{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!!

{Pumpkins}

It is that time of year again when we get to gut and carve pumpkins.  Last year for some reason we didn't do pumpkins.  I didn't even decorate for Halloween.  No idea why, it apparently wasn't on my to-do list.  The kids realized a few days after Halloween that we hadn't done our pumpkins and they were sad, so I had to promise that we wouldn't forget this year.  Let it be known I kept my promise.  We picked up two pumpkins at Target while we were stocking up on batteries for the fun storm coming our way.  

In years past, the kids carving pumpkins actually meant that Ryan and I gutted and carved pumpkins and the kids got to take pictures with them when they were done.  Ryan would hack away with our severely dull knives and pray out loud that he wouldn't cut his finger off.  I would be in charge of getting all the gunk out from the inside, basically slimming myself clear up to my armpit.  This year Ryan and I got smart, we got a carving kit that had patterns and those handy little carving knives.  I guess in addition to our brilliance, the kids are finally old enough to use said pumpkin kit (with a little help) to carve their own pumpkins.  I felt lazy this year, what with my clean armpit and everything.  

My job this year actually happened to be Hot Chocolate.  Caramel Hot Chocolate to be exact.  It was heaven in a mug I tell ya.  I made the caramel sauce myself and then made the hot chocolate from chocolate ganache and milk.  Of course I had to make real whipped cream to go on top, we couldn't go without that!!  It probably wasn't light on calories but oh man, when Ryan and I had both tried it we looked at each other with that "oh-my-gravy-this-is-to-die-for-I-can't-believe-we-shared-it-with-the-kids" kinda look.  It made the night what it was.  For me anyway :)!

The kids finished carving their pumpkins, one for the girls and one for the boys.  They were so excited to get them outside and get them lit up.  I guess our brilliance ran out because we couldn't find our bag of like 500 tea lights that we always use for our pumpkins.  We searched and searched and to no avail.  Ryan kipped the two little tea lights that smell like cinnamon nutmeg from the little candle holder that sits on our piano.  Hey a tea light is a tea light!  I am not sure what we will do when those puppies burn out.  Perhaps we won't have to worry about it.  Halloween looks like it may be cancelled around these parts this year.  Hurricane Sandy is such a party pooper and no one even invited her!!  We will keep ya posted on how it all goes.  

   

{Las Vegas}

It isn't very often that I get to tag along with Ryan to one of his conferences.  He goes to two or three a year and this is only the second one I have gotten to go on.  Life with small kids just doesn't afford that kind of luxuary.  I guess that makes the times I do get to run away that much more special.  This year AFD (Armed Forces District meeting) was in Las Vegas!!  Ryan's mom was brave and came to keep the hoodlums in check and make sure they were still alive when we got home.  We owe her a big THANK YOU!!

The last time I was in Las Vegas was over 14 years ago.  My roommate Gloria and I had traveled to Southern California to surprise Ryan for Spring Break.  After we left sunny Southern Cali, we headed up through Vegas to head back to Boise.  We got to town late at night and had to find a hotel to sleep in.  We almost slept in our car but finally found one that was affordable for two college girls.  We didn't want to venture out onto the strip at night.  It looked less than appealing because again we were two young girls.  So we slept in our economy hotel and then ventured out the next morning.  We spent just an afternoon there but had some fun dreaming that we could afford to shop at the Forum Shops in Ceasars Palace.

This time around the trip was a little better planned, we actually had a room booked before we got there.  Funny how much easier that is!!  The conference was held in the Paris Hotel, which is basically right across from the Beliagio.  Vegas is not the same as it was 14 years ago.  I hardly recognized that strip.  They have really built up in between all the hotels with little shops and there are tons more shops all which are mainly for the high end shoppers, which is not me!!  The nights are still less than appealing to me but I had my bodyguard along on this trip so I was brave.  We met up with our good friends, the Millers, and Heather and I hung out during the day shopping and eating.  Really there wasn't much else for us to do in Vegas.  We don't gamble, we don't drink and we don't go to strip clubs!!  Shopping and eating are all that is left!  We had tried to go on a helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon and that didn't work out with our schedual.  I did get to meet up for dinner with my cousin who lives there.  It was really nice catching up with her.  It was nice to sleep in, read in peace and quiet and just spend some one on one time with my honey!

Every now and then I need to run away from my everyday life and this trip was much needed.  Thanks babe for inviting me to tag along!  Love ya-