Wednesday, December 5, 2012
November
Feasts and Fun this month with Thanksgiving and Brennan's birthday. Turning five has been the funnest for Brennan. He has been planning his party for almost a year... He wanted a "Haunted Halloween Party." I wasn't quite sure how to pull that off, so I made it into a Carnival (though we still called it a Haunted Halloween Party...). We had four different little games for the kids to play and earn tickets (bean bag toss, ring toss, etc). Then with the tickets they got to go in the bounce house (just our little one--we had filled it with balloons), or do a cakewalk (where they won a cupcake), got their face painted, or got popcorn and cotton candy--oh and they got to turn in tickets for little toys or candy. The kids absolutely loved it! We did it in our unfinished basement and Brennan kept wanting to decorate it really scary... so for that, I put up streamers. Scary, right? It seems like it was a lot of work, and it was a bit of planning, but it wasn't too bad. And it was so worth it because Brennan loved it! Norma and Elaine saved us by coming to help, otherwise it would have been more crazy.
That night we went out to a pizza place with Scott's parents and family and Grandma Nancy. He opened presents--he is fun and difficult to shop for--He couldn't decide what he wanted, and he wanted everything! He is really into Lego's right now, so he got some Lego City sets, an angry bird game and a kids cooking magazine subscription.
Brennan is such a light in our lives. He is extremely funny and full of energy. He loves preschool and is making even more friends. His teacher told me that he is winning the hearts of all the girls because he is so nice to everyone. And he is! He is nice, sweet, obedient, and wonderful! And he is so funny--constantly saying things to make us laugh. We love you Bren!
Elise is really talking, too. She has had a bit of hard time sleeping. She has stopped napping, unless she is in the car and falls asleep. The problem comes when she takes any sort of nap, she won't fall asleep until 10 or later! So she wants to come "hang out" with mom and dad. And although we should be more diligent about putting her to bed and making her stay there, it has really been fun being just with her. Eventually she falls asleep and we take her up to her bed. What a love! Her hair is growing longer and she is getting better about letting me comb it and make it all pretty. Though usually it is pretty gross and messy after an hour or so. She loves it when her daddy sings to her, and her favorite songs are: "bity-boo" (Bibbity-bobbity-boo), the "mermaid song" (Part of Your World), "temple" (I Love to See the Temple), "bird" (My Heavenly Father Loves Me), and "God" (I am a Child of God).
Aidan is loving school and excelling. His reading has exploded and is finding more books he likes to read. But he is mostly reading the Book of Mormon. He wants to finish it before he turns eight and he is right on target. One of my favorite things he does is every day before he goes to school he says, "You're the best mom in the universe." Oh I just love him!
Weston is doing great, too. We were able to go back to the old neighborhood for an afternoon and it was so fun for him to play with his friends! They miss him so much and he misses them! He has been reading the "Fudge" books, the "Unwanteds", and Grandpa and Grandma Daw's family history book. He is so responsible and helps take care of Elise and his brothers. I am so grateful to him!
We had more time on Saturday's to work on things in the house. We put up a bunch of shelves in the storage rooms and really organized the basement. Things are really coming together in the house and we really feel like we are home.
Thanksgiving was pretty normal and good. We went to Scott's parents' house. I made 96 rolls. Twenty six people were at dinner. We ate all but 16 of the rolls!!! We are so grateful for all of our blessings, especially our families and the gospel. Love you all!
That night we went out to a pizza place with Scott's parents and family and Grandma Nancy. He opened presents--he is fun and difficult to shop for--He couldn't decide what he wanted, and he wanted everything! He is really into Lego's right now, so he got some Lego City sets, an angry bird game and a kids cooking magazine subscription.
Brennan is such a light in our lives. He is extremely funny and full of energy. He loves preschool and is making even more friends. His teacher told me that he is winning the hearts of all the girls because he is so nice to everyone. And he is! He is nice, sweet, obedient, and wonderful! And he is so funny--constantly saying things to make us laugh. We love you Bren!
Elise is really talking, too. She has had a bit of hard time sleeping. She has stopped napping, unless she is in the car and falls asleep. The problem comes when she takes any sort of nap, she won't fall asleep until 10 or later! So she wants to come "hang out" with mom and dad. And although we should be more diligent about putting her to bed and making her stay there, it has really been fun being just with her. Eventually she falls asleep and we take her up to her bed. What a love! Her hair is growing longer and she is getting better about letting me comb it and make it all pretty. Though usually it is pretty gross and messy after an hour or so. She loves it when her daddy sings to her, and her favorite songs are: "bity-boo" (Bibbity-bobbity-boo), the "mermaid song" (Part of Your World), "temple" (I Love to See the Temple), "bird" (My Heavenly Father Loves Me), and "God" (I am a Child of God).
Aidan is loving school and excelling. His reading has exploded and is finding more books he likes to read. But he is mostly reading the Book of Mormon. He wants to finish it before he turns eight and he is right on target. One of my favorite things he does is every day before he goes to school he says, "You're the best mom in the universe." Oh I just love him!
Weston is doing great, too. We were able to go back to the old neighborhood for an afternoon and it was so fun for him to play with his friends! They miss him so much and he misses them! He has been reading the "Fudge" books, the "Unwanteds", and Grandpa and Grandma Daw's family history book. He is so responsible and helps take care of Elise and his brothers. I am so grateful to him!
We had more time on Saturday's to work on things in the house. We put up a bunch of shelves in the storage rooms and really organized the basement. Things are really coming together in the house and we really feel like we are home.
Thanksgiving was pretty normal and good. We went to Scott's parents' house. I made 96 rolls. Twenty six people were at dinner. We ate all but 16 of the rolls!!! We are so grateful for all of our blessings, especially our families and the gospel. Love you all!
Sunday, November 4, 2012
October
Full swing of nothing but normal busy-ness this month! Most days begin getting the kids off to school (a lot of the days hopefully even getting music and chores done before school) and then Jazzercise for me and preschool for Brennan. Elise and I spend a lot of time cleaning up the house. She is a good helper. She loves to clean glass (and make it dirty) and help with putting things away. She also likes to help me get ready--even picking out my clothes (sometimes she makes me "run into" my shirt) and puts my socks on me. She sits with me as I get ready and puts makeup on herself. We have a lot of fun together. She is very motherly--always taking care of people, singing sweetly, and telling people what to do--"Use both hands", "be careful", etc.... She loves to look at magazines and say, "Hey, I like that"--pointing to every pink thing. The boys taught her about "stealing noses"-- where you put your thumb between your fingers. She is very serious about it and loves to take our noses and put it on her own face. It has been a fun game to play with her.
We've had the last of fall soccer for Weston, but that doesn't mean he has stopped playing. Every afternoon we have a yard full of neighborhood kids playing a game--usually filled with some "unfair" calls... The weather has been so nice and the kids have spent a lot of time playing outside with friends.
Aidan tried out Karate once or twice this past month, but it was a no go. Hopefully next year we'll try again. But he is busy enough doing music--he has now learned how to transpose some of his songs from C Major to F Major. Pretty amazing. He loves to just sit at the piano and tinker around.
Brennan loves preschool! Everything about it is great--he loves singing the fun songs he has learned and telling me about apples, fire safety, and the alphabet. There is a girl in his class who gives him notes and pictures. I asked him why she did that and he said he didn't know... And he really didn't know! Humble even with girls falling for him already. He says the funniest things: When I asked him if he was ready to be five he said, "Yes, and I want to go to College so I won't have scary nightmares." He wanted me to get him some milk and he told me, "I need a picker upper thing that picks up milk."
Heidi, Beanie and Ro came down to stay with us for a bit. Hil came over, too and we had a great time together. I am so glad we get together!
Not much else happened except Halloween, which was great, but too sugary. The kids loved it. Weston was Harry Potter, Aidan was a ninja (with the outfit that came from trying out the karate class... at least it was good for something!), Brennan was the spider, and Elise was a clown. We had a neighborhood trunk or treat and Mom Daw had a Halloween party. Along with all that candy, classroom party candy, and trick or treating candy, we are good to go til Christmas!
