I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas....

I was trying to think of a fitting song for this time of year. "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" didn't fit, no snow. "Silent Night" is not how my house is right now. " I don't have any boughs of Holly, so I won't be decking my halls with it. Dreaming of a white Christmas is good because I like snow on Christmas, that's about it.

Well, we had Michael's 8th birthday last week. Even though his birthday was on Sunday, we celebrated it on Saturday so that he would be able to play the computer game we got him when he opened it.


On his birthday we went to the Temple and took pictures for his Baptism announcement. Molli and Hannah wanted to join in.

















We even got to see Santa at our ward party. Evan asked for French Fries. I think that threw Santa for a loop, but he laughed. Evan was quite serious :)



Today we decorated a real gingerbread house. It was so much easier and less frustrating than a "graham cracker house" We just had one and the kids all put some of their own touches on it. Left over Halloween candy and a few green and red gummy bears were great to decorate with. Check out the face of the snow man. The "Maypole" did come from a neighbor a few days ago.

I had my violin recital today for my five students and they each did a great job. I was a little nervous to accompany the last number on the piano, but overall it went well. Even Molli played a little number. I really hope I can teach her the violin. It is hard to teach your own kids, as I already knew, but this time it might work (fingers crossed).

We had a blast (well, at least I did) at Robert's work party and I even bowled a decent game without the bumpers. He went cross country skiing and was sore for a few days after it. The next day was the work party for the Apple Athletic Club where I work in the kids club (babysitting) once a week. I get a free membership and I can bring Hyrum and Evan with me. It is a wonderful arrangement. I don't get paid real money, but the fun benefits are there. Well, Robert was all partied out from the night before so I called a friend and we headed over to this party and had a good time. I got a lovely flower arrangement because the owner of the club said that if we didn't take them, they would just get thrown away. So my friend got one as well.


That is about all we have been up to lately. The kids have three more days of school then they are out for about a week and a half. We are headed to Hyde Park, UT to be with Robert's family (we miss you Shennie and family :)) for Christmas and then we will be back in Idaho Falls to celebrate the new year. Life is still good and in case I don't write again before Christmas - Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year, too!

There and back again

What an eventful two months we have had, so much so that I am just getting around to blogging it now.  Halloween was eventful. The kids had their costumes at the beginning of October so they wore them constantly throughout the month. This being the case, Evan and Hyrum broke or lost their $ store costumes before Halloween. I was not in charge of calling people for the class parties this year and it was so nice to just relax.

Molli was Clawdeen from Monster High

Michael was Harry Potter (again)

Hannah was  Super Girl

You get the general idea. These were the only pictures I got of the kids in their costumes and they are blurry at best, so life goes on. I didn't even get any of Hyrum and Evan. Hyrum was a pirate at first but for Halloween night he was an elephant (again). Evan was a knight at first, but nothing really the night of.

Michael broke his wrist a week before Halloween, but luckily he only had to  wear a splint and not a cast.

Evan had a great 3 year birthday. We didn't do much, but he was happy all the same.

I took Hyrum and Evan to see the ducks and the geese one day while the kids were in school. We didn't bring any food this time so the birds left us alone, not so much the next time we went back. This is a picture of the first time.

And finally, Molli and I took a trip to Arizona to visit with my sisters and mom. We had a great time. Here are a few of the highlights :)

On our way....

Molli with Max and Charlie

Andrea had very cute decorations

Molli's first time on a horse - at a fair

The butterfly habitat

On a roller coaster - I already had a headache before we started

baby goat

Molli and Jaycen swimming at night

Hale Theater

We even got our toes done - L to R Jaycen, Molli, me

And back again....

Life is Good

School is back in session and the kids are having a great time. Molli loves 4th grade and really enjoys being a buddy reader to a kindergartener. She is playing soccer through AYSO on the Slammin' Jammin' Salmon team. They used to be the Pink Panthers until they played another team with the same name. She also just started a sewing class and I think this will be good for her. When soccer ends in a few weeks, she and Hannah will start a dance class.  In her spare time (not much these days, but we'll take what we can get) she is taking violin lessons from me and hopes to play in our recital in December.

