Together Forever

Miss Sweet Cheeks Herself

2011-07-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

Blue and Gold Banquet- Knights of the Roundtable

2011-07-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

We held our Cubscout Blue and Gold Banquet a few months ago, and I never got around to putting the pictures up. But I think it's important to share great Cubscout ideas, since I am always hard-pressed to find them! So here goes:

Our whole idea revolved around the Knights of the Roundtable. We had an amazing costume resource from our friend in the ward (thanks Valerie!), so we ended up with totally cool costumes for all the leaders, which was fantastic. We invited the families to come in costumes too, but really the only ones who obliged us were the little girls in princess dresses. We decided to set the cultural hall (read: big gym) up like a Great Hall, with the tables in a giant U-shape. Each family was asked to create a family crest, and we hung them on the front of the table where each family sat. My brother-in-law, Jakob, is awesome at playing the French Horn, so he came in costume and played some super cool fanfare music before we started the event. We thought it would be fun to have everyone eat with their hands, so the menu consisted of cooked whole cooked (Costco) chickens, platters of grapes, platters of vegetables, small bowls of ranch dressing, and whole loaves of french bread, all served with no utensils, and one knife for cutting. The boys thought eating with their hands was super fun! We used cleaned/recycled aluminum cans to hold our paper cups, used candles for centerpieces, and the tables looked great.

After everyone ate, we gave the boys their awards. They had to walk up the red carpet one at a time. One of our leaders dressed up as the king, and he "knighted" each boy, using a super cool old sword, and presented them with their costume. (The boys had made poster board shields at their Den meetings the previous week. In addition, I made each cubscout a simple Knight hood by using no-fray metallic fabric and sewing one seam up the back, adding velcro at the chin, and completing the costume with a soft noodle sword.)

After the awards, we played Knight Games. We had Tug-o-War, Knight Jousting, Stick Pull, Leg/Arm Wrestle, and Hand Sword Fighting. All the families were put into groups and everyone rotated around the stations. It was really such a fun night, and I know the boys and their families really enjoyed it.

Shan was a good sport and played the Jester part. He walked around while people were eating and entertained them with his juggling skills. Overall, this activity turned out great because the menu was simple which made it possible for us to focus on other details that really made the "Knight night" special: live fanfare, red carpet, real knight of armor statue, costumes, table decor, games etc.

Running Away

2011-07-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

The other day I was briefly visiting a neighbor who lives about 3 houses away. Apparently while I was gone, Ryan and Emma had gotten into an argument, and Emma decided she could no longer live in the same house with Ryan. She packed up her little suitcase with her most prized possessions and decided to run away. I think in her mind, the idea of running away sounded exciting, but the reality of it seemed a bit scary, so by the time Emma got outside, she decided maybe it was a better idea to run away "to the backyard" instead. What I think is so cute is how her 8 year-old brain decided what the necessities of life were:

One change of clothes- check. Three journals and a pen- check. Life Savings of $106- check. Handmade paper box holding "jewels"- check. Three geodes in a plastic bag- check. Puffy (Emma's all-time favorite stuffed animal)- check. Not pictured are the three apples, two bananas, and washed strawberries (individually wrapped in paper towels) that I asked her to put back on the fruit platter. How adorable is this?

I remember doing the exact same thing at about the same age. I was really upset with my family for some reason; decided to load my white bike basket with snacks, allowance money, and a change of clothes; and then rode off with the intent of running away. The problem was, after I had gone a few blocks, I started to get scared- I had never been on my own that far away from my house! After assessing my options, I decided to just circle around about a 5-block circumference over and over until I was sure my family was unable to find me, super sorry for their ill- behavior, and looking forward to my grand return. (In my mind, I felt like I rode around for hours, but in reality, I think it was more like 20 minutes.) I have to admit I was offended when I returned to our house and no one was frantically running around the yard calling for me. I rode up the driveway and parked in the garage, just waiting for my mom to come out and scold me. Nope. Thinking I must be in really deep trouble, I timidly walked in the house and when I encountered my mom I lied that I had just been out riding my bike, to which she replied, "Oh- I didn't even notice you were gone." Humph.

Skiing at Sundance

2011-04-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Emma took their first ski lesson and did really well! They had an instuctor to themselves and he was super great with the kids. After a few hours they were ready to brave the mountain and they got two runs in before it was time to go home. Way to go guys.

Dun, dudda, dah.... The Pinewood Derby!

2011-04-12T14:22:00.000-07:00

Let's stick with the positive things first, shall we? Ryan loved making his car. He knew he wanted to make a Star Wars Speeder right away. I was a bit skeptical of how we were going to turn a Star Wars Speeder into a car, but he knew exactly what he wanted and he made it happen! He designed it, Shan cut out the car, he picked out the paint colors and helped me paint it, and he hot glued his beloved C3PO to the seat. The silver dollars were added at the last minute to make weight, but they actually looked pretty great.

And Mr. C3PO won 3rd place!

For the rest of the story, I will go lightly... let's just say that yours truly was in charge of the Pinewood Derby this year. My personal nightmare to be sure. But I didn't know how nuts it would be until we got there and there were people weighing their cars, glue and weights and coins being added and parents who cheated to make their son's car go faster. Ugh. We had disputes among the parents and parents who wanted us to disqualify cars, and cars that broke during the races. And each and every boy obviously wanted their car to be first. Let's just say it was a little intense. I came home and collapsed.

Together We Can... by Emma

2011-04-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Emma loves the Reflections program and looks forward to it every year. This year, the theme was "Together We Can." She entered two projects: a painting of people working together to build a house, and a 3-D paper mache globe with children of the world holding hands around it. She won first place in her school for both entries and went on to District. At the District level, Emma took First Place for her globe and received Honorable Mention for her painting.

Then, she went on to compete at the Region level and she won 2nd Place for that. They gave her a giant-sized candy bar and it was a hit.

Way to go Emma! We love your constant need to create, your amazing ideas, and the enthusiasm you have to carry out those great ideas.

Emma's 8 Was Great!

2011-04-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

Emma took her friends skating to celebrate her birthday. She loves to roller blade and looks like the Energizer bunny going round and round.

The roller skate cake complete with chocolate dipped Oreo wheels.

(New pierced ears taken on my phone!) Emma got her ears pierced on her birthday right after school. This is something she has been looking forward to for years. I think it stung more than she expected, but she was very brave. Afterwards, we got ice cream and she said, "Mom, it was totally worth it!"

And the highlight of this birthday was that Emma was baptized a few days later. In the weeks leading up to her baptism, we talked a lot about baptism and what it means. I told her all about my own baptism and the feelings I had and the things I remember. Emma was so excited going into the church. She was happy to proclaim her discipleship to Christ by taking upon His name. She asked to say her own prayer in the dressing room right before the ordinance and vocalized her covenants out loud. It is a wonderful thing to watch her developing her faith and personal relationship with the Savior.

We had so many family members there and the program was just perfect. Everyone had a part: Mimi played the piano, Ryan said the opening prayer, Madeline recited the 4th Article of Faith, Emma and I sang a duet, Nana and Uncle Jakob gave talks, dad performed the baptism with Papa and Grandpa Stobbe as witnesses, and Papa confirmed Emma with the Gift of the Holy Ghost. All in all, it was a pretty special day.

Emma, Mom, and Nana

Papa, Mimi, Dad, Ryan, Mom, Madeline, Emma, and Uncle Jakob.

I love this age! Emma is such a light with her enthusiasm, quick mind, and kindness. She truly stands out in a crowd.

Her two favorite things right now are Science and Art. She always has a project going on the kitchen table and some sort of flower/seed/rock collection in her pocket. We are so lucky to have her in our lives.

Home school has overtaken my blogging presence.

2011-04-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

But just because I haven't been blogging, doesn't mean we haven't been partying like rockstars. Mormon rockstars, that is. So going all the way back to December- here are a few highlights from Miss Madeline's birthday. She turned the big 5, so on her birthday we took some friends and went to the Festival of Trees.

She was excited to sit on Santa's lap. Apparently, whatever she told him was super funny...

She and all her friends had their nails painted, their faces painted, and got to make cute little ornaments.

Ryan even stood inside a huge bubble...

And later that evening, we went home and celebrated with Rainbow Cake.

Madeline brings us so much joy. By nature, she is a peace maker. Her preschool teacher was amazed when another little girl had taken Madeline's toy away and the teacher had asked them to work it out. The girl who took the toy pouted and turned her back, and then Madeline said, "I'm so frustrated! But I can still forgive."

Madeline loves books and being read to. She is also quite a good reader when she feels like taking the time to sound out the words. She loves her hair and brushing it and wants it to be as long as Rapunzel's. She also loves having her nails painted, going to dance class, and showing us leaps, tricks, and headstands for hours on end. She loves to pick out her own clothes, but won't put on a dress now because that would wreck the aforementioned headstand trick. She tries to keep up with Emma's pace and wants to do everything Emma does. For the most part, Emma tolerates it well and they are best friends. My heart swells with joy as I watch her grow, and yet aches like only a mother knows. Having my baby turn 5 was so hard.

Scripture Humor

2011-01-25T07:59:00.000-08:00

Ryan as he was eating ice cream and playing his new Math DS game:

"I love this so much, I'm going to marry it."

(Mom) "What are you talking about- your math game or the ice cream?"

(Ryan) "Both. They're awesome."

(Emma) "No Ryan, you can only marry one person."

(Ryan) "Well then, I'll just have to have a concubine."

What?????? We died. But hey, at least they are getting something from the scriptures.

Giving Thanks

2011-01-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

This is how we spent Thanksgiving at my mom's house this year...

For the month leading up to Thanksgiving, our family added our blessings to the "Thankful Jar." It was super fun to count our blessings and read everything that was submitted. We are surely blessed!

"Dear Santa" by Madeline

2010-12-04T19:45:00.001-08:00

Dear Santa,

Thanks for all of the presents. Oh, and I want something. But what could I have?

I want a magical pen.

I actually want a real mermaid.

One more thing- a shooting star.

OK- Love,
Madeline

(Hmmm... I wonder if Santa can figure out something on her list?)

October Wrap-up

2010-11-22T08:22:00.001-08:00

This year, we spent a day at Gardner Village with our cousins participating in the scavenger hunt, "Which Witch?" The kids had a lot of fun spotting all the different witches and Halloween displays and earned a cookie from the Bakery for their diligence. Ryan, Ethan, Abby, Emma, Jade, Madeline.

