January 2014

I've had a ton of pictures on my camera from our trip to San Diego in January. Of course when I go to upload them last week Picasa and Blogger aren't interfacing and playing nice together.  So I put it off and tonight tried again. I had to do it the old way (which is slower) so I just stopped with these handful of pictures.

 

I've got a lot to catch up on and fill in the gaps since January! The hubs has a new job, my peanut is going to be 2 come April, I'm homeschooling Grace and thinking about getting Aaron in Tball or Soccer. Of course we are typically busy but I need to find time to update regularly. One thing I am thinking is switching to a new blog address. Stay tuned, I'll be riiiight back!

Happy 5th Birthday Grace!

Grace turned 5 years old yesterday and she was so excited! K had gotten her a calendar from Chik-Fil-A a few weeks ago as a little gift while he was traveling. She has been into the date and days and month and thought she would enjoy her own calendar to write on and cross off days. Which of course she loves! And it seems like ever since last year when she turned 4 she has been really excited to turn 5 and now she is.  She requested a chocolate cake with strawberry frosting. We tried our best to make it strawberry-ish but they didn't have that in a can and so we added some imitation strawberry flavoring. It was alright, a mix between vanilla and strawberry but definitely pink. She got to help bake it and decorate it, which she was thrilled about it.

We got her new purple sparkly shoes, which she opened in the morning so she could wear out that day.

 Later that night opening her other presents. We also got her a princess canopy for over her bed, in pink of course.

 Grandma came over for dinner and cake. Grace colored that whole purse on one side purple, naturally.

 Reading her card from Memaw and Pepaw. She can read so good!!

 Daddy and our big girl with her Jessie Doll.

 My sweet birthday girl, we tried to convince you not to turn 4, but you kept telling us to ask God. We know He has big plans for you and your loving heart.

 The princess canopy all hung up over your bed to sleep in. What 5 year old doesn't want a special princess secret hiding place?

 We love you Grace, you light up our lives with your generous spirit, your so kind, loving and obedient. You look out for your brother and sister and are their best friends. Your eager to help and learn. I love how you like to learn silly songs and listen to the Frozen soundtrack over and over. I'm so proud of the sweet girl your growing up to be, your such a good example.

Happy Birthday Grace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our busy Life

Isn't it a shame that life is so busy most times. When were younger it can't go by fast enough for summer to come or that trip to DisneyLand or Christmas. And now that I'm older it goes by too fast and now my kids are just growing growing growing. I had a little photo shoot the other day because after all I have new camera and need to use it day to day more often. The kids love sticking their tongues out. Silly billies.
Aaron has been doing really good the last couple of weeks and most days having a dry pull up.  Some things we have been working on with him, is eating better at dinner time, he's not a meat lover and will chew his food until Jesus comes back again if we let him. This last week has been a bit frustrating as he seems to be scared of the shadows in his room from his fan and humidifier. He had to have some discipline tonight because he got out of bed 3 times. He is learning to buckle the bottom portion of his car seat and when he can get that it will be a joyous day! I told him he can have a candy when he can buckle it all by himself.

This little monkey, I can't believe she is 20 months old today. Seems like she just turned 1. She talks up a storm these days and repeats back and has conversations. The other day she was looking for K and I thought he was in the bedroom and I sent her back there. She came back with her hands up, "Find, find?" After a few trips of this happening I checked and he ended up being downstairs, she couldn't find daddy! She is so opinionated and likes wearing her, "back" (black Mary Jane) shoes. Because they are easy to put on and take off. She loves wearing hats and hoods and knows where her socks are. Her other favorite thing to do is either get clothes out of her drawers to get herself dressed (putting her dresses on upside down) or take off her clothes including her diaper. But luckily for me she knows when she is poopy and will tell me so immediately so I never worry about her making a mess when she takes her diaper off. Kind of makes me a little sad to think next year she will probably be out of diapers and she is the last one. She just seems so mature. She still says please and thank you ALL THE TIME. Which is so very nice to hear because it was such a struggle for her to learn those words. And the other day at small group she actually said, Excuse me to the other little girl when she squeezed pass her. I knew she knew that word because she has to ask to be excused from the table, but I hadn't ever heard her use it in that other context with another child. Warmed my heart! Oh and she loves to pray at night with Grace and I. I put her on Grace's bed and we all hold hands and I say close your eyes and bow your head and she bows her little head (although not very long because she has to goof off) but then when I am all done praying she says, "Men!"

Being goofy kids hangin off the couch.

Skinny Aaron, oh funny story. I asked K to get some jeans out of the dryer for Aaron the other day because we had company coming over. When Aaron came upstairs I looked at him and said,"Did you grow again boy?" His pants looked so short! I then realized oh wait daddy put Sarah's jeans on Aaron (sized 24 months) and they fit fine, just above his ankles. At their 3yr and 18 month check up in October, Aaron was 30 lbs and Sarah was 25 lbs! Soon enough people will be asking me if they are twins!

