The Hornes

Bonk Bed

2012-02-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

I've blogged before about my love/hate relationship with Craigslist, and this is going to be exhibit B. Another HUGE furniture success.

I've been wanting to get Amos bunk beds forever, but have hesitated mostly because of cost. I've got some crazy expensive taste, especially when it comes to furniture =) Amos has some friends who have a bunk bed, and his heart has been set on one for quite a while too. I had sorta've come to terms with the idea that an IKEA bunk bed was probably in our future, when I began my perusal of Craigslist. I could not believe my eyes when I saw this bed and the amount of money they wanted for it. It had been listed for less than 24 hours, and I knew it wouldn't last long. Normally, I try to play it cool, but I called/texted/emailed until I got a hold of the seller and committed fully to the sale.

There was a little drama with the guy cancelling the first scheduled delivery (after I told Amos and got his hopes up), but we rescheduled for today and I couldn't have been happier. Not only did he deliver it, but he set it up too.

In all it's glory, cheaper than IKEA! Mags is supposed to be on the bottom, but she says it's comfier on the top:

You'd better believe there are spider man sheets under there. Mags picked "woodland creatures" for her sheets (i.e. pink owls). I never thought I'd see the day that I had spider man sheets in my house..."woodland creatures" were to be expected.

The kids love it, now let's hope it doesn't live up to Amos' name for it ("bonk" bed).

Chocolate Makes Us Happy

2012-02-15T12:01:00.000-07:00

First off, I've gotten a lot of worried texts/emails/messages from those with fish tanks...I can guarantee what happened to us will not happen to you. Rest easy.

As previously mentioned, we fired up the chocolate fountain for our family valentine party last night. The kids were so excited, they ate 3/4 of the strawberries while we were waiting for the chocolate to melt.

Auds was still plowing through the heart shaped pizza, so she didn't get much chocolate. Dave was nice to include her while the rest of us were busy stuffing our faces.

Of course Amos and Maggie were happy, happy, happy, and we ended the night with bath time and a round of stain remover spray for all of our clothes.

The end is near

2012-02-14T10:19:00.000-07:00

Such morbid blog titles today =)

Just wanted to let you know things are heating up over at the Have a Heart Mart, and the auctions close tonight at midnight.

There are A LOT of new items since I first blogged about it, so head over to check it out and support an important cause.

A few of my favorites:

here

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

In spite of recent events, Valentine's Day must go on.

I've got the kids super jazzed for heart shaped pizza and the chocolate fountain, so our night is already a success. I hope yours is too.

We love love <3

I always knew it would end this way.

2012-02-14T09:46:00.001-07:00

Last night I went out to run a few last minute Valentine's Day errands, which was a total disaster. I am sorry, but Walmart was downright miserable. While I was out, the boys (Dave included) managed to create a little Valentine's Day surprise of their own:

In case it's unclear, that is a 55 gallon fish tank shattered, in our trash can. The very same fish tank that was in our living room. And it didn't wait until it was outside to shatter either.

As I walked in the door Amos came running up to me,

"Mom, are you mad at Dad?"

It was so sad and sweet that he was so worried I was going to get mad at Eric. Truthfully, there was no anger at all. You might remember that I was always opposed to the fish tank, and that's because I always knew it would end this way. There was never a doubt in my mind that the only way this would end was in disaster. I guess that helped me make my peace with it a long time ago.

The other Amosism of the night:

"The fish tank exploded like a volcano!"

Since I wasn't there for it, I appreciated the descriptive account. I am kind of sad I missed it.

Even though we had to pull out the carpet padding, and we'll have to do something about the ceiling in the basement, the damage is minimal. Eric and I are more than capable of doing the work ourselves. I guess that's part of it too, there is peace in being self-sufficient. We're not at the mercy of an insurance company or contractor. It also helped that this happens to be our Bishop's business, and he was kind enough to come over and give us a few pointers on minimizing the damage.

The fish were temporarily relocated to a tupperware immediately after the disaster, and have since been relocated to an 11 gallon tank (that is practically tenement living compared to what they were used to). They were able to save all the fish, even one that was in the cupboard for about 10 minutes. We'll have to sort out another tank and all that once the carpets dry.

And finally, I didn't get it, but Eric sent me this text while I was out running errands (and this was all going on):

Is it just me, or would that make you come home faster?

Every mama should be so lucky

2012-02-01T23:23:00.002-07:00

National Marfan Awareness Month

2012-02-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

Did you know February is National Marfan Awareness Month? I didn't until my dear friend Andrea alerted me to the cause.

Andrea is holding an auction to benefit the National Marfan Foundation. Check it out here. All of the items have been donated, and there is some great stuff.

And to learn more about Marfan Syndrome, go here.

Spotted on Pinterest...

2012-01-28T23:12:00.000-07:00

Yes. I am aware. And it's good to know that Amos is already above average at something.

I'm a sandwich.

2012-01-28T21:20:00.001-07:00

Today we took the kids to see the Chipmunk movie, you know, "Chipwrecked." Afterwards Amos said,

"I didn't like how he (Alvin) wasn't listening to his Dad."

YAHOO!

Tonight I went in to take a picture of him to accompany this post. When I asked him if I could take his picture he said,

"Sure, I'm a sandwich."

Then, Maggie, without missing a beat, jumped on him and said,

"I'm the peanut butter!"

It was awesome. Amos got pretty ticked because apparently he was the peanut butter, but I liked it.

Butty Butty/Monkey See, Monkey Do

2012-01-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

A while back, out of nowhere, Maggie started doing a little "butty butty" dance. It's as technically difficult as it sounds. Basically, it's a butt wiggle. She used to do it ALL the time, but then Amos yelled at her and told her "butt" was a bad word, and she quit doing it all together. We bribed her for a video, so it's a bit of a lackluster performance, but you get the idea...

This brings us to Audrey. We were teasing Maggie the other day about doing a butty butty and I looked over to see Audrey doing her very own butty butty! It was shocking that she'd managed to pick that up just from watching Maggie do it (a million times).

In spite of Amos yelling at her every time she does it, we can usually count on Audrey for a "butty butty" these days.

Conference Applied-Packer's "Counsel to Youth"

2012-01-27T08:45:00.050-07:00

I gave a lesson to the combined YW just after the first of the year, and I used this talk in preparation. It felt like the perfect talk. There was so much good stuff in this talk, it's hard to condense. Packer is a little scary to me, but he sure knows his stuff. So, on to the quoting and commenting...

You are much better than we were when young. You know more about the gospel. You are more mature and more faithful.

Uh, yeah. I have never been more certain of something. I swear the YW should be teaching me.

The old crow is getting slow.
The young crow is not.
Of what the young crow does not know
The old crow knows a lot.

At knowing things the old crow
Is still the young crow’s master.
What does the slow old crow not know?
—How to go faster.

The young crow flies above, below,
And rings around the slow old crow.
What does the fast young crow not know?
—Where to go.

John Ciardi, “Fast and Slow,”

I liked this poem because it "cutely" said how I feel. Sometimes I want to shake the girls and say, "Listen to me so you don't have to be a dumb dumb like I was!" It also made me think, who is looking at me and thinking, "I wish I could shake her and help her along?" There is tremendous help in learning from those who have gone before us, no matter our age.

Many of the temptations you face, certainly the most serious ones, relate to your body. You not only have power to create bodies for a new generation, but you also have agency.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “All beings who have bodies have power over those who have not.”⁷ So every living soul who has a physical body ultimately has power over the adversary. You suffer temptations because of your physical nature, but you also have power over him and his angels.

One of the best talks I've ever read about our bodies: Bednar's "Things As They Really Are." It's worth a read regardless of your beliefs. Seriously. It's good.

You may in time of trouble think that you are not worth saving because you have made mistakes, big or little, and you think you are now lost. That is never true! Only repentance can heal what hurts. But repentance can heal what hurts, no matter what it is.

So very true. And so very easy to forget.

Also, I showed these two videos during my lesson. They're short and sweet.

**Update: Ok, I couldn't get the second video to embed, so check it out here. It's Elder Russel M. Nelson's "Face the Future with Faith."

Family party

2012-01-26T21:54:00.002-07:00

Tonight is our first night home together in like three weeks so we had a little family party in our bed. We ate pizza and watched Parks and Rec. Amos liked the bowling in the episode, but he was really upset by the "punching" plot line. At the end of the episode they joked about punching someone again, and Amos said, "no! We need to go into the tv and tell them not to do that."

It was really sweet. When we moved onto 30 Rock he said, "but how will we teach them?"

Then we gave him another piece of pizza and he let it go. Good night with the family. Thank heavens for no other commitments tonight.

Conference Applied-Utchdorf's "You Matter to Him"

2012-01-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Full text here.

January has been rough. I think it's a combination of coming down from the holiday highs and a winter slump. I have been dragging at best =) Today the kids were watching Netflix on the iPad, and I could hear the little squeaky voices of the veggietales telling them they're children of God. Amen. It reminded me that I am getting behind on my conference reading (and applying) so I sat down with them and picked a conference talk at random. What I came up with was Elder Uchtdorf's "You Matter to Him" ('Him' being God). Not too shabby. I think even the veggietales would agree.

I don't really have anything to add, but these were my three favorite quotes (emphasis added):

Disciples of Jesus Christ understand that compared to eternity, our existence in this mortal sphere is only “a small moment” in space and time. They know that a person’s true value has little to do with what the world holds in high esteem. They know you could pile up the accumulated currency of the entire world and it could not buy a loaf of bread in the economy of heaven.

The Lord doesn’t care at all if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls.

May we ever believe, trust, and align our lives so that we will understand our true eternal worth and potential.

Girls and their eggs

2012-01-26T13:44:00.001-07:00

Maggie and I have started a super secret girls only tradition, and I love it.

It started over Thanksgiving when Amos and Eric went to PA without us. We put Audrey down for her nap, and Maggie and I made eggs. Mags loves to crack the eggs, and then mix them. She hates the cooking part and ALWAYS says, "be careful mom, it's hot."

