Our Little Corner of the World

Our newest addition...

2012-01-28T22:35:00.003-07:00

We had a new little brown haired, brown-eyed beauty join our family on December 25 and life has not been the same around here. I now have three car seats in the back seat, three babies in the bathtub, going through diaper wipes twice as fast, and some days there is a battle over which baby I need to hold or which baby gets to sit in the cart at the store.

Here she is...
Our wonderful little Sally...

And did I mention that I am getting up twice as much during the night. Seriously!! Sally's is either hungry, scared, or her diaper has leaked on the blankets in her crib and I am supposed to clean it up.

But my heart to melts when I watch my little munchkin singing primary songs to calm down Sally or when she asks me to pick up Crue and hold him so that she can make sure she is holding Sally the right way or when she tries to wash Sally's hair without getting soap in her eyes. She is going to be an excellent mommy one day.

Adios, Chao, Ciao, Adieu

2012-01-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Goodbye to an absolutely amazing year. A year full of surprises, answered prayers, and a new bundle of joy. A year full of bike rides, movie nights on the trampoline, playing in the backyard, long walks in the summer, baseball games, and picnics at the park. A year full of trials and a year full of growth. A year full of firsts---first day of preschool, first smiles, and first steps. A year full of new friends and new family. And most importantly a year full of lots of laughter, hugs, and kisses.
We are excited to see what comes our way in 2012!!

A little December Update

2012-01-01T00:14:00.002-07:00

Christmas time was just amazing this year. It was full of family, friends, and remembering the true meaning of Christmas. Here are some of the highlights...

Claire had quite the imagination this month. She played "waterpark" nearly everyday and she thought she needed her makeup done all the time.

Making and eating lots of sugar cookies.

Crue got his first two teeth poking through and he has decided he wants to try walking. Eight steps so far...Wahoo!!

Spent lots of time playing with our two precious babies

Claire insisted she could decorate Santas cookies all by herself and declared that they were "the BEST cookies ever and Santa will just love them." And he did!

We decided that we really like have Christmas on Sunday. The day was even more special when we started it out by attending an hour of church.

We watched Claire get so excited about all her presents and then watch both of them play together.

Claire made her first gingerbread house. And boy was she proud of it!!

Spent time with family

Bowling, eating too much pizza, and playing games on New Years Eve.

Going to Temple Square to see the lights

And going Disco Ice-skating.

(Pictures to come if I can ever find the camera I used)

What a great year!

Why I love my kids

2011-12-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

Claire

1. She is always happy.

2. At chuck-e-cheese she was redeeming her tickets and she passed on the lipgloss, rings, bracelets, stickers, and necklaces, and instead she chose a plastic green beetle.

3. She loves sleeping with her face pressed up against something. She used to wake up with her face covered in mesh marks if she slept in a pack-n-play. Now she wakes up with bright red marks on her face from having it pressed up hard against the sides of her toddler bed.

4. She tells me and Luke constantly how much she loves us.

5. We go on walks and she will talk about totally random things. One of my favs was when we were walking to the library and she was planning out her 17th birthday party....a little mermaid party!! Maybe I will plan her a surprise little mermaid birthday party when she turns 17.

6. She changes her clothes all day long and at least 75% of them are pajamas. And at least 90% of the time they are on inside out or backwards or both. And yes, she does realize they are on wrong and she prefers it that way. I have learned to pick my battles and this is not one of them.

7. Each month she changes her mind on what she wants to be when she grows up. Some include pouring cement, cutting down trees, driving a garbage truck, and her latest is working at American burger. What can I say, she has high expectations for the future.

8. Claire: "Mom, I need the keys" (with mismatched shoes, my purse on one shoulder, and her stuffed animal in Crue's car seat that she is dragging towards the door.)

Me: Where you going

Claire: I am going to the store to get a drink. Can I get you anything?

9. She has great ideas. Here is her latest. She wants the sky and mountains to be prettier and wants to color them purple and pink. So the plan is to pick up her favorite babysitters and drive to the mountains, climb a ladder to get to the top of the mountain so she can touch the sky, color the sky and mountains with her crayons and markers, and then ride a slip n slide all the way to the bottom of the mountain until it ends at a really big bounce house. And she asks several times a day if we can do what she calls "My Really Great Plan"

10. She calls fruit loops "The Beautiful Cereal"

Crue

1. His favorite toy is a bag of potatoes and he knows exactly where they are kept and how to get to them.

2. He thinks he is just the coolest little boy when he can let go of the couch and balance himself.

3. He likes to follow around his sister because she will give him things that his mama wont.

4. He is going to have great baby abs. He likes to lay in the crib and lift both legs in the air and slam them back down. He will continue to do this until he is asleep.

5. Claire can get him to laugh so hard that milk comes out if his nose.

6. One evening he was in the excersaucer and he was throwing a fit. He was tired and fussy and just wanted me to hold him but I couldn't at the moment. So there he was whining away when Claire comes running through the kitchen and trips on absolutley nothing and falls flat on her face right in front of him. And Crue just bust up laughing...so hard he had tears running down his face.

7. He gets so excited when me and Claire go get him in the morning and will just start laughing and bouncing up and down

8. He is extremely patient with his big sister and all the things she tries to do with/to him. But he sure lets her know when she has gone too far and he is sick of it.

9. He is always so happy and is the easiest baby ever!!

10. His smile just melts my heart.

Christmas Countdown

2011-12-12T09:09:00.003-07:00

A new favorite tradition is the Christmas Book Countdown. I saw it on a friends blog a few years ago and instantly fell in love with it. What can I say, I LOVE BOOKS!! It took me a year of collecting 24 Christmas books from here and there but it was totally worth it.

And so it begins....

2011-12-10T08:45:00.001-07:00

Last week Claire come up to me and whispered "Mom, I want you to come see the guy I love". What!! Did she really say what I thought she just said? Yep, she did! The guys she loves is on Little Rascals. I just assumed it would be Alfalfa or one of the other guys in the He-Man Woman Haters Club. But noooo. She drags me into the other room to show me this guy...

One of the bullies. The bad boy. And she is OBSESSED with him and defends him every time he comes on the tv and I happen to be in the room. I constantly hear "Mom, the guy I love is not a bowl" or "He is not a boss, Mom" or "I just love the color of his hands". The word 'bully' will not stay in her head and I'm not quite sure what the hand thing is about.

Her proclamation that she loves a guy was made even worse since earlier in the day while we were at Walmart she said "Mom, I decided that I really like bras. Can we me one today?"

Then the other day she told me what she wants for Christmas - a tent full of gummy worms, gummy bears, licorice, suckers, candy, chocolate, candy canes, and 'the guy that she loves' to sit in the tent and eat candy with her.

Then yesterday...

Claire: "Mom, If I push somebody then I should give him a hug when I say I'm sorry, right?"

Me: "Did you push somebody today at school"

Claire: "No, I didn't push Beckham.......but I am thinking about it"

I wasn't expecting this for at least a few more years. Seriously where does she get this from!!

Hmm, maybe we should just lock her in her room for the next twenty years or so.

She Did It!!!

2011-12-08T08:22:00.001-07:00

For months Claire has been telling us that Santa can come to our house this year to deliver presents and she even said she would sit on his lap. (remember last year she brought Luke his phone and asked him to call Santa and tell him not to come) And last night at the Christmas party she followed through. We are so proud of her.

She wouldn't actually sit on his lap but she did agree to stand by him as long as Daddy was right there too. And look at the smile on her face! I must say I am quite surprised considering the Santa meltdown she had while I was trying to do her hair before the party. I guess she got all the anxiety and tears out of her system.

And our little guy just stared at the jolly ol' guy.

And then decided to give his beard a little tug and Santa was more than happy to get him off his lap.

November

2011-12-06T08:22:00.004-07:00

A quick little update on the rest of our November.

The day before Thanksgiving we got together with my mom and baked pies. As always, we had a great time. And I think we ended up making twelve pies. YUM!!!

And this little baker wanted to make her very own pie

For Family Home Evening we made thankful hand turkeys. Claire was very helpful at telling us what her brother is thankful for. 1- He can crawl 2- All his friends 3- His sister 4- Carpet 5-His mom and dad

We raked and played in the leaves.

There are two events at school in which Claire has been anxiously waiting her turn. One of them is when it is her turn to hold the flag...."and I will hold it so good that it won't even touch the floor". And the second event was when it would be her turn to bring treats. Well, treat time came and she was so excited to bring her turkey cookies. Oh, the things we do for our kiddos just to see a big smile. It was well worth staying up til midnight.

And we ended our November by bundling up the kids and heading out to see Santa come in to town on an old firetruck.

2011-11-27T22:05:00.007-07:00

I decided that if I cant get to sleep after laying in bed for an hour I might as well get up and catch up on the blog. So here it is, a month late, but better late than never.

HALLOWEEN!!!

Can I just say again how much I love halloween. Especially making costumes for my kiddos. After seeing all the clowns in the Pioneer Day Parade, Claire decided that is what she wanted to be for halloween. The funny thing is that she is actually TERRIFIED of clowns.

