bawl baby

Sometimes my kids are so sweet it just makes me cry. 

Tonight was one of those nights.

I can't imagine what my life would be without them.

black eye

My poor little baby's got his first black eye. I say first because let's face it, he's a boy.  Last night he was playing with Papa, when he tripped on his foot and hit his eye brow on the corner of the coffee table.  It instantly swelled up to the size of a grape.  It was so sad, and he would get so mad every time we tried to put ice on it.  So last night I had to wake him a couple of times to make sure he didn't have a concussion.  Luckily he doesn't and all the swelling went down.  

Christmas Countdown

Enjoy our slideshow of our pre-Christmas activities we've been doing.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Edward Cullen

Stephenie Meyer's website has announced that Edward Cullen has been cast for the Twilight movies.  I gotta say, there were rumors flying around that a lot hotter guys were going to be cast.  I'm a little dissapointed.  Hopefully they also get a great stylist because from these pictures, I don't think Robert Pattinson is quite Edward worthy.  What do you think?

I'm sure that after seeing the movie, and him as Edward, I'll eat my words.

Wait I found a good picture.

pretty little ballerinas

Regan Mavity, Haylee Bingham, and Gwen

These are her "best girls" at dance!

Saturday was Gwenny's big day!  And to be honest, I wasn't even planning on taking her to her recital.  She seems to do this act when ever I'm at her dance or preschool, where she participates and hams it up when I'm not there, but when I'm there to watch her, she gets pouty and wants to have me hold her.  So I was thinking that if we went, we would get there, she wouldn't dance, and it would be a waste of my morning.  But I asked her if she wanted to dance, at first she said no.  But later said yes, so we hurried and got her dressed and went to the recital.  And all along the way, I was overflowing with positive reinforcement on how she likes to dance, she's a great dancer, mommy loves watching her dance, etc.  So we get there, get a seat, and it begins.  Gwen starts saying she doesn't want to dance and wants to go home!  So I got desperate.  You see, while we were in Sacramento, Gwen spent quite a bit of time everyday looking in an American Girl catalog.   There's this doll she really wants, and tells me about it several times a day.  Well I told Gwen, "honey, if you dance, afterwards we'll go get you your big doll!"  She was instantly smiles and violently nodding and saying okay!  It was the smartest thing I've ever done,  because I've never seen her perform like this out of the house!  And she was in the best mood ever!  Well I did get a little worried as we were walking into the store and she kept talking about how she's going to get the big doll with the black shirt, yellow skirt, yellow purse and crown!  But luckily she was still happy when I said, "looks like they don't have that doll here" and she got a Polly Pocket and Polly Pocket car instead.    It's the first time I've used that severe of a bribe, and uh oh, I don't think it'll be the last!

This is the doll that she wants, and I really want her to have, only I have issues with spending $128 on a doll for a three year old.  Poor girl.

(I have been trying forever to upload a video of Gwen dancing with the Blogger video option and it hasn't been working. Has anyone else been having issues, or can I blame it on the fact that I'm using a Mac?)

The recital was supposed to be outdoors, but it rained all night so it was moved inside last minute.  (Notice Haylee's curtsey at the end)

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Big Helpers

Drake likes to help me clean-

This must just come with the age, (because my friend, Jennifer has mentioned the same thing) but Drake has been putting things in the garbage can.  Especially the cute stainless steel one in the office with the snap back lid.  Most times I see him doing this, so I can immediately retrieve the items.  But today as I was emptying this overstuffed can, I noticed Gwen's wood spoon for her kitchen.  I thought I'd better pull out the garbage piece by piece so I wouldn't throw away anything that wasn't supposed to go.  So amongst the apple cores, snotty kleenex, candy wrappers, etc. I found this.  You'll notice in the pile of retrieved items, there are ipod earphones, my Nixon Skyline watch, and yes, a dvd of home videos from Disneyland.  (I also found $0.75 but already pocketed it)  So anyway, I thought I can't believe Drake's doing this...Gwen never.....   YAH RIGHT!  I seem to be forgetting things in my old age.  Today I remembered how one night I couldn't find one of my retainers.  I looked ALLL over.  The next day I tore up the couch, Gwen's drawers, my kitchen cupboards, and I found it in her diaper pail!!!!!!  I had to soak that thing in Listerine for two days before I put that back in my mouth. 