On Thanksgiving, we curled up in bed with our eggs and watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. I knew it felt special that day. Our tradition really started to stick a few weeks ago though. Amos was at preschool and we'd just put Audrey for her nap. Maggie and I made eggs, and then she said, "let's watch the parade!" I couldn't believed she remembered that. It must have felt special to her too.

So, now when Amos goes to preschool, and Audrey is sleeping, Mags and I make eggs. Just the two of us.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2012-01-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

Shortly after we got home from our Christmas trip to Pennsylvania it hit me that we made no major changes in 2011. No new babies, no moving, no promotions, no basements finished, no nothing. We just plugged along for a whole year. It's the first time since we've been married that we haven't had one (or all) of those things happen for a whole year. Yikes. It sent me into power nest mode and instead of unpacking from our trip, we headed to the store for supplies for some projects.

We bought the trofast system from Ikea for our playroom (it is not yet assembled, however), and that evicted these bins from the playroom closet:

They were primary colored, with a natural wood frame. I spray painted the bins and the frame. Amos helped me make the labels. It was pretty funny what he wanted the labels to say. I probably should have gone with it.

Just so we're clear, this is what the other side of the room looks like:

I have no idea whose toothbrush that is.

Next up, Eric and finally hung the Audubon prints that we've had forever. (If you'd like some of your own, these ones can be picked up for a cool $11 mil). We got the frames at Ikea. We used the whole butcher paper measuring/hanging technique. It was tedious, but I think it paid off. The pictures don't really do it justice, the wall looks great.

We also bought a rug:

I know, it's dumb, but it took us 3 years to do it. We should have put a rug in this space years ago. Especially for $20 (from Ikea too).

I also reorganized our whole bathroom. I need to photograph it, because it is awesome. Another thing I should have done years ago. I finally figured out how to be able to see all of my stuff, but not have it all over the counter all the time. It's a bathroom miracle. I'll take pictures soon. Although there is talk of repainting the bathroom.

And, finally, the fish tank. Eric has wanted one forever. I have said no forever. Finally, he just brought one home. He's worked really hard getting it to look really sharp, so I guess I'll let this one slide.

Plus, the kids totally love it. Amos has been making invitations inviting everyone he knows over to come see it. I am just waiting for the day when he wants to take it for show n' tell.

So, that's it. We've been busy with our projects. Oh, and general shenanigans. I guess an update on the bathroom and playroom will be in order soon. I hope.

The Wandering Woobie

2012-01-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

I don't generally blog about my kids' clothes, but the "Woobie" has taken on a life of it's own. Anna and I bought this outfit for Audrey at Target the other day. I don't know what it is, but it rang up as a "Woobie." When we put the woobie in the cart with Auds, she started to snuggle it, so that was good enough for me. Who doesn't want an outfit they can snuggle with?

The Woobie in action is better than I could have imagined. It is like having a live stuffed animal. It doesn't hurt that Audrey is a total wanderer, and sorta've pet-like to begin with.

From the back:

and, the Woobs reaching for something (an entire head of broccoli, it turns out):

It's hard not to chant, "Woo-bie! Woo-bie!" when you see her coming. We love the Woobie!

The Future is Bright

2012-01-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Anna and I decided we wanted to get pedicures instead of going with Eric and the kids to get fish for his stinky fish tank (post forthcoming). We felt too guilty dumping all of the kids on Eric, so we bargained for the free time, and took Maggie with us to the nail salon.

Maggie was a TOTAL princess. She watched closely as we got our pedicures. They had a box of nail design samples and she went through them again and again, arranging and rearranging them. She kept picking out different designs for Anna and I, it was super sweet.

Finally, when we were done, it was her turn:

She sat so still while she got her nails painted.

The best part of all though, was when Eric, Amos, and Audrey came to pick us up, and Eric helped Mags dry her nails. So sweet.

I look forward to MANY nail appointments with my girls.

Rise and Shine

2012-01-11T21:41:00.001-07:00

This morning I woke up to Amos standing next to my bed.

"Mom, will you turn on the oven so the stuff inside it will cook?"

Sure. Inside the oven I found a cookie sheet complete with little balls of peanut butter cookie dough. He'd even taken the time to use a fork to make the little criss-cross pattern on the tops of the cookies.

If only he knew how to use the oven, maybe I'd wake up to fresh baked cookies.

Still at it in 2012

2012-01-01T20:57:00.000-07:00

Today the kids were off playing while I was making dinner. All was quiet until Amos came around the corner and said,

"Mom, am I dressed as Snow White?"

I said, yes, and he said, "Ok."

Then he played like that. For a while. To make matters better, they were playing a ferocious game with lots of growling. It made making dinner much more fun, that's for sure.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T19:58:00.001-07:00

I literally downloaded this yesterday and can't remember where from. I'd love to give credit if you know where I saw this =)

Somewhere along the way, we here at Horne House lost track of 2011. It's ok though, because we're certain that 2012 is going to be our best year yet. We look forward to sharing it with all of you. Happy New Year!

I'd like to say this face is a rarity, but it's more like the norm.

Baby New Year got off easy, all things considered. (Take Amos, and Maggie, for instance).

Christmas in Pennsylvania, part VI (almost not pictured edition)

2011-12-31T20:28:00.001-07:00

The final awesomeness from our Christmas trip to PA was getting to see the Sookhoos. Honestly, when Eric and I were dating, it was a huge selling point for me that his family lived so close to my sister, Kate. I LOVE that we get to see them so much more than we normally would just because they live so close to Nan and Pop.

We were able to see the Sookhoos a couple different times during the week. I was horrible about taking pictures when they were around. Thankfully, my cousin-in-law, Michelle, saved the day and had a picture of me and Kate and the kids at least.

Thanks Sookhoos for making time in your busy holiday schedule to hang with us!

Baggage claim

2011-12-31T10:51:00.002-07:00

Stir crazy

2011-12-31T08:56:00.001-07:00

This is one long flight.

Christmas in Pennsylvania, part V (most important edition)

2011-12-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Nan, Pop, and all of their grandchildren:

Christmas in Pennsylvania, part IV

2011-12-30T12:59:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how, in spite of all being in the same room, we all managed to capture such different angles on Christmas morning. I just got done packing the kids' Christmas gifts, and I have to admit, there were things I hadn't seen before amongst them. I am grateful we had a couple cameras going, so I didn't miss a thing.

Nan and Pop managed to catch us post-arrival on Christmas Eve:

After putting Santa's cookies out (I was asleep and totally missed this part):

And, discovering the carrot Santa's reindeer ate. You'd better believe Pop put authentic bite marks on it:

And, more of Christmas morning:

Awesome from every angle.

Christmas in Pennsylvania, part III (Disney on Ice edition)

2011-12-30T12:25:00.000-07:00

As if Jersey Boys wasn't enough, Nan and Pop also took us all to see Disney on Ice too. I love that kind of stuff, so I was pretty excited to say the least. Having wide-eyed kids to share it with makes it even more much more fun.

This year the show was Disney Princesses. We told Amos there would be superheroes, thinking that some of the princes might pass, but he wasn't buying it. Thankfully, getting to see Mickey Mouse was enough for him.

Mags loved the princesses. She sat on my lap most of the show, and did a great job sitting still.

Auds and Eric *almost* fell asleep.

The best part was definitely the Tangled segment. Flynn and Rapunzel did some awesome aerobatics.

Thanks again Nan and Pop!

Christmas in Pennsylvania, part II (Jersey Boys Edition)

2011-12-28T18:42:00.000-07:00

For our Christmas present this year Nan and Pop gave Eric and I tickets to see Jersey Boys. It was a great show. I had forgotten how much I really love seeing a good play.

Eric and I really enjoyed the night out in Philadelphia too. I tried to get a picture of us in front of the marquis, but it didn't work. So, take these two pictures and use your imagination:

In our seats:

Thanks Nan and Pop! We had a great time. Now, to go get the soundtrack from itunes.

2011-12-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

I know, it's more of the same thing, but their heads are flopping in unison. So entertaining.

Exhaustion FINALLY wins

2011-12-27T14:26:00.000-07:00

Christmas in Pennsylvania, part I

2011-12-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, Christmas came, and we all lived to talk about it. I was starting to worry that someone was going to pop from all of the excitement.

Christmas Eve we took a fantastically smooth flight from SLC to PHL. It was like all of the bad karma from last year's travels combusted itself into perfection. It was a Delta miracle. Audrey and I even got our own row! I would also like to mention that we, wanting to save the $150, carried on all of our luggage (three rolling suitcases, two rolling backpacks, two regular backpacks, and a stroller). And all of our children. I am pretty proud.

Once we arrived at Nan and Pop's and our bellies were full of cheesesteaks, the kids set about making cookies for Santa:

This was really important to Amos, and he was super diligent about it. Mags was just along for the ride.

After the cookies and milk were set out, the kids were really good about going to bed. They seemed to actually understand that the sooner they went to bed, the sooner it would be morning. They played a little bit, and when Eric went to break it up, he caught them looking out the window. Presumably for Santa.

Don't tell Amos, but Audrey totally ate Santa's cookies.

Amos was up at 6:30 est on Christmas morning, which is 4:30 our time! He was SO good and played with Pop while he waited for the girls to wake up. We finally let him wake up Maggie a little before 8 a.m. She was dazed and confused to say the least.

Audrey was also pretty dazed and confused:

At one point, she just crashed out in the middle of Christmas:

From there on out, it was a Christmas frenzy. The kids were so excited about all of their presents. I was really proud about how gracious they were. I worried that they would be little brats, but not at all. It's amazing how they've managed to become better people than us already.

Santa was way too generous and we definitely won't be carrying on all of our luggage on the way home...