We've had the last of fall soccer for Weston, but that doesn't mean he has stopped playing. Every afternoon we have a yard full of neighborhood kids playing a game--usually filled with some "unfair" calls... The weather has been so nice and the kids have spent a lot of time playing outside with friends.
Aidan tried out Karate once or twice this past month, but it was a no go. Hopefully next year we'll try again. But he is busy enough doing music--he has now learned how to transpose some of his songs from C Major to F Major. Pretty amazing. He loves to just sit at the piano and tinker around.
Brennan loves preschool! Everything about it is great--he loves singing the fun songs he has learned and telling me about apples, fire safety, and the alphabet. There is a girl in his class who gives him notes and pictures. I asked him why she did that and he said he didn't know... And he really didn't know! Humble even with girls falling for him already. He says the funniest things: When I asked him if he was ready to be five he said, "Yes, and I want to go to College so I won't have scary nightmares." He wanted me to get him some milk and he told me, "I need a picker upper thing that picks up milk."
Heidi, Beanie and Ro came down to stay with us for a bit. Hil came over, too and we had a great time together. I am so glad we get together!
Not much else happened except Halloween, which was great, but too sugary. The kids loved it. Weston was Harry Potter, Aidan was a ninja (with the outfit that came from trying out the karate class... at least it was good for something!), Brennan was the spider, and Elise was a clown. We had a neighborhood trunk or treat and Mom Daw had a Halloween party. Along with all that candy, classroom party candy, and trick or treating candy, we are good to go til Christmas!
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
September
It is different now, being on traditional rather than year-round school. We were able to have a much longer summer which was nice since so much of our summer was spent living in limbo and then moving into the new house. I am glad we had some time to get to know our neighborhood, feel more settled, and do some fun summer activities. We got in some swimming, fun centers, the aviary, playing with cousins, Thanksgiving Point gardens, and more. We had been moving things in and getting the house all situated, so the kids were getting a bit stir crazy. We only had dirt in our yard, so they couldn't really play outside. Except when they saw the neighbors outside--the minute they would see them they would all go running over and be in heaven--a trampoline, a playset, even a little jungle gym thing. And then when the neighbors went in, the kids would be back in--It felt a little wierd to be playing on their toys when they weren't around... And the wood floors were disasterous with all the dirt; constant dirt footprints all over. So, we remedied that with sod! It took about a week to get the sprinklers in, the yard leveled, etc, and then the sod laid. But then we couldn't walk on it for two weeks! That seemed to drag on and on. But now the kids are out there running around and although we don't have a play set, it seems our yard is the designated soccer field.
We live in a "horseshoe" (or so they call it around here). Our street starts by going west, then turns south, then turns east. It surrounds a little circle (does that all make sense?). So it is not a lot of traffic--only those who live on the actual street. It feels so much safer than the busy street we lived before. It is a great place for the kids to play. Across the street is an empty field--lots of dirt, sand, old wood, rocks, etc. Such a fun playground for the kids (kind of reminds me of the field where the Thurstons now live). There are great families all around us, and the house is constantly filled with kids. I am grateful the kids have made some good friends.
Weston has a few his age, and a few the grade younger. They are good kids and they all love soccer and bike riding. Weston is a bit of a role model for them all--they look up to him. One friend told his mom that he was so impressed with Weston cause Weston was so nice and sweet to his little sister--even in front of friends! He tends to be a leader (nice way of saying a bit bossy...) so I am especially excited that the elementary school is going to be implementing the "Leader In Me" program. I hope it helps him hone those leadership skills so he is being a good positive and helpful leader. So life is treating Weston kind--and he is being a good boy. We did have to take Weston in and get some cavities filled... first, but hopefully only, cavities for him. He is enjoying school, but really working on some tough things and I think it is a surprise to him that some things don't just come easily to him. He is expected to do high quality work and take time to think things through. He is an avid reader still and just finished the Fablehaven series (author Brandon Mull) and is now reading the Kane Chronicles (by Rick Riordian, author of the Lightning Thief--good books for those who are looking). His soccer has started up again and he is doing fabulous! We just don't understand where he got his athletic ability. He has scored 10 goals already and he has only played 2 games! He is on the same team as last year, though many of the children are new and some from last year didn't return. His coach is new as well, and he is a great coach. Weston plays soccer daily at school, and then after school with several friends from the neighborhood. He is not going to enjoy the winter...
Aidan is really starting to love reading, too. He made a chart to see if he could read 10 chapter books (his level). It only took him 2 weeks. He read quite a few of the Black Lagoon books and some Little Bear books. It makes me so happy that he wants to stay up late reading! His reward for achieving his goal was a giant kit kat! We made it with wafer cookies and melted chocolate. Now he wants to make charts with rewards for everything he does! Aidan has started up music again and it is such a great program!!! He was stubborn about starting back, but now that he is into it, he practices what he is supposed to, but then sits there and plays around for another half hour! He is really going to be able to be creative with music, but be able to understand the theory of it! He is really growing up--finally lost his first tooth! Weston actually is the one who got it out for him. We had been trying all evening (and for several days) asking him to wiggle it and try pulling it, but then late at night Weston just stuck his finger in and flipped it out. He has also learned to ride his bike without training wheels Again, thanks to Weston! Weston said he would help him and we went out a few minutes later to see Aidan riding along by himself. Scott is starting to feel gypped out of his fatherly duties... We have divided up the yard/flowerbeds into sections and each child is in charge of keeping their own section weed free. Aidan takes his responsibility very seriously and I often find him outside weeding. He is excited to get flowers/etc in next year to take care of as well. What a great kid! I love him--every day as he leaves for school he says to me, "You are the greatest mom in the universe."
Brennan loves preschool! He is so lucky he has so many friends in preschool with him--our new back door neighbor (his new best friend) Lincoln, his friends from our old neighborhood, Kinsey and Adam, and his cousin JJ. He loves his teacher, Mrs. Jean, and all the fun things they do (this is the same teacher Weston had, and Weston got to go in one day and "help out"--what a great teacher she is to allow that!). He looks darling in his backpack--which he uses to carry his water bottle to school. (Elise loves his example and puts a backpack on, too, every time we take Brennan to preschool!) He has already had a "performance"--all parents were invited to come to the class and listen to them sing songs. He was very intent on watching all the other children as they sang. He loves all the songs. He was a bit scared to sleep in his own bedroom so for several weeks each night he ended up on the floor of our room. So, we made a chart for him (charts are great, aren't they?). His prize was a lego set. And he did it! Two weeks without coming down to our room. We are so proud of him for setting a goal and accomplishing it. He made sure he said his prayers nightly asking for help to not be scared. One night he wanted to go to bed early, so I told him that he could skip doing his "night things". He crawled into bed and then said, "Oh mom, what about my prayers? I don't want to get scared in the night." He promptly got out of bed and faithfully said his prayers! He is such a good boy. He STILL loves to bake and cook and recently checked out a recipe book from the Library and we have been doing a lot of cake baking! He loves to try new treat recipes and is even doing better about eating his dinner. He ate his entire dinner the other night (sloppy joes!). He still keeps us laughing--like the other day when he was picking his nose and I asked him to stop. His reply: "I am not picking my nose, I am getting something out of it!" He also said another funny thing the other day. His friend Lincoln is in his Tuesday and Thursday (but not Friday) morning preschool class. Friday Brennan goes, and some other children from the teacher's other classes (afternoon, etc), and I guess there is another boy named Lincoln who goes on Friday (though I didn't know that). Brennan came home from school and said, "Lincoln got a new voice." I thought that was strange, so I asked him about it and he said, "Yeah, a new voice and a haircut---it is kind of curly now." I couldn't figure it out until I remembered that his friend Lincoln didn't go on Friday and he must have confused him with another Lincoln! What a funny kid!