Petting zoo.

The girls and I decided to make Halloween silhouettes for our windows. I also made a big witch flying on a broom to put in the big window above the door, but I forgot to take a picture! (I love how Ryan is shooting me in this picture.)
On Halloween, Jen and her kids came down and we made doughnuts to feed friends and neighbors. This is something my mom did every year when I was growing up, and I think it's a tradition worth keeping!

I think there were 8 dozen dougnuts and lots of chocolate glaze! To be honest, this was more work than I expected. But when our kids came back from Trick-or-Treating, they were ecstatic because the word on the street was about the awesome "doughnut house" and they were proud.

Here are the costumes for the year:

Miss Madeline was SilverMist (TinkerBell's friend).

Emma got to wear a costume that Peg made years ago for one of her girls.

We added a wig, makeup, and a nose and she was the cutest clown ever. Thanks Mimi!

Both Ryan and Ethan were Harry Potter this year so they had fun doing spells together all night long.

Occupation Day

2010-11-22T07:49:00.001-08:00

Emma decided she wanted to dress up like a Scientist for "What-You-Want-To-Be-When-You-Grow-Up day." Her favorite thing to do is explore nature, dissect something, or collect insects, flowers, rocks etc. She also loves to take notes about what she observes. Once I found a notebook where she had written her observations about a low-hanging icicle and she described it with words like "cold, glittering, hard, smooth, wet." And another time I found a notebook that she had used while "spying" on me while I was making dinner. It said: "Likes to cook, answered the phone, wearing a ponytail and earrings." Not only does she love to learn, but she is a natural whiz, so we think she would make a perfect Scientist someday.Note the sparkly purple feather pen. She was super excited about her costume until her teacher made her put her props in her desk (so they wouldn't "be a distraction") and some boys said she must want to be a Nerd when she grows up. The same boys soon had everyone on the playground calling her a nerd and the poor thing came home in tears. So at the age of 7, my daughter learned that it's no fun to be smart (something I did my best to rectify). Everyone thought the girls who dressed up like rockstars were so "cool." Yeah- it's this sort of thing that really makes me want to homeschool.

Visits from Mimi and Papa

2010-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

When Doug and Peg were here, we also attempted the Timpanogos Trail... but this time with the three wee ones and ME, so we only planned on making it to the lower falls- it was such a beautiful day and the mountains were glowing with gorgeous colors.

This picture was taken in our side-yard by the neighbor's apple tree- note Ryan's shaved patch- that would be due to mama who forgot to put the gaurd on and zipped him about three inches before noticing. (I think you may remember, this is not the first time it's happened either.) Nice.

One day, Peg took Madeline for an outing and they came back with a little dressup jewelry set for Madeline. She had dangly clip-on earrings and she thought she was in heaven... Don't go Mimi! We want you to stay forever!

Summiting Timpanogos

2010-11-13T08:34:00.000-08:00

Shan and Bryce decided to hike Timp together. It is pretty much an all-day event and a pretty difficult hike, but these two are troopers! They left early in the morning and here they are about 1 mile into the hike at the lower falls.Middle falls... Here is the big bowl where they rested before climbing the last steep part.

Climbing up...On top of the world!They were so high, they saw mountain goats! Back in the parking lot and happy as can be- way to go Bryce!

Pictures from the First Day of School

2010-11-13T08:24:00.001-08:00

I love how Emma is into accessories now- this is her new favorite pink scarf that goes surprisingly well with almost everything.

A Week of Fun

2010-11-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Bryce came to visit for a week just before school started and these are a few of the fun things we did:

We had to take him bowling at BYU...

And hiking the "Y"....

and fishing...

and Seven Peaks Waterpark...

where poor Bryce had jetlag from staying up too late before his flight and the time change...

where Ryan was a daredevil and rode the ultimate Yellow Slide for the first time...

and we all had a great time.

The "Lands"

2010-11-08T20:27:00.001-08:00

Disneyland's new name should be "The Busiest Place on Earth." It's happy too. But I think it would be a lot happier in small increments, with fewer lines and lots of naps and peace in between attractions. They go all out. Don't get me wrong- we all thoroughly enjoyed the day and it is something you must experience at some point. It was just that watching parents intensely pushing strollers of crying, tired, and over-sugared kids made my head hurt and I wondered if our homes shouldn't be the happiest places on earth instead? I guess what I'm saying is that Disneyland is fun, but it's still just Disneyland. It doesn't make our kids feel nourished, confident, secure, and loved- all the main things I'm going for here.

Given all that, there were some pretty neat highlights. The first being the new interactive Jedi Adventure:Both Emma and Ryan were chosen to be Jedi Apprentices. The day could have ended here and they would have been happy!The great thing about watching Ryan up there was he kept helping the boy next to him whose light saber refused to release. They were trained by Masters, and then Darth Vader and his troopers rose up out of the floor in a cloud of smoke (Da, da, da, dun, da, na- dun, da, na). Pretty fantastic. And then, each child was able to duel Darth Vader. How cool is that?In the end, the Dark Side was defeated and Darth Vader and his troopers retreated. This is the triumph picture.

We also enjoyed a really fun Princess Party and learned how to dance with twirling ribbon.

It's a Small World is still one of the best attreactions at Disneyland- nice and long and cool after waiting in the hot sun.

Madeline's Disneyland goal was to find Ariel. We waited in the Princess line for an hour, but no luck-we encountered Belle, Tiana, and a very voluptuous and scantily-clad Jasmine instead. (Seriously?!) But on our way out, we noticed the princesses were switching shifts and I caught a glimpse of familiar red hair. You know we waited in that same line for another hour!

I really think it was the happiest moment in Madeline's life thus far. So cute.

This is the time in the afternoon where everyone is too tired. We decided to have ice cream sundaes and french fries at an indoor restaurant and that did the trick.

Favorite Rides: Ryan- Indiana Jones; Emma- Space Mountain; Madeline- Winnie the Pooh

The following Saturday, we hit Legoland and it was really neat.

Mini Town was totally amazing!

Face painting was a definite highlight for Madeline. She finally felt like a fairy (SilverMist to be exact).

This is Shan in the giant hurling Claw and it honestly made me sick to watch. I rode it too, but not on the highest "scare" level.

We loved the Pirate Water Adventure the most, but I have no pictures since I didn't want the camera to get wet. And boy, did we get wet!

Cabrillo State Park and Aquarium

2010-11-06T15:21:00.000-07:00

On one of our last days in California, we decided to drive down and visit Cabrillo Beach State Park. It is a nice small beach and it has a great little aquarium, but the neatest thing about this beach is the location. It was right next to a huge seaport and my kids loved watching the huge ships passing and the cranes loading and unloading freight. After our daytime play, we ate a fantastic seafood dinner at a restaurant right on the shore and then drove the gigantic bridge across the port a few times just for fun.

So this picture of Ryan says it all for me. He is such a nut and always does his own thing for the camera. I am learning to stop posing the kids to make them look acceptable. Because it ruins their fun and spoils the moment. Plus, when they grow up and see these pictures, I want proof of how patient I was.

We all loved the touch pools- Madeline was a bit squeamish at first, but she got the hang of it!

Again...

We could stare at jellyfish all day. So beautiful, but so dangerous... hmmm, I'm seeing a life lesson here.

I have no idea how many millions of germs are on the nose of that dolphin, but Madeline had to kiss it. Our California adventure was perfectly exciting in the mind of a mermaid/dolphin obsessed four-year old.

California Trip

2010-10-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

In August, Shan had a 2-week Contracting Course in Los Angelos and we decided to tag along since a free vacation is always nice.Our pool was in the shade of the hotel almost all day and it was windy up there too (it was on the fourth floor). But my kids were undaunted and they swam like chattering fish as long as I would let them. Shan joined us on his lunch a few times and the kids mauled him like crazy.

We mostly spent every day on the beach. It was great to be there for so long because we were able to see lots of different beaches. And it never got old. You really can't go wrong with the beach. It is my happy place. Especially because now I don't have a crawling baby eating sand and my kids know to stay close and follow safety rules. And I loved being able to throw them in the bath at the hotel and someone else cleaned out the sand and gave us fresh, non-sandy towels. Oh, the luxury. We listened to Sheryl Crow on the way, so when we actually drove on Santa Monica Boulevard the kids thought it was hilarious. The Santa Monica Pier Carousel was a hit. As was the entire Pier. We saw lots of crazy people there and cool artists and performers. Our favorite attraction was the Trapeze school that was practicing out in the open- we were all mesmerized.

Emma couldn't get enough of the tiny sand crabs.

And Ryan looked like this most of the trip. He finished Harry Potter 5 and 6 while we were there.

When Emma wasn't playing with sand crabs, she was collecting shells. Oh, the buckets of shells. And seaweed and driftwood and garbage too. Nothing like a bag of treasures after a beach day.

We thought it was easiest to bury the kids so they couldn't move and we could take a nap.

Family Reunion in Logan

2010-10-18T21:50:00.001-07:00

We had three days of total fun with my family in Logan this summer. We had a dance-off, played card games, party games, and kickball, made hoola-hoops, went canoeing on the Bear River, took family pictures, made tie-dye shirts, spent a day at lovely Bear Lake, held a talent show, made ice cream towers, ate lots of watermelon and had a great time. I've always thought my family rocks.All the cousins in their darling tie-dye shirts. What a great group of kids!Sweet little Dylan wins the Cutest Thing Ever award.

Squaw Peak

2010-10-18T21:37:00.000-07:00

When the fam was all in town for our family reunion, we took everyone up to Squaw Peak, which is a really spectacular view of Utah County. We were amazed to have a great view of our house from up there!
Ryan and Marisa.

Jen and Jake or Hen and Hake.

Caleb, Ethan, Ryan, and Jeremiah.

Amanda and baby James.

Three sistas.

Summer Swimming Lessons

2010-10-18T21:15:00.001-07:00

Because I am determined to blog our summer pictures before Halloween.... Ryan has an amazing ability to float which has helped him become a really great long distance swimmer.

Ms. Emma is not much of a floater, but she is so feisty (the girl doesn't give up) that she is learning to swim quite well. Not to mention she has the best cannonballs.

