It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Confession:  I have an issue with the holidays.  Movies and internet tell me that I need to let my kids help me in the kitchen.  It's fun they say.  You'll love it they say.  I think neither are applicable.  Grumpy mom right?!  They just make such a huge mess.  And they argue.  And fight.  Where is the fun in this???  But I gave in (I grudgingly do this every year).  And I have to say- this is the first year where they have been pleasant.  And helpful.  And fun.  To be fair- I've been having them help more year round (just one on one)- so maybe this has been helpful.  

In fact- after the dough was mixed- I just let them have at it while I sat in the living room and listened.  Their conversation was hilarious.  

December rushed on as only December can and we quickly found ourselves at Grandma Jacki's for our annual cookie decorating.

Klein was SUPER excited to be decorating tonight.  Maybe not...

So many choices so little sprinkles.

I am SO not eating that one!

Careful... careful...

Our only girls on the Kidd side!  I love that they are the same age!

I like my sprinkles shaken, not stirred.

As ever, you will find Shaun with a nephew and a snack to bribe them with.  In this case it was little Mitch and a spoonful of frosting... YUM!!!

Following our frosting party- we got to open presents.  Since this year we were going to be away from Declo, Jacki wanted to make sure we all got to open presents together.  The kids were anxiously awaiting in front of grandma's tree.  It's hard to believe that there are this many now.  We all swear we're done with babies so this may be all we ever get- but it's crazy how it just exploded with kiddos the last few years!

 Grandma getting ready to play Santa...

The girls were checking out the goods...  I think they were impressed!

My mom gave Ty this shirt (okay- if we're being realistic- she gets them all of their holiday shirts.  and jammies.) a couple weeks ago and he thought it was AWESOME!  He wears it as soon as it's clean again.  This time I think it barely made it into the clean basket before he had it dug out.  Still makes me laugh.

The kids also put on the Nativity.  Ty usually narrates, but this year politely declined.  The younger ones tried- but I think something got lost in the translation.  Still sweet.

After the chaos died down from presents and costumes, we sat down and played a game.  I have found that more often than not a deck of cards have found their way into my purse.  This has been extremely helpful at times.  The kids recently took to UNO and so we pulled it out and played a few hands.  I love that my kids are getting big enough to play cards with.  It's one of my all time favorite things to do as a family.

Thanks for the party grandma- we had a great time- as usual.

December is also a time of gift giving- and we have been so blessed this year to be on the receiving end of so many.  Ryan has been exceptionally grateful that most of it so far has been food.  He even got a box of chocolates.  He initially tried to horde them- but decided that it was better to share.  The kids love guessing what it's going to be inside the chocolates.

Kate received a gymnastics Barbie and was super frustrated with all the packaging.  I can't say that I blame her.  I understand it's for security and all, but give a girl a break!  Dad took pity on her though and helped her unwrap all the pieces.  It's times like this I'm a little grateful we don't have a dog- I can't tell you how many Barbie shoes our dog chewed up as we were growing up!

Things are settling down as we get further into the month.  I have learned to say no to a lot of extras so that more time is spent home together.  I know that Shaun wishes I would say no to even more- but I'm doing all I can.  Most evenings you will find us together in the living room, usually reading or sewing.  Sometimes we have music on.  Sometimes one of the kids is playing the piano.  It's a little 1950's- but I'm okay with it.  Here, you can see our stockings are waiting Santa by the fireplace.  Shaun's Grandma June knitted all of these stockings, and they hang together year after year.  She passed away this last year and it's so special to me that she was able to make one for each member of our family.  I think of her every time I pull out our Christmas decorations.  They make me smile.

I love dimming the big lights and letting the lights of the tree shine on into the night.  I love looking at all our decorations- the new and the old.  There are so many strange and random ones anymore, I can hardly see the "nice" ones that I bought so many years ago.  Handmade treasures and school picture ornaments are the majority.  I let the kids decorate it themselves this year.  I think you can tell- there are some branches that have 5 ornaments on it.  But I know in a few years they won't care anymore and my tree will be perfect.  Maybe that will make me sad.  Maybe it will make me happy- not sure yet.