Michael is also in soccer - his team is the green Aliens. He loves the second grade, no surprises there. However, his passion is computers. He is his father's son. He is looking forward to turning eight in December and getting baptized in January. Scouts is also nearing and I think he is ready for that new adventure. It will also be a new adventure for me because I have never done anything with boy scouts, thankfully Robert is an Eagle Scout and can help keep Michael on track.

Hannah decided to also play soccer this time around (I will be 6x less busy when soccer ends :)). She is on a team called the Patriots. I haven't been able to make it to a lot of her games due to Bountiful Baskets at the same time, but I do what I can.  She is looking forward to being in dance again. As a side note, I am teaching the dance instructor's daughter violin so my kids can take dance. I will also be teaching Molli's sewing teacher's daughter so Molli can take sewing. Hannah likes first grade and is happy just being herself.

Hyrum and Evan will sometimes do "homework" while here at the house - pages from a workbook I picked up at Walmart. They love to play together and make each other laugh. My favorite is when they go downstairs and try on the clothing from the dress up box. Hyrum can really pick out a winner of an outfit :).

Robert just got put on the Bonneville Sewer District board and I think he will do a great job. He is also in an institute class and enjoys that.  His work is going well and he has even made it to a symposium this month and will go to a conference next month as well as a tech expo.

I am still having a great time teaching violin students and reading a good mystery now and then. I am the secretary of the PTO again this year and I am also in charge of organizing restaurant nights for our school. I will be playing my violin in two church functions over the next two months. I have put my ukulele classes on the back burner and haven't made it there for awhile - but I hope to get back in that soon.

As a family, we went camping in August and had a great time. Robert was a home teacher to a couple in our ward who were serving a mission for the summer at a girl's camp (Young Women), so we went there when no one else was there. It worked out quite well. That is pretty much what we have been up to for the last little while. Life is good :)

I just wanted to get a post in for September because I haven't updated in awhile, but I just noticed I haven't downloaded any pictures on to the computer since our time in Joseph. Once I get them downloaded I will post them.

Have a good day!

Our one and only time this summer at the baseball game

Sam, the horse whisperer

Evan having a great time at the slip and slide in Joseph

A bit blurry, but this is Michael at gymnastics

Molli's 9th birthday. I made a cupcake cake, didn't work too well, but it sure tasted good :)

We were the only ones at the splash park that day

Hyrum enjoying our camp fire at Darby

Michael taking on the big slide at Darby

Molli and Evan on the slide

Molli's first day of 4th (!) grade

Michael's first day of 2nd grade

Hannah's first day of first grade - don't worry, she did have shoes eventually

Our small bounty from our garden - pretty good since we didn't even plant potatoes this year

A short drive from our house

Evan sure loves his cereal - he wouldn't even let me take it away when he fell asleep

Hyrum had fun with my camera

Conference morning

Summer Fun 2011

Now that I have some more pictures to post, I can update my blog. We just got back from a 3.5 day family reunion to Joseph, UT. Affectionately known as "Joseph Smith", Utah by Molli.  She said that was the only way she could remember it :).

The kids were great travelers for the 7 or so hour drive one way and we only stopped once on the way down in Nephi and once on the way back in Filmore. They had a fun Christmas in July provided by Nana and Papa and we had a great time just being together.

There were 24 of us all together in an old renovated church that is now a vacation rental. There were six bedrooms, four bathrooms, a great size kitchen, and a game room that was very large. We were one house away from a park and we even got to go geo-caching and find some treasures.

The cousins waiting to go in the room for Christmas in July

Andrea and Evan

The Old Church

All 24 of us for a family picture

Molli and Jaycen - cousins

We also went to Cove Fort on our way out and enjoyed the tour around. Molli loved taking pictures of the things that reminded her of "Little House on the Prairie."

The day before we headed out on this adventure to Joseph, we all participated in the Iona Days 5k. Michael stayed ahead of the rest of us, then Robert came in with Evan and Hyrum, followed by me, Molli, and Hannah about ten minutes later. I was just glad we finished :).

Just before the 5K

Me, Molli, and Hannah finishing together

Just for fun - we got a message in our mailbox awhile back for the mail carrier who told us to get a new mailbox. Ours had been hit at least two times and was not really functional anymore, so we got a new one. Evan and Hyrum enjoyed playing "Robots" with the box :

It has been a great summer so far and life is good :)