A long absence

I wish I could say we are off doing amazing things and making a ton of memories while doing them, but the truth is, we got this little, wonderful, fantastic gadget called an Ipad and we're also expecting another baby. I'm due March 30 so while we were thinking it might fun to have a spring, early summer baby, I'm thinking not so much anymore since all my maternity clothes are all summer and even if it is a girl, all the clothes will be slightly off season as well. We'll just have to wait and see in a few weeks what is awaiting to join our growing family. So needless to say, I haven't felt up to much blogging, and well my time has been spent playing and figuring everything out that this Ipad can do. It. Literally. Is. Amazing!! Apple has got another life-long, happy customer.

It's February already

For anyone out there who still follows this blog, it has been a sad attempt at updating. At this point I'll be lucky to have Christmas done by July, but know this: I've been working on lots of fun projects and hope to be posting those soon. Check back again in a couple of days (weeks) for a real update.

Katelyn's preschool party

Well, since we have no pictures to document any of the happenings in December, I'll get right to the fun stuff. While she was getting ready, she was reminiscing about all the things she remembered when she went to Kelsey's party. She was not afraid of sitting on Santa's lap and welcomed the idea. Something I will never understand is that she works up for the big moment since Thanksgiving, talking and planning what she will ask the big guy for when it comes down to it. However, when that moment actually comes, she asks for something completely random and nothing she had ever mentioned in the previous month leading up to the big day.

All the kids gathered around, while Miss Kris calls Santa to find out where he is, followed by the singing of Jingle Bells.

Sitting on Santa's lap. And what did she ask for? Pink shoes! Again, nothing she'd ever mentioned before.

Thumbs up, mom!

And it wouldn't be complete without having Addison sit/cry on Santa's lap. She could tell I was going to hand her over, so as I was getting closer the grip she had on my arm tightened and I think she may have been crying even before I passed her off. I could hardly snap the picture because I was laughing hysterically! Is it so bad if we get a kick out of our children, even if it is at their own expense?!

Everyone singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and saying good-bye to Santa.

Motorcycle Riding in Littlerock

The day after Thanksgiving, after getting the deals for Black Friday, we all went riding out to the desert. Since my uncle broke his back a few weeks earlier, it was just my immediate family that went and we had such a great time. It was a little cold in the morning but warmed up nicely and no wind at all. Driving out there, was a different story since we were getting blown sideways off the road, but arrived happily to find no wind at all. We rode all day and then headed for home.

Note: I'm still bummed these pictures are just so tiny, but there has to be at least something to show for our trip. We should be back to normal size for December pictures.

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1. Addison all bundled up. She didn't protest.

2. Kelsey on her motorcycle. Once grandpa and dad set up a mini track for her to follow, she was confident and she had to be pried off to take a break.

3. Katelyn giving a ride to Aunt Jessica, again.

4. How many people can you put on a quad?

5. Katelyn still doesn't like to get off "her quad" and share. If she got off, Addison wanted to ride!!

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1. Addison hanging out in the trailer. She actually did take a nap in grandma's car for a while too. It took her awhile, she didn't want to miss anything.

2. Hanging out with Micaela.

3. Alyson and Jesse came out too

4. Dave and I headed out for a ride

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1. Katelyn could actually roll and move the quad.

2. After her nap she was ready to go again.

3. Micaela and dad

4. Just having a little lunch break.

Sitting on the laps of two of their favorite aunts. When family is around it's instant babysitting for us. We're the last people they want to see.

Thanksgiving

Hanging out with family over the Thanksgiving holiday. A few of my cousins just love our girls and the girls love them just as much!! What's not to love

Thanksgiving Weekend 2010

We started out our Thanksgiving weekend right by heading down for our annual trip to Disneyland. The girls were so excited especially since this year we had Rob & Jess and even Micaela come down from school and join us for the day in the park. We had such a great time even with the few bits of rain we got in the evening. We all did the park hopper passes since it had been so long since we were in California Adventure and Rob and Jess had never been. There were so many fun things and great memories made. We didn't get very many pictures because we were too busy having fun, but everyone had a blast. I don't think the girls ever went on a ride with us, they were always switching back and forth who they sat by.