Claire had a halloween parade at school and I think I was more excited for it than she was. At the end of the parade all the kids stood on the steps of the schoolhouse and sang us some halloween songs.

She really wanted to take orange soda as her treat for the Halloween party and I surprised her by turning them into ghosts.

On Halloween we had the perfect halloween dinner and I think I might just make it a tradition.

And then we went trick-or-treating. Claire was so excited until we ran into two clowns and of course it was at the first and second houses that we went to. Then she was a little hesitant to go up to the door at any of the houses unless her daddy went with her. Poor girl!

Our little pirate was just as good as could be. And as cute as could be. He is such a good sport.

Day 18

2011-11-18T15:35:00.001-07:00

I am thankful for youtube. Watching this video put me in the best mood this morning. So Funny!!!

Day 17

2011-11-17T08:04:00.002-07:00

Today I am thankful for a warm house to live in. Everything outside is covered in frost but my kiddos and I are nice and warm. And to make my morning even better, Claire didn't wake up at five in the morning like she has been doing lately, Crue is still sleeping, and I am all caught up on my Thankful Days (even if they are totally out of order). I think it is going to be great day!! The only way it could be better is if Luke was home with us instead of at work.

Day 16

2011-11-17T07:54:00.002-07:00

Crazy as this may sound, seeing my kiddos in their jammies just puts a smile on my face. Especially if they happen to be wearing the one piece pajamas. Claire and Crue's Christmas pajamas are hidden up in the closet and I am so excited to see them on that I am not be able to wait until Christmas Eve.

Day 12

2011-11-17T07:50:00.001-07:00

I am thankful for all the little things....Claire calling me into the room just to tell me she loves me, watching Crue give Luke a slobbery open mouthed kiss, Luke bringing me home a treat from the store just because, and many more.

Smile on my face...
Nothing makes my girl happier than a warm afternoon, a couple of rakes, and a ton of leaves in the backyard. It made me pretty happy too.

Day 11

2011-11-17T07:49:00.001-07:00

I am so grateful that we live in such a great country and especially for all those that have fought for our freedom and continue to fight for us. A big thanks to all the veterans and their families and also for those that have given their life for us. We love you dearly.

I was so happy to hear about all the different restaurants that were giving free meals to the veterans on Veterans Day. I am glad that they are supporting and honoring our veterans. And my husband sure loved his free meal from Applebees!

Day 10

2011-11-17T07:42:00.003-07:00

Today I am thankful for my mom and all that she does for me. She makes me happy when I am sad, listens when I just need someone to talk to, and is always willing to help out. Yesterday I had to run into Salt Lake and she was able to meet me and the kids for lunch and spending an hour with her was just what I was needing.

Day 14

2011-11-15T12:22:00.005-07:00

I am thankful for all the great friends that I have. A bunch of us try to get together several times a week to go walking together and being with them just makes me happy. And as much as I am not a big fan of facebook, I am glad that it makes it easier to keep in contact with old friends that live far away.

Day 15

2011-11-15T12:09:00.003-07:00

I am grateful that for the opportunities to get an education. I am also grateful for the amazing teachers that Claire has at her preschool. She loves them so much and would probably go to school everyday if she had the choice.

Smile on my face...
Today was Native American Day at school. I told Claire that her daddy was part Native American and she could tell her class if she wanted. So after school as we are driving home she lets out a frustrated sigh. I asked her what was wrong and she said "I forgot to tell my class and my teachers that my daddy is not an american".

Day 13

2011-11-14T08:04:00.003-07:00

I am grateful that we live so close to our church building and so many temples. Sometimes I will hear stories about the people that drive an hour or more to get to church or about the members that have to do their visiting teaching over the phone because it would literally be an all day trip to visit someone. And I know I take it for granted that we live two blocks away from a chapel and have eight temples within about an hour of driving distance.

Seeing groups of children walking home after church totally put a smile on my face.

Day 9

2011-11-12T23:49:00.003-07:00

I am so grateful for our family and that we are able to live so close to them. I grew up with most of my cousins nearby and I am glad that my kids get to as well. They are the best!!

Day 8

2011-11-12T23:39:00.002-07:00

I am thankful for the talents that Heavenly Father has given me. Sure, I wish I could sing, dance, or play a musical instrument. But Heavenly Father has given me other talents that I am grateful for. And I am thankful that I can turn the music up loud enough so I can't hear my own voice as I sing along and nobody can see as me and my kiddos dance around the kitchen as we make dinner. And most importantly, my kiddos don't mind one bit that I sing totally off key when I sing them a primary song at bedtime.

Watching Claire and her daddy dance around the house put a smile on my face today. She likes to dance with me but her daddy is definately her favorite.

Day 8

2011-11-09T07:36:00.003-07:00

I have a plaque at our house that says, "The laughter of a child is the light of a home." It is so true. Some of my favorite sounds include the kiddos laughing and Claire's little feet running around the house. I am so grateful that I am able to stay home with Claire and Crue. Soon after Claire was born we realized we needed to make a decision about whether I would go back to work. We felt that it was important for me to stay home with her but it was a definatley a leap of faith when I put in my two weeks notice at work. In the end it has been such a blessing to all of us.

Watch this video...

How can it not put a smile on your face!!

Day 7

2011-11-07T12:41:00.004-07:00

I am so grateful to have the gospel in my life and for the peace, happiness and direction it brings.

Listening to Claire say her prayers put a big smile on my face today. "And please bless the snow that it wont get melty"

Day 6

2011-11-06T17:47:00.002-07:00

I am thankful for my church calling. I admit that I wasn't exactly happy (bawled like a baby is more like it) when I was taken out of Young Womens and put in the primary presidency but I have learned and grown so much this past year in my new calling and I truly do love working with the children in our ward. We also have the best ward and I have never felt more at home in a ward than I do in this one.

What put on a smile on my face today was watching several of my young women (yes, they will always by my young women) bear there testimonies today at church. They are absolutely amazing girls and I hope Claire grows up to be just like them. They are kind, funny, helpful, righteous, friendly, and I better add great cooks to the list as well. They have brought me Italian Chicken at ten at night just because I mentioned it sounded good. And I can't even count how many times they have brought over yummy cookies straight out of the oven. AND I truly love the sassy text messages I still get from them. They are the best!!

Day 5

2011-11-06T17:38:00.003-07:00

I am thankful that my family doesn't ever go hungry especially when there are so many in this world that do.

Also thankful for all the copycat recipes on that can be found on the internet. Our Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana and homemade breadsticks was absolutely delish for dinner tonight

What put a smile on my face today was walking in the kitchen to find Luke and Claire making breakfast....Macaroni & Cheese and bacon...and some licorice to go along with it.

A little more of October

2011-11-04T21:55:00.012-06:00

We had a great October and enjoyed the cooler air and all the fall activities. Here is little sneak peek...

I took the kids to the Pumpkin Walk out at the Benson Grist Mill

Played outside on the days that were warm

My friend Amy talked me into doing a booth at a craft fair with her and we had a great time. Luke even made some really great birdhouses for us to sell. Now I need to talk him into making one for me.

Went to see the witches at Gardner Village.

One morning Claire told she had a great idea, "Lets go get dad from work and then go play at Chuck-E-Cheese all day. Well we didn't pick dad up from work just hours after he got there but dad decided to surprise Claire with a trip to Chuck-E-Cheese the next week.

After 3 1/2 years of wanting nothing to do with tv, cartoons, disney movies, etc. Claire sat down at watched a movie. Yep, we were quite shocked!

Getting into mischief

And just played around

Day 4

2011-11-04T21:44:00.002-06:00

I am so incredibly thankful for my hubby. Luke is such a great husband and father - hard-working, funny, respectful, loves playing with the kids, helps me out with different projects I am working on, and so much more. I don't even want to think about where I would be if I didn't have him in my life.

And today we put a smile on my face when we called me up during his lunch break and asked me out on a date. I got me a hot date my with hot man!!!

Day 3 Smile on my face

2011-11-03T14:06:00.003-06:00

Today as we were walking into Walmart Claire reached up and held my hand...

Me: Claire, I like holding your hand.
Claire: Yep, it makes me happy too.

I am so thankful that I am her mommy.

Thankful Day #2

2011-11-02T08:18:00.002-06:00

This little boogie man puts a smile on my face each and everyday. This is what I see every morning when I walk into his room to get him out of the crib. He is just standing there and bouncing away with a huge smile on his face and a nose that really needs to be wiped - and I just love it.

What makes me smile...

2011-11-01T10:50:00.003-06:00

I realize that I still have alot of October updating I need to do but I also just realized that it is November 1st. And yes, I realize I am a little slow since I should know that Nov. 1st is the day after Halloween. And just to prove how slow I am, I also realized a little late that Claire had school today. (Halloween on a monday totally messed me up) So the mother of the day award goes to me....I took Claire to school late AFTER she ate tons of candy this morning and BEFORE I could feed her a decent breakfast. And she also had a little bit of clown paint smeared on her face that of course I didn't notice until we were walking up the steps to her school and there was nothing I could do about it. Man, I am doing good today!! But back to why I was blogging, last year I tried to do a grateful post everyday leading up to Thanksgiving and I kinda failed miserably. So this year I am doing a "What put a smile on my face today" post each day.

