Smashed Together Cookies!

The kids love to help me bake, cookies especially. Their favorite cookies to help make are homemade oreos, or as they call them "smashed together cookies". They get that name because you "smash" two cookies together with frosting in the middle. They love to be involved in the shaping of the cookie dough.

Ellie hard at work on her cookies.

Not exactly round balls.

McKay after I had instructed them that they needed to be round. He interpreted that as round, and flat.

McKay's handy work.

Ellie's attempt at round.

Finally, after I thought they had man handled the dough enough, mom stepped in.

There Are No Words!!

What can I say about how much I love this little girl?

She has the sweetest most angelic face paired with wide open big baby blues. I got the cutest one.

Just tonight in the car she was sooo tired and could not fall asleep, probably because she has a perfect view of the zoo in the back seat, so the two monkeys and I were singing her songs to keep her happy until we got home. Within 5 minutes she went from full out crying, to silently watching the show, to giggling at her siblings singing who-knows-what made up song.

Some of her "looks"

"There is something on the floor here that I'm really excited about."

"Mom, I'm not sure about this anymore. Can we be done? "

Girls Trip

Rosie, Me, Jen, Christie, Shannon, Tina

Photographer: Susanna

Home sick on her couch: Breanna

In September I met up with 6 of my 7 high school friends in Vegas for an all girls weekend. We had such a wonderful time. Three days of eating, shopping, movies, talking, laughing, laughing, and laughing. It's amazing how the years just melt away when we all get together. I love all you girls.

Hope Community Fair

A local church, Hope Community, threw a free neighborhood fair at our local park. They sent home a flier from school that pictured bounce houses, so of course the kids wanted to go.

Waiting their turn.

Clara enjoyed the view from her stroller.

I was very impressed with McKay's climbing ability.

Ellie after her turn down the slide.

Their favorite was an inflatable obstacle course. They waited in line 5 times for that one.

Ellie's First Day of School

As promised, I'm trying to get caught up on my blogging. These are from Ellie's first day of preschool back in September. She was so excited to start. She is still loving school and asks me every morning if she gets to go to school today. She impresses me everyday with what she has learned. So far they have covered letters A, B, C, & F. She loves pointing out the letters she has learned, in addition to the letters in her name, on billboards, in books, and all around. She has made some new friends and loves her teacher Mrs. Turner. We look forward to a successful year of learning.

New Posts to Come

To all my devoted readers out there, all 4 of you, I will soon get back to posting on a regular basis. Our computer that our pictures are stored on is a dinosaur and has been acting up and taking too long to do anything. Good news though! We are getting a new computer today. I am anxious to transfer all our pictures and get everyone up to speed on our lives. I haven't even posted Ellie's first day of school and she started the first of September. You will have more to look at soon.

Tagged

A- Attached or single: Attached

B- Best Friend: Ryan

C-Cake or Pie: Cake

D- Day of choice: A day spent with Ryan and the kids and then date night

E- Essential Item: food, hair elastic, baby wipes

F- Favorite Color: green, blue, golden yellow

G- Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears

H- Hometown: Provo, Utah

I- Indulgence(s): TV, shopping, good food

J- January or July: July

K-Kids: 3, two girls and a boy

L-Life is Incomplete without: family

M- Marriage Date: June 29. 2000

N- Number of Siblings: 4 sisters, 2 brothers

O- Oranges or Apples: Apples

P- Phobias or Fears: spiders and bugs

Q- Quote(s): You do what you know, and when you know better, you do better. Dr. Phil

R- Reason To Smile: kids, husband, family, friends, food

S- Season: spring and fall

T- Tag Three : I have no one to tag

U- Unknown Fact About Me: I don't know? I am not a woman of mystery.

V- Vegetarian or Oppressor of Animal: I love meat!

W- Worst Habit: picking my cuticles

X- X-Rays or Ultrasounds: ultrasounds

Y- Your Favorite Food: Mexican, Italian, Dessert

Z- Zodiac: Aquarius

Clara 7 Months

I know I'm late, considering that she will be 8 months in two weeks, but better late than never.

7 month stats

Length: 25 1/2 inches = 25%

Weight: 14 lbs 6 oz = 10%

Head Circumference: 42 cm = 25%

When we were thinking of names for Clara we had a few in mind that just didn't sit right. In my mind they were not refined and feminine enough for what I was feeling like her personality would be. Now I need to add dainty to that list.

She is such a pleasant baby. Most of the time she is content just to sit and be entertained by her two older siblings.

This is Clara at 7 1/2 months.
Who do you think she looks like?