Elise is potty trained! We are so proud of he. She had a little sticker chart (again with the charts!) and we bought her a Minnie Mouse toy to work towards. Once she had two days with no messes she received her toy! She thought it was really fun to be naked all the time (eek!), but did a great job of daily making progress. Such a difference to my first two potty training experiences! She is is big prayer girl, too. She has taken to being lazy though, and instead of saying the names of the people she wants to include, she just points at us and says, "you, you, you, you..." She also prayed the other day that "Elaine come to my house" (Elaine--the lady we lived with that loves Elise and Elise loves her). My two favorite things she says is when we explain something to her, she says, "Ohhhh". And when she wants us to do something she says, "K?" Of course, writing it, you can't hear the way she says it and it doesn't seem as cute... Although she still doesn't talk in total full sentences, she is really improving. She says random things at random times. In the car the other day she said, "I pinchess (princess), you a guy dad." And another time, "Daddy fall hit tree owie"...
Yes, Scott fell off his bike! He was invited by some of the guys in our new neighborhood to go mountain biking and along the path he hit something and flew off and pounded a tree with his chest. That caused a few weeks of slow moving and not a lot of being able to move or lift things. Before his accident he did get a bunch of things done in the home and we have all the hooks up in the toy room, the pictures up on the wall, and basically, we have the house put together. Sure, there is always something to be done... But we feel moved in. And with the yard in, Scott now has lots of work to do--mowing the lawn takes twice as long as before! We are thinking it is time to teach Weston how to mow the lawn! He has been called into Primary and teaches those who are turning eight. It is different for him, but he does a great job.
With school in full swing, there is a lot more going on and we are busy, busy, busy. One Saturday, we had a soccer game, cub-o-ree, Relief Society Super Saturday, dig up and move and then plant three trees, get 2 box springs, one bookshelf and put them up, put up a fan in the bonus room, made bread, and played with friends (and then a bunch of other normal life stuff)! Whew, tired! At the Super Saturday, I made two pillowcases to match my bedroom and they turned out fun (I can sew straight lines!) and I finally finished the curtains as well.
Before soccer began, we took a Saturday and went out rock hunting. You know how whenever you go anywhere with little children they seem to come home with rocks in their pockets? Well, we decided if they are going to look for rocks, we might as well take them rock hunting! The kids loved it and are excited to go again sometime. Aidan tells more about it in Cuz Chron.
Now, with soccer season in full swing, we never have a free Saturday, but one of Weston's games was cancelled, so we were spontaneous and went camping! It was so fun. We used Scott's parents camper (again) and went up to Wasatch State Park (again). We did all the usual things: fishing (Adian caught a fish!), hiking, hot dog and marshmallow roasting, rock and leaf collecting, and more fun. We did add a new activity--geo caching. We have done this before, but not while camping. We found two different treasures and the kids loved it. We went up Friday afternoon and came back Saturday evening, so it was short, but it was so sweet. By far, camping is my favorite family activity (my kind of camping.... not in a tent...).
General Conference is coming up, and we were talking about prophets. I asked, "When do we hear prophets?", hoping for the answer, "General Conference." Instead, Aidan said, "Once they speak." I guess that is true. I was able to go downtown for the General Relief Society session with some ladies from my new ward. We went on TRAX, something new for most of us. I was very impressed with Elder Eyring's talk and am motivated to serve more. He said that one of the purposes of his talk was "to describe some of what is yet to come in your unified service". This made me perk us and listen--it is a clue that what he is about to say is prophetic and important! He said, " I can tell you something of what lies ahead for you. As you keep the faith, you will find yourself invited by the Lord often to serve someone in need when it will not seem convenient. It may appear to be unpleasant and perhpas even impossible task." My eyes are now opened, looking for these times. I hope I am ready!
We were also blessed this month to be able to take Weston to the Brigham City Temple dedication at our church (an extension of the temple that day). How neat for him to be able to experience that at a young age.
I am sure I have missed things that we did, but I have written enough! Can't wait to see how everyone else is doing. Shout out to mom--We love that you make this into a family letter for us. Scott compared it to Nephi writing things for his children. I don't know if this is all scripture... but it is family history at its finest!
We live in a "horseshoe" (or so they call it around here). Our street starts by going west, then turns south, then turns east. It surrounds a little circle (does that all make sense?). So it is not a lot of traffic--only those who live on the actual street. It feels so much safer than the busy street we lived before. It is a great place for the kids to play. Across the street is an empty field--lots of dirt, sand, old wood, rocks, etc. Such a fun playground for the kids (kind of reminds me of the field where the Thurstons now live). There are great families all around us, and the house is constantly filled with kids. I am grateful the kids have made some good friends.
Weston has a few his age, and a few the grade younger. They are good kids and they all love soccer and bike riding. Weston is a bit of a role model for them all--they look up to him. One friend told his mom that he was so impressed with Weston cause Weston was so nice and sweet to his little sister--even in front of friends! He tends to be a leader (nice way of saying a bit bossy...) so I am especially excited that the elementary school is going to be implementing the "Leader In Me" program. I hope it helps him hone those leadership skills so he is being a good positive and helpful leader. So life is treating Weston kind--and he is being a good boy. We did have to take Weston in and get some cavities filled... first, but hopefully only, cavities for him. He is enjoying school, but really working on some tough things and I think it is a surprise to him that some things don't just come easily to him. He is expected to do high quality work and take time to think things through. He is an avid reader still and just finished the Fablehaven series (author Brandon Mull) and is now reading the Kane Chronicles (by Rick Riordian, author of the Lightning Thief--good books for those who are looking). His soccer has started up again and he is doing fabulous! We just don't understand where he got his athletic ability. He has scored 10 goals already and he has only played 2 games! He is on the same team as last year, though many of the children are new and some from last year didn't return. His coach is new as well, and he is a great coach. Weston plays soccer daily at school, and then after school with several friends from the neighborhood. He is not going to enjoy the winter...
Aidan is really starting to love reading, too. He made a chart to see if he could read 10 chapter books (his level). It only took him 2 weeks. He read quite a few of the Black Lagoon books and some Little Bear books. It makes me so happy that he wants to stay up late reading! His reward for achieving his goal was a giant kit kat! We made it with wafer cookies and melted chocolate. Now he wants to make charts with rewards for everything he does! Aidan has started up music again and it is such a great program!!! He was stubborn about starting back, but now that he is into it, he practices what he is supposed to, but then sits there and plays around for another half hour! He is really going to be able to be creative with music, but be able to understand the theory of it! He is really growing up--finally lost his first tooth! Weston actually is the one who got it out for him. We had been trying all evening (and for several days) asking him to wiggle it and try pulling it, but then late at night Weston just stuck his finger in and flipped it out. He has also learned to ride his bike without training wheels Again, thanks to Weston! Weston said he would help him and we went out a few minutes later to see Aidan riding along by himself. Scott is starting to feel gypped out of his fatherly duties... We have divided up the yard/flowerbeds into sections and each child is in charge of keeping their own section weed free. Aidan takes his responsibility very seriously and I often find him outside weeding. He is excited to get flowers/etc in next year to take care of as well. What a great kid! I love him--every day as he leaves for school he says to me, "You are the greatest mom in the universe."