An Experiment with Glitter

2011-12-26T11:46:00.002-07:00

An Experiment with Mascara

2011-12-26T11:32:00.001-07:00

You better watch your backs Kiss.

iPhone Unattended

2011-12-25T20:36:00.003-07:00

And this is by no means all of the 80 pictures he took.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T05:51:00.002-07:00

Holiday lights

2011-12-21T20:03:00.002-07:00

In case our kids weren't totally insane with Christmas, we took them to the holiday lights at Thanksgiving Point. Now, they're total goners :)

Love

2011-12-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

A Davecation Christmas

2011-12-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Dave was super sweet and left some presents for the kids under the tree before he left for home for Christmas (I know, we thought this was his home too). The kids were totally beside themselves with excitement once they saw the presents. I told them they had to wait for Dave to open them and they tried their very hardest to wait patiently.

Eventually, they took to practically snuggling with the presents on the floor.

As it turned out, we missed Dave and had to open the presents without him anyway. I wish I had some video for him, cause the excitement was awesome. I do have some pictures though:

Thanks Dave!

Gasoline in a Tupperware

2011-12-21T10:40:00.002-07:00

Oh, the Suburban. We came home from Seattle to find it broken down in the driveway =( We've fixed just about every part of her over the last couple years, so troubleshooting was easy. This time the fix was the fuel pump. No big deal, EXCEPT the fuel pump is located inside the gas tank. Seriously. It didn't help that the 44 gallon tank was near full either.

Thankfully, Eric was able to enlist Dave and they siphoned out much of the gas (into one of my brand new tupperwares) and fixed the pump. No prob Bob. There was the whole losing daylight and having to leave the gas tank sitting in driveway overnight (super classy), along with the tupperware full of gasoline though.

The boys did good work though, and they saved us lots of dollars =) Maybe I should use them to buy a tupperware that doesn't wreak of gasoline.

Where's the ink?

2011-12-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

The other day Amos and Maggie were having a little stamping party. I gave them a couple ink pads and some stamps and they were having at it. At one point, I heard Amos say,

"Where's the light blue ink?"

I didn't think much of it and he didn't ask again. I totally forgot about it until a few minutes later Little Miss came toddling into the kitchen:

She's not one to be left out these days. Woops.

Por Favor

2011-12-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Two years ago I bought initial ornaments at Michael's for the existing Horne family members. They were $0.25/piece. I should have bought the whole stinking alphabet, because now I can't find them anywhere and Audrey doesn't have one =( It's driving me crazy. I thought that I would find them this year, so I wasn't worried. I was wrong, and it's making me anxious.

So, friends, if you happen upon any initial ornaments like this:

I NEED THEM. I need an "A," a "C," and a "W." Like I said, they were originally from Michael's, but beggars can't be choosers at this point. They are approx. 3 inches high. Help me.

(There are some for $5/piece on ebay, but they're the wrong letters. Etsy has some too, but they're GIANT).

Especially after today.

2011-12-13T10:09:00.001-07:00

Audrey has become a total pill lately. She just follows me (or whoever) around all day whining and making demands. You pick her up, she wants down. You put her down, she wants back up. You feed her, she throws food. You don't feed her, she whines for food. It was really wearing on me, so last night I decided to take a shower so I could have a few minute break from her. No such luck. She whined and whined at the shower door until I let her in. When I got out, I thought to myself:

"Maybe she'll play in there alone for a few minutes so I can get dressed in peace."

Nope. As soon as I was out, she was whining from the inside of the shower that she wanted out too. Sheesh. I got her out and tried to get her dressed. All of a sudden she wants nothing to do with me. It becomes an all-out wrestling match to get her diaper and pajamas on. When it's over, she runs away, laughing. Finally, some peace.

I am so exhausted at this point, I curl up on her bedroom floor, using her towel as a pillow. Maggie finds me in about one minute, and then scurries back out. She comes back a minute later with a blanket from my bed, and puts it over me. Then she turns out the lights and runs off again. I think she just put me to bed? A minute later though, she comes back with a fistful of carrots and puts them down by my head.

"Here," she says.

Again she disappears, and comes right back. This time it's broccoli. Then again with a cup of grapefruit and a spoon. Then peanut butter, then pretzels, then cheese, then raisins, then an apple, and finally an orange.

"That'll help you feel better," she says.

It does, but not in a way Maggie can understand.

Later that night, Eric and I were talking about having a fourth child. Yes, the time has come. Eric, with Audrey in mind, said:

"After today, are you sure you still want another baby?"

I, with Maggie in mind, answered:

"Especially after today."

*this isn't an "I'm pregnant" announcement, I promise. In fact, I am thinking this time I'll keep it a secret as long as possible...like, "I'm pregnant, and due next month!" That'd be awesome, right?

We Seek After These Things

2011-12-12T22:12:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Amos gave the 13th Article of Faith in primary. Eric helped him recite it into the microphone, and then he got to hold up the poster while all of the kids sang the song. It was super cute.

Amos has given the Article of Faith before though, it was Audrey who had a primary first. We sat her on a tiny chair and she sat there. Still. She didn't know what to do, so she didn't move at all.

I need one of those tiny chairs to put her on at home.

Christmas Cards

2011-12-10T16:34:00.001-07:00

We got the first of our Christmas cards this week, and we're so excited! (We love you Charbz, Westbys, and Sookhoos).

We managed once again, to have some trouble coming up with a picture for our card this year, but, alas, I prevailed. Cards will be ready next week and on their way to you. If you'd be so kind as to email/facebook/tweet/call/jabber jay your address to me, I'd appreciate it.

And here's one of the cards that didn't make the cut, though I wanted it to so badly:

In Santa We Believe

2011-12-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

Amos and Maggie in front of the lights at The Shops at Riverwoods.

Amos and Maggie are downright fanatical when it comes to Christmas this year. They are unbelievably stoked, and it is getting me so excited.

Amos is the most aware of the whole Christmas situation, and he is fully embracing it. He cleans his room daily so that Santa will know he's good. He asks me about my conversations with Santa and double checks I am telling Santa all the right things. It's not just Santa though, he talks about Baby Jesus a lot too. We're working on Mary, Joseph, the Wisemen, and everyone else. I think it's starting to stick. Amos has put straw out on our front porch for Santa's reindeer and he's always asking when we can bake Santa's cookies.

There is one minor setback in all of the Christmas hullabaloo: Amos and Maggie are terrified of Santa. Maggie shakes uncontrollably in his presence. Amos, though, overcame his fear of Santa last night and actually sat on his lap:

I know I didn't get a picture of him looking at me, but they were talking so seriously, I didn't want to interrupt. Eric and I were so proud to watch him overcome his fear and sit there and talk to Santa. I couldn't quite hear what Amos was saying, but I did hear him tell Santa about cleaning his room. When he was done talking, Santa gave him some candy and he happily ran off, but not before stopping to yell back,

"Oh, and my Dad wants some shoes!"

Pretty sweet of him to remember Eric.

Mags still has some work to do, but there will be more time for that.

On a sidenote, we took the kids to see Arthur Christmas, and we all loved it. Even Eric. We kind of want to see it again...I'm already planning a movie night to watch it next December. So, if you get the chance, go catch it.

Dear Santa,

2011-12-09T19:33:00.001-07:00

Aloha, Seattle!

2011-12-06T21:53:00.001-07:00

Eric and I just got back from an "uscation." It is in fact, probably the only "uscation" we've had since we've been married. We don't go many/any places that aren't where our family is.

It's a long story how Seattle in December became our destination, but it fit us perfectly. If you know Eric and I, you know we're more sweaters and collared shirts people than say, beach people ;) There is in existence, somewhere a picture of me at the beach when I was like 12, fully clothed: jeans, t-shirt, socks, and tennis shoes. Even as a 12-year-old I knew who I was.

The last little bit of background on "us" and Seattle...when Eric and I were dating we broke up for a week. A long week. We reconciled in Seattle. There was no more looking back from "Seattle." I am not sure what else you need to make a city "your" city.

We stayed in the Seattle Westin, and it was great. Astronomical parking fees aside, we couldn't have been happier. I took a picture of the view from my pillow:

Pretty sweet to not even have to move your head to see that. Another plus of the Westin is it's prime location. We were able to walk to TONS of stuff. We were one block from Nordstrom, which allowed us to go in like 4 times a day =)

Aside from shopping, we ate a ton. Food is always a highlight to me, so take from that what you will. We ate at my new favorite place in the whole world: the Space Needle. It was the coolest place I have ever eaten. The food was good, don't get me wrong, but the experience was AWESOME. There isn't a bad seat in the house and the views are spectacular. The Space Needle spins (which you likely knew), and that means you get ALL of the views not just one of them.

One minute you're looking at this:

And, the next you're looking at this:

Also, the walls stay stationery, so people put notes on the ledge and then spin away from them. Eric and I decided if we ever need to propose again, we're totally using the ledge. We got our picture taken by a professional there, and please agree with me that he has the worst lens on the face of the planet:

So warped, right? It's proof that we were there though.

Random smoothie from "Pot Bellies." I thought it was so cute.

We fit a lot into our few days there: Pikes Place Market, Figgy Pudding, outlet shopping, spa'ing, movie watching, Starbuck's hot chocolate drinking, and kid missing. A lot of kid missing. Here's to "uscation!"

It's a tie!

2011-12-06T21:11:00.000-07:00

Passed out at bed time. Er, 3 hours past bedtime.

I'd thought for sure I'd heard the quote of the day when Amos, in total seriousness, said,

"Maggie, the band is breaking up."

They'd just spent 20 minutes getting ready for their show. Amos was a winter coating wearing, sunglasses sporting "rock star" and Maggie was decked out as a princess. Amos had even mandated that she wear eyeshadow for their performance. But, when Mags refused to wear sunglasses (I am assuming because she couldn't see since they'd turned off every light in the house), Amos declared the show "ruined." They both pouted about long enough to forget why the show was ruined. The show did not go on.