And today is this....

Yep, a shelf dedicated to sippy cups and baby bottles just makes me smile. Especially when several years ago we weren't sure we would ever have the need for sippies or bottles.

Halloween Party

2011-11-01T06:43:00.010-06:00

Several weeks ago we had a Halloween party with all the cousins at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Look how cool my moms house looks...and this picture doesn't even do it justice. She has these spiders all over her house and in the trees. It seriously looks so cool. I wish I could get into decorating as much as she does and I am hoping that I will when the kiddos get older and want to help me.

All the grandkids getting their pics taken. Claire has been in a "I don't want my picture taken" mood lately so I am hiding behind her and holding her in place. The little rascal.

But our little pirate was all smiles when it came to geting his picture taken

We played lots of fun games like musical pumpkins

And had gunnysack races. Yep, I "borrowed" some gunnysacks from my stepmom (some lady randomly dropped them off to her) a few years ago and they have been quite handy and nope, I don't think she will be getting them back anytime soon.

And had a root beer chugging contest.

And don't forget the pie eating contest.

And you can't forget the kiss after the contest

And of course the ongoing game was "See how many leaves Crue can stuff in his mouth when mom isn't watching". Or at least Crue thought it was a game

Thanks Mom and Ron for the great party!!

Carving Time

2011-10-28T10:51:00.005-06:00

Part of FHE this last week was spent carving pumpkins and we loved every minute of it. Claire enjoyed it better than last year although she still thought it was gross. And Crue just wanted to munch on any piece he could get his cute little hands on.

I have the cutest boys around!!

And one cute little munchkin too!

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-27T07:46:00.005-06:00

Can I just say how much I love Halloween!! It is quickly moving up my list of favorite holidays. And the older the kiddos get, the more I like it. We made it a tradition a few years ago to visit a pumpkin patch for FHE a few weeks before Halloween to pick out our pumpkins. In my opinion, it is so much better than just picking one out of a giant box at the grocery store. Well this year was a little different. Our Stake had a pumpkin patch down on the stake farm and then put together an activity for all the primary kids one saturday morning. I had to be there because of my calling in the primary and I dragged my kiddos along too. They sang a song, I think they played a game but we got there a little late, picked out pumpkins, and had donuts and apple juice. The kids loved it!

Claire and her friend Payton

And how is this little boy not the cutest guy around!! I just want to kiss those cheeks and never let go of him.

And since we didn't go to the pumpkin patch for Family home evening, we did something else that Claire also loves to do...we went swimming. Which was an adventure in itself when the fire alarms went off and pool got evactuated. Claire wasn't complaining much - she got to go swimming, see lots of firetrucks, and she had her first dipcone! (Umm ya, I didn't know they still made dipcones either.)

Tea Party

2011-09-28T19:40:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday Claire and I attended a tea party hosted by grandma. Luke and Crue hung out at home since they had been told that boys were not allowed. Us girls had a great time.
We drank our tea (raspberry lemonade),

ate our cute little sandwiches,

sang "I'm a little teapot" and played hot teapot (hot potato),

decorated a cute little door hanger, and painted our nails. Poor grandpa showed up at the wrong time but was a good sport and let all four girls paint his nails.

Of course my favorite part was when my mom started talking to the girls about being proper or something like that and I look at the girls and Caitlyn is in the process of licking her plate clean and Claire is spooning her lemonade into her mouth. Guess our girls need a few more lessons on being proper.

And apparently I need lessons on being proper too since it looks like I am flipping off the camera...totally unintentional I promise.

We really all had a great time and the weather was perfect.

Families are Forever

2011-09-18T20:15:00.007-06:00

There really are no words to describe how wonderful this last week has been. On monday we finalized the adoption. We were excited to have that done, but to us it was really just a step we had to take in order do what we really wanted to do...have Crue sealed to us forever. It is just odd hearing a judge say that Crue is officially our son when we have felt that for a long time, before he was even born really. On friday we were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple and it was just amazing. Our wonderful family and great friends were there with us and the day was just perfect. Then today Luke was able to bless our son at church and what a wonderful blessing it was. We are so blessed!!

First day of school

2011-09-07T07:29:00.003-06:00

The long awaited day finally arrived. Claire has been talking about going to school for at least a year now. Every time we drove by the school she would ask again when she could go. And I'm sure it was her biggest motivator when it came to potty training. We bought her a back pack weeks ago and she took it around to show everyone...whether they cared or not. And yesterday morning she was so excited she could barely eat.

My baby girl had her first day of school. I took her early so I could try and get a few good pics and I though it might be easier on her if she got comfortable in the school before it was totally full. Ha, I think all the other parents were thinking the same thing. She was a little nervous at first and I did have to sneak out after telling her that I should go check on her backpack in the other room. (Hey, it was the only fib I could think of at the time and she thought it was a great idea!!) And I probably would have been a little sad and shed a tear or two but she was so excited which got me excited too. And the first day went great!! She came out and said "Mom, I had a good day at school and I didn't even cry!" Yay!!!

Our Little Man

2011-09-02T22:54:00.001-06:00

Exactly six months ago Luke and I were waiting in the hallway at the hospital waiting to see our baby boy who had only arrived about 30 minutes earlier. We were so excited and at the same time it didn't seem quite real since we weren't expecting him to come for a couple more weeks. We instantly fell in love with him. Now he is six months old and keeps getting cuter each day.

Here is a few things about our little man...

- Crue is holding his own bottle which is great since he doesn't like to be held while he is eating

- He LOVES sweet potatoes

- He either sleeps through the night or I am up with him every two hours. Its always one or the other

- He wants to crawl so bad especially if his sister is in the room

- He is still the easiest baby ever

- His favorite toy is an old water bottle because of the crinkle sound it makes
- He likes sitting out on the grass and watching his big sister

- He is going to be one tough kid with Claire around...he is going to have to be :)

- Went swimming last week and he still is not a fan of the swimming pool

- He is in the 25th percentile for his weight and 90th for his height

- He thinks his big sister in the funniest person and she absolutley thrives on it

- Crue makes us so incredibly happy and we know he was meant to be part of our family

One last game...

2011-08-30T20:14:00.004-06:00

We got tickets to another Bees game from Luke's work and Claire was so excited to go. All day she kept telling me that she wasn't going to be a chicken this time, that she was going to go give the Bee a high five. So within minutes of getting to our seats, she has made friends with everyone around us and everyone knows her plans for the night...

1. ride the train
2. give the Bee a high-five and not be a chicken.
3. run the bases after the game with her daddy
4. watch the fireworks

Well this is how she did.

1. They weren't doing train rides that night. She wasn't too terribly disappointed and neither were we since we had gone to a game the week before and went on multiple rides.

2. She spotted the Bee soon after we sat down so me and her were off to give him a high-five. Did it happen? Nope!! We got back to our seats and everyone around us asked her if she did it and she said "No. I am a big chicken!! Bock, bock, bock." It was so funny. She spotted him again later that night and talked her dad into taking her to see him. And again she came back and told everyone that she chickened out.

3. This one was not done either due to the fireworks. She had even talked a young couple sitting next to us into staying for the whole game so they could watch her. (She seriously made friends with everyone even remotely near us). Guess this will have to wait til next year.

4. So this one she accomplished. The fireworks were great. Even Crue loved them!!

Crue was a good sport through the whole game and enjoyed looking around at everyone and playing with a ball that we got at the game. And even though the game was long, Claire is the best entertainment. Here are a few of my favs.

Claire: "Crue, look at the Bee! Crue, you are not looking the right way! You are not going to see him if you don't look now! No Crue, Look THIS way!! Don't you want to see the Bee? Crue, Crue, Crue!!! Look!!!" Finally she grabs his head with both hands and turns it the right direction.

Player is arguing with ump.
Claire: "Mom, why is everyone mooing at the baseball game?
Me: They're not. They are booing.
Claire: "Why?" "Like a ghost?"

Catsup, Ketchup, Catch-up Time

2011-08-22T20:41:00.002-06:00

Now that August is pretty much over I guess I better hurry and play catch up before I get too far behind. Especially since I'm not even caught up with July.

The first part of July we headed up to Washington to spend some time with Crue's birth family and we had such a good time. Adoption has blessed our family in so many ways and these great people are definitely included in the list of blessings.

We had a great time swimming,

going out on the boat,

playing in the backyard,

going on a tractor ride. (And might I say it was the biggest tractor I have ever seen. Luke had so much fun driving it he might just become a farmer one day.)

running a 5K,

attending the temple,

and just hanging out.

Then a week after we did the 5K in Washington we ran the Erda 5K. I was interested to see how much the elevation would effect our running. Lets just say, it effects it quite a bit. It was definately easier running at an elevation of about 500 than it is running at 4300.