Brennan loves preschool! He is so lucky he has so many friends in preschool with him--our new back door neighbor (his new best friend) Lincoln, his friends from our old neighborhood, Kinsey and Adam, and his cousin JJ. He loves his teacher, Mrs. Jean, and all the fun things they do (this is the same teacher Weston had, and Weston got to go in one day and "help out"--what a great teacher she is to allow that!). He looks darling in his backpack--which he uses to carry his water bottle to school. (Elise loves his example and puts a backpack on, too, every time we take Brennan to preschool!) He has already had a "performance"--all parents were invited to come to the class and listen to them sing songs. He was very intent on watching all the other children as they sang. He loves all the songs. He was a bit scared to sleep in his own bedroom so for several weeks each night he ended up on the floor of our room. So, we made a chart for him (charts are great, aren't they?). His prize was a lego set. And he did it! Two weeks without coming down to our room. We are so proud of him for setting a goal and accomplishing it. He made sure he said his prayers nightly asking for help to not be scared. One night he wanted to go to bed early, so I told him that he could skip doing his "night things". He crawled into bed and then said, "Oh mom, what about my prayers? I don't want to get scared in the night." He promptly got out of bed and faithfully said his prayers! He is such a good boy. He STILL loves to bake and cook and recently checked out a recipe book from the Library and we have been doing a lot of cake baking! He loves to try new treat recipes and is even doing better about eating his dinner. He ate his entire dinner the other night (sloppy joes!). He still keeps us laughing--like the other day when he was picking his nose and I asked him to stop. His reply: "I am not picking my nose, I am getting something out of it!" He also said another funny thing the other day. His friend Lincoln is in his Tuesday and Thursday (but not Friday) morning preschool class. Friday Brennan goes, and some other children from the teacher's other classes (afternoon, etc), and I guess there is another boy named Lincoln who goes on Friday (though I didn't know that). Brennan came home from school and said, "Lincoln got a new voice." I thought that was strange, so I asked him about it and he said, "Yeah, a new voice and a haircut---it is kind of curly now." I couldn't figure it out until I remembered that his friend Lincoln didn't go on Friday and he must have confused him with another Lincoln! What a funny kid!
Elise is potty trained! We are so proud of he. She had a little sticker chart (again with the charts!) and we bought her a Minnie Mouse toy to work towards. Once she had two days with no messes she received her toy! She thought it was really fun to be naked all the time (eek!), but did a great job of daily making progress. Such a difference to my first two potty training experiences! She is is big prayer girl, too. She has taken to being lazy though, and instead of saying the names of the people she wants to include, she just points at us and says, "you, you, you, you..." She also prayed the other day that "Elaine come to my house" (Elaine--the lady we lived with that loves Elise and Elise loves her). My two favorite things she says is when we explain something to her, she says, "Ohhhh". And when she wants us to do something she says, "K?" Of course, writing it, you can't hear the way she says it and it doesn't seem as cute... Although she still doesn't talk in total full sentences, she is really improving. She says random things at random times. In the car the other day she said, "I pinchess (princess), you a guy dad." And another time, "Daddy fall hit tree owie"...
Yes, Scott fell off his bike! He was invited by some of the guys in our new neighborhood to go mountain biking and along the path he hit something and flew off and pounded a tree with his chest. That caused a few weeks of slow moving and not a lot of being able to move or lift things. Before his accident he did get a bunch of things done in the home and we have all the hooks up in the toy room, the pictures up on the wall, and basically, we have the house put together. Sure, there is always something to be done... But we feel moved in. And with the yard in, Scott now has lots of work to do--mowing the lawn takes twice as long as before! We are thinking it is time to teach Weston how to mow the lawn! He has been called into Primary and teaches those who are turning eight. It is different for him, but he does a great job.
With school in full swing, there is a lot more going on and we are busy, busy, busy. One Saturday, we had a soccer game, cub-o-ree, Relief Society Super Saturday, dig up and move and then plant three trees, get 2 box springs, one bookshelf and put them up, put up a fan in the bonus room, made bread, and played with friends (and then a bunch of other normal life stuff)! Whew, tired! At the Super Saturday, I made two pillowcases to match my bedroom and they turned out fun (I can sew straight lines!) and I finally finished the curtains as well.
Before soccer began, we took a Saturday and went out rock hunting. You know how whenever you go anywhere with little children they seem to come home with rocks in their pockets? Well, we decided if they are going to look for rocks, we might as well take them rock hunting! The kids loved it and are excited to go again sometime. Aidan tells more about it in Cuz Chron.
Now, with soccer season in full swing, we never have a free Saturday, but one of Weston's games was cancelled, so we were spontaneous and went camping! It was so fun. We used Scott's parents camper (again) and went up to Wasatch State Park (again). We did all the usual things: fishing (Adian caught a fish!), hiking, hot dog and marshmallow roasting, rock and leaf collecting, and more fun. We did add a new activity--geo caching. We have done this before, but not while camping. We found two different treasures and the kids loved it. We went up Friday afternoon and came back Saturday evening, so it was short, but it was so sweet. By far, camping is my favorite family activity (my kind of camping.... not in a tent...).
General Conference is coming up, and we were talking about prophets. I asked, "When do we hear prophets?", hoping for the answer, "General Conference." Instead, Aidan said, "Once they speak." I guess that is true. I was able to go downtown for the General Relief Society session with some ladies from my new ward. We went on TRAX, something new for most of us. I was very impressed with Elder Eyring's talk and am motivated to serve more. He said that one of the purposes of his talk was "to describe some of what is yet to come in your unified service". This made me perk us and listen--it is a clue that what he is about to say is prophetic and important! He said, " I can tell you something of what lies ahead for you. As you keep the faith, you will find yourself invited by the Lord often to serve someone in need when it will not seem convenient. It may appear to be unpleasant and perhpas even impossible task." My eyes are now opened, looking for these times. I hope I am ready!
We were also blessed this month to be able to take Weston to the Brigham City Temple dedication at our church (an extension of the temple that day). How neat for him to be able to experience that at a young age.
I am sure I have missed things that we did, but I have written enough! Can't wait to see how everyone else is doing. Shout out to mom--We love that you make this into a family letter for us. Scott compared it to Nephi writing things for his children. I don't know if this is all scripture... but it is family history at its finest!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
August
I started writing the post for this month, but it has been too long and things have combined with Septembers stuff, so I decided to just leave that for next month's blog/newsletter, and this month with just be a little blurb.
We had some fun with Heidi and her kids at Cowabunga Bay. It was a fun end of the summer activity. We had Elaine watch Rowan and Elise and we took the big kids and just lazed about on the lazy river and played in the water and soaked up the sun. The kids had a blast together.
We have been wanting to hike to Timpanogos Cave for quite some time because Aidan is so interested in rocks and minerals. After scheduling and then rescheduling time and again, we were finally able to go. It is a mile and a half uphill to the cave (a little over an hour hike) and then a 40 minute tour inside the cave. The kids did pretty good going up--Elise decided after 10 minutes that she wanted to be carried, though, and so Scott and I took turns carrying her which made for quite a workout! The hike would have been even better if we had food, but I left all the snacks in the car! Oops! The cave was really neat and we saw some interesting things. But we were tired and the kids were getting antsy. I thought the hike down would be the easiest, but it was so hard on my knees (getting old!!!). It was worth it though and I am glad we did it. We hope to do it again, soon!
The ranger at Timpanogos Cave told us how to make our own cave formations. In a bucket (we used cups) put a piece of cement (we got some out of the empty field across the street) and add some vinegar. We did four cups: in one we also put a penny, another a nail, another just white vinegar and another just apple cider vinegar. They turned out pretty cool!
Scott ran another triathalon and did great! He took four minutes off his time and got 49th over all (344 participants) and 12th in his age group--that is really good! Way to go babe!
The kids started school--Aidan is now in 2nd grade. Mrs. Howe is his teacher and she seems great! Just perfect for him. He has a boy in his class that is in our ward and he has made some good friends already. He is playing soccer at recess and really loving it. Too bad we took a year off of recreational soccer! Weston has Mrs. Geer in fourth grade and although it has been hard being in a new school, he is doing really well. Kids easily adapt. I, unfortunately, do not have a well functioning brain anymore and forgot to take photos of their first day of school!
I am getting to know the Young Women in our ward better. They are a good group of girls. They impress me because they are all nice to each other--no mean girls! Makes it easier for me to be there. I did get a doozy of the flu for a few weeks and it knocked me out. I think because I was so busy and stressed with moving in that my body just decided it needed a break. So it rested for a good week--not feeling well the whole time though. I am still recovering with lingering coughs.
Good bye summer, welcome autum (with long sleeved open arms)!
We had some fun with Heidi and her kids at Cowabunga Bay. It was a fun end of the summer activity. We had Elaine watch Rowan and Elise and we took the big kids and just lazed about on the lazy river and played in the water and soaked up the sun. The kids had a blast together.
