Spring Break 2013

We were so spoiled this year for Spring break and I couldn't be more grateful to have our friends the Dyers drive all the way down here to spend the week with us! The second the kids all saw each other it was as if nothing had changed. The best thing about the Dyers is they are easy to entertain! :) We mostly spent the week showing them the best AZ has to offer in food, chatting, trying to hit up a spring training game and swimming in whatever pool we could find! My goal was to hopefully try to convince them that AZ was the next big move they need to make. I am not sure I convinced them, but really the best part was just hanging out and I loved that my kids had their very best friends to play with.

I wish some of the picture were better and depicted the fun we had with them. We truly miss them more than they will ever know!  It was really tough when it was time to say goodbye. I felt like we were doing it for the first time all over again, but I am also grateful to know that our friendships are strong enough to handle a little distance and time apart. Friends like that are hard to come by and I am just grateful we have them not only for my kids, but for myself as well!

Farmer's Market and Petting Zoo

Gilbert has a unique smell. Actually Gilbert smells like cow poop most of the time! We decided one evening to venture out and figure out just exactly where that smell was coming from.  We stumbled upon the Gilbert farmer's market and a petting zoo. It was a fun little place that had several vendors selling yummy things and a food truck for dinner. We had a blast there. My mom grew up around this sort of thing so she bought some animal food and a bottle full of milk to show the kids how it was done. 

 They were a little bit timid at first, but after a little persuasion they got right in there and thought it was so fun to feed the sheep right out of their hands.

Addley wasn't sure about this big furry friend. I tried to get her to pet it but she wasn't having it. At one point the rabbit reached his nose right up into her face and she was not happy about that!

Feeding the calves was the very funnest part. My mom is a pro at this and took the slobbery job by storm. It was really fun for the kids to experience it, I think. They thought it was disgusting (or maybe that was just me) but we laughed our heads off at the forcefulness of those little calves and them wanting that milk. It was a fun night and maybe just maybe helped us appreciate that unpleasant smell early in the morning and late at night.

Peek A Boo

This is an everyday every-bathroom-break occurrence around here. She's not one to let me get too far from her site lines and she certainly isn't going to let me shower or use the bath in peace either. Good thing I love her and don't mind her company every where I go! 

Kylie's Obsession

Kylie has taken on the new hobby of motorcycle riding. She jumps at any opportunity to ride behind Grandpa with her helmet that fits her perfectly and even has a speaker and microphone so she can talk to him and listen to music along the ride. She can't wait for the day when she is old enough to go on an all day or even over night trip "where they have to pack a lunch before they go."  

Phoenix Half Marathon

People, this is crazy, but I can actually say I have ran a half marathon and more than that I can actually say I loved running a half marathon!! I would be the last person to ever think this is something I would ever do, but it was an absolute blast!! My sister caught me in a weak moment and I agreed to run it with her. I absolutely hated training for it, but I am so grateful for all the training I did because that is definitely what made it such an awesome run. Our goals in running this were to first and for most actually finish the race and second to run the entire thing. Mission accomplished on both!!

We had the absolute BEST support group all along the way! I'm not sure how they did it but Jeremy, Kylie, Jase, Addley, David, baby Drew, my mom, my dad and my little sister Lexie meet up with us several times along the way. In fact people all around us were starting to recognize them too. They even wore fun shirts for us too. At one point along the way Kylie and Jase were holding Krispy Kremes  in one hand and high fiving runners with the other, then every once in awhile Jase would lick his hand and then go back to handing out those high-fives!  

Ashley and I felt really good for most of the race. Our strategy was to take it slow and steady. We were warned by several people to make sure you stay at an extremely comfortable pace so we don't get worn out.  We took that advice and really did enjoy the race.  We had fun chatting and singing and pretty much doing whatever it took to distract us from what we were actually doing. I remember we got to mile 8 and we were so excited because we only had 5 more to go. That seemed to reenergize us until we got to about mile 11 and then I hit a wall!! I don't know what happened, but those last two miles were pure torture for me. We had driven the course the day before so we would kinda know what to expect and I knew the end would be near once we came upon a major decline in the road. It was torture anticipating that down hill part because I could have sworn it was just around the corner about 10 times.  FInally it came and it was sweet relief to head down the hill turn a corner run just a little ways farther and then see the finish line ahead. I had every intention of finishing the race the way I always finished a run with a sprint to the end, but I just couldn't do it. I'm not even sure I smiled, but man it was an amazing feeling to cross the finish line and know what I had just accomplished!! I can't believe I did it!!