And this year we found out that we have a little mermaid in Madeline. Her teachers were amazed at how well she was swimming under water. She is full of underwater tricks and shows and the best thing I have ever seen is when I watched her under water swimming towards me with a big grin and big eyes (goggles). So cute.

Farewell Fuji

2010-10-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

Apples to which I've been beholden:
I'll miss your shades of red and golden.
Sweet memories I'll surely hold
Of Rome, Braeburn, and Jonagold;
I'll never forget you Granny tart,
But Honey Crisp just stole my heart.

Evidence of Home School

2010-10-03T21:55:00.001-07:00

No blog posts.

Dirty bathrooms.

Late night grocery shopping.

Posters everywhere.

Absence of dinner guests.

Tired mommy.

Library trips.

Simple meals.

Sunday Visiting Teaching.

Lots of reading.

Happy Ryan.

Fishing with Grandpa Stobbe

2010-07-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Shan got to go fishing at Strawberry Reservoir with Grandpa Stobbe and my uncle John.

Shan caught a crawdad with a worm and that thing refused to let go of the bait. Ryan thought it was hilarious.

Not even a heart attack can keep Grandpa from fishing. He's such a trooper.

Sundance to Stewart Falls

2010-07-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

We took the Sundance tram up the hill and then hiked to Stewart Falls. The kids did really great! We ate lunch at the top and got cooled off in the mist of the falls.

Emma's stuffed dog, "Puffy," hiked with us the whole way...

Madeline loved this tiny caterpillar.

" I've arrived."

The whole gang at the falls.

From the trail:

"It's just sooo pretty!"

"This is fun."

"Look at that huge tree."

"I'm the trail guide... follow me!"

"A heart rock!"

"I'm hot."

"This is hard."

"I hear water... Listen!"

"A bumblebee!"

"A caterpillar!"

"Eeeek! A snake!"

"I want to go to the top!"

"We made it!"

"Woah... we're up high."

"Mom, I love you a million, googolplex, forever, infinity, period, period, period."

On the good/better/best list, Shan and I agree that family hiking is on the best.

So much to be grateful for...

2010-07-16T21:52:00.000-07:00

So Shan had been in Washington D.C. for a month-long Contracting Course. I decided enough was enough so I went to visit him for a few days and we were able to have fun together and catch up with lots of old friends. (Thanks mom and Jen for taking the little ones!)

The first day at Ft. Belvoir, I was able to veg by the edge of the Officer's Club pool, overlooking the Potomac River. I happened to look up and see a bald eagle soaring in circles above us. All on the 4th of July weekend... what?!

There is nothing like being in D.C. for the 4th of July weekend. After seeing the monuments at night for the first time, and touring the Holocaust Museum with a dear friend, my heart was full. I was really humbled and grateful. Our Nation is so amazing, and no one can ever tell me otherwise. If you need a reminder, just study a little American History.

Friends Barr and Marci were fantastic dinner hosts and showed us the town. Thanks guys!

Then, we were able to drive down to my favorite place on earth, (North Carolina) and spend some time with dear friends. Rebecca is a sister to me.

And if that weren't enough to fill me to the brim, we were also able to spend an evening with more dear friends, Jennifer and Brandon, and their darling family. Jenn and I spent the next day touring the Holocaust Museum, eating at the most amazing restaurant, Founding Farmers, and taking in Iwo Jima. It was such a wonderful time, and I am still thinking about it.

Jenn and I were next-door neighbors at Ft. Bragg during our very first military experience. I had no idea the Lord would put such a lovely person right next to me, but we are lifelong friends because of it. She's helped me through deployments, kidney stones, and even watched the two older kids in the middle of the night when I was in labor. And she is the best cook on earth, so I always know where to go for a good recipe.

And these are her two little darlings, James and Lily. They stole my heart.

Kennecott Copper Mine

2010-07-16T21:23:00.000-07:00

You can't live in Utah and not experience Kennecott Copper Mine. The place is totally amazing! It is 2 1/2 miles wide at the top and visible from Space!My sister, Jen convinced us to go and after a few mishaps in the day, we finally made it! The kids thought the huge tire was amazing. Each of their trucks uses 6 of them; they cost $10,000 each and only last a year.The overlook was windy, windy, windy. In fact the wind blew so hard, the power went out in the Visitor's Center and they made us go home before we could watch the video! But then we got to hang out in Jen's van and eat Oreos so it was a good thing in the end:)

All of those ridges carved into the sides of the mine are the roads that the trucks drive up and down.

The Bearded Lady

2010-07-16T21:16:00.001-07:00

It's our very own circus around here.

Ode to the Swagger Wagon

2010-06-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

It's official. We have acquired 100 thousand miles on the Sienna. I was so glad that Shan pulled out his phone to snap a picture (in the middle of the night on our way to Oregon) and capture this moment of greatness.

These 100,000 miles have been filled with singing (and arguing about who is singing and who should or should not be singing); finishing up breakfast on the way to school; running errands with toddlers in tow; being lost in the middle of nowhere; hauling camping gear; going to DisneyWorld; shuttling family to and from airports; driving across the country, not once, not twice, but three times; meandering through the Appalachian mountains; screaming through Kansas just miles ahead of a terrifying tornado; and hauling bikes, diaper bags, strollers, golf clubs, suitcases, Christmas trees, science projects, folding tables, chairs, beach gear, Christmas presents, PTA bake sale food, and furniture (thank you 'stow and go' seating). These miles represent close to a thousand trips to the grocery store and a zillion bags of groceries (thank you grocery hooks). They represent hours of laughter, tears, listening to books on tape, rockin' out to music, and great conversation. To me, they are trying to nurse a baby in the back seat on long road trips; passing out a million wet wipes; buckling and unbuckling those car seats and boosters (thank you tether hooks); trepidatiously carrying sleeping babies into the house; vacuuming out sand, cheerios, and goldfish; and washing it down in the driveway with the juvenile work staff in bathing suits.

We've had to pull over for a vomiting car-sick child, to change dirty diapers, and twice when one of the kids dropped an entire cup of lemonade on the floor (thank you spill-resistant mats). We've spent hours playing "I Spy" and "Slug bug" and "Trivia." We've pulled trailers and boats, and the car top carrier has been a frequent accessory. Once when we were lost, we spun around on the road, and two year old Emma referred to our "U-turn" as a "W-Twist." For these great times and so many more, I heart the Sienna.

I love how the Sienna is equipped with 12 thousand cup holders, and how in our van, every single one of them is filled with napkins, chapstick, change, toys, hair elastics, maps, and trinkets, so I still have no where to put my cup until I remember the pull-out cup holder in front. Genius.

Actually, I think Toyota should put me on their payroll, since I have successfully encouraged 4 friends to purchase a Sienna. Recall nothing. We love you Toyota!

Given my feelings, you can imagine my sheer delight at this:

Plenty more for your laughing pleasure on Youtube.

Starfish on the Beach

2010-06-19T20:38:00.001-07:00

We took the children out to the beach for a few days and shockingly, we had two beautiful days out there without any rain and no wind! The first night we were there, we went down to the beach to look around, and each of the kids found a starfish, which was a first for all of us. They were so cool. (And yes, we threw them back.) It was a perfect beach for us because there were thousands of agates and the girls and I treasure hunted our hearts out. Our hotel was right on the beach. I loved falling asleep listening to the waves crashing and the view was just spectacular.

The next day we met up with Jade, David & boys, and Peg, Alex & Crew for some tide pool exploration at Yaquina Head.

This was super fun! The kids loved seeing so many creatures up close and being able to touch them and watch them tighten up.

OHSU Tram

2010-06-19T07:47:00.000-07:00

While in Portland, we rode on the OHSU tram and it was super fun! Madeline was really scared at first, but once we got going she said, "It's just like floating!"
Madeline in Henry's jacket (we weren't as prepared for the rain as we should have been.)

Miss Emma

The Big 9

2010-06-18T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ryan celebrated his birthday while we were in Oregon and we all went to play laser tag together. Even Mimi and Papa played! So much fun.

Aunt Alex decorated this cake for Ryan who had requested an "Indian party."

He blew them all out, and we wonder what he wished for...

A real bow and arrow set was the hit of the day. He's been target shooting ever since.

A few great things we love about Ryan are:

-He loves to make people laugh. He has a great sense of humor.

- He is a voracious reader. So far this summer, he has read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Harry Potter #1 and #2, Fudgemania, Pollyanna, James and the Giant Peach, The Indian in the Cupboard, and Runaway Ralph.

- He is really conscious of right and wrong and wants to do what's right.

- He loves being a Bear Scout so much and always makes sure his uniform is just right before going to activities.
- He cares about everything. For example, the oil spill brings tears to his eyes everytime we talk about it. I think this sensitivity will be a huge asset as he grows up.

Happy 9th Birthday, Ryan!

Cousins Rock

2010-06-17T22:08:00.001-07:00

Ezra.

Jeep fun with cousins Ezra and Eli. Eli was so cute- he kept "pushing" the girls around.

Crew.

Oliver in Babushka.

Wildflowers after a nature walk we took with the cousins.

Chelsea and Mike took us to the Cruise-In diner where we fed on the largest grass-fed beef burger I could ever imagine. We left stuffed with goodness.

It's too bad I didn't get a good picture of us with Chel and Mike. We all went to BYU at the same time (the first time around:), dated together, married within a month of each other, and we all just celebrated 12 years of marriage. It's crazy to see how fast the time has gone, and to look at all the kids we have now! I can't lie- we were thrilled when they finally started procreating. For selfish reasons only... because cousins rock.

Jakob's Homecoming

2010-06-17T21:33:00.000-07:00

Jakob is home from his mission in Romania! It was so great to see him and for the entire family to be together again. (The last time that happened was before Shan left for Iraq over three years ago!) Chels took some great pictures and I stole them from her...

I love this picture! The kids are soooo cute.

I'm not sure whether Bryce is taller than me or not...

My kids pretty much love Uncle David more than me.

End of School Field Day

2010-06-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

School is officially out and the kids had the typical week-long celebration to prove it. Why they even hold school the last week is beyond me:) The last day was "Field Day" and the kids got to play relay water games and get soaking wet.
Emma passing the dripping sponge.

Mrs. Bishop won Teacher of the Year this year and she deserved it. We love you Mrs. Bishop!

Emma with her two wonderful teachers: Madame LaCroix and Mrs. Steeves. These ladies were great and outperformed my greatest expectations of the French immersion class.