But beneath our tree is one of my all time favorite traditions- it's the Dickens Village made by my grandparents years ago.  Not all of us got one.  I used to sit for hours looking at theirs.  I used to make up the stories of the small ceramic people and their day to day lives in the village.  I think it's funny, I catch my own doing the same.  Sitting on the floor- staring into the space beneath the tree.  Some traditions just live on don't they?

Say Cheese!

My husband detests this time of year- because I insist that it's time for new pictures.  Fall is my favorite because we're still hanging onto the last vestiges of color from our summer tans and the leaves have started changing outside... it's really the best of all worlds if you think about it.  Which I do- I spend a lot of time thinking about pictures.  

Anyway- Shaun's irritation aside, I hauled my family outside and told them to say Cheese.  

This kid... man oh man how he's grown.  I've started noticing it more and more.  The other day I was standing behind him and I couldn't help but notice how his shoulders are starting to broaden now.  He's not quite as tall as I am, but has already passed two grandmas and one aunt.  Ty turned 11 this summer and is definitely feeling his pre-teen vibes and hormones... I hear it just gets better.  For the most part, I'm loving his emerging personality and sense of humor.  Ty is quite spiritual and loves to learn new things.  

I'm also so impressed with his dedication to his gluten free diet.  I know it can't be easy on this kid- heck- it's not easy on any of us.  But he never deviates.  Seriously.  Never.  His Primary teacher took his class out to lunch to Dairy Queen the other day- and I sat and talked with Sister Christiansen for a few minutes afterward and she commented on how blase Ty was about needing things a little different than the rest of the group.  She said he took charge and told the cashier just how he needed his burger made and then asked about the fryer to make sure his fries wouldn't be cross-contaminated.  I have to admit I was a little bit in awe too.  We do all of these things all the time- it's second nature to me- but it's interesting that it has become the same with our kids.  Ty is checking and double checking all the time to make sure he's doing what's best for HIS body.  It's a maturity that I didn't expect to see in him.  Maybe I don't give the kid enough credit most of the time.  Someone please tell me I'm not the only one??

This little nugget of ours absolutely keeps us on our toes.  Kate is our little drama llama.  Love her to bits though.  I signed her up for dance this year and she's living and breathing ballet- she can't get her cereal without adding an arabesque.  She also has quit walking and instead chasses around the house.  I want to yell a little bit,,, but at the same time- I'm pretty sure I used to do the same thing.

She's loving school- in fact she was sick the other day and burst into tears when I told her she was staying home.  She grabbed her puke bucket and said that Mrs. Schrenk wouldn't mind at all if she brought her bucket to school.  Yeah right kid.  Go back to bed.  I'm in love with her teacher though too- so I kind of understand her reluctance to miss a day.  Kate has passed off all her Kindergarten sight words and First grade's too.  So Mrs. Schrenk tracked down a copy of the Second grade words and sent them home for Kate to practice on.  I am so grateful that she took the time to help out a kid that wasn't struggling- it's refreshing.

Kate loves to spend her time outside with our kitties, and most afternoons can be found under the shade of the tree with a kitty in her arms.  I don't know what they find to talk about for hours on end- but it must be pretty sweet.

Ryan.  Oh sweet Ryan.  He is such a menace.  But look at his face!  Go on... just look at it... you can't help but want to snuggle with him.  I don't know how he does it.  He can be such a rotten little stink to his brother and sister... but when I get after him- he gives me this look that makes me want to apologize to him for yelling.  It's ridiculous.

Ryan hates riding the bus.  I thought it would get better this year, now that he had one year under his belt.  But I was wrong.  I usually am when it comes to Ryan.  He's 8 and he still baffles me.  I don't make them ride the bus that often- usually just when I'm substituting in Burley or Heyburn.  We're going opposite directions and it doesn't make sense for me to take them.  Ry's not okay with it.  He totally pouts every time it happens.