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So apparently, the girls changed the settings on their camera without knowing it and resizing these pictures makes them all blurry so you're just going to have to do the best you can. The captions for these pictures are as follows:


1. Waiting in line for Splash Mountain. Katelyn has never been on this ride and hearing Kelsey and her dad talk it up like it's the best ride, she of course wanted to go on it. And with it being overcast and in the morning, there was no wait.


2. Kelsey and I in the very back. Katelyn wanted to sit in the front with Rob. I told her he better not let her fly out.


3. The picture taken of our boat. You can't see Kelsey in the back but she is smiling so big. Katelyn's face is the best if you can see it at all. She was gritting her teeth the whole way down. Definitely not her favorite ride.


4. The results of the ride. Katelyn is soaked to the bone and didn't dry out until after lunchtime when the sun finally came out a little bit.


5. Katelyn still smiling after the ride and Rob was so proud of her. He could only put up one hand up since he was holding on to her with his other arm.


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1 & 2. Katelyn loves the teacups and got to sit next to both Rob and Micaela.

3 & 4. Addison pulling out her bow and trying to put it back in and running under all the chain fencing not wanting to wait in any more lines.


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The 3-D glasses were a big hit for the kids once they got close enough to get them for the ride. This Toy Story Mania ride was so much fun for everyone. Had the line not been so long, we would've ridden it again. Addison just liked dropping them, hearing the sound they made when they fell.


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After we spent most of the day in California Adventure, we headed back into Disneyland so we stopped by the Christmas tree for our picture. But there was no way we were going to unpack them to stand in front of it.


This trip was a lot of fun and had a lot of firsts.


1. We found out how deathly afraid of heights Jessica is. Unfortunately for her, she didn't tell this to any of us until we were nearly at the top of Mickey's Fun Wheel and Kelsey wanted the swinging one too.


2. Katelyn doesn't like Thunder Mountain. Her exact words after getting off: "I never want to go on that again."


3. Kelsey went on Tower of Terror and doesn't like that ride, but was willing to go on it and try it out since Rob loves stuff like that and it's Dave's favorite ride too. She wanted to try Screamin' but wasn't tall enough yet.


4. Both Kelsey and Katelyn went on Soarin' Over California for the first time and loved it so much they went on it again with Dave.


We had such a great time with Rob and Jess and Micaela and hope to make it a tradition every other year when they come to California for Thanksgiving.

Student of the Week & Best Friends

In the middle of November, Kelsey was chosen by her teacher to be the Student of the Week. She was so proud to bring her poster home and fill it out. Each day she got to bring things in to tell her class about herself and she was only the second person in her class to get it! Way to go Kelsey.

Monday - her poster with facts all about her. She filled this out all on her own and I even found out some things about her I didn't know. Like for example, she doesn't like waffles but she eats them because she knows we will make her. She also loves Taylor Swift, Pink, Carrie Underwood and almost all music. She also wants to become a photographer, thanks to Alyson that occassionally lets her use her camera to take a few photos.

Tuesday - a handful of pictures of family, vacations, etc. She picked her first day of 1st grade, a few pictures with her sisters that Alyson took, some from Halloween, riding her motorcycle over the summer, and the deer her dad shot. All on her own.

Wednesday - a favorite book. She chose Green Eggs and Ham because she has it practically memorized and was able to read it to the class. She likes to show off

Thursday - her favorite clothes/outfit. A pink shirt and her favorite pair of jeans. Yes, she has a favorite already.

Friday - a favorite toy. She picked her dog and purse that she got for Christmas last year to sit on her desk. The trick was it had to be something that could fit in her backpack so she was limited to what she could take.

Kelsey, we are so proud of who you are becoming and that you are doing so well in school. Keep up the great work. Love, Mom and Dad

Also in the same week, she came home from school with a "BEST FRIENDS" necklace around her neck from her friend Courtney. I knew they were friends and it's kind of ironic because they sat at the same table in kindergarten and I used to visit teach her mom when Kelsey was just born. They aren't active in our ward, but Kelsey is doing her best missionary work to get her to come to the primary and ward activities.