Happy Halloween

Trick or Treat!

Smell my feet

Give me something

Good to Eat!

Sydney, like her predecesors, is finished after she gets the first "dum-dum sucker".

Addison was happy just to go along for the ride.

Darth Vader, Cheetah Girl and King of Egypt

Diving in to her cake walk winnings

from the Xavier Fall Frolic party.

Addison contemplating ... who knows? Walking maybe?

Tanner and his cake walk winnings.

Cute Kaitlyn and Lera

I think I can... I think I can... I think I can.

Well maybe not today... but soon enough this little tigger

will take off walking.

Darth Vader, Purple Butterfly and my butterfly fairy. This was the trick or treat party for the Bridgeview Estates Assisted LIving center party. The cute old people love to see the kids. And the kids love to bring home the loot of major candy.

My mischievious little pixie.

Beautiful Fall

Sydney loves to play "cookin". Usually she plays "cookin" in her play kitchen. Lately she's wanted to play in my kitchen. So I just let her stir with no heat on. She thinks it's awesome. I wish this would help her eat more. Love the head slant.
Cute Sydney striking a spontaneous pose. Wow, we're in for it.

There's nothing like child labor. Earlier the neighbors kids were raking the leaves.

Just send me the bill.

Sydney shouted, "It's snowing!!!"

Addison wouldn't hold still long enough for me to get a picture of her in the leaves. This was the best that I could get. She wasn't at all interested in playing in the leaves. She just wanted to scoot. Such a cute baby.

LEAF FIGHT!!! All that raking for this moment.

Smile.

Tanner's 6th Birthday May 20, 2009

Happy Birthday

Tanner Boy!!!

You are finally 6!

As our only boy... you sure get a lot of special attention and love.

I know for your birthday wish, you wished for a baby brother... but maybe not today :).

We are so grateful to have you in our family. We never expected to have such a comedian for a son. You are HILARIOUS. You're also very kind and sensitive and such a GREAT brother. Your sisters are very lucky to have you. We love you very much! Have a great 6th year.

Kaitlyn's Baptism

I love this face of surprise! Kaitlyn is excited to finally get her own scriptures.
Kaitlyn's display of talents. She gathered treasures from her various collections. Rocks form her rock collection, her butterfly net and several dead butterflies and cocoons, her little puppy, a praying mantis (in the plastic jar next to the net). I displayed her blessing dress and some of her scrapbooks. I think her additions are much more entertaining.

Dallin's first "fatherly baptism". Such a proud and emotional moment.

Cousin Miranda, Whitney Burch, Kaitlyn, Aiden Humble, Andrew Dixon.

After the Baptism. Look at her glow.

Our crazy family. We've been busy in the last 8 years.

Kaitlyn is 8! May 5, 2009

My oldest child is 8!!

Happy Birthday my Kaitlyn.

I can't believe how time has flown. It just seems like yesterday that I was looking at you and wondering what to do with such a tiny baby. I am so grateful that our Father in Heaven sent you to me. You have changed my life. I love you very much.

Addison's First Birthday May 12, 2009

Happy Birthday

to my precious Addison Claire.

We are so grateful to have you in our family.

Everyday I am so glad that you are here.

I don't know what life would be like without you.

You are so sweet and so super funny.

You make us laugh everyday. We love you so much!!

You are the perfect addition to our family.

Yeah!!! Cake!!!
She's still a Pretty Baby.
She's blotchy from an allergic reaction to amoxicillin, and she
fell and scraped her face.

Curiously touching the cake/coconut.

YUMMO!

HERE GOES!!! YUMMY!!

The cute caterpillar cake.

36th day of School

Today was the 36th day of school.

I know most people post on the 1st day of school...

But that would just be too organized for me.

So here are Kaitlyn and Tanner's pictures from the first day of school

at their new school Xavier Charter School...hence the uniforms.