Fast forward two hours. Amos and Maggie are supposed to be sleeping, but instead they're in the bathroom washing their hands. I've never seen such hand washing diligence. After a few minutes they bring me Maggie's toothbrush, which is cracked in half. I tell them it's ok and we'll get a new one at the store tomorrow. As they're walking away I hear Amos very sweetly say to Maggie,

"It's ok, when I find mine, you can use it."

Ha! First off, I had no idea his was missing, who knows for how long??? And second, I thought we'd covered the toothbrush sharing thing???

Oh, wait! We have a last minute entry...as I am typing this I overheard Amos say to Maggie,

"I'm sorry, I thought you wanted me to jump on you. I must not have been listening very good."

Seriously, we should record them talking to one another and play it for people who are sad...It is so good to be home with these little rascals, I tell ya.

Hide n' seek?

2011-11-28T21:39:00.001-07:00

Nope, she crawled under there and went to sleep. We can't figure out how to get her out.

Best hide n' seeker ever

2011-11-28T13:22:00.001-07:00

Our 6th Anniversary

2011-11-27T00:44:00.000-07:00

I realized tonight that with blogging comes a certain responsibility. For example, yesterday was our 6th wedding anniversary. I didn't blog it. That's sort of crummy of me. Eric didn't blog it. He doesn't have a blog, so no crumminess on him. Seems unfair, huh?

Blogging inequities aside, I am grateful for 6 years with Eric. It's been all flowers and sunshine. Seriously.

This isn't really a post about "us" though, cause that'll come when we go to Seattle sans kids next month. Hallelujah! Instead, a post about what we did on our 6th anniversary...

It was a great day. We picked Eric and Amos up from the airport about 10 this morning, made a stop for lunch, and then came home and got to the Christmas decorating. It's always been one of my favorite things to do, but having the kids get into it made it even better. They were so anxious to help, it was awesome. Eric trained them that Mama's the boss when it comes to ornaments and we didn't have any problems.

I should also mention we took a field trip to the best tree lot in Spanish Fork. Their trees are seriously awesome.

My two favorite things from decorating:

1. I am super picky about balance on the Christmas tree. Amos put two red ornaments on the same branch (huge no no). Then he said, "I am putting these two red ones together so they can be best friends." They're BFF+E in my book now.

2. Maggie worked so hard hanging her ornaments. She put them all on the lowest branches. Not the branches at a natural height for her reach, but the ones she had to crawl to get to. When we told her she could try other locations she very politely said, "No, thank you." Tonight when I was re-balancing a bit, I found this:

A little gaggle of ornaments all together tucked under the tree. I am still smiling thinking about it now.

It was a pretty good day if you asked me. No romantic dinner necessary.

P.S. This seems like a good place for this memory: Eric and I got married on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Every year my mom calls us on the Saturday after Thanksgiving to wish us a happy anniversary (like, regardless of the date). Bless her, this year she would have been right =)

A Tad More of 'Girlscation' Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T00:24:00.000-07:00

It's a little hard to believe that Thanksgiving has come and gone, except that I think I am still full from it. The girls and I were very lucky to have an invitation to the Prusak's house for Thanksgiving (neighbors, friends, and "church" co-workers). The Prusak's were so nice and invited us for Thanksgiving in 2008 when we first moved into the ward. Maggie was just out of the NICU, I had an undiagnosed kidney infection, and it was sort of a disaster (on our part, not theirs).

This year, I am happy to say, that it was awesome. Eric still maintains that the food in '08 was the best he's ever had, and I am happy to say that '11 did not disappoint.

I managed to photograph the girls before we left. I thought they looked quite nice:

It's easy to dress your kids when you don't have to cook anything. I tried to get a picture of all three of us. No such luck:

Oh, cause the mirror is filthy? Too lazy to clean it, just try it without the flash:

Still no?

Nope. Didn't work. Some people might try using a timer. Not this dumb bunny.

I wish I had taken some pictures at dinner, cause that would have been smart. Duh. I did, however, taunt Eric with pictures of my leftovers. Let's just say I had Thanksgiving three times =)

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

We here on Girlscation have much to be thankful for. Including, but not limited to: chocolate chips, pajamas, watching the Macy's T-day parade, and not folding the laundry.

We hope you all have a happy Thanksgiving full of stomach pains from overeating and food comas. We know we will.

Conference Applied-Alonso's "Doing the Right Thing at the Right Time, Without Delay"

2011-11-23T19:19:00.001-07:00

I was browsing titles of conference talks tonight looking for one about gratitude, you know, to be themey and all, but this one jumped out at me. After reading it, I can see why.

Elder Alonso starts by saying this:

In our day many people are living in the midst of sadness and great confusion. They are not finding answers to their questions and are unable to meet their needs. Some have lost a sense of happiness and joy.

Later he continues on to tell a story about losing his son in Mexico City while on a shopping trip. He points out that when their son was lost, they didn't need a planning meeting, they needed to simple get out and act. Elder Alonso's other point was that his son never even realized he was lost. About this, he said:

Brothers and sisters, there may be many who, for some reason, are lost from our sight and who do not know that they are lost. If we delay, we could lose them forever.

For many who have need of our help, it is not necessary to create new programs or take actions which are complicated or costly. They only need our determination to serve--to do the right thing at the right time, without delay.

As I was reading this talk, an experience from college stood out in my mind. I'd had my heart broken and was literally on my knees praying to my Heavenly Father for help knowing I was loved. A knock at the door interrupted my prayer, and true peace entered my soul through the friendship of a faithful friend who simply did the right thing at the right time, without delay.

Finally/This one is for Aunt Anna.

2011-11-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Remember years ago when I blogged about wanting TOMS for the kids? I totally called that one. I have been wanting pink sparkly TOMS for Maggie since I first laid eyes on them. I could never bring myself to do it though. Or, when I did get up the guts to spend the money, they would be out of stock in her size. Grr. Finally, they changed the style of the sparkly TOMS and discontinued the "sequined-style." Grr. Not wanting to miss another boat, I ordered the fabric glitter TOMS immediately. Sadly, they tore through in exactly one minute (ok, like 45 minutes, but one wearing). Grr. TOMS were great to replace them and make it right, but we had to choose a plain canvas style to avoid the same problem all over again. Grr.

So, where am I going with all this??? SEQUINED STYLE SPARKLY TOMS ARE BACK! And "I" am the proud owner of a pair. Er, two pairs. Because now I have two daughters.

Aunt Anna wanted to see a picture, so here it is. Mags rocking the pink sparkly TOMS:

Pretty sure they're on the wrong feet.

Princess Party

2011-11-22T15:13:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit MIA lately, but in all the best ways. I got back from a girls' weekend to Vegas (AWESOME!), just in time to send Eric and Amos off to Pennsylvania to see Nan and Pop Horne for Thanksgiving.

While explaining to Maggie that she didn't get to go see Nan and Pop, I told her,

"It's ok, we're going to have fun here. It'll be a princess party."

Well, she took me at my word, and insisted on a princess party. We're lucky to have good friends who were up for a princess party. The Browns totally made the party and the girls had a great time.

We dressed them up in their princess outfits, pulled out the special table, and served them tiny sandwiches with fancy toothpicks and the crusts cut off. There was twirling and disney princess movie music. It was so cute to see them sitting and eating and enjoying each other's company.

The highlight might have been when Brecklynn said,

"Princesses don't throw food!"

She doesn't know Princess Maggie I guess ;)

Another highlight was the addition of a new princess:

Audrey sat at the table with the big girls and had the best time. It was adorable.

We might not be on "boycation," but we know how to party.

Burned to the Second Degree

2011-11-11T20:43:00.000-07:00

Grammies, you're going to want to quit reading now.

Today we had an accident =( Our first one that required an emergency trip to the doctor's office (not the hospital, THANKFULLY). Before today, I would have bet you a good amount of money that our first disaster would have involved Amos...but it didn't.

This afternoon Audrey learned that fire is hot. The hard way. Sweetie baby pulled up on our gas fireplace, which unfortunately, was on. =( She cried and cried. She cried so long I couldn't help but join her. I held it together while I called Eric and asked him to call the doctor for me, but I lost it when I called a friend to watch the kids while we went to the doctor. I don't think I have ever called a friend crying before. It was horrible.

During all of this crying, I knew she was fine, but to see her in so much pain was really hard. Blisters quickly formed on each of her finger tips and the palm of her hand. Second degree burns. The doctor said that they were shallow, and none of them opened, so she should heal just fine. We just need to be very careful to prevent infection.

By tonight Audrey was back to her normal self, happy and silly, plus a trendsetting "mitten." Amos and Maggie were so lucky to get to hang out with Stephanie and Sydney during all of this, and they thought it was a fun adventure. They were pretty worried about their little sister though. They couldn't wait to see her when they got home.

Yo Gabba Gabba Go!

2011-11-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

Holy cow. Yesterday we took the kids to Yo Gabba Gabba Live! and the kids loved it. They were so amped up to go, it was really cute. Thankfully, we were able to leave Audrey home with Dave. It was so fun to go out with just the "big" kids (and no diaper bag!).

The kids before the show. I tried to get a picture with the big Gabba Gabba sign behind them, but that clearly didn't work (side note: my apologies that all of the pictures are terrible. They are taken on my phone, it didn't even occur to me that cameras would be allowed):

Watching the show:

A "canon" shot out streamers and confetti (very unexpectedly, I might add) at the very beginning and Maggie was a little startled. It took her about half way through to get comfortable again:

At intermission Mags had a great time picking up all of the streamers that were so scary just 30 minutes before:

The show was good, but the best part was just getting to spend some quality time with Amos and Maggie. They're pretty fun kids.

She Walks and Talks

2011-11-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

I am terribly behind on this one. Yikes. Someday maybe Audrey will have three kids of her own and she'll forgive me.

Anyway, Audrey has started to walk and talk. The talking came first, right around her first birthday. Her first words were perfectly fitting: "mama" and "uh-oh." She's only heard those words about a billion times, it's no wonder they stuck.

