Take me out to the ballgame...

Since Mike had a mutual activity he could not miss, I got to take my Payton to the Diamondbacks game. Just me and my boy. We had a fun time together. As you can see, Payton loves to watch, though he wonders where Gonzo is. We had peanuts and starbursts, Payt got his face painted and a new hat. We even got a cute pink hat for Sissy. It was a good date night for us.

Two Wheeler Man

Payton is proud to announce he can officially ride a two-wheeler. He didn't show any interest in it even though his other (girl) friends were riding without training wheels...but Monday night he came in and said he knew how to ride a two wheeler, and lo and behold, he did! After shoes and a helmet and a little help from dad in the cul-de-sac, oh...and don't forget a little blood on his toe and knee...he is unstoppable. He is so excited about it! Good Job Payt-Payt!

No kidding...

No kidding, this is what I found when I went to get Sydney out of bed the other morning. She is quite a character. Her big thing lately is sleeping with her babies. She loves them and she wants to sleep with ALL of them! And she knows them all by name. She has to have Hannah, Sarah, Gracie, Abby...and occasionally a bear or dog and now Ariel (Ah)! I think she might need a bigger bed! She is the best sleeper around though, for that I will be forever grateful! She goes to bed no problem every nap/night...she is just a dream. Wish her brother could be a little more like that :)We struggle in that department lately! Anyways, just thought I would share this funny pic of a funny little girl who will be 2 in June. Just ask her...

Easter Celebrations.

We had a wonderful Easter weekend. It's a little strange to not have family around but we have wonderful friends that welcomed us in and took care of us! We had a few egg hunts and the kids thought that was just a ball. And the easter bunny brought some fun toys, including an Ariel (Ah) doll that Sydney is in love with. We were able to take friends to the Easter pageant at the temple. It is always incredible. I had to do sharing time on Sunday and in preparation truly felt the spirit of Easter. I taught about the beautiful blessing it is that our Savior came to the world to the will of His Father. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is truly a blessing in my life. I challenged the primary children to answer the question "What can I do for Jesus?" to show Him your gratitude for His sacrifice. I love having the opportunity to share my testimony with the children in our ward. And how blessed I am to have such a beautiful family. I miss my brothers, sisters, and parents in Utah and Idaho...love you guys. But we are happy and smiling here in the sunshine. Hope you all had a blessed holiday.

Our pretty flower and crazy swimmer...

Fun with Aunt Kate...

We had my sister Kate here for a few days over Conference weekend. We had a good time and it is so nice for me to have her here, she really is the best friend a girl could have and I miss not being able to spend time with her. The kids loved being with her too...and are still talking about Kate going on an airplane back to Utah. We went to the zoo, Oregano's, Val Vista Lakes, shopping, etc. It was a nice break for me.

more pictures...

Did you know you get suckers when you get your hair cut?


Payton and Rylee at school picture day! They said "Stinky Cheese" when they said the picture...
what fun!

Thankful...

Hello to all. Mike is home from his school trip to Boston and we are all recovering from being sick...but all is well around here. We are surely enjoying the cooler weather. I had a bit of a break down last week and had to have my mom come save the day. She was so helpful and it really was so nice to have her here. The kids loved it. I am very thankful for my family...they are always there when I need them. And we are glad to have our dad back from Boston! Payton sure misses his dad when he is gone. Mike is busy with his last month of school (can't believe it...) and we are looking forward to his graduation gift (trip to Hawaii)! The kids are loving school and gymnastics...Payt had school pictures today! It was an event. He was really excited about it. I love watching him interact at school. It seems like he has a lot of friends there...all the girls give him hugs good-bye. Yikes! His teachers say he is a dream student, which is not hard to believe. Oh, we all got haircuts finally...Sydney looks so cute with her short little "bob"...it was her first haircut and she did such a good job. I held her on my lap and she was great during the cut...she didn't like the blow dryer, however. We had to pull out the suckers at that point, but the end result is darling. She has learned to sing "Months of the Year", a song that Payton learned at school and sings endlessly. If you didn't know what she was saying, you would have no idea...but I think it's just about the cutest thing..."june..july..and august"...that's her best line. Anyways, my kids are fantastic...I couldn't be more blessed.