He played some flag football this year and was SO excited when his coach put him in as quarterback.  I'll have to find some pictures of him from my phone and post them- he just ate it up.  He's just as excited for basketball to start.

We actually gathered the whole family for this photo shoot- I think we've convinced Grandma Jacki that new pictures are a good thing- these babies of ours keep changing at an alarming rate!  The rest of us look about the same from year to year- other than I just get more gorgeous.

These pictures were all taken in our yard this year- I seriously love where we live. It's the most picturesque place I've ever seen.  The yard goes on for days and you could take pictures forever and never get them in the same spot.  Right behind these guys are our fruit trees- remember all those apples?

Pork Chops and Applesauce

My nod to Peter Brady aside... this post is all about apples.  And country living.  And apples.  

Among many things that we have discovered on this piece of property, we found two apple trees.  I've never had an apple tree before.  Wasn't really sure what was going to come of it.  Turns out these two trees put on a TON of apples.  Seriously.  I'm not sure we're going to be able to use them all.  In fact I know we aren't.  Too many.

But I took my first stab at applesauce.  I discovered after taste testing a few different batches- I'm a big fan of chunky applesauce.  With cinnamon.  Ty agrees with me.  Ryan likes his smooth.  Kate doesn't seem to care.  So- we made lots of both.  But I told my kids if they had an opinion- they had to help put in some of the work.  I don't know why it continues to surprise me that they never balk at this.  All three of them are always happy to lend a hand in the kitchen.

There's a small chance that Kate ate as many apples as she put in the pot.

Ryan too.

Ty is a solid helper in the kitchen these days.  I'm always a little afraid to give him a knife- but he chopped his apples just beautifully.

We also ended up making apple pie filling and apple juice along with the sauce.  And we still had apples leftover.  Yowza.

I think my favorite part so far has been the picking.  I feel so "Little House on the Prairie" almost.  Kate never missed a chance to help me- in fact we did most of our picking in the afternoons before the boys came home from school.  Kate picked one particularly pretty apple and held it out for me to see and smell.  Then she said, "Mom- I bet the fruit from Lehi's tree was even more beautiful."  It took me a minute to get some context- but I was impressed that she would make the connection.

Tis the season for canning I guess.  And I am so grateful for it.  I love being able to stack my shelves full of the fruit of our labor.  It's a little like the grasshopper and the ant.  I just don't like to be caught without.

Schooool Days

Full disclosure:  I was more than ready to send my kids back to school this year.  Not usually my thing... but the fighting had to stop sometime right?  At least now I get a few hours of a break before they are home from school and at it again.  

It's still hard for me to believe that summer is over.  I feel like it just started.  I was just getting my groove on.  Now I have to switch it.  Groove in a different way I guess.  That's alright.  I'm super awesome and rolling with new things (if Shaun ever reads this he just rolled his eyes).  

I will also admit that I had an exceptionally hard time sending my BABY off to kindergarten.  It was another moment, much like Ryan's baptism, that makes me realize my kids are getting bigger and life is moving on- whether I'm ready for it to or not.  Kate was ridiculously excited though.  If there had been a way for her to go to school the night before- she would have been all over it.  

I had to laugh at her choice of profession- for all of my younger years, I said the same thing. Things changed for me- I guess only time will tell if it will for her.

Ryan was also excited to go back to school.  He told me when he got home on the first day that he was disappointed because they didn't do any math.  AT ALL.  Here I was thinking he was the social one and would be excited to get back to his buddies... but it turns out he's only there for the math.

And then there's Ty.  Ty is only 8 inches away from catching me.  Yeah- we measured... I walked away more than a little surprised.  Height aside- Ty was also excited for school to be back in session.  He was excited to see his friends.  He was excited about his new teacher.  He was excited about his new shoes.  Life really is coming up Ty this year.

