam, flew kites, rode bikes, ATE, and had a great time laughing and being with the fam!!! Thanks Dad, for the DELICIOUS dutch oven dinner!

So here are a few Memorial Day pics.

Latest Adventures

For Mother's day I asked Deryk for a bike and to go biking. Deryk, of course, made all my wildest dreams come true and he took me riding while his parents watched Gracie (ONE BIG HUGE THANKS TO JOE AND SUE) and we rode from just below Pomerell to Malta, about a 10 or so mile trip. We had so much fun!

Since then, we have been biking the MANY trails here in Pocatello and out to the waterfall by my house (Trevor and Danny came with us and we had so much fun!).

Thanks to Deryk for making mother's day such a great one!

Easter Dress Photo Op!

We finally took pictures of Gracie in her Easter Dress! Check it out!(Thanks Dylan for letting us use your awesome camera! You are a great Uncle!)

Semester's End...

And not a moment to soon!

We did it! We made it through another semester!
It was a little rough going back to school for me, I had the hardest time getting back into the educational scene and knowing just how to prioritize my time well and I'll probably struggle with that until I graduate. I have a greater respect for my sisters, mom, and friends who have earned their degrees while doing the family thing--you are all so amazing to me! School used to be fun for me, but being a mommy is so much better than being a student and I've lost all interest in school. Oh well, I just have to make it through the next year.

So I'm pleased to report that Deryk and I both did quite well this semester!! And I have to be sure to give credit were credit is due--Thanks to Deryk, this semester was a successful one. He is the reason I passed physics and was able to do what studying I did manage to do. Thanks Deryk, you're my life-saver! (Just think, at this time next year I'll have a degree and it'll be just a matter of time until you have yours!!!)

So now we can enjoy a productive and eventful summer as a family and put all the stress of this last school year behind us. I look forward to another summer--it REALLY is my most favorite season!

Totally Lovin It!

So Deryk put in a fire pit in our backyard a few weeks ago (he made it out of a dryer or washer part) and I just have to say how much we love it! We have been using it every chance we get! We invited the Pocatello Simper crew and Stephen and Sarah (they live in Blackfoot, which is only 20min away) to a Family Night and roasted Hotdogs (of course, its not a Simper family event without hotdogs). Then Deryk and I used it to roast marshmallows for our own little family night and since then it has been used over and over again with Rachel's and Debbi's kids and with deryk's brother Braden and Joe (Deryk's dad) to make smores. So needless to say, in the few short weeks we've had it, it has been used very well and quite often. I'm glad Deryk is so inventive and acts on his good ideas, even when I'm not so sure about them ;).

Here are some pictures of us enjoying Deryk's inventive fire pit.

Thanks Grandma Simper for the Booties

My mom Knitted these adorable little booties for Gracie, who absolutely will not keep her socks on! Aren't they just so cute, my mom is so talented with her hands, she can knit, sew, cross stitch, cook, and crochet (all of which, I never really learned to do well because I'm so darn impatient). Thanks Mom for the cute Booties! They are perfect for Grace and I just love seeing them on her little (okay, not so little) feet!

I took these pictures a while ago, but because the last month has been so busy, I am just now posting them.

Oh ya, and the new ones are so darn cute and work perfectly! Thanks Mom-You are amazing and I appreciate all you do!

A Busy and Productive Saturday

Wasn't it so beautiful Saturday? We were so glad to have both nice weather and Deryk's day off at the same time!! We were able to get a lot done.

So check it out-- we were able to get the garage cleaned out, The garden tilled, the backyard cleaned, put a fresh coat of paint on the front door, closet doors, bedroom doors, and bathroom door, plant some flowers, and pull out some old bushes in the fenceline, AND get the monthly grocery shopping done!

Not to Bad, Huh?
Grace would not allow us to do anything without someone holding her!
I felt like Dad spraying off the patio--Thanks for teaching us how to keep our yard clean Dad! Grace was exhausted by the end of the day--she was out before we could get dinner on the table!

Ya, I call that a good Saturday!

A New Pass-Time

A few days ago I was babysitting Miriam and Rachel's children and they were extremely rambunctious and fidgety. It was cold and rainy outside and the longer the day got the wilder and more mischevious the kids got. What was i to do?!!!

The solution...

I put a work-out DVD in and we all kick boxed and ran in place together.

And now...

The kids beg me to do it EVERYDAY!But that's okay with me, bcause now I'm getting in my 30-45min workouts, which I am MORE than okay with!

Spring Yard Work--Hoping for Blooming Flowers Soon!

Last year Deryk and I dug out a flower bed. We put three bushes in it (that are struggling to survive) and this year we're planting flowers to go with the bushes. We took andvantage of all the extra hands we have in our home each day and got the flower bed all ready for planting...
Thanks Horton Crew for helping us, you are all so helpful and sweet (you can not believe how happy and excited they were to do it)!

Easter Fun!

Here are a few pics from our Easter! We had a great day and hope you all did too!

The Easter Bunny was so nice to us! Goodies for Deryk and I and Gracie was left a stuffed animal, book, and Dress.

Gracie Crawling to her basket.

She was happy with what the Easter Bunny had left her.

This is the best picture we have of Gracie in her dress, she has a cold and she was not willing to do a photo shoot, we'll get one later and post them then.

Will Crawl for Food!

Don't judge us.

We're so happy she's crawling! She just needed a little encouragement to get her to see that it's a good thing.

(This was a little while ago, (I just didn't get to it until now) she crawls much better now--she's almost a pro!)

By-the-ay, it takes FOREVOR to load a video on Blogger!!!!

Enjoy it While it Lasts!

The weather was beautiful today! We just had to get out and enjoy it while it lasts!

There is no doubt we have SPRING FEVER!

I forgot to put these cute pics from Las Vegas on the last post, but I think they are so cute.