Seasons of Sunshine

Halloween and Other Fun Stuff!

2010-11-07T15:50:00.000-08:00

Hey, anyone still out there!!!

I know it's been quite awhile, but thought it was time to start blogging again. I'm not making any promises on how often I'll update, but figured I needed to start again somewhere. So, enjoy some highlights from October. . .

A quick picture before we went 'trunk-r-treating'.

Can you tell that dressing up is not Taft's idea of a good time, but I told him it was necessary to get candy Ü Brigham loved being a pumpkin, Elaine was excited to be princess Leigha, Dallin the Grim Reaper, and of course as all my babies have been for their first Halloween, Calvin was a bunny.

Funny side story: On Halloween day we were going to visit my mom in the nursing home and I thought it would be fun for the kids to wear their costumes. As we are getting ready to go I ask Dallin where his costume is and he replies, "Mom, we're going to an old folks home. Did you forget I'm the Grim Reaper? I'd give them all a heartattack or something!" Kirt and I found that quite funny and surprising Dallin would think of that. Ü

Pumpkin carving was quite the event. They all thought it was gross, but enjoyed eating the tasty seeds I later roasted with butter and salt.

Pumpkin???

Friend . . . or Foe?

Definitely the enemy!!!

Calvin enjoyed playing with his little

stash of goodies.

Dallin also enjoyed his large
stash of goodies!!!

Brigham loved his pumpkin costume. He

embellished a bit the next day and added

a sword and hat.

Student of the Month

Elaine was chosen for Student of the Month in her 3rd grade class. The trait for the month was Perserverance and she definitely fits that category. As this was her first year at Ben Franklin she had a bit of catching up to do as they are an advanced school, but she got in there and picked up handwriting, english and math after a month or so. And is a straght A student.

Way to go Elaine!

Catching Up

2010-02-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

Yes it has been awhile since I last blogged. So, here's a brief look at the last month or so at the Nelson house. . .

Calvin our Cutie He makes the funniest faces! I love seeing the little lines on his forehead as he's thinking hard Ü

And this is what he does pretty much all day long. So relaxed!

And another shot of him sleeping because I think he's so sweet looking. He really is a sweet baby, only cries to eat and then is just pretty content looking around and being cuddled.

Pinewood Derby--Winner!

Dallin took first place in his den and overall at the cubscout Pinewood Derby this year. I think Kirt had as much fun as Dallin racing and working on the 'batmobile' together. Yeah!

Happy 3rd Birthday Brigham!

Full of personality and endless energy our little Briggy turned 3 in January!

Grandpa Dye came to to town to celebrate, play with the kids and meet his newest grandson. It was fun having him visit.

And of course, Mom enjoyed sharing this special day with her Briggy.

Brigham's absolute favorite gift was from Grandpa--his very own scooter. Him and Taft ride them around the house all day. Good thing we have lots of tile Ü

Calvin Charles Nelson

2009-12-26T10:12:00.000-08:00

Our newest little one was born last friday, December 18th at 8:00am. He weighed 8lbs. 5 oz and 20 3/4 inches long. I waited to blog until we had named him, which took some time. In fact, we gave him one name and realized we were still referring to him as 'the baby', so spent a couple more days deciding. We had Calvin here at home and he was born underwater in a special birthing tub. It was a neat experience. For me much better than the hospital to be in the comforting environment of my own room with wonderful midwives assisting. Active labor started about 4:00 am and then 4 hours later he was born.

I was very happy to be finally holding my sweet little guy after going past my due date. It was all worth it to have him in my arms. Ü

And Kirt was a great labor coach. But, it took its toll on him as hours after the birth here he is taken a little rest time with his new son.

Taft and Brigham were the first of the siblings to meet their new brother. Taft said: "He's as cute as a puppy, but with not fur". Briggy just 'lubs him' and asks to pet him on the head all the time.

Elaine is a great big sister and can't hold her little brother enough. She was at school when he was born, but came right in to see him when she got home.

Dallin also was at school, but when he got home he peeked in the room to make sure it was a boy and not a girl and then took off to a friends house. (I guess, just making sure his life was unchanged) Later, though he was eager to hold him and get aquainted.

This was taken later, but Brigham is so sweet and loves to give Calvin kisses.

Right now, Mom is just enjoying spending time with little Calvin and getting used to a newborn around and recovering from delivery. Also, I am very thankful Kirt's parents are in town helping entertain the other kids and help around the house. I don't know how I'll do it all when they leave. But, it is a great blessing to have this new little one finally in our family. Ü

Happy Halloween

2009-11-01T13:27:00.001-08:00

We had a fun Halloween this year. Even Kirt enjoyed dressing up with the kids to go trick-or-treating. They definitely raked in the loot as they went out twice. Our ward had a trunk-or-treat on thursday where they filled thier buckets. And then we gathered with some friends and neighbors to have chili and watch a movie on the garage while the Mom's chatted and passed out candy and the Dads took the kids around the neighborhood. As you can see or maybe not quite tell, Taft was a ghost,--he is not a fan of dressing up, but was told if he didn't pick something he was not collecting candy; obviously the sweet tooth won over his stubborness. Dallin was Capt. Jack Sparrow, Elaine was Alice in Wonderland, and Brigham was superman. Birggy's costume was just his p.j.'s, but they have a cool cape and then afterwards we put him right to bed :)

p.s. I am not pictured here as I think a photo of me 8 months pregnant is scarier than any costume I saw this Halloween Ü

Back to School

2009-09-04T14:20:00.001-07:00

A couple of weeks ago the Dallin and Elaine headed off back to school. Dallin is in 4th grade this year and Elaine is in 2nd. They were both excited for the 1st day back as I think they were getting a bit bored with summer (too hot!). Dallin is going to a charter school which he is enjoying. A bit more challenging curriculum, which Mom and Dad like. Elaine is still on the waiting list to get in so is going to the local elementary, but has a great teacher and many friends in her class this year.

After walking Elaine to school Brigham and Taft and I headed over to the park so they could have a special 1st day, too. Taft is in preschool this year, which he attends twice a week. 6 of us Moms take turns teaching and hosting. Taft just loves it! He (and I) needed something to keep his active mind and body busy Ü

San Clemente Vacation

2009-07-22T22:03:00.001-07:00

Beach Fun We spent last week soaking up some sun on the beach in San Clemente, CA. This was our second year going with friends from Arizona(pictured below) and it was such a blast! We spent hours on the beach. The kids had a great time with friends and various activities as you'll see . . .

Taft absolutely loved jumping the waves. I wish I could post all the pics I took with his varying faces as it was fun to watch him so enjoying himself. Playing with the seaweed and . . .

. . .digging were other favorite pastimes. Elaine and Taft spent hours digging up sand crabs and just filling buckets with water and sand. I think at one count Elaine had 24 sand crabs and her friend Eleanor an additional 25.

Elaine is buried up to her neck here in the sand with some other of our friends' kids. It was a funny site to see these heads lined up along the beach. Dave was quite speedy at it and I think only took about 2 minutes to bury a child. It took quite a bit longer to wash all the sand off Ü

Briggy wasn't the biggest fan of the sand and surf. This was the only time he actually ventured off the mats to get his toes wet. He spent a lot of time just napping under the umbrella. Maybe next year we'll get him on the boogie board.

And Boogie Boarding was Dallin's new favorite experience this year. He did quite well and enjoyed it until he started swallowing too much water.

Elaine and Dallin had fun in the surf with Daddy. Kirt spent quite a bit of time playing on the boogie board. I even ventured out a couple of times with my bulging belly--a little trickier, but not impossible and such fun!

It wouldn't be a day at the beach without a sandcastle. The kids didn't do this alone. Aaron Kahle was the main architect, but they all enjoyed 'helping' in some small way. We really had a fun group of kids and adults to play with on this trip.

Camping

And here they all are. We had six families, Us, Watts, Fishbecks, Petersens, Guffeys, and Wilkes(Lori-sister) with 24 kids total. We camped and played together for a week and all got a long with little drama. (We even had some other families from our ward who we hung out with on the beach, but camped at a neighboring campsite.) It was nice to have such neat friends to hang out with--thanks for planning it all Lori!

Here is a shot of our tent trailer, Brigham is at the door. It was definitely a nice upgrade from a tent. And another shot of our mini-tent city we created with all the families. We could see the ocean from our campground (and I even saw a skunk one night--eew). It was great getting the kids to bed and then chatting with the adults around the campfire. Not to mention some yummy dutch oven cobblers and s'mores enjoyed around that campfire, too.

