Our Moments

Little Miss

2011-08-22T14:57:00.001-07:00

This little girl is growing up right before our eyes. She is at that age where she is learning constantly and surprising us with things she picks up on. Most of it is absolutely adorable! Some of it, I am not exactly excited about. For example, that little stool shown above...that is her new favorite "toy". She takes it out of the bathroom, and we hear her pushing it throughout the house to whatever location she desires. She uses it to reach the light switches, which she then turns off and on incessantly. She also uses it to reach door knobs to unlock them. Most recently, she has used it to reach the ledge where we keep the key to our master bedroom (which we have to keep locked, because she sneaks in there and climbs on the counters, turns on the faucet, uses Dave's toothbrush, etc). I have caught her a couple times trying to unlock our door using the key. Last week, she broke a vase trying to search for said key. She's a smart one, and we are in trouble!

Some of her favorite things to say lately, "Mama! Otch!" ("Mama, watch!"). I hear this one about 75 times a day. If I don't immediately turn to watch her (you know, because I'm driving or something!), she will scream "MAMA! OTCH!", repeated continuously until I turn to look at her. I have to admit though, it makes me smile every time. Besides being a handful, she is also a big sweetie! She loves to give hugs and kisses. Another cute thing she does is to wave goodbye to us and say "Bye! See ya!" before climbing into the cabinet by the front door. She still loves shoes, and is often seen wearing anyone's shoes but her own. Her favorites? Collin's flip flops or my brown wedges. She is talking up a storm lately too. I couldn't even count how many words she knows now. She's such a little goofball, and I adore her! I am looking forward to some one-on-one time with her now that the other kids are in school.

1st Day of Preschool

2011-08-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Collin had his 1st day back at school today. Although this is his second year of preschool, he has a new teacher Miss Leah. He had never met her before, but he had no problems when we got there. He found his two buddies, Matthew and Ethan, already there and went right over to join them in doing worksheets. I think he's going to have a great year!

1st Day of School 2011

2011-08-15T16:01:00.000-07:00

Brynn started her 1st day of 1st grade last week. I will probably say this each year about whatever grade she is starting, but I can't believe I have a 1st grader! It really seems like she was just a baby. She definitely isn't a baby though! When I took her shopping for her school supplies and some clothes, she knew exactly what she wanted. She immediately chose a Hello Kitty shirt and a skirt for her 1st day of school outfit. She also insisted that Eden needed a matching outfit too. They did look adorable! (Collin doesn't start preschool for another week, so he will get his own post then.)
This past summer was alot of fun, but very busy. We were out of town quite a bit, but we still managed to check off everything on our summer bucket list (actually we did most of it by the beginning of July).

Weekend at the Cabin

2011-08-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

We were lucky to spend this past Wednesday through Sunday with my parents at their cabin up north. Some of the highlights of the trip were:

*the perfect weather, complete with an occasional rain
*that Brynn and Collin had more freedom to play outside and did so pretty happily for hours a day. They found a caterpillar one day that they were completely fascinated by for at least an hour.
*watching the kids play in the rain and get excited about getting to use umbrellas
*getting to finish the long book I recently started reading (The Forgotten Garden--thanks for the recommendation Katie!)
*eating yummy food at our favorite restaurants there
*my dad rocking Eden to bed each night
*relaxing on the hammock (or climbing if you were Brynn and Collin)
*playing Uno with Brynn
*watching Eden walk around the edge of the patio planter with the help of my mom
*feeding ducks at the lake
*having control of the remote control (it was nice to catch a bit of HGTV and a little less Sponge Bob)
*eating our lunches on the porch
*watching the birds and squirrels from the window
*knowing that my kids are creating memories at the same place I have lots of good memories of

Family Visit

2011-08-01T16:22:00.000-07:00

In July, my brother Brian and his family came to visit. Brian was only able to stay for a couple days, but my sister-in-law Natacha and their 2 cute girls Micaela and Camille were able to stay for a week and a half. We had so much fun with them! Our kids all had so much fun playing with their cousins, and having sleepovers, etc. Natacha and the girls stayed at our house for a few days while they were in town, and Micaela lost a tooth while they were here. She was concerned that the tooth fairy wouldn't find her, so Brynn let her borrow her tooth fairy pillow and wrote a note for her. "Dear toothfary, This tooth belogs to Makala. This is the tooth." Brynn helped her put the tooth in the pillow and then they put it on a chair outside of Brynn's bedroom, so the tooth fairy wouldn't miss it. I am happy to report that it worked, and Micaela woke up the next morning to a little something from the tooth fairy.

Family Reunion in Prescott

2011-07-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

In June, we also went to a family reunion with my mom's side of the family. She is the oldest of her 9 siblings who each have children of their own (and some of those children also have kids), so it was quite a crowd. Although most of them live nearby, it was fun to get away and spend so much time with them.

One of the days was spent at the lake, where we had a delicious picnic lunch. Brynn obviously approved!

David, Robbie, and Chelsea

My dad, Uncle Norman, and Uncle Dennis

Dave and his beloved iphone ;)

A gopher also made an appearance. Collin and Brynn were both fascinated and cautious. I loved how they held hands while they watched for it to poke up out of its hole.

Eden ate up all the attention she got.

B & C loved climbing the rocks at the lake.

And we even took a little kayak ride on the lake

We also spent alot of time at my Aunt and Uncle's house. The kids, as usual, were drawn to my mom. Here she is with Mailey and Eden.

Collin participated in a rotating game of ping pong. He did pretty good too!

California Trip

2011-07-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

We started off June with a trip to visit my brother Brian and his family in California. They will be moving soon, so we wanted to get one last visit in before they move further away. My parents also went too, and we all had the best time! The kids adore each other, and were in heaven getting to spend so much time together.

We made sure to eat at Portillos while we were thereI was dying over the cuteness when the kids started dancing at dinner!

Micaela and Camille

Collin and Brynn

We also went to the beach near their house

Micaela, Brynn, Camille

The 3 older kids loved playing in the waves, but Camille preferred the sand.

We also went to the Santa Monica pier one morning.

Collin made friends with a pelican (until Collin got a little too close, and the pelican nipped in his direction as a warning)
It was so much to spend time with Brian, Natacha and their cute girls. We will really miss them when they move further away!

June Miscellany

2011-07-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

So I am not really sure that "miscellany" is even a word, but at this point, I am just glad to get some pictures up. This summer has been really busy. We have spent alot of time out of town and had family visit here a few times as well. We've also tried to sneak in a few playdates, get in some swimming, visit the library a few times, etc. Its been busy, but fun!

Speaking of playdates, Brynn had her friend Quinci over for a sleepover in June, and we tried to cross a few things off our summer bucket list while she was here. I made them some "splash bombs" and turned on the sprinkler. They spent a couple hours playing in the water.

Eden wasn't quite as fond of getting splashed as they were
She did, however, like sucking the grass- and dirt-filled water from the splash bombs. (She's definitely kid #3, since I would have never allowed that with my 1st).

Dave and I got a few dates nights during the month, thanks to the-most-amazing-babysitter-ever Robyn! I was only a little jealous to come home from one of those dates to find Eden sleeping peacefully curled up on Robyn's lap. I can't remember the last time Eden fell asleep while I was holding her.

We made indoor (microwave) s'mores and the kids have spent most of the summer "camping out" in each other's rooms (one sleeps on the floor of the other one's room).

We spent mornings in our jammies. I also spent pretty much every morning removing Eden from the tops of furniture, and cleaning up constant messes.

Once in a while, the kids helped out too.

It's been a great summer! But, in the spirit of keeping it real, there has been an excessive amount of arguing between two kids in particular, I've heard "that's boring," "can I have a snack?," and "Up! Up! Up!" incessantly this summer. Its bittersweet to think about summer ending and school beginning.

Summer Reading

2011-07-21T15:06:00.001-07:00

For the 1st time since having kids, I am finally finding time for some reading (you know, besides all the pregnancy and baby books I have flipped through in desperation in the middle of the night). I am realizing just how much I like reading. Luckily, I have several friends who have similar taste in what they like to read. Through their recommendations, I have liked all the books I have read this summer. If anyone is looking for a good, fun book, I would also recommend any of these:

The Hunger Games series
Pride and Prejudice (I don't think I ever read this in high school, so I felt that I should. I found it really slow in the beginning, and I almost gave up reading it a few times. I ended up loving it though, and by the end I understood why its a favorite of so many.)
Matched
The Help
Tower Window (I think that was the name of the book. It was a paperback from the 60s that I've had forever. It was a fun read, but I had to toss it in the recycle bin afterwards, because it was literally falling apart as I read it).
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

Camille's Birthday, Part 2

2011-07-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

Blurry photo of the adorable birthday girl

Camille's "official" birthday party was at BounceU on July 9th. It was so fun to see all the cousins play together (except for Trance who wasn't there). We are going to miss them so much! Any way, more photos of the fun:

Micaela

Eden and my dad

They say that women end up marrying someone just like their dad.
I have no idea where that idea came from. :)
Collin and my brother Justin
My sister Alison, niece MaJesta, Eden, and my bro-in-law Travis
Micaela and Brynn
After she got over her initial fear, Eden had fun on the slides too
My sis-in-law Natacha, Grandma Bertha, my Grandpa L, and my parents
(my mom is holding my cousin's baby Timmy)
My brother Justin and his girlfriend Jessica
Collin having fun with his Uncle Travis

My cousin Chelsea and her cute kids
My Grandpa L and Grandma Bertha
Camille wasn't quite sure what to think of her cake
and all the attention she was getting
My sister Alison and her hubby Travis
Dave and Eden
Eden giving some love to her Aunt Alison
Camille had lots of "helpers" when it was time to open gifts
Dave, my dad, Justin, and Jessica

Camille's Birthday, Part 1

2011-07-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

My cute little niece Camille recently had her 3rd birthday, and we were so happy that her and her family were in town so we could join in the celebrations. They have been living in California and are in the middle of moving to Ghana, but they made a stop to visit here in between. My brother Brian was only able to be here for about 24 hours, but his wife Natacha and their 2 kids Micaela and Camille were here for about 2 weeks. Since they won't be living near family for quite awhile, Natacha decided to plan something extra special for Camille's birthday. The Saturday before her birthday, she took the girl cousins for some pampering at a salon for kids. the girls got their hair done in the princess 'do of their choice. Then they each got manicures and pedicures, complete with hand and foot massages. I was lucky enough to get to tag along and watch the girls soak up all the girliness. It was fun watching them pick out their nail polish colors, and feel extra special. It is a rare occasion that all of them get to be together, and I know they created some great memories to help tide them over until next time.