 There is absolutely no one else I would have rather done this with. She got me into this mess, but she was also so fun to run with and a great motivator for me. She drug me through those last few miles and I am so grateful she did!

I am grateful for a supportive husband and kids that put up with all the training and complaining. I'm not sure this is something I will ever do again, but I am proud to say I have done it. It seemed like a crazy thing for this non-runner to do, but I'm glad I did it...just don't ever count me in for a full marathon, that will never happen!!

9 Months Old

This girl has 9 whole months old, which if I am being honest I feel like she has been with us forever. She just fits seemlessly in our lives and I really can't imagine what it was like without her, as cliche as that is. She continues to be the baby with the biggest smile in the world. Her whole face lights up and she can make anyone around her so happy.  She's still the worlds best army crawler, but has recently tried her hand at crawling on all fours. She's smart though and knows she can get where she wants much faster being flat on her belly resulting in extremely filthy clothing by the end of the day. We call her the hoarder because she always has a death grip of random things in her hands that she'll carry around with her and if you even attempt to take it away she has a major come apart. She is still a great eater and is more than willing to try just about anything.  Her favorite of course is real people food. Sleeping though the night is still something to be desired by her parents, but she is much better at actually going to bed. Grandpa Hansen discovered her first two teeth coming though on the bottom. They aren't very visible, but they can be felt. She has started to pull herself up on things, but gets nervous after too long and wants to sit down. She's a handful during church, but can make friends with the best of them. We love her so much and are so grateful for her and her fun personality. She loves to cuddle and frequently will get shy and muzzle her little nose into my shoulder which I love.  There is no doubt she makes us so happy!

Oh, and did I mention she gives the BEST kisses ever?!?

On the Hunt

Since about the second we moved down here we have been on the house hunt. We've been so blessed to be able to live with my parents while we're in transition and it really hasn't been bad....At least I don't think so, but we are anxious to get into our own place again and feel settled. I feel like we may have high expectations coming from our amazing neighborhood in St. George and it's been kinda hard to find something we really love. Home prices are rising and we are finding we are either going have to sacrifice location for home size/number of bedrooms. About two weeks into the hunt our realtor told us of a bland new neighborhood, but it was located out in Queen Creek which is about 15 to 20 minutes away from all my family.  I love the idea of a new build and I like the floor plans and the prices are great! My biggest reservation is not knowing the area very well and also feeling like we're "way out there".  Queen Creek is considered farm country meaning it's pretty rural and I am definitely more of a city girl, but there is nice shopping and good school options. We've been told on several occasions that Queen Creek is the next up and coming place and we would be smart to get in on it now, not to mention everyone we have talked to that lives out there loves it. So with all things considered we went ahead and picked a lot and put money down on one of the floor plans. It's due to be done the end of April and we're getting pretty excited about it. 

This is about where it sits right now. We will do the pre carpet walk though the middle the April and the final walk though the end of April.

 

Fresh Start

Ok, ok! Obviously the blog has seriously lacked lately. It's been a CRAZY couple of months around here and to be quite honest I just haven't had the motivation to do it. I mostly need to write about  our last little while in St. George and I hate thinking about when we had to say goodbye. Instagram makes it way too easy to post a quick picture here and there which makes the blog seem like a lot of work, but I'm not completely ready to give it up just yet so here I am recommitting myself to the old Felix Fam blog. 

Heres'a a LITTLE bit of what we've been up to...

 We said some very tearful good-byes as we left our beloved St. George. We have amazing friends, schools, and teachers there along with our ward and neighborhood.  Leaving was not easy on any of us and I think we're still tying to adjust. Somedays I feel like we're just here visiting and will go back soon.

