Happy 3rd Birthday, Josh!

Postdated from December 2012


Our car was dead, Adam had a football game, and Mike had to work until 7.  BUT... my sister was awesome and helped, and we managed to squeeze in a little birthday celebrating with my favorite 3-year-old.

He chose all of his favorite foods to eat: pancakes for breakfast, mac 'n cheese for lunch, and pizza for dinner. When I asked what he wanted to do that day, he said, "play at the park."  Adam's football games are played at parks, so after the game we stayed for awhile and played.

After Mike got home and we ate dinner, he opened gifts: a Thomas jacket, a Thomas the Train set, Thomas the Train plate and other fun Thomas stuff, and some cards and money.  He LOVED all of his gifts!

He wanted a Thomas the Train cake (sensing a theme here?).  I had wanted to make an actual Thomas, using a loaf pan, but opted for doing a scene with one of his toys... because, well, it was easier.

Josh loved it!

We had a fun day celebrating with our birthday boy!

Oh... this boy is as strong-will as he is sweet; as big of a mess maker as he is a big helper; he loves playing dolls with Grace as much as he loves playing Beyblades with Adam.

He is athletic, kind, crazy, smart, loving, daring, sweet, stubborn, and fun.

We love him so much!

November Randomness

Postdated from November 2012

Poor baby got super sick.  High fevers, bad cough.

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I voted!  I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't been a registered voter since moving to Nevada (5 years ago).  I'm even more ashamed to admit, that this is because I didn't want to do jury duty (and have to figure out rides/childcare for the kiddos).  I know, I know.  But, I buckled up and registered and voted.

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I took the kids to Toys 'R Us for the first time in their lives.  We spent hours there looking and playing.  They all declared it the best day ever.

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We went and checked out the fall display at the Bellagio.  We are making a big effort to avoid The Strip, as the kiddos get older, but we've worked out a way to get to the Bellagio with minimal Strip driving (because we adore the observatory and fountains).  The fall display didn't disappoint: huge pumpkins, a talking tree, and chrysanthemums.

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Mike had a (rare) Saturday off and we surprised the kids with Burger King + the play area time after Adam's football game.

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Grace's photo of the return of Cuties (clementine oranges).  These guys can't get enough of them!

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These two don't find Adam's football games to be very entertaining... so they make due with entertaining themselves.

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My bookworms' favorite part of a Sam's Club trip is not the samples, but the book section.  They beg to go there each time.

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More football.  I can't get enough of this guy playing a team sport and loving it.

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Good report cards = FREE Krispy Kremes.  We are so lucky Adam and Grace always share.

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Love him!

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Adam is his den's "Denner" and leads the boys in flag ceremony at Cub Scouts each week.

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It's a small troop, but these guys collected lots of hats, scarves, and blankets for the homeless.  They packaged them up for the stake drive.

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More football practice.

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This cutie made an adorable thankful turkey.  She was so proud that it was hanging on the hallway bulletin board for all to see.

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Reading at football practice.  She is not liking 3rd grade reading level books, so we've been reading together a lot.

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Our car died.  Of course it was on an extremely rare date with Mike.  But, man alive, am I thankful for our car insurance roadside service. 

My Seee-ster Visited Us!

Postdated from November 2012

Kayty came to visit us for over a week!

We loved, loved, LOVED it.

She helped me sooo much AND I got someone to watch girly shows and talk with... too fun!

(Also, she didn't make me watch Star Wars this time... an added bonus).

;)

She is so fun and we are always sad when it's time for her to leave.

Stockings... Finally!

Postdated from November 2012


I have always wanted to make stockings for our family, but never really found a pattern/fabric I was in love with... so we used cheesy red stockings that we got clearance-d from Target years and years ago.

Three years ago, I sewed this quilt top:

It wasn't big enough to do anything with, though, so I left it in my sewing basket.

As I was getting out the Christmas decorations, and looking at our cheesy stockings, I remembered the quilt top and decided to turn it into stockings:

I LOVE how they turned out!  They make me smile whenever I see them.

I am planning on embroidering our names on them this summer, and then they will officially be done.

Thanksgiving 2012

Postdated November 2012


We had planned on going to Phoenix for Thanksgiving this year, and we were super looking forward to it, but it didn't end up working out with Mike's work schedule (boo!).

We missed being with family, but had a lot of fun carrying on our own little family's Thanksgiving traditions.