(me and my running partner)

Long before our kiddos came along we used to camp out on the street the night before the Days of 47 Parade. Well this year we decided to do it again and about an hour later we were packed up and headed to Salt Lake. My mom met us downtown and dropped off my stepdad and took Crue home with her. We had so much fun playing games all night long with my cousins, watching the sporadic fireworks that were going off all night long, and basically getting no sleep. And the parade the next morning was great too. I absolutely love how we have Independence Day and Pioneer Day here in Utah.

Then later the next day after we all took a LONG nap we headed to the swimming pool.

Crue Buddy

2011-08-10T21:48:00.006-06:00

Our little Crue buddy (as Luke and Claire call him) is five months old. The time is flying by. He is the happiest little guy and is such a joy to have around. During the last month he has

*Started sitting up all by himself. And even though he has been doing it for several weeks he still has this very proud expression on his face everytime he is sitting up.

*Started rolling over.

*Started eating baby food. Carrots are not his favorite at the moment but he sure loves his apricot/banana food.

A few more things about Crue..

* He is still very good at taking naps and sometimes he will even sleep through the night

* He is still a mama's boy...and that makes his mama really happy.

* His sister can make him laugh harder than anyone else.

* He has the cutest little smile.

* He really wants to talk and his daddy can get him talking better than anyone else.

* He makes us so incredibly happy and we are so grateful he is part of our family.

Swimming Lessons

2011-08-07T20:14:00.002-06:00

Claire was so excited for swimming lessons until we got there and then she started to panic. I guess she thought that I would be in the water with her since we did the Mommy and Me swim class last year. Luckily one of the teachers was able to talk her into participating even though the little munchkin wasn't too happy about it. Her favorite day was definitely when Grandma came out to watch her. She just loves having someone new to show off for.

You and me going fishing in the dark

2011-08-06T22:49:00.004-06:00

My second year down at Dixie I took a fishing class with my roommate Jennie. I think we both must have been needing a break from all the required classes so we were looking for a fun class. And when we heard that a weekend camping/fishing trip to Lake Powell was required, we quickly signed right up for the class. We had a blast and ever since then I have loved fishing.

Skip ahead several years and one summer night my love for fishing totally changed my life. I thought I was just going fishing with my little bro, my cousin (Heidi), and her hubby (Kelly) but when I got to our fishing spot I noticed that they had brought Kelly's cousin with them. And boy was he hot!! And the rest my friends is history. Now I have the best fishing buddy with me for eternity and I am loving every minute of it. And it is definately a bonus that he will clean fish and eat them too. Hey, I like catching a fish, just nothing else after that.

This spring we started taking sunday drives up to the reservoir to see how full it was getting and pretty soon Claire started talking about going fishing. So one monday night for Family Home Evening we headed up with our fishing poles and tackle boxes. I got to hang out with my little man and watch Luke teach Claire how to fish. I hope she starts to like fishing as much as I do.

Dear Blog

2011-08-02T21:39:00.003-06:00

Dear Blog,
Normally when I have neglected you for awhile it is because of one of two reasons.
#1 Nothing has been going on worth blogging about
or
#2 I have been so busy I haven't had time.
Well this time I can't use any of those excuses for abandoning you for the last month. To make myself feel better I even thought about coming up with excuse #3 and saying that I'm worn out and still adjusting to taking care of two kiddos instead of just one but that would be a completely untrue. Call me crazy but two is definately easier than one. July has always been a month full of fun and probably ranks up there with December as favorite months of the year. And this July definately didn't disappoint. Our month was full of campouts, swimming, playdates, Independence Day, Pioneer Day, and so much more....but I still could have taken time for you dear blog. I guess my problem is not knowing where to begin. Every night I think of you. Every night after my sweet babies are sound asleep in bed I tell myself that I will not ignore you anymore. Every night I will sit in front of the computer screen and try to decide where to begin. And when I can't decide, I just go to bed instead. Well no more!! We made so many great memories in July that I don't want to forget. So once I get done coming up with an excuse for not blogging, I promise to get you all caught up.
Sincerely,
Me

Dutch oven dinner, ghost stories, smores, and long hikes....Ahh, the great outdoors.

2011-07-05T22:24:00.005-06:00

So last week was the annual family campout and we had a lots of fun. I have great memories of the campouts with my grandparents, aunt and uncles, and cousins when I was really young and it is usually the most random things I remember. Such as my mom telling us that trolls hid under the cattleguards and would jump into our engine and then eat our feet when we got out the the car if we didn't honk to scare them away when we drove over every cattleguard. Or hiking to the lake and waiting out a really bad storm. And my favorite has to be when my aunt's wood-paneled station wagon broke down up in the mountains and we had to push it up a hill and then it coasted all the way into town. Ahh, the memories!!
I am so glad that the tradition continues and even though my grandparents have passed away, my aunts and uncles still come as well as my cousins with their kids. Now my kiddos can create their own memories of our family campouts...and yes, I even told Claire about the trolls hiding under the cattleguards.
It is always great fun.

Independence Day 2011

2011-07-05T19:54:00.005-06:00

The 4th of July was great!! I love how some things just stay the same. We watch the same small town parade in the same place with the same people and the kids all get lots of the same candy that they get every year. We go the the park where they pretty much have the same games and rides and food every year. And we go and get a ice cold drink at the same store just before we watch the fireworks at night. With all the is constantly changing I like how this stays the same.

The cousins born since last July.

But Mom..

2011-06-30T17:40:00.001-06:00

But Mom, Crue likes having stickers on his head!!

Who would have thought...

2011-06-30T07:36:00.001-06:00

Who would have thought that seven dollars spent at the dollar store would have got me all this...

The prettiest sidewalks in town...

Hours of hearing childrens laughter as they play with bubbles...

Lots of wet clothes...

Some one on one time with my little man since Claire will literally spend hours doing her puzzles...

And the best of all...
" You are the BEST, mom! I am sooooo spoiled!"

Summer Days

2011-06-19T20:49:00.013-06:00

Summer is here and we are enjoying every minute of it. In years past we would be out and about and going lots of places but the weather hasn't been cooperating much this year. Instead we have been enjoying things a little closer to home.

Our days have been spent jumping on the trampoline

Going out to Clover Springs

Working in the yard

Learning how to climb a tree...or as I call it, working on getting that broken arm she so desperately wants

Seeing how many monkees/cousins can fit in a tree

Growing, Growing, and Growing

Sunday drives up to the reservoir...and we have never seen it so full

Playdates with friends at the park

Playing in the backyard

Blowing lots of bubbles

Taking long naps

Making yummy food on the grill...homemade pizza is a new fav

And picnics in the park with Grandma Holly.

It has been a great summer so far!!

So Very Blessed

2011-06-05T23:27:00.002-06:00

The other night I was sitting on the porch holding my babies and singing primary songs as we watched the sun creep behind the mountains. It got me thinking about how incredibly blessed we are. I have a beautiful little girl who is so full of life, so curious about everything, and gives the best hugs in the world. Spending my days with her reminds me to enjoy the simple things and makes me want to be a better mom. My little guy just melts my heart when he smiles and looks at me with those dark brown eyes. Holding him is like holding a piece of heaven and I am so grateful Heavenly Father sent him down. My amazing husband works so hard so I can stay home with our kids. He treats us so good and is the best father in the world. Im not sure what I did to deserve such a great man. And most of all, we have the gospel in our lives which brings so much peace and happiness along with it. I love knowing that I can be with my family forever. I know that Heavenly Father loves me and knows me personally and has a plan for us.

Life is great and I am so very blessed

Looking to the future

2011-06-05T18:55:00.004-06:00

Oh, the things she looks forward to doing...

When I am 10 I can mow the lawn all my myself.

Mom, when Crue gets older me and you can get married in the temple and I will look like a princess.

I'm going to make cement when I get older.

When I am 16 I can drive a garbage truck and pick up all the garbage on the street.

Next year I can climb the tree all the way to the top.

When I get older I want a broken arm. And I want a green cast. That would be so awesome! I want to break my arm now but mom said no.

I can drive a car when I am 20.

Mom, can I play with sharp knives when I am six?

I want to ride on a motorcycle when I get old but mom says she will spank my bum really hard. I think boys and motorcycles are dangerous.

When I go poop in the potty, dad will buy me an orange soda, some green gum, and m&m's. And I get to go to school!!

I want to ride my bike through the mud puddles with Callie this week.

Baseball Time

2011-05-24T21:34:00.001-06:00

Two weeks ago we went to our first baseball game this season. As always, we had a blast. I love the whole atmosphere at the baseball games...the food, the snow cones, the lights on the field, and of course, the game.

Claire's favorite part is the train ride.

And our cute little guy in his new baseball shirt!

FLASHBACK!! Can't believe this was three years ago....

Spring!

2011-05-23T18:43:00.000-06:00

My favorite thing about spring is getting the yard and garden ready for the summer. I absolutely love it!! With the help of my two kiddos we got our garden started and even got some raspberries planted this year.