Our summer adventures have already begun and I have a zillion pictures to show for it... to be continued.

Edgemont 5K

2010-05-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of my two elementary kids. They ran a 5K! I'm pretty sure I never did that until I was in high school. Emma was so intent on getting a great time, she didn't walk once. Even when she had a sideache and she couldn't find her dad, who had her water bottle. Way to go guys!
This little First Grader beat 3/4 of the school, including the older kids, grades 2-6.

A Little Bit on the Cougs

2010-05-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

I was out shopping tonight and saw a shirt that said, "I cheer for BYU and anyone playing the U." That pretty much sums it up for us.

BYU has been ranked the nation's "Most Popular" university by U.S. News and World Report and for good reason. We feel so fortunate to be a part of such a great institution. Shan loved his first year and is really looking forward to his next and final year. The professors are top notch and the students in the MBA program are first rate. (Their spouses are pretty stellar too:)

Click here to see my favorite student. (And if you click on his picture, it will take you to his profile.)

Madeline's Preschool Graduation

2010-05-11T13:19:00.001-07:00

Madeline and I chose a cooperative preschool this year with some friends from Shan's program. It was a lot of fun to be able to teach and play with the kids. Madeline made lots of great friends, and took field trips to places like the fire station, the planetarium, Costco behind the scenes, and the animal museum. These are pictures from her "graduation." I made the graduation caps, and you can see how to make them on my other blog. They were super simple!

Madeline receiving her certificate from Ms. Kirstin.

These cute girls are some of Madeline's friends, Kiersty and Audrey.

Way to go Madeline!

Hiking in Zion Canyon

2010-05-11T13:02:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I took the kids down to Southern Utah to see Zion Canyon for Spring Break. They were totally impressed! They loved the tall walls and the occasional waterfall and the red, red rocks. And even though I've seen it dozens of times, the sheer beauty of that canyon was once again totally inspiring. Usually my heart hurts as I watch my kids grow up. I'm staring at the potty seat and knowing that I need to get rid of it, but not really wanting to. (Don't get me wrong- potty training is not my favorite part of parenting!) But it's hard for me to admit that the baby stage is over. There is nothing like the smell of breast-milk breath, and the shudder of a sleeping newborn as she lays on your chest.

Well given all that, our trip to Zion was an eye opener as to what fun older kids can be... no diapers to tote along, no naps to take, and everyone walked on their own! We hiked the Riverside Walk, which is admittedly the easiest hike in Zion, but still, they all walked on their own... and had fun!! I didn't have to carry anyone. I just got to enjoy myself and watch them do the same. The Riverside Walk follows the river and so we stopped to play in it many times. Miss Madeline loved throwing the rocks, and once again, everytime she bent over, her little bum showed. (For those of you who aren't up on our quirks, Madeline cannot keep her pants up... I think her bum crack is honestly higher than most. She must have weird parents or something.)

Cherish the Women

2010-05-09T16:25:00.000-07:00

Let's forget to feel guilty and celebrate instead! I hope you steal a few moments to yourself today. Here's to all the mothers!

And remember that behind every successful woman......is a basket of dirty laundry. (Author unknown)

Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children. (Sam Levenson)

There is only one pretty child in the world, and every mother has it. (Chinese Proverb)

It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't. (Barbara Kingsolver)

A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after. (Peter De Vries)

Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world a mother's love is not. (James Joyce)

The lullaby is the spell whereby the mother attempts to transform herself back from an ogre to a saint. (James Fenton)

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. (Tenneva Jordan)

Who is getting more pleasure from this rocking, the baby or me? (Nancy Thayer)

Making a decision to have a child--it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. (Elizabeth Stone)

Seft Portrait

2010-04-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

This is seriously scary. When we were at my mom's during Easter, she pulled out this self portrait I drew when I was in first grade. I am horrified. I mean, I knew I was a poor artist, but this is completely off the charts. The sad thing is, right when I saw it, I remembered drawing it and thinking it was pretty. Jabba the hutt herself.
Our teacher asked me to write things about myself- each one starting with a letter of my name (Marisa Ann) and here is what I wrote:
My dad's name is Mark.
A good speller.
Really nice to people.
I like to swim.
Sings terribly.
A good student.
Apples are my favorite fruit.
Never gets in trouble at school.
Neat at home and at school.

I showed this disaster to Emma (who is also in First Grade) for laughs and she thought is was great! (I love how my kids love me unconditionally. I will not welcome the day when they think everything I do is lame.) So, Miss Emma decided to make her own self portrait:
Here is what Emma had to say about herself (she didn't do the letter thing):
I am mostly cheerful
My favorite fruit is bananas and apples
My mom's name is Marisa
My dad's name is Shan

I think we can all agree that Emma (thank heavens!) does not take after me in the artistic department. How cute is her picture?

Look Who's Playing Soccer

2010-04-21T09:43:00.001-07:00

Emma's team is named the Bluebirds. They are awesome! Emma likes to play forward best, because that's where all the action is. But she suffers through defender too. And makes a great goalie!
Madeline can't wait to play next year. This year, she sits on the sideline with me and cheers.

Canyonlands Half Marathon

2010-04-21T09:14:00.000-07:00

We had so much fun running the Canyonlands half marathon with my sister Jennifer, and her husband, Jake. My mom watched the kids and we spent a few days in Moab eating out, sight-seeing, oh, and running 13.1 miles. This first picture is of Dead Horse Point, which is one of the most beautiful sights in Utah I think. (p.s. it's National Parks week and you can enter all National Parks for FREE this week! For info, click here http://www.nps.gov/npweek/) I wasn't as well trained for this race as I wanted to be. The longest run I had done before this one was 10 miles, and it was pretty slow. So I decided in order to get through the race, I would just enjoy the immense beauty all around. As I started to run, I was totally overwhelmed at the glorious creations around me. I was pondering about Christ and so many of His miracles, when I looked up at the rock formations and "saw" Him. Can you see Him?
The naturally occuring rock formations looked to me like Christ talking to a little girl sitting on a rock. It looked best from far away, but here's one a little closer.
Isn't that miraculous? So the race was absolutely stunning to me. The course took us winding around this gorgeous canyon with red cliff walls and the Colorado River. They had a drum circle close to the mouth of the canyon and the beat echoed up the canyon for miles. It was motivating to hear myself getting closer and closer, and then I was there! Oh, but I still had 3 more miles... and I made it. And only 6 minutes slower than my last race. And only 10 minutes behind my hubby. Not too bad!
Me with everyone who beat me. Thanks for a great time guys!

Heavenly Fome Evening

2010-04-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that we spend time together as a family every Monday night. The official name is "Family Home Evening," but my darling Madeline said on Monday at about 5:00, "Mom, I'm so excited for Heavenly Fome Evening!" Sounds fun, right?

Rockstars

2010-03-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

Emma was invited to a Rockstar birthday party, which prompted a quick trip to "Savers: the department thrift store," where we found a metal chain belt, purple sunglasses, and an awesome tiered skirt. Emma was in heaven. Then the other two followed suit.

Yeah. Our kids have moves.

New Year's at Mimi and Papa's

2010-03-07T20:03:00.000-08:00

We got to meet our sweet new nephew, Crew. Isn't he gorgeous? He has the temperament of a lamb, and I am in love. Every year, Peg's sand dollar tree is the most beautiful thing ever.
The girls loved "helping" make cookies with Mimi in the kitchen.

We visited the Aquarium in Newport and the kids really enjoyed being able to see and touch so many different things. We got quite a show from the seals, and the CEO happened upon our little family and invited us behind the scenes to see their huge water tanks and training areas so we felt like we were VIPs. Ha.

This giant crab was sort of freaky.

The Shark Tunnel!

It really was so neat to sit there and watch the sharks go by. I love Henry's face.

Oregon Coast Pics From Before My Blogging Strike

2010-03-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

We lucked out and got an absolutely beautiful day on the beach. The water is still freezing, but we had fun drawing in the sand and looking in the tide pools. Plus, it's just so beautiful!

Chels and Mike wrapped up Oliver and lugged him down to the beach too... which is a pretty significant feat considering there are like 100 stairs to descend.

Madeline hated her pants to get wet, and she was not confident that they would stay rolled up on their own, so she walked around hunched over and holding her pants the entire time! Poor thing, I just wish she could have relaxed.

I Surrender

2010-03-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

I give up. I'm officially the worst blogger on the planet. I decided to take most of the month of January and the entire month of February off. Because in Utah, it's all I can do to just survive the winter.

Sometimes blogging just bugs. At times, I feel like it's How Awesome My Life Is Compared to Yours. And that is not me at all. I get so tired of reading people's "perfect" blogs and for two seconds you start to believe that their life is much more refined and enjoyable than yours. But at the end of the day, everyone has to take out the trash. Let's get real, folks.

I care more about living our life than I do about presenting that life to others. And I hope if my blog ever gets to feeling phony, someone will call me on it. Here's my pledge to blog with honesty... strengthen friendships and family ties without depleting the self esteem of others. It's so much more fun to see real life than it is a perfectly planned out and positioned pictorial post. How's that for alliteration?

Now that I got that off my chest, I think I can blog again.

Christmas at Nana's

2010-01-29T08:24:00.001-08:00

On Christmas Eve, the whole group went sledding. It was freezing so we only lasted about an hour, but there were plenty of runs between all the cousins, and aunts and uncles, and Nana too.After a delicious Christmas Eve dinner, we held our annual live nativity. The kids are old enough now that they really love to play their parts. I think this is definintely the sweetest nativity ever! And with our very own baby Jesus (Dylan). Sweet angels.Mary fair. Every 7 year-old girl dreams of being Mary and this was Emma's lucky day.Perhaps the most adorable wise man ever! Preston!Jade was our little lamb.Uncle Eric read from Luke 2.And then, all the kids got new pjs to sleep in! Emma never did give up baby "Jesus."We left cookies and hot chocolate for Santa with lots of letters.The kids slept downstairs all in a row of sleeping bags. It took them a few hours to finally fall asleep, but they slept until after 7 so the parents were thrilled. And then the mayhem hit...Santa left a mess in the front yard and a letter apologizing. You see, he was in a hurry and had to feed the reindeer on the front lawn.Presents...

Jess and Dylan.

Emma and Madeline before church on Sunday. Wow. What a fun, fun, fun time had by all!