Whale Watching Trip

We took a day with just our family to see some sites other than the beach. We went Whale/Dolphin watching on a boat out to sea for a few hours. It was an exciting little adventure.

We got very close with the dolphins. 'Schools' of them would just swim and splash around the boat, if the railing wasn't so high we could've petted them.

Here's some shots of the multitude of them just swimming around. It was neat to see the baby dolphins swim next to their moms underwater. Unfortunately, we didn't see any whales this trip.

At times the boat got going pretty fast making things quite choppy. All the boys ended up inside with a bit of seasickness. Elaine seemed unaffected and just loved watching the dolphins play.

Going Home

All good things must come to an end. Here we are all packed up and ready to head home. The drive was a bit longer towing a trailer and then made even longer as 50 miles from home we got stuck in a dust storm for over an hour. There was zero visibility at times. I had to wash off everything on the trailer when we returned. But, yes it was worth it for all the good times we had, not to mention cooler temps Ü Looking forward to going again next year!

Catchin' Up!

2009-07-22T21:22:00.000-07:00

Now that I am no longer nauseated and exhausted all day long, I figured its time to catch up a bit on my blog. ((Plus, I will post tomorrow about our recent vacation to San Clemente). The following is only a small sampling of some of our family's activities over these past months-enjoy!

Happy 4th!--Bioshpere Adventure

We toured the Bioshpere near Tuscon for a little activity on the 4th. It is quite an exhibit. For those not familiar, scientists lived in this enclosed space for 2 years providing own air and food, etc. There's varying environments inside from rainforest to desert. It is now a research facility for ASU.

Afterwards, a couple of Kirt's friends from High School (Matt Kikuchi and Matt Hymas) and their families came over for a BBQ and swim and then we went to check out some fireworks. It was all sort of a last minute get together which turned out to be a great time.

Happy 9th Birthday Dallin! On June 11th we celebrated Dallin's 9th birthday. Where does the time go?! He is one terrific Dallin :) I really love his smile and relaxed attitude. He is very protective of his younger siblings--when he's not the one wrestling them to the ground. He likes riding his bike and scooter, creating lego scenes, candy, and reading. He has a 'fun' sense of humor that his friends, if not always his parents, enjoy.

We do parties everyother year and he had a big swim party last year so this was supposed to be a no friend party year. But, we let the kids have 1 friend over for dinner or something. Well, Dallin is quite social and we live on a street with a lot of 9 year old boys he plays with so it was hard to pick just one. So, I somewhat relented and we invited the neighbor kids over to have some ice cream sundaes to celebrate Dallin's special day.

Later we had a family party. Which consisted of us going to eat at Sweet Tomatos and then watching Dallin open a few presents. He is big into Legos this year and was excited in this picture to get the Indiana Jones Lego Star Wars wii game. It was a fun 'low key' b-day. And we were happy to see Dallin enjoy himself on his special day! We love him lots!!!

Happy Easter I have to get one nice Easter picture each year. I promised the kids if they would smile and not whine about the sun I'd only take one--so here it is.

In their baskets this year the bunny brought them all new balls with some other goodies. We also enjoyed an egg hunt with flashlights the night before at the park by our house with some families from our ward and neighborhood. Dallin found the 'gold' egg and earned a special prize,too. We ended the day by having the missionaries join us for dinner. It was a great Easter weekend.

Never Say Never!

2009-04-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

I think I used that title for a post on becoming a Soccer Mom. I think I've learned my lesson and am going to delete the word 'never' from my vocabulary in discussing plans for my life. I recently joked with friends that I would love for the stork to just drop off a baby, I wouldn't say no to that. But, I could Never see myself pregnant again--mmmhmmm!!! I should've kept my mouth shut Ü

Seriously, I had started giving some baby items away. I walk by this picture of my four kiddos every morning and have thought--'They're great!--I am so Content with my little family". I've been taking some online classes--you know moving on with life. I've been working out at 5 am with a great group of girls and getting in my best shape ever--Go P90X! So, really a baby was not on my mind.

I was in denial for about a month. I have 21 day cycles with an occasional 28 day thrown in, so to be off a bit, no cause for concern. And then I just figured because I've been working out things are a bit off, etc. And then I took an over the counter pregnancy test and later thought--'Well, it was a cheap one, it could be wrong". And then a couple weeks ago the fatigue and nausea started--can't think of any other reason for that-aagh!

Really, I am very excited about a new little baby--boy or girl, it'll be great!! I'm still on the emotional roller coaster of ''How exciting" and Holy crap what have I got myself into?!" Tenative due date between December 9th and 14th. So, there you go, now all family, friends, and neighbors can know at the same time (or at least have the opportunity of doing so). This is the first Kirt and I have said a word about it to anyone. Yes, he's excited, but a bit shell shocked, too.

Spring Break Fun!

2009-04-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

Wind Caves Hike Grandma and Grandpa Nelson came to visit us over Spring Break a couple weeks ago. One of our first excursions was a 3 mile hike up to the Wind Caves. The caves are almost to the top of the mountain behind us.

Here we are a little over an hour later at the top! And yes, it was windy, but felt nice to be cool after working up a sweat hiking in the sun.

We enjoyed the scenic views and fun little nooks along the way up and back down . Taft was a trooper and hiked unassisted all but the last 10 minutes. He stumbled a few times over the rocks on parts of the less blazed trail, but didn't complain and just got back up. We are looking forward to doing some more hiking as a family. It was a really fun day Ü

Tempe Town Lake

On another sunny spring break day we spent the afternoon at Tempe Town Lake. Kirt took Dallin and Elaine out on a paddle boat--although he did most of the paddling Ü Taft and Briggy played by the fountains.

Thanks for coming to play with us Grandma&Grandpa!

Happy 7th Birthday Elaine!

2009-03-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

We are in birthday mode around here lately and just celebrated Elaine turning 7! She is pictured here with her new Build-a-Bear friend she bought with some birthday money. The outfit the bear is wearing is actually one Elaine used to wear as a baby--it's fun to see how she's grown Ü

Of course, her siblings were happy to share this special day with her. Well, Brigham just woke from a nap so is a bit less than enthusiastic here.

They were even more excited to see what presents Elaine recieved!

(Brigham still reigning in that enthusiasm here).

A special part of the day was when Grandma and Grandpa Nelson came to visit from Utah just in time for the party!

And we topped off the evening with some strawberry angel food parfaits. Not planned, but when Mommy's angel food cake came out of the oven only 2 inches tall we improvised Ü

Elaine is such a wonderful part of our family. She has such a lively personality and I love to hear her giggle. She has a bit of tomboy in her and loves to climb trees, dig in the sand and ride her bike. On the flip side she has her girly days where she's all pink and playing with ponies and Pet shop-she Loves animals. Elaine's a lot of fun and I'm so glad she's our little girl!

Happy Birthday Elaine Eve!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Taft!

2009-02-23T13:33:00.000-08:00

Taft was so excited to celebrate his 4th birthday and go to Sweet Tomatos for dinner. It was funny as Grandma and Grandpa sent him a card with coupons to the restaurant and a check and he was more excited for the coupons than the money. (Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!) He still keeps telling us, "I'm never going to be 3 again!" It drove him nuts having to wait for his siblings and Daddy to come home to open presents. Fortunately, Great-Grandma made that at bit easier. . .

I told Taft if there was a box in the mail, he could open that without having to wait. So, he lucked out and ripped into it, before even coming inside. It was a fun little bubble blowing train from my Grandma, which he and Brigham enjoyed chasing around.

A couple months ago Taft told me for his birthday he wanted a 'Mean Car' cake. (from the movie Cars). I was hoping he'd change his mind when birthday time rolled around as I didn't know how to pull that off. Here's my sorry attempt at it, which fortunately, Taft loved! (It's a chocolate cake with 2 brownies stuck on top for eyeballs).

Taft is a huge Thomas Train fan. One of the things he wanted most was the train 'Diesel 10'. He was just beside himself with excitement to open up this treasured gift. (Thanks, Grandpa!)

This picture just makes me laugh as it catches Elaine licking frosting off the cake, Brigham ripping into one of the presents and Dallin being goofy in the background. Taft was busy loooking at his new trains and a bit annoyed at having to pose for a picture. A typical family birthday party Ü

We so love having Taft in our family. He is such a character and keeps us laughing. I think it's because he tries to act a lot older than he is. And whenever anyone comments on his red hair, he's quick to tell them "it's not red, it's ORANGE" , although this week he decided to start telling people he has 'green' hair--go figure.

