More Park Pics

Well, it snowed and snowed this past weekend. But the day before it did, it was something like 60 degrees out there, and we were out at the park enjoying it, as you can see from the kids faces. We were not that excited the next day when we saw the snow that fell all day long. I think we got like 2 foot here at our house! Aren't they both hams? Our rule is, if you climb up, you have to be able to climb down. So Keith has been climbing higher and higher on the little "rock walls" and other paraphanalia. And Rachel will climb up on her "throne," but then she calls for help to get down. I don't physically help her, but I do recommend good footholds as she descends.
This picture of me and Thomas was actually taken today at the Wasilla Sports Complex. I took it, by holding the camera out. I figured I needed a picture of Thomas and myself, so this was about the best that I could do. This is an indoor turf soccer field that they bring toys out for kids to go and run and play. Today we had lots of fun playing "soccer" with our own rules. Mostly just kicking a ball back and forth into the goal. But we all had fun. Even Thomas. He might not look like it in this picture though!
Hope all of you all are doing well, but as usually, it is very late and I need to go to bed- but hark, i think Thomas is awake and probalby hungry, so he will get fed first, then off to dreamland...oh but wait, maybe a shower first. A mothers time to herself is almost never during normal hours of the day! Do you find that to be true too?

PS- BTW- if you didn't catch the reason for all those house pictures, my brother and his family are moving back here this summer, and I went to this open house for them and took pictures. When they are done looking at the pictures, I will delete them so you don't get all bogged down with them all.

All Done! and What's To Come

Okay, it is WAY past my bedtime, but I told Tyson I would post some pictures so I did. But I have got to get to bed, but I hope you all leave comments and let us know how you all are doing! We love to check in with you and find what's going on with you.

By the way, we are taking a trip down to Utah and Idaho in May. We know that we won't be able to visit all of you, but would like to try to visit with some of you while we are down there. We will be flying into Las Vegas, and then heading to Cedar City to spend time with Tyson's family. We aren't sure exactly what will be happening while we are down there because we know the Little Bundy reunion is around that time, but we will have to leave on Memorial Day and drive up to Idaho so we can visit with Sarah and Chris before Tyson leaves the next day. He has to fly out to get back up here, so he can go to work. But the kids and I will be sticking around for a bit longer. We are still waiting to hear if we can borrow my sister's car while we are in Idaho (they are having it checked out), but if we can get a car, we will be able to travel a bit to visit people. So if you are in that neck of the woods and will be around and the stars all align properly, let me know and we would love to see you!

Now I am really off to bed, so good night all!

Baby Blessing

Thomas was blessed on March 30. It was a very nice blessing. Tyson's parents and sister, Megan, came up for it. Tyson gave the blessing, and we had my dad and his dad, and my sister in law's dad, and our Bishop who was released that day and my brother in law stand in the blessing circle.

We haven't been very good in the picture department for the other kids on their blessing days, so we made sure to get some this time. We only got one family picture, but at least we got one!

I think about the only picture I have of Keith on his blessing day is of Wendel, Tyson's dad, holding him, so I am glad that I have this one too. For Rachel's blessing, I don't think we got any on the actual day, but about a week afterwards, I dressed her in her blessing dress again, and we took pictures.



Okay, so I didn't pick the best pictures necessarily to post, but those thumbnails are so small! Tyson has been having fun playing with our camera that we got for Christmas too, so we have tons and tons of pictures that only the expression changes. He likes to take sequence shots, so that when you flip/scroll through them, you get a mini video. It is nice to have ones to choose from, but it is a bit hard when I am just looking at the thumbnail view of what to post here. Just know that he was a very handsome little boy who was very loved! The outfit that he was wearing was given by our friends the Evans to my sister when she had her baby boy about 3 years ago, but they never got to use it. She gave it to us, and it worked perfectly. Don't you think?

What Can You Memorize?