Claire wants to help with anything and everything. And if it includes manual labor and getting dirty, all the better.
And how cute is the one sneaker and one cowboy boot combo :)

And how did this little guy help? He hung out in the swing and was good as gold while we worked outside.

And while we were busy getting the planting done, Luke was busy putting up our new concrete fence. He did an amazing job!!

Stansbury Island

2011-05-22T21:37:00.005-06:00

I know this this is a month late but better late than never, right?? Since the weather was cooperating this year we got to go out to Stansbury Island. Yay!!

Here are some of the highlights of the day

Claire got to go on a 4-wheeler ride. At first she was scared but towards the end she kept asking Grandpa to go again.

Crue's favorite part was being held for hours and hours.

Playing in the sand with Claire's friend and cousin.

We have always wimped out and never hiked up with those that participate in the annual "tire rolling down the mountain" event. This year we decided to hike up with them. So here is the deal, years ago my brother would hike up the mountain carrying an old tire and when we could barely see him he would let it roll down with the goal of it going all the way to the bottom without stopping. Now it is tradition with several tires being carried up and half the adults and kids hiking up too.

And of course the Easter Egg Hunt was a hit. I think all the adults brought extra eggs and candy in case someone else forgot. I have never seen so much candy!!

Let me re-phrase the question

2011-05-13T14:08:00.004-06:00

The other morning I walked into Claire's room and said "How did you sleep last night?" Without saying a word she looked at me, looked at her bed, and had the look on her face that shows she was thinking really hard about something. (Apparently I usually ask her if she slept good.) Then she got on her bed, moved around a little bit so she was laying sideways, sat up to see exactly where she was, layed back down, put her blanket on her, moved around a little bit more, grabbed her stuffed animal, then decided to move her blanket so only half of it was covering her. Then she announced "I think I slept like this last night."

That is totally not what I meant....BUT, she was pretty accurate.

This is one of my favs. She had just been moved into her toddler bed but kept falling out so we moved a big tupperware thing next to it hoping that would help. And apparently she didn't fall asleep right away - Hence the books and the dirty sock right in her face.

Praying in the middle of the night?

And I came home from a church meeting to find both of them sound asleep and crammed into Claire's toddler bed. Bet that was comfy!!

Easter

2011-05-01T21:22:00.004-06:00

I love going to church on Easter Sunday and seeing all the kids wearing their new Easter clothes. It just makes me happy!!

The Easter bunny left some new church clothes at our house too for all of us. Okay, so really I can't say the Easter bunny did because I forgot to mention anything about the Easter bunny to Claire. Poor child, I know. Seriously I didn't even think about it. Yep, great mom that I am. So at Christmas I got wierd looks (and some mean looks too) when people would ask Claire if Santa came and she told them no. (Remember, she was terrified of Santa and asked Luke to call and tell him not to come.) Well, the same people asked Claire if the Easter Bunny came and again she told them no. They must think I am horrible.

I have to admit that it was nice not having her think that Easter is all about the Easter bunny....instead she talked about "Jesus was baptized!! Thats why we celebrate Easter. Hmmm, no....maybe he was resurrected?" Okay, so maybe she had a hard time remembering why we celebrate Easter :)

I must admit I have the cutest kids ever!!

Run, Run As Fast As You Can. We're Having a Party in Candyland

2011-04-24T22:28:00.002-06:00

Our baby girl turned just turned three. We can't believe how big Claire is getting. This year we decided to have a friend birthday party instead of the family party that we have had in years past.

Her invitations. She had so much fun taking them around to her friends.

The kids had different games they had to play to help them get through candyland.

The first one...
When we play candyland Plumpy was eating plums and growing more and more glum with each bite of his plums. If we were to eat these plums we would grow glum as well and not be able to continue on the path. Therefore each of you will have to smash the plums in order to continue on your way.

Ha Ha...there were only two kids that were willing to pop the balloons...or I guess I should say smash the plums.

The second game....
Lord Licorice has cut down most of the peppermint forest and Mr. Mint is not able to cut down the peppermint trees for whistles and flutes so we will have to grow more trees before we move on.

Jordan and Luke were good sports and let the kids make them into candycane trees using red and white streamers.

The third game
Oh no!! We are stuck in the swamp of molasses and there is only one way to get out of the swamp so that we can continue on the path. We will have to move around a lot playing lollipop lollipop to get all the sticky molasses off.

And then they played the candyland version of musical chairs while listening to 'Lollipop, lollipop'

Then they got to follow the path that led to the table of candy. We ate pizza, sang Happy Birthday to Claire, and opened presents.

Our attempt to get a group photo

And then just when we thought the party was over, the kids decided just to move it to the backyard. They had so much fun.

The Big Sis

2011-04-16T18:53:00.002-06:00

Luke and I are not the only ones obsessed with this little guy.

Big sister can't get enough of him either.

She runs to get me the second he wakes up and starts crying.

She stuffs the binkie back in his mouth when it falls out...whether he wants it or not.

She constantly asks to hold him

She makes sure he is with us when we say family prayers at night.

She doesn't want him to get bored in the car so she makes sure he has ample stuffed animals to keep him entertained. Apparently this is what she had in mind when I told her we needed to get Crue ready to go. Look close and you might see a baby in the carseat. She gets irritated when I take everything out but her brother and tries to convince me that he really does need it all.

And several times a day she tells us that she is the best big sister...and she is.

Adoption 5K

2011-04-16T10:19:00.002-06:00

After running my first 5K on Thanksgiving Day in 10 degree weather, I decided that the next one I ran would be in the spring when the weather was nice and warm. So last week my sister and I ran an Adoption 5K in Salt Lake. The original plan was that Luke was going push Claire in a jogging stroller and Crue would say with my mom and Rilynn at Wheeler Farm and cheer us on. The lovely weather changed that plan in a hurry.

Good news is that I beat my previous time by three minutes and Steph beat her time too.

The Cute Tush

2011-04-02T21:08:00.000-06:00

Me: Claire, look at the pretty sky.
Claire: Who made the sky for us?
Me: Who do you think?
Claire: Heavenly Father did.

Several second later...

Claire: Mom, who made my face pretty and my tush so cute?
Me: Who do you think?
Claire: Heavenly Father did. And that was nice of Him.

Little bit of this....Lots of that

2011-04-01T23:27:00.014-06:00

Here's an update on what we have been doing lately....

Lots of coloring with chalk....I must have the nicest looking sidewalk in town.

Little bit of watching basketball

Lots of cute outfits. And yes, she did wear her snow boots with her spring dress to the store so she could show them off.

Little bit of working in the garden planting peas.

Lots of lovin' our little man.

Little bit of making yummy treats to share....but it felt like a lot.

Lots of feeding ducks

Little bit of crying because the ducks were a little aggresive for the likes of someone.

Lots of smiles while playing at the park during the first really nice day of the year.

Little bit of sleeping while at the park.

Lots of fun with mom and dad at Classic Fun

A new fav of mine..

2011-03-26T21:15:00.000-06:00

Baby Shower

2011-03-24T13:23:00.001-06:00

Our great friends and family threw us a baby shower. We appreciate them so much. And I am really glad that nobody was irritated that I only got to stay for about 50 minutes of it. But only five hours earier we found out that we were bringing him home that night...and my family said they were having a shower even if I wasn't there. Luckily, I got to be there.

Thanks again everyone!! You really spoiled us.

Adoption is Amazing!!

2011-03-22T20:45:00.004-06:00

I am so far behind on blogging that I don't even know where to begin.

Back in January we got an email from a birthmother. It was the first birthmother we had heard from in about 8 months. Lets just say I was beginning to feel really down. For months I had felt that we were going to be getting our baby soon but with nothing happening, I was totally getting bummed. In fact, I had pretty much quit checking my email since we weren't recieving anything anyway. So when I saw that we had an email I instantly called Luke at work. We were so excited!! I knew I should wait until he got home so together we would email her back but I was too impatient.

The next couple of weeks were spent emailing back and forth with Kassie and then the first week in february we were able to get together and meet with her and her parents. It was a great visit and we really enjoyed meeting them. Everything really felt right.

Then a week later our caseworker called and said that she had something for us from Kassie.

Were we excited?

OH YES!!

Our caseworker was going to come out to our house on saturday (Feb. 12th) to meet with us for a minute. Then saturday morning she called to say that the package never arrived.

And this is the point I got totally paranoid and spent the weekend thinking that Kassie has finally realized that me and Luke are really big nerds and has changed her mind and never sent the package.

Monday comes along...still no package. Gotta love the United States Postal Service :) Finally on tuesday we find out that it has arrived. YAY!!! We head in to the office and our caseworker gives us some cards and a letter from Kass and a teddy bear for Claire. She had chose us! It was an amazing moment!!

The next week Luke and I were invited to go with Kassie to the ultrasound which was really neat. Several days later I went with her to her doc appointment and was planning on going to the next one with her too. Well that ended up not happening. Our little guy was born the next day...about 2 1/2 weeks early. Luke and I got to the hospital about 10-15 minutes after he was born and we were able to go with him down to the nursery. Seeing our precious baby boy for the first time was incredible. No words can describe it. It was just amazing!!