Well, a big Happy Birthday to Mr. Taft!

Happy Valentine's Day...mostly

2009-02-15T20:55:00.002-08:00

The kids had a fun time preparing for Valentine's Day parties at school this year. Dallin's class held a contest on creating a box to hold all your valentines. Well, then Elaine had to make a box,too--she chose this cute puppy. Dallin (with Mom's help) created a box resembling a school locker, complete with photos and decor inside. . .and Dallin won!

Next, it was time to make the cards. Elaine wanted to make one with a pipe cleaner bee. I was all for it, until I realized, 'one bee, no problem, 30 of them-time consuming'. Dallin was content to print off a sheet of jokes--definitely his style. Next year I'm so going back to store bought Ü

On Friday they had the little parties at school. I helped out at Dallin's at Noon and was back again at 2pm for Elaine's. Taft and Briggy joined me and had a blast eating treats and watching them pass out cards. It's cute to see that some traditions never change. Well, now there seems to be a lot more candy, I remember just putting one little conversation heart with the card.

And I was looking forward to spending Saturday catching up on things I'd postponed during the week (due to helping the kids prepare for Friday) and going out for Valentine's day dinner. Unfortunately, I woke up Friday at midnight sicker than I've been years and spent all day Saturday in bed and barely able to get down a glass of grapefruit juice. The only thing that sounded relatively palatable. I am better today and can sit up for a few hours and eat a small amount of whole food. Kirt was sweet and took care of everything this weekend and even planted some new flowers in my garden for a Valentine's present.

Happy 2nd Birthday Brigham!

2009-01-15T14:01:00.000-08:00

Look who turned 2!

Briggy celebrated his special day hanging out with Taft, who he constantly laughs at and immitates.

He later enjoyed a family party with Thomas the Train cupcakes. Brigham was cracking up when we all sang to him--we can't sound that bad Ü

And then he topped off his birthday by opening some fun presents. His siblings were eager to help open and play with the new toys.

It was great to celebrate this day with Brigham. I can't imagine our family with out him. Such a sweetie--we all love you Briggy!

'Twas a Fun Family Christmas

2008-12-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before Christmas,
when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in the tent, Wearing new pajamas Great-Grandma just sent.

And Mama in her sweater

and Pa in his shirt,

Had fun with the kids, but ate too much dessert ;)

Around the new train set the kids made such a clatter,

It was as if the other gifts would not really matter.

But, into the packages the children tore like a flash.

And at the end of it all,

the littlest one would crashÜ

Watching the children's excitement and awe was a beautiful sight,

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Thanksgiving Trip to Utah

2008-12-07T05:08:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa in Bountiful, Utah and all had a fabulous time. We hadn't been back since moving to Arizona almost 2 years ago! The kids had a great time reconnecting with cousins, staying up late, missing school and eating junk for a week. Kirt and I also enjoyed the vacation and visiting with family and friends (Thanks for dinner, Payne's). Here is a sampling of our little adventure. . .

All the cousins in the backyard.

(except 2 still in Boston--we missed you)

Elaine, Abby and Madi had a fun time together. They enjoyed sleepovers at Grandma's, Barbie's and crafts. Madi was so sweet to just hang out with her younger cousins, who absolutely idolized her Ü

What Thanksgiving would be complete without a little football!

Taft or Orange(b/c that's what color he says his hair is) as he was nicknamed had a blast with his older cousins. I think it's b/c he can burp on demand--what teenage boy doesn't think that's cool ?!

Cameron and him became fast friends.

Brigham couldn't get enough of the roller coaster in the backyard!

It may be hard to see but his smile was always so huge going down this thing.

And Briggy enjoyed playing blocks with his cousin. Austen was so patient to stack them up again and again as Brigham kept knocking them down and giggling.

I had fun just chatting with my Sister-in-laws, shopping and seeing Twilight again Ü

(I stole this photo from Sarah's facebook page so that's why it's so puny.)

For the past 6 years Kirt's family has donated a tree to the Festival of Trees in memory of his younger sister Kellie. Throughout the year Kirt's mom collected all the fun bears and ornaments and such pictured here. So, on Monday Amy and I spent the day decorating this fun tree. It takes a bit of time as every ornament has to be wired on so they stay put when the tree is later transferred. (More info on this Festival is on the post below.) It was fun decorating and the kids enjoyed hanging out, too. . .

Dallin and Ethan thought these bears made better hats than decorations!

Taft was being sneaky tying this bear up in the sled Ü

We finished off our trip with a visit to see the lights at Temple Square.

Hard to capture in photo's , but so beutiful to see.

Overall, we had a great and busy time in Utah. We drove straight 11 1/2 hours home. The kids were so exhausted from vacation they slept all but about 3hours home--nice Ü.

Festival of Trees

2008-12-07T04:47:00.000-08:00

As noted in the above post, Kirt's family donates a tree to this festival in memory of his sister Kellie. Our theme was A Beary Merry Christmas. There are various other themes from whimsical to nostalgic to whatever. Even the rival schools BYU and the U decorate a tree in their colors. It's fun to go around and see all the trees and added ambience. Below is a sampling of some of my favorites. . .

All of the trees and decor are donated by families and companies. After being decorated they are auctioned off and 100% of the proceeds go to Primary Children's Hospital. If you ever find yourself in Utah during this Festival I highly reccommend stopping in to see the 100's of trees and getting to know some of the stories behind them.

Catch up Time

2008-11-23T12:46:00.001-08:00

Lot's of activities and little time to blog has been the theme of this month. So, here is a small summary of what the Nelson's have been doing these past few weeks. . .

Schnepf Farms Field Trip

I was able to accompany Elaine's class on a field trip to the farm. It was a fun time seeing how a farm worked and playing around. Elaine got to pick some radishes, which by their size more resembled beets!

Train Park-Layton Party

From riding the carousel to climbing walls and taking a spin on the train around the park. All had something they could enjoy at the family party Kirt's work put together.

Happy Halloween!

The kids had fun dressing up this year. Although Taft was a pirate for about 30 seconds. Briggy, on the other hand loved wearing his pumpkin costume and sucking on the collar Ü

Taft was proud of his cupcake spider he made at playgroup. Treats won out over costumes with him. We also had fun helping out at the parties in both Dallin and Elaine's classrooms at school. A busy sugary day!

Scouts

Dallin has loved being a cub scout. (I don't think I've blogged on this before) Its fun that Kirt is one of the leaders in the program here. Each month we get busy with activities and pack meeting. This month Dallin just completed the move from Wolf to Bear!

Zoo Walk

2008-10-30T15:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday Kirt's company sponsored the employees to go to the Zoo Walk for Autism research. We awoke at 6:00 am to participate. It was a fun family event where our little monkeys got to see real monkies, lions, giraffes, etc. Dallin nicknamed this guy 'cotton candy'.

Brigham enjoyed seeing the sting rays. You can actually see the ray's face here Ü

Dad and Dallin goofing off at the end of our Zoo adventure.

Soccer Mom--Never say Never!

2008-10-03T13:56:00.000-07:00

I wasn't ever going to be a 'soccer mom'! I've seen how having kids in sports can just make life so busy and overtake all your weekends, etc. So, I was glad Elaine did gymnastics one day a week and Dallin isn't too into sports. Well, it wasn't to last. One of Elaine's best friends--Emma Bartlett was signing up for soccer and her mom, who is a friend of mine, was the coach. So, I caved and signed Elaine up. And Elaine is just loving it! So yes, I have no completely free weekends. Friday afternoons are practices followed by a games on Saturdays until end of November. And the games have been early 7:30am and 8:00am games-yikes! No rest for the weary. Actually, it's still quite hot here so I'm glad to have it all over before the sun beats down too hard. Our team has afternoon games in November. It's fun to watch Elaine enjoy herself with her friends and learn some new things. She has taken quite well to the game and really goes after the ball and tries her best. I too have taken to my new role and cheer Elaine and her teammates on from the sidelines--Go Pink Thunder!

Way to get in there, Elaine!

Potty Trained!