We have been wanting to hike to Timpanogos Cave for quite some time because Aidan is so interested in rocks and minerals. After scheduling and then rescheduling time and again, we were finally able to go. It is a mile and a half uphill to the cave (a little over an hour hike) and then a 40 minute tour inside the cave. The kids did pretty good going up--Elise decided after 10 minutes that she wanted to be carried, though, and so Scott and I took turns carrying her which made for quite a workout! The hike would have been even better if we had food, but I left all the snacks in the car! Oops! The cave was really neat and we saw some interesting things. But we were tired and the kids were getting antsy. I thought the hike down would be the easiest, but it was so hard on my knees (getting old!!!). It was worth it though and I am glad we did it. We hope to do it again, soon!
The ranger at Timpanogos Cave told us how to make our own cave formations. In a bucket (we used cups) put a piece of cement (we got some out of the empty field across the street) and add some vinegar. We did four cups: in one we also put a penny, another a nail, another just white vinegar and another just apple cider vinegar. They turned out pretty cool!
Scott ran another triathalon and did great! He took four minutes off his time and got 49th over all (344 participants) and 12th in his age group--that is really good! Way to go babe!
The kids started school--Aidan is now in 2nd grade. Mrs. Howe is his teacher and she seems great! Just perfect for him. He has a boy in his class that is in our ward and he has made some good friends already. He is playing soccer at recess and really loving it. Too bad we took a year off of recreational soccer! Weston has Mrs. Geer in fourth grade and although it has been hard being in a new school, he is doing really well. Kids easily adapt. I, unfortunately, do not have a well functioning brain anymore and forgot to take photos of their first day of school!
I am getting to know the Young Women in our ward better. They are a good group of girls. They impress me because they are all nice to each other--no mean girls! Makes it easier for me to be there. I did get a doozy of the flu for a few weeks and it knocked me out. I think because I was so busy and stressed with moving in that my body just decided it needed a break. So it rested for a good week--not feeling well the whole time though. I am still recovering with lingering coughs.
Good bye summer, welcome autum (with long sleeved open arms)!
Aidan's post about rocks
SUPER COOL ROCKS!
This is my rock collection. I like to collect rocks. I have shiny necklaces and shell necklaces, big shells, and little "gems". I got a necklace, ring, and sandstone from my grandma Bea. Omi and Opa sent me a little thing to dig for rocks.
I have some copper (from the copper mine near my house), gypsum (from St. George), rosette gypsum, minerals, geodes and amethysts and other things. I have some lava rock--obsidian, and I even grew my own crystals. I have a rock polisher and I polished some rocks!
I went to Spanish Fork to get some fossils (below)--they are fossils of shells. There are some "birdseyes" (above)--birdseye are "The rocks are rich in algal ball structures commonly known as "birdseyes." These birdseye features were formed by algae that grew around snail shells, twigs, or other debris. The algae used these objects as a nucleus, forming into unusual, elongated, concentric shapes." (From Utah Geological Survey)
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Random stuff
Although this is random stuff, I'll start out with a funny:
We were looking at photos of the kids when they were babies and there was a photo of me, pregnant with Elise. I told him that was Elise in my belly. I told him he was in my belly before he was born, too. He sat for a moment, then smiled and said, "How did I get out of your mouth?"
Aidan lost his first tooth on July 31st. He started complaining that his tooth hurt, so I checked it and it was wiggling, but I also checked to see if any teeth were coming in behind, like what happened to Weston. No tooth. Every other day or so I would check his mouth. Then one day--there was half a tooth already coming in behind! It popped up out of no where so quickly. So I told him to constantly wiggle the baby tooth (so I wouldn't have to get it pulled--$$). One evening it was so close and we told him to just pull it out but he was too afraid. Weston said, "Just let me get it" and stuck his finger in Aidan's mouth and flipped the tooth out! Fun for Aidan to lose his first tooth, and fun for Weston to be a part of it!
Elise is trying to get used to sleeping in her big girl bed and sometimes it is hard to stay in it. The biggest help has been a set schedule--getting in PJs, brushing teeth, family prayer, and then she must walk EACH boy to their room, watch them "bonk" their heads on their prayer rock and say their personal prayers, THEN she goes to her room and says her personal prayer and then gets in bed.
Aidan is always the child who reminds us to say nightly family prayers. So glad he is so willing.
Weston has been memorizing the Articles of Faith. Each month the primary has them pass off another AofF and he has memorized up to number 9!
Brennan starts preschool soon and we went to an Open House for it. He was confused and thought he was starting school that day. Weston tried to explain that he would just be going to the house to see it and play. Brennan got so frustrated and said, "I just want to learn at preschool! I want to LEARN!"
We were looking at photos of the kids when they were babies and there was a photo of me, pregnant with Elise. I told him that was Elise in my belly. I told him he was in my belly before he was born, too. He sat for a moment, then smiled and said, "How did I get out of your mouth?"
Aidan lost his first tooth on July 31st. He started complaining that his tooth hurt, so I checked it and it was wiggling, but I also checked to see if any teeth were coming in behind, like what happened to Weston. No tooth. Every other day or so I would check his mouth. Then one day--there was half a tooth already coming in behind! It popped up out of no where so quickly. So I told him to constantly wiggle the baby tooth (so I wouldn't have to get it pulled--$$). One evening it was so close and we told him to just pull it out but he was too afraid. Weston said, "Just let me get it" and stuck his finger in Aidan's mouth and flipped the tooth out! Fun for Aidan to lose his first tooth, and fun for Weston to be a part of it!
Elise is trying to get used to sleeping in her big girl bed and sometimes it is hard to stay in it. The biggest help has been a set schedule--getting in PJs, brushing teeth, family prayer, and then she must walk EACH boy to their room, watch them "bonk" their heads on their prayer rock and say their personal prayers, THEN she goes to her room and says her personal prayer and then gets in bed.
Aidan is always the child who reminds us to say nightly family prayers. So glad he is so willing.
Weston has been memorizing the Articles of Faith. Each month the primary has them pass off another AofF and he has memorized up to number 9!
Brennan starts preschool soon and we went to an Open House for it. He was confused and thought he was starting school that day. Weston tried to explain that he would just be going to the house to see it and play. Brennan got so frustrated and said, "I just want to learn at preschool! I want to LEARN!"
Friday, August 3, 2012
July
Once coming home from our amazing vacation, we thought we would be immediately moving into our new home. But, with that week without us there, we thought they would get the rest of the home done. Surprise--nope. NOTHING was done. NOTHING! It was so aggravating. So, we stuck our guns as best as we could and told them they must finish it before we move in. Well, builders know that eventually people want to move in and can't wait for all things to be done in the home. So, after a week of waiting... we closed. It was a circus--many potential problems--and really crazy because the builder went out of town! But, it is all okay. We have moved in, and although many things are STILL not done, we are still calling them daily and bothering them until it all gets done.
And being in our home is wonderful. I am so happy with it. It is all wonderful. We love everything about it (and all the great stuff we blame on ourselves, not the builder...). The colors worked out amazingly, the floors, carpets, tile, cabinets...all of it is great. I hope that doesn't come across badly--we are just so excited about how it turned out and we are so happy to be in it! The first week was busy busy trying to unpack AND live life--you know, dinners, grocery shopping, finding new friends, and Scott working and etc, etc. We went through waves (and are still going through waves) of unpacking some, getting things in order, then going through new boxes, making a mess, and then getting things into order, and starting over again. We did take an hour the other night to put up pictures and it made such a big difference! There have been some things that have taken some time to get use to--like the gas oven/stove. Hopefully I will be able to make good cookies again!
We have made some good friends--the people are so kind and outgoing. And so many people came to help us move in (and special thanks to the Daw clan who helped quite a bit). I was called into Young Women (but camp was the week that we moved in, so I didn't go... ). And Scott was just called into Primary. That will be different for him, but he will do really well.
Linzi, Evy, and Charlotte came by with Hil to hang out. It was good to see our Italian family. So now, the only Brown we haven't seen is Kyle. Come back to visit Ky! (Though we would really like to go there and visit you...)