Temple Square Lights

2010-01-29T08:15:00.000-08:00

Now that we are back in Utah, of course we couldn't miss out on visiting Temple Square and seeing the lovely Christmas lights, the life-sized nativity, and the Christus. It was so cold, but the kids didn't seem to notice. It was dad who was ready to pack it up.
Isn't this a beautiful picture of the Salt Lake Temple?

Our kids really loved the Christus. They just sat on the ground in front of it and stared. It is so beautiful and I could hardly get Emma to leave.

December's Happenings... a little bit late.

2010-01-29T07:57:00.001-08:00

Madeline made this darling gingerbread house at preschool, and then munched on it pretty much every day for the rest of December. Nothing like stale royal icing.
Ryan performed as "Santa Claus" in a reader's theatre that his class put on. It was darling!

Both Ryan and Emma performed at the school Christmas concert. The French songs were beautiful!

We also met cousins and grandparents at Trolley Square in Salt Lake for a nice dinner together.

A good book...

2010-01-23T15:38:00.000-08:00

is a must-have in January. I cannot be held accountable for the lack of blogging lately. I have Jane Eyre to blame. Pictures from our holidays and lovely life to come soon!

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-23T15:12:00.000-08:00

The best laid plans... I found the perfect card for us and ordered our Christmas cards early this year. They were promised to be delivered to us by Dec. 16th... but the 16th passed, the 17th, the 18th, etc. Finally, the cards arrived on the 22nd! Needless to say, we mailed our cards late this year, so if you haven't gotten one yet, hold tight. It's on it's way! The good news is that

because of the mishap, I get my money back. I think they owe me money.

Roller Skating FHE

2009-12-22T18:18:00.000-08:00

So, at our house, roller skating is one of those things that sounds so fun, but rarely is because we haven't gone enough and we are all falling all over the place.

Well this skating rink rocks because they let me push Madeline around in a jogging stroller when she got tired and the kids got to ride their scooters around when they were ready to get their skates off.

It was so super fun! And the kids are learning a lot. I think if we go a few more times, they will be able to go around pretty fast on their skates.

$9.17

2009-12-22T18:12:00.001-08:00

As usual, we took a name off of an Angel Tree and were planning what presents we should buy for our little boy, when Ryan suddenly went to his room and came back with his savings and dumped it on the counter, announcing that he wanted to contribute all of it. I was totally impressed, as I, don't ever even come close to giving all that I have for another. Of course, this prompted the girls and they ran and got their money too. I can really learn a lot from my kids.

Crazy Hair Day at Edgemont

2009-12-22T18:07:00.001-08:00

The kids always love crazy hair day, and I wonder how long it will be until they are too cool to participate. This year, Miss Emma got to have a pajama party in her class that day, so it was doubly fun.

Bowling

2009-12-18T14:26:00.000-08:00

Emma won a free bowling pass for her Reflections Contest entry, which is fantastic. (When we get it back, I will post it.) So, we decided to take the fam bowling and we had a great time.

keeping score... something we are so good at in our house:)

Miss Nutball.

A Fancy Nancy Party

2009-12-18T14:02:00.001-08:00

We have been enjoying the Fancy Nancy books this year, and Emma is learning French (Fancy Nany's favorite "fancy" language), so we decided to throw a fancy party for Emma's 7th birthday!

The girls came dressed up and they were super fancy!

Harper Collins has all sorts of printables to make a perfect Fancy Nancy party, which is so convenient for us and smart of them! We used these nametags, plus a "Fancy Lesson" sheet.

We did lots of "fancy" things, like monogramming the pages of our notebooks....

and making sparkly "plume" pens....

and making fancy felt purses...

and making fancy chairs...

and taking a "fancy" lesson. We learned to spray perfume on handkerchiefs, and use French words, and eat parfaits, and paint our fingernails.

Emma was Miss Fancy herself.

We had a fancy tea party and everyone drank with their pinkies up. And Emma got fancy candles to blow out... not so fancily.

Happy birthday Miss Emma! You are such a sparkly, energetic, kind, and darling girl. We love you.

Madeline's Birthday Party

2009-12-18T13:55:00.001-08:00

Madeline requested yet another mermaid party, so I turned it into an ocean party and we made jellyfish out of blue paper plates, streamers, ric rac, and googlie eyes. I thought they turned out really cute!

We played pin the flower on Ariel and she got covered!

Then, we had a little tea party lunch for Madeline's pre school friends.

Bad Timing

2009-12-05T17:42:00.001-08:00

As this cover story was obviously already set to print, I bet there were some choice words in the White House this week. We had to chuckle (for the first time since hearing about yet another public figure to let us down) when it arrived in our mailbox.

Look Who Turned 4!

2009-12-03T21:47:00.000-08:00

Miss Madeline is now 4 years old, much to her pure joy and my dismay. The things we love about this 4 year old include the following:

* The way she loves to snuggle.
* Her kisses. We have nicknamed her "sugar lips" since she gives the best kisses in the world.
* She plays the piano constantly. Especially if anyone is having a conversation that doesn't involve her.
* How she still calls me "mama."
* Madeline loves everything small. "It's just my size!" she says.
* She is very particular about her wardrobe. Right now, she is displaying lots of dresses and skirts with tights; headbands and flowers (or both!); sparkly shoes; pink and purple; and occasionally mom's lip gloss.
* She loves her hair in braids because she gets princess hair (curly hair) the next day.
* Her favorite response when asked to do something is "sure!" and pronounces it like "shore!"
* She is still obsessed with Ariel (going on year 2...)
* She always has a plumbers crack. We think her bum crack is actually higher than most, because it just sticks out of her pants. It's hilarious. And the cutest little plumbers crack I've ever seen.
* She is very sensitive to heat- likes the bath water just barely warm, and won't even try a bite of something if it is remotely warm.
* Her hair grows straight forward in front, and her little whispy hairs are always in her face because of it.
* Her "bunny teeth."
* How she says, "I know something." And then proceeds to tell you her current bit of wisdom.
* She loves to have her hair blow-dried and her fingernails painted.
* She loves babies and baby dolls but is totally freaked out to be a mom. When we talk about it, she gets upset and says she wants to live with me forever. She doesn't want a baby in her tummy- she says she is scared of it. (Yeah, Madeline. You're totally onto something.)
* Her favorite color is purple.
* Her favorite thing to do is color with her sister Emma.
* Her favorite food is "sugar pancakes" (crepes).
* She still sucks her first finger when she sleeps and loves her "blankie."
* She is starting to assert herself, which is a mild relief that usually makes me giggle. (She has been so easy, I was starting to think there was something wrong with her.)

We are so happy to have you in our life, Madeline. You are an absolute JOY.

A Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-29T20:48:00.000-08:00

We had a lovely Thanksgiving here in our home. We were happy to have my dad and Eric and Jessica and their sweet children join us for a fantastic meal.

Delicious, fattening, mashed (with butter and whipped cream) sweet potatoes with pecan and brown sugar topping.

Placecards thanks to Martha.

Shan

The children made some turkeys with thankful feathers for the kids' table decoration. Here are their thankfuls: Madeline- brother, sister, friends, toys, mom, dad, and country (meaning USA- not the music!). Emma- food, family, God, house, mom and dad, world, body, friends; and Ryan- parents, Star Wars, God, friends, games, food, Jesus, Earth. I think they pretty much get what life is all about:)

You slave for 6 hours to bring the meal to fruition, and all they want are the rolls.

Ryan

Madeline

My dad

Eric and sweet Preston

The only picture I got of Jessica was just as she was leaving because we were working in the kitchen the whole time!

Precious baby Dylan. 8 lbs. and counting!

My thankful list is way too long to narrate. But the main thing I'm thankful for this year are the relationships I have with loved ones and friends. Afterall, what is life without people to share it with? I am learning that it is much more important to be loving than it is to be right.

The Muppet Show

2009-11-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

October was filled with parties, and my kids pretty much wore a different costume to each thing, since, let's face it- Halloween is just like any day around here since they absolutely LOVE to dress up. I'm serious, I don't know what they would do without our costume bin.

Pre-Halloween necklaces that my mom sent for a little craft.

Halloween Day 1- Preschool party for Madeline. She was so excited about this costume that she had it all set out on the floor the night before. Including the red and white checked ribbons for her hair. When we walked into preschool, my friend, Angela, said "Madeline you look so pretty! You are Dorothy! And where is she from?" (Expecting her to say Wizard of Oz) So Madeline, puts her hands out like she's going to do a curtsy and says, "Kansas." Hahahahahahaha. I about died laughing. I have NO idea how she knows that. Kids are hilarious.

This is Day 2- Elementary school parades and parties. When the really cool thing about having a Darth Vader costume is your mask and your light saber, it's a bummer when the school says not to wear masks or weapons. Poor Ryan was a little deflated, but he complied.

On Day 2, Madeline decided to be a fairy girl since Emma was Madame Butterfly and she wanted a face painted like Emma's.

And finally, Day 3 which was really Halloween. Madeline finally donned the beloved chicken costume, made lovingly from two plastic gloves, three feather boas, and a pilot's cap. This is perhaps the cutest thing I have seen. Ever.

Our pumpkin carving this year had to include BYU and Emma came up with this bright idea.

The Muppet Family. Emma and Ryan think the two old guys on the Muppet Show are hilarious, so they inspired all of us to join in on the fun. Miss Piggy is one of the most fun costumes I have ever put together. Who doesn't want to spend the evening in red velvet and white gloves with pearls and feathers and fake eye lashes? I could have lived without the suffocating pig nose, but still, it was pretty darn hilarious. And Kermit liked it, so that's all that matters. (Madeline isn't quite the floppy chicken, but at least she's the chicken. Somehow, I just didn't think Gonzo would have been as cute.)

Emma couldn't keep her hands off of Madeline- she thought she was so adorable.

We had a Halloween party and were so happy to have so much family around to invite!

Apparently, the toddlers all got the chicken memo. Eli, Maddie, and Liam (Cadie's son).

I was trying to come up with a nutritious addition to the festive spread when I saw this cute idea- apple wedges with toasted slivered almonds.

Bronson, Tana, and Cadie (Shan's cousins)

Jade and David totally cracked me up.

Skeleton bone breadsticks (but everyone thought they were dog bones...hmph.)

Donut maker extraordinaire (mom!) and Miss bumblebee Jade. Can you believe how cute that beehive is?

This was so great too- Eric and Jessica decided to be the Publisher's Clearing House people- balloons and a giant check too. So creative!

