since we couldn't make enough to send to each of you...

to: all of her many fans

from: Molly Jane

to: all of his Batman loving buddies

from: Maxwell David

to: all the cool kids

from: Olivia Ann

(cute! candy buttons!)

Happy Valentine's Day!

love is in the air...

oh how I tried to get happy Valentine's photos in their cute t-shirts! Better luck next year!

he is a builder...

This is a funny video that shows how much Max loves building and playing with the things he builds. He is so entertained, and super fun to watch. I love the part where he is playing and doesn't know he's being recorded. Sorry for the video quality, it's taken on my point and shoot camera.

I did it!

I just registered for the Newport Marathon. Crazy, huh?

Funny quote for the day...

Max and Molly, posing in the same way, Molly says, "look, Mom, it's like we're twins."

missed by an inch....

So, I was laying in bed last night, listening to the wind blow, and hoping that my big maple would not topple on my children sleeping soundly upstairs, when BAM, CRASH, RATTLE, I heard and felt a jolt. I immediately ran upstairs and saw that the kids were fine, and I proceeded to run crazy through the house looking for holes or damage. I was so afraid to look outside, but like the girls who follow the scary noises in horror films, I put my boots on and headed outside in my robe. Sure enough, the tree fell. Or half of the tree, to be more accurate. Since it was midnight, I just took a sleeping pill and headed back to bed. Of course, even then, my heart was racing so crazily that I couldn't sleep much. Of course, Jon was out of town, and I just kept worrying about the part of the tree that was still standing, you know, that whole waiting for the other shoe to drop thing. It never did, and when I awoke this morning, to a frantic call from Jon (maybe I was a wee bit dramatic in an email to him after the occurrence), and assessed the damage, it appears that we had a mighty strong angel who hefted said tree just a smidge to keep it from crunching our babies and losing our upper level. We are so grateful for a MIRACLE that kept our home and family safe. What a blessing!

Also, we have the BEST friends who all called concerned this morning and ran to our rescue. What would we do without all of these great people who bless our lives.

Comin' or goin' he's got his best side showin'!

This post is long past due. Ian is walking! He is so cute! He started walking on New Year's Eve, which is exactly 14 months, so he was right on track with his late walker siblings! It was worth the wait, though, because this little guy is loving every minute of his newfound skill! It's been a few weeks, and he still expects a little applause every time he starts walking. Of course, we are all happy to oblige. So, since I am lame, lame, lame, and can't figure out how to load video, here are some terrible, blurry pictures. I just couldn't wait any longer, or look at that old Christmas post another day! Soooo, enjoy the view!

(aren't those cheeks yummy!?)

Christmas leftovers

(Christmas morning on the stairs before they came down to see what Santa brought them!)

Our Christmas was simple, easy, casual, and laid back. A little different, but so nice. I felt like I really got to enjoy the kids and play with their toys with them. We really simplified things, and I felt like they got it more than in year's passed. We loved seeing their smiles and excitement over the toys, and enjoyed so many special traditions this year, new and old. We were especially grateful to have Parker with us, the last time for a while as he plans to serve a mission after his next semester at school. He is so fun to have around, and the kids just adore him, to say the least. Here are way too many pictures of some of our festivities:

Parker opening his Christmas Eve jammies (I

love how they act surprised year after year that their Christmas Eve gift is pjs)

Stud

Cookies for Santa (along with a really elaborate card from Olivia)

Wow, that is a cookie!

Parker is a great sport. Are his cookies a little too awesome?

Molly modeling her pjs. Yes, the top is backwards, but I have given up saying anything.

Softy jammies

Helping the kids open their Christmas pjs straight naked. I think holding my kids right out of the bath is my favorite.

These two boys are best buddies. They are 18 years apart!

Parker and Olivia read the annual 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

And then on Christmas morning everyone was very happy to see that Santa did, in fact, come!

Molly got a Leapster

Olivia got a Nintendo DS

Ian got Leapfrog toys (they are Santa and Mommy's favorite!)

Max got lots of "yegos" and we have been doing some major building over here. His favorite thing was his Batman helicopter.

Parker got a really warm winter coat and gloves. Logan is cold. He also got lots of I-tunes gift cards and some sweet Pumas.

All in all it was fun and everyone was very happy and grateful for what they received. We are so grateful for our family and Jen is especially grateful that Christmas is over. Here is to a new year and a new decade!

This is the Season, beloved of the year...

She thinks she is Mary. Really.

Our first annual Gingerbread house! Thank goodness for Parker, our engineer, or we never would have gotten it together!

The girls went to the Nutcracker! It was magical, and every time people clapped, Molly would say, "oh no, I don't want it to be over!" She was in ballet heaven.

My four darlings, in their Christmas best.

The whole family before our Ward Christmas party "Back to Bethlehem"

Merry Christmas!

this cute, and he does dishes too?