Scott and I celebrated out 10 year anniversary. We bought a house as a present... :) But, we also went to Wicked--has anyone else seen it? It was really good. The music was fun, and the story was amazingly creative. Heidi also made it possible for us to have a getaway to Park City. I was hoping for a trip to Hawaii, but that wasn't in the plans... It is marvelous to be married to this amazing man for ten great years!
Now we will continue taking advantage of our long summer and get some playing (and working) done!
And being in our home is wonderful. I am so happy with it. It is all wonderful. We love everything about it (and all the great stuff we blame on ourselves, not the builder...). The colors worked out amazingly, the floors, carpets, tile, cabinets...all of it is great. I hope that doesn't come across badly--we are just so excited about how it turned out and we are so happy to be in it! The first week was busy busy trying to unpack AND live life--you know, dinners, grocery shopping, finding new friends, and Scott working and etc, etc. We went through waves (and are still going through waves) of unpacking some, getting things in order, then going through new boxes, making a mess, and then getting things into order, and starting over again. We did take an hour the other night to put up pictures and it made such a big difference! There have been some things that have taken some time to get use to--like the gas oven/stove. Hopefully I will be able to make good cookies again!
We have made some good friends--the people are so kind and outgoing. And so many people came to help us move in (and special thanks to the Daw clan who helped quite a bit). I was called into Young Women (but camp was the week that we moved in, so I didn't go... ). And Scott was just called into Primary. That will be different for him, but he will do really well.
Linzi, Evy, and Charlotte came by with Hil to hang out. It was good to see our Italian family. So now, the only Brown we haven't seen is Kyle. Come back to visit Ky! (Though we would really like to go there and visit you...)
Scott and I celebrated out 10 year anniversary. We bought a house as a present... :) But, we also went to Wicked--has anyone else seen it? It was really good. The music was fun, and the story was amazingly creative. Heidi also made it possible for us to have a getaway to Park City. I was hoping for a trip to Hawaii, but that wasn't in the plans... It is marvelous to be married to this amazing man for ten great years!
Now we will continue taking advantage of our long summer and get some playing (and working) done!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The Daws on a Brown Family Vacation
San Diego 2012!!!
Well, since we didn't have a home to move into and we really needed to get out and just change our view, we decided to just pack up and leave! We had to pack things to get out of Norma and Elaine's (they were going to be having house guests in July), so we packed up and cleaned up as best as possible (and thanks so much to my friend Cindy for clean their house for me!) and then just left. We really didn't have a plan, but we knew we wanted to end up in San Diego on Sunday. I had been talking to dad before and said that we may just stop along the way and he said, in jest, "You could stop and see graveyards, you know, things the kids really love." Ha ha. Well, it wasn't really a graveyard, but we did stop at Cove Fort. And we actually liked it a lot. President Hinckley's grandfather settled Cove Fort. It was a sweet little place, with great couple missionaries, and a fun place to stop and eat our picnic. We continued on to St. George and found a nice hotel right off the freeway. We quickly changed into swimsuits and had our first dip in the pool. Weston is getting better and better and doesn't mind just jumping around on his own. Aidan did well and wanted those arm floaties the whole time, but felt comfortable. I was worried Brennan would be scared, but once we put the arm floaties (and a blow up ring around him) he was good to go and loved it! Elise wanted to jump in on her own--she's fearless! Instead we wrapped her up in arm floaties, a blow up ring AND a life jacket--and she was off. Splashing and happy the whole time.
Saturday morning we had a lovely hotel breakfast and then took off to find something to do. We went into Snow Canyon and explored a few kid friendly hikes. It really is amazing land there. The kids loved finding the little caves and interesting rock formations. They had probably 50 rocks in their pockets when we got back to the car. Luckily, I had a bag to put their treasures in and at the end of the trip we have a container for all the goodies/memorbilia we collected along the way. We ate lunch and then had another swim. Once cooled off (it was something like 100 degrees), we set out again, this time to the St. George temple. The visitors center was nice and they had some gypsum for each of the kids. Aidan, in particular, was in heaven! As we were walking around the grounds, we found a big seed--it looked rather like a pecan. Sure enough, it was! We started really searching and found quite a few more. We thought it was odd to find pecans, and I even looked up at the trees. It tooks a a few minutes of looking at the trees and we saw bunches and bunches of pecans. The trees on the temple grounds are pecan trees! So cool. And yummy. We went to the tabernacle as well. Not as exciting, but the kids were good and happy. We went out to our worst restaurant experience of our lives. Took way to long to have our order taken, then the waiter never checked in on us or refilled our water (and remember, it was HOT and we needed refreshing!), and then never came to give us our check. We finally got up and went to the front desk and had to ask for it (wishing we could just leave and not pay), then waited til he finally brought it. Scott paid, but wrote "none" in the tip area. Sorry, dude--but a tip is because you do a good job. You did not!
We went swimming once more then to bed. We left early enough that we could stop at church Las Vegas. We kind of went out of the way to go to church, but I wanted a photo with the Las Vegas Temple. Then we continued on with our trip--made it to our hotel and dumped everything there, then met the family at the institute. It was so good to see mom and dad again! The kids miss seeing Omi and Opa, but it was good to see them as missionaries. The kids loved Legoland--my summary of it: great for kids 4-7, but only if you don't have to pay full price. I was disappointed that Elise and Brennan were too small for even the "hometown fair" type rides. Brennan was told that there was a dragon ride there, so that is what he kept asking to do. He loved it and I am glad we was able to go a few times. Weston liked it, but he is just over the age of loving Legoland... The kids mostly wanted to go to the gift shop! I am glad we had the experience of going, it was especially fun to be with cousins! Brennan loved riding with Taylor and Aidan with Spencer (sure wish we lived closer!). Elise, Meridith and Rowan had a good time together and Weston was off with the big kids! Thanks to aunts and uncles who helped show my kids a fun time.
The safari place was nice--San Diego is the perfect place for outdoor fun things. The weather is perfect all the time! The Filiponi clan was just wonderful! They were all so nice and it was fun to have the kids just sit and play on the beach. I am glad we took a break to catch up on Wednesday and it was so fun to be with the family just talking (and planning...). I like our planning sessions. I know they get long, but since we like it, why not do it? All that matters is that we are having a good time, even if it is just sitting around talking about what we will do, then changing our minds, etc... I like it! The talent show was fun (except for the bust of our try at whistling...) and the awards were such a great idea--Brennan still talkes about how he got an award for eating carrots. I loved the craft things Heidi and Devan did for the kids and they just had such a fun time playing with all the institute games. I think the shirts turned out DARLING and I have even worn mine again!
We got a chance to swing by the San Diego Temple on the way to Balboa Park. So, in our trip we saw three temples! The Fleet Museum was fun (and gross...), but I think it was WAY too pricey, although the IMAX show was fun. The dinner that night was the highlight of the day for sure. It was so nice to all be together being us. I loved it! It was hard to say goodbye--living far away from each other is hard.
Friday we had a perfect day in Disneyland --so great to go with the Garner's for so many reasons! I am glad the kids got to go. Elise met three princesses--she was so sweet with them. Brennan loved the big kid rides. I was surprised that he would go on certain rides, but he did well. The dark rides, or the rides he had to sit by himself, were not as fun for him. But all the kids loved Big Thunder Mountain (Scott's favorite as a child). I loved sitting outside of the rides and watching the younger kids (I am not a fan of rides...). Weston and Aidan had fun on the rides--they are finally at the age where they enjoy rides and can go on many of them. All in all--good times at DL. And really, we were there for just the right amount of time. Though I must say, without Noah's assistance, we wouldn't have been able to go on many rides, so thank you! Plus, Noah is my very special friend--we speak the same language. He is so fun!
We found a cheap (and gross) hotel and then packed up and headed straight home. I think we stopped three times, which is pretty good for a 10 1/2 hour drive. The most amazing thing about the car ride was that we had the car detailed before leaving (strange, I know, but it was just too disgusting to sit in that entire time without cleaning it) and then we made a deal with the kids--if we could make it the entire way there and back without eating in the car, we would take them to a water park. Cowabunga Bay, here we come! Can you believe it? It wasn't all that bad. We packed lunches and snacks and when we stopped to go potty, etc, we had a snack. It worked out and I didn't have the kids asking every few minutes for a treat!