The walking started a little more recently, probably two weeks ago. She's getting pretty good, and seems to be choosing walking over crawling most of the time now. I had forgotten the "I need to do it every second of every day" mentality that comes with walking. She doesn't sit still for a second anymore =)

Here's a video of our tiny walker:

Conference Applied-Bednar's "The Hearts of Children Shall Turn"

2011-11-06T20:38:00.003-07:00

Our copy of the November Ensign just showed up in our mailbox a couple days ago. Every time the general conference edition comes I vow to read it and study it diligently. I do ok, but I'd like to do better. So, in an effort to hold myself a little more accountable, I am going to start a "Conference Applied" series, in which I blog about the different conference talks and what I learned from them. I also have super envy for those people who, on the spot, can recall "well, so and so said, such and such in April 2010 conference in their talk." I am hoping this might help with my recall. Not just so I can show off in Sunday school, but so I can have answers when I need them. I am thinking having a record of a bunch of mini-testimonies will be pretty neat too.

To start, we have Elder Bednar's "The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn" from the Saturday Afternoon session.

Best quote (you know, to me):

It is no coincidence that FamilySearch and other tools have come forth at a time when young people are so familiar with a wide range of information and communication technologies. Your fingers have been trained to text and tweet to accelerate and advance the work of the Lord—not just to communicate quickly with your friends. The skills and aptitude evident among many young people today are a preparation to contribute to the work of salvation.

When I was in middle school, I was in a so-called "gifted" program. The "gifted" kids were separated from the "regular" kids (I know, it's horrible, but that's what we called them) in all of our classes. One semester the "gifted" kids were taking art, and the "regular" kids were taking computer class. A scheduling mix-up landed me in the computer class. Although devastated at first, I have long since realized my place in that class was a huge blessing. I loved the computer class and I took it all of the rest of my years in middle school...gifted or regular. I know it's no coincidence that I have taken such an interest in technology at a time when there is so much good to use it for.

Sidenote: Ever wonder where my Dad's screenname "gopherdad" came from? That's what happens when your ten-year old sets up AOL for you =)

This talk has a great video to go along with it too, for your viewing pleasure:

Final thought from the talk:

[Parents and leaders] You also will count your many blessings as young people devote more time to family history work and temple service and less time to video games, surfing the Internet, and Facebooking.

Amen.

Also, check out: lds.org/familyhistoryyouth

Nan and Pop Do Springville

2011-11-05T16:26:00.000-06:00

You probably noticed Nan and Pop "popping" up in the pictures from the kids' birthday party. We were so lucky that we were able to time the party with their visit. Their visit was much too short in my opinion, but we managed to squeeze a lot of other stuff in too.

We played at the park...

We had a grandparents' birthday party with the kids...

We went to the pumpkin patch...

and they climbed the dirt hill across the street from our house (it just occurred to me where the dirt was coming from)...

Some things we didn't get pictures of: gymnastics class, registering cars, breakfasts at iHop, date night for Eric and I, and all kinds of Amos/Pop invented games. We're so grateful that Nan and Pop are able to come see us as much as they do. Their visits are always so fun.

Boom Boom Turns Three

2011-11-04T23:52:00.000-06:00

It's hard to believe my Maggie girl is three years old. In case you couldn't tell, she is a total sassy pants. I mean, seriously, I don't know where she gets it. This girl has more spunk than the rest of the Hornes combined.

When she's not throwing fits with the best of them, Maggie is a total sweetheart. She is a great sharer with both Amos and Audrey. She often pats Audrey on the head, and then says things like, "I'm just petting her." She also says my name about 1,000 times a day, and when I respond she says, "I love you" or "you're beautiful" or "your hair is cute."

Maggie loves all things princess, and generally refuses to wear anything that is not "princess." In spite of that, she is ALWAYS sporting ragamuffin hair. We do our best, but neither one of us has the patience to sit still long enough to do it.

Maggie lacks a healthy fear of anything, and always keeps us on our toes.

Happy birthday Maggie!

'Real' Halloween

2011-11-02T05:04:00.000-06:00

Holy cow our kids were so excited for "real" Halloween. Like I said before, Amos was counting down. More than once he snuck an extra sticker on his advent calendar, in an attempt to make Halloween come faster. To pass the long days until Halloween, Amos and Maggie practiced their door approach again and again. It went like this:

"Knock, knock."

"Trick or treat!"

"Thank you!!!!"

Eventually Amos added in, "We're here for candy" before his "trick or treat."

I thought we had created the perfect Halloween day schedule, but it ended up a little crazier than anticipated. We hit up Eric's work party, went to an early dinner at Happy Sumo, and then came home for a neighbor's party before Eric and the kids went out trick or treating (I was the passer-outer). Dinner at Happy Sumo was a good idea in theory, but it made for a really jammed evening. We wanted the kids to eat something other than candy, and the one thing they are guaranteed to eat every time is edamame. We also ended up having to take one of the cars to Jiffy Lube for emissions/inspections/registration in the middle of all that too. Nothing like waiting until 5 p.m. on the last day of the month =)

We ended up missing the first of the trick or treaters that came by our house, but thankfully Dave was there to hold down the fort until we got there. We never get trick or treaters, but this year we had a lot. If you give out full sized candy bars, they will come.

Eric, Amos, and Maggie lasted much longer than I thought they would and they brought home a ton of candy. They were so excited, I think it's safe to say their first time trick or treating was a huge success (yeah, we've never made it to the door-to-door part before this year).

Trunk or Treat

2011-11-01T21:30:00.001-06:00

Amos' preschool teacher gave him a calendar to countdown to Halloween with, and he knew EXACTLY how many days there were until Halloween. So, it came as a very pleasant surprise to him that he got to put on his costume and got to go to our ward Trunk or Treat on Saturday, TWO WHOLE DAYS before Halloween.

The kids in the yard super anxious to get in the car:

To quote Amos, his "best friends":

After a couple laps of the parking lot we went inside for carnival games and socializing. Loved it.

There was also a hayride around the neighborhood. It was a hit:

I take a picture of Eric holding one of the kids like this every year. He hates it. I think it's cute.

And the winner of the night, Audrey. Fat dog dressed as a dog. Eating:

The kids came home with so much candy it was crazy. And we hadn't even gotten to "real" Halloween yet.

Party at the Raspberry Sawhorse

2011-11-01T21:16:00.002-06:00

Amos' preschool class had a party for Halloween, and he loved it. That boy loves a good party. Especially a party he gets to wear a costume to.

He also perfected his "to infinity and beyond!"

Added 11/2/11: I wanted to put this somewhere, and this seems like the place. A good friend loaned us the Buzz Lightyear costume, and let me tell you, that is the way to go. If you have friends you can trade with, do it! It's so much better than buying something they'll wear once (or maybe three times). I just hope I get to pay it forward sometime...pink poodle anyone?

The first in a 15 part series...

2011-10-31T21:09:00.001-06:00

Nah, it won't be that bad, but let the Halloween blogging begin. We'll start with the stuff no one cares about (i.e. no pictures of kids in costumes).

This year the kids each picked out and designed their own jack o' lanterns. Eric was the architect, but a brief mention here is the only credit he'll ever get. Which brings us to my attempt at documenting the kids with their pumpkins.

They decided they wanted to make faces to match their pumpkins...Maggie is on board:

No one is on board:

Amos is on board, Maggie is mid-flight:

Amos has finally got it, and Maggie is missing altogether:

And, finally, both making the face, but blocking their pumpkins:

Amen.

A party with friends

2011-10-25T12:35:00.001-06:00

Saturday we had the BEST birthday party ever. It is the first party I've let the kids control. It was hard for me, but those apples didn't fall far from the tree-they did a great job party planning. The party was an actual kid party, and Amos and Maggie compiled the guest list. They invited all of their "best friends."

I did choose the location, but I am sure if given the choice, they would choose Jumpin' Jacks too. We picked the jungle room for their party, so we ran with the jungle theme. Perfect for boys an girls! All of the kids loved the animals.

First things first, the invitations:

We attached them to jungle chia pets we found at the Target dollar spot, and voila! Perfect. All the kids loved their new pets, though I think the moms could have done without the non-washable paint. China.

As for the party room, it looked like this:

And, then there were the party people:

I can't believe how well all of the kids got along. They had so much fun together and everyone was so well behaved (the only whining came from the Horne kids). Some final miscellaneous pictures:

It was a great day, and I am so grateful we were able to share it with such good friends. And Amos was glad his friends were there.

How old are you?

2011-10-22T17:05:00.000-06:00

Today we had our jungle party at Jumpin' Jacks for Amos and Maggie's birthdays. Full blog is forthcoming. Until then, I want to share this series. Courtesy of Nan. The birthday kids telling us how many they are:

Yeah, Mags needs to work on that one a bit.

Down on the Farm

2011-10-18T06:22:00.000-06:00

Saturday we took the kids to Hee Haw Farms. While Eric and I were dating, I did a story on "Hee Haw Farms" and their 1200 lb pig that had just had babies (you know, back when I was a serious journalist). So, I guess that's how we knew about Hee Haw. Who knew all those years ago that doing that story with Eric pretending to be my cameraman would eventually lead us to being there with our three kids? I distinctly remember trying to get the little kid animal train to run perfectly through the background of my stand up. This time, it was trying to get a perfect shot of my own kids in the train.

Aside from the train, the kids had a ball. Amos must have gone on the big slide about 600 times. He could do it totally independently, so it was fantastic to watch him go up and down, around and around, again and again. He'd barely hit the bottom and he'd be up, running to the top again.

Amos wasn't the only one who like the slide:

The corn box was also a hit. The kids played forever in the corn, burying themselves, making snow angels, and in Audrey's case, having a snack. I have to say I loved it, because it is SO much cleaner than sand. We need to get one of those. In fact, they need to turn all beaches into one of those.