This little girl, my sweet first born is doing so well with her learning. She pretty much knows how to read now (her reading level books). I mean she can get most any of the tons of books on our shelves and read them. There are words she will guess on instead of sound out, but she enjoys it and this last week the others have enjoyed letting her read to them. Also she is doing well with her math as well and is eager to get through the books I buy.

 

Feet!  

Baby feet!

Grace reading to Aaron.

What we have been up too, K has been traveling again this month, he was gone all last week and probably again this week. November was nice, we went to Jackson Hole with him for a work trip and got to hang out while he worked. It was really cold there, and I under packed but we swam in the hotel pool and window shopped a little. The drive was fun and Sarah loved seeing all the cows.  Then he was home for most of November except for a few days.

Now that I am back to normal workouts I have been back to my T25 and throwing in some strength training or ST when I feel like it. I did a P90X workout called Shoulders and Arms last night using 12 lbs and really tried to push it. I thought I would be super sore today and am kind of shocked I wasn't really. Some in my triceps, but not like I thought. So I think it's time to move up to 15 lbs dumbbells. I asked for a new Beachbody program called Combat for Christmas and am excited to get that. It's a martial arts one, it should be fun!
Well I better sign off, I've already been up too late, always happens when K is out of town. I need to work on that.

Fall Happenings

We have been having the most wonderful fall weather this year and I have been trying to take advantage of it and be outside while we can. Sending the kids out to play, since they have this play set to play on now. This was our project this summer. I don't think I ever posted final pictures, bad me! We found this play set used on KSL and drove down south with a trailer, took it apart drove it home, unloaded the trailer (returned the Uhaul) then spent the following weekend or two putting it back together. (Piece of advice if you ever do this take a lot of pictures and videos my husband is a genius for this!) Then we power washed it and stained it. Then the rest of the summer was spent reconfiguring the sprinkler system. We used to have sprinkler head behind the main structure there spraying out, but we rented a trencher (well K did all the trenching) and put our new sprinklers along the border of the wood posts. This spring or summer we will do the last step and get some rubber mulch to fill in the dirt. Oh and you can really tell but behind the slide is a picnic table (where they love to eat lunch) and behind the rock wall is a small box area which we made into a sandbox. So they have the best of everything.

We took these pictures a few weeks ago, I just haven't gotten them up yet. They had a blast trying to get daddy with the leaves!

Such concentration!

Our first furbaby..Kayla...enjoying the outside family romp!

Trying to get me with grass 

Not paying attention to attacking kiddos...

Oh No! They are getting me!

They got me.

Such partners in crime, I love that they are best friends...all three of them.

Driving in her cozy coupe

Sneakin or being chased! 

Me and my peanut who is growing so fast. She is such a talker these days. The other day in the car she had the hood up on her jacket and Grace pulled it down. She didn't like that (she loves wearing hats and beanies and such) and she instantly told Grace, "Not nice!" Clear as day. I tried to get her to repeat it, but it was like she had to be in the moment. She is definitely going through the terrible 1 1/2's...yeah I know it's terrible 2's but she has such attitude already. She loves playing games on my phone and tonight threw such a temper tantrum when I took it away from her. I think we made a mistake the other night when we went to go to dinner at a restaurant but they were packed and so we decided to just go to another restaurant in the same parking lot just across the way. So since it was cold we just loaded the kids in the truck and drove over but we didn't buckle them (we were going super slow). I think Sarah thinks that she can just ride that way all the time now, she will pitch the biggest fit about getting buckled and arch her back and lock her knees. I have to force her in her seat to buckle her! And she is strong!

My Grace, she is learning so much. It's amazing what a sponge she is. This morning I was typing something on Facebook and she was reading it out loud over my shoulder as I typed! Oh and for Nana and Papadaddy, Daddy and Grace have been reading the Raggedy Ann and Andy chapter book at night. She loves it. Another game we started playing with her is hangman. K and I used to play it when we were dating. So she likes that and we have been teaching her, her vowels and she loves saving the guy from being hung.

Aaron is doing great with the potty training and we haven't had any accidents in a long time. He still wears a pull up at night.  I had the thought the other night that he is going to be in the other twin bed before we know it. I think he has like 4 or 5 inches before his feet hit the end of his toddler bed. Tonight he had 2 regular sized pieces of pizza from The Pie! He is still my tenderhearted sensitive guy. I was writing each letter on this magnetic drawing doodle pad we have and asking him what the letter is and he got them all right except for like 2. He still adores all things superhero. They watched the Incredibles when we ran off to Jackson Hole with Daddy last week for his work (such a blessing). He wants to watch it all the time, or have his Batman outfit on, or his Buzz Lightyear costume. I found him a pair of used plastic Buzz wings that you can out on like a backpack and a shooter gun both for $15 on KSL and I'm going to give it to him for Christmas, he is going to be so excited for that.