As I drove away from the school on that first day, it occurred to me that this is the only year that my babies will all be in the same school.  Here in Declo- they put the 6th graders in with the middle school... so this is it!  One year of being able to make one phone call to the school for messages.  One year of being able to walk down the hall to pick them all up.  One year.  I guess we better make it a good one!

I Like to Look for Rainbows

This was a hard post for me.  Not because writing is hard- no that's the easy part.  But it's the subject matter.  It's these kind of posts and these kinds of moments that make me realize we aren't coasting anymore.  I'm not sitting at home watching Little Einsteins with my babies and rotating hot dogs and chicken nuggets for lunch any more.  My kids are just that... kids.  Ryan just turned 8 this summer and after much (MUCH) deliberation- he decided to be baptized.  

Ryan is not the kind of kid to do something just because everyone else is doing it.  Which is a blessing and a curse.  It's a blessing when it comes to poor decisions being made by other kids.  Kind of a curse when he refuses to go sing with the Primary on Sunday.  

I love that Ryan takes the time to think things out for himself though.  He has always been his own person.  A thinker.  A deliberater.  He wasn't sure that this baptism thing was for him.  He believed in Jesus Christ.  This was never the issue.  Ryan believed that Jesus was baptized.  But he wasn't sure why he had to do it too.  We talked about this for months.  Ryan had questions.  Good questions.  And I have to admit- I was more than a little relieved when he said this was what he wanted to.  

August 27th was a BEAUTIFUL Saturday, and little Ryan was surrounded by his whole family.  My parents came up, they brought my grandma.  Dave and Nat and their little ones.  Miss and Jer.  Shaun's family came out in force as well.  Jacki and Orllo.  Grandma Dorothy.  Chad and Jeni with their boys.  Chase and Dani and their babies.  Members from the ward.  The Bishop.  This little guy had a lot of people in his corner.  

I love how much these two LOVE having their picture taken!

Ryan seems older these days.  I can't quite put my finger on it.  I tried to get a picture of it the other Sunday morning.  The boys were dressed and waiting for Kate and I to finish in the bathroom and I came out and saw this.  Ryan received a set of scriptures of his very own for his birthday, and he has been very diligent in reading from it most days.  Always on Sunday though.  He started in the Old Testament and is slowly working his way through.

I pray that Ryan is always a thinker.  That he always questions.  I just hope that he puts his faith in Jesus Christ and does his best to stay on the straight and narrow path.  I believe he will do great things- he has an amazing spirit and a testimony that belies his youth.  I hope that he continues to grow it.  Love you, Bear.

On my Honor...

We celebrated a strange pack meeting... it was the boys' first and last pack meeting together.  And while I am relieved not to have two cub scouts that I'm trying to help... It's a little sad too.  I guess bittersweet is the best word to describe it.  

Ryan earned his Bobcat badge (seriously in a day... he has been carrying his Wolf book around trying to pass things off constantly)...

I got my new Bobcat pin... No blood spatter yet- I'm impressed boys!

This was also a BIG night for Ty.  He has put in so much work to earn his Arrow of Light...  I am so proud of him!  He was asked to put together a table with some of the things that he has worked on through the years- luckily the bird house he and Shaun build years ago is still in my living room.  I'm not going to lie though... most of those projects have been misplaced through the years and moves.  Whoops.  We still have our favorites though!

Love this picture.  Ryan was a little leery of a new experience (classic Ryan) and wasn't entirely sure where to be or what he should be doing.  So he stuck pretty close to Ty.  In fact at one point- he discreetly held onto a corner of Ty's shorts.  I love that Ty didn't bat him away or tell him to buzz off.  In fact- he put his arm around Ryan and led him up to the front to work on this project together.  

We took the boys out for ice cream afterward to celebrate.  

Roughing It

I used to go backpacking with my dad when I was in high school.  It was a fun way to spend a couple of days with my dad.  I didn't really love the food.  Or the fact that I never slept while I was away.  But it was still fun.  We'd spend time walking in silence or talking about everything.  There wasn't really an in between for me and my dad.  He didn't seem to mind either though- so I guess it was alright.  

