A First Time For Everything!!

We have Had a few "first" moments around here lately.


Karden learned how to tie his own shoes. Yes I know he is almost 8, but there is one thing that has kept me from teaching him....velcro! Yup that little sticky pad that hold his shoes together have been WAY easier to buy and so no good reason to learn to tie shoes. But he worked on it for a day and is now a "Master Shoe Tying Ninja!" Yup just ask him he'll tell ya. He's pretty humble. :)

By the look of his punch mustache, we havent quite mastered drinking punch!

Whitley also had her first attempt at doing her own hair. She thought it was the prettiest thing ever!! She was 100% certain she was wearing her hair like that to the grocery store. After I told her no- she cant go out of the house like that she said , " But mom I have bows!" Yeah I may have said that to her a few times.




Berkley is also big enough for her first time in her exersaucer!! She loves it for about 15 minutes or until she realizes that you have walked out of the room band she is not the center of attention, than all hell breaks loose!! She still lives by the motto of "If I'm awake you WILL adore me!" and we all do!!

Top 11 in '11

2011 has been a pretty good year around the Devenish House. So to remember a year that is past I thought it would only be fitting to do the top 11 in '11.

11- Telling our family and friends that we would be adding baby #3 to the Devenish Family!!




10- Hosting Halloween Costume Bunko- I love that I have made some great friends and that they all are crazy enough to dress up for Halloween!!

9- Getting to eat breakfast with 2 of our Favorite people... Santa and the Easter Bunny! I love that the kids still think its magical!!




8- Our little "mini-vacations". Salt lake, Logan, Vernal and the one and only time we went camping! It really is amazing the amount of fun you can have within a few hours of your house!! We love our little getaways!






7- Swimming, Swimming and more swimming!!! We seemed to do alot of it this summer because it was easy for big pregnant mom to just sit and watch!!



6- Karden turning 7!! Whitley turning 5!! Holy crap my kids are getting so big!! Ryan and I also had birthdays but when your are age there not quite as fun!!





5- Decorating Ryan's dad headstone for every holiday. Even though we would MUCH rather visit him anywere else but here, it is good to go and remember all the good memories and how much we loved him. It is also fun to see the kids get excited to take stuff to Grandpa. It helps to keep the memories alive!!

4- Ryan Getting to do the light parade again this year- Last year he had just had his ankle fused and was unable to do a float!! Boy did he miss it!! But this year he was back and better than ever. (Ryan also said this should rank higher on the list - Yeah thats how much he LOVES the light parade!!)


3- Speaking of Ryans Ankle surgery- number 3 on our list is Ryan FINALLY being able to Walk in March!! 5 months after surgery!!! It was a long and brutal 5 months!~ So when he could walk again it was AMAZING!!!! oh the things we take for granted!!




2- Weeklong California Trip!! It was soo much fun!! Trying to describe it does not do justice- To be able to play all day,see fun things, go to fun places, with some of our favorite people!! We got to have a magical experience. It was awesome!!!



and the number one thing in 2011 was.............

Drum roll please!!




1- Berkley Ryann- Born 8-18-2011!! We love her to pieces!! It is a great feeling to know your family is complete!!






We hope that 2012 is as good to us as 2011 was!! Happy new year!

Christmas Chaos!!

Christmas Morning at our house this year was FUN!! Karden woke up at About 6:45 and quickly woke up Whitley before they came running into Me and Ryans Room. Kardens first words were "MOM- Last Night I Heard Jingle Bells, Santa Clause was here!!" I told them they had to wait to go downstairs until Berkley was fed and changed. I went downstairs to make a bottle and noticed the first clue that Santa had made it.
I snapped a quick picture and showed it to the kids upstairs. That's when the waiting was becoming too much. They started to coax Berkley to eat faster!! It was so funny listening to them tell her just to swallow faster!! We finally got to go downstairs were mean mom made them take a picture in front of the tree.
Then the present extravaganza began. The kids all got what they wanted. Karden got the Black pearl, and alien Lego sets, star wars books and lots of little guys.
Whitley got a beauty salon, hair doing stuff, pet shops and a jasmine dress!,
Berkley got lots of rattles and fun noisy toys!! You would think that Santa would remember not to buy the 3rd baby noisy toys!! Berkley didn't quite understand Christmas but she sure like eating the wrapping paper and toys.



We got to spend lots of time playing with our new toys and visiting with our families. It was a great Christmas season.

Santa and Sausage...Whats Not to Love!!

This morning we got to eat breakfast with The One and Only Santa Claus!! When we first got there the kids got to color, and tell Christmas jokes. We got to hang out with santas elves.

