No more technical difficulties:)

 

Ok, this is wonderful!!!!  I'm able to post pictures again.  Well, here we are.  We have really enjoyed Sea World this year as a family.  They do a buy one day get the entire year free special.  We usually go down for a day trip, and bc of this, we still haven't seen everything.   Andy was thinking he had allergies that day, and after walking around everywhere, realized he was actually sick:(  How Lauren walked around the whole day in cheap-o flip flops is a mystery. haha

 

They are still very silly and goofy and sweet.  Maren is entering the stage where when there's something funny to laugh at, she really gets it, and laughing with her is theraputic in a way.   They make life fun and light-hearted. 

 

After backing out once while waiting in line, Maren rode a big roller coaster with me.  I hadn't ridden on it before either, and when it started out 0-60mph in a matter of seconds, I thought for sure she was going to be really mad at me, but ended up loving it.  We're still talking about it this week!  

School has started and Maren is a big 1st grader, Lauren is in preschool again.  The time alone with Brooklynn while the kids are at school is really fun.  She babbles the entire time.  I guess it's her chance to get some words in while her sisters are away.  We enjoyed the beach this summer more than other summers in the past.  It's beautiful at the beach, and there's always entertainment and things to do there, and it's FREE.  

Andy and I are going strong, but feel like we're older than we are, haha.  After the kids are asleep, we feel like crashing most nights:)  We just finished watching the adventures of Merlin in our spare time, anyone see those?  They were pretty good.  

Anyways, these are just a few updates, more to come now that I can post pics again.

It's too early....

....to be talking about Santa Claus.  The other day, Maren, (completely out of the clear blue sky) said this:
     Maren: "Mom, I think you're Santa Claus."
     Me: "Oh really? Why do you think that?"
     Maren: "Because at Christmas, I only told the Elf that I wanted an IPad, and I didn't get it."
     Me: "Well maybe Santa doesn't bring everything each person asks for, he brought you a scooter though, right?"
    Maren: "Yeah, but there's also no way he fits in our chimney!"
     Me: "People live in apartments without chimney's, and so possibly he has other routes."
     Maren: "Well, this Christmas I am not telling you what I'm asking for, and we'll see what happens."

The whole Santa thing isn't my favorite, but I was raised to believe, and so I think she'll recover from it... but the entire conversation Lauren kept looking back and forth at Maren and me and nodding, like she was agreeing.  Too young to not believe in Mr. Clause, right?! C'mon girls!  I just feel bad for any friends who might get convinced by Maren on this subject! 

I've been trying for a couple months to upload pictures to blogger, but something isn't working from my phone to blogger...so no pictures, but I wanted to update this!  Life is going pretty well.  Maren tried out for and was in the Sound of Music play that her school put on.  It was such a neat experience for all of us.  She was brave and really enjoyed the stage.  She didn't get the part she auditioned for, but kept at it and was really cute.  She loves to read and really loves to play with Brookie.  She makes her laugh and seeks her out when she's bored.  It's a sweet thing.  Lauren is doing well, and is liking her preschool time.  Her favorite thing these days is," Mommy, can we print out coloring pages?"  She would do this constantly if I let her.  She recently recovered from a screaming and crying phase when it was time to get dressed.  (we all needed a recovery period after this one! lol)  She had bad issues if something was "stretched out, or too tight".  But now she's back to normal-thank the heavens:)
Andy and I have really enjoyed playing on a co-ed indoor soccer league together.  It's become our new date night.  I had forgotten how much faster guys are than girls(typically), and it has just been a blast.  I really like the league, it's really competitive, and I think I'll be here for good!  Andy is our goalie and walked away from the first game with 2 bleeding elbows and 2 bleeding knees.  Next game we covered him up!  He's still serving in the bishopric, and liking it.  We have a fantastic ward who are willing to contribute, which makes a difference. 
For the most part, I'm loving this stage in life.  Brooklynn has started walking, and understanding us a lot better, and we really have fun with her.  I'm also realizing that this parenting thing is going fast!  Everyone always says that it goes fast, but I've never thought that.  Just like when I was a missionary in OK, I didn't think it flew by.....until the end.  Looking back, it's seriously a dream...a blink.  I just need to remind myself that spending time with my children is what I'll cherish the most, not a clean home, or quietness, or downtime.
I joked that if we had another child, and if it were a girl, her name could be Carmen.  People(including us) get mixed up with our girls bc their names are similar, so adding Carmen to the mix would be awesome...
Our sweet friend\neighbor called this AM and asked to come over.  She came and had made the girls the sweetest, prettiest spring dresses.  Things like that make me want to cry! It's wonderful to have someone think about your children.  
My parents are serving a mission right now!!  It's an at-home one, working at the addiction recovery center near their home.  They are really loving it.  I still haven't seen a picture with their name tags on, but can't wait to see the proof that they're legit.
I hope this finds our friends and family well.  We love you.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  Lauren has a little friend at school.  He looks for her each time, and sits by her on the rug:)  He likes to sit REALLY close, and sometimes I watch her put her elbow up to help him back off.  haha.  Today I watched her braids whip back and forth in his face and he just smiled and giggled.  What a good buddy:)