The birthday girl enjoying a juice box while she waits for her manicure

Micaela

Brynn
Camille, looking like a little princess
Brynn looked quite serious as she got her nails and hair done, but she really was loving it all
Hair complete!
Brynn:
Micaela:
MaJesta
Relaxing

Time for the pedicures!

After the pampering was over, I tried to get a few pictures of the 4 girls together. Some were a bit more cooperative than others (bet you can't tell who was the one refusing to get her picture taken).
Micaela, Camille, and MaJesta show off their little pink toes
Posing for a few more shots
Camille
Micaela
MaJesta
Brynn

Summer Craziness

2011-07-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

This summer has been really busy! We have been in and out of town, spent alot of time with family, and had other activities. Hopefully this weekend, I can get a little caught up on updating the blog. There might be a long string of posts in the next few days. In no particular order,and starting with...

Last weekend, Dave and I enjoyed a quick little getaway. Since having kids, I don't think Dave and I have gotten away together more than once or twice. It was heaven! We are so fortunate to have an amazing babysitter (my cousin, Robyn) who has pretty much been our only babysitter since Brynn was born. She truly loves our kids, and we know they are always in good hands with her.

Any way, we decided to stay in the valley, and ended up booking the weekend at the Arizona Grand Resort (formerly the Pointe at South Mountain). It was so much fun! They have a really great water park, so we hardly noticed the heat. A lazy river, lots of reading, alone time with my guy, good food, a bit of shopping, and uninterrupted sleep...perfect! We decided we need to at least make it an annual thing.

On the Saturday, we had Robyn bring the kids over to the hotel to enjoy a few hours at the water park with us. It was fun to get to see them a bit, but also nice when it was time for them to go back home. :) I had intentions of taking more pictures while we were away, but I ended up only taking two.

Dave and I in a less-than-flattering self portrait:
Robyn and Eden (somehow Eden even let Robyn do her hair. I was dying over how cute she looked in those cute little pig tails!)

More from May...

2011-05-22T19:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, no posts for months, and then 4 in one day! I am on a roll!

A couple weeks ago, the kindergarteners at Brynn's school sang a song during the school assembly, and I was able to go and watch. Brynn was really excited in the days leading up to it, but I think she got a little shy when it came down to it. She hid behind the kids in front of her for most of the song. I was still happy I went, because I saw the way she lit up when she saw me sitting in the audience. (That's her in the second row, hiding behind the girl in the black butterfly shirt).

There she is in the pink dress, with alot of her class.

Two of my kids are very picky eaters, and they would rather not eat at all than eat something they don't want/like. One of the things they will usually eat, however, are smoothies. I make them with yogurt, fruit, and even a handful of spinach, and they LOVE them. I recently bought popsicle molds, and we have started freezing smoothies into popsicles. It is a great way to get them to eat something very healthy that tastes like a treat. I gave Eden one the other day, and despite the expression on her face, she liked it. It isn't the cleanest snack (proof below), but I think this summer will include alot of smoothies and smoothie pops!

Another food related thing we like to do in our family is go to breakfast on Saturday mornings. We have a few favorite places we go to, but we have been going to Joe's Farm Grill quite a bit lately. It is an old house that has been converted to a small restaurant. They have picnic tables and huge trees on the grounds where you can eat your meal, so we have been taking advantage of the nice weather we have had lately and eating outside. A couple weeks ago, we were supposed to meet my parents there for breakfast, and we got there really early. I took the kids for a walk at the community garden they have next to the restaurant. It was so fun to look at all the foods growing. The kids let me take a few pictures of them while we were there (some more reluctantly than others).

My sweet freckled little boy:

My "busy" little toddler (ack--I can still call her baby right?)

And my cute, cooperative model:

I must also note, that it is a tradition for some of us that we don't do our hair before we go out to breakfast on Saturdays. ;)

Speaking of gardens, we ate our 1st zucchini from our own little garden last week. I am not very consistent with watering. Frankly, I have no idea what I am doing all together. Most of our zucchini aren't looking so good so that may have been our 1st and last one, but we have alot of tomatoes growing that we are awaiting their ripening. It has been a good experience for me, as well as for Brynn and Collin. They love helping with the garden, and especially checking on how things are growing.

Brynn continues to be a help in the kitchen. We love making muffins, bread, and cookies the most, and the entire family loves helping to consume them!

Finally, I just had to get a quick picture from today. Brynn, our family's event coordinator, put together a jump rope contest for us. She cut out round "paddles" for the judges to write their scores, and set up 3 barstools for the judges to sit. (If this sounds a little familiar, that's because we have been watching alot of Dancing With the Stars around here. Well, Brynn and I have at least.) The picture below shows 2 of the 3 judges (the 3rd had a very short attention span. Well, that and she was removed from the judges seat when she kept trying to stand on it and dance around.) I had just completed my round of jump roping, and as you can guess from my scores (a 10 and a 10,000), I must have impressed the judges with my back wards jumping and then my fancy arm cross jumping. Yes, I was good! Dave would have probably beat my scores, but he was disqualified when he left to use the bathroom. Brynn did well herself, and Collin hopes to make a comeback after he learns how to jump rope.

Swimming Lessons

2011-05-22T18:53:00.000-07:00

Collin started taking swimming lessons again 6 weeks ago, and after a rough 1st day, he is loving it! He is doing really well, and is trying to remember to do "big arms" with both of his arms, and to kick up on the surface of the water.

On the weekends, he and Brynn have also been taking semi-private swim lessons with Miss Tarryn. This is Collin's 2nd year with her, and Brynn's 4th year. She's a great teacher, and is so patient with the kids. Yesterday was a big day for them! Brynn finally got over her fears and started taking breaths while swimming. She is doing great! Collin also made big improvements yesterday! They have one more lesson left this summer, but they were so proud as we left yesterday. It is so fun to see when something really "clicks," and they learn something new.

Finally...

2011-05-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Brynn shows off her new smile, minus one of her bottom baby teeth.
You can see the permanent tooth already growing in behind the space.

A few weeks ago, Brynn was complaining of her gums hurting and when I looked in her mouth, I saw that a permanent tooth had started growing in behind the baby tooth. The baby tooth that should have been pushed out by the new tooth wasn't even loose, so the dentist told her to wiggle the tooth loose in the next month or so.

We have spent several nights working on that goal. I would count, "One, Two, Three...Pull that sucker out!" and she would push, pull, and wiggle a little harder. I even saw her attempting to blow the tooth out of her mouth and into the pocket of the tooth fairy pillow. After hours and hours of this, our excitement began to turn to frustration. After a single attempt to help her with the tooth, I was banned from touching her mouth, as was Dave or the dentist or anyone else. Finally on Friday after school, she came to show me that the tooth was loose enough that she could bend it forward, so that it could touch the front of her gums (yeah, pretty gross). I told her that it was really ready to come out, and that with one good pull, it would. I think she was surprised when that is exactly what happened. She was so proud and excited! It has been her favorite topic this weekend! She was also excited to see what the tooth fairy would bring. I don't know if I've ever seen her so eager to go to sleep at night! This is her first tooth to come out, so its been a pretty big deal! Incidentally, Eden is in various stages of getting all 4 of her molars in right now too.

Mother's Day

2011-05-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

I had another really nice Mother's Day this year. I loved spending the day relaxing and getting to reflect on the wonderful mothers (my own mom, my mother-in-laws, my grandmas, etc) that I am so fortunate to have in my life. I have so many incredible examples to show me how I want to be with my own kids and the legacy I want to leave them.

The day started with Dave getting up with the kids so I could sleep in--a rare treat! Brynn woke me up excitedly to tell me to come eat the breakfast they had prepared. Dave is really good at making breakfast, and I enjoyed scrambled eggs and strawberry-topped waffles. Yum! Then I was presented with lots of cute handmade cards from the kids. The day before Dave and the kids had given me flowers as well.

We all went to church together (which hasn't happened much lately, since it seems like someone has been home sick most Sundays lately). I love listening to the Mother's Day talks and getting re-inspired to become a better mom. The kids wore their Easter outfits that they hadn't been able to wear on Easter since Brynn was home sick. They looked so cute!

That afternoon, we went to my parents' house with my side of the family. The men made a delicious meal of pork chops, mashed potatoes, veggies, salad, and sauteed mushrooms. While we were there, I got a few pictures of my little kiddos.

As soon as the camera came out, Eden decided she wasn't having any of it. However, as we were trying to get Eden in a more cooperative mood, Brynn and Collin started hugging and being so cute together. They were doing this on their own...too sweet, huh?!

We finally got Eden to sit down for a moment...
LOVE these guys! I don't think anyone could have ever adequately explained just how much a mom can love their kids until I experienced it for myself. They each bring so much happiness to my life!
My beautiful mom with my kids...
Me and my "babies"...
Since the kids were all coordinated in their black, white, and pink, I decided to do the same. Cheesy, I know, but it was my day, so I did it anyway. I got a quick shot of "the girls" (me, Eden, and Brynn) with our pink shoes.

April in Pictures

2011-05-15T14:16:00.000-07:00

We started April off with a fun little surprise for April Fools' Day. I made cupcakes to look like mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots, and spaghetti and meatballs. I can't take credit for the idea, since I saw it somewhere online, but it was a big hit with the kids (and Dave too, actually). The "potatoes" were made from white frosting with a yellow Starbust pat of "butter" and caramel sauce "gravy". The carrots were cut up Starburst. the spaghetti was done with frosting and the "sauce" was strawberry jam with a Ferrer Rochet chocolate as a "meatball".

My beautiful oldest daughter:

Brynn has been really interested in watching me sew, so I got her this little kid's sewing machine. We made a few holders for their gogurts and otter pops, but then the machine broke and I couldn't figure out how to fix it. I wouldn't buy it again, but she enjoyed it.

Collin hasn't taken a formal nap in his bed in quite awhile, but he still falls asleep almost daily in the car, while watching TV, sitting straight up on the couch, etc. I think it's adorable!

He is also still quite goofy! He is so much like Dave in so many ways, especially how he will be a total goofball for a laugh!