My children are missing out.  I'm just not a camper these days and Shaun is tired.  So... we haven't really been camping too many times since they have gotten big enough that they are actually helpful and fun in a tent.  So when Jacki said let's go to the City of Rocks- we figured this would be our kids' only chance this summer.  I cringed a little because it was so close to our other vacation- but it's summer after all and you only live once.

We couldn't have had a more gorgeous back drop...

The boys were ridiculously excited to sleep in a tent.  They set up their own and packed all their crap into it before we even realized what they were doing.  Apparently we should be doing this more.

Shaun and I set up our tent too.  It's technically a 4 man tent but by the time I get my queen sized air mattress blown up inside it... it's mostly just for Shaun and I.  I'm okay with that.  Ryan snores.

Now... Grandma Jacki isn't a camper either.  At all.  And that's okay.  She rented a cabin.  Kate and her cousin chose to sleep in the cabin with grandma.  Seriously... the girls were SO good and had so much fun together!  They fight and love just like sisters- which is good since neither of them have a sister of their own.

Little Spencer was so cute in his jammies and cowboy boots.  I just want to eat him up!

Grandma and her babies...

Shaun quickly found where his mom had hidden the chocolate covered mangoes (have you had these from Costco yet?  Don't do it.  You'll just eat them all.  Or your husband will and you'll only be left with the crumbs and this will make you cranky.)

We seriously have the cutest cousins.  On both sides.  What gives?  We're just pretty lucky I guess.

I had an epiphany on this trip too.  Shaun wants to be the favorite uncle.  And he's not above bribery.  He bribed my brothers kids with Cheetos and Coke.  He's bribing his brothers' kids with s'mores and Cheetos.  I'm okay with it.  I'm associated with Shaun so that makes me fun too- by default!

I tried my hand at a pinterest treat too (I know- it had potential disaster written all over it)- we recently found gluten free ice cream cones at the grocery store and I remembered seeing that you could pack them with all kinds of yummy things like chocolate chips, peanut butter and marshmallows then wrap it up in tin foil and cook it in the coals.  It was a melty delicious little treat that I'm pretty sure will reappear again.

We had a jam packed weekend of fun too!  We came home absolutely exhausted.  The morning was spent hiking around the City of Rocks- it's like Goblin Valley in Southern Utah on steroids.  Unreal.

Ryan caught us a friend...

Yeah... he was ridiculously proud of himself.  I was too... those little things are super fast!

Check out the scenery!  I've never seen anything like it!   

"I'm King of the Rock.  And there's nothing you girls can do about it."  Name that movie and you get a Coke.

Thanks grandma and papa for such a fun weekend!

After getting all hot and sweaty from hiking around all morning, we went over to Almo to some hot springs pools that open year round.  SO much fun.  I'm thinking this will be an activity we do again sometime this winter- the kids loved it!

And seriously- one of these days I WILL get a picture of Ryan where he is not being... well Ryan.  I guess maybe I don't want one of those kinds of pictures anyway.  It would look strange if he actually looked at the camera and smiled.

We went fishing after dinner... naturally we got skunked, but I guess there's always next time.  The boys got new rods for their birthdays and were so excited to give them a try!  Ryan had a rare moment of sweetness and let his sister even have a turn.

Kate and Ryan have a troubled relationship at best these days.  It seems that they are always either in each other's way or just bugged by the other one.  I don't think they try to be pills to each other... it just works out that way.  I guess in that respect it will be nice to have them back in school here in a few weeks- each of them will have their own class and activities.  Maybe it will mellow.  Maybe I'm being a little bit of a wishful thinker.

Shaun claims he's not any kind of fisherman- but in my kids eyes- it doesn't really matter.  What matters to them is that he took the time this week to go and get a fishing license for them and he sat and re-baited their hooks time and time again.  We sure love our dad.