We are so incredibly grateful for adoption. We have no doubt that Crue is meant to be part of our family. We love him so much. Kassie is one of the most selfless, strong, and courageous people that we know. And we are so glad that she is now part of our family and us part of hers.

Falling in Love

2011-03-12T22:28:00.003-07:00

This little guy has joined our family and we instantly fell in love.

Crue Jaxson
March 2, 2011
7 lbs. 18.5 in.

Where a kid can be a kid

2011-02-27T21:37:00.003-07:00

Saturday we headed into Salt Lake to take Claire to Chuck E Cheese. It was a hit!!

We Played Skee-ball

We drove cars

Claire rode the horses...again and again and again

And the best part is that we got to hang out with two of our favorite people!!

Our Little Valentine

2011-02-14T21:03:00.002-07:00

Claire decided she really likes Valentines Day...

Dad bought her a flower

Mom bought her a heart shaped chocolate donut with sprinkles...her favorite

She spent the morning decorating valentines.

Then we loaded the valentines into their purses and delivered them to the neighbors.

And we made cute little Valentine Cupcakes!!

He's a Keeper

2011-02-14T14:08:00.004-07:00

Luke is always spoiling his girls.
Friday afternoon Luke took us swimming

Then later that night I came home from a wedding reception to find him cleaning out the fridge, freezer, oven, and microwave. Plus he pulled everything out and cleaned behind them. Lucky Me!! And yes, I HATE cleaning out appliances. Everything looks brand new.

Saturday morning he woke up to an empty house and once he found out we were down at the church cleaning and setting up chairs for sunday, he came right down to help us out.

Later he came home with flowers for me and one for his little munchkin too.

He's the best!!

February

2011-02-10T14:41:00.003-07:00

Claire and I have started getting the house ready for Valentines day. Normally we would have it decorated weeks ago but this mama has been slacking big time. Better late than never, right?

She was so excited to put her hearts that she had colored on the door and we insisted that Luke come in the front door when he came home from work so that he could see her artwork.

2011-01-26T19:54:00.002-07:00

I don't know about everyone else but winter is starting to get a little bit depressing. Claire and I decided we needed a change of scenery so yesterday we picked up Rilynn and headed into this place called Bouncin'Off the Walls. Loved it, Loved it, Loved it!! Wednesdays from 10-1 is Mommy-n-Me bounce time. And they only allow kids under 5 during this time (I guess the older kids should all be in school anyway) so the little two years olds aren't getting run down by 10 year olds. Yay!!! They had a huge slide, a bouncing basketball court, an obstacle course, and the typical bouce house thing. Claire has an endless supply of energy and she and Ri had a blast. She was so excited to come home and tell her daddy all about it.

The slide went all the way to the ceiling of the warehouse and it intimidated the girls a little bit at first so me and my mom had to go down it with them the first time.

My Little Cutie Pie

2011-01-21T21:27:00.002-07:00

Another good one...

2011-01-20T21:51:00.002-07:00

I am really not a quote person at all. But back when I was working on Temple Square we had this quote on one of our doors in the workroom. I recently came across is again and want to have it recorded here before I forget it.

Our deepest fear is NOT that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

Wearing out your welcome...

2011-01-13T17:04:00.006-07:00

Dear Winter,
We so enjoy watching the snow fall, making snowmen, and sitting inside drinking hot cocoa next to the warm fire. But we have decided that your stay is entirely way too long this year. Just today Claire was begging me to let her ride her new scooter outside and decorate our front porch with sidewalk chalk. Sadly I had to tell her no. Instead we settled on doing puzzles and painting pictures. So as much as we love you, please feel free to move on out as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
Luke, Tina and Claire

I asked her to get a little bit closer so I could get a picture of her. And this is what I got.....I so love her faces :)

And I think she might be getting a second bath today so we can wash the paint out of her hair.

Poor Claire!!

2011-01-11T22:01:00.004-07:00

Our sweet Claire doesn't get sick often but when she does, it happens all at once... pink eye in both eyes and a sinus infection. Poor Girl!! I had an appointment in Salt Lake I couldn't miss so Claire got spoiled by her dad. He took her to the doctor, the pharmacy, got her favorite food at Wendy's and played games with her at home. What a Dad!!!

Me: Claire, I think you have pink eye.

Claire: No Mama, my eyes are hazel.

Just a good quote...

2011-01-11T21:31:00.006-07:00

Each year for the first Family Home Evening of the year we sit down and make our personal goals for the year as well as our family goals. Last sunday I found a quote from Sister Hinckley that pretty much sums up one of my goals for the year....to try to be a better person, one who my Heavenly Father is proud of. I hope you all enjoy this quote as much as I do.

We are God's children, and if we ever got that through our heads thoroughly and understood that completely, we would never do a small thing, we would never say a cross word. We would not use bad language. We would not criticize anybody. We would love everyone the way the Savior loves us. "As I have loved you, love one another."

Think of how much better the world would be if we would all get that through our heads thoroughly and completely.

And more traditions...

2011-01-06T08:44:00.001-07:00

Another tradition that I love is going bowling on New Years Eve and then heading over to my Dad and Holly's for dinner (usually pizza) and then games.

Erich, Alexa, and Holly. Alexa and Grandma Holly chose to sit out the game. Alexa is 8 months pregnant and Holly was helping with the kiddos.

The first thing out of her mouth in the morning was, "Mama, lets go bowling." And it was repeated every 15-30 minutes for the rest of the day until we got to the bowling alley. And I absolutley love how she has started calling me "Mama". My other favorite is when she was calling me "honey" last year.

Claire had a blast bowling until she discovered the arcade. Then she kept running between the two since she couldn't decide what she wanted to do more.

My sister and her fam.

Claire's strategy at skeeball was to pick up as many balls as she could at at one time and then throw them overhand as hard as possible. Luke's strategy was to play the game as fast as he could, taking balls out of Claire's hands if possible to limit the chance of someone getting hit in the head.

Claire, Ben, Rilynn, and Caitlyn

Erich and Ri

Aren't these seriously so cute!!! She kept these on her feet the entire 2 hours we were there. Claire has always hated shoes and socks. She takes them off faster than I can put them on. Oh, and she hates coates too....another reason I will be glad that winter is over.

Claire showing off her new dress that she got for Christmas

Claire and Grandpa

Grandma and the girls

Luke and I actually stayed up til midnight this year.

Ping pong tournaments are always played during the holiday season. Sam trying to beat my dad. Sam won the first game of bowling and then had us touch his "magic hands". Apparently we rubbed the magic right off since he didn't even come close to winning the second game. Here is is trying to get the magic back.

We had a great 2010 and we are excited to see all that can happen in 2011.

Traditions, Tradtions, Traditions

2011-01-05T07:50:00.006-07:00

I LOVE traditions. Some of my favorite are the ones we have during the holiday season.

We got together for our annual ice-skaking outing on January 30th. I think I had more fun this year than in years past. Claire loved it especially when she got to use this ice-skating bar type thing. Okay, so it looks like a walker but for the ice. But our little Miss Independent loved that she could ice-skate without holding mom and dad hands. And it saved our backs too :)

Sorry about the million pics. If anyone would like to share with me how to make a collage of photos, we might all appreciate it. Until then I am just going to be uploading tons of pics. But seriously, I can get enough of how cute my little sweetheart is.

This year we had some friends join us as well as my aunt and uncle and their kids. The more, the merrier!!

The whole group of us. We missed those that didn't make it this year.

Tina, Claire, Taria, and Ellie

Claire informed us before we even left the house that she wanted to go really fast.

Claire and Grandma

Our little family

She was feeling pretty proud of herself. She was honestly more excited about ice-skating and going bowling the next day than she was about Christmas. I think the whole "Santa coming in my house late at night" thing kinda ruined it for her.

One of my favorite things is seeing how fast we can get going.

Claire and her friend Payton

Christmas

2011-01-03T16:40:00.004-07:00

Top 10 Favorite things about Christmas 2010.

1. Seeing Claire get totally excited about opening her presents even though she accidently saw them several days before.

2. Seeing the kids in their Christmas jammies.

3. Christmas Eve morning Claire grabbed Lukes phone and insisted he call Santa and tell him not to come. Apparently she was getting quite nervous about him coming. Okay, actually still terrified!!! And I was more than happy to let her have her way since she had been waking up in the middle of the night crying, hiding in the other room when someone knocked at the door, etc.

4. Santa did not come to our house this year. And yes, I have been getting dirty looks from people when Claire tells them that Santa did not come. And she has been excitedly telling everyone that she got a candy cane for Christmas.

5. Spending Christmas Eve with our family in Tooele and Erda and Christmas day in Salt Lake. Plus the food was really yummy.

