{The Big 9}

Somebody in our house is turning the BIG 9 today!!  I know I say this every darn time but I am truly in denial on this one.  Like for real this time!!  When she was three I thought she wouldn't make it to her fourth birthday.  It was a rough year for her and I, and now this little chicka is in her last year of single digits.  Say what?!!  How can that be?

Her Dad and I could not be more proud of her and we feel so lucky to be her parents.  If you can give me a few moments to brag about my Meysa, I'd appreciate it.  It is her day after all.  She is smart, funny, compassionate and honest as all get out.  She is ripping up the piano, after only almost three months she is onto her second level of books.  She loves her piano teacher and I think that helps.  We just had parent teacher conferences last week and her teachers had nothing but good things to say about her.  She is helpful in class and a good example to the other students as well as excelling in her academics.  She wants to join Girls on the Run (a running club for girls) in the Spring!!

Meysa is such an important part of our family.  She has helped Ryan and I to grow as parents and she is so good to her siblings.  We don't know what we would do without her humor and her thoughtful insight.  She certainly keeps us on our toes!!

Happy Birthday Meysa girl, you are one of a kind and we LOVE YOU!!

{Lego Master}

Ayden has been a Lego junkie for a while now.  Like since he was 4 or 5.  He inherited a ton of Legos from that his Grandpa and Great Aunt had kept from when Ryan was little.  He has always enjoyed building and tinkering with his abundance of multi colored pieces.  Just over a week ago now, Ayden took on the task of replicating the Washington D.C. temple.  We love that place and my children especially love going to enjoy the Visitor's Center and grounds (youth starting at age 12 can go inside the temple to do temple work).

It was a Sunday afternoon and Ayden sequestered himself inside his bedroom to work on his project.  Away from prying younger siblings and sticky little fingers that continually move pieces.  Occasionally he would come out for food and drink, but honestly he was serious about getting this thing built, and we didn't see much of him at all.  Finally he came down and proudly declared that it was finished.  Ryan and I were so impressed with how true to scale it is.  The walls aren't quite as tall but that is alright.  I think my favorite part is the Angel Moroni.  Standing proudly atop the spire.  I hope Ayden remembers how important the temple truly is.  It is where families become forever families and where we make sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father.  Ayden only has 7 months until he too can go and experience the abounding peace that comes from being in the temple.

So our own version of the temple sits on our mantel.  I hope to keep it there for a while longer, just to remind us of what the important stuff in our lives should be!!

The kids on the Temple grounds, Summer 2011

{Halloween 2012}

We survived Hurricane Sandy.  That is two hurricanes in two years.  I am afraid for what comes next year.  All joking aside, we are so very thankful to have weathered the storm safe and sound.  I think I have a little guilt at how unaffected we were when there are so many around us that had their lives turn upside down.  Again, we are so grateful.

On Sunday when we were getting the latest reports on what to expect for our area during the hurricane and finding out that the kids had school cancelled for Monday and Tuesday, I wasn't sure if Halloween was going to happen for us this year.  We could have been like New Jersey and had to move it to another day.  Thankfully our neighborhood had power and the kids turned out in full force last night.  My kids were already supped up on sugar from their Halloween parties at school so we figured why not add insult to injury and got trick or treating too.  Ayden was a Mad Scientist, but at school everyone thought he was Einstein.  Meysa was going to be a Rodeo Queen, but wanted freckles too so she looks more like a regular cowgirl.  Lauryn was a Pop Star, perfect for her personality.  Wyatt was going to be a frog, but once we got to the store he chose Buzz Lightyear instead.

We met up with our neighbors and headed off to canvas a few streets around our home.  We live in such a great neighborhood.  So family friendly with lots of kids.  I took the kids out and Ryan stayed home to answer the door and pass out candy.  About 45 minutes after the kids and I left Ryan texted me saying I needed to hurry home, he was out of candy.   I only buy two bags of candy a year, they are the big ones mind you but in this neighborhood they go fast!  We have, in the past, gotten home from trick or treating ourselves and quickly gone through our candy loot and culled out the candy we like and put the less desirable candy back in the bowl to be passed out.  When that is gone we are officially done with passing out candy.  That is what we did again this year.  Now I want to make it clear that the candy we don't like isn't bad stuff, just not to our liking.  I think in light of how the week started our Halloween was a good one.

We woke up to the month of November and I for one can't believe that we are almost done with 2012!!  There is still so much to do in the last two months though and so we will continue to be busy, busy!

Happy Halloween!!