2008-09-19T11:02:00.001-07:00

Yeah for Taft! A couple of weeks ago I was watching my friends son who is the same age as Taft. He asks to use the bathroom and I was so surprised he was potty trained. That did it for me, no more diapers! The next day we hit the potty training full force. We went to Target and Taft was excited to pick out some Disney/Pixar themed underwear. He only had a little 1/2 accident the following day. It's been great! With my other kids I spent weeks going back and forth from pull-ups to underwear to diapers and then trying it all over again. Guess it's a good thing I waited until he was 3 1/2 Ü

Another Blog

2008-09-19T11:02:00.000-07:00

One of my interests is natural health. For years I've been studying and appylying various topics under that category. And get great results. I recently completed a Family Herbalist study course and just read all I can on related issues and love to talk with and learn from others on the subjects of healthy eating, our food supply, natural remedies, herbs, etc. With the encouragement of some friends I hosted a discussion group a few days ago and have posted the notes on what I shared about eating a bit more wisely on a new blog I started, Healthy Steps. This is a group blog so multiple authors will be contributing info. Starting something like this was stepping way out of my comfort zone, but I recieved such positive feedback and we had a great turn out from our discussion so, I am excited about getting together next month. Any of my local friends are of course welcome to join us, let me know. Everyone has a little bit to share that when we get together we can all benefit and learn things step by step to help ourselves and our families achieve a new level of wellness.

Just Peachy

2008-09-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been JUST PEACHYand I mean that literally. We bought 2 boxes(about 60lbs) of Utah peaches. Well, friday night we had Peach Mousse. Saturday morning we had pancakes topped with Sliced Peaches. That afternoon we enjoyed a Peach Smoothie. And for dessert, you guessed it, Peach Shortcake. All Saturday we Canned Peaches, made Peach Jam, and Frozen Peach Slices. Not to mention all the ones we just ate au natural. Kirt and I had never canned before and we hope to never do it again--what a chore! We netted 14 quarts and they all sealed fine so that was good. We worked for hours and I think we used every pot and bowl in the house, not to mention a whole laundry load full of rags and all the clean-up afterwards. Sticky floor, cabinets, counters, etc. I don't get why people do this. I guess if I owned an orchard and didn't want them to go to waste. Kirt, joked with me as I was whining over the work afterwards, "well, at least you learned something", I said, "yes, I learned that Costco has a pretty decent price on bottled peaches!" He agreed Ü

Family Pictures

2008-08-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally went and took new family pictures. The anticipation and planning of such is a high stress event for me. No wonder we hadn't updated in 3 years. And I never fully like the pictures until a year or so later. Right now I still see little things that if I could just tweak this or that, they'd be perfect. We got a CD with all the shots they took on it that the lady said was perfectly OK to blog with--no copyright infringement going on here. Well, below is a a sample of some. Kirt and I couldn't agree on which family shot we preferred, the black background or white.(Neither one of us were a fan of the brown one). So, just for curiosity sake leave a comment with your vote. We did buy both, but it's a fun little debate we're having Ü

Baptism

2008-08-17T22:11:00.000-07:00

Dallin was baptized yesterday by Kirt. He was a mixture of excitement and nervousness. From his smile here you can tell it was a happy day for him. As well, as for all of us. We were so grateful for our family that came and ward friends. We were especially touched by our many neighbors/friends not of our faith that accepted our invitation to share this event with us, too.

We are so happy for Dallin's decision to follow the Saviour and the example he is setting for his younger siblings. We love our Dallin!

An extra special treat this day was that Grandma and Grandpa Nelson were able to come! They had been serving a mission in St. George and got released a few days early to come to the baptism. This meant so much to Dallin. We all enjoyed their visit this week :)

First Day of School

2008-08-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

The first day of school came early this year, August 6th. Dallin just getting over being sick, so not too happy here, was off to 3rd grade. And Elaine, excited to walk to school with Dallin and neighborhood friends was off to 1st grade. Taft wanted to be a part of it all too, so we packed him a juice box and pretzels for his walk to school. Dallin and Elaine both got male teachers, a Mr. Hamlin and Mr. Harris. Crazy coincidence!

Taft really enjoyed walking to school and after dropping Dallin off at his line we waited with Elaine in hers until the teacher came. Well, poor little Taft was so sad he had to leave, he was convinced he was going to school with Elaine, today :( After a few tears he came in the stroller with Brigham and every couple of hours asked when Elaine and Dallin would be back--sweet.

Happy Anniversary

2008-08-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

This month Kirt and I celebrated our 10th anniversary!

I can't believe how the time has gone by. I guess, the old adage is true, 'time flies when you're having fun'. It has definitely been a wonderful and busy 10 years. 4 kids, 5 houses, 2 states, college graduations, job changes; we're finally settling here in Arizona. I'm so grateful for the last 10 years we've had to spend together and look forward to an eternity more.

For our anniversary Kirt surprised me with a day at Saguaro Lake. Well, it was a week after as on our actual anniversary, we were camping with the boy scouts--nice timing :) He rented a wave runner for the day and we played on the lake for 6 hours, just us. It was fabulous!

We pretty much had the lake to ourselves in the morning. The day and the scenery was so beautiful.

I was a bit of a wimp when it came to really speeding around the lake, so Kirt took the wave runner out for a solo spin. Although, I did get more courageous as the day wore on. It was a blast!

San Clemente Vacation

2008-07-27T22:49:00.001-07:00

This past week we went to San Clemente, CA with the Watts family for a little camping and beach trip fun. This pic was taken our last day after playing hard in the sun and dirt for 5 days so we all look a bit "swarthy" as Kirt says. It was a great trip and the Watts were so fun to be around and the kids really enjoyed hanging out together. Thank you Watts Family :)This post may be a bit long with pictures, but I enjoyed everything so much it was hard to pick favorites. So enjoy scrolling through them, the photos mainly speak for themselves.

Beach Fun!

Dallin and Elaine loved playing in the surf. The last time we took them to a beach Elaine was a baby and Dallin about 3, so it was a new adventure for them.

Just hanging out with the kids. (I'm using Elaine as a 'cover-up' here).

Daddy digging with the boys. This is basically all Taft did on the beach, dig and dig and it was heaven to him. The water scared him and Brigham would scream if I even got near it holding him.

On our last day at the beach Brig finally was enjoying the sand and stopped screaming if Mom and Dad touched the ocean.

Elaine was a Boogie Boarding maniac. She loved it!

Kirt also enjoyed diving into the surf on the Boogie Boards.

I like this pic b/c it was our last moments at the beach and Lori convinced me and Sara(Stoddards were in town and joined us this day) to make the most of it , leave my warm towel and dive into the cold water one last time for some Boogie Boarding. I'm glad she did, it was a blast!

Legoland Day

We took one day out from the beach to go to Legoland! The kids enjoyed going on many rides and seeing the Lego statues. It was a fun little adventure, but we don't think we'd go back. A bit subpar compared to Disneyland and geared to the younger kids. But we're glad we went, it was fun to see the kids enjoy themselves.

Lego Star Wars--Dallin was loving it!

Thomas the Train--Taft was giddy!

The kids with their Lego Licenses. That was one of the big highlights and must do's for them. They even took a driving test--yikes!

This was typical of most of the rides. A little vehicle to spin around or go up and down in. It was great b/c Elaine was able to go solo on them which she loved. Kirt and I were Taft's riding buddy. There were a couple 'bigger' rides, but the hour long line was not possible with wee ones in tow.

I love this picture as Briggy is the same size as the little Lego men--funny!

Camping

This was our first time camping for more than one night as a family. It was surprisingly enjoyable :) Kirt was excited to use his new dutch ovens and whipped up some tasty vittles. The last night we had the yummiest peach cobbler as Lori suggested it and then we all craved it :) The kids loved getting dirty and sleeping in a tent.

A fun shot of all the kids hanging out. After a day at the beach we'd come back and shower everyone off before dinner. They all look so fresh and clean. They made friends with a boy from the campsite next to ours who hung out in the evening with us. He had an English accent --a little Harry Potter according to Dave. Dallin got his address so they could exchange Pokemon cards.

Tide Pools

After packing up camp and a lite brunch at 'Surfin Donuts' we stopped by the tide pools in Dana Pointe. Unfortunately, the tide was in so we didn't see too much anongst the rocks. It was a fun little last hurrah with the Watts before our long drive home from our fabulous week in San Clemente!

Fire Station Fun!

2008-07-18T10:20:00.000-07:00

On tuesday we went with a group of friends to tour the Gilbert Fire Station. After the tour I concluded that Firemen have it pretty good. They work 10 days a month, have a gourment kitchen, a well equipped workout room, big screen T.V's, leather recliners to watch training videos, own bedroom as they are encouraged to nap to be well rested. Sign me up!!!

Hanging out by the fire truck. The kids enjoyed running around the station, although Taft was surprisingly reserved. Just in absolute awe, I guess as he LOVES anything to do with fire trucks.