Ellie at 7 1/2 months . . .

or McKay at 7 1/2 months?

French Braids

Ellie with her first set of french braids.

Now most of you are probably thinking "What's the big deal?" It's a big deal for me because I barely ever got french braids as a girl.

My mom tried but she never really got the hang of it. If I wanted braids I had to wake up 45 minutes early . . . so I learned how to do it to myself in like 3rd grade. I never mastered the "around the world" braid on myself that I so often admired on my friend Rosie.
So here is to many years of french braids whenever my girl wants them. And thanks to you mom for making me learn how.

McKay and Clara

I have a feeling these two are going to be great friends.

McKay already has the uncanny ablity to make Clara laugh more than anyone else. Everyday he just can't wait till we get home from school and wash his hands so he can play with his sister.

Happy Birthday Lindsay ...

the self proclaimed favorite Aunt. I couldn't ask for a better sister, or friend. Not just anyone can make up such awesome dance routines to Chicago. Love you sister!

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Grandpa Jeff & Grandma Sherrie! Your secret is safe with us. We won't tell how old you are.

Kindergarten Update

I said before that McKay had gotten off to a rough start in Kindergarten. Citation in the first week is not great. I am happy to report that he finished off the second week with 3 Green slips in a row. Now more than half the way to 5 greens = a toy. In the words of McKay "3 greens in a row, I can't believe it!"

Apples and Bananas

Mmmmm, Cantaloupe! Ellie is my fruit lover. She gets excited for Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Strawberries, Grapes, Apples, Bananas, all of them. I just wish she would rub off on her brother.

Big Boy Bike

We have had this bike for a year and a half, but it has seen very limited action. Now that McKay is finally riding it, it is almost to small already. Well thanks to Dad we have adjusted the seat and it should last at least till next summer. Ryan and McKay took a father son trip to the park with McKay riding his bike. I had done it a few days prior with him but I thought it would be great for the boys to have some bonding time, plus it let the three girls take a nap.


McKay has been resistant to ride his big bike. He was very comfortable and confident on his "noisy bike". I have pretty much outlawed the tricycle and he is adjusting very well.



He felt a lot more confident after he mastered the brakes. Now going down the small hills on the sidewalks are no problem.

GOOD JOB MCKAY!!

DISNEYLAND

I am so excited!! We are going to Disneyland! We are not going until November 4 when McKay is on break from school, but I can't wait. The kids are very excited too. They keep asking me if we still have our tickets. This will be our first family vacation just us. Ryan and I have gone on trips. We have taken the kids to Utah and Lake Powell with family. But this is our first trip as a family just us. I guess this make us official. CAL-I-FORN-I-A here we come!

First Day of Kindergarten

Ready for his first day of Kindergarten. To make a day of it we went to the new local McDonald's, with indoor playground, for lunch to celebrate. Then headed to school. He has been so excited to start at his "new school". Well the day finally came and every night he asks me if he gets to go back. I think he likes it.

McKay has had a little bit of a rough start. Each day his teacher, Mrs. Kirch, gives out colored slips based on their behavior for the day. If you ask my kids: Green = Happy, Yellow = Time Out or Little Trouble, Red= Big Trouble. So far he is Green:2 Yellow:3 Red:1. I know he'll get the hang of it eventually.

Showing off his new Spiderman notebook. His teacher thinks it is important that the kids work on grownup things. So he got to pick out his own lined paper notebook. Ellie had to get one as well . . . of course.

Ellie was feeling left out of the photo session. So we snapped one of her. This is Ellie on McKay's first day of Kindergarten.

McKay and Ellie playing on the Kindergarten playground.

In front of his classroom door.

At 12:35, 5 minutes till class, Mrs. Kirch opens the door and all the students line up.


Enjoy your first day McKay! You have quite a few more years of school to go.

Tutus & Turtles

My sister-in-law and I started a new blog. We just started it as a way to keep track of all the things that we love, or are on our wish list. Check it out! Let us know what you think, and by all means email us anything you think should be included.

6 months

How can you resist that face?

I love her eyes and her staight across smile.

Happy 6 month birthday baby!

Magic Saucer

I thought it was about time that we pulled out the saucer for Clara. This is one of the only items that has been used for all three kids. It was quite dusty from being stored in the garage for 3 years so I enlisted the kids to help clean.


It worked well at first until they started having too much fun and pouring sand in the bottom. I had to reclean it.


Ellie hard at work making sure everything gets clean.

Clara now has a newly clean saucer to play in. She enjoys it for a few minutes at a time, and I like that she is up off the ground where she won't get trampled. Hopefully it will grow on her.