(try to overlook the snotty nose that is dripping all over the clean dishes)

ballerina girl, you are so lovely...

Molly has been taking ballet for a few months, and absolutely loves it. She can't wait for Monday afternoon to come each week so she can go dance with her darling friends and see her amazing teacher. Thursday night she had her first recital, and she was so excited to show us all of her "moves." We got to see how she warmed up, pointed her toes, and danced like a sugar plum fairy when she followed her teacher's instructions. Then, they performed the darling dances that they have been working so hard on! Molly's favorite is a dance to "Let it Snow" where she gets to pretend to be a popcorn kernel popping when the song says, "it doesn't show signs of stoppin', but I've got some corn for poppin'!" The recital was so great, it put smiles on all of our faces, and Molly's didn't leave all night...

thankful...

everything was perfect...

my sentiments exactly!

I have been on a bit of a soap box lately. I am totally frustrated with the skipping over of Thanksgiving which totally offends me since it is my FAVORITE holiday. I have absolutely forbidden the playing of Christmas music in my presence until the day after Thanksgiving, at the earliest. I am not shopping for Christmas gifts until Black Friday, and I won't allow my kids to bug me about what they want for Christmas yet. I want to celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday without commercialism or strings attached. The holiday where we get to hang out together, not scurry about BUYING stuff that none of us need. The holiday where the colors of the season are really all the decoration you need! I mean, seriously, who wants to see the Halloween decorations swept away and replaced with Christmas on November 1st, if not sooner? It bugs me. I went to Target looking for something cute and Thanksgiving-ish or even fall-ish for my table, and guess what? Nada, nothing, zilch. Aisles and aisles of tacky Christmas decor, though. No shortage of that. UGH! I left feeling so disgusted.

And then, as I walked through the door to Nordstrom yesterday, I saw a sign that said something to the effect of: "Here at Nordstrom we believe in celebrating one holiday at a time. We won't be decking our halls until November 27. We hope you enjoy this season with your families. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving." My heart sang for joy (which, let's face it, it often does at Nordstrom). Just another reason to love you, my dear Nordys. We'll see you on Black Friday!

a grateful book review...

This is is my book recommendation of the month. I love it, love it, love it. If you come to my house for Thanksgiving, you can sit at my feet, and I will read it to you...

A very dear friend gave it to me many years ago for my birthday, and each year at this time I read it a million times: to myself, to my kids, to just about anyone who will listen.

It's about a girl who calls a family meeting to tell her parents that they need to be more ambitious and make more money. Her parents tell her that, actually, they are rich. Then, they proceed to do an accounting, on paper, of all of their possessions. They place a monetary value on things like the ability to work outdoors, how much their children are worth to them, and the nights they get to sleep under the stars.

Here's an excerpt...

and now my paper says four million and sixty thousand dollars--and we haven't even started counting actual cash. To tell the truth, the cash part doesn't seem to matter anymore. I suggest it shouldn't even be on a list of our kind of riches.

It just tugs at my heart every time I read it! Top it all off with gorgeous illustrations! Run out and get it soon! (you could use your Border's Rewards coupon!!!)

my birthday...

It was my birthday on Saturday, and since I have an aversion to photos of myself, I will share a story my dear mother shared with me about my birth....

My mom's water broke in the middle of the night while she was asleep (that must run in the family). She woke my dad up, and they took my older brother to the neighbor in the trailer park where we lived. It was 5 AM and he already had a drink in his hand.

I'm so glad that my brother survived the day with the drunk while my mom popped me out.

I never knew I lived in a trailer park. My mom called me trailer trash when she told me this tale. Oh, the sweet tales of our birth....

And then there's the one about where I got my name...

say what?

Max asked me to help him build a "huge oval train track" today, to which I replied, "sure, just let me finish blowdrying my hair." He left the room and then came back a few minutes later and said, "Mom, this is your last warning. I need you to build that train track right now."

Is that what I sound like?

a spooky Halloween.........

We had so much fun this Halloween, I can hardly keep up with it all! I think I need to make a separate post altogether with all of the pumpkin farms we visited! This is hands down my favorite time of the year (you can HAVE Christmas!). Some of these pics are terrible, my camera was on a funky setting, but you get the idea....it was a blast!

not supposed to use your hands on the donut on a string game, little butterfly!

my boys!

carving!

trunk or treat goods...

the little conductor!

madame butterfly

the itsy bitsy spider!

aye matey!

my birthday boy!

We started the day with pumpkin pancakes for my little punkin!

(Dad had to help blow...in our "blowing out the candles" trial runs Ian got too close and singed his hair!

Ian loved all of his new presents (the kids "helped" him unwrap)

another birthday candle on his pumpkin cake (is there a theme here?)

he really enjoyed diving in!

I can't believe my baby is one! I wish all of my whining would make time slow down!

Happy FIRST Birthday to the sweetest little PUNKIN! We love you, Ian!