Here's those recliners I mentioned. The kids quickly filled up the cozy chairs. Even Briggy recognized the quality resting place and was happy to snuggle up with Elaine.

The fireman pole!

This was the highlight, I think. Dallin and Elaine couldn't wait to see it. Fireman Hans demonstrated going down, but due to liability issues this was as much fun as the kids could have on it.

A fun shot of our group learning the ins and outs of the fire truck.

A Happy 4th!

2008-07-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

We had a fun and relaxing 4th of July. The kids think it's fun wearing their 'flag' t-shirts together. And yes they say 2007--I'm a bargain shopper. Except, today I went to Old Navy to grab some for next year at 50% off and they'd sold out of T's before the 4th--bummer!

For a little afternoon entertainment I got the kids some waterguns. Dallin is obviously having a blast drenching his sister. Since it was 112 degrees out, she dried fast Ü

We invited the Woodard and Linford families over for BBQ dinner and swimming. We had a great time with them just chatting and hanging out. They're fun company and the kiddos all seemed to get along great. We have been blessed to make some neat friends here in Arizona (that includes those of you not pictured here) Ü

After dinner it was refreshing to take a dip in the pool. Although, after the kids got done splashing or rather attacking Erin and me, we were quite drenched. I think I still have water in my ear.

What kind of summer holiday would it be without ice cream! We polished off the night with some treats and while letting the kids run wild Dad's played air hockey and Mom's visited.

This day was definitely an upgrade from last year when we'd barely moved here and just went out to chinese food on the 4th Ü

Happy Birthday Dallin!

2008-06-11T16:33:00.000-07:00

Our Dallin is 8 years old! He has such a fun personality and a big heart. Dallin is really smart, too, which keeps Mom and Dad on their toes Ü He is really a good kid and we are so happy to have him as part of our family. For his birthday celebration he wanted a pool party with Pokemon cupcakes, so here it is. . .

I just don't get Pokemon, but Dallin loves to collect the cards and play with his friends. So, if it makes him happy so be it; I created this little treat using his Pokemon figures--he loved it!

Dallin had fun with his school, church, and neighborhood friends. They went swimming. . .

. . .ate pizza and cake, opened presents. . .

. . .and swam some more!

Later that day we celebrated again with. . .

Mom and Dad. . .

. . . and siblings!

Dallin ended the day of festivities with taking his new remote control boat out for a spin.

Happy Birthday to you, Big D!

Summer Crafts

2008-06-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

I love this picture as I think Taft looks like a little garden gnome :) They created a garden scene with flowers, bees, and ladybugs out of 'fun foam' on a hat. Elaine and Taft have been enjoying doing some crafts together this summer. Elaine is very meticulous and loves to spend time creating, whereas Taft wants me to help him so he can get it done real fast and play with it. Dallin joins in sometimes if it's not too silly or he's not playing wii at the neighbors. It's great having an indoor activity to keep the kids busy and developing their creativity.

Bangs!

2008-06-09T16:12:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a change, but not wanting anything too drastic, so I went for some bangs. I don't think I've had bangs since high school. I guess, I envisioned the puffy ones from the 80's, but the stylist convinced me that some that whisp to the side are very in. It's been kind of funny as someone will look noticing something different, but not quite what. So, yes I did get bangs, subtle change which I can handle.

Swingset!

2008-05-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

The kids love hanging out in the 'clubhouse' as they call it of their new swingset.

Dad spent a couple Saturdays and some weekdays in between to drill, screw, hammer and piece together a playset for the kids to expend their energy on.

It was well worth all the labor. Just look at these happy kids at play :)

THANKS DADDY!

Kindergarten Graduation

2008-05-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Elaine posed for a picture with Mom on the day of her graduation from Kindergarten. ( I was going to put a shot from the program on, but hesitated putting kids picture's on the internet w/o parental permission). Elaine was excited for her big day. All the kindergarten classes sang some songs and then the teachers read the names of their students. It was a sweet little program. The day before her teacher sent home a DVD with pictures taken throughout the year set to 'very sentimental , make mom teary eyed' music. Elaine enjoyed sharing it with the family. I am a little sad about her growing up and going to school all day next year. But, I'm thinking by the end of summer with everyone home all day, I'll be ready to let go :)

Piano Recital

2008-05-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

Dallin had his first piano recital this day. He did a super job! He had practiced hard. He played a solo and then later a duet with his teacher. I am so proud that he sticks with it even when he gets frustrated at learning new key signatures or pieces. Practice can be a tough time somedays, but its rewarding for both of us when he finally 'gets it' and is so happy about it.

Fathers and Sons Campout

2008-05-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Kirt and Dallin enjoyed going camping with the ward Friday night. They got up to the campground friday afternoon and went on a fun hike. They had a good time around the campfire that night acting goofy(like a bunch of guys do when they get together)and enjoying hot chocolate as it was quite chilly.

Dallin found a horned toad which he had to show everyone in the campground. Kirt just thinks this picture is so funny as he asked these guys to act really surprised when Dallin shared his little critter with them, they were obviously happy to oblige.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

Friday morning I got a nice Mother's day gift. As Dallin and Elaine were getting ready for school they are bragging to each other how Mom is going to be in their class today. (I was going to a Mother's Tea at Elaine's at 9:00 and to read a story to the class at Dallin's at 10:00) Then one stated, "Well, I guess its both of our lucky day". I count myself 'lucky' or rather very blessed to have such neat kids. I can't imagine my family without each one of them in it. Yes, that is easy to say right now as they are all quietly tucked in bed :) They've been sweet sharing homemade cards and showering me with hugs and kisses. I know it's sappy, but I love it! Also, Kirt is getting me a bike for a mother's day gift as I've been wanting to go on rides as a family, as well . . .

He made me a key lime pie today-yum! It is a 'raw food' pie, in that the crust is made from crushed up dates, macadamias, walnuts, and coconut. The filling is avocado, limes and honey. To be honest I was a bit nervous to try it, but it was surprisingly delicious. Tastes sweet and limey and good, very rich. It was nice that he took the time and forethought to make something special for me on this special day :)

Girls Weekend

2008-05-04T21:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to Flagstaff with some friends for a Women's retreat. Our Relief Society president, Tina has a cabin there and hosted all of us. I rode up with Lori, and Jen and Erin(who joined us on the return trip). It was so nice to get away and be surrounded by pine trees and cooler weather and fun friends. I haven't been without kids by myself overnight in about 8 years. We just laughed and ate and laughed and made little baby hats for humanitarian center and stayed up until 3:00 am, which is probably why we laughed so much as everything is funny when you've had enough sugar and are sleep deprived :) On the way home we went to the outlets in Anthem to shop and have lunch and then to a Boutique for more shopping. Among other things I bought a Family Home Evening board and the lady was asking names to put on the tags for the jobs and I start to give my first name and Kirt's and she asks"wouldn't you rather have it say Mom and Dad?" Oh, yah I hadn't been called Mom in over 24 hours, just Melody , sort of forgot for a second. It was refreshing to return home and Kirt was Super Dad. All was in order and he took the kids to swim lesson and even squeezed in donating blood(no pun intended). He jokingly commented it wasn't hard at all, I don't know why you get frustrated. I'm thinking great I should go away more often. Any takers? :)

Just hanging out!

Traveiling buddies, Jen, Erin, Lori and Me.

Walking...sort of

2008-04-28T15:14:00.000-07:00

Brigham is almost walking on his own. He is so funny about it, he'll take about 3 or 4 steps and start giggling and then sit himself down just laughing. He loves Mom or Dad to hold his hands and walk him around. Elaine didn't walk until she was about 15 1/2 months either, so guess its hereditary. This picture was taken a few weeks ago, so no he is not sleeping in full jammies when it is 95 degrees out. In fact, he isn't sleeping well lately as he was teething last week and now he's up at 5:30 or 6:00 am with the sun. I need to get some dark drapes for the room to keep this little rooster asleep longer. :)

Kid Sense. . .

2008-04-13T22:27:00.000-07:00

This week we'll have been here in Arizona 1 year--wow that went fast! I guess it's true that time flies when you're having fun. We certainly have been enjoying ourselves here. So it was fitting to use these pictures as they were taken in St. George on our way down last year.

I'm not sure where the imagery came from, but the other day I overheard Elaine ask Dallin as she was singing a little song, "Don't I sound like a pretty lady carrying baskets of flowers?" and Dallin inhis typical off the cuff style responds, "No, you sound like an old lady screaming that just got stung by a bee!" He was giggling after, so no feeling were hurt, but what random comments on both sides.