Keith and Rachel have been on a game kick lately. I think it might have to do with Tyson's parents and sister coming up to visit, and we played quite a few games. But this is one that they like, and is also challenging for us adults. Keith is really good at it. He is a very visual learner, so he does well. He calls it "memorize" and he likes to get it going. I think we have finally got Rachel to realize that she has to watch in order to know where the ones that other people have turned over so that she can get a match. She is doing better. These kinds of games are more my thing than Tyson's. He likes games like chess where you have to strategize.

Thomas' Sleepy Talent

I tried and tried with the other kids to see if they would end up sucking their fingers. I kind of gave up on Thomas, but as you can see, he is figuring it out himself. The two pics of him in the swing were last night. I went upstairs and was getting ready for bed and checked on him, and saw that he had fallen asleep with his fingers (or it might have been thumb, it was pretty dark- these pics were with the night setting on the camera) in his mouth. So I grabbed the camera to take the pic. When babies can pacify themselves, it is so nice! I know that sucked my thumb, and Sarah sucked her finger, but I think that is all of my siblings that did that. He doesn't tend to do it as much when he is wide awake, just when he is sleepy.

And yes, Thomas does spend part of every night in the swing. He just does so much better in it, and will go up to 7 hours without eating. Now, he isn't always sleeping all that time, but he does for most of it. We try not to ruin a good thing!

Imaginarium Trip

We did a preschool trip ( I was in charge and we were doing the sky- stars, planets, weather) to the Imaginarium on Monday. The kids loved it. We were there for something like 3 hours. They spent a great deal of time on the slide (I thought it was a glacier slide, so that is what I called it but then later saw a sign saying it was a sea cave- oh well). We also got to touch sea creatures with the help of an employee. We played in the "planetarium" room (there weren't any constellations or anything, just a dark room with black light and lots of pictures). This picture of Keith with his hands on the electric ball was in that room.


We also got to play with the bubbles, and as you can see, Keith got a really great one. Rachel was never able to get it much past her shoulders. But she did go play with the bubble table, with the bubble wands. Shortly after I took this picture, somehow she inhaled instead of blowing, and she swallowed some. She didn't like that much, but Mommy to the rescue! I had a bottle of water with me and gave her a drink and she was back ready to go!

They also had this big wooden polar bear that i put Keith and Rachel on just before we left (they had been asking for awhile) and took their picture up there.

This is the glacier slide/sea cave. They LOVED it! Keith's face was so red and he had sweat just pouring off his head!

Towards the end, they had a live chick demonstration. They had incubated and hatched some chicks, and let the kids sit on the ground with their feet touching and let the chicks run around in their "corrals." Keith and Rachel didn't have very thick legs and a jumpy little chick, so their chick kept jumping out of his corral. And I had Thomas (he had been in the front pack earlier, but I had taken him out to feed him and change his diaper, so he was just being held, so I wasn't much help to run after their renegade chick. So theirs was the first one put away, which was hard for Keith. But I tried to get him to hold it the last time it ran away, and he jumped up and ran away. I think he was a bit nervous about it. Anyway, it was lots of fun.

Sunny Day at the Park

Pics of my kids and their cousins at the park. We ran into lots of other people that we knew there too. Don't worry, none of us got hurt! Must have been the place to be!

Well, spring is definately on it's way, but still not here solidly yet. But today it was hitting 50 and the sun was shining, and it was too nice to stay in. So we headed over to Blockbuster Park (as we call it) and took some bikes, and the kids got to run and play and bike outside, wearing tennis shoes instead of snow boots, and sweatshirts instead of winter coats! It was beautiful!

Our Story

This is another one of those "blog entries" that I have been meaning to do, and since I'm still downloading pictures, I figured this would be a good time!

