Halloween

This year, our first Halloween activity was our ward party. Brad had class, of course, but the kids and I enjoyed it. We actually had a good missionary opportunity in that we were able to invite our neighbors who aren't members of our faith. They met many great people and I think they had a good time. Hopefully it will open the door for gospel discussions. At the party we had soup and salad and the young men and women had tons of games for the kids. Unfortunately my battery was dead on my camera so I didn't get any photos.

The next Halloween festivity was inviting Brad's family up for Sunday dinner a week ago. All of the kids dressed in their costumes for a photo. Aren't they cute?

Isaac (Ron), Isabelle (Hermione), Will (Hedwig the Owl), Adam, (Harry Potter), Jason (Kangaroo), Kade (Vampire), Parker (Policeman) and Liesel (Tinkerbell)

Last Thursday I was the "Room Mom" in charge of Parker's kindergarten Halloween party. Five moms came to help do games, a story, a treat and a craft. It was really fun to help out and I look forward to more class parties. Jason and Liesel came and enjoyed it too.

This morning, on Halloween, we went to Parker's Halloween parade at school. Jason woke up and decided he wanted to wear his dragon costume from last year. It was a little snug, but it worked out. Poor little Liesel has a little bit of a cold, but she's a trooper and liked watching all the kids in their costumes.

Here is Parker with one of his good friends, Jack. Jason and Jonathan are buddies in nursery too.

I hadn't dressed up for anything prior to Halloween, but wore scrubs to the school parade. I decided last minute that I wanted to dress up for Brad's work party. This is what I came up with. The Progressive Insurance commercials are pretty annoying, but everyone recognized me, ha, ha!

This photo was taken right outside Brad's office door. As you can see, Jason wanted to change costumes again and wore the train conductor costume.

Brad's company invites the families to come every Halloween for a party. They had games for the kids and "trick-or-treating" around the office. Then we enjoyed chili, soups and bread for lunch.

After dinner we headed out trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. Jason changed his mind yet again and wore the kangaroo outfit.

We always go to The Cottages, which is the subdivision around the corner. There are mostly older residents who love to see all the kids in their costumes. Of course our kids have loads of candy now. Jason was so funny; At every house that let him grab his own piece, he would carefully examine all the options and then pick his favorite. What a silly indecisive kid, ha, ha!

Happy Halloween!

Jason's First Dentist Trip

For some reason my kids LOVE going to the dentist! Okay, I know why, it's the prize! Both the boys had an appointment last week. It was Jason's first time.

He was pretty good getting X-rays. It took a few tries, but they actually got 1 1/2 developed. Apparently that's much better than they've ever gotten from a two year old. I'm glad that Jas is so good for doctors, since he's such a wild man for me, ha, ha!

Both boys are cavity-free and now have popper prizes!

Crazy Hard Working

I just want to give a shout out to my unbelievably hard working husband. He went into work today at 6:30 AM and still hasn't left...and it's 9:30 at night. That's after going to bed at one AM last night. He spent nearly all day Saturday doing homework. Sundays he always has meetings from 7 AM - 4 PM (luckily he had a reprieve after that to hang out with family and rest). Monday he worked all day, came home for dinner and a quick family night and then had to study all night until about 1:30 AM. On Tuesdays and Wednesday he has to leave work at ten-to-five to get to his MBA classes. After which, he had more homework. Because of his classes, his bishopric meetings have been temporarily moved to Thursdays. He worked until 7:30 yesterday, came home for ten minutes to grab a quick dinner and headed off to his meetings. He got home at eleven, We read our scriptures and then he had to post discussions and do other homework so he could get into bed by one. Tomorrow is Saturday, but he won't get a day off. He has so much to do at work, that he'll surely have to go in for a few hours. He has several hours worth of homework and it's Stake Conference weekend, so he has Priesthood Leadership meeting in the afternoon and we'll go to the adult session in the evening. I'm glad that is sure to be uplifting, because Brad really needs a break. We'll have Stake Conference in the morning and then he'll finally get the rest of Sunday the day off to take a nap and finally get to see his kids.

Brad graduates with his MBA six weeks from today. Can you guess why we're counting down?

Fall Family Portraits

We were lucky enough to have my amazing photographer sister-in-law Jackie take fall family portraits for us. Normally we only get family portraits taken every other year, but I've been really fortunate to have more chances lately. Jackie took some fantastic shots at Bear Lake in August. I have been hoping for one with the fall leaves, so we took some more this month.