I don't know if someone slipped me some prozac while on the trip because I was so unstressed. Wierd, especially considering the stress I have been going through with building the house. It was so nice to just go with the flow and the kids were so good. That really helped. Maybe someone slipped them something as well.
Thanks to you ALL who made it so much fun!
Well, since we didn't have a home to move into and we really needed to get out and just change our view, we decided to just pack up and leave! We had to pack things to get out of Norma and Elaine's (they were going to be having house guests in July), so we packed up and cleaned up as best as possible (and thanks so much to my friend Cindy for clean their house for me!) and then just left. We really didn't have a plan, but we knew we wanted to end up in San Diego on Sunday. I had been talking to dad before and said that we may just stop along the way and he said, in jest, "You could stop and see graveyards, you know, things the kids really love." Ha ha. Well, it wasn't really a graveyard, but we did stop at Cove Fort. And we actually liked it a lot. President Hinckley's grandfather settled Cove Fort. It was a sweet little place, with great couple missionaries, and a fun place to stop and eat our picnic. We continued on to St. George and found a nice hotel right off the freeway. We quickly changed into swimsuits and had our first dip in the pool. Weston is getting better and better and doesn't mind just jumping around on his own. Aidan did well and wanted those arm floaties the whole time, but felt comfortable. I was worried Brennan would be scared, but once we put the arm floaties (and a blow up ring around him) he was good to go and loved it! Elise wanted to jump in on her own--she's fearless! Instead we wrapped her up in arm floaties, a blow up ring AND a life jacket--and she was off. Splashing and happy the whole time.
Saturday morning we had a lovely hotel breakfast and then took off to find something to do. We went into Snow Canyon and explored a few kid friendly hikes. It really is amazing land there. The kids loved finding the little caves and interesting rock formations. They had probably 50 rocks in their pockets when we got back to the car. Luckily, I had a bag to put their treasures in and at the end of the trip we have a container for all the goodies/memorbilia we collected along the way. We ate lunch and then had another swim. Once cooled off (it was something like 100 degrees), we set out again, this time to the St. George temple. The visitors center was nice and they had some gypsum for each of the kids. Aidan, in particular, was in heaven! As we were walking around the grounds, we found a big seed--it looked rather like a pecan. Sure enough, it was! We started really searching and found quite a few more. We thought it was odd to find pecans, and I even looked up at the trees. It tooks a a few minutes of looking at the trees and we saw bunches and bunches of pecans. The trees on the temple grounds are pecan trees! So cool. And yummy. We went to the tabernacle as well. Not as exciting, but the kids were good and happy. We went out to our worst restaurant experience of our lives. Took way to long to have our order taken, then the waiter never checked in on us or refilled our water (and remember, it was HOT and we needed refreshing!), and then never came to give us our check. We finally got up and went to the front desk and had to ask for it (wishing we could just leave and not pay), then waited til he finally brought it. Scott paid, but wrote "none" in the tip area. Sorry, dude--but a tip is because you do a good job. You did not!
We went swimming once more then to bed. We left early enough that we could stop at church Las Vegas. We kind of went out of the way to go to church, but I wanted a photo with the Las Vegas Temple. Then we continued on with our trip--made it to our hotel and dumped everything there, then met the family at the institute. It was so good to see mom and dad again! The kids miss seeing Omi and Opa, but it was good to see them as missionaries. The kids loved Legoland--my summary of it: great for kids 4-7, but only if you don't have to pay full price. I was disappointed that Elise and Brennan were too small for even the "hometown fair" type rides. Brennan was told that there was a dragon ride there, so that is what he kept asking to do. He loved it and I am glad we was able to go a few times. Weston liked it, but he is just over the age of loving Legoland... The kids mostly wanted to go to the gift shop! I am glad we had the experience of going, it was especially fun to be with cousins! Brennan loved riding with Taylor and Aidan with Spencer (sure wish we lived closer!). Elise, Meridith and Rowan had a good time together and Weston was off with the big kids! Thanks to aunts and uncles who helped show my kids a fun time.
The safari place was nice--San Diego is the perfect place for outdoor fun things. The weather is perfect all the time! The Filiponi clan was just wonderful! They were all so nice and it was fun to have the kids just sit and play on the beach. I am glad we took a break to catch up on Wednesday and it was so fun to be with the family just talking (and planning...). I like our planning sessions. I know they get long, but since we like it, why not do it? All that matters is that we are having a good time, even if it is just sitting around talking about what we will do, then changing our minds, etc... I like it! The talent show was fun (except for the bust of our try at whistling...) and the awards were such a great idea--Brennan still talkes about how he got an award for eating carrots. I loved the craft things Heidi and Devan did for the kids and they just had such a fun time playing with all the institute games. I think the shirts turned out DARLING and I have even worn mine again!
We got a chance to swing by the San Diego Temple on the way to Balboa Park. So, in our trip we saw three temples! The Fleet Museum was fun (and gross...), but I think it was WAY too pricey, although the IMAX show was fun. The dinner that night was the highlight of the day for sure. It was so nice to all be together being us. I loved it! It was hard to say goodbye--living far away from each other is hard.
Friday we had a perfect day in Disneyland --so great to go with the Garner's for so many reasons! I am glad the kids got to go. Elise met three princesses--she was so sweet with them. Brennan loved the big kid rides. I was surprised that he would go on certain rides, but he did well. The dark rides, or the rides he had to sit by himself, were not as fun for him. But all the kids loved Big Thunder Mountain (Scott's favorite as a child). I loved sitting outside of the rides and watching the younger kids (I am not a fan of rides...). Weston and Aidan had fun on the rides--they are finally at the age where they enjoy rides and can go on many of them. All in all--good times at DL. And really, we were there for just the right amount of time. Though I must say, without Noah's assistance, we wouldn't have been able to go on many rides, so thank you! Plus, Noah is my very special friend--we speak the same language. He is so fun!
We found a cheap (and gross) hotel and then packed up and headed straight home. I think we stopped three times, which is pretty good for a 10 1/2 hour drive. The most amazing thing about the car ride was that we had the car detailed before leaving (strange, I know, but it was just too disgusting to sit in that entire time without cleaning it) and then we made a deal with the kids--if we could make it the entire way there and back without eating in the car, we would take them to a water park. Cowabunga Bay, here we come! Can you believe it? It wasn't all that bad. We packed lunches and snacks and when we stopped to go potty, etc, we had a snack. It worked out and I didn't have the kids asking every few minutes for a treat!
I don't know if someone slipped me some prozac while on the trip because I was so unstressed. Wierd, especially considering the stress I have been going through with building the house. It was so nice to just go with the flow and the kids were so good. That really helped. Maybe someone slipped them something as well.
Thanks to you ALL who made it so much fun!
June
Well, obviously the thing that has taken up most of this month is the building (and kind of finishing) of the house. It has been a long, long, long process that has taken a lot of thought, a lot of patience, and a lot of prayer. Things were moving quickly with the house, but then there were days when nothing would get done. We were told at the beginning of the month that they thought the home would be done by the 20th of June--wow, that would have been great and so fast! But, that came and went with another date, then another, then another.... We thought for sure that it would happen before the end of June, when we would leave on our vacation. We figured we would empty our pods, move the furniture in, and then take care of the rest once we got back. But, the lender came back with a "problem"--they wanted the builder to have owned the land for 6 months before selling it (otherwise they considered it a "flip"), and our builder bought the land from his dad, and actually bought it after we signed our contract with them... So, with that hang up, we had to start over with a different bank and we went on vacation in hopes that we would be in when we returned. It had its positives: we got a lower interest rate, it gives us more time to move in (less stress about getting it done quickly), and it gives the builder time to finish up the "punch list" of the little things that still need to be done (handles changed, paint touch up, etc...). Next month you will get to read if the builder took advantage of that week of us gone and all that time to finish up (hint: we are not happy...).