Then there's Eden (aka Mini). She has a mind of her own, and so does her hair! It grows straight forward, and she refuses to let me put any kind of bow or clip in her hair. I guess a bang trim is in her near future! (And yes, she also got the goofball gene!)

Love the voluntary sibling hugs! (I didn't ask them to do this for the picture. They do hug each other quite a bit. Of course, they also shove each other quite a bit as well. Just keeping it real, folks!)

Easter
Collin was thrilled with the Batman pjs the Easter bunny left. It had a cape that velcroed onto the shirt, so it is the only pajamas he wants to wear unless they are in the laundry basket.

Brynn and Eden both got new swimsuits in their basket. Between that and the sweets they received, they were happy as well.

As you can see, Eden has become quite a climber. We have resorted to keeping the dining chairs and barstools on their sides, because she will be on the tables or counters in a matter of seconds. Apparently, she has no fear of heights like her mother or her grandmother.

Drinking her bottle and playing with her hair.
And I can't believe I am posting this, but here we are fresh out of bed (Collin is usually the last one awake in the mornings).

My Girls

2011-04-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

I love watching my 2 girls interact. There is a special bond that they have as sisters that I love. Eden brings out a softer, protective, nurturing side of Brynn. Brynn is a great big sister to her and helps out with her alot. She is probably most patient with Eden than with anyone else. Eden feels that and shows lots of love to Brynn in return. She always greets Brynn each morning with a big hug and smile. She (usually) loves all the attention that Brynn shows her.

I also grabbed these quick shots of Eden yesterday. This is so her! Whenever she is drinking her bottle (yes, she still drinks her milk from a bottle), she always twirls her hair with her right hand. I just had to document it, because although its a typical thing today, I know it won't be long until I forget just how she looked drinking her bottle and playing with her hair. (And just a little side note, for those who are curious...her GI has her drinking Carnation Instant Breakfast in all her milk to help her get extra vitamins and calories.)

This and That

2011-04-02T18:22:00.000-07:00

Brynn has made making her bed an art form. She will change up the way she arranges all the pillows and stuffed animals and proudly show me that day's creation. Now that Collin is learning how to make his bed, he did his own version.
Waiting for me to get her up.
Brynn's Tip: if you are going to carve something into the dining table, make sure you carve your brother's name so you are less likely to get caught. (Mom's Tip: Make sure your brother knows how to write his own name before you try to pass off the carving as his.)

Collin and I have started a fun little tradition once or twice a week. While Brynn is in school and Eden down for a nap, we pop some popcorn and snuggle up on the couch and watch a movie together. Its our own fun little time together, and he is even generous with the blanket.

Who doesn't love a sleeping baby?

Some attempts at a little pony tail.

They pretty much failed. Eden (like Brynn at that age) refuses to keep anything in her hair. It was cute while it lasted!

Collin has been loving the playgroup he is in (despite his uncooperative mood in the picture). He and his little friends Matthew and Ethan play so well together. They are all big Star Wars fans, so there are alot of light sabers out when they get together.

Collin's friends (minus Collin)Brynn finally had her turn being highlighted in her class. We put together this poster about her to share that week.

Brynn's 1st Field Trip

2011-03-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

Brynn had her 1st field trip today, when the kindergartners from her school went to the zoo. I came along at her request, and was so glad to spend the day with her. The class was divided up into several groups.

Brynn's group at one of the animal exhibits
Joshua, Madeline, Ellie, Brynn, and Layton (Ellie's mom was their group leader)

Their kindergarten class together with their teacher. Brynn is in the front row, the 2nd from the left.

Enjoying Some Uneventfulness

2011-03-16T15:35:00.000-07:00

(Sorry for the lack of pictures lately. My photo editing software is all on my desktop which has been having some major internet problems for awhile now. I can only access the internet through the laptop.)

This past week and a half has been especially stressful lately, as poor little Eden has been sick with one thing after another. My schedule has consisted of constant snuggling of said baby, with brief interruptions for things like cleaning up after her sicknesses and providing snacks for the other kids. Oh yeah, and a brief bathroom break for myself once or twice a day, where I could see Eden's little feet peeking from under the bathroom door between her cries for me. There have been lots of tears, lunches in the form of popcorn for the older two kiddos, and not near enough sleep for any of us. I tend to be a worrier, and one of the things I can easily find myself worrying over is the health and safety of my family. Honestly, this winter has been especially challenging, as we seem to have picked up about every virus going around. Its hard when I'm not able to leave the house for days, am not sleeping well, have a messy house, and all the other things that go along with being sick or having sick kids. Despite all efforts otherwise, the three kids seem to share any sickness they happen to pick up lately. That can mean several weeks for a single illness to work its way through the family. Fun stuff.

This also means I have missed church more often than I have been these past few months, so I haven't had that weekly time of being uplifted in that way. However, I am so thankful for His tender mercies in my life. Yesterday and today I had conversations with two different friends, and they shared with me some of their thoughts and perspectives on topics that have been heavily on my mind lately. The words they said were answers to things I have been praying about. It was a nice reminder that Heavenly Father is so aware of us and our needs, and wants what's best for us. Those experiences, and the fact that Eden seems to be doing well today, have provided a much-needed lift to my spirits. I felt so grateful today as I was able to get back to my mundane little routine of dishes, laundry, and my other household duties. I have been thankful to see Eden's happy smile return to her face, and have the opportunity to give some extra attention to Collin. Brynn is enjoying playing at her friend Q's house after she slept over there, but I am looking forward to playing games and reading books with her when she returns. We are really appreciating our "mundane and boring" again.

Lehi Days

2011-03-15T18:05:00.000-07:00

There is a town nearby that puts on an event each year called Lehi Days. They have a rodeo, BBQ lunch, horse rides, petting zoo, and lots of other family friendly things to do. Dave and I and my mom took the kids there this year, and they had the best time! Brynn loved the pony ride (especially since the one she got to ride on had hearts on its bum).

Eden was fascinated, and spent most of the time doing this:

and this:

I think the biggest hit with the 3 of them was the petting zoo. Not even Eden was afraid to make some new friends (with the help of my mom, of course).

Brynn was so gentle with all of the animals. I can see her being a vet some day.

Collin was very curious as well.

He was strangely fascinated with the turkey's wattle (the flap of skin under its neck--and yes, I did have to google that). Poor, patient turkey.

They also loved the giant turtle.
And the baby ducks. (I just love the expressions on Brynn's face in these pictures. She was so caught up in the experience.)

As we were heading out to go back home, we had some extra tickets. Popsicles!
We ran into my Aunt Sandy as we were leaving also. (Collin, Brynn, Sandy, my mom)

We will definitely be back next year!

So I Never Forget...

2011-03-08T17:58:00.000-08:00

I have a terrible, terrible memory. As in, I forget the names of my close friends' kids, I have a daily checklist to remind me to do things like laundry and dishes, and I have set alarms on my cell phone so I remember to pick up my kids from school on time. Judge if you must, but at least I remember to pick up my kids now. ;) So, any way, I have this terrible fear of forgetting all the little day to day things of our little family's life right now. My kids are young enough that they won't remember much from these years of their lives, and I want them to know how much I love them and who they are at these ages. That right there is the main reason I blog.

So, with that in mind, I just wanted to document some of the details of our lives right now. Here are a few:

*Brynn's little notes and pictures that she is constantly writing. It is so exciting for both her and me to see her learning how to read and write. I found a note from her on my desk yesterday that read "It was Collin". It was in response to being asked to clean up the markers and papers that were left all over the kitchen table. That sums up so many things though--the frequent note writing, the shifting blame to her unsuspecting younger brother, and the fact that it was in response to a mess that resulted from hours of fun she and Collin had.

*how Collin still can't pronounce "Grinch", despite repeated attempts and the fact that he watches that movie at least once a week. He asks if he can watch "The Crunch".

*other words that Collin mispronounces that makes me smile: bankalet (blanket) and fowolling (following).

*how Eden always drinks her bottle from her left hand while twirling her hair with her right hand. She has a big curl on the right side of her head from all the twirling.

*listening to the kids singing when we're in the car. They get embarrassed if they know we are listening, so Dave and I just squeeze each other's hand and try to sneak a listen without them knowing.

*Collin in his superhero pajamas. He has Superman and Batman, and wants to wear them every. single. night. He also has superhero undies. Too cute!

*listening to Brynn talk on the phone. Right now its mostly to her cousin or one of her grandmas, but it is cute to see her try to be grown up on the phone.

*how the kids argue over which towel they get to use after a bath. They go back and forth between the dog towel and the monkey one being the favorite.

*the cute freckles that are sprinkled across Collin's cheeks and nose.

*how Eden will pick up our cell phones or a play phone, or anything that resembles a phone, and put it on her shoulder while saying "hi".

*that Brynn can make instant oatmeal with almost no help.

*our family trips to the local gelato shops. Yummy!

*our weekend breakfast out as a family. Collin always eats lots of pancakes, and Brynn prefers the scrambled eggs. Eden is a little less predictable.

*how immediately after combing out her hair, Brynn tries to push her hair down straight. I love her curls, but she wishes her hair were straight and is always asking me to straighten it for her.

*hearing all the words Eden can say now: hi, bu-bye, ma (which means milk, mom, or more), ni-ni (night, night), up, poop (yes, we are so proud), dada, eye, and "I love you" (although she pronounces it more like "I-lo").

*all the nicknames you hear in our house. Each person has their own unique nickname for every other person in our family. Some names you might hear around here: Pedro, Mini, Little Lady, Bopper, B-dro, Minz, B, Maloney, Tickley, Cutie Pie, Buddy, Brynnie.

*Eden's shoe obsession. We always used to catch her chewing on our shoes. Now she likes to wear our shoes or bring them to us.

*that Collin insists on wearing interesting things out in public, i.e. his knight helmet, slippers, his Transformers or Ironman mask, etc. Luckily it isn't usually all at the same time. He has also been known to carry a foam sword, light saber, or pretend gun to run errands.

*how Eden can now climb on the ottoman, and sometimes on the couch. She has just learned how to open doors, and pull things off the edge of the dining table. I thought we would have a few more months before we had to worry about any of those things, since she is such a little peanut. However, she stands on the tips of her toes like a ballet dancer and gets an extra inch or so that way. She keeps us very busy these days!