I really want to make a large print for the living room, but I haven't decided which one I like best. Please let me know your thoughts!

Photo A

Photo B

Photo C

Photo D

We had tried to take some earlier in the month. They turned out okay, but the kids were not cooperative and the backgrounds are only mediocre...in other words, not what I want to blow up huge and leave on my wall for a few years.

Thanks to my family (especially Brad) and Jackie, we took the much better ones above. We took them at the Temple Quarry Nature Trail at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon. It is a little quarter-mile paved trail that has absolutely gorgeous leaves now. It's free and a great way to appreciate the fall colors.

Please let me know which photo you like best!

Liesel's Ingenuity

Liesel has been taking a lot more interest in walking the past week. Yesterday I put in her crib for a minute so I could help the boys and came back to find her practicing. She made up the idea herself of walking back and forth across her crib. She's such a funny girl!

I'm calling "Je-juh" (Jesus) her official first word. She has been saying it for about a month now, every time we pass by a picture of Jesus (even ones unfamiliar to her). She chats and giggles all the time, but never says anything else very distinguishable. She'll repeat "Dadda" and occasionally "Momma", but she won't ever say it referring to us. Parker took this video and it is very shaky, but at least it captures her little voice.

I've got to admit, I love the idea of her first word being Jesus!

Crazy Hair Day

This week is Red Ribbon Week at Parker's school to teach the kids about being drug-free. Monday was "crazy hair day".

Parker's hair is rather short to fix in a crazy way, so we dyed it blue.

Of course Jason wanted in on that, so I promised him that after his nap I would dye his hair too.

That afternoon we went to down the street to the park.

Liesel enjoyed throwing wood chips on the slide...until she started eating them and I had to stop her fun, ha, ha!

My crazy kids!

Here are the boys walking home holding hands; so cute!

Code Adam

Do any of you know how much frantic worry and embarrassment parents feel when they have to go to customer service at Wal-Mart and ask them to announce your missing child? Well, unfortunately I do.

I should know by now, through MANY bad experiences, that I should never take Jason to Wal-Mart during his nap time. It seems I had not learned and decided to make a trip while Parker was at school. Well, I couldn't find a cart that buckled in both Liesel and Jason and since I was just picking up a few things I figured I could brave not having Jason strapped in. He was actually really good and sat in the back of the cart for almost the whole time. The last thing on my list was bananas. He wanted to climb out and walk. I told him to hold on to the side of the cart while we walked, which he did. He helped me choose a bunch of bananas and then he started running toward the check out. I called to him and followed him with my eyes to see where he was going. He ran through some of the check out stands and over to the drinking fountains by customer service. I hurried over there, but couldn't see him anywhere. I walked back and forth a minute scanning the store. It had only been a minute or two, but I was starting to worry that he had run outside into the parking lot. I still couldn't see any trace of him, so I walked over to customer service. I described my little runaway and heard her announce over the loud speaker, "We have a Code Adam. It is a little 2 1/2 year old boy in a lime green shirt and navy shorts." Less than 30 seconds later, an employee brought him over and said that he had been in the men's bathroom. I am so grateful he was found so quickly! I hugged him tightly and didn't let him out of my arms as I checked out and walked out to the car. I tried to help him understand how worried I had been and that he should never run away from me again. (Sigh)...if only he listens.

Beautiful

There is something so beautiful about the creation of a new family. I love weddings! Brad and I have had three gorgeous cousins get married in the last month and a half. Marriage is such a happy event; two people who have chosen to share their lives and dreams together.

Lauren and James were married the beginning of September. It was beautiful and we are so happy for them!

My cousin Ann Marie got married to Joseph two weeks later.

I really wish a I had a better photo of them on their wedding day. Here they are at the Bountiful Temple. I am so grateful that we were able to be there to witness the joyful occasion!

Katie and TJ are so beautiful they should be models, don't you think?

Here they are leaving the Salt Lake Temple radiating the happiness they feel after being sealed together.

As I mentioned, I love weddings. I love seeing the happy couple and feeling the excitement of beginning their lives together. I love remembering my own lovely wedding. One thing that stings at civil ceremonies, however, is the dreaded "until death do you part". What if something happens and one of them dies in the next month? ...If they could live another century or even two, it is still tragic to imagine the end of something so beautiful as a happy marriage.