And them we got to eat a yummy breakfast of cinnamon french toast, pancakes, bacon, eggs, hashbrown, sausage and fruit! IT was super yummy-.
Next we got our private visit in Santa North Pole room. They had turned and ordinary room to look like we were surronded by snow, christmas trees with presents, stars and of course, Santa sitting by a fireplace. Santa was amazing!! We spent at least 20 minutes with him. He asked all the kids lots of questions, and asked what they wanted for Christmas.
The kids all loved him!! Heck what am I saying I loved Him!!

With treat bags in hand we went back out to the banquet room and the kids activities began. Decorating Christmas Cookies!!
A rousing Game of Santa, Santa, ELF!
And the favorite of the day- Face Painting!!! I have to say I love my Santa and Reindeer!!
The kids also loved that we got to do all this with there cousins!

It was a great morning except for the part when Whitley's want list changed entirely!! a Jasmine dress ...Really!!

California Christmas Trip!!

The first week in December we headed out for our long awaited vacation- The planning and coupon searching was about to pay off! The kids could hardly contain there excitement at the airport!!
They were so excited to be on vacation with there cousins!! Do you wanna know how much fun they had... This was our view out of our hotel window!!
My kids ask all the time to go to a hotel so they can swim! That's what they think vacation is. So how many times did we swim.... ZERO!!! They didn't even ask to swim!! They had soo much fun in the parks that most night getting them to eat dinner or shower was a miracle. They were exhausted!!
Our kids were perfect ages to go to California this time- No strollers, they walked the entire time,they were tall enough and brave enough to ride all the rides. It was heaven!! A big thanks to my sisters for watching Berkley for the week, We love her to pieces but she would of definitely put a damper on things we could get accomplished on vacation.

Our first stop for the week was an impromptu beach visit. The kids had never seen the ocean and so we decided to stop by before grabbing some dinner and groceries. We got there right at sunset and it was a stunning view.
We weren't dressed for the occasion and everyone had to roll up there pants and pull off our tennis shoes to run from the waves. We were having such a good time playing that Karden and I might have got a little too brave, and a little too close to the surf. With one huge wave the score was quickly changed to Ocean 1 point, Megan and Karden Zero!
But we had fun and nothing says vacation like doing your first load of laundry when you have been checked in to your hotel for under and hour. good times!!

We got up bright and early the next morning to Head to Seaworld!!
Seaworld was all decked out for the holidays as well.
It wasn't really crowded and we had perfect weather. We took in all the shows
and we learned a few things.
1. The soak zone really means you will get wet. Even if you are at the sea lion show- you will still get wet!! There was a 5 year old little girl who decided after getting drenched it is NOT fun to sit in the front row!!
2.Speaking of the front row I learned I should NEVER sit in the front row of any show- I don't care if my kids want me too. I don't care if they think I'm a cool mom. Now given I got wet- oh well I wont melt, But I also got picked out of the audience to be in the show and take a family picture with weirdo people I don't know!!
Shoot me- The whole seaworld audience looking at me and some strange man who I'm at least a head taller than who puts his arm around me, all while acting like I'm having fun!! Let me tell you- My worst nightmare coming true!! But Seaworld was a really good time!!

The next day we were planning our day at Legoland and the Boys were soo excited!! They needed there very own map to plan the attack on the park.

Legoland was so fun and decorated for Christmas as well!!
This was Ryans and Kardens favorite thing of our whole vacation. They had fun rides and the kids gained confidence that the rides are fun and not scary.

We never waited in line more than 5 minutes and most of the time the ride operator would just send us again without making us get off the ride because there was no line! The kids got spoiled!!
They loved posing with all the lego figures!

I think Im gonna be in trouble in a few years!!


They have lots of life size replicas of people and things that are completly made from legos. It is AMAZING!! It was definatly a kids park as there was not lots for adults to do but the kids had a great time!! We also learned we can't take Porter anywere! :)


We drove up to anaheim after leaving Legoland and got all ready to do Disneyland for the next 4 days!
We got up bright and early and made are way to The Happiest Place on Earth!! We rode the rides, Whitley favorite was the teacups Kardens was matterhorn and toy story mania
, Ryans was Indiana Jones and Mine still is Its a Small World!

We shopped the shops, ate the theme park food, Kardens favorite was the giant turkey leg Whitley couldn't get enough churros!

posed with characters,

and or course did Jedi Training
and Princess Breakfast!!
We laughed and played and stood for hours to watch the awesome Christmas Parade, and to take in the festive decorations.
We stayed for Fantasmic, The Fireworks
and World of Color. We laughed, and played and there might even been a cuss word or two, but when all was said and done. It was magical!!

We were sad to come home and realize our trip was over,but I was very excited to see my Berkley. The kids missed her alot and by wednesday Karden even said to me "Mom I dont even remember what Berkley looks like;" I think she is an emotional eater because I swear she way bigger than when we left her. It was a vacation that we will always remember and memories we will cherish forever.

But now what do we look forward too?




South Dakota June 2012!!