*that Collin will randomly come up to me, give me a big hug and kiss and tell me I'm the best mom in the world. And he does that at least once a day. Makes my day!

*that Eden saves her cutest smiles for the hours of midnight and 5am.

*Eden's dance moves.

*how Brynn can be so grumpy during the day or seem to be upset with me for whatever reason, but yet she always wants to hang out with me in my room before either of us go to bed at night.

*how Collin is guaranteed to fall asleep if we are driving anywhere in the late afternoon or evening. How he frequently falls asleep in the afternoons while he is sitting. How he always has to sleep with random toys at night.

*the position Eden sleeps in. She used to always sleep on her stomach with her bum in the air and her hands tucked under her. Now, she is usually found sleeping on her back with her hands under her head like she's posing.

*all the creative things Brynn comes up with to play or do. She is definitely the "activities coordinator" and knows what she wants to do. Luckily for her, Collin is really laid back, and is usually happy to go along with Brynn's suggestions.

*how the kids love to get out a huge gift bag, and go around the house collecting toys and other things to give us or their siblings. Some of the items can be pretty interesting (shoes, papers, etc.).

Two of my Cuties (and a little bit of blackmail)

2011-03-01T13:18:00.000-08:00

In an effort to tame Eden's crazy head of hair, I bought some more headbands to try out. She kept it on just long enough for me to snap a few pictures. Collin was being his usual silly self and put one on as well. Sorry, buddy, but you better behave in those teenage years, or these pictures might be making a reappearance. :)

"Little Mini"

2011-02-28T17:21:00.000-08:00

That crazy hair, those chubby pink cheeks,those mischevious blue eyes (I'm talking about the baby, by the way)...I just want to freeze time for a moment. I just love the relationship that Dave and Eden have. He has been so involved in helping with her, and he has a special place in her heart too. I am so thankful for my little family (Brynn and Collin included, of course)!

These pictures were taken at my cousin Paul's wedding reception yesterday.

February Misc

2011-02-27T17:07:00.000-08:00

Brynn loves making people happy with little notes and drawings. I love it!

Another note and illustration from Brynn, depicting Collin's vaccinations he received that day. 2 shots on the left arm + 2 shots on the right arm = 4. :-)

Brynn makes her bed each morning as part of her "checklist". She is quite proud of how she arranges the pillows, and often calls me in to look at what configuration she came up with that day.

Still more Sponge Bob. I definitely have a love/hate thing with that squishy yellow guy. It's one of the only shows that both my kids like and it is the only time they sit still for more than 5 minutes at a time, but it sure isn't my favorite show.

Watch Out Ladies

2011-02-27T17:05:00.000-08:00

He means serious business with those muscles!

2011-02-26T17:29:00.000-08:00

Brynn's kindergarten teacher asked that each student bring a picture of themselves with their favorite book. Brynn chose a Junie B. Jones book, and happily posed for a few pictures. As part of her homework, Brynn and I are supposed to read a book together Monday through Thursday evenings. It has been really fun to see her interest in reading grow and her reading skills begin as well. It's a fun excuse for some more quality time with her (and the other kids, as they usually join us too).

While Brynn is in school, these two get an opportunity to play together. Collin is still trying to learn that babies don't necessarily need to be tackled when you are giving them a hug. However, Eden is learning how to hold her own. I love that they get this time together.

2011-02-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

Eden snuggles up with her Uncle Brian and cousin Camille. We had so much during their visit!

But I'm Not Tired!

2011-02-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

He hasn't taken an "official" nap in a long time, but obviously he could still use one.

Valentine's Day

2011-02-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

This year I made Valentine envelopes for each of the 5 of us to put little notes and treats in. They are pretty simple, and I never got the buttons sewn on them to hang them on our dining chairs, but the kids loved them. They are made out of felt and the monograms and hearts are hand embroidered on. During the weeks leading up to Valentine's Day, we could leave a little note in each other's envelope to tell them something we love about them. Some were more committed to the note writing than others. On Valentine's Day, we each made sure to write a note to every other member of our family. I also left a few little treats for Dave and the kids.

Here are what some of the notes said (I want to make sure this is documented, so we can reflect on them when the kids are arguing with each other, etc ;)

To Brynn:
Daddy loves that always help. --Dad
I love to see you help your brother or sister without being asked. --Mom
I love when you wake up and play with me in the morning. I love how you help feed me
and take care of me. --Eden
I love that you share with me. --Collin
You are such a smart and beautiful girl. I'm so proud to be your mom. I love snuggling up
with you before bedtime. I love you! --Mom
I love you Brynn cas you or so speshl Brynn. --written by Brynn on behalf of Eden
Hape Brtha (Happy Birthday) Brynn. I love you Brynn. --written by Brynn on behalf of
Collin

To Collin:
Daddy loves your hugs. --Dad
I love the way you make others laugh. I love watching movies with you and eating popcorn
just me and you. I love the way your eyes twinkle when you smile. --Mom
I love when you surprise me with a hug. --Mom
Thack you for huging me. --Brynn
Collin tha for doing prrt of my check list. I love you. --Brynn
Hi Collin. This is a quick thing to sa I wont to hug you. --Brynn
I love that we get to spend the day time together. I love when you play with me. --Eden
I love you Collin cus you or my best bruthr. --written by Brynn on behalf of Eden

To Eden:
Eden, aka Lil Mini, Daddy loves your smile. --Dad
I love your sweet little smile and the way you snuggle up to me. I love watching you learn.
I am so so blessed to get to be your mom. I love you! --Mom
I love your smile. --Mom
I love you. I love you Eden cus you play wit me. --Brynn
I love you Eden cus you are so ceut (cute). --Brynn
I love everything of you! --Collin
I love you Eden cus you or so keot (cute). --written by Brynn on behalf of Eden

To Dave:
Thack you for tacking us to Chuck E Ches. I love you. --Brynn
Thanck you vare much for the flawrs (flowers--Brynn's school was selling flowers for
the students for Valentine's Day, and Dave ordered one for her). --Brynn
I love it when you think one of the kids is being especially cute. --Melanie
I love that you let me play outside and you share your office. --Collin
I love giving you the hugs I save just for you. I love when you get up with
me at night. --Eden
I love you cas I fil licke I kae hug you ('cause I feel lucky I can hug you). --written by
Brynn on behalf of Eden
I love you dad kus you went to Chuck E Ches for Brynn's brthay. --written by Brynn on
behalf of Collin
Things I love about you:
*your sense of humor (you can make me laugh more than anyone else)
*how much you are involved as a dad. The kids adore you!
*that I can depend on you. We've gone through some tough times, and it's so comforting
to know you are always there.
*your hot bod :)
*your commitment to your beliefs and your standards.
I love you! --Melanie

To Melanie:
Thax for bringin a tret. --Brynn
I love that you let me ride on your back and I like your scarf.
Its cooler than you. --Collin (thanks buddy!)
I love that you take care of me. --Eden
I love your thoughtfulness. --Dave
I love you Mom cas you do speshl things. --written by Brynn on behalf of Eden
I love you cas you mack it a nis brtha. --Brynn
I love you mom cus you giv me a hug. --written by Brynn on behalf of Collin

Well, I guess you can guess who was the most excited about writing and receiving the notes. I think this will be a yearly tradition for us.

That evening we all went to dinner together, and Dave and I have plans to go out and celebrate this weekend. Love our date nights!

Brynn's Valentine's bag from school, filled with all the Valentines she received at school:

Sisters

2011-02-13T17:16:00.000-08:00

I love the relationship these two share.

Can't Get Enough

2011-02-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

of this little cutie! (Those nasty looking green things are cut up green beans, by the way).

Argh!

2011-01-31T20:22:00.000-08:00

Collin loves costumes (especially ones that include a sword, knife, or light saber)! While we were at my mom's today, he wore this pirate costume she has for him. That first picture is him showing his pirate face.

He's the cutest pirate I've ever seen!

More Funny Things

2011-01-30T06:44:00.000-08:00

After a tough couple months with strep (me, Brynn, twice for Eden), E having an allergic reaction and some bad hives, E falling twice and hitting the same spot on her head both times, etc., we are finally enjoying some "normal". I'm hoping to get caught up on blogging, but for now I wanted to write down some of the funny/cute things the kids have been saying and doing so I won't forget.

*Yesterday, we took the kids to an outdoor open house thing that a local karate place was putting on. They had demonstrations, tons of food, bouncy houses, face painting, and a live band. As we were leaving, I asked Collin if he would be interested in taking karate. He explained that he didn't need to, he already knew karate. Then he proceeded to give us his own karate demonstration. Apparently, you just need to put your arms up in an X and then do any manner of kicking and arm flailing. Too bad nobody told all the people who've been spending years and lots of money at the karate school that. (Since then, there have been quite a few sparring matches at our house, and Kung Fu Panda has been playing on the DVD player).

*Brynn recently had her birthday, and got to go shopping for some gifts. One of the things she chose was a game called Headbanz. Basically, you wear a plastic thing around your head and put a card in it that has a picture of something. Then, you ask questions to see if you can guess what your card is. We finally had a chance to play yesterday, and Collin was intent on playing without any help. After Brynn had a turn, I put my card on my head and started asking questions. Collin shouted out, "I want the ice cream cone". My turn was over. He took my card, put it on his head and asked, "Is it chocolate?" "Does it live in an ice cream store?". Bingo! He then searched through the cards until he found another card he liked. After struggling to get the card into the slot of the headband, he put it on and asked his questions. "Is it food?" "Does it live in a pizza place?". And so the game went. I think I was more entertained by him than I was by the actual game.

*Brynn has been learning lots of new things since starting kindergarten. A few months ago, she mentioned the name of one of the kids in her class. From the name, I couldn't tell if she was talking about a girl or a boy, so I asked which he/she was. Brynn told me that this person is a girl and a boy. I tried telling her that the friend was not both, but she was convinced. Brynn also said there was another girl in her class that is both a boy and a girl. I couldn't understand where she was getting it from, but Brynn was adamant about it. Fast forward to Brynn's class Christmas party, I was there helping the kids do a craft and I asked what color one of the girls wanted to paint her ornament with. I mentioned pink, and this little girl looked at me with the cutest little brown eyes and said in a very serious voice, "I don't like pink, because I'm a tomboy". Then it hit me. This was one of the kids that Brynn said was both a boy and a girl. When these two cute little girls said they were a tomboy, Brynn took that literally.