But, all in all, the house is gorgeous. It is so beautiful and it has all that we want and more. It will be a great Brown Family Hotel for you all. :) We are just ready to have a place to ourselves! (Here is a link to a video of the home on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SHxxR8Yg8g )
Weston turned nine at the beginning of the month. Nine! I can't believe it! He chose to have a big friend party with tons of kids (I think 16 were invited! Kind of a "send off" party to say goodbye to Herriman friends) and since we didn't have a home, we held it at the church (funny, huh?!). They just played basketball for awhile, then ate pizza and had gatorade. They opened presents and they were sent home with donuts. Nice easy party! We went to Italian Village for his birthday dinner. Scott's parents and some of his siblings were able to be there, but Elise and I had to sit out. :( She had a terrible fever so we just went to the house and waited for them to come home for cake (which I just ordered from the store... no being too creative this year!). He got some big boy presents: Madden NFL wii, swiss army knife, Ute shirt, and lego stuff.
I am so proud of Weston. He finished up third grade with high scores and with a great attitude. His teacher, Mr. Colver, was perfect for him and really adored him. I loved my male 3rd grade teacher (Mr. Bowen of course) and so I was so happy that Weston had a good experience with his! He finished reading the Percy Jackson series and has started Fablehaven. His soccer finished up and he still loves it though I think he'd like to try basketball and football. Hmmm.. Maybe later.
Aidan turned seven! His birthday party with friends was the same day as Weston's--at the church as well. His theme was Hero Factory/Bionicles. They are toys that kind of clip together with different armor and weapons. I saved all the cardboard I could and then cut them out in armor shapes, spray painted them different colors and attatched rubber bands. Then for an activity, the kids made themselves into Hero Factories! I thought it was a very clever idea. I put tons of time into it and then only 3 or 4 kids wanted to dress up. :( I talked another one or two into dressing up, but they were all more interested in playing with actual HF's. They played a few relay games and then I had a game where I had taped candy into a giant ball and they had to unwrap the candy to get it. Again I thought it was a cute idea (stole that off of pinterest), but the kids just thought it was wierd. But, they all played and had fun eating the candy. Aidan opened presents (he got 6 or 7 HF's, 4 of them the same!) and ate cupcakes. We went to Elaine and Norma's cabin the next weekend (on his actual birthday) and celebrated his birthday by having hot dogs and eating cake. Grandma and Grandpa came and it was a fun birthday for him. I think his favorite gift was a bunch of rocks and a box to keep them in. He has really turned into a budding geologist and asks weekly to go looking for crystals.
He, too, finished school on a great note. He is not a huge reader, yet he reads really well. It suprises me whenever he reads a big kid book! He whipped through "rocket math" and has caught onto all the new concepts taught. The best thing is that everyone in his class loves him--he is a favorite friend to everyone.
Brennan and Elise are doing well. This is probably hard on them and we don't realize how much. But they are being good. Brennan always keeps us laughing with his silly jokes and explanations of things--He told me that snow comes from the sky from Santa mixing up ice, water, and mix and then dumping it from his sleigh. He says he doesn't want his own bedroom, he wants me to sleep in his room, but I think once he is in, he will be happy.
Elise is talking like crazy now. It is hard to believe that when we first moved into mom and dad Daw's house she only had a few words she said. Now she has way too many to count and she talks in sentences (very demanding!). Sometimes it is very frustrating for her--and us. Almost every time we get in the car, she starts screaming and pointing toward the front of the car. We can't figure out what she is saying or what she wants--it sounds like "shoulder down". ??? What does that mean?
Father's Day was fine and my birthday was just great. We are so tired of everything that we have no energy to put into celebrations.
We are so grateful for all who have helped us. I am excited to be in a home and invite people over, watch their kids, have a home to cook food to share with others... It will be so nice. Glad June is over and excited for summer fun to begin!
But, all in all, the house is gorgeous. It is so beautiful and it has all that we want and more. It will be a great Brown Family Hotel for you all. :) We are just ready to have a place to ourselves! (Here is a link to a video of the home on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SHxxR8Yg8g )
Weston turned nine at the beginning of the month. Nine! I can't believe it! He chose to have a big friend party with tons of kids (I think 16 were invited! Kind of a "send off" party to say goodbye to Herriman friends) and since we didn't have a home, we held it at the church (funny, huh?!). They just played basketball for awhile, then ate pizza and had gatorade. They opened presents and they were sent home with donuts. Nice easy party! We went to Italian Village for his birthday dinner. Scott's parents and some of his siblings were able to be there, but Elise and I had to sit out. :( She had a terrible fever so we just went to the house and waited for them to come home for cake (which I just ordered from the store... no being too creative this year!). He got some big boy presents: Madden NFL wii, swiss army knife, Ute shirt, and lego stuff.
I am so proud of Weston. He finished up third grade with high scores and with a great attitude. His teacher, Mr. Colver, was perfect for him and really adored him. I loved my male 3rd grade teacher (Mr. Bowen of course) and so I was so happy that Weston had a good experience with his! He finished reading the Percy Jackson series and has started Fablehaven. His soccer finished up and he still loves it though I think he'd like to try basketball and football. Hmmm.. Maybe later.
Aidan turned seven! His birthday party with friends was the same day as Weston's--at the church as well. His theme was Hero Factory/Bionicles. They are toys that kind of clip together with different armor and weapons. I saved all the cardboard I could and then cut them out in armor shapes, spray painted them different colors and attatched rubber bands. Then for an activity, the kids made themselves into Hero Factories! I thought it was a very clever idea. I put tons of time into it and then only 3 or 4 kids wanted to dress up. :( I talked another one or two into dressing up, but they were all more interested in playing with actual HF's. They played a few relay games and then I had a game where I had taped candy into a giant ball and they had to unwrap the candy to get it. Again I thought it was a cute idea (stole that off of pinterest), but the kids just thought it was wierd. But, they all played and had fun eating the candy. Aidan opened presents (he got 6 or 7 HF's, 4 of them the same!) and ate cupcakes. We went to Elaine and Norma's cabin the next weekend (on his actual birthday) and celebrated his birthday by having hot dogs and eating cake. Grandma and Grandpa came and it was a fun birthday for him. I think his favorite gift was a bunch of rocks and a box to keep them in. He has really turned into a budding geologist and asks weekly to go looking for crystals.
He, too, finished school on a great note. He is not a huge reader, yet he reads really well. It suprises me whenever he reads a big kid book! He whipped through "rocket math" and has caught onto all the new concepts taught. The best thing is that everyone in his class loves him--he is a favorite friend to everyone.
Brennan and Elise are doing well. This is probably hard on them and we don't realize how much. But they are being good. Brennan always keeps us laughing with his silly jokes and explanations of things--He told me that snow comes from the sky from Santa mixing up ice, water, and mix and then dumping it from his sleigh. He says he doesn't want his own bedroom, he wants me to sleep in his room, but I think once he is in, he will be happy.
Elise is talking like crazy now. It is hard to believe that when we first moved into mom and dad Daw's house she only had a few words she said. Now she has way too many to count and she talks in sentences (very demanding!). Sometimes it is very frustrating for her--and us. Almost every time we get in the car, she starts screaming and pointing toward the front of the car. We can't figure out what she is saying or what she wants--it sounds like "shoulder down". ??? What does that mean?
Father's Day was fine and my birthday was just great. We are so tired of everything that we have no energy to put into celebrations.
We are so grateful for all who have helped us. I am excited to be in a home and invite people over, watch their kids, have a home to cook food to share with others... It will be so nice. Glad June is over and excited for summer fun to begin!
Friday, June 22, 2012
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Day 78 Railing and Shower Door
Spoke to our contractor this morning and he told me that concrete, electrical, plumbing would all be worked on today. When I went to the house this afternoon all that was done was the ballisters were installed and the shower door was installed (and installed incorectly) Really, really frustrating
Monday, June 18, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
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