And Taft I swear is going to be in the ER someday. He's always trying to get into what he shouldn't and moving chairs and stools and climbing counters and cupboards to do so. The other day he starts bringing in his mini trampoline from outside and when I ask him what he's doing he tells me he wants to put it in front of the fridge so he can jump up and get the tootsie roll. What?!!! Where do kids come up with these ideas?

Getting Warmer. . .

2008-03-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

We started swim lessons for the kids on Saturday and after getting home I was getting eager to swim myself, so I turned to the weather channel to quickly check the coming weeks temps. From this 7-day forecast I'm thinking Wednesday would be a good day for a dip in the pool :) Yikes!

Easter/Spring Break Fun

2008-03-24T14:02:00.000-07:00

All dressed up for Easter Sunday! We had a good Easter with just us here in Arizona. The night before some friends invited us to do a nighttime egg hunt with them at the park. It was fun with out flashlights, I had trouble finding the eggs. Taft of course, ate all his candy in one day--monkey!

During spring break we did one fun activity a day. This was wednesday, Kirt took the day off and we hiked around the Riparian Preserve. Dallin's friend Blake joined us for the day. We fed the ducks (later read a sign stating not to feed the wildlife--oops). The kids dug in the sand for a dinosaur and. . .

We brought a picnic lunch to enjoy.

After the Preserve we went over to the Rec center and the kids climbed the rock wall. Elaine is quite strong and actually got all the way to the top on her 2nd try.

Dallin also made it quite a ways up the wall before rapelling on down.

A quick recap of the week:

Monday: We went to the library for a St. Patricks Day activity and to get some books and movies to keep busy with during the week.

Tuesday: We went to the Mcormick Stillman train park in Scottsdale with a group of friends to play and picnic. Erin has a nice picture of it on her blog, and my camera batteries died that day :(

Wednesday:Pictured above :)

Thursday: We went to Tumbleweed park with same group of friends. It's nice for the kids to have other buddies to play with and Mom to have adults to chat with.

Friday: Mom was worn out! We caught up on some chores to get ready for the Easter bunny and later the kids went to the neighborhood park for a bit. I thought it was a fun yet low key spring break!

Happy Birthday Elaine!

2008-03-12T20:41:00.000-07:00

Elaine turned 6 today! It was fun to see her so excited for her birthday. She is such a sweetie. Right now she loves animals, the littler and cuter the better. She loves her baby brother and gives him hugs and kisses before she leaves for school and at bedtime. She looks up to Dallin and loves to teach Taft things, but he can be good at annoying her like no one else. She has a bit of tomboy spirit to her, loves to giggle and be silly, and loves ice cream. She's a great help to Mom. And suprises her teachers at what a fast learner she is. We love our Elaine!

Elaine had a birthday party with her school and church friends today. She invited about as many boys as girls, it was a fun group. The weather was great so we had it all outside. 10 minutes before the party she told me,"Mom, I just can't wait anymore, when are they coming!"

She wanted an animal theme party. So, I made this cake for her with a safari scene. I used brown sugar and sprinkles for the desert oasis effect (It has ice cream inside-yum) She was particular though and wanted a white cake with white frosting--mission accompished!

All were anxious to enjoy a treat!

We played a few animal themed games, one of which was "Pin the tail on the Monkey" It was funny to watch.

Just some shots with her family on her special day. ( My camera has trouble focusing when there is too much yellow, so the pictures of the party with Mom and Dad and brothers didn't work :( as it was outside with the yellow table cloth and yellowish lighting overhead--wierd , I know)

Elaine's brother's were happy to celebrate this special day with her. Fortunately, for Mom's sanity they all had some place to be during the party. :)

Park Day

2008-03-09T16:39:00.000-07:00

On Friday we went to the park to meet up with some friends from church and enjoy the sunny weather. The kids had a great time at the playground and running around the field. Even Briggy didn't mind crawling through the sand and trying to keep up with Taft and Elaine. Dallin was at school so didn't get to join us this excursion. Brigham just giggles with glee while riding in the swing.

Elaine coaxed Brigs all the way up the stairs by following her little webkin puppy. They then had a fun time going down the slide together.

Taft loves to jump and bounce around. Brigham crawled over to get a closer look.

Elaine also enjoyed flying through the air on the swings.

Happy Birthday TAFT!

2008-02-23T22:08:00.000-08:00

Taft turned 3 today! Unfortunately, he wasn't feeling his best earlier on during his party. He's had an earache off and on the last couple of days. So, he hasn't been his silly high energy self. I finally captured this smile from him right before bed this evening, he got a second wind after dinner. It was a pretty low key day, just Mom and Dad and siblings for the party. We had planned to go to the fire station, but as Taft conked out right after opening presents and eating 2 bites of cake we decided to save that excursion for another day. We love Taft and all his silliness, always keeps us smiling at his antics, and wish him a very happy 3rd Birthday!

Taft just stayed on the couch to open his presents. He got some more track for his train, a little people fire engine, a T-ball set, and a mini trampoline( Mom and Dad hope he'll use that to bounce on instead of the furniture).

It was cute to watch Taft with his new toys. He really liked them and wanted to play, but found it hard to gather up the energy.

He's been telling me for weeks he wants orange cupcakes with cars. So I created this little treat tree for him using 'Cars' stickers on toothpicks. He managed to eat the top frosted part off of his before. . .

Out like a light! Taft crashed out on the bed in the guest room with his bunny and new trains. (We'd just moved that bed downstairs that morning, I hadn't even put sheets on it yet--Taft didn't mind)

After a very long nap Taft headed outside with Elaine to try out his new T-ball set. They had fun taking turns whacking at the ball. It was great to see Taft finally enjoying himself on his birthday.

Random Facts about Me

2008-02-22T19:17:00.000-08:00

Jennifer tagged me so I need to share 7 random facts about myself. I get embarassed sharing about myself, so I'll do this quick before I post about Taft's Birthday tomorrow and maybe it'll get looked over on the page :) Here are the rules. #1 Link to the person that tagged you. #2 Post the rules on your blog.#3 Share seven random and/or weird facts about yourself on your blog.#4 Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.# 5 Leave a comment on their blogs so that they know they have been tagged.

1. I absolutely love strawberries! Put them in a milkshake--Yum.
2. I've skiied and or snowboarded in California, Canada, and Utah, Utah was the best snow and I'd know since I spend so much time sitting/falling in it.
3. Enjoy some type of excercise daily, in fact I get cranky if I skip too many days.
4. Smashing Pumpkins is the only concert I've ever been to--crazy!
5. I hate to do dishes, much rather clean bathrooms.
6. Claustrophobic--the idea of a cruise freaks me out.
7. Hope to travel to Europe someday and see all the big sights and taste the cuisine.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-14T00:25:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd post a picture of my sweet valentines! We aren't doing anything too big this year for Valentine's Day as Dallin, Kirt and I have been sick. That is why I am blogging at 2 am-yikes! I have a terrible sore throat(not strep, luckily) and have only eaten a smoothie and 2 bowls of soup in the past 2 days. And I can't sleep. I think I'm getting over the worst of it, though. We were going to order in Chinese food. As 10 years ago, the V-day before we got engaged, Kirt set up a nice table and ambience and picked up chinese food. We thought it'd be a fun little anniversary of that day. But, no we have to go and get sick, so it doesn't sound good right now. I was so looking forward to some shrimp, I've weaned Brigs and can eat it again--another day, I guess. Dallin and Elaine are excited to give out their little Valentine cards at school and have a party with their class. Dallin was funny on his cards, he didn' t want to write all the classroom kids names on them, so on each one he put,To: you. So, Happy Valentine's Day To You!!!

Any Valentine's Day traditions?

What are you doing to spread the love this special day?

Tennis anyone?

2008-02-05T13:20:00.001-08:00

I haven't had a chance to blog lately. I just pulled the pictures off the camera and realized I haven't taken any since Brig's birthday. Oh where does the time go. Well, Saturday was just gorgeous and I was dying to play some tennis. Unfortunately, Kirt had scouting in the morning, Elaine got sick in the afternoon, and we were having furniture delivered early evening, there went that day-ugh. With four kids and no family around if we want to do anything we usally take them all with us as babysitting gets expensive. If Kirt and I are both home were not allowed to run an errand typically without taking at least one little monkey with us. Anyways, I digress. For my local blog reading friends I would love to get a group together to play some tennis occasionally. Either a weekday night around 6:30-7:30pm-ish(Freestone has lights) or Saturday morning around 7:00 or 8:00am-ish(Fincher Farm courts). We only have a few months before we'd have to be up at 5am to beat the heat-yuk. So let me know if you'd like to get together and when works best--no experience necessary--I'm so rusty myself :) [This picture is Dallin at tennis lessons in Utah 2 summers ago-fun!]