We went to Hee Haw to get pumpkins, but we couldn't pull the kids away from the other activities long enough to make it to the pumpkin patch. I guess that's a success, and now we still get to go to the pumpkin patch another day.

Workin' with a girl on your lap

2011-10-14T19:31:00.000-06:00

Today when Dave got home Amos said, "Dada-AVE!" Since then, it's been shortened to "Dad-ave."

The other day, Dave was sitting at the counter working on his laptop. Amos is constantly trying to talk Dave out of working and into playing with him, so Dave working at the counter is a "fair" compromise. It's not actually fair to Dave, but he's a good sport. I will go on record, if/when he decides to settle down he is going to make a great husband and dad.

Anyway, not only was Dave trying to work with Amos talking his ear off, but Mags decided she needed to be on his lap. She climbed up on his lap with her laptop and they "worked" side by side.

Pretty adorable. The kids are constantly telling people, "We have a Dave." Next thing I know Amos will be asking to take him in for show-n-tell. Eric is not the only one who is going to have a broken heart when Dave moves out...

Pumpkinland

2011-10-14T14:18:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Amos, my toothache, and I went on Amos' first field trip. Looking at the pictures, I realize it was a great time, but I don't remember it feeling that way =( Amos had a blast though, and that's what matters. We went to Pumpkinland in Orem.

Pumpkinland is a really neat place with tons to see and do. There is a fun corn maze, lots of animals, a play area, and not to mention pumpkins, lots and lots of pumpkins!

The best part of the field trip for me was watching Amos interact with his friends. It was really cute, and sorta've sad. He's getting so big. I am not his only friend anymore.

It was a great Amos/Mama date.

This story ends with a root canal

2011-10-13T22:43:00.001-06:00

First, it snowed in EARLY October.

The kids loved it. I quickly learned that when you're a parent you need to be prepared to drop everything if it snows. I am already exhausted by the snow gear on/off routine.

Eric was out of town when the snow happened, so I took these pictures for him. Kiddie pool still hanging off the deck, covered in snow, priceless.

The past two weeks have been crazy busy, with no sort of routine whatsoever. There was the highlight of Monday night's Family Home Evening extravaganza. The kids were awesome, so after my massage and their hike we took them to dinner. They were so good at dinner we took them for ice cream. It got so late Dave called to make sure we were ok. Every once in a while you just need to have a party night =) Even if you're old, and married, with little kids who have a bedtime.

Last week I had a teeth cleaning and was thrilled when I didn't have any cavities again (that's like two straight years now!). It was all good until not long after my appt. I started getting the most wicked toothache EVER. It hurt my tooth, my jaw, my head, and my ear. I have never felt anything so miserable, and I've been in labor for 60 hours. Anyway, last night as I was laying in bed resisting the urge to pull my own tooth out, I knew I had to get help. I went into the dentist today, and it turned out a root canal was the solution to my problem. Note to self: no cavities and a root canal is a dental fail.

That's all for now, so I'll leave you with this:

SHE. IS. AWESOME.

Scooter Boy

2011-10-13T22:26:00.000-06:00

No, he's not trying out for Idol. The X games is more like it. He came up with this little exercise all by himself:

Yeah, his hobbies and/or career are likely to give me an ulcer. Followed by a heart attack.

Family home evening

2011-10-10T17:57:00.002-06:00

I'm at the spa. Eric and the kids are outside. My day got better Kate!

Gymnastics

2011-10-05T22:07:00.000-06:00

Today Amos and Maggie started gymnastics. I was so excited for Maggie, mostly, because it seems like it would be right up her alley. She was, however, ATROCIOUS. I couldn't believe it. I've never seen her act so horribly. Thankfully they rotated between instructors on the different apparatus, so they each took a turn with her and no one had her the entire time. The low point had to be when one of the teachers told her if she didn't sit down she wouldn't get a turn on the balance beam, to which she responded by running the length of the room, running back and then hopping up on the balance beam and running across it.

In case you're doubting how awful she really was, the head coach came up to me after and said that I would need to sit with her next week. So, when Maggie is a world famous gymnast, just know her first class went horribly!

A Birthday with Presents and No Friends

2011-10-03T20:37:00.000-06:00

Amos is 4!

It's hard to believe, but then again, he's so "old" now, I suppose it fits. Today, we had our family party for him. When talking to Grammy and Grampy in the DR, he said, "Tonight I had my birthday with presents and no friends." Hah.

He was supposed to get a dollar store birthday like Audrey did, but Eric arrived at the dollar store too early and the only place to kill time was Sportsman's Warehouse. Again, hah.

Maggie was such a good sport about Amos getting all of the presents. She was the perfect assistant, handing him his next present to open each time. She also dressed herself for the occasion, in a "birthday dress."

Audrey was there too.

We had beets for dinner.

As was Dave.

Amos gave Dave the BIGGEST hug as a thank you for the truck Dave gave him. I missed it because Eric was in the way.

And Nan and Pop.

Since we've been having our fair share of cake this week, we switched to brownies tonight. Brownies are Amos' favorite, so it worked out.

Notice anything wrong? I am so tired.

For some unknown reason, Amos felt that his cake wasn't complete until it had crackers on it. Eh, it's his birthday. He ate his brownie cracker and all.

A very successful party with presents and no friends if you asked me.

Manipulation, Part 2

2011-10-02T22:50:00.000-06:00

Not long after Dave moved in, Amos invited Dave to his room. It went like this:

Amos: "Hey, Dave, do you want to see how messy my room is?"

Dave: "Ok."

They go to Amos' room.

Amos: "Hey, Dave, now that you're here, do you want to play trains?"

Nice work son.

Sometimes Conference weekend is just too much.

2011-10-02T22:15:00.001-06:00

More of the first birthday

2011-10-01T21:51:00.000-06:00

Technically, Audrey isn't 1 yet, but she will be in a little over an hour. We celebrated her birthday quietly as a family, and it was really fun. This morning Eric took Amos and Maggie to the dollar store to pick out some presents for Audrey. We didn't buy the other kids presents for their first birthdays, but we thought it would be fun for Amos and Maggie to have something to give her. We had no idea that Amos would totally embrace "giving." He spent the whole afternoon wrapping up everything he could find to give to her. He even gave her some of his trains! He was really cute about getting ready for her party. He chose the library as the location, set out the picnic blanket, and lined up all of her presents for her. He was really disappointed that I didn't have any balloons though...

Maggie was most excited to let Audrey share her presents with her. Such a good big sister ;)

I made a cake:

And we watched Audrey eat it:

I still can't believe she's one, but I guess I'll get used to the idea...

She's One!

2011-10-01T14:50:00.000-06:00

Did you forget it was Audrey's birthday? I think somebody did...

We're having a great day just hanging out and watching conference. We're super excited that they're turning Maggie's Castle into a Temple. Amazing.

Manipulation

2011-09-29T11:18:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I did something very low. Very, very low.

The kids and I went to Ikea for a little adventure, and the time really got away from me. I knew I was driving a ticking time bomb of tired, hungry kids on our way home. At one point, Audrey "hit" Amos. She's not really capable of an intentional hit, but Amos didn't care. He smacked her right back. She started to scream. And scream. Which brings us to the low moment: I told Amos she was crying so hard because he hit her, when I knew full well that although it might have started because of the hit, it was because she was starving and exhausted. Bad mama. Amos looked devastated, and he did everything in his power to cheer her up. Poor little guy felt so bad. He's been a whole lot nicer to her since though...

"Mom..."

2011-09-26T22:38:00.000-06:00

I hear "Mom..." 800 times a day. It's generally followed by something random. Today, was the best one yet:

"Mom...there's something in Maggie's crib, and it might be poop."

Even better than the statement, what it actually was. A line of chicken nuggets =)

Sally's Second Birth

2011-09-25T20:02:00.000-06:00

I know I said I'd blog about Amos' first primary program, but it turns out there is nothing to blog. Little man decided he'd rather "sit with mama" than go up to the stand. It was sweet, and there will be more programs. Maggie, on the other hand, was begging to go up with the kids. I think it'll be good for Amos when she's in primary too. She is so bold.

Eric got home from his work trip this afternoon, and he was shocked that I hadn't given "Sally" to Maggie yet. So....

Ha. And, yes, we opened Amos' present too.

Super Great Day

2011-09-24T21:07:00.000-06:00

In spite of Amos waking everyone up at 7:15 a.m., today was a great day.

This morning Amos had practice for the primary program tomorrow, so the girls and I had some free time around the house. We mostly worked on these:

From this tutorial. They are going to be party favors for the kids' jungle themed birthday party next month. Maggie cut pieces of paper into a million little pieces and then glued them onto another paper. She worked so hard on it. It was really cute.

On the way to drop Amos off, I noticed a stool sticking out of a yard sale pile, so the girls and I stopped and picked it up for a whopping $3. We've been trying to assemble a stool collection for our kitchen counter and so far I was up to one. One is a bad number when you have 2 preschoolers interested in seeing what's on the counter. The stool didn't match the one we had, so after we picked Amos up we went to Home Depot to get some spray paint to paint it. I also wanted to find spray paint for this project, but no luck. Next weekend maybe. The highlight of Home Depot was definitely pushing all three kids in the car cart. Those things are ridiculous to push.

The final excitement of the day was that "Sally" came back from the American Girl Doll Hospital. About a month ago, an AGD catalog came in the mail and Maggie was totally enamored with it. She carried it around for a week oohing and ahhing at all of the pictures. I figured it was time to give her my old AGD. My doll had suffered an injury at the teeth of the Shaver family dog, Mahanna, so I knew she needed to go to the hospital for some new arms first. After putting the kids to bed one night, I got her out and had her on the counter to get ready to be boxed up and shipped away. Of course, Maggie got out of bed, came into the kitchen and saw the doll. She took one look at her and said,

"Sally! I just need to hug her and take care of her."