I am so grateful that Heavenly Father loves us enough to allow us to be together forever. Inside His holy temples, we can be sealed together for eternity. God loves all His children and wishes that blessing for all of us. All who are prepared can enter the temple and make covenants with Him. We really can be together forever! What a comforting and beautiful doctrine!

THE BEST EVER!...Seriously, THE BEST!

I have the most wonderful friends and family on the planet! I am truly convinced of this fact. For my birthday this weekend, Brad gave me the best gift ever! He gathered up fun memories and kind comments from many people I have known throughout my life. I LOVE IT! He presented me with it today and I spent the last hour smiling, laughing and nearly crying as I read it.

I am so glad I don't have to wait until my funeral to hear how great I am, ha, ha! Seriously, it was so amazing to read about the influence I have had on others and the shared memories that have stood out to my loved ones.

Something my mother said rings very true. In talking about me, she said, "Friends were precious to her; she would collect them and keep them forever." Friends are very precious indeed. I am not as outgoing as I'd like to be, but I LOVE being around friends and family. I cherish it! I feel so very blessed to have had, and to continue to have such amazing people in my life. I really hope to hold on to those relationships forever. Thank you for all of your love and support!

Now I'm excited to smile, laugh and nearly cry as I read all your nice comments again!

Baby Brandon

As I mentioned in an earlier post, my sister Julie had her fourth child on October 10th. She lives in Las Vegas and I'm disappointed that I haven't been able to meet this handsome little guy yet. I thought I'd post some photos so we can appreciate some of my cute nieces and nephews.

Heidi, Alison, Dylan and Brandon

What a happy family of six!

Mischievous!

Today at church our high councilman, Brother Craig, gave a wonderful talk about the blessings and challenges of children. The first part of the meeting the kids had been pretty good. Liesel looked through my Gospel Principles manual and pointed to all the pictures of Jesus and then was content to run back and forth on the bench. The boys played (mostly quietly) with the lacing cards and then these awesome cards. So Brother Craig started talking about his 2 year old twin grand daughters. One is well-behaved and the other, well, he's trying to teach her the word "mischievous". He and his wife took them to the zoo. The curious one fell into the monkey enclosure.
As I'm listening I am thinking I have a mischievous child too. I look over at Jason and to my horror I see that he has taken the dry erase pen from said great cards and colored on the chapel walls. It was several lines from the base of the wall clear up as high as he could reach. That means it was clearly visible to all the people around us...and Brad up on the stand. We were mortified! I slid over from my post near the aisle (where I can best keep Jason from escaping) and tried my best to scrub it discreetly with a wipe. It was hardly making a difference. Right then Liesel fell off the bench and started screaming. I picked her up and before I could grab Jason he ran up on the stand to sit with Dad. After she calmed down we came back in, but only to the usual not-so-calmness of my wild kids in sacrament meeting. Brad offered to clean it up during Sunday School. He was able to get most of it, but I'll have to go this week with better supplies and finish the job.
Todays trial is quite small in the grand scheme of things (although still rather embarrassing). I just want us all to be able to laugh at it and hopefully I can learn from it. Oh how I love my sweet children! I am so grateful for the trust that Heavenly Father has in me and Brad to raise them. The challenges help me develop patience, compassion, hard work and other Christlike attributes that I may not learn as well otherwise. Of course like most of you, I don't seek out challenges and avoid them when possible. I only pray that I can overcome my trials with faith and grow closer to God.

Joyful Chaos

I want to remember all of the funny things we do, especially things we do on nearly a daily basis. "Rides" is definitely one of those things. They started out as simple airplane rides flying them around in my arms and have developed into a dozen or more different rides. Some of them I thought up, but many Parker and Jason have invented.

1- "Airplane": I walk around holding them horizontally in my arms or I lie on my back and they ride on my feet.

2- "Blast off": This is a ride I made up while teaching school. The kids squat down and whisper counting down from ten to one and then jump up as high as they can whispering, "blast off!" Now, the whispering thing was because I had 27 students in a school classroom, so at home, we can yell. Also, when they jump up, I'll pick them up in the air and fly them around or to their bed. (It has the bonus that my kids can count back from 10 at two years old.)