 Gwen likes to help me cook-

While we were in CA, Jean got her new Pampered Chef pans, so we got some of her old ones, including this cut little pot.  Gwen thinks it's hers, so now I can't cook anything with out Gwen putting on her apron, pulling up a chair and insisting that I put some of what I'm cooking in her pan.

Caleeforneeyah

My mother in law (Jean) was in Arizona for Thanksgiving and since 

she was driving home, the kids and I highjacked her car and went 

to Sacramento with her!

We had so much fun there! My old freshman room mate from DT 

lives in Sacramento now, so I was able to spend a lot of time with

Desiree. She is so much fun, I am so happy I could see her. She

went with us to the Jelly Belly factory one day. I was in heaven!  

Sour Santas......yum yum!

In other news, yes Drake is standing up now! On his own! He's 

mastered that in the last two weeks, and just last night he took 

his first step! I'm so proud of my big boy! He also does this really

cute "cheezy smile", and loves to throw his hands in the air and 

say "Blast off!". (from Little Einstiens) So we missed all the rain 

in Arizona last week, and enjoyed a sunny week in Sacramento.  

What? I know weird. Gwen and Drake had so much fun getting 

to spend time with Grammy, and now Gwen likes telling people 

we were in "Caleeforneeyah".

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

I'm thankful for...

My cute kids!

Sad

Our ward building (which happens to be the stake center) burned last night!  It's so weird to think that we were just there yesterday for our meetings, and today it's gone!  It's also unbelievable that it all just burned so quickly!  All that's left is exterior walls and the steeple that fell right into the building, but is still standing.  It's unknown right now if it was arson, but you can read more about it here.

Desert BBQ

Last Saturday, we went out to the desert to BBQ. While it was great fun, we also had a tough time. You see, Drake doesn't walk, he doesn't crawl, he scoots. So he was all over the rocky, stickery desert floor, dragging his legs around. He got so dirty and was into everything. He loved the fire, and wanted to make me get my exercise by constantly jumping out of my chair to drag him away from the fire. So I stuck him in a chair of his own. Didn't last for long, he got out of it on his own, and has the face to prove it! Luckily he only cried for a little bit. We finally stuck the boys in the back of Eli's truck and let them use it for a play pen. This is Jack and Ethan's girlfriend Lauren. (I know-how did Ethan get a girl that hot? ;) just kidding Ethan!)
This is a before and after of Gigi holding Drake. First one, when we got there, the second after he got out of his camping chair on his own.
And here's Buster in his favorite spot, right next to the fire, in the dirt, yes, eating a rock.

Tawnya's baby bump is growing!


Gwenny and Daddy. She also had a tough time. First when I was teaching her how to squat, she didn't quite get the concept and peed on her pants. (Why on earth didn't I just take them off?) Then she touched the lantern and burned her knuckle. And I know it sounds like we just had problem after problem, but it really was a lot of fun!

Finally Halloween

Gwen and some of her BEST FRIENDS!

There was another Dorothy with a real Toto, but Gwen loved her kitty Toto.

Mrs. Billings and all the chaos.  She's amazing!  

The things Gwen learns surprises me everyday.

Kinlee and Drake had a fun time eating cookies.

"just stick it in my mouth!"

Gwen's preschool halloween party was so cute!  Seeing all those kids in costumes was just hilarious!  But hearing them sing....I LOVED it!!!

Jack was a Peep

Drake the "Cowardly" lion.  (gwen chose it)

Don't worry, Jack's in one of Gwen's old car seats.

Getting ready for Halloween

That's right, we ate Jack O'Lantern stew out of a Jack O'Lantern! The kids loved it. I did too.

We had a pumpking carvin' family home evening. Gwen loved singing her "5 little pumpkins" song and dancing around telling us about the pumkin her teacher carved at school.


This is the pumpkin I did. It was so much fun taking the drill to it. And I thought it was way cute glowing!

Baby Katie is so sweet! She's a month and a half old, but I swear she's still 6 pounds!
Tara did this sweet trick or treating monster.



Ryan decided to carve his pumpkin with me, and my other love, Edward. (He's a vampire and about to bite my neck!)

My friend Brooke and her sister have a photography company and a couple weeks ago, they took our family pictures. They turned out pretty cute.

uh oh

I had a full house today. I was watching my friend Jodi's little girl, Kinlee. I also had my sister and her little boy, Jack over. While Tara and I were down stairs doing our nails, we realized the kids, who were upstairs were being rather quiet. She went up to check and quickly called for me, and this is what we found.




Maybe I should keep the COSTCO box of tampons locked up from now on.