Enjoying our Fall Break

2009-10-20T21:14:00.001-07:00

Last week was Fall Break, which is only three days here. Poor Emma was sick for most of it, but we managed to get out of the house on the third day for some outdoor recreation in the beautiful leaves. We met my sister Jenn and her kids in Provo Canyon for a picnic and play. It is so pretty right now with the beautiful colors and snow on the tops of the mountains!

The whole gang.

The best kids in the world! (Except for, of course, all of yours:)

We have been trying to find letters in nature and we found this awesome "F" stick. And a cool heart rock! And you know how I LOVE heart rocks. This one was a little too big to remove and add to my collection, so I took a photo instead.

I love this picture. I think Emma looks like Aunt Alex and can you even stand how cute Maddie's belly is?

So I really wanted to get a cute ground picture, but the sun was just too bright for them to open their eyes! I think it still turned out great.

Jenn's cute family.

We were picking leaves for leaf art. Isn't she gorgeous?

Roasted Hide, Roasted Applesauce

2009-10-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

This year, I canned more food than I ever have before. The main reason is not because I love to stand on my feet for hours, but because I ended up with a lot of inexpensive produce that was hard to pass up. Despite the mess, the steam, and the monotony of the whole process, the thing I love about canning is being able to hang out with my lovely female family. That, and in a wierd way, I feel connected to generations of women past. (Caroline Ingalls and I are like this.) Plus, there is nothing like having a well-stocked pantry. First, I canned pears with Jenn. Then, I did peaches with Jade; salsa and stewed tomatoes with my mom, Jenn, and Jessica; apple pie filling with Jenn; and finally applesauce by my lonesome. And my family is sooo lucky because everything turned out tasting great.

So now that you know about the successes, let me tell you about this year's failure that really roasted my hide- when we made apple pie filling, we had an entire batch that didn't seal properly! There is nothing worse than spending your money and time preparing and processing the jars and having them not turn out. I know because I have had many mishaps over the years.... One year, while living in Oregon, I unkowingly purchased the wrong type of pears and all 30 jars turned to complete mush. (To make matters worse, before opening a jar and testing it, I actually gave a few away to friends and neighbors! When I tried them, I about died. And little Emma had babyfood pears for an entire year.)

Another time, I tried to can a new variety of NC white peaches and they turned out soft and brown and looked so gross in the jar that no one would eat them. And the only thing worse than wasting your money and time on a bushel of peaches that no one wants to eat, is actually eating them. Every guilty bite. Because if you eat it, you didn't waste your time or money, right? Hahahahaha. My poor, poor family! "I spent lots of time and money on these peaches and we're going to eat them!" Seriously.

So this year, I had already spent my "canning energy" when we got a free bushel of apples and I couldn't pass them up.

Among other things, I wanted to try making apple pie filling. A friend of mine gave me a 'tried and true' recipe and we followed it closely. The filling tasted great, but after processing, an entire batch had lost a few inches of liquid off the top and didn't seal properly. I want to know WHY??? Here are my guesses:

1- Even though everything written about lids and screwbands says to only screw them on "fingertip tight," you should really screw them on pretty darn tight so the liquid can't get out.

2- After the processing time was complete, I didn't wait 5 minutes after turning off the heat and removing the lid to take out the jars. Instead, I removed them right away (like I usually do) and this caused them to cool too quickly and siphon the liquid from inside to outside and ruined the seal.

3- I didn't leave enough headspace? We left at least 1/2 inch, but does it need more when it starts to boil?

4- This is where you knowledgable ladies come in.

In my handy 'Ball Blue Book of Preserving,' it says, "Occasionally you may notice a slight decrease in the food and/or liquid levels. This may result from a siphoning of the liquid during processing. Should this happen, do not open the jars to add product or liquid. The sealed jars should be stored as is." Why, I ask, do you even wipe the rims of the jars before putting the lids on if liquid is just cruising on out of the jars upon processing? I am perplexed.

Please, someone who understands these matters better than I, offer your opinion.

Now, on to the happy ending: Because of my aforementioned mishap and the fact that my sweet family is now downing apple pie filling with every meal, I decided to turn the rest of my apples into applesauce and can that instead. Not just any applesauce mind you- but rich, chunky, carmelized applesauce. I found the recipe on Martha Stewart's website, and people, we have a winner. I'm telling you, it's like eating dessert. Our favorite way to eat it is warm in a bowl with cream poured on top. Delish. It is the perfect accent to a nurturing meal on a crisp Autumn day. I hope you try it- you will be so happy you did!

Roasted Applesauce (Makes eight 1/2-cup servings)
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of coarse salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 pounds small assorted apples, such as Gala, McIntosh, or Fuji (about 10)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine water, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Scatter butter pieces over mixture, and top with apples. Roast until apples are very soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Working in batches, pass apple mixture through the medium disk of a food mill and into a bowl. (Since we like ours chunky but without too many skins, I semi-peeled and cored the apples before baking and then just mashed them up with a potato masher right in the pan.) Stir in spices. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Applesauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Preschool Pictures

2009-09-29T21:51:00.001-07:00

I think I have written before that Madeline has begun a cooperative preschool, where I get to either teach or help in the classroom about half of the time. This week was my first time teaching and it was tons of fun. The kids are adorable! There are seven kids and I think they are going to have a great year. It is so fun to see them interact with each other and watch little friendships emerge. These are Madeline's "preschool pictures" that one of the other moms took on the first day.

A Trip to Southern Utah

2009-09-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we took a trip down South to visit our old stomping grounds. Shan and I first met in Cedar City over 14 years ago!!! After church on Sunday, we took the kids up the canyon to see Cedar Breaks and around the SUU campus and our old apartments. It was lots of fun... nothing has changed very much at all and I remember how exciting everything seemed when we were there. (There is nothing like twitterpation to make you think everything is just fantastic. I was basically living in a dump with 5 crazy girls, I was a telemarketer, and I still barely had enough money to eat, but did I care? Of course not- I had Shan.)

Cedar Breaks

This little fella came out to greet us when we pulled in. I think he was looking for treats.

I caught Shan and Madeline in a candid moment of playing "nibble the cheeks."

We told the kids to turn around and pose- notice how Ryan is totally bent forward. It's pretty much torture for a kid with anxiety to be on the edge of a very steep cliff with no guard rail, and have to sit and take a picture. Naughty parents.

We are suckers for Old Glory. Isn't she beautiful?

And our little friend came out to say good-bye when we were getting in the car. So cute. But stay your distance little guy. It's all fun and games until you bite someone's finger off.

So the real reason we went South was to visit Shan's grandparents. We love them so dearly and it was great to be able to see them again. It was apparently a pretty big weekend in Parowan, since the Fair was there, and everyone was home for the event. The kids tried to ferris wheel and only poor Madeline (who wanted to get off after it started) stayed on with Shan. Lets just say that the petting zoo is more our style. We were also able to see cousins, aunts, uncles, in-laws, and even a new boyfriend. Thanks Shelly and fam.

Summer Fun

2009-09-14T21:36:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken on July 24th (Utah's state holiday- Pioneer Day) when we had lots of family in town. We had a bbq in the backyard with relay races and trampoline fun for the kids. Check out how cute Mr. James is! Oooooh, he is soooo fresh and scrumptious.

I think he looks like a little old man in this one:) so sweet.

and that is the look of pure love (looking right at Amanda)!

sweetie pie Jade- don't you just LOVE the toddler body?

Caleb's look of concentration before a ladder ball throw.

We had fireworks and sparklers that night and this is the only picture I got, because shortly after it was taken, Ms. Madeline grabbed the hot end of a spent sparkler and burned her poor little hand.

Ryan's Stainless Steel Kingdom

2009-09-14T21:17:00.001-07:00

Ryan has taken a liking to the "I Spy" books as of late. He loves to stare at the clever pictures and find every single object. This particular page of a futuristic space city (made out of kitchen gadgets) inspired him to make his own. So I got out a bunch of stainless steel items in our kitchen and he started building. It was pretty amazing what he came up with! And he had an elaborate story about what each structure did. Very cool.

laboratory/testing facility

spaceship landing pad

And these are astronauts generating power from an enormous gem inside the "bubble."

I thought this was a great way to spend an afternoon- a perfect, inexpensive, creative project for a child. It was tons of fun to watch as he kept adding and rearranging. He even let his sisters help! I let him leave it out on the kitchen table for a few days and we ate out on the balcony instead.

New School!

2009-09-14T20:40:00.001-07:00

We've started another school year at another new school. The kids are doing great at Edgemont Elementary! (Go Eagles!) Ryan is now in third grade and Emma is in first grade. It pains me to see them grow so fast. It seems like yesterday when Ryan was just starting Pre-K and I cried the whole way home after dropping him off.

This year, Emma's class is a French immersion class, so she's learning French along with her regular studies. She has a morning teacher who is from France, and only speaks French to the children. She teaches them Math and Science. And they have an afternoon teacher who speaks English and teaches them language arts. I am amazed at how much French she has picked up in just a few short weeks! She is teaching Madeline too and it's fun.

We love all of their teachers, and they have also started piano and Hapkido (Korean Martial Arts) after school. On the first day of school, after Madeline and I had walked the kids to school, she looked at me and said, "We're all alone, huh, mom?" I tried not to laugh. She is very excited to start her cooperative preschool next week, where I will be teaching three times a month. Here's to another great year!

More Fish Lake

2009-09-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

I can't help but add some more pictures from our reunion at Fish Lake. I downloaded the other camera and got some more great shots:

The whole gang. I took like 10 consecutive shots to get one where everyone is looking and no one's eyes are closed!
Morning Maddie

beautiful Larsen clan

Grandpa is always so dapper... even camping.

girl cousins

Emelyse and Abby

Playing School

2009-09-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was playing "school" with Madeline and she was the teacher, of course. I was asking her all sorts of questions about letters and numbers and she was answering them quite well. But then it got to be her nap time, and when she asked if I had another question, I said, "Yes. Where is your blankie?" She was onto me, and she said, "That is not appropriate! That's it- everyone in the hot box." I about died laughing. What?????? So I asked her what the hotbox was and she said, "It's like time out, only hotter." Woah. You better watch out when Madeline's in charge.