How did you meet your spouse? Well, if you ask him, (which is more accurate, I just don't really remember it), I had been asked to direct the musical "My Turn On Earth" as my calling in the Singles Ward. I had asked someone else to direct the choir for a few numbers, since I was doing everything else. He had heard the announcement that we needed volunteers to participate, thought I looked cute, so he came to offer his help, and gave me his phone number. Well I passed his number off to my choir director, but he never got a call, so he figured I wasn't interested (in all fairness, I was dating someone else at the time- but not for much longer!)
My story where I remember meeting him, was when I was moving. I had decided to stay and work for a year before heading to grad school in Hawaii, but knew that I couldn't live at home, so I was moving in with a friend. I needed some help to move my things, and went to Garcia's where I knew some Singles' were hanging out, and saw my friend, Greg, there and asked if he could bring his truck and help me move my stuff ( I think my folks were gone to the cabin then)and he said sure, and tyson could help too because he had a truck. so they both came the next morning to help me haul my stuff to my new apartment. they were impressed because i had everything packed up, except my waterbed. i would have had that too, but my sister wanted to sleep on it one more time before i took it and moved. so i had to drain it that morning. so after we got it all moved, they helped me set up the bed, and i offered to make them dinner in thanks for helping me move. when they came over for dinner, we were talking about the state fair that was going on at the time and it had turned out that tyson had been stood up (complicated story) and hadn't gone yet, and i wanted to go, so i asked if i could take him to the state fair. that was our first date, and i guess as they say about the rest....

How long have you been together? We started dating the end of summer 2000, and got married spring 2001

How long have you been married ? 7 years this past March

Who said I love you first? I'm not actually sure, I'll have to ask Tyson!

Who is taller? Depends on the shoes, but flat footed, we are the same.

Who sings better? Well, I sing better soprano and alto, and he sings better bass and tenor- just look at his face when i try to sing those! It makes him laugh.

Who is smarter? Well, academically probably me, but in normal everyday street smarts kinds of things, definately him

Who does the laundry? I do, but when he is on the slope, then he does his own!

Who does the dishes? I do the majority of the time, but when I need help, he is willing to help out. He tells me all I have to do is ask, so I do when I need help.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Standing at the foot of the bed, I usually sleep on the right, but we have traded off now and then.

Who mows the lawn? Usually people that feel sorry for us that our grass is too long! Jonathon, Sarah...I have once, but usually Tyson, but I feel terrible when he does it because his allergies are so bad it wipes him out for the rest of the day when he does it.

Who cooks dinner? Usually me, but I enjoy it. When I need a break, I just have to ask and Tyson will do it. The only thing that is Tyson's domain (because I ruin things too much in my opinion) is the grill. I also ask his advice a lot for seasonings and cooking meat because he is much better at those than I am.

Who drives when you are together? Usually him, but now and then I do. We take turns and share, isn't that so good of us?

Who is the first to admit when they're wrong? I think we both are pretty good at apologizing, in my opinion, he apologizes even when there isn't something for him to apologize about, like when i am just emotional

Whose parents do you see the most? Mine, because we live just down the road from them. We still love Tyson's parents lots and try to talk to them on the phone often, and head down to see them about once a year.

Who kissed who first? I think it was pretty mutual, but I think I was more the instigator.

Who proposed? We had talked about marriage and knew we were going to get married, but it was definately Tyson that proposed, on the red cliffs in St. George. with Subway sandwiches.

Who is more sensitive? I think it probably depends on the subject. But emotional? That would definately be me.

Who has more siblings? Neither. We both have 5. I am second in line of my 5 siblings, and he is 3rd in line of his 5 siblings.



Okay, I think that is it. If you want to copy and paste these questions on your blog, I would love to see your answers! And the pictures are done, so after i go through them and pick some, you will get to see them too!

20, 10, 5, 3, 1, now, soon...

While I am waiting for pictures to download (I have 748 of them- I have got to do that more often!), I figured I would post some of these fun "blog" entries that I have seen on other peoples blogs. I think they are kind of fun!