Kylie started her first day at her new school and I can't not tell you how relieved I was when she jumped in the car after school and said, "That was awesome!!"I may have teared up a bit. She was so heartbroken to leave her teacher and classmates behind, but thankfully has adjusted quite well here.

The first day on the bus didn't go quite as well. I wasn't standing in the right spot when the came to the stop and Kylie was sure the bus was going to fly right past me and she was never going to get off. But she got brave and tried it again and now wont ever let me walk her to or from the stop. 

 We've tried our best to find fun things to do. The weather is perfect this time of year and we're trying to make the most of it before it gets blistering hot and we want nothing to do with the outdoors except  a swimming pool.

Addley turned 8 months and is such a blessing in our lives. It's taken a little time to get her adjusted to new sleep arrangements and different schedules, but for the most part she goes with the flow pretty well. She still the world champ in army crawling and manages to get just about anywhere she wants. She loves to eat, still hates the car seat and has learned how to give the best slobbery kisses in the world! We love this girl to pieces. 

 We took a weekend trip to the cabin hoping to find snow and get away from the stressing of finding a new home and feeling settled.

 Jase finally started his new preschool and really loves it. He thought it was so "silly" that it was at his teachers house instead of a building like his old school. He seems to really like it though and thinks it's awesome he gets to take a bag he wears on his back every time.

We picked out and put money down on a new build we really like out in Queen Creak. I'm not 100% sold on the house mostly because I was hoping for something a little closer to where most of my family lives and it was really only the second house we looked at. I really love the house and the neighborhood seems likes its up and coming with fun parks and sports fields. Jeremy is really excited about it and maybe once I have had a chance to get used to it a little bit and realize it probably is our best option I'll warm up to the idea of a little bit more.

Jeremy spent this last week in Green Bay at his new company's main office for some training. Most new hires take about three weeks to train, but  since Jeremy is already familiar with the industry and seems to know what's up  he only spent a week there and we were certainly glad he was only gone that long. 

That;s basically our life in a nutshell the last few weeks. We are gratefeul to be in AZ and so so super grateful to my parents for opening up their house to us. I am sure its not easy letting bring our three crazies in to run the house, but we couldn't have made this transition with out them. I'm excited for what the future holds. We have a new life ahead of us and I wouldn't want to take this journey with anyone other that my amazing little family. 

Saying Goodbye

Its been a tough few days around these parts. Saying goodbye is not an easy thing for me and then having to watch my kids do it too makes my heart ache even more. Both Kylie and Jase went to their last days of school and said good bye to their teachers and classmates. Kylie's class usually celebrates their birthday on their half birthday if their birthday is in summer. Kylie's half birthday is on Jan. 14th, but her last day was on the 11th so they celebrated it a little early. She of course loved that! She really wanted some pictures with her friends so she took her iPod and her teacher took some pictures for her. Both Kylie and I have LOVED her teacher and it as really hard for her to say goodbye. Aside from being sad to say goodbye to her friends she has really had a hard time thinking she would have to leave her teacher and classmates.

Jase's last day of preschool was on Thursday. He's not quite as affected by this whole thing as Kylie is, but he did tell me he was sad to leave his school. I think he has loved having his own thing to do and he has really excelled in school. I have loved his preschool and know he has been taught well. I only hope I can find something similar in AZ.

Final Hurrahs

Kylie had been asking for a few weeks if she could have one final going-away party before we left. Friends are so important to her and I knew she would want to invite jus about everyone she knew. I also knew that Jase would probably enjoy something too and then thinking about all the friends these kids have I thought maybe it would be fun to have one big Jumping Jacks party. The kids can run wild and the moms can sit and chat...my kind of party! I was so grateful that so many friends came and I know the kids had a blast! I loved watching them run around, but I couldn't help but have a tiny pit in my stomach knowing that we were leaving this amazing group of kids. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect neighborhood full of kids just their age. 

The next night I was surprised by my own AMAZING group of friends. I get teary-eyed just looking at this picture. I can't remember the last time I had such a great bunch of friends. It makes me sick to think I'm leaving them. I couldn't be more grateful that they would do this for me. It was such a fun night which certainly doesn't make leaving any easier! Arizona has so much to live up to it's not even funny!!