Ms. Shelly.  Preschool teachers are magical, just like kindergarten ones!

We traveled to Utah for Christmas this year, instead of Thanksgiving.  It had a been a few years since I had snowboarded, and I have really missed it.  I loved a few things about it this time, that I've forgotten:  1. The quietness of the mountain.  It's unreal how quiet it is up there.  Only a few scraping sounds of skis or snowboards on the snow.  2. Falling off the lift.(at the end-not during the ride, LOL)  I have to do it at least once each trip. 3.Being with my sister in law, Sherry.  We both were playing hookie from our responsibilities, it was a needed break! 

 

These 2 cuties after building an igloo.

We loved sledding, and doing anything in the snow.  Somewhere along the way, Lauren's boot got lost, as you may notice.

We had our annual adult date night.  This year, the grandkids babysat eachother!  I know there are many stories we have yet to hear about that night.

Here are our handsome dates.  We joked that bc this was a women's store, there was an invisible line they couldn't cross-only to give us a credit card could they come over it.

Andy is always having a blast with the kiddos.

Here's our newest cousin on the Hall side.  She is such a cutie.

Santa found us even in Utah:)  The girls were so cute and excited!!

Putting baby Jesus in his manger.

 

Brooklynn's hand hanging out of her crib.  We still laugh when we see this. 

This is her 1st time being in a box, and I'm sure not the last.

 

Back home, back to warmth, back to school!

Andy's favorite color is orange.  Whenever he can, he'll chose things in orange.

 We celebrated the new year with our friends.  Here's Sherri.  Each of my girls have loved her from their earliest days:)  Later that night, we were almost in a near fatal accident.  It was really scary, but helped me realize how fragile life is. 

Hope your new year is wonderful!!

appliances

Maren's soccer class!

I always heard that when you own a home, many times the appliances all crash at once.  This has come true a few times for us this past year, but instead of appliances, it's been a mix of things that need fixing and attention.  Our current short list is: Oven, wood trim on outside that is rotting, chipping paint, shower head and nozzle.  Oh, and why is peanut butter my dishwasher's nemesis?  No matter if I've rinsed it or not, there's no getting that stuff off with the dishwasher alone.  The joys of buying an older home! 

This little dollie is looking for anything to keep her entertained.  She loves to look through drawers, cupboards, boxes.  Her hunt for entertainment ends when she finds anything made of paper.  

Maren and I found these redwoods on our date the other day!  They're beautiful and have a very distinct smell.  I'm pretty sure they were man planted.

 

 

With the time change, I find that we spend less time in our backyard after dinner.  Who wants to jump on the tramp in the dark?  Andy set this up for the girls one night so they could paint outside.  

Silly girlies.  I can't say enough about them right now.  I keep thinking they're in the funnest stages right now-all 3 of them.  As you may remember, I was NOT at this point at all 1.5 years ago-it was quite opposite.  But we really are having a lot of fun with them.  Of course they still stretch us beyond our limits at times, those moments are less than the happy ones. 
 

Each day Maren wakes up and tells me how many more days until Andy's parents come visit.  They'll be here for Thanksgiving week!  It's been 6 years  since we stayed home for this week!  It's also been 6 years since we've been to Utah for Christmas.  We switched it up this time!

Growing up my sister and I secretly wanted a soccer goal of our own.  My dad bought a golf net once and put it up in our unfinished basement, but I think Carrie and I used it for our purposes more than my dad.  Well Andy made my childhood wish come true, we have our own goal.  The girls don't know how good they have it. lol

 

Here's SOME of the Young Women in our ward.  We had a special activity and they shared what they were doing to help themselves progress in the gospel/life.  It was really neat!

YO, you!

Here's the view I had at the start of my bike ride one Saturday.  22 miles later, and you're at the beach!  Andy and I have yet to do this ride, but we will sometime!