Hiking the Y

2009-08-30T21:39:00.000-07:00

Shan took the kids up to the Y right before sunset the other night. It is a pretty steep climb, but they made it after taking plenty 'o breaks. Madeline says next time, she's going to make it all by herself, so we'll have to see about that! I just love looking at the most important people in my life- I love, love, love them, every single one.

Fish Lake Reunion

2009-08-27T12:14:00.000-07:00

We were able to camp at Fish Lake this year with my extended family and it was so much fun! The children had a blast together hiking, fishing, and making crafts. One such craft was the infamous bamboo stick project (painstakingly brought from NC in the moving truck... much to Shan's delight:). Each child painted their own stick and we ended up with rainbow sticks, lightsabers, and swords. They turned out great and they loved hiking with them.
We decided to do the Calf Creek Falls hike, which is a perfect family hike. It follows a winding river through the bottom of a Canyon in Capitol Reef to it's source. It was hot and it took our caravan a few hours each way, but the children did great! When they tired, we'd just keep giving them Pixie Sticks and they'd perk right up. Hahahaha. They made it all the way!Jen and I

And this is what we saw when we got there! It was so beautiful!!! Cute Emelyse

And sweet baby James

The family shot.This one cracks me up... I am sacrificing an actual picture of me in a bathing suit for you to be able to check out Maddie's goggles.

Nana proved she is tough once again. Suddenly, while we were all munching on our lunches, she stood up and just walked right out there and didn't even yelp when she dove in. Brrrrr.

Can you see me? I thought my heart would stop because the water was sooooo cold. And I couldn't breathe because there was so much water in the air. But Shan made me touch it.

Blueberries Galore

2009-08-23T11:45:00.000-07:00

Meet Millie. She is so sweet. She and her husband, Peter, have owned this blueberry patch for decades. They are now in their 80s and still going strong! It is so cute to see them walking across the lawn holding hands...and I think they are in such good health because of all the blueberries. Shan used to pick berries for them when he was 12 years old, and every year we go back to get our year's supply. This year, Peg helped us pick and we came away with almost 50 pounds! We loaded up two coolers full and brought them back to Utah. We are now enjoying them by the cupful, on cereal, and in muffins. And I'm waiting for Shan to make me a blueberry cobbler. (hint, hint:)

(p.s. Don't miss reading 'Blueberries For Sal' to your kids. It is the best.)

After we pick the berries, we put them through a sorter to weed out the bad berries and the little stems.

This is a jasmine bush!!! And it makes for the prettiest "restroom" entrance ever. It emits the most amazing fragrance and you can actually smell it from across the yard. Makes me want to use the facilities just because.

Fourth of July Fun

2009-08-22T14:56:00.001-07:00

We spent the Fourth of July at Chelsea and Mike's new house in Portland. We had fun playing with cousins and eating a delicious spread.
Ryan

I thought Peg was so cute in her red bandana headband.

This is Oliver the Great. It was our first time meeting him and he is adorable!

Madeline

Jade and sweet Eli

happy girl

Chels and Oliver

Cousins in a row. Aren't they adorable?

Seaside and Oswald Beach

2009-08-22T14:31:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about our move to Utah is the proximity of our family! We had only been here a few days when we took a trip up to Oregon to visit and we made it out to Seaside, which is one of our favorite vacation spots and we all had so much fun. Shan's parents, sisters and their husbands, and nephews also came, but I have no pictures to prove it. (I decided I'm a terrible event photographer since sometimes I'd just rather enjoy the moment.)

One of the most memorable things on this Seaside trip, I wasn't able to photograph. Shan and I had gone on an early morning run (no camera) on the beach and we came upon two bald eagles feeding on a dead sea lion that had washed up on shore during the night. It was an amazing thing to see them so close and they were HUGE. And so beautiful. We couldn't get enough of them.

Playing at the Sunset Beach just north of Seaside.

The next day, we went to Oswald Beach.

It is more of a local's hangout and a short hike through a gorgeous fern laden forest. It was so beautiful but SO WINDY. It was hard to enjoy it since the wind was so crazy, and the kids pretty much huddled around until we left.

Except Bryce who was very brave!

I think Madeline's favorite part of Seaside was her carousel ride on the Seahorse. This girl dreams of being a mermaid, so it was a perfect fit.

And the rest of the kids loved the bumper cars and arcade.

She did it!

2009-08-18T05:24:00.001-07:00

Do you see Marisa finishing the Provo River 1/2 Marathon? She's the one on the left. I don't contribute much to the blog, but had to post Marisa's 1/2 marathon. She has been preparing diligently for months and was ready for the race. This race had several thousand participants and was along a beautiful stretch through Provo Canyon along the Provo River. She beat her goal by 14 minutes. Way to go Marisa!
Marisa was able to run with her sisters Jen and Amanda. Amanda traveled from San Antonio and has a new baby James who is just a few months old. Jen works nearly full time, takes care of her 3 children and still found time to train. Nice job ladies!

(Addition from Marisa: I couldn't have done it without my incredible sisters who have supported me through this whole process and pushed me on. When we signed up to run the race, I don't think any of us realized how important it would be. We have ironically all had separate struggles this year, but we conquered this and it felt great! Sisters are the best.)

From Sea to Shining Sea

2009-08-13T07:06:00.001-07:00

This was how the kids and I spent most of the first day- tuckered out from all the moving. Thank heavens for Shan and Doug who are steady drivers.

From NC, we went North through West Virginia, Ohio (above), Iowa (below), Nebraska, Wyoming, and finally Utah. I'm serious when I say that I love our cross country drives- the land of the free is absolutely beautiful! It's so neat to see the different places people live and this time I was especially inspired by the tidy farms in Iowa and Nebraska. Three cheers for the farmers there... they feed the nation and do the hardest work there is. Their farms are absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't believe how many hours we could be driving through corn fields! I almost panicked thinking about who was going to eat all of it.

Iowa

Doug drove the Penske most of the way and the kids took turns riding with him. Ryan ended up riding with him for most of the way. We got out the walkie-talkies and had fun bantering back and forth between vehicles. It helped immensely with the fun factor.

I was happy to see so many windmills along the way. We saw thousands of them, but the kids still got excited every time another one came up. They are so massive, they almost seem like they are from another planet or the future or something.

We took an unexpected stop in Nebraska to see my Aunt Judy and we had the chance to see the Omaha LDS temple and the visitor's center there. It is one of the sites where the Mormon pioneers camped for a very cold and difficult winter during their journey West. We learned about their houses, their wagons, and we got to dress up like them!

This is about the only interesting thing in Wyoming:)

Emma colored the whole way.

finally to the Wasatch Front.

And two months later, we're still unpacking! It's been a busy and fun summer.

The Big Move

2009-08-11T15:43:00.001-07:00

We couldn't have survived our move without some of the best parents in the world! We were so lucky to have both of our moms come out for Ryan's baptism and they were a HUGE help! Not only did they pack like crazy, they watched kids, and helped me pick tons of strawberries, make strawberry syrup, and can it in the middle of the night during the move. Thanks moms.

Doug also made it out and he was a huge help to Shan with projects around the house that the inspector had put on our "to-do" list. Here, he was replacing a facia board. Doug's knowledge and usefullness never gets old... I am continually amazed. Thanks Doug.

This is the real face of the move: neglected. Hasn't bathed in five days. Who knows if anyone brushed her hair, teeth, or even fed her for that matter. Let's just say they survived.

Why is the last day of moving the longest day of your life? It's unbelievable the way the last "few things" can take days! So Saturday night, we had everything out of the house and almost packed into the Penske. Almost. At that point, we realized there were many things that would have to stay behind because the truck was full. I was unhappy to say the least. So Shan saved the day and rented a small trailer to pull behind the Sienna. (Go Sienna.) Sunday, we made it to church and then came home to pack the rest. Needless to say, it turned into a full day of work, and definitely not a restful Sabbath day.

I like the reflection of Emma's face in the window; very cool.

Shan was stoked about getting on the road. He has always wanted a truck...

Despite our late night on Sunday, we were ready to close on Monday morning and the house was spotless. In fact, it was so nice, I thought maybe we should move in. But, I reluctantly handed over the keys before I could burst into tears and off we went. This was our entourage.

Southern Pines Top 10

2009-07-27T21:58:00.000-07:00

Despite the fact that I haven't blogged for over a month, we are alive and well! We miss all of our wonderful NC friends so much! Please email me for our new contact info: Marisagrimmius@yahoo.com. It has been a very busy month for us. We moved across country, traveled to Oregon for a vacation with Shan's family, and once we got back to our new house, we had my sister and her four children with us for a week. It has been a great time for the kids, but we are still trying to get things organized and settled. I've decided that I'm waning on the moving thing. 11 times in 11 years is a little excessive, don't you think? I have so many (like hundreds) of pictures from our adventures that I am overwhelmed in trying to blog them. So I decided I will do first things first....

Our top ten things we already miss about SP.

The things we will never forget:

1. Real Rainstorms. The kind that drench you if you are running from the driveway into the house. The lightning bolts that light up the entire sky and the kind of booming thunder that shakes the house.

It is this kind of storm that makes #2 possible:

2. Trees, glorious trees. We counted over 60 trees in our yard and most of them were huge. Emma became a little climber and developed a particular fondness of the Crepe Myrtle tree in front. (A little FYI: We now have one little miserly tree in front and it can't even hold Emma's tiny weight.)

3. Downtown Southern Pines. I could have included 50 pictures of all the cool places to shop. Antiques, book stores, and baby boutiques all mixed in together. I really love how downtown Southern Pines brings people together... families and friends browsing, biking, and sitting. The train station was darling and the regular trains that would blow on through were always an exciting thing to watch.
4. The Ice Cream Parlor. This one is also downtown, but we loved the ice cream so much, we had to give it a number all it's own. We stopped here after soccer games and school programs and simply for fun on Saturday afternoons. Once, Emma and Madeline had their picture taken for the newspaper while eating ice cream on a bench outside the parlor. 5. Equestrian beauty. The horses, and well kept white-fenced fields are so charming. We will especially miss the Christmas carriage parade with horses and carriages decked out with poinsettias, bells, and furs. Gorgeous.

6. Wildlife. This was Emma's favorite thing, for sure. We had cardinals, and blue jays, and robins and finches. We had way too many squirrels! We had a constant barrage of bunnies and deer who loved my garden. We saw turtles laying eggs in the neighbors grass, snakes, wolves, and even a mischevious fox. The kids loved to catch fireflies and it was so magical to sit outside after dusk and watch them light up like thousands of twinking lights suspended in mid-air. Add to that three kids fresh out of a bath and in their pajamas, hopping around trying to catch them... they looked just like garden fairies.

