Christmas Wish Lists

Christmas wish lists:

When we saw Santa this year, Hunter asked for a picture of Santa's workshop. Santa's reply was, "go watch the Santa Clause and you'll see my workshop." So I was surprised to see a much longer list come home in Hunter's backpack from school. I love his phonetic spelling and sweet requests:

Hunter says he would like to get: (I'll interpret as we go along!)
davastadr (devastater transformer),
nisnis (niceness) from Jacob O,
my vereeon (very own) TV,
a litl sistr (hmmmmmm),
my onne tape (my own tape, he loves scotch tape),
a clechin of snoeglbs (collection of snow globes),
a grate fred (great friend),
a gam for my famalee (game),
a naw peslle (new pencil),
a naw book, (new book)!

Cole wrote with the help of his teacher:
a big backlegons connect together (a big Backugan that connects together).

Good thing Santa knows how to decipher these messages!

Hunter

Here is a clip of Hunter playing Malaguena. I'm so glad that he ENJOYS piano! What musical mom wouldn't hope for such things?

Jack Frost is BITING!

I got out the hats, gloves, scarves, etc - cause it's COLD outside!!

Having fun

My boys LOVE to be with their cousins! We went to a family bar-b-que for Jazz Season Pass Holders and I actually got a picture of them together!

Here's Hunter shooting a basket (at least attempting) at the Energy Solutions Arena.

Then last weekend, we had the BYU President's Christmas party (for faculty, their kids, and grandkids). It's been a tradition for Shayne's family for many years and it is continuing with our family. Here's the boys playing with their cousin, Ella, in the "balloon pit."

It was a hoot to see the boys in a SERIOUS competition of Musical Chairs.

A little visit with Santa.... Danny was not a big fan. But, do you see the REAL miracle of this picture? Cole is SMILING!

Danny is walking!

It's amazing that it only started a few weeks ago. Danny has definitely taken his sweet time to hit those "milestones" - crawling at 12 months and walking at 16 months! This past week, he decided he wanted to walk. Now that HE has decided to walk, he has proven himself as a very persistent and determined little guy!

A word from Hunter...

On Sunday, in Primary, the leader was talking about families and important qualities in families. She asked why 'love' is important in a family and Hunter was called upon. This was his answer...
"Love is very important and it is a part of a family. And you need love to make babies."

LOL!

It was soooo hard for all the leaders to not giggle at his sweet response. And no, we have not had the talk about the birds and the bees yet.

Thanksgiving and thanks... and a little shopping

I love having my parents close to us. What a treat to load up the kids, all the pies, rolls, and other goodies, and be there within a half hour to enjoy being together! I love my family. I am so grateful for a family who loves each other and loves to be together! We missed having Shayne's family by us this year and we send hugs to each of them!

On Friday morning, I started a WEE bit early... 3:05 am to be exact. I decided to set the alarm for 3:05 cause it looked just a little better than 3:00!! Anyhoo, I think it's mean that Sears did a 4am opening, but I had success and managed to get us a brand new washer and dryer for the price of 1! It was a SWEET deal and I'm still dumbfounded that I managed to get it. I waited outside for 1/2 hour, then inside at another line to get to the register for 45 minutes. That place was CRAZY!! At least I thought it was crazy till I decided to drive past Target - considering the prospect of running in to get a little thing I saw for Danny. Ummmmm, that line has about 1500 people... probably more!!! That was MIND BOGGLING and I was so grateful that I wasn't in that line! And it was definitely not worth a $10 toy!!

I just have to list a few things I'm grateful for:
my hubby
our kids
our dog
our warm house
our working cars
our extended family
the sunshine!
Hawaii.... just wish I was there!
my friends
my clarinet and piano
my memories
my Heavenly Father
my Savior
for all who inspire me to be better than yesterday
and for tomorrow - it is a chance for a clean slate to be a better mom, friend, and wife.

Only Cole...

#1:
Cole let in one of my clarinet students last week. As the student made her way to go downstairs, Cole very kindly introduced his dad,

"That's my daddy. And he's bald."

#2:
We went to Farm Country and as we were leaving, they brought in a real cow and let the kids come up and try milking her! Each kid got to squeeze twice and then let the next child try. Well, as we got in the car, Cole very excitedly exlaimed,

"I got to squeeze the cow's penis!"

It took the next 10 minutes to convince him that girl cows don't have such a part.

Oh, the conversations we have at the most improvised moments.

only cole.

New Rules + 5 minutes

So, after the big "FORTS" of Tuesday -I laid down new rules.
1) You can build a fort with blankets and pillows from your room only.
2) Toys are not part of a fort (just blankets and pillows!)

5 minutes later, (seriously, just 5 minutes) I went to see what they were doing in Cole's room and here's the result:

Why hasn't my kid figured out "forts" are not piles of things? I have built him several forts in our family room - but he prefers these forts. They just need a new name.... like..... "I want to build a pile of destruction!"