As for K , the last 2 weeks has been at home mostly. Last week he had a PM in Jackson Hole and we worked it out so we could all drive up together and spend time together instead of another 3 days away after he had been traveling so much. It was nice and it was so pretty, but COLD! I didn't realize how cold it was and didn't pack as well as I could have.  However we all survived and it was supposed to be light packing as we were all crammed into the Escape with K's tools and parts. So he has been home the last 2 weeks and it has been nice to be together as a family.

I've been working out hard still. Doing my T25 program and whatever else I want to do that day (sometimes P90X, sometimes Insanity,sometimes a little Hip Hop Abs). I need to get my pushups back up to par and want to build more muscle. Been doing good with drinking my water.  Also been finishing up all my books I've been reading. Finished a mom's book, "Mom...and loving it!" Good Bible study for young moms mostly. Read the Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey...and I listen to him in the evenings too. Almost debt free! Currently almost finished with Every Body Matters by Gary Thomas for our small group study about fitness and spirituality. Winter of the World is the fiction book I'm reading by Ken Follet it's his 2nd book in his WWI trilogy. If you haven't read anything by Ken Follet I HIGHLY recommend that you read either Pillars of the Earth or Fall of Giants. He is an amazing writer and has an awesome way of making a period of time seem incredibly real to you. Fall of Giants is the first book in the trilogy about WWI and the Winter of the World is about WWII. Pillars of the Earth takes place way back...shoot I don't even remember the time period. But is about a community in England with monks, and lords, and peasants and how they are all centered around the building of this church.
Anyway that's what we have been up to! Long blog and now I need to go to bed and get my rest, we are all fighting a cold and I need to kill it!
Good Night!

Room change and Halloween

After Aaron's birthday I decided to finally move Grace into the 'girls room'. I had been relunctant because Grace and Aaron are such best friends, but Sarah has been sleeping through the night since she was one and it really was time. Besides Aaron napped by himself so I knew he would be OK. And truthfully he has been. We waited until after his birthday to reinforcehim being a big boy, and having his new train table in his room helped that immensly.
So I put Grace's bed on the outside wall, orginally I was going to do the beds  differently but I really liked how they ended up, especially with the changing table.


The only downfall is that the light switch is right above that blue basket on the changing table and so now Aaron can't reach the light switch, but hopefully when I do potty train Sarah next year she will be fast and then we can enventually get rid of the changing table. I do put her clothes in it, but she can easily share the dresser with Grace. 

I hung the Raggedy Ann picture above the changing table again. It's so heavy I didn't want it above Grace's bed, in case the big one ever comes! At least if it falls while Sarah is getting changed an adult will be with her.

 

Aaron's room minus the twin bed and now including his train table. They still love it, but I got figure out a good sytem. Train tracks everywhere kind of drive me a little crazy.

Her sister wanted her to dress up as TinkerBell, so she did.

The three musketeers playing trains.

Oh my gosh we had such fun this Halloween! Aaron was going to be Buzz Lightyear orginally but we ended up getting some hand me down superhero costume/dress up outfits and I convinced him (which he was fine with) to be Batman. I figured he would outgrow Batman sooner than Buzz and then it would be harder to make a Buzz helmet and wings. I had just gotten a cheap .99 cent black mask, but then last minute I saw his Batman mask and cape for $9.99 and since I paid about that for Grace's wig I got it. He loved it, and he loved the fact that K put on his cape and went as the OTHER Batman. Grace was Princess Merida from the movie Brave. I got her dress last year on clearance and she has loved playing dress up with it. I got the wig this year and she was thrilled. She didn't like how it sat at first but I clipped the hair out of her face and she was happy, and had such a huge grin.
And Sarah of course was a purple minion from Dispicable Me 2. The first movie had yellow minions and they were nice as far as minions go. When I took Grace this summer on a date to see the second movie I knew that Sarah had to be a purple minion for Halloween. The second movie the yellow minions get turned 'evil' and turn purple. Basically they grunt a lot and make evil minion growly noises. For so long that was our Sarah (she actually has come out of her shell lots in the last 6 months) but she was sooo cute dressed as a purple minion. And the people who had seen the movie and recognized her costume thought she was soo cute! She got the most candy too I think. Oh and if anybody who didn't have trick treaters in their house I would be more than willing to send you some candy!

 

 

 

They had a blast and trick or treated the longest they had ever! It was an really awesome night! I love them so much!!