Pics

Super model Sissy...

Sydney, Sarah & Elle feeding
the ducks at the park...


Rylee & Payton riding bikes
at Freestone Park...best buds!

Sunshine

Amid life's schedules and stresses and my endless
list of things to do...I am grateful to have these two
blessed little people to spend my time with. And for
the sunshine and beautiful weather here right now.
I am also very glad to have a supportive and loving
husband. He is wonderful and such a strong individual.

We had a wonderful Valentine's Day! It's nice to

spend time with family. And speaking of family, I'm thinking

of and missing my loving parents and siblings. Love you guys.

Heart shaped meatloaf or pink mashed papas, anyone?

I hosted a little "girls lunch" for valentines day.

We had a great time, pedicures and all...

My little chef making Valentine cookies

with Dama-dama....She is loving the dough!

Playing catch up...

Well, I've been a bit of a blog slacker, you could say. And so I make a quick attempt to catch up. We had a beautiful winter here in Arizona and a fun Christmas at home with the VanSteenkiste clan. Payton was very excited about Santa Claus this year and was so thrilled that Santa brought him his NEW GREEN BIKE. It was a good gift. Sydney loved Christmas too and got her baby Hannah and a kitchen! We had a very nice holiday season with our friends and family. I took the kids to Idaho for the Moulton Christmas party a few weeks before Christmas. It was a lot of fun to see cousins and spend time with my family. I also got to see Grandpa Moulton. He is a sweet heart and is doing well.
And now it is spring. We are loving the weather and taking advantage of it! We spend a lot of time at the zoo, the park, the museum. And the kids are enjoying our new green grass (yes, that is big for us) in our back yard! We do miss our family and friends who are far away and we send our love to you. You are in our prayers.

Until later...Sarah

More Thanksgiving fun...

Thanksgiving 2006, spent in St. George, Utah with our family. We had a great time together.

Thanksgiving 2006

Kate's fantastic turkey...
Kate & Andy....
Jenna & Andrew...
Andrew, JT and Jared...
Sarah and Mike...

"I am thankful to Heavenly Father when He answers my prayers..."

We took family pictures on November 8th, 2006 at Las Sendas in Mesa, Arizona. The sunsets here lately have been breathtaking...and hopefully we captured a few good pictures for our Christmas cards this year! Payton is almost 4 years old and Sydney is 17 months. Pretty babies!

My college roommate Talia came to Arizona for a short visit with her baby, it was so much fun. She is a photographer (t-graphicsonline.com) and she took our family pictures. How grateful I am for my family. They are so beautiful to me and very much an answer to my prayers.

Payton's primary program part was:
"I am thankful to Heavenly Father when He answers my prayers. One time, I lost my toy fish and my diver, and I prayed to Heavenly Father, and He helped me find it."

Fall has come and gone....

Well, my favorite time of year has come and gone. And it is nearly Christmas. That is hard to believe. We did have an enjoyable fall, however. The weather here is Arizona is so nice right now. And we were able to go to Idaho and enjoy the fall leaves for a few days. We also had a super halloween here in Mesa. The kids were the gang from "Toy Story 2" and our Buzz, Jessie, Woody and Bullseye were so cute. They all had a fun time together. And once Sydney and Payton figured out what trick or treating was really all about, they were all for it! We just returned from Thanksgiving in St. George. It was a nice little break and fun to see all the family. Thanksgiving is always a time to give thanks. We went around the table (sort of sarcastically by some) and I said I was thankful for my health. And truly, I am. I feel like many people in my life are struggling with their health right now and it breaks my heart. I suppose it's all part of this earth life, but it sure is awful. Knock on wood, I guess, I am so thankful to be a healthy, strong (ok, sort of strong) person. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you...especially Grandpa Moulton. And speaking of thankful, I could not be more enthused that the primary program is over! And it went so well, even if Payton "stole the show"...all my Love to you!