*Eden has recently started saying a few words herself. When I get her out of her crib in the morning, she repeats back when I tell her hi. Hiyah! She also says bu-bye (although its usually just after a person is gone). I think her first, most frequently used word is "dada" (daddy). Feeling a little cheated that she rarely said mama, I took a few occasions to help her practice. However, the lessons came to an end when each time I would tell her to say mama, she responded with "dada!". That's OK though. He has been so helpful with her, I think its cute.

*Collin has started singing alot lately. So cute! I love hearing him singing in the back of the car as we are driving. I also love how he completely butchers the words to songs. Once in awhile, he intentionally changes the words. The most recent example occurred the other day when he ran around the house singing "The wise man built his undies on the rock...the wise man built his undies on the rock..." Yeah, he's a spiritual giant!

*Speaking of church songs, we were sitting in sacrament meeting a few weeks ago, and the sacrament hymn began. Collin had been sitting very still (unusual for him) and I was so proud of him! As the congregation began to sing, Collin decided to sing as well. Unfortunately, he didn't know the words to the song, so he began to sing "Old McDonald" at the top of his lungs. Despite repeated attempts to get him to at least sing a bit more quietly, he continued to finish his song.

I will have to add more as I remember them.

January Catch Up

2011-01-28T20:07:00.000-08:00

I keep telling her to stop growing, but she just doesn't listen! There isn't an age I really have to stop referring to her as a baby, since she's our last, right? Those smiles of hers are one of the highlights of my day!

His too!

This is usually what he chooses for his TV time (Sponge Bob).

Don't let her smile fool you though...

She can be a troublemaker too.

"Who me?!"
Love the differing expressions in this one...

Mmm. Blueberry oatmeal!

A Little Organization

2011-01-25T20:18:00.000-08:00

I have been in a major organizing/decluttering mode lately. I guess it is typical this time of year. I just had to snap a few pictures of my most recent organizing project--the pantry. Here it is in all its clean glory!

Brynn's Birthday Party

2011-01-17T19:59:00.000-08:00

For Brynn's birthday, she decided she wanted to have a sleepover with her cousins MaJesta and Micaela. These girls had so much fun together! And Collin was excited, because he got to join in most of it too.

The next morning, I made them fresh squeezed orange juice and pancakes with whipped cream and blueberries.

I love watching the relationship these girls have! I wish they could all get together more often. Brynn had a great 6th birthday celebration!

Collin's Birthday Party

2011-01-16T18:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we celebrated Collin's birthday with our families at the park. He just turned 4, and we had a fun time honoring our sweet guy! He didn't have too many requests for his birthday, other than a pinata and cake. I may have went a little overboard on the pictures, so get ready for a ton!

The birthday boy (just a little side note: Collin always insists on the hood being over his head when he is wearing a hoodie. And it doesn't matter if it gets hot during the day, if he starts the day in a hoodie, he wears it all. day. long.)

Dave and Eden

Collin's Grandpa Jerry, Grandma Cheryl, and Aunt Cyndi

Jerry and Collin

The family paparazzi: my mom and my sister Alison

Cousins MaJesta, Brynn, Camille, and Micaela

My brothers Brian and Justin, my dad, and Dave

Brian and his wife Natacha

Alison and her husband Travis

My parents

My baby

Eden and my mom

and with Brian

Camille

Practicing "4"

MaJesta

Micaela

My Grandma Bertha reserves her biggest hugs for Dave (since Dave is not a big hugger) :)

Pinata time!

"Candy, candy, candy..."

Not sure what that look is for...

That's better...

Opening his gifts (with a little help/supervision)

Eden and Dave

My Grandpa L, Grandma Bertha, and Natacha

One of Collin's gifts included a gun that shot out bubbles. Collin spent quite a bit of time trying to pop the bubbles with a bat.

Another great birthday! We love you, little man!

Hives

2011-01-07T11:58:00.000-08:00

This is what Eden is doing right now. Poor girl is so tired after an "eventful" evening and night. You may notice the red splotches on her face. Those are hives that came as a result of an allergic reaction to something. During dinner (at a local pizza place for Collin's birthday), we noticed her neck was really red and her ear was extremely swollen. Upon further inspection, we found that she had hives all over her neck, shoulders, and upper back and took her to urgent care. That and a follow-up visit with a pediatrician today determined that she probably has an allergy to penicillin. However, they said it could also be anything she ate in the 3 hours before the hives occurred or something else she was exposed to. Fun stuff. We spent the rest of the evening getting medicine, getting the twin bed in her room ready for me to sleep in, etc. The late night, a middle of the night feeding, a wake up call to give her more medicine, and a 5:30am start to her day, and she and I are both pretty exhausted today. I am so glad that the reaction wasn't more serious.

(About 10 minutes after I posted this, Eden woke up from her nap. When I went to get her, her eyes were swollen half shut and the hives were covering most of her body. Dave and I freaked out a bit, but after a call to the dr's, we were assured she was OK. She's been getting lots of extra cuddles from us though!)

A Little December Randomness

2010-12-30T15:42:00.000-08:00

We recently had the opportunity to dogsit for some friends of ours in our ward. Our kids really miss having a dog, and so they instantly fell in love with Homer. He is a Scottie, so he blends in with our dark couch, but Collin loved having a buddy to hang out with while Brynn was in school.

Me and my "Little Miss" hanging out in her room:
Love that girl of mine! She is crazy. She snuck off while being dressed for bed, and went streaking through the house. Good thing she had her babylegs (the leg warmers) on!
On one of several attempts to get 1 year photos of Eden, I took the kids to the park, camera in hand. Eden did anything but cooperate. She couldn't care a bit about documenting her childhood, I guess. Collin, however, was a willing model, so the attempt wasn't in vain.
The only shot I could get of my 1 year old (has it seriously been a year already?):

Brynn sharing a giant size candy bar with Collin that her primary teacher gave her for Christmas:

Family Pictures

2010-12-28T20:32:00.000-08:00

Since we were all in town, we took a big family picture, and also got a few of each individual family.

My cute parents:

All the grandkids
(l-r: Camille and Micaela, MaJesta, Eden and Brynn and Collin, Trance)

Our little family:

Me and my man:
Our kidlets:
Sisters!
My brother Justin with his kids MaJesta and Trance and his girlfriend Jessica:

Jessica and Justin:
Trance and MaJesta:

My brother Brian, his wife Natacha, and their girls Camille and Micaela:

Micaela and Camille (Camille saw Micaela putting her hands under her chin and did the same--so cute!)

My sister Alison and her husband Travis:

Christmas Morning (Part 2)

2010-12-28T20:11:00.000-08:00

After we opened our presents, we headed over to my parents' house where we all (my siblings and their families included) made a big breakfast together. Its a tradition that includes pancakes, eggs, bacon, hash browns, juice, egg nog, etc. It is also a tradition that we blow a fuse and end up preparing parts of breakfast in unusual parts of the house.

Dave, my dad and my mom:

Justin preparing hash browns at my mom's desk (see what I mean about having to prepare the food in unusual spots):

Justin's girlfriend Jessica supervising the hash browns:
My niece MaJesta providing much of the entertaining (can you tell she was excited about Christmas?):
Eden with her Uncle Justin:
Opening Gifts After Breakfast

Trance, Justin, and Jessica:
Collin:
Probably not the effect he was going for, but I thought Collin looked so cute sulking over something:
Eden with her Uncle Travis:

What do I do with this thing?

Our group has gotten bigger over the years. Between people and gifts, you couldn't really see the floor.

After awhile, most everyone left to go take naps or visit other family members. I stayed for awhile with Collin and Brynn, so they could spend as much time with their cousins who were visiting from California. Collin busted out his new train set, and kept busy with it for a couple hours.

A few years ago, we all made a scrapbook for my parents for Christmas. They love getting new pages to update it each year. This is our page from this year:
It was such a fun Christmas! As the kids have gotten older, it has become so fun to see their excitement and anticipation. I love all the traditions that we are passing on to them and the new ones we are creating together.

Christmas Morning (Part 1)

2010-12-28T12:47:00.000-08:00

On Christmas morning, we woke up and did our own thing before heading off for my parents' for the rest of the morning. The kids were thrilled (and I think a little relieved) to see that Santa did indeed stop by our house. It was fun seeing all the gifts and the stockings I finally had embroidered with everyone's name.

Our tree with the gifts we each gave each other. (I know our tree is probably too small for this space, but it is so easy to put up and take down, so it works for us.)
The kids tearing into the gifts:
A castle tent for Collin:
SpongeBob Operation game for Brynn:
An Ironman mask for Collin (that he spent most of the day wearing):
Brynn opening the gift she really, really wanted:
Eden couldn't have cared less about opening gifts. She was more interested in the ornaments on the tree (notice how they have mostly been moved out of reach):Playing with the new gifts:

Our happy, beautiful kiddos:
Later that afternoon...

After spending several hours at my parents' house, the 5 of us opened the gifts we had bought each other.

Eden took the opportunity to sneak into her older siblings' stockings. Forget the Gerber Puffs, bring on the fruit rollups!
She did have fun playing with a ball she received.
This year, we gave each of the kids a small amount of money to buy something for every family member with. When I took Brynn to the store, she was very thoughtful in picking out things that she thought each specific person would want. She got a candle for Dave and I, a book for Eden, and a slinky for Collin. She helped Eden pick out a yo-yo for Collin, since he had really liked one she recently received. As soon as I told Collin he could pick out a gift for his sisters, he immediately decided that he would find a "Tangled doll" for Brynn (a Rapunzel doll, since he knew she had recently seen the movie and loved it). They were also sweet in presenting their gifts to each other. They gave each other hugs voluntarily and everything!

Eden, once again, sneaking her siblings' treats:

Christmas Eve

2010-12-27T20:15:00.000-08:00

Another tradition we have is to get together with my dad's side of the family every Christmas Eve. We have lasagne and we've also added enchiladas and tamales (my Grandma Bertha makes delicious enchiladas!). It is fun to see the kids excitement and anticipation when they know Santa is on his way. Its also nice for the adults to catch up and have a bit of relaxation during the craziness of the season.