Quote of the week from Cole

C: "Mommy, when you are going to have another baby."
me: What?
C: "When are you going to have a new baby in your tummy?"
me: Not for a looong time!
C: "Yeah, cause you need to eat lots of vegetables and good food to make a baby in your tummy. Cause vegetables make babies."
me: oh, that's how!
C: "YUP!"

Toilets and hard water

So, I'm curious, does anyone have a magical solution for hard water stains in a toilet bowl? I've tried several different cleaners and my latest fad is a big bottle of COLA just soaking all night. It works ok... but I keep thinking there's got to be something better out there. I can put in the elbow grease and get the hard water lines to be gone... but they come back within the week!! I want an easier solution! : - )

What can 2 FOUR year olds do in an hour?

I cleaned the kitchen while they played downstairs. Little did I realize that their play meant bringing every toy OUT of the toy room to build a fort....

Then this afternoon (YES, in the same day), I taught a couple of clarinet lessons and once again, they were just playing in Cole's room. What could they possibly do? I didn't think they'd take every pillow, blanket, and toy from a three room radius to one spot!
Here's a little highlight from last week. The weather has been BEAUTIFUL.

This is a very full car and noisy!
As you can see, we're a busy house and it's hard to keep up with us!

RUNNERS!

I need help from all you fellow runners, working-out fanatics, bikers, ETC. I need new music. I've been running to the same music for MONTHS and MONTHS. It drives me nuts how I hear a song and I already know what's next... and it isn't very motivating. PLUS, only a few of my songs are really fast enough for me. Not that I'm a fast runner, but I guess I'd prefer a faster pace (I don't go far, I am a short girl!). So, PLEASE, start telling me your favorites to run/workout/whatever. I'm hoping for lots of great new ideas!

Mother of 5

Well, I'm exhausted. I'm sitting here and enjoying the SILENCE of my house.... even if it is just for an hour. (I'll fall asleep quickly!) I'm watching my sister's 2 girls for a couple weeks while she and her hubby are working/vacationing. It's a long story - and I don't need to say all the details. Anyhoo - I feel like I have two sets of twins. Ella is the same age as Cole (6 week difference) and Maiya is the same age as Danny (6 month difference). Her kids have been GREAT - honestly great. But, I'm exhausted! When they all get along - they get along beautifully. When there's fighting.... it's SO LOUD! I think the toughest time is dinner time... patience has thinned out (not just mine) and kids cry louder and louder to get my attention. It's entertaining and comical! I really need to get better organized at dinner time! So, how do families function with this many kids - EVERY DAY?!?! I think you are amazing. And I also remind myself there aren't always 4 kids under the age of 4. It's a handful. I have to admit that I'm grateful that my mom will give me a break for the weekend. I need to recharge my batteries for next week!

I do have 1 funny story for the week. Cole's BFF is Connor. They are constantly running back and forth to each other's houses everyday. Well, Ella has joined in and made it a trio. Like I said earlier, sometimes they get along GREAT, but there are moments that they both become stubborn and don't do what the other demands. So, on day two - things weren't going quite as SHE wanted. Without my knowing, Ella went to Connor's house and told his mom she had to come get Connor (from my house) . Of course, the mother thought, "Is something wrong? Did he do something?" and she came rushing over to our house to see what was going on. By the time we figured out what had happened and that there were no problems to be worried about, all 3 were happily playing together again. Well, writing it out didn't seem nearly as funny, but it was funny on Tuesday. I loved how Ella took control of that situation and made it clear that Connor was getting too much of Cole's attention! Things have definitely improved.

October

Well, the pictures are backwards - but I don't feel like re-ordering them right now! We've had a fun-filled month! Activities such as - Hayrides, corn mazes, a Halloween boat cruise (it was shorter than short), pumpkin patch, jumping into piles of leaves (and my trees still have leaves on them - this is from the neighbor's trees!), a costume party, church trunk-or-treat, and of course, Halloween. We did carve our pumpkins - just last night! The day after Halloween needs a little celebrating too!

Quote of the month by Cole....

"Mommy, I'm so mad at you! GRRRR! I'm so mad (pause) that I'm NEVER going to get married!"

I didn't see that one coming!

sigh....

What's in a name?

I like to think about my different names through the years - I think the process defines who I am and what I'm all about:

Lea
Lea-Pea
Lea-Da-Tortilla
Lea-Wea
Miss Saville
Sister Saville
Hermana Saville
Mrs. Nelson
Sister Nelson
mmmmmah
Ma-Ma
Mommy

Today I attended a funeral. I knew Heather as a fellow band-teacher and woodwind instructor like myself. In fact, I've been teaching a little elementary band twice a week for her - until her scheduled became less hectic after Marching Band season. We weren't close - but, it still felt like family in so many ways. My heart aches for her family and the band members she served selflessly.