Sometimes it's hard knowing how to spend your time as a family.  If you're like us, by the time dinner is over, we just want to collapse on the couch and watch a movie.  But if you're also like us, you know that's not the BEST option:) On such an occasion, Maren chose we go find a 'new' park.  We mapped it after we got buckled in the car, and found this one.  It was bordering a golf course, and had a little of everything: climbing trees, bike riding paths, play structures.  One thing absent: a bathroom.

 

These two look similar, eh?

HAHA! I have this pic set as the background on my phone right now.  It just makes me giggle.  We were getting her 12 month clothes out, and found this hat.  Maybe we'll need it come December?

Happy Halloween!  (I can never remember if Halloween has 2 or one L's, until after I right it a couple times:)  Maren was a Cowgirl, Lauren-an Indian girl, Brooklynn-a Lamb.  Andy was a Jordan High Beetdigger footballer, and I was a Cowgirl as well.

Maren started a soccer class this month.  She really loves it.  I REALLY love to watch her.  

Please Fall!

We have had sister and elder missionaries in our ward now for about 8 months, and I am in heaven:)  Sometimes they'll come and do their laundry, or have dinner, or I'll get to go on exchanges with them.  I have wanted sisters in our ward forever.  My girls love them, and wanna be like them!  This pic above is of Sister Moore.  It was a Sunday afternoon, and the look on our faces is so funny to me.  We are bad a faking it, we were really tired-except Sister Moore.

We went on a walk one evening by the regional trail that leads to the ocean.  Here's Lauren in a tree.

We have great neighbors.  One of the children next door wrote us this note and gave us Romanian chocolate because things had mysteriously been making their way over our fence:)  (scooter, sand toys, etc).We laughed about it.

She wants to stand and be in the mix of it all.  I now understand why some parents tell their babies to stop growing and stay little!

We got to see the USU aggies play here at USC.  They lost but we're so glad we went.  Of course, there was a HUGE aggie section!!

 

 

This is fall to me, just beautiful!

The Best Nest

Have you ever read, The Best Nest ?  It's a children's book by  P.D. Eastman.  2 birds wander around looking for a 'better' nest, but in the end, it's their original one they really want.  Very cute, very clever.  ANYWAYS.  We went to St. George this month, and met my parents there.  The red rock is just beautiful. 

I have fond memories of hiking this red rock from growing up.  At the top of this picture, there are pioneer names from a few original settlers of St. George.  We loved having one on one time with Grandma and Grandpa.  Because it doesn't happen often, the girls look forward to these times a lot.

Andy's mom gave us this for our last anniversary.  It's a dry-erase glass frame.  It's been a lot of fun to write messages back and forth.  I think I'm in the habit of looking at it each time I pass it-even though I know Andy is still at work.  Maybe he secretly wrote something when I wasn't looking?? LOL.

I love you can be easy or hard to say.  When we were dating and getting more 'serious', he told me he loved me. xoxo.  But I nearly broke his heart when I didn't say it back right away!  I really wanted to mean it, and had to wait a little longer before I could tell him the same.  When I finally said those 3 magic words, it became a lot easier to say them over and over.  How easy is it to say those words, but not say why you actually love the person??  VERY.  I love this gift because it helps you put into words the reasons why.  Our reasons are usually silly\simple ones, like "I love you BC...you know how to camp!" or "I love you BC....we get to go on a date to Back to School Nite!"or "I love you BC...you sell things on craig's list."

Sometimes after school, we need to party, right?  This day we got some snacks, and played in a water fountain. The 3rd body in this pic. is a statue btw.  I look forward to the day when I check our girls out of school to go see a movie, or go get a slurpee,etc.  (I just need to wait until the girls can keep a secret from their Daddy.) hehe

This little baby doll is really growing big.  She is getting to where she wants to be by scooting, crawling, rolling, etc.  This week has been rough bc she wants to be held or have someone sitting by her at all times.  Teeth coming?  Not enough quality attention?  I dunno.

I look like a tired Momma.  I am tired, but a content tired.  I've been reading my childhood journal to the girls and Andy and back then, I never would have dreamed I'd be where I am today.  I never would have thought I'd be THIS tired, but also this IN LOVE.  

Maren the Brave.  This is her bravest face for Kindergarten.  We have an arrangement with a fellow classmate named Hope.  If she'll hold Maren's hand after I leave, then Maren promises not to cry.  It works for us, and she is Brave.  Hope has a great name, don't you think?

Mrs. Westphal.  Do you remember your Kindergarten teacher?  I do.  I also remember being silly while sitting on the 'rug'. Here's to a great year for everyone!!