My brother Brian and his family came in town for the week. We took this picture of the men that were there. (back row: my Uncle Scott, Collin, Dave, Justin, and Brian; front row: my Dad and my Grandpa)

My Uncle Scott trying to get his dad (my grandpa) to smile bigger and "show some teeth", as his wife requested. Didn't really work...
My mom keeps several musical stuffed animals around her house for the kids to enjoy around Christmas. The first thing my kids have been doing when they go to their house, is to head straight for the musical animals. Eden will just stare and stare at them (and then usually start dancing):
The kids also love having Grandma do "Fisty, Flatty" or "Plant the Seed" on their backs. Collin has his turn here, while my cousin Camille waits next to him:
Eden came over to help:
Cousins and friends Collin and Camille:
Collin with his Uncle Brian (there aren't many pictures of Brynn, since she and Micaela were off playing somewhere else in the house):
My Grandpa L and his wife Bertha, my Aunt Margie and Uncle Scott:
Eden clapping and dancing along with the dancing Santa:
My dad and Collin have a special bond. I love watching them interact together.
My Grandpa and Collin:

Christmas Traditions

2010-12-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite things at Christmastime is watching my kids take part in traditions that I grew up with. I have so many memories of holidays spent with my family and my parents' families, and I hope one day that my own kids will look back on their childhood with some of the same good memories.

One of those traditions that has continued from my youth is getting together with my mom's side of the family and re-enacting part of the Nativity. This year was Brynn's second year as an angel. Collin was ready to be a shepherd (for the second year) but backed out at the last minute (for the second year). Oh well, maybe next year he will make his debut.

Here are the angels, doing their part (Brynn is the one biting her lip):

My brother Brian doing his best to look like mean King Herod:
Brynn (far right angel):

After the Nativity, we all went outside to watch the kids hit the pinata. This is another tradition that has been going on since I was a kid. Every Christmas morning, my mom's parents would have a pinata for the grandkids. Now there are great grandkids involved, and it is done when we all get together during December for family night.

My Grandma B puts the "blindfold" on Collin so he can take a turn:
The blindfold/scarf fell off Collin's eyes, but the pinata remained pretty much intact:
Dave was in charge of moving the pinata around while the kids were swinging at it. I think he was having more fun than the kids!
Brynn and her cousin Micaela waiting for more candy (besides the bag full that they already collected):
Brynn takes her turn:
I feel so lucky that we get to live near so many relatives! Holidays, especially Christmas, can be very busy as we try to see all our families, but it is fun to create such good memories.

Christmas with Dave's Family

2010-12-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Christmas a few days early with Dave's family. Everyone has such busy schedules these days, so it is always fun to see everyone. The weather was gorgeous, so we all spent awhile hanging out in Cheryl (Dave's mom) and Jerry's backyard. And what a back yard it is! Our kids love playing out in all their grass, and Cheryl has done an amazing job with the gardening and decorating.

Eden loved the freedom of running around:

Collin and Brynn had fun playing soccer and baseball with Uncle Jace and Aunt Kim and Aunt Cyndi:

Jace, Jerry, Dave, Collin, Eden, and Cyn:
See what I mean about the backyard? They have a big tiki hut, a pond with fish, beautiful flowers, citrus trees, a pool...
Cheryl just put this together that in their side yard:
Then we had a delicious dinner (Cheryl is also a really good cook!). Afterwards, we exchanged some gifts. Among the gifts were two books for the kids. They were recordable books, so when the kids open them to read them, it has Cheryl's voice reading the book to them page by page. What a great gift idea, especially since they love books and they also love having their Grandma Cheryl read them book after book whenever she comes over.
It was a fun evening, and a great way to kick off the Christmas celebrations!

Adorable...

2010-12-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

I just want to munch on those sweet little cheeks.

Eden's 1st Birthday Party

2010-12-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had a little birthday party for our little miss Eden. I have to admit it has been a little surreal that our baby is already 1. Its been a roller coaster of a year, for sure! We had both Dave and my families over and set up a dessert bar for our guests. It was so fun! We had fruit, little rice krispie balls with pink sugar on top, cupcakes, frosted animal crackers, little raspberry/chocolate cookies, pink candy canes, huge pink lollipops, and raspberry chocolates. Lots of pink and lots of sugar!
Her "smash cake" (which didn't end up looking too smashed after all):
The cupcakes I made...some had pink sugar crystals sprinkled on top and others had an "E":

My mom surrounded by some of her grandkids (Micaela, Eden, and Collin):
My mom with the (squirmy-as-always) birthday girl:

Eden with her Great Grandpa L:
(See, she is always squirmy)
My Grandpa L with his wife Bertha:
Dave, my brother Brian, Jerry, (Dave's sis Kim), my cousin Robyn, Dave's mom Cheryl, and my Aunt Janice:
Collin with my mom and my brother's girlfriend Jessica:
Eden and Jessica:
Dave's mom Cheryl, Cheryl's husband Jerry, and Dave's sister Kim:
My cutie niece Camille:
Camille with her Grandpa Juan (my brother Brian and his family were in town and brought Natacha's dad Juan who was visiting from Argentina--so fun to have them all at the party!):
My sister-in-law Natacha and my sis Alison:

Collin with his Great Grandpa L and Grandma Bertha:
Eden opens gifts with the help of her Aunt Alison:

More gifts...

Of course, the siblings have to check them out too:

Jerry and Cheryl, Janice and Larry and Robyn, and Juan:
Eden tries out the new horse she just got from her Grandpa and Grandma L:
(l-r): Natacha, Janice, Jerry, and Larry

Here comes the cake! Ooo...check out that light on top:

After taking quite awhile inspecting the cake, we finally cut a small piece and just handed it to her:

Poor girl was pretty disturbed by having messy, frosting coated fingertips. She was more interested in getting the frosting off her hands than she was in eating the cake (that was basically the same reaction my other 2 kids had to their smash cakes as well.):
Of course, these little girls (Brynn and their cousin Micaela) were close by in case she needed any help:

Eden with our favorite (and pretty much only) babysitter, my cousin Robyn:

Of course a dessert bar results in a massive sugar high for the little ones. The result was some wrestling and attacking of their uncle Justin. Good thing Justin could hold his own against all these sugar-filled kiddos:

It was so nice to have alot of our family there to celebrate with us. A couple months after Eden was born, she was hospitalized with RSV and at the same time I was struggling with post partum depression. It was one of the most difficult times of my life, and we received so much help, prayers, and emotional support from our family. This birthday felt like it was also a celebration of getting through those challenges and for the humbling gratitude I feel for those who helped us through. We have amazing families!

Eden,

We feel so absolutely blessed to have you in our family! You bring so much joy and laughter into our home. Your older brother and sister adore you, and will hardly let you take a nap, because they miss playing with you for those few hours. You have such an infectious smile. You love to make other people laugh and smile.

There are things about you at this age that I just wish I could freeze forever. I love the hugs you seem to save for your dad, and the way you snuggle up to me when I hold you. I love the silly face you make when you want to get us to laugh (think: crazy smile and wrinkled up nose, complete with a weird breathing noise to complete the goofy effect). I love your crazy hair that spent the 1st 10 months sticking up at the top of your head and now grows straight down into your eyes. I love your perfect little eyebrows that you were born with (the nurse even commented on them and said she had never seen a baby born with eyebrows). I love seeing the bond you and your dad have. Every day he looks at you with the proudest look on his face as he exclaims how cute you are. It is pretty much a daily (sometimes hourly) thing around here that one of us will make everyone else in the family stop what they are doing to see what cute thing you are doing.

You still aren't really sleeping through the night, but there is usually at least one time each night when I am holding you when we both should be sleeping and I just close my eyes and try to capture that memory of you curled up in my arms. I know I won't get those precious one-on-one moments with you forever. Of course, you reserve your cutest smiles for the middle of the night, so I can't help but forgive you for waking me. Your dad must feel the same, because he takes turns getting up with you too.

You would think since you are our 3rd kid, we would know what we are doing, but I still feel like I am just winging this whole parenting thing. I appreciate your patience with me and forgiving me when I stumble through it. You are one of the greatest blessings I could have asked for, and I am so happy to be able to celebrate your 1st year with you!

Love forever,

Your mom

Milestones

2010-12-17T16:40:00.000-08:00

Brynn is only in kindergarten, but she has homework that she has to turn in weekly. Luckily, they are fun things, like reading a book together every evening and practicing a new skill. Several times, her homework included "practicing tying her shoes". After a few attempts, Brynn has become frustrated at not being able to do it correctly. However, the other day, she finally mastered it! And once she got it, she hasn't had to ask me to show her again. She was so proud! She was so excited that she could finally tie her own shoes, that she wore her shoes to bed and continued to practice until she fell asleep.

Sisters

2010-12-16T17:12:00.000-08:00

Brynn loves having a baby in the house. She especially loves having a baby sister. She is very helpful in taking care of her and spends alot of her free time playing with her. Those emotions are obviously returned by Eden. She gets so excited when Brynn wakes up in the morning, and usually drops what she's doing to run hug her big sister. It's one of the funnest things as a parent to see your kids' genuine love and concern for each other.

Bring On the Candy...Again!

2010-12-09T15:15:00.000-08:00

It seems like this half of the year is full of lots of events, birthdays, and holidays--all involving candy and sweets of some sort. The kids love it, of course. One of the traditions they absolutely love around Christmas is to decorate gingerbread houses. This year, I found a little kit that had a few small Snoopy houses. Love that idea! Each kid got their own house to decorate. One of my kids takes the decorating very seriously, and the other would rather rush through the decorating and start sampling the candy. Can you tell which decorating style describes who?
And lest you think Eden was excluded from the fun, here she is, waiting close by for potential scraps of gingerbread to fall within her reach.

Naptime, Glorious Naptime

2010-12-08T16:05:00.000-08:00

Naptime is a wonderful thing for a mom. It's the chance to experience what might be the only quiet time in the day. Its the opportunity to have a few moments of productivity. Its a little bit of heaven. A sleeping baby is also one of the cutest things I've ever seen. Once in awhile, I will risk waking said baby to get a glimpse of them looking like a little angel. The other day I took such a chance and found Eden sleeping peacefully in her crib. I love her hair in these shots as well. It is so her. That hair of hers has always done its own thing. Its always been longer than any of my other kids' hair, but it goes where it wants, usually with a patch sticking up at the top of her head or straight down into her eyes. Love it!

A Little R & R

2010-11-29T13:58:00.000-08:00

It seriously amazes me how babies and kids can sleep in all kinds of random positions. I found Eden like this in her crib the other day, fast asleep with her legs up by her head. I have a picture of Brynn as a baby in nearly the same position.