6. Buying something for our ward's Angle Tree.

7. We spent more time talking to Claire about the birth of Jesus instead of focusing on Santa....and she got it.

8. Traditions, traditions, and more traditions. Some old, some new.

9. Endless hours of ping pong at my Dad and Holly's.

10. Spending this special day with my two favorite people.

Once there was a snowman...

2010-12-22T22:06:00.004-07:00

I love the snow...as long as I am inside in a nice warm house. Lucky for us, Claire's favorite babysitters showed up ready to play outside.

DoNt StOp At OuR hOuSe SaNtA

2010-12-21T21:02:00.000-07:00

Last night Luke and Claire were playing and he used his cell phone to call Santa to ask him to come over and play too. Of course a few minutes later he snuck into the other room and knocked on the door and Claire instantly started to freak out....and not the good kind of freaking out. A few minutes later we overheard Claire talking on the phone and telling Santa not to come over and she did not want to play with him. She ended the call with "Go Away, Old Man!" The rest of the night she was paranoid that Santa was still going to come over and it took an extra hour at night to get her to calm down go to sleep. And then an hour later look what I found at our door....

A letter from Santa to Claire.

We are not sure how it got there. And it was really sweet of Santa to write Claire a letter. But I sure am glad she was already asleep when it came.

Santa, (whoever you are) thank you for leaving the letter. Luke and I loved it and I am sure Claire will too one day. Maybe next year will be better.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

2010-12-17T21:07:00.005-07:00

Tonight was my brother's annual Chestnuts Roasting on the Open Fire Bonfire. I remember he started the tradition when he was back in high school and only his friends and whatever girls they were interested in were invited. So of course, sisters were not allowed.

This year he decided to start up the tradition again. It was alot of fun... Just sitting around the bonfire listening to Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate, eating warm dutch oven apple crisp, and just hanging out with siblings, cousins, and friends. Plus with that great fire going it really wasn't cold at all.

Don't let this picture fool you. This is the only time she sat down all night and I think it lasted about 30 seconds. She had a blast making a snowman with Ben and then trying to destroy the snowman while Ben protected it. Great Entertainment!!

The Annual Santa Picture

2010-12-16T08:00:00.003-07:00

Claire is terrified of Santa. I didn't make her sit on his lap but I wanted to get a pic for history sake. I had to hold the poor girl in place until they could snap a photo. This was at the ward party. The only other time she has seen Santa this year is at the grocery store. Now every time we go to the store she asks to go see that santa is NOT there....because you know, Santa might just be lurking around the grocery store trying to scare little kids.
Sorry old man, maybe next year.

I tried to prepare Claire by asking her all the Santa questions beforehand.
So in case you are wondering...

#1 What is your name little girl?
Pookie

#2 Have you been a good girl this year?
Yep

#3 What do you want Santa to bring you?
A present

#4 What kind of present?
An orange present

What a Weekend!!

2010-12-16T07:29:00.006-07:00

Last weekend was great...

* We started out taking Claire and Rilynn to the swimming pool. Our little dare devil tried talking us into letting her jump off the diving board and going down the slide by herself. Good thing the rules at the pool wont let a two year old do either of those things alone.

* Claire talked her daddy into putting Christmas lights on the house. And all it took was, "Daddy, I want my house to have pretty light on it too."

Lets just pretend this is my house ;)

* We headed into Salt Lake to watch The Forgotten Carols. It was amazing as always!!

* But my favorite part of the weekend was this.... Our Annual Chinese Party. I am not sure how we started this tradition but every December we meet at my sisters house and stuff our bellies with yummy Chinese food and then play games or watch a movie. We each make a dish or two of Chinese food and the food this year was sooo good. Kung Pao Chicken, Beef and Broccoli, spring rolls, lettuce wraps, fried rice, lo mein noodles. Mmmmm!!!!

Steph cooking up the spring rolls

Claire, Holly, Caitlyn, Pops

Luke, Erich, Rilynn, Alexa

Me and Alexa making spring rolls

Naptime

2010-12-10T12:19:00.003-07:00

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-08T16:04:00.004-07:00

Claire and I spent the day making sugar cookies for our ward party tonight. Claire had an absolute blast doing it....especially after pretty much emptying my container of flour on the table. And since she is still obsessed with vaccuming, she was more than happy to clean up her mess. In fact she might have enjoyed the cleaning up more than the making cookies. Silly Girl!! Although her favorite part was the fact that I was busy frosting cookies in the middle of lunch time so she had more than her share of cookies for lunch.

Oh Brother!!!

2010-12-05T07:47:00.004-07:00

My brother called last night and he excitedly asked us to stop by his place so he could show us something......

Thanksgiving Day

2010-11-30T07:12:00.001-07:00

So I didn't do that great with "things I am grateful for list". I got behind and never caught up. Hopefully I will do better next year.

Thanksgiving day was great! We started the day by running in the Erda 5K Turkey Trot. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I agreed to run in it. Oh wait...it was two weeks earlier when we had highs in the fifties and lows in the thirties. I wasn't expecting to be running my first 5K when it is only 10 degrees outside.

Lets just say that is is painful to run and breath at the same time when it is that cold and you can smell a skunk nearby. But we still had a blast!! And my amazing husband ran back to join me after he had already finished.

Top: Stephanie, Holly, Me, Luke. Bottom: Abigail, Sara

Then later that day we were off to enjoy two wonderful thanksgiving dinners.

The Bet

2010-11-28T21:12:00.004-07:00

Luke and I are always betting on things...how much a box of ice cream bars costs, how long it takes to drive somewhere, the first thing Claire will say when she walks into the room. Stupid stuff, I know. The latest bet was whether or not Luke could eat 5 double doubles from In-N-Out in an hour.

So saturday for date night we headed to In-N-Out so Luke could prove he could do it.

So who won the bet???

Depends on who you ask...

Did he eat five double doubles???

YES

Did he do it in under an hour???

NOPE....but close

Will we be going to In-N-Out anytime soon??

NO WAY!

He was in pain by the time he got to the fourth burger. He doesn't want to see another burger in a VERY long time.

Was it a good date??

DEFINATELY

Think you could do it???

Give it a try and then let us know the results.

Oh what to do when it is cold outside??

2010-11-28T20:22:00.005-07:00

I love living somewhere that is cold in the winter. Although I am not sure why since I don't care much for the cold. Lately Claire and I have been thinking of ways to spend our days since we are stuck inside.

So this is what we did the other day....

If only the picture could show how thick she got the polish on my nails. I thought we would be done within a few minutes. Ha Ha!! What was I thinking? I kept hearing "Don't move mom! I'm not done yet". I am actually quite impressed with how well she did my nails.

And this is how Luke and Claire have kept busy at night lately...

Here is the tower

and the castle

and the skunk. (she has been on this skunk kick for awhile now)

And we have spent alot of time doing the other thing that in now Claire's favorite thing to do...

Vacuuming

She will literally go from room to room with the vacuum. And she is getting really good at it!! Ha ha....the crazy girl will be vacuuming and then start yelling at me to move this couch or that couch, the table, the bed...anything that is in her way. She will seriously go for at least twenty minutes until I make her turn if off because I am afraid the vacuum will overheat. My floors have never been so clean!! Now if I can get her to like cleaning toilets :)

Time to make some pies

2010-11-25T06:39:00.004-07:00

Yesterday was pie making day. It was great fun with lots of extra little hands that were more than willing to help. I think we ended up with about eight pies which is definately the least amount of pies we have ever made. But I guess we don't need that many this year since we aren't with my cousins and their pie eating contest until next year again. My mom and I both went home completely exhausted but we had a good time. Even Claire was sound asleep before bedtime came around.

2010-11-21T09:05:00.004-07:00

Grateful Day 18
Nursery - We love hearing about the things that Claire learns in her nursery class each week. She has the best nursery leaders too. Claire is constantly talking about her teachers and all her friends in class. The last couple of weeks when I am reading a book she will come up to me to show me her scriptures (her hands put together to look like a book). She will come home singing primary songs that I haven't taught her.

Grateful Day 19
Family - I am so grateful for my parents, step-parents, brothers and sisters. And Luke's family as well. I am glad that we all live near each other. It seems like we have all grown a lot closer the past few years and I am happy that we have.

Grateful Day 20
Traditions - My grandparents had many traditions that I grew up with and I am grateful that a lot of them still continue. Some are big traditions and others are pretty simple but they are all important. One tradition that I have been able to participate in the past couple of years is that of getting together and making pies the day before Thanksgiving with my mom and sister and anybody else that happens to want to join us. I am really looking forward to doing this again in a few days.

Grateful Day 21
Snow - It started snowing last night and normally it doesn't stick much so I was surprised when Luke woke me up early this morning saying that the power was out and there was a lot of snow on the ground. Of course, Claire is instantly asking for Nick to come play with her and build her a snowman. Instead she headed outside to help Luke shovel snow. I am grateful for how beautiful and clean the snow makes everything look. I especially love the trees covered in snow. I love seeing Claire all bundled up in a snowsuit that is several sizes too small and wearing mismatched gloves. (I guess I will be searching for new snow stuff this week) And I love watching Luke teach Claire about serving others as they headed out to shovel more driveways. It was one of those pure happiness, heart overflowing moments.