BookClub

2008-01-25T12:50:00.000-08:00

Wednesday night it was my turn to host our book club group. It was a fun night, although I was really nervous to host. My sweet husband understanding how I stress getting the house ready for guests, came home a bit early to help out and got the younger kids in bed and him and Dallin hung out upstairs the rest of the night downloading music to Mp3 players. I think we had about 15 ladies come. The book we read for discussion was Tuesdays with Morrie, which was good. As usual we didn't stay on topic long and discussed things from friendships , Lord's hand in our lives, kids, autism, vaccines, who's pregnant(congrats Atalie), illnesses, shopping, and dogs to name a few. This is just such a great group to be around and am so grateful to have gotten involved when we first moved here; I've made some fun friends and learned a lot. Yeah for bookclub--looking forward to next month!

Birthday Fun and Grandpa Visit

2008-01-21T13:46:00.000-08:00

We all loved celebrating Brigham's 1st Birthday on the 15th. It was just us and Grandpa Dye. We went to Joe's Farm Grill for dinner and then came home and enjoyed banana cupcakes(muffins-frosted)-yum!
Brigham not quite knowing what to do with such a large morsel of food finally just dived in. He got good and sticky later.

Grandpa Dye got Brigham this cute little ride-on dump truck. It did the trick as he finally started to warm up to grandpa here.

Grandpa took all the kids to Toys R Us and let them pick out a toy--fun!!! We were there about 2 hours 'deciding'. The kids nicknamed my dad the Birthday Grandpa as he's good about visiting on thier special days. Unfortunately, he missed birthdays last year as we were moving and such. Dallin picked a nerf dart gun thing, Elaine a Barbie pool, and Taft a semi truck that hauls cars. Thanks Grandpa!

Look Who's Turning One!

2008-01-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday our little Briggy will be one! Time flies way too fast. I've been trying to wean him these past few weeks and he's actually been fighting it pretty good. All my others were done nursing by 1, but not this little guy. He's down to morning and night and was taking the sippy cup a week ago, but now I think has figured out what's happening and refuses to drink milk or water or anything--so stubborn. I have visions of going to his kindergarten class at snack time to nurse him :) oh well, it's his birthday this week so I'll let him have his way a little bit longer.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-27T13:37:00.000-08:00

Dallin surprised me with this little snowman he made at school for me and Kirt. It was really one of my favorite presents this Christmas. I get all choked up looking at it knowing the effort he put into it even wrapping and hiding it under the tree--so cute!
We had a wonderful Christmas this year. Just our little family here in Arizona. It was great just hanging out in P.J.s not having anywhere to go. We opened stockings first and then took a break for breakfast and to put Brigham down for a nap. Then the kids went to town on the other gifts. It is so fun to watch them and see what really captures their attention. Taft got a bit carried away and opened a gift of Elaine's (it was a princess set) and says, "Oh wow!"

This was taken Christmas eve as the kids were getting anxious for Santa to come later!

Brigham was quite mellow, I think in awe of all the excitement. The kids loved helping him open his gifts.

Taft was so excited to get his very own scooter to ride on just like his older siblings! Mom and Dad almost forgot about it until an hour before bedtime--oops!

Dallin and Elaine opening their 'big' gifts from Mom and Dad. A transformer for Dallin and a Fur Real tiger that hiccups and burps and purrs for Elaine.

A shot of Christmas morning in action.

Daddy just playing with another of Tafts favorites; a train!

Taft showing Mommy how his new excavator works.

Gingerbread House Fun

2007-12-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

(Life has been so busy latelywith Holiday preparations and activites. This is the first chance I've had to blog in weeks. Enjoy!)
Grandpa Dye sent the kids this fun gingerbread house kit. It actually took them a couple of days to complete, but here is the yummy oh so sugary finished product. Dallin added a note to ask Santa to please not eat it--he is so silly at times. An interesting side note, we put cotton candy for snow all around the bottom and over the last couple of days it has deflated and is turning back to solid sugar. Craft project and science experiment all in one!

The kids in action. Taft true to character was eating the candy quicker than Dallin and Elaine could decorate with it. You can see his little hand reaching into a bag of goodies here, such a little monkey :)

Ho Ho Ho!

2007-12-10T11:47:00.000-08:00

Dallin quote: "Mom, he's not the real Santa. It's just a guy in a costume who ate too much McDonald's food.

We went to Tempe Town Lake to see the boat parade saturday night and found this jolly old Santa there, too. It makes such a fun picture to have at least one little one crying with Santa. I was at the mall the other day (I'm never going back--too crazy, noisy, chaotic) and people line up forever and have their kids all dressed up and pay $25 for a Santa pictures. What?! Don't get me wrong, I love Santa and all the fun, but I don't go out of my way to get a shot of the big red guy, let alone pay for it :) Anyways, this one was free, convenient and maybe the kids look a bit windswept, but it makes for a fun memory. We'll invest in a nice family picture after the holidays :)

Thanksgiving Trip

2007-11-26T13:43:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving this year in St. George, Utah with Kirt's parents and his brother Andy and his family. It was a nice time, but a bit too chilly for our thin Arizona blood. Kirt's parents are serving a mission there so we stayed at an apartment across from the St. George Temple and had a beautiful view out our window. We enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast, hiked around Zions(brrr), went to the temple, saw some Christmas lights, got in a little shopping and just relaxed. On our way down we stopped here to stretch our legs while walking across a bridge spanning the Colorado River, just north of the Grand Canyon.

Dallin, Elaine, and Taft posing for a quick shot after crossing the bridge. We'd been in the car about 5 hours by this time, so I think they were just happy to get out!

After stuffing ourselves at dinner (and on a tasty apple pie Carissa and I made :) and then doing some crafts with the kids, it was nice to just relax in front of the TV for a bit. I think they were switching between a game and The Incredibles. (I was busy flipping through the black friday ads.)

The day after Thanksgiving we went to Zions National Park to hike around a bit. I was surprised how busy it was there actually. But, we found a place to park and walked up to Weeping Rock and The Narrows a bit. It was really pretty, but I was kind of a whiner as it was cold and we weren't prepared to go hiking. Next time, proper shoes, baby backpack, gloves, and warmer clothes for the kids. I am glad though Andy encouraged us all to go, it was a fun excursion!

Strolling around Zions with the cousins takes on a whole new meaning with all these little ones in tow. Dallin, of course walked, but was being goofy here while his little cousin was out on a potty break.

The kids had a great time visiting with Grandma and Grandpa Nelson! And Taft loved his Good 'n Plentys he got from grandpa for the trip home (which he was such a pill until about 10 minutes from home when he finally fell asleep--nice timing). The kids are typically quite good little travelers for the most part. 8 hours later we arrived back in Gilbert with fond memories of our little holiday trip.

Oh Motherhood!

2007-11-15T14:36:00.000-08:00

Being a Mom is great, but boy do these little guys keep me on my toes. I can barely find a moment to blog :) Actually, while writing this Taft dropped a glass on the tile downstairs and I've had to barricade the staircase to stop Brigham from plumeting down them. If I didn't think they were so cute I'd have probably sold them to the gypsies awhile ago--not really, like even know where the gypsies live. Anyways, I just wanted to take a moment and document them as they grow too fast. (I'll blog Dallin and Elaine next time.)

Taft is only 2 but got himself his own cereal the other day. This wasn't the first time he did that. He got a bowl out of the dishwasher(it was clean--not always the case, though), poured the cereal and milk without a spill and proceeded to dig in. This is how I found him one morning. He is constantly climbing things and finding stools to get higher--one day he even dragged his porta potty out as I'd hid the stools and used that to get on the counter--too smart for his own good. He can actually hold on to the edge of the center kitchen island and walk his feet up it; no idea where he learned that. He gives me gray hairs but he's fun!

Our little Brigham is just growing too fast. He army crawls like this all over the house, just full of energy. (Very motivating to keep my floors spotless.) Typically he has a ball or other small object in his hand at all times. He's fast, too. The other kids try to crawl like him and he beats them, its funny to watch. He is so happy and the kids love to make him giggle. He's been a bit fussy lately as he's teething again. 4 on the top and 2 on the bottom now with more on the way.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2007-11-09T11:38:00.000-08:00

Birthdays are good for you.
Statistics show that the people
who have the most live the longest.