We also had constant entertainment from the little chameleon lizards that lived in our window boxes and on the sides of the house. The day we loaded up the Penske, the door was open almost all day and one must have slipped inside because the next day, we went back to get the last of the refrigerator items, and found one all alone on the hardwood floor. Emma caught it and let the poor thing go "back to his family."

7. Our lake and our neighborhood. We had such good times on the fishing boat, and even caught a few fish. We kayaked on it a few times, and had a neighborhood bbq there once, but mostly, we just walked down to it for evening walks, to throw rocks and see the geese.

Our neighborhood was quiet and peaceful and made me happy everytime I turned into our street. I miss my walks and waving to my sweet neighbors. We miss you Ms. Mary and Mr. Jere and Ms. Lin and her golden retrievers.8. Southern Pines Park. Our favorite place to play and socialize after school and during summer months. 9. Golf. It is Shan's favorite thing in the world and it does make for beautiful scenery. I think Moore County has almost 60 golf courses. And a lot of old people to go with it. Maybe we'll be those people in 30 years...

Pinehurst No. 2

10. People. I saved the best for last. The people we loved in NC are a part of our lives forever. There are so many that I can hardly count them all, and I certainly don't have pictures of everyone, but I think you know who you are. We love you.Jenn Cain and I.

Ft. Bragg women- as tough as they get.

Pinehurst ladies at a Time-Out for Women.

Happy Birthday Hen

2009-06-18T21:23:00.000-07:00

My sister Jennifer (aka Hen, Henry, Neb, Nebra) is one of the best people on the planet. If you don't know her, you are definitely missing out. I promise to introduce you if you are super nice to me and promise to love her as much as I do. We are in the middle of our cross-country trip, so I missed her birthday yesterday and I about died when I realized what the date was today! Ugh. Anyway, I am so thrilled that I get to spend more time with her this summer. She is one of my favorite people ever. She is so talented and driven and has way too many hobbies to count, she is an extremely patient person (something that does not come naturally to me), and she is also super loving and accepting of people. Jen inspires me to be better. Happy birthday doll.

School's Out!

2009-06-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at the effort it takes just to end school these days... we had end-of-year performances and field trips and cookouts and behavior parties and bowling trips and class parties and fun day. Pretty much, Ryan and Emma could have just skipped the last two weeks of school and not missed a thing, except for fun.This was Emma's cookout at Seven Lakes. Mimi and Daddy enjoying the day at the lake.

This is Ms. Walters and Emma loves her.

This is sweet Mrs. Ray. Emma loves her too.

Last day of school!

Ryan sung "Chim Chim Cheroo" (Mary Poppins) at the Second Grade Musical and it was so fantastic! I decided you don't know fear until your seond grader gets up in front of hundreds of people to sing a solo.... I'm serious, I was almost sick. But he did soooo well- perfectly on pitch- and when he was finished, the crowd went wild. When we got home, he asked me if I thought he could be on American Idol:) Chimney Sweep atire

Ryan and his friend Chloe.

Mrs. Davis

Mrs. McNeil

Three cheers that Ryan survived Second Grade!!! Way to go.

Painted Lady

2009-06-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

This year, we had the chance to watch a caterpillar form it's chrysallis and change into a butterfly. What an amazing thing for children and adults alike! First we fed it and fed it and fed it and watched it eat and eat and eat. Then, she stuck herself to the top of the cage and formed a "J" shape and became encrusted with his cacoon. About five days later, she popped out and was a beautiful Painted Lady butterfly! We let her stay in the container for a day while her wings dried, and then the kids let her go and away she flew. Emma especially loved it and decided to do her end-of-year project on the life cycle of butterflies.

She flew out so quickly, it was hard to get a good picture, but you can see her if you look at the left-third, middle.

Ryan's Baptism

2009-06-11T21:03:00.001-07:00

Ryan's baptism was so wonderful. We were lucky enough to get both of Ryan's grandma's out here. We had lots of friends who attended and each of the family members participated in the program. Ryan was really excited about it and had been planning it for quite some time.

As I watched him, I realized yet again what a great blessing it is to be a mother. It has been the best honor and privilege of my life.

"You'll shoot your eye out..."

2009-06-11T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ryan's favorite present this year was a BB gun. Not just any BB gun mind you- no, it was a Red Rider BB gun (think Christmas Story). I wasn't too sure about it, because when Shan put it in the shopping cart, I noticed that the box said it was for age 10+, but then I saw how every guy in the store perked up a bit when they saw what I was buying. I even had a few of them ask me who it was for and one guy followed me down the aisle so he could tell me all about his BB gun and how he loved it the most when he was 8 years old. Sold. And it was a hit.

Ryan's Birthday Treasure Hunt

2009-06-11T20:32:00.001-07:00

I honestly cannot believe that I have an 8 year old! This year has been a great one for Ryan, as he has really grown in so many ways. He is always concerned about doing the right thing and has an unusually good sense of humor for his age. At his end of year awards ceremony, Ryan got the award for the "best laugh." He has lots of friends and wants to be nice to everyone. We celebrated with friends from his class at school. The kids absolutely loved the treasure hunt. We took them all over the neighborhood and then down to the lake for the treasure where pinecones marked the spot with a big x. It was a very hot day and having 10 eight year olds wore Shan and I out! Before we could finish reading each clue, the kids were off and running down the street for the next one. Emma kept up with the fastest of them, but mommy and Madeline (in stroller) hardly could catch them.

Breaking 80

2009-06-11T20:24:00.000-07:00

Shan has been living it up for the past couple of months, working at Legacy Links Golf Course and getting in as many golf lessons, practice sessions, and rounds as possible. He finally achieved one of his life long goals and broke 80- not once, but three times!

Toothless

2009-05-19T18:59:00.001-07:00

Miss Emma's teeth have been wiggly for months, and then suddenly the front four all came out within a few weeks of each other. Have you ever seen a prettier toothless grin?

Mr. Knight and Little Red Riding Hood

2009-05-18T11:43:00.000-07:00

The kids had a Fairytale Frolic at their school. They read lots of fairy tales over a few weeks and then the kids dressed up as their favorie character for school. Ryan's costume came from some pieces we already had and then I wrapped his helmet and shin guards with tin foil. It was a hit. Ms. Emma's costume was a little more difficult, but not much. My friend Mary had a pattern for a cape that calls for felt and didn't need any hemming. It took about 45 minutes from start to finish and Emma looked darling! Now that's my type of a project.

Fishing at Legacy Links

2009-05-18T10:52:00.001-07:00

We have less than a month left here, so we are using every second to squeeze in all the things we've been meaning to do. Shan has really been enjoying his time, as he is now working for a local golf course in the mornings and pretty much golfing all afternoon. One of the fringe benefits of golf course employment is to be able to fish in the course lakes, which are brimming with fish. So here are a few pictures of the crew enjoying the catch.

Shan actually caught this huge fish with another little fish he caught. As he was reeling the little fish in, he saw the bigger fish following it, so he threw the little fish back out there and sure enough, the big fish swallowed the little fish and hooked himself. How do you like that fish tale?

Father and Son Outing

2009-05-18T10:41:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing they don't invite me on these trips, because I have something to say about Ryan running around like a Wild Thing, eating chips out of the bag. But once again, they had a great time (probably because I wasn't invited). There was a river pool with a rope swing and swimming and Ryan eventually got in, despite the fact that the water was freezing.

Uncle Kirk's Visit

2009-05-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

It was our privilege to have Shan's uncle Kirk out to our house for a few days to golf and spend time with our family. We packed a lot into his time here. In fact he had to be torn away from a round at the National Golf Club to make his flight back home.

We love you Kirk!

Reading with the girls

Eating some Salmon for Marisa's birthday dinner.

Kirk and Shan at National Golf Club

Bass Fishing

Hilarious.

2009-05-01T17:44:00.001-07:00

In 10 years, when Ryan wants to know why I blogged so many pictures of Emma and Madeline, and not very many of him when he was 7 1/2, all I'm going to do is show him these two pictures:

This is the face he insists upon every time there is a camera in the vicinity.

Woah. I have more, but I will spare you.

Shan is the Man

2009-04-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

Shan has been training for an olympic triathalon for a few months now and Saturday was the big day. (It was also our 11th year anniversary, so I wonder if he did this to prove to himself that he still has "it," even after 11 years of marriage?) As for me, I haven't had "it" for a long time, but I will take credit for supporting his workout schedule, driving down to S.C. with the fam and getting stuck in a construction standstill on the freeway, waking three kids up in the wee hours of the morning, and keeping them mostly happy during a long day of very hot weather, including multiple trips to the port-a-potty with all of them (Madeline freaked out at that. She pretty much acted out how I feel when I have to use one of those things.), and all the while trying to keep them off the bike/run path, and be Shan's personal photographer! Phew. It makes me tired just to type it.

Back to Shan... Not only did he finish the race, he met his goal! I was totally amazed at all of the athletes. That is one tough course: 1 mile swim, 24 mile bike ride, and a 6 mile run.

The transition area

Shan had his own little cheering section. This is before the race started.

Start.

Swim.

Transition to bike.

Finishing the bike.

Starting the run.

Finish line and still smiling.

This is what we did while we waited in the hot South Carolina sun.

After the race was over, we all went for a swim in the lake to cool off.

I love this picture of Emma. She is so athletic. Maybe someday she will be a triathlete too.

SOLD

2009-04-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Pine Haven is officially under contract. Emma and I cried. We will always love this home no matter where life takes us. It was the perfect fit for us and we loved it every day. If you have never visited the Pinehurst area, you have two months to visit us and see it for yourself! Shan will gladly take you golfing and I will gladly cook for you.

Easter Sunday

2009-04-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

The azaleas are out in full bloom right now, which makes this time of year such a plus! LOVE it. So sad to leave it. At least I get to take these cuties with me.

Easter Celebrations

2009-04-13T09:11:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, we had an easter egg hunt at the church.

The Easter baskets were already packed up so I decided to craft some with the kids. We used sand buckets and sticky foam to make spring pictures.

Easter Bunny droppings. He left them all over the house!

Birds' Nest cupcakes