She was heart broken that Sally had to go to the doctor, but she seemed to understand. Anyway, today Sally came back, and I have to say, she is stunning. They fixed her arms and her hair. Good as new. Amos helped me wrap her up, and she is waiting for Mag's birthday to make her grand re-entrance.

That's a wrap for today-next up Amos' first primary program!

An Afternoon Lost

2011-09-23T17:04:00.001-06:00

I wasn't going to blog this, but Eric isn't here right now, and I feel like I need to get it out.

Today I was duped. Not into buying anything, thankfully, but I did lose three hours I'll never have back.

At noon the doorbell rang. I had just finished working out, and was super gross =) I was also very much looking forward to giving the kids lunch and getting them down for naps. Alas, it wasn't meant to be. There was a young man at the door, and he asked if I used tissues, while handing me a small package of Charlie Brown tissues. It was so random, but you know the kids were all over them. Then, he asked me if he could ask me a few questions. (This is where it gets tricky. I took a course in college where I had to give out surveys and I'll never forget how hard it was to get people to take them. Hence, I am generally willing to help with surveys). This is also the first of two times he said,

"I won't try to sell you anything."

He also said,

"It will only take a minute."

I said sure, and he ran back to the shadiest van ever and starting hauling a big box back to my house. When he got to the door he went to move past me and said,

"Is there a spot I can clean?"

I literally said,

"What?? I am so confused?"

The wheels kept turning in my head, and I thought, maybe he needs to do some kind of experiment before he can ask the questions? So I let him in. BIG MISTAKE. He then tediously started unpacking and assembling a Kirby vacuum. Once it was together, he started to vacuum. He put in filter after filter and started little filter dirt piles all over our library. I will give them this, the vacuum seemed to work fabulously.

Then he had me get out my vacuum (which is a dyson, thank you very much) for a side by side comparison.

Then he vacuumed the stairs, at which point I thought, this guy is totally cleaning my house. About this time I started to get really antsy though. I had been holding Audrey so she couldn't get to the little dirt filters and we had both had enough together time. Amos and Maggie were going nuts. I have no idea how this guy was so clueless about reading the situation.

This went on for a while, hundreds of dirt filled filters (with a strategically place "Kirby" on them) lining the floors. Then, he showed me about 5 attachments for the vacuum. Using even more filters. One of them was a paint sprayer. SO ridiculous. Finally, he got to the carpet shampooer. I really should have stopped him at this point, but I didn't even know what to do. It was so awkward and weird. So, he shampooed. While the shampoo is drying, he hands me a flyer and says,

"Here is the cost of the system. Don't get scared off by it though, because my boss can get it lowered for you."

Bold Laura would have said,

"What??? You said you weren't going to sell me anything!!!"

Actual Laura said,

"Ok."

The price for the vacuum: $2600. I am so sure. At this point I quit caring. This guy was taking forever, and I was so bored. His stuff was everywhere and a million Kirby attachments were scattered around the house in their demo locations. So, I started making my kids lunch (since it was now 2:30!). And browsing the Internet. And still, this guy was putzing around my house. Finally he says,

"I am going to call my boss and get you the best price."

Uh. No thank you.

So, he starts talking to "the boss" on the cellphone and relaying information to me. They keep offering lower and lower prices and I keep saying no. I did learn that it's pretty darn fun to negotiate when you don't want the thing at all. There's no losing there. Two things stood out from this part of the experience though:

1. I told him we don't believe in financing anything. You pay cash or you don't buy it (with the exception of our house). He relayed this message to his boss as "she can't get financing."
2. At one point during the conversation he said, "Can you keep a secret?" and I said yes. (We all know the answer to that is really no). Anyway, he then says into the phone: "She can keep a secret." Following which, they offer yet another lower price.

So lame!

I am so done at this point, and I offer him a garbage bag for the million dirty filters all over the floor. He hesitated before accepting it. After reading about others' experience with this sales pitch on the Internet, I fully believe he had no intention of picking up the filters. He did though. But, he brought me the trash bag of filters and said, "Here you go." Ok, I guess I'll be putting those in the trash for you.

This is taking almost as long as the demo, so I'll end it. Eventually, he accepted my "no." Final things that stood out:

1. He asked to use the bathroom. Twice. I sent him to the kids' bathroom. It's gross. Point Laura.

2. He asked for a drink. I said we have milk or water. He chose milk. I don't know why I find that so annoying.

3. He asked me for windex to clean the Kirby when he was done.

4. His ride abandoned him at my house. So, he sat on my porch for a while waiting for them to come back. Again, lame.

5. Dave was in and out while all of this was going on. Thankfully, he had my back. Salesman noticed a family picture at one point, and said, "wow, your husband has lost weight," while motioning to Dave. I said, "That's not my husband." Period. He didn't know what to do with himself at that point. Another point for me.

6. In case you're wondering, I got them down to $800 before getting too annoyed to continue. Nope, can't keep a secret.

I will willingly admit that I think Kirbys are cool, and probably work really great, but I am so annoyed at being lied to that I don't think I would ever consider one now.

This was long, but I needed to put it out there. Now, I am off to make a "no soliciting sign."

Audrey eats whole apples

2011-09-23T10:16:00.000-06:00

and peaches. The other day I found Audrey sitting on the floor eating an apple:

When I asked Amos (the only other person around) how she got the apple, he said, "she found it."

I gave her a whole peach the other day, to see what would happen. She sat and very diligently nibbled away. When all of the fruit was gone, she squealed and held out the pit for me to take away. I gave her another one, and she did the same thing. The best part was, it got her to sit still and quiet for half an hour.

I can't believe her first birthday is fast approaching. It's crazy, really. We've had such a great first year with her, I am sad for it to be over.

Quiet Time

2011-09-23T09:34:00.000-06:00

The conversation at our family dinners often consists of me telling Eric of every little thing the kids did all day. Sometimes, Eric finds it hard to focus and tunes me out a little bit. It's not that he doesn't care, it's just that it really is every little detail of our days. The other night I was working really hard to get Eric to understand how amazing it was that Amos drew this picture all by himself, with no help at all from me:

**Nan and Pop close your eyes, this one is currently en route to your house**

I was saying to Eric,

"Look, he wrote his name, Pop's name, and Nan's name all without any help!"

About this time Amos chimed in,

"Yeah, I colored this all by myself while Mama was sleeping!"

Woops. My secret was out. I may use Amos' "quiet time" for a little "quiet time" of my own =) Apparently Amos is teaching himself to write, so it's not all bad.

Dear Future Self,

2011-09-21T19:13:00.002-06:00

Someday we're going to want to blackmail Amos. Or at least embarrass him in front of a girl. Note to self: remember this post on that day.

We bought Amos and Maggie both a bike earlier this summer. Amos prefers Maggie's bike because of it's size. He also prefers her "Hello Kitty" helmet because it matches the bike. After much persuading, Eric talked him into wearing his own helmet. Even though it doesn't match.
Amos has started calling his boy parts his "tinkle thing."
The other day Amos was in the bath with Audrey and he said, "The tinkle is getting on Audrey!" Sure enough, he was peeing on Audrey. Thankfully, they were already in the bath.

Davecation

2011-09-20T14:49:00.001-06:00

A few times lately it's come up in conversation that we often had "extras" staying in our house when I was growing up. We had everyone from Minnesota Twins baseball players to my sister's friends. It must have rubbed off on me, because we've taken in a roomie. Eric's friend, and old mission buddy, Dave, is staying with us for a little bit.

Eric has lovingly named our time with Dave, "Davecation." Eric is thriving while on Davecation, but it is making me feel really old. I can't party like I used to =(

Who needs personal space?

Until now, everyone who has stayed in Dave's room has been family. So, Amos and Maggie think that anyone in that room wants them around all the time. Dave is a good sport, and we're working on boundaries.

The Long Goodbye

2011-09-20T09:55:00.000-06:00

Last night, once again, we sprung my parents from the MTC. We've been joking that they would be sneaking off to the BYU creamery all the time while they were in the MTC, so last night we made it a reality.

The kids were THRILLED when we told them we were going to get Grammy and Grampy for ice cream. Amos immediately determined he was having pink ice cream, and he never changed his mind. He ate his entire bowl too. Pretty impressive. Maggie opted for the ever classic chocolate. I accidentally tricked my Dad into ordering one with nuts (WE HATE NUTS IN OUR ICE CREAM!), but my guilt was eased since I ordered the same one and suffered right alongside him.

This time, we didn't even bother saying goodbye since I'll be going to see them one last time on Thursday. For reals. They're leaving the country first thing Friday morning.

Grampy the Grandpa

2011-09-17T20:57:00.001-06:00

Good day here. Eric and I continued with our arrangement, plus a twist. After sleeping in and lazing about the house, we loaded up the kids and picked Grammy and Grampy up at the MTC for an afternoon of freedom. It was really neat to see them with their name tags on.

Eric and my Dad went to Best Buy to get a new laptop for the mission, and Grammy and I headed to Target to grab some more Missoni.

Short aside: Have you been following the Missoni for Target hulabaloo? It's nuts, right? I am telling you though, it makes me feel like I need the stuff. I am so weak. I don't even like "real" Missoni.

After our respective errands we came back to our house to do some laundry (they have to pay for it in the MTC, and I owe them like 8,000 loads of laundry). Eric took off for fishing and after some "quiet" time for the kids, Grammy and Grampy the Grandpa took us for a freedom meal...to McDonald's. Amos was practically begging to go to "Badonald's" and they couldn't say no.

Short aside: The McDonald's Asian Chicken Salad isn't half bad. Especially when paired with the french fries leftover from Amos' happy meal.

As we were leaving McDonald's a cute woman came over to me and said,

"Are those your parents?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Are they in the MTC?"

"Uh, yeah." (Nametags!)

"Oh! My parents are going on their mission in a few weeks and we didn't know if they could leave to see us or not!?!?!"

Funny, since that is one of the things we were totally unsure about too.