20 years ago....1988...10 years old...had moved with family from arizona to kentucky for my dad's ortho residency...baby brother was born

10 years ago...1998...20 years old...had graduated from high school two years previously...had graduated from Ricks College (a 2 year school at the time) in 18 months, had great roommates and was sad to be heading to the BIG school, BYU in Provo, UT in January...found out that BYU wasn't really so bad, but was glad I had gone to Ricks first...received a letter from BYU telling me that I HAD to pick a major, because I had just about maxed out on General Ed classes...came home for summer and worked at dad's ortho office...when i went back to BYU in the fall, my major was declared as ASLP (Audiology and Speech Language Pathology)...enjoyed living in a house with 5 other girls (was supposed to have one of my roommates from Ricks, but she went and got married that summer, but I was happy for her)

5 years ago...2003...25 years old...had graduated from BYU with a BA in ASLP in 2000, had been accepted to grad school at the University of Hawaii, and wanted to go, but something didn't seem right, so decided to wait a year, then after I had decided to stay, I met my hubby and knew why I was supposed to stay...got married 2001 in St. George, UT, but he loved it up here, so we live up here...bought a house that fall...quit working full time at my dad's office in Jan 2003 because Keith was born in Feb, continued to do models and bookkeeping though...enjoyed being a first time mom...Keith was a very happy, calm, peaceful baby...tyson's family came up for his blessing may/june and we had fun while they were here...his grandmother passed away as they were driving home, and we were able to go down for the funeral...octoberish was my grandparents 50th anniversary, so we went down there for that, and made a side trip to utah at the same time

3 year ago...2005...27 years old...had a new addition to the family, rachel, in the fall of previous year...now i was a mother of two little ones and it took some adjustment, but still loved being a mom...sometime around now, i turned the bookkeeping at my dad's office over to my mom, and turned the models over to becca to do...we were able to go to utah for our somewhat traditional thanksgiving...i had been serving in primary since we had been married going from achievement day leader and primary teacher to chorister to counselor in presidency to primary president, but at beginning of 2005, was released...tyson was serving as elder's quorum president at the time (he was called just shortly before rachel was born)...sometime in 2005 I was called as ward choir director- was nervous, but had great pianist that helped me not be quite so nervous as i would have been without her (thanks andrea!)

1 year ago...2007...29 years old...Tyson had changed jobs beginning of previous year to work for a slope company, and April 2006 was his first time up there, and continued going back and forth...extended DeKay family went on trip to Mexicon March 2006 and we LOVED it (kids keep asking when we are going back!)...had two sisters get married in 2007 and we were there for both of them, Becca in ID (we threw in a trip down to Utah while we were there and I finally got to participate-or really just watch- a branding- tyson had said when he was younger he wasn't going to marry someone who couldn't handle a branding, and i am pleased to announce that i passed the test!) and Sarah up here in AK...found out in the summer that we were expecting a new baby the next february...didn't make it for the thanksgiving ut trip, since we had been there that spring, and wanted to go after the baby was born...tyson was working on the slope for thanksgiving instead...he worked for almost 7 weeks right before Christmas- a very long and hard time for me...i did a home preschool where we rotate between the kids homes who participate and i was doing it at our house for a month around october/november time

NOW...2008...30 (at least I will be this summer)...still living here in ak...have 3 kids now, Keith, Rachel, Thomas (our Valentines' baby)...Tyson still working on the slope, but for the first time since being up there he has a regular rotation (YEAH!)...we had his mom, dad, and sister up for baby blessing in march/april...lots of stake/ward changes, no longer in eagle river ward, now in bear mountain ward...dad is bishop...becca's hubby is deployed...participate in a lunch time book club that is lots of fun...like to scrapbook, but don't get to do it as often as i would like...hosting my last week of preschool (this week!)...i still love being a mom, but i do need a little time for just me now and then

SOON...Future...??...We are going to UT/ID to visit family and friends, tyson will be with us on the trip down, but i will be flying home by myself...Robert and Bethany are moving back this summer...we want to go camping and rafting this summer...we might be turning our downstairs into an apartment and rent it out while we live in the upstairs so that we can afford to stay in this house while tyson tries to get on with APD...I hope to hear from you all about how you all are doing soon!

PS- still doing pictures, but now on 609 of 798!