We began the day with a turkey trot:

Josh was really sick, and someone put my running shoes in a bucket of water outside (aren't kids fun?), so Mike, Adam, and Grace went, which Josh and I stayed home and cuddled.

When they got home, we got cooking.

The kids all chose and helped make a side dish (Adam-sweet potatoes, Grace-Grammy's cranberry salad, Josh-green beans).  They LOVED that!

While dinner was cooking, we played our football game.  Adam and I won!

(It's nice to have a pro on my team).

;)

Finally... at 7:00 that night... because I didn't plan well with the baking schedule... we ate Thankgiving dinner.

It was soooo yummy!

I'm thankful for a month to focus on what we are grateful for, and all our blessings.

And I'm most especially thankful for this sweet family of mine.

Halloween 2012

Postdated October 2012


I have always, always wanted to do a family Halloween costume thing (like all the cute families do) but could never get everyone on board.

But... I did this year!

We all agreed on a Peter Pan theme: Adam-Captain Hook, Josh-Peter Pan; Grace-Tinkerbell; Mike and I-pirates.

I LOVE making the Halloween costumes every year.  It is sooo much fun, and we save money, too.

They are all completely thrifted or made:

After a busy day of Halloween parties and parades at school, we came home, did a photo shoot, went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, and then went to our ward's trunk-or-treat.

We had such a fun Halloween!

I'm always a little sad to see it over, but the stolen Reese's from kiddos candy loot, usually make up for it.

;)

October Randomness

Postdated from October 2012

Our little 'check engine' light that has given me one big headache.  We barely got it to go off (and passed emissions... yay!), and then it turned on again.  Ugh!

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Josh went from drawing scribbles and circles to his first 2 "real" drawings: a spider (on top) and me (on bottom).  Apparently, I'm balding.  Love first sweet little pictures!

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Our Saturdays have been spent doing football games, but one weekend the game was cancelled.  We enjoyed a picnic and a cool, sunny day at our most favorite park.

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Reindeer antler hat.  That sang and danced.

He cracks me up.  

And the kiddos about died laughing seeing Mr. Super Serious Dad being silly.

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My kiddos ALWAYS pick a flower (or weed or stick) for me whenever they see one.  They always say, "I have something for you for Mother's Day" and then give it to me.  I adore it (and them).

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I love, love, LOVE our new house... and I think my most favorite thing is my "real" mantle.  I have so loved getting to decorate it each month.

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Silly boy, taken by Grace.

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He made this sweet puppet in nursery, and told us the story about the First Vision with it.  It was so sweet!

A Month of Halloween Fun!

Postdated from October 2012

Ooohhh... I LOVE Halloween! 

I can't quite figure out why... it's not because I like scary stuff. 

(Seriously... at one point I wanted to be an FBI agent who hunts down serial killers. I would've lasted about 1.3 seconds in that field, I'm such a chicken). 

But, man, I have always adored Halloween. It's just such a fun holiday.  We had a ton of fun this month getting ready and celebrating the spooky holiday. I didn't get a picture of everything, but we had a month of spookalicious fun and got through EVERYTHING on our countdown!

We: 

Boo-ed some friends with treats

Made homemade Halloween costumes

Played "Trick or Treat"

Played "Don't Eat Frank" (with a makeshift game card, because ours was temporarily lost)

Painted mini pumpkins

Went to a Halloween party

Played "Mummy Wrap"

Went to the haunted house/carnival at the library (our library ROCKS)

Made mummy mini pizzas

Played a spider game

Ate "Dinner-in-a-Pumpkin" (yeah, I've only pinned 22 ways to clean my baking sheets... goodness knows I've yet to try them, though)

Went to the school Halloween carnival

Played "Pin-the-Face-on-the-Pumpkin"

Bought pumpkins (I probably should be pulling the youngest punk off the pumpkins rather than taking pictures, I know)

Decorated cupcakes (I always chicken out of making sugar cookies)

Delivered MORE goodies after we got BOO-ed

Carved pumpkins (1 for boys, 1 for girls, and Adam's pumpkin he made at school for a math project)

Made haunted houses

Decorated our windows with spooky orange lights

Went to a Halloween story time

Ate a special Halloween-themed dinner (Goblin Eye Meatballs with Blood Sauce and Green Worms, Bone Breadsticks, and Crunchy Witches Salad with Potion for Dressing)

Went to the Halloween parade at the kids' school

Made "floating" ghosts

Hung ghosts from our tree out front

Made milk jug ghosts

I LOVE Halloween and celebrating ALL month with my kiddos is the best!