When I found out the news (when I arrived in Las Vegas from Hawaii) I cried a lot. When I went to elementary band on Monday afternoon - I cried a lot. They had a counselor there to speak to the students about how to deal with death and I found it very comforting myself to hear the counselor's comments. When I watched the AF band perform at their competition on Tuesday night, I sobbed. When I attended the funeral today, I cried even more. Sitting there and being a part of the celebration of her amazing life - one can't help but to be reflective and pensive in the greater meaning of life and the eternities. And to think that we were just fellow band directors - not even close friends. I can't even fathom the emotions that have been felt by those who were really close to her. My soul aches for them.

They sang the Hymn, "Be Still My Soul" at the start of the meeting. I'm sure I have sung this hymn many times before, but the 3rd verse was so powerful in this setting;

3. Be still, my soul: The hour is hast’ning on
When we shall be forever with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

I am so grateful to know that life goes beyond what we see and know around us. God is real. Our Savior is real and His sacrifice is beyond my comprehension. Knowing that Heather jumped up and essentially sacrificed her life to spare others in the bus with her gave me just a glimpse of that sacrifice. To know that He did it for me is overwhelming. And despite the tragedy, I'm grateful for all these experiences this week that have helped me feel even closer to my Savior.

Thank you Heather.


Here's a link to her obituary:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?n=heather-christensen&pid=134367127

Kaua'i

As many of you know, we got to go to Hawaii for a week with our good friends Rachael and Greg. We went to Kaua'i and I had no idea how amazing that place would be. I wish I had taken a picture of a bumper sticker we saw there which said, "If you love Kaua'i, send your friends to Maui." This island was paradise with so much to do. I started this post thinking, I'll just post a few pictures - but it turned into a BUNCH and I still have more to share! It'll give me plenty to write about for the next few weeks....



Sunset from our condo (special thanks to Shayne's parents for letting us use their timeshare to make this possible!)

Queen's Bath

Snorkeling Queen's Bath (we snorkelled EVERY DAY! and lived in our swim suits)


Hawaiian Shaved Ice goes WAY BEYOND a snow cone. I can't explain it - but I'm ready for another one.

Wailua Falls

Not only did we see the falls, we took a little treacherous hike down a steep hillside and SWAM under the falls! The water was muddy - but so refreshing after that muddy hike!



Kipu Falls. My only regret was that I didn't dare do the rope swing by these falls. I should have just done it (as Shayne did!). When will I get a second chance?!?!



Wild roosters EVERYWHERE! And they were tough to catch too.....

The 4 of us - at the top of Waimea Canyon - which is coined the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." How that Grand Canyon just exists on this island is beyond me - my pictures didn't come close to showing the grandeur and immensity of this place.

Sunset from Waimea Canyon

We did a rafting trip to see the Na Pali Coastline. It is a part of the island that does not have roads - and you can see it 3 ways: by boat, by air (helicopter or airplane), or by an 11 mile hike. The boat trip was AWESOME. En route we had some company:

This was a landmark that I was thrilled to tell my boys about. We love the Popeye move (with Robin Williams) and this is where they filmed the ending scene with the octopus!

Na Pali Coast (this is just 1 inch of the most amazing scenery I've seen in my lifetime)

can you find the turtles?

There are probably 50+ turtles in the previous picture. I focused in on this picture so you can see the turtles better.

We weren't prepared to do an 11 mile (overnight) hiking trip along the Na Pali coast - but we did venture on the first 2 miles to a remote beach. It was HOT and HUMID - but the scenery was once again, breath-taking.

Na Pali Hike

Next to the beach, there was a creek/river/stream that flowed down to the ocean. That particular beach is considered dangerous - so Rach and I cooled off in the stream. It was SOOOO refreshing.

On our last day - we went to an area called "Secret Beach and Secret Lava Pools". They aren't very secret anymore - but we were the only ones there. I took about 75+ pictures at this one site - the waves were massive and powerful. I tried to capture it on film....

(Where's Waldo... I mean Greg?)

For my eternal sweetheart:

May we continue on our path, hand in hand, loving each other more every day. Thank you for loving me!

Hunter is 7!

7 is so BIG! We started a new tradition this year - no friend parties on the "odd number" years. Just a date with mommy and daddy and a family party. We took Hunter to I-HOP for breakfast and he loved having just mom and dad's attention... even better, he was given an ice cream sundae--at breakfast! Lucky him, he got to go to 2 other parties on his birthday - there was no lack of friends or cake on his big day!

On Sunday night, we had a family dinner/party. I made the cake myself and I even surprised Hunter. He saw me throwing away the scraps and I commented that I didn't know how to make a cake and I was giving up. He was so, SO disappointed to not have a cake! Then I showed him a little square that I would decorate just for him. That evening, he convinced his cousins that there was only 1 small piece of cake for him and that he would just have to give everyone Gummy Bears instead of cake! I'm glad he was trying to find a way to make everyone happy. And we had plenty of cake for everyone!

The cousins.... lots of boys around here! And I love the cry you can SEE on Cole's face... very typical.

Someone else loved the cake too!

Danny was helping Chanin practice the piano. He LOVES to play the piano!