3- "Parachute": Parker recently invented this one. When I am flying them around after blast off or airplane, then I turn them feet down and slowly sway them to the ground.

4- "One for the Money": This is very similar to the childhood version I played, except that I hold them in my arms like I would rock a baby, except I swing them with vigor and occasionally stop to tickle them or kiss their cheeks. When it's "four to go", I throw or set them on the bed.

5-"Bouncy Car": I lay on my back and fold up my legs so my knees are by my chest. They climb on my calves and hold my hands while I bounce them around.

6- "Rhino": Jason invented this one. I crawl around slowly on all fours with Parker and Jason on my back.

7- "Dump Truck": Jason made this one up too. I crawl around while he is laying on his stomach on my back. I keep looking for a place to "dump my dirt". Then I get up on my knees and he, aka "my dirt", slides off onto the floor.

8- "Mommy Mountain": The boys hold onto my hands and climb up my legs and stomach and then flip around backwards to their feet.

Some of the "rides" are really more like games. The following are in that category:

9- "Tickle Trap": Brad started this one. The parent stays in one spot on the floor or couch. The kids run close and get tickle-tortured until they escape. Sometimes they'll include that if they touch our knee, then we have to freeze for ten seconds.

10- "Gingerbread Man": Parker invented this variation to Tickle Trap. He and Jason say, "Run, run as fast as you can; You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" and then I chase them around the room. When I catch them, I tickle them and try to eat them up for a minute before releasing them to run away again.

11- "Trip, Trap": Jason invented this game based on the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Basically, you act out the story. The kids are the goats and I am the troll...except that he keeps changing it. Sometimes he wants to be the troll, or to change the story or change how he's walking or other things. He changes it in the middle of the game...Yes, it's total chaos, but it's fun anyway. Last Sunday I asked Brad to video us and this is what happened:

Like I mentioned, I want to remember all of the crazy fun times we have!

Happy Surprise!

My sister Julie welcomed my seventh nephew into the world yesterday! He wasn't due until November 4, but her water broke early Monday morning and he was born that morning. He was 3 1/2 weeks early, but still weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces. Isn't little Brandon a handsome little guy?

My parents and brother Ben drove down to Vegas when they heard the news. I can't wait until I can hold this cutie too.

Here is a closer look. His older siblings Heidi, Alison and Dylan are thrilled...as we all are. Congratulations, Jules!

I need to rush to Vegas!

Parker: My Super Reader

Parker is a crazy good reader! He has just been getting better and better. He can read almost anything now, although words that are three or more syllables slow him down a bit. Here is an excerpt of him reading a Curious George book.

I can't believe how grown-up Parker is in general. Even the small things he does without help, like make his own buttered toast, remind me that me little boy isn't so little anymore. It's a little bitter-sweet, but mostly I am just so excited for him and all of the fun things his future holds!

No David Dear, You Need To ...

Jason "reading" Brown Bear, Brown Bear was so cute, I decided to try another book. Here is his rendition of No David! by David Shannon:

I love that instead of just saying "No David!", he tells David what he's doing wrong and gives him recommendations on how to fix it in his cute little voice.

Parker's Creations

Parker's wonderful kindergarten teacher sent the kids home with a packet of math manipulatives to practice with each day. Parker really enjoys it. After doing his assignments, he will play with them for a while. Here is his giant pattern block creation.

A few weeks ago Parker entered the wonderful phase of loving Legos. Both Brad and I loved them as a kid. We've had Megablocks, Duplos and Kid K'nex for a while, but he just bought his first set of real Legos. Here he is putting together his Ninjago for the first time:

It's a little long, but I wanted to document how much he loves figuring things out. He is very good at following instructions and enjoys the challenge!

Technology

Today at church I had a reminder of how technologically savvy the upcoming generation is. I was in Primary listening to a sharing time lesson prayer. The teacher asked how we could communicate with our earthly parents if they were far away. Right away a four year old said, "Skype!", a three-year old said, "text" and then phone and mail were mentioned. Yes, the children of today are impressive when it comes to picking up technology. Parker got this Zippity for his birthday. We only have the games it came with, but the boys like playing it.

I only let the kids play video games a couple of times a week, but they both really enjoy it.

The other day we were watching Tangled. Liesel kept standing up by the t.v. so she could watch. Every time a song came on, she started bouncing and dancing along. Too cute!