I must be getting old as I don't want to admit exactly which birthday it is I'm celebrating today. (34). So far so good. Kirt and I went out to breakfast with Taft and Brigham after Dallin and Elaine went to school--shhh. Anyways I reach for my water and somehow dump the whole cup over which gets on Kirt's pants and everywhere else. As I'm cleaning it up Taft says, "Daddy, I didn't touch it" Too funny. Typically he's the one dumping water everywhere--daily. It has been a nice day though. I got a card(and some moula) in the mail from Kirt's parents and phone calls from my family. We'll do a little presents and dessert later tonight with the kids and then Kirt gets to finish painting the bedroom--that was part of his gift to me. Nothing too fancy, but the little things mean the most--so, thanks all who remembered and made me feel a little special today :)

Halloween Fun

2007-11-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

We had a great time this Halloween! I was able to help out with both Elaine's and then Dallin's class parties as they were at different times. And who could complain about trick-or-treating in 75 degree weather. It was great strolling around and chatting with our friends and neighbors. (and of course, stealing a few pieces of the kids chocolate in the meantime--oh come on, you all do it :) Elaine who's greatest wish is to have a kitty, dressed up as a 'black panther' as she called herself. Dallin wanted to be a ninja so he donned his karate clothes and added a sword. Taft pictured here was Clifford for trick-or treating, but was Buzz lightyear for Elaine's school party. Brigham of course, was a bunny. All my babies have worn this little outfit for their first halloween.

Elaine and Taft enjoying a treat at her kindergarten class party.

Taft with a mouthful of candy alternated walking and riding while trick-or-treating. It was his first time and he was loving it--candy, candy, candy! He was so silly by the end of the night. Brigg just enjoyed the ride.

Dallin excited to go through all his loot. Elaine counted hers and said she had 114 pieces--coincidentally that is as high as she can count, so maybe she even raked in more than that--yum!

Crafting Bug

2007-10-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

I have been in the crafting mood this past week. I think it all started with our enrichment super saturday. I made the neatest blanket all silky on one side and then soft/silky furry on the other. I just love the textures. I also made this beautiful Christ themed picture frame. Then this past week I completed 4 scrapbook pages and made 2 more silky blankets for Christmas gifts. I also squeezed in tidying the house from top to bottom, cleaning out the flower bed and hosing off the back deck and furniture. Brigham just turned 9 months so I know I'm not 'nesting', guess its reverse spring fever as the weather cooled down a bit lately. This is my first time just blogging something random, but I wanted to share pics of my fun blankets--first time using the sewing machine, too! This one is mine. It's hard to tell here but its a soft cream fur and I love the fun patterned fabric. Its fun to cuddle up with--a teddy bear for grown-ups :)
Although it'll be tough to part with I made this dark brown and floral one for my Grandma.

And this 'Hello Kitty' white fur and oh so silky print is for Elaine. I wanted to surprise her, but had her pick out the fabric at the store she liked. Then I went back later that night to get it. Normally, she is out cold by 8pm at night. Of course, thursday when I was downstairs pinning it together at 9:30pm she comes down for a drink. She never does that and she'd been in bed silent for over an hour! I was so disappointed she caught a glimpse as I wanted it to be a huge suprise on Christmas. Although, she hasn't said anything about it since, so maybe she thought it was all a dream--agh!

Camping

2007-10-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

One of the highlights of fall break last week was going on the ward campout. And yes I went and slept in a tent and stayed the whole night! (Kirt was telling his Dad about our excursion and he was laughing and didn't believe I went). I guess I can't blame him as I've had issues with camping in the past. But, really it was a great time. I was a bit nervous about the idea of camping in the desert. (Although where else could you camp in October and really only need a sweatshirt and jeans after the sun went down.) But, no scorpions or rattlesnakes attacked. We did hear coyotes howling in the distance, which sounded so cool; I say that in retrospect as at the time I didn't know how distant they really were. So, I woke Kirt to walk me to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Hey, I'm working up to this camping stuff :)

Our families first camping adventure together! Kirt's been aquiring gear little by little as he's been wanting to camp together for awhile. I loved the tent--it's huge. All 6 of us slept in it with plenty of room for our bags, a playpen, and 2 more people if needed. Good find Kirt!

An after dinner sunset--amazing colors!

Brigham taking an early morning peek out of the tent. I woke to find him bundled up in Kirt's sleeping bag with him. He thought his little hands were getting too chilly in the playpen.

Dallin took this picture of Elaine and me at the cactus. He kept telling her to lean up against it for the picture--ah siblings.

Train Park

2007-10-16T20:12:00.000-07:00

The kids were starting to get a bit antsy after a couple of days of Fall Break. So, I was so excited when Erin called to invite us to check out the Train Park in Scottsdale with her. We had a good time. . .and more importantly it helped the kids expend some of that extra energy that'd been building up.

(for some reason pictures from this adventure are not loading---stay tuned)

Ahoy Mateys!

2007-10-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Layton held a company picnic this saturday at the park just 2 miles from our house. It was a pirate theme. The sharks behind Kirt make me laugh. You can't see in this picture, but they are part of a this huge 20foot slide. You enter here and climb up these ropes in the back. Elaine is pretty fearless and loved going down the slide, but was so afraid of these little puffed up sharks, she had to gear herself up and then run past them really fast. It was just funny :)

They had all these large pirate themed blow up activites for the kids. (And I took a ride down the 20ft slide). They enjoyed bouncing, climbing, and sliding down them all. This was a smaller one that even Taft could climb up inside.

Enjoying a sweet treat-Cotton Candy!

Taft took one bite of his and surprisingly didn't like it. Guess it all has to do with texture.

Dallin and Elaine had fun on this bungee game. They tried to put footballs on to the velcro, but as they ran they could only get so far before they were snapped back to start. It was fun to watch!

Autumn?

2007-10-02T15:31:00.000-07:00

The last couple of mornings Dallin has asked what day it is and then tells me how many left until Halloween. Which amazes me that it's around the corner. I just can't get into fall yet, when its still 95 degrees out. I saw some scarecrows outside of Michaels today which reminded me that I have one and some fun fall decorations. I've just been waiting for the "chill in the air" before setting them out. It has though gotten too cold to swim (as the pool heats to the nightime low), yet not cool enough to hot tub yet. Guess, we'll just ignore that part of our yard for a bit. I'd post a picture of the kids in the leaves, but yah. . .

Blogging

2007-09-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

Hi, thanks for checking our families blog. I am so new at this and as you can tell I am still figuring out how to align things and size pictures right. As time goes on I hope to get more adept at this, but enjoy my ramblings for now. Send me an email or comment so I know it's all working. Have a super day!

Back to School

2007-09-28T14:31:00.000-07:00

Dallin and Elaine were excited on their first day of school. Elaine (once we get her out of bed in the morning) is almost overly exuberant about school. One friday when I picked her up she excitedly told me it was friday and "you know what that means?--only 2 more days until monday and then I get new homework!" I hope the enthusiasm wanes a bit so she can save some for the teenage years. Dallin is doing super and just loves reading and is very good at it. There are 5 2nd grade teachers at his school, so he only knew a couple kids in his class as they all got spread out, but he makes friends so easily it wasn't a big deal. I drive Elaine as I have her going to a different elementary in order to have 1/2 day kindergarten. I could go on for pages about my thoughts on full day Kindergarten. Dallin walks or rides his scooter with a friend two doors down who is also in 2nd grade. There is a pathway from our neighborhood that backs up to the school so it's a short distance.

Vacation

2007-09-28T14:00:00.000-07:00

In the Rainforest at the Omaha Zoo.

Monument at Winter Quarters.

Loading the wagons!

At the airport-yeah!

Kirt joked that this wasn't really a vacation, but 'paid time off' as it was a trip to visit family. We all had a fun time in Nebraska to celebrate my Grandma's 80th Birthday--way to go Grandma! While there we went to the Zoo and Winter Quarters. The airport was a highlight for the kids, of course. It was great to reconnect with relatives I hadn't seen in 10-20 years--ugh I'm old.

Brothers

2007-09-25T15:28:00.001-07:00

Taft and Brigham are so fun to watch play together. They adore each other. Although, Taft usually ends up getting too crazy and tickles just a bit too hard. Lately, he's taken to biting Briggs on the hand or toes, so play time is ended abruptly with a piercing cry. Brigg though is quite forgiving and loves to laugh at Taft who is more than willing to be silly or make noises to get that happy reaction.