Kaitlyn Jade 8 years old

3rd Grade

Mrs. Bizik

Tanner Dallin 6 years old

1st Grade

Mrs. Crider

Kaitlyn truly loves her new school and teacher. She is making a lot of new friends. 3rd Graders must mature a lot... because I have seen a lot of "growing up" with Kaitlyn. She is a lot more responsible for herself and her homework. She is genuinesly excited to do her work and feels pride in accomplishing it. I have seen a lot of confidence grown in her this year ... after 36 days.

Tanner is getting better at liking school. I think he just misses kindergarten a lot. All day, especially waking up early, has been quite uncomfortable for him. One morning I just flat out told him, "if you sleep in everyday for the rest of your life, you won't have anything. Hard working people wake up early and work hard so they can make money". That's all it took... now he does a lot better with waking up early :). Wish that would work for me.

Viva Mexico!

Cancun 2009

How hard can life really be for an 8 and 6 year old?

Mexico was fantastic... regardless of the swine flu.

Unfortunately, we probably brought the swine flu to Mexico :). Tanner was sick for 4 of the 8 days, and Kaitlyn was sick for 2 days. Other than that fact... they would have missed school anyway, so they might as well have been in Mexico sitting by the pool.

This is really the ocean... It was so warm and wonderful.

And of course, perfectly caribbean blue.

Romantic walks together on the beach when you travel with children are nonexistent. So, you get to take walks alone with your children.Just as precious.
The view from our room. Pretty nice.

What a babaliscious!

What a cute Macaw. It had just given Tanner a kiss.
Moments before he was cradling a green parrot.

Tanner enjoying beach side dining. What a life.

More Yucatan wildlife. What a huge Iguana.

We were lucky enough to witness baby sea turtles hatching from their shells.

Truly AMAZING and WONDERFUL.

Then at night fall... we were able to release 2 turtles each (out of 230 that hatched that day)

into the ocean. It was a truly special and unique experience.

Kaitlyn and Tanner were fabulous at snorkeling.

We saw dolphins, a sea turtle, and of course, MANY, MANY fish.

The coral was more vibrant and fantastic than we had ever seen before.

We were so glad that the kids had such a great first experience

What a cute girl. She was anxious to get to the next snorkeling spot.

These cute little guys were so strong and so absolutely adorable.
The baby sea turtles hatching and releasing them into the ocean was a

trip highlight for me.

They'll be grown before I know it.

Blurry... but too cute - my little man.
Two of a kind.

As I was mowing my lawn today with my husbands riding lawnmower (I say husbands because I would much rather push a mower myself... he liked the manliness of a tractor), I was able to be alone with my thoughts. I truly enjoy thinking uninterrupted and it doesn't hurt that I am driving around a death trap tractor, which my children know not to approach. As my thoughts swam in complete nothingness (truly enjoyable) I realized that time is truly slipping away from me. Addison is 13 months old now. Kaitlyn was just baptized. Tanner will be in 1st grade and in school all day now. Sydney attempted underwear today, which she successfully peed in... NOT the potty... buy a first time wearing underwear nonetheless. I began to realize... that they will grow up faster than I think... just like the old ladies always tell us. "Enjoy them while you can" they say, "they'll be grown before you know it". Today, as hard as it is to deal with a 2 year old peeing her pants, a 2 year old that seriously can not go 5 minutes without making the HUGEST messes, 2 sets of poopy diapers, fighting over who gets to have the red popcicle, crying because the butterfly flew out of the net, and yet another need for a bandaid on of course the smallest wound... the endless tattling...I will treasure it always. Someday, they won't need me for the bandaids... and they won't think I'll be able to help solve their problems... and hopefully... they won't need me to change their diapers anymore.

Precious Addison Claire trying to blow bubbles. She was really "blowing". So cute.

Little "Miss Independent" had a go at feeding herself while we were at tennis practice. Of course with an oh-so-messy yogurt that I did not foolishly surrender to her. She stealthily made her move when I was saving Sydney from utter destruction at the park. When I returned to the blanket... this is what I found. She cried when I tried to take it away from her. Since the mess was already made, I let her have at it.

She's so cute trying to reload her bubble wand.

Neighborhood bike wash.

Chalk art class with grandpa Richie. He enjoyed teaching them about abstract art and blending chalks with your finger to make the color more vibrant.