2010-11-18T07:52:00.002-07:00

Grateful Day 14
Books - I would probably choose a good book any day over watching tv. Funny thing is that Luke would choose the tv. Last week Claire and I were bored so we headed up to the library to check out some new books for her. I have never checked out books for Claire at the library because I have always just bought them at the store. But she thought it was pretty cool getting new books there so we will definitely be back. The place was totally silent and Claire yells out, "I just pooped" and every person in there started laughing. So much for being quiet in the library!

Grateful Day 15
SLEEP!! - The last two days Claire has been sleeping odd hours. Yesterday I woke up at 4:00 in the morning to a little munchkin knocking on the door saying "I'm hungry mom." and "I want to color." Seriously...4:00 IN THE MORNING!! And she was up the rest of the day and I couldn't even get her to take a nap.

Grateful Day 16
Blogs - I really enjoy blogging. I also enjoy being able to see what all my friends and family are doing when we don't get to see them very often. I recently found the blog of my college roommate and it was great seeing what she has been doing the last 10 years. And as much as I love it all, I will love it more when we go private. Don't worry, it probably won't be anytime soon and as long as we know you, you will definitely be invited to view it. It is just all the other crazies that we want to keep out.

Grateful Day 17
Singing - Luke and I couldn't sing on key if our lives depended on it. But we love listening to our little munchkin singing. She loves singing and it is not uncommon for her to listen to what we are talking about and then start singing anything that she can relate to it. For example, I was talking about what was going to be happening tomorrow and Claire instantly started singing "Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I love ya tomorow, You're only a day away" and then started singing "Daddy's taking us to the zoo tomorrow". Yesterday I started to break out the Christmas decor. Claire found a Santa hat and a little snowman ornament and this is what happened next....

2010-11-13T20:53:00.002-07:00

Grateful Day Nine

Missionaries & Missions - My aunt and uncle just got back from serving a mission in Ghana. They have been a great example to our family. We have loved getting emails from them and hearing about their experiences. I am so grateful that I was able to serve a mission when I turned 21. I learned so much during that time and had so many great experiences sharing the gospel with others. It made me a better person. I look forward to follow my aunt and uncle's example by going on another mission with Luke someday.

Grateful Day Ten

A Wonderful Ward - Today was Super Saturday and even though I was not able to stay the entire time, I am so grateful that we have such a wonderful ward.

Grateful Day Eleven

Good Food - Mmmm....I can smell papa murphy's pizza cooking in the oven. So much for the diet. :( But I do love it when it is Luke's night to cook dinner. :)

Grateful Day Twelve
Great Bargains - I seriously love it when we get a great deal on something. So we got a trampoline at the D.I. several weeks ago for a whopping 20 bucks. Luke and I were so exciting. More excited than Claire I must say. Which is funny since she loves trampolines. Then last week we got a call from my mother-in-law and she found us the net that goes around the tramp (Luke is paranoid about his little girl getting hurt and wanted the net) at the D.I. for twenty bucks. WaHoo!!! Looks like the original owners bought the whole set and took out the tramp and pads and sent the rest to the D.I. because the net is brand new and the hardware for it has yet to be opened.

I was waiting in the backyard with the camera ready to take a picture of Claire when Luke brought her out to see the trampoline. We wanted to capture her excitement when she saw it. This is all we got.....CONFUSION!! She just stared at it for almost a minute wondering why there was a trampoline in our backyard.

Grateful Day Thirteen

My Family - I am grateful for all my family but today I am particularly grateful for Luke and Claire. They mean the world to me. They make me so happy. They make me want to be a better wife and mother. We desperately want our family to grow and are doing what we can to find the little person that our family is missing. And when this little baby comes along, we will welcome him or her into our family and share all the love we have in our hearts.

Feeling loved

2010-11-11T22:01:00.003-07:00

In Claire's own words, this is how much she loves me today.

"Twice and a half, and a dump truck.....a BIIIIGGG one."

Sounds like a lot to me!!

2010-11-10T06:48:00.001-07:00

Gratitude Day Seven
The Changing Seasons - This may sound odd since I don't necessarily like the snow. Actually, the snow I like, the cold I don't. But still I love the first big snowfall. I love the spring flowers, the hot summer nights, the falling leaves. It is all just so beautiful. One of my favorite things is being at home while it is snowing outside, with the fireplace going and homemade soup on the stove.

Gratitude Day Eight
Stay-at-home Mom - I don't know if I could handle leaving Claire all day to go to work. When Claire was about six months old I went back to work to fill in for a few months while a co-worker had surgery. It was only twice a week but it nearly drove me crazy being away from Claire. As much as I absolutely loved my job, I prefer staying at home and raising my daughter. I am so grateful that Luke and I took a leap of faith and trusted that things would work out and I quit my job once Claire was born.

Grateful Day Six

2010-11-07T20:04:00.001-07:00

My Man - I love being married to my best friend. Some of my favorite things about him: He is always making me laugh, He can fix anything and he loves doing it - he seriously is the ultimate handyman, He works hard to support our family, He loves learning new things, He is the best father to Claire, He always puts me and Claire first. I could go on and on.

Gratitude Day Five

2010-11-07T07:08:00.002-07:00

Yes I know I am falling behind on this gratitude thing but I am making myself promise to get caught up.

So now on to
Gratitude Day Five

New Callings - I know I grumbled quite a bit for the last few weeks about being released from my Young Women calling. But now that I have been in primary for two weeks now I can say that I am grateful that I am there. I still miss my last calling tremendously but I also realize that change is good. Why is it that I could teach the YW just fine but the thought of standing up in front of a bunch of primary kids is totally terrifying? But enough of my ramblings. I am grateful for my new calling, for the amazing people that I am working with, for the kids and people that I will get to know better, and for this opportunity to learn and grow.

Gratitude Day Four

2010-11-05T21:11:00.002-06:00

Claire - I cannot even begin to express how much my daughter means to me. Some things that I absolutely love about her: sweet, funny, always happy, gives the best hugs, loves to smile and tease, outgoing, smart, and always willing to help.

Today she made my day by saying this.

Me: Claire do you love me?

Claire: Yes.

Me: How much?

Claire: Good and a half.

Gratitude Day Three

2010-11-04T15:43:00.003-06:00

Adoption - I know I say this a lot but Claire has brought so much happiness to our lives. We couldn't imagine life without her. And it was all made possible through the miracle of adoption. I will forever be grateful for Claire's amazing birthmother and for all the other birthmothers out there that have blessed other families. We love you so much!!

Be More Specific

2010-11-02T22:05:00.004-06:00

I So Love This Girl!!!!

Today I asked Claire to get me some toilet paper out of the store room. I waited and waited and waited, wondering what she was doing, and thinking she had become distracted and had forgot. I could occasionally hear her grunting but she never came back. Finally she appeared...with the whole 36 count pack of toilet paper that I had recently bought. No wonder I could hear her grunting. She had gone into the dark store room, managed to get this huge pack of toilet paper down from behind the door, drag it through the computer room that totally needs to be cleaned, through the kitchen and down the hall. I guess I should have been more specific and told her to get me ONE roll of toilet paper. I must say though that I am totally impressed with her dedication to get me some T.P.

Gratitude Day Two

2010-11-02T21:48:00.005-06:00

Grateful for the best grandparents ever. I miss you both!!

1. Garden - To be more exact, I am so grateful for my amazing grandpa who instilled a love of gardening in most, if not all, of the grandkids. Today Claire and I were outside enjoying the wonderful fall weather and cleaning up the garden. I love that all summer long we can just go out to the garden and pick almost anything we need instead of having to go to the store. There is just something very satisfying in seeing a garden start from a bare patch of ground in the spring to overflowing with yummy fruits and vegetables several months later.

2. Sewing - As far back as I can remember all the girls in the family would get together at my grandparents home several times a year to make blankets. The blankets were for the new babies that would soon be welcomed into the family or for the cousins that were getting married. I have recently started picking up on this hobby and have started to love it. I am not good at sewing by any means and I don't think I could follow a pattern if my life depended on it, but one day I hope to be.

Gratitude

2010-11-02T12:33:00.002-06:00

Awhile ago I decided that during the month of November I would make an extra effort to take note of the things for which I am grateful. Yes, I know I should do this everyday but ya got to start somewhere and this is where I am starting.

November 1st
1. Great friends - Earlier this summer I started going walking every morning with someone in my ward and ended up with a great friend. Now our walking group has grown to include even more people in the ward and I so look forward to our walks each day.

2. Good Entertainment - Im not one to watch alot of tv. In fact, it usually doesn't come on until after Claire goes to bed. But yesterday I sure was grateful for it when I got that nasty bug that has been going around and spent the day in bed. I would have gone crazy without entertainment from Dancing with the Stars and Criminal Minds.

3. A Great Guy - Marrying Luke was the best thing I ever did. Last night he did a great job of taking care of both me and Claire.