Relaxing with a little popcorn and a movie!

Thanksgiving, Part 2

2010-11-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Brynn, Collin, and I went to my Grandpa L and his wife Bertha's for a delicious Thanksgiving lunch today. There were a few other members of my dad's family there as well, but the group was rather small. We missed those who weren't there (I was especially sad that Eden spent her 1st Thanksgiving being sick, and that Dave wasn't able to come with us either, because he stayed home with her), but we had a fun time! Of course, I forgot to pull out my camera until shortly before we left, but I did manage to get a few snapshots.

Collin and Brynn with their Great Grandpa L

Someone asked my grandpa if he needed someone to tickle him to get him to smile for the camera. Collin quickly ran over to help.

Not sure why this one is uploading sideways, despite 3 attempts. I still had to include it though. Can you tell how much my kids love my mom and vice versa? (By the way, my mom wears a patch type thing over one eye to help strengthen each eye. She rotates the patch every 2 weeks or so, and then measurements are taken periodically to see if her vision continues to improve since her stroke. My mom hates wearing the patch, but since her vision has continued to improve slowly, she does it any way. )
My Dad (bottom right) with his dad and his brother Scott. His other brother Mike lives out of state.

Me with my parents and my two oldest kids

My Grandma Bertha just finished this amazing oil painting of my Grandpa. She takes painting classes every week, and their home is filled with her paintings. Each time I go over there, I love to see what recent ones she has completed or begun. This one is my favorite though. It looks just like my Grandpa and the details of the background are incredible. She is so humble with her talent too. She has inspired me to set the goal of getting back into painting when my kids are a little older. I want to fill my home with such personal and original artwork too. Doesn't my Grandpa look so handsome?

I am so sad about this next picture, because I am not sure what happened, but it was totally overexposed. This is my Grandpa and Bertha, the gracious hosts. I love these two so much! They are always thinking of other people and make everyone around them feel like a better person just by knowing them.
My parents--also huge influences in my life.
My Uncle Scott and Aunt Margie and their daughter Crystal. (We missed their other daughter Corrina who was with her new husband and his family on Thanksgiving.)
I contributed the rolls and green salad for our meal. I had to get a picture of the rolls, because a) I haven't been cooking or baking much lately, so I might as well document it, b) Brynn and Collin had fun helping me make them, and c) Dave's dad taught me how to make them, so I think of him whenever I make them. I have to say, they really are good. I'm sure it has everything to do with the fact that its a great recipe, but I won't turn down the compliments I get whenever I make them. Thanks for the recipe and baking lessons, Ralph!

Of course, I had to get a picture of my other 2 cuties today. Happy 1st Thanksgiving, Eden, and thanks Dave for being on dad-duty so much today!

Thankful

2010-11-25T05:47:00.000-08:00

Obviously with today being Thanksgiving, I have been doing alot of thinking lately about all the blessings I have. I really do have so much to be thankful for this year. Here are some of the things I am grateful for:

*Dave. I have an amazing husband who makes me laugh on a daily basis, and who is always helping with the kids. We are so different in some ways, but we are a perfect balance for each other.

*my 3 beautiful kids. A doctor once told us that it would take a miracle to have any kids on our own. Despite lots of fertility procedures/meds and getting certified to adopt, we did have all 3 of them "on our own" (well, you know, with some major help from Heavenly Father too). They each bring so much happiness to our family, and I honestly can't imagine being without one of them. I still get so humbled and emotional when I think about all that led up to having them. I never realized that you could love someone so unconditionally and so immediately. To feel that 3 times is a blessing I can't even describe.

*a Heavenly Father who knows me enough not to always give me the things I ask for. Or at least to answer my prayers in the timing that He knows is best for me. (See previous "gratitude"). I am a better mom now than I would have been when I thought I was ready. I have been able to see His hand in my life so many times, and I really truly know that He is aware of every single one of us as individuals. That knowledge (although I may forget for a moment) has helped me through some things I would never have thought I could go through. I love the gospel! I don't know where I would be if I had to question what this life is all about.

*my family and Dave's family. It is a blessing I took for granted when I was growing up to have a family who will be there to love and support you when you need them. To be so different from each other, but to support each other in those differences, is an awesome thing.

*my mom. I have to make a special comment just for her. After nearly losing her from a stroke in June, I am just so grateful to be able to spend Thanksgiving with her. She has been an incredible example of faith and a positive attitude to me. Even through the difficulties of the past 6 months, she continues to be strong in her faith and she rarely complains. She continues to be a strong force in our family and is the glue that holds us all together . I love her so much and am thankful that she has made such an amazing recovery. I am also thankful for my dad, who has made any sacrifices necessary to be there for my mom and the rest of our family. He has proven countless times this year what his priorities really are. He is the rock of our family, and has filled various roles that I'm sure he never thought he'd have to fill. I am so blessed to have the parents I have.

*friends. I have some pretty great friends, and I am thankful for each of them. I am grateful for their examples and for all that I learn through their strengths and talents, and for their willingness to share their difficulties and experiences. Sometimes as a woman and a mom, I feel so much pressure to excel in so many areas of life. Sometimes it feels like the world expects so much from women these days that there is no option but failure. It is great to have friends who have realistic expectations of each other and who don't really care about the unimportant things. Those who will admit that they aren't perfect, and who support each other in good and bad times.

*my church calling. I was just released as a Beehive advisor in the Young Women program, and I will really miss it. I have had the best time getting to know the girls and just love them all so much. With the world the way it is, it is hard not to get discouraged thinking about how things are going to be for my kids as they get older. However, these girls have so much faith and are so thoughtful, talented, and strong. It has been a blessing to see that teenagers can retain all of those things despite the temptations around them. It has also been a blessing to serve with all the wonderful leaders I have had the opportunity to serve with these past 2 years. I have learned so much from each of them and will miss seeing them on such a regular basis.

*talents, hobbies, skills, and opportunites to learn. I love the "high" that I get when I am creating something. It has been fun to see Brynn start to get interested in doing some of those things alongside me as well. Although I don't have alot of time to devote to hobbies, I have had so much fun doing different projects for our home, sewing, painting, decorating, etc.

*the internet. It is a great way for women with similar interests and goals to support each other and exchange ideas. It is a fun way to stay connected to family and friends whose schedules or distance make it hard to keep up with. It has also saved me a doctor's copay or two.

*our home. I have gotten discouraged lately that I've never been able to finish decorating our house or that there are features I wish our house had. However, I am so thankful that we have a house that really is perfect for our family. Since someone always seems to be sick during the fall and winter months, we spend alot of time at home. I am thankful that it provides a nice place for us to grow together as a family, learn, and feel the Spirit. I absolutely love our neighborhood! It is the best place for walks, going to the park, and playing outside. I am thankful for our floorplan. It is perfect for Dave to work at home, for each of us to get decent sleep, for the kids to have their own space and a little indepence, etc.

*Arizona winters. After a long, hot summer, I am loving the cooler weather. I don't think I have ever been so excited to wear sweaters. This time of year is the payoff for enduring the summers here.

*Target. Hee hee. I am thankful that I have a place to go when the kids are sick and I only have 30 minutes to get random groceries, pjs for the baby who just had another blowout in her last clean pair, an inexpensive piece of jewelry to make me feel put together when I haven't been able to get a shower that day, and potty training prizes.

A Week of Celebrating

2010-11-25T05:19:00.001-08:00

The past week has been so much fun! Yesterday was my birthday, so some friends from church and I had a Girls' Night Out on Friday to celebrate. We went to one of my favorite restaurants, Cantina Laredo. I absolutely love our ward! There are so many wonderful people I have become friends with. I am so happy that we decided to move into the home we chose almost 5 years ago.

On Sunday, we went to Dave's mom's to celebrate Thanksgiving with his side of the family. Everyone is so busy these days, so it was great to see everyone (minus his sister Laurie and her family who live out of town). Cheryl is an amazing cook, and she and her husband Jerry are great hosts.

On Tuesday, Eden got really sick with croup, so we have been spending alot of time at home. Poor girl spent most of Tuesday and Wednesday (night and day) just wanting to be held. Her fever got up to 103.5 at one point, so all plans were dropped and I just spent my time taking care of her. She did much better yesterday afternoon and last night, so I think she is on the mend. Dave has been so helpful! He has taken hours of the night to take care of Eden, so I could get some sleep. He has also willingly picked up takeout for us almost every night lately, and even made a run for gelato for me. I am so fortunate to have a husband that is so involved in our family, and who makes sacrifices to be there for us when we really need him. Which leads me to Wednesday...

Yesterday, Wednesday, was my actual birthday. Since Eden was still sick, Dave stayed home with her and Collin for most of the day, so I could get some time to myself. I surprised Brynn by meeting her for lunch at her school. She introduced her friends to me, showed me how the lunch and recess time go, and had me push her and her friends on the swings until the bell rang. She had a huge smile on her face the entire time I was there. At one point, all her friends were running to the playground and I told her she could go with them and I would find her when I got there. She didn't hesitate in telling me that she would rather be with me. It melted my heart! I know the days of her preferring her friends over her family will come all too quick, so I am trying to soak up all the love and attention she gives me now.

After walking Brynn back to her class, I headed off for some me-time. I decided to do some shopping at the stores I usually avoid when I've got kids in tow. I started with Anthropologie and then hit a few other fun little shops and some home decor stores. Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), nothing jumped out at me, so I went home empty handed. I still had so much fun having some time all to myself! Then I picked Brynn up from school and took her out for frozen yogurt. I loved getting to spend so much time with her yesterday, since she is gone at school so often now. After a few more errands, we headed home and Dave brought home some Mexican food for dinner. I went to bed early, and Eden had a good night, so I was happy to catch up on some much-needed sleep. The day also included lots of phone calls, texts, facebook comments, etc from friends and family wishing me Happy Birthday. I definitely feel so loved and blessed to have so many great people in my life!

Today Dave has offered to stay home with Eden again, so that the rest of us can still go to my Grandpa L's house for Thanksgiving. (See what an awesome husband he is!) It is also my brother Brian and Dave's sister Kim's birthdays today, so hopefully we will get to talk to both of them today. (Happy Birthday Brian and Kim!!). What a fun and busy week it has been!