Finally, we had to take Grammy and Grampy the Grandpa back to "smishonary school" i.e. the MTC. As we were dropping them off a large group of elders and sister missionaries were coming back from the playing fields. It struck me that we have such an odd culture. Then, I remembered it was a Saturday night, and I was really overwhelmed by the oddity. I mean, I have facebook, I know what happens for 20-somethings elsewhere on a Saturday night.

Amos and Grampy the Grandpa ca 2008

That's about it for today-except that at some point Amos started referring to my Dad as "Grampy the Grandpa." I am thinking that one is going to stick.

Reported

2011-09-12T16:58:00.000-06:00

This morning Elder and Sister Shaver reported to the Provo MTC to begin training for their service in the Caribbean Area mission as medical advisers.

It was a really strange morning. I told them on the way there that this might be the weirdest drive I've ever taken. As I was dropping them off, a nice man drove by and said,

"Boy, that's backwards, the kids dropping off their parents."

Yeah. Weird.

Here's the account I shared with my sisters, who'd had to say their goodbyes earlier:

We just got home from dropping mom and dad at the MTC. Seniors' reporting day is a lot different than elders' and sisters' reporting day. They greeted us right at the front, and directed us to the building where mom and dad will be staying (Jacob Hamblin Bldg). When we got to their building there were about 10 elders waiting for them, to carry their bags into their rooms. They followed the elders to their room and got the couple things they would need for the rest of the day. Then, I drove them back up to the main building and they went in the same front doors Anna, and I am sure others, did. We said goodbye in the parking lot. It wasn't as bad as "drop them off on the curb," but we did watch them disappear into the building. There were very few people there, not like the swarms that are there dropping off on Wednesdays.

A couple other details that I am remembering...

The missionaries were so welcoming to my parents. Elders and Seniors alike (we didn't see any sisters). My mom was super excited that the Elders hauled her heavy bags to her room. Think 18 months worth of luggage.
The kids really have no concept of what's going on. Amos did say, "Grammy and Grampy are going to be missionaries now???" on our way out of the parking lot.
The kids did not want to take pictures. Amos was semi-agreeable, but Maggie couldn't stop herself from picking the flowers. Which were GORGEOUS.
I was able to drive all around the MTC "compound" in order to drop my parents off. I had no idea it was so huge and there were so many buildings on it. Neither did they. Hopefully they'll learn their way around quickly.

And, their final walk away from us and into the MTC:

There will be a blog for my parents' mission, I am just not sure who will be running it yet. We're hoping my Dad will be able to run his own, but if he can't, I'll get one set up. Either way, I'll let you know how to check up on them.

Ouchies

2011-09-11T17:14:00.000-06:00

We just arrived at the airport to pick up Grammy and Grampy Shaver for their mission!

When I turned around to see how the kids were doing after the long drive, I discovered Maggie had found the cars' first aid kit and put a bandaid on every finger. And her knee. And her chin.

An Arrangement

2011-09-10T21:21:00.000-06:00

Recently, Eric and I have made a little arrangement that is working out like a dream for both of us...

We split our Saturdays. He gets to go fishing for hours on end in the afternoon and I get to sleep in, read, watch t.v., and run errands sans the three amigos in the morning.

We've been doing it for a few weeks now, and I have to tell you it is making me a whole new person. Getting to do whatever I want to all of Saturday morning is great. Not having the kids in my face first thing when I wake up is a day changer. Eric gets to fish all afternoon and he's actually starting to miss us =) Trading half days makes it so neither one of us feels any guilt.

I just have to share, this morning Eric coincidentally took the kids on the EXACT path I was taking on my morning off (craft store, dollar store, Sweet Tooth Fairy). Thankfully, I was far enough behind them that I didn't run into them, but boy, would that have been funny.

These pictures are from Friday night, but they capture another glimpse of our day-to-day. Eric napping while the kids watch tv. Not an uncommon occurrence at all.

Life is simple around here and that's just how I like it.

Up Late Dog

2011-09-09T19:47:00.000-06:00

I have a feeling this is going to be one of those stories that just doesn't translate to blog (i.e. "you had to be there"), but I'll give it a shot anyway. There are some cute pictures if all else fails.

Last night, when we put Maggie to bed she woke up Audrey. So, Audrey was up, wide awake, playing in her crib at 10 p.m. Eric left about that time to go pick up a friend (and our current roomie!) from the airport. I went and checked the mail, stopped and admired the beautiful night, came back in the house and did some dishes, made a bowl of popcorn, and then settled into bed to watch a movie while Eric was gone. While the movie started I kept hearing little noises. I thought maybe it was the dishwasher humming away in the kitchen. The noises kept up though, and eventually I had to investigate...

A quick look over the far edge of the bed revealed Audrey, sitting on the floor, eating a piece of pizza.

Eric freed her before he left, and didn't tell me. She was loose and of course, managed to find some food. She is so awesome. And seriously like having a dog.

Second First day of School

2011-09-06T13:58:00.000-06:00

Amos started preschool again today! You might remember he went for like a month last year (we snuck him in early). So, this is his first real year of preschool. His 3-year-old year, if you will. Since his birthday is at such a crummy time school cut-off wise, he is the oldest in his class. Couple that with already going to school for a bit, and he is practically running the place ;)

I was pleasantly surprised with how excited he was to go again, and all of the specific things he remembered about school. He knew exactly which toy he wanted to play with when he got there this morning.

I tried to get a good first day of school picture, but Amos insisted on making silly faces:

I did catch him once, but obviously he wasn't looking:

And one more time, in the car:

Maggie was sad she didn't get to go to school too, but when I came back to the car without Amos she had a new excitement in her eyes. I think she remembers "Queen of the Castle" time.

The girls and I celebrated our freedom with a long nap. It was awesome. We won't get to do that every day, occasionally we'll have to get some work done. But, for today, it was perfect.

Amos was a happy little guy when we picked him up. I can't wait to see all of the things he learns this year.

Sad Dog

2011-09-04T16:49:00.000-06:00

Audrey has reached a new stage of life...getting into things. Amos and Maggie aren't taking it well. They're too little to understand she's too little to understand. It's downright heartbreaking sometimes.

Amos has been really into building train tracks lately, and unfortunately Audrey:train tracks as Godzilla:Tokyo. The other day I was in the kitchen when I heard:

"GET OUT OF HERE!"

SLAM.

"WAHHH!"

I came down the hall to find this:

=( It was so very sad.

[ˈbɔɪ.zi], [ˈbɔɪ.si]

2011-09-01T17:25:00.000-06:00

Tuesday we returned home from our final trip to Boise before my parents leave for their mission. The kids and I were there for a week, and Eric joined us for the last weekend. We got to hear my parents give farewell talks in their brand new ward. It was a bittersweet trip, and it really made the idea that they're leaving for 18 months sink in.

I've got a modge-podge of pictures, so I'll just get to it. In no particular order.

The first night we ate at Donnie Macs. It is one of my favorite places. The "muds" are so good and you can't go wrong with a burger and fries. The kids LOVE the atmosphere. Eating dinner on a ratty old couch is cool.

We spent hours and hours swimming in the pool and hot tub. My kids love the water. I am not a huge fan, but it was so hot out, it was the only place to find relief.

The cousins bonded like crazy. They fought like crazy too ;) With that many "Shavers" there's bound to be a lot of alphas...

One night, the best night in my opinion, Carrie was kind enough to babysit for us and we had an adults only night out.

Our kids always get an education at my parents house, and this time was no exception. Snickers, the horse, was a hit. T-Bone, the cow, was not.

A new addition to our Boise trips is my Dad's land in Parma. We had a Sunday picnic planned, but Amos came down with a wicked fever, and the women folk ended up staying home. Eric and Maggie went with my Dad and Josh. Maggie turned into a girl of the wild and had a great time. Eric also managed to have a little fun.

One thing we did not do a lot of was sleep. Amos and Maggie couldn't stand missing out on any of the fun, and usually snuck back to the railing to watch us after they'd been put to bed. It was sad.

We were all exhausted by the time we got home.

One last picture of Audrey from the airport. How could you leave that face for 18 months?

Fuller, Fuller

2011-09-01T10:50:00.000-06:00

We've officially moved the kids out of our bathroom and into their own. It's taking a little getting used to, mostly for Eric and I. We're used to the giant tub, which takes forever to fill. We learned the hard way that the smaller tub in their bathroom takes a lot less time to fill.

A few weeks ago, shortly after the move, I was in the kitchen cleaning up dinner while Eric was helping the kids start bath time. Amos was calling me and calling me, and I was sorta've ignoring him. Until he said,

"Momma, Momma, the tub is getting fuller, fuller!"

Sure enough, water was pouring over the edges of the tub and onto the floor.

Here's a picture AFTER we drained some of the water:

Yikes.

Cowgirl Social

2011-09-01T10:42:00.000-06:00

Last night I had the privilege/opportunity (seriously, I loved it) to head up a committee to put on our Relief Society Visiting Teaching Social. The RS Presidency chose a cowboy/western theme. I have to admit, it's a theme I would NEVER choose myself, but I really got into it. Springville might be rubbing off on me.

The invitation was one of my favorite parts:

The cowboy and cowgirl are a landmark leaning up against one of the houses in our ward, so it was fun to make them a little more famous.

Decorations were a lot easier to round up than I expected. We collected cowboy/western stuff from around our houses and the neighborhood.

The committee ok'd my idea to make it pink cowgirl, so we hit up Oriental Trading company to fill in a few gaps.

The centerpieces were just cardboard boxes wrapped in twine and topped with red velvet cupcakes. Which brings us to the food...

We provided the cupcakes, sloppy joes, and chips. We had sign-ups for potato salad, macaroni salad, and relish trays. The highlight was homemade root beer. YUM!

I have to say it was SO simple and easy. Everyone had a great time, and we got to embrace our inner cowgirls.

Beetnik

2011-09-01T09:24:00.000-06:00