The Kids' Rooms (aka Works In Progress)

2010-11-19T13:46:00.000-08:00

Brynn's bedroom was the 1st room we finished decorating when we moved into our home. For some reason, I can't find the pictures I took of her room then, but I thought I would show the "during decorating" pictures of Eden and Collin's bedrooms. Unfortunately, Eden is almost a year old, and I still haven't finished her room. Frames still need pictures, furniture still needs to be repainted, and the finishing touches need to be added. Hopefully I finish before she is a teenager.

And Collin's bedroom:
Again, there is alot to do in his room. I am about to completely redecorate his room though.

Right Now

2010-11-16T11:33:00.000-08:00

If drool, smeared pumpkin-apple puree, mushy bananas, and a runny nose make you nauseous, you may not want to look at the rest of this post.
But to me it is adorable!
In the second picture, she is making that face, because she was trying to copy me saying "boo!". She ended up making more of a "vuh!" sound, but I was pretty impressed.

The younger two kids and I are homebound today, since they seem to have colds. That hasn't seemed to slow them down any more though. Collin has spent the past 20 minutes giving us karate demonstrations, and Eden is in her usual stealth mode, roaming the house for things to get into. She is an amazing walker. She took her 1st steps a couple months ago, and has been walking as her main form of transportation for a few weeks now. She's so little, its funny to see other people's surprise when she suddenly gets up and walks across a room. Its quickly coming back to me how much they are suddenly into when they can walk. She loves to open any cabinet or drawer and throw every. single. item. onto the floor. She also loves climbing onto things. We have already found her on the top step of the kids' bathroom stool and on top of the box of diapers in our bedroom. Whenever she gets caught, she just smiles with pride.

Eden also tries to run. When Dave was trying to sneak into the other room for a nap the other day, Eden apparently realized his plan and tried to run after him. She also likes to try to run away from us when she knows we are trying to keep her out of or away from something. I say "try to run" because it isn't the most graceful movement, and she usually falls after a few steps, but it is so cute!

In other news, Collin is mostly potty-trained. Potty training is a long, drawn out process in our house, but he is finally doing pretty well. He is only day-trained, and he does still have an accident every 2-3 days, but I am just relieved for the progress. I'm already praying that its an easier process when its Eden's turn.

I know its super late to announce this milestone, but I forgot to mention that we officially became a pacifier-free house in May. Eden had never really been interested in a pacifier, and we finally ditched Collin's in May. I had told him that I would take him to the toy store and he could pick a big boy toy and then we would throw away his pacis, since big boys don't use pacis. He agreed and talked for days about the toy he wanted (I can't even remember what he wanted). We gathered all his pacis and put them in a ziploc, and headed to Toys R Us. We searched that store up and down and of course, they didn't have the toy he wanted. He decided he only wanted to get rid of the pacis if he could have this one toy. Ugh! Then we realized that he was no longer carrying his little ziploc. Oops! We spent another 30 minutes combing the store for that bag of nasty, used pacis. We finally gave up, and after a few tears, he decided a light saber would be an adequate big boy toy. He would still cry for his pacis for awhile, and he actually ended up getting sick the day after we lost them. It was a tough few days, but I have been so glad to be rid of those things from our house. I definitely had a major love-hate relationship with them!

A quick Brynn update:
She is absolutely loving school! She has made lots of friends there, and she has a great teacher. I try not to get offended on the weekends when she talks about how much she misses school. I am so proud of her! She has always needed me to take her by the hand and basically hand deliver her to her teachers (at preschool, church, dance, etc), but she will now walk from the sidewalk where I drop her off and up the walkway to school. She has grown so much since she started school. She is learning to read, and can read and spell quite a bit. She loves to write little notes for us, and sound out the words she sees when we're driving in the car. She just made the 100 Club at school, which means she can count to 100 by herself. She also asks tons of questions, and won't settle for the answers until she understands each detail. I am already afraid of all the deep questions I know are in our near future. That girl will keep me on my toes!

I feel so blessed to have these 3 little ones in my life! There isn't a day that goes by that they don't make me laugh and smile with something they say or day. It is the funnest thing to get to experience the world all over again through a child's eyes. They are amazing little people!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-03T14:38:00.000-07:00

Each year, our church ward has a Halloween party followed by trunk-or-treating. It is so much fun, with booths, a spook alley, food, etc. It is usually a day or two before Halloween, so the kids always love getting an extra opportunity to dress up and eat candy. We got a few pictures of the kids in their costumes before we left for the party. Collin was excited to be a ninja, Eden was a fairy princess, and Brynn was a witch. They looked so cute!
The young men and young women in the ward are usually in charge of the booths at the Halloween party. Since I am a Beehive leader (the Beehives are the 12 and 13 year old girls), I got to help with the face painting booth. The girls actually did all the face painting themselves, and did a great job, so all I had to do was set up and do a little supervising. Brynn requested that one of the girls paint a rainbow on her cheek.

She loved it!

While I was helping out at the booths and watching our older two kids, Dave spent most of the night with this little fairy princess in his arms.
Collin ran into one of his nursery leaders from last year. She always talks about how cute she thinks Collin is, and I think he has a little crush on her.

Brynn had fun running around with her friend Ellie (who also happens to be in her kindergarten class too).

Most of Eden's costume was off within the 1st hour of the party, but she looked adorable anyway.

On the actual day of Halloween, we decided to let the kids dress up in their costumes (except for Eden, who sported her comfy jammies), and they got to pass out the candy. The kids already had plenty of candy from their school parties and the ward party/trunk-or-treat, so they didn't really care about staying home that night. In fact, they had an absolute blast handing out candy! They set up their little chairs on the porch and would run toward the sidewalk yelling, "Come get candy! Get your free candy!" It was hilarious! After they scared a few kids with their enthusiasm, we had to instate a rule that they had to stay on the porch and wait for the kids to come up to them. Here are Brynn and Collin in action:

As you probably noticed, we had to keep the gate up at the front door, because Little Miss Eden wanted to run down to the sidewalk with them. Maybe next year!

More Things He's Said...

2010-11-01T10:40:00.001-07:00

Collin is our little entertainer. He is always cracking us up, whether intentionally or not. Once he gets a laugh out of us, he will continue to do whatever it was that first elicited the laughs. Totally reminds me of Dave! Here are a few funny things he's said lately:

*Collin broke his light saber awhile ago when he tried to use it as a bridge. A few days ago, he got a sudden look of excitement and pride as he announced, "I know who can fix my light saber--Tom!!". Tom is Dave's handyman that has probably completed more of Dave's "honey-do" list than Dave has.

*To me when I was climbing onto the dryer to reach something on a shelf above: "Be careful up there! If daddy sees you up there, he will not like it!"

*Collin, in a voice of complete disgust: "Something smells poopy!"
Me, somewhat jokingly: "Did you poop?"
Collin (after a slight pause, a sudden look of realization, and a mischevious smile): "Yeah."

*"I'm thinking about...(insert any random thought)." Last night it was "I'm thinking about Incredible Hulk drinking my milk." Ok, buddy.

Halloween at Preschool

2010-10-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Collin's preschool class celebrated Halloween with a little trick or treating at the park. Collin decided to wear his knight costume from the previous year. He looked adorable! The kids walked down to the park from preschool and the moms were there to hand out candy to the class.

The moms are ready as the gang approaches...

I don't know that Collin totally got what was going on
but obviously he didn't mind when he realized there was candy involved!

October Misc

2010-10-29T13:16:00.000-07:00

The kids and I love to go for walks, and we especially love that we live near some neighborhoods with animals. The kids think its like going to the zoo (except that its free and the location is more convenient!). Collin was pretty brave to get that close to the horses...especially since he is only as tall as their legs.

They were calling this animal "the rock star chicken".

You can't have a walk without a walking stick!

Eden was able to forgo the walking stick in favor of the stroller.

Other random October pictures:

Prescott

2010-10-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Dave and I took the kids to Prescott for a quick vacation this past weekend. We love it there. It has a small town feel, but there is plenty to do. We spend alot of time outdoors while we are there, and of course there are a few trips down to the hotel's pool for the kids.

One of the days we were there, we went down to the court house, where they always seem to have something going on (arts and crafts fairs, dance performances, etc.). The kids loved running around in the grass, and Eden loved exploring a bit herself.

Brynn and Collin found a lady bug, and spent half an hour playing with it. They were sad when it was time to leave, and they had to say good bye to their temporary pet.

The sadness didn't last too long though, when they realized they were going to get to go swimming back at the hotel. They did an impromptu dance to celebrate their excitement.

On our last night there, the kids snuggled up on the mattress on the floor and enjoyed a bit of Elmo before heading off to bed.

Right Now...

2010-10-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

I'm trying not to laugh as Collin runs in circles and does a little dance until his shorts fall to his ankles and then he falls to the floor in hysterics. This has been going on for the past 10 minutes. Poor kid is so skinny that his shorts/pants either fit him in the waist and are too short, or they fit in the length but fall off of him frequently. Why not use a belt then? Two words: potty training.

I'm also watching Eden practicing her newly acquired skill of standing on her own and taking a few steps. She's our 3rd child, but I still get as excited to watch her learn and hit each milestone as I did with our other 2 kids.

OK, now Collin just decided he wants to go outside and started pushing my stomach while telling me so. He paused long enough to tell me "Mom, your belly is pushy." Gee thanks. At least my pants don't randomly fall off of me. Good thing he also told me this morning that I look beautiful in the shirt I'm wearing. Yes, he is usually sweet.

So much for "quiet time".

Curious

2010-10-03T15:13:00.000-07:00

Are you curious what that big green thing is? It's Eden's cloth diaper bum sticking out from the cabinet, of course! She has been getting more and more adventurous, and more and more curious. When I walked in the family to find her like this, I just had to get a picture.

Zzzzz...

2010-09-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

This month has gone by with someone in our house being sick almost every day. Not fun at all, but I think we are most grateful for our health after we have spent a little while being sick. Any way, we've all been trying to get some extra naps in lately. And since there is nothing cuter than a sleeping baby/kid...

Poor Collin got hives all over his face recently. We still aren't sure what caused them, but the doctor wasn't too worried.

The Checklist

2010-09-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Every morning, Brynn has to complete her "checklist" before going to school. After handwriting/drawing the list out every morning, I finally put together a framed checklist for her that she can keep in her room and check off each day with a dry erase marker.