Scrooge and Grace turns 2!!

Our opening show (Saturday afternoon) cast. I was Mrs. Cratchit. Amber played Janet, dance team and a caroller and Marin was Amy and chorus. What a fun day. A show at 2 pm and then one again at 7:30!
Mr. and Mrs. Crachit in the middle surrounded by their children, dog, and a few other cast members.

Amber and a friend ready for warm-ups

Marin and Skyler just before we go on stage

Gracie turns 2!!! She loved to lick the frosting off the cake- she really didn't eat the cake- just the frosting! :)

Yeah for cake!!!

Her favorite present- play dough! Grace is getting so big and is the joy of our lives!!! I wish I could just keep her this age forever because she is so much fun. I love playing with her everyday! She is everyone's angel. Happy Birthday darling!

Locks of Love

Amber finally did it! She had 10 inches of hair cut off. I will be shipping it to Locks of Love this week. She was nervous and a bit sad honestly, but she did it!

Too late now... all gone!



Amber and Shannon -our fav haircut lady!



Before

After

The only down side is that everyone keeps telling her she looks older now- just what I need! I'm proud of her for going through with it! I hope someone in need gets a beautiful new wig!

Amanda

Just thinking of my sweet Amanda who is in surgery as I write this. I love her giggles, her crazy sense of style (Punkie Brewster?)- check out the pink high tops! I love her kindness. Just last week Ben was sick at school and she stopped her playing at recess to help him and get him to the duty so he could go to the nurse's office. She adores Gracie and is always trying to help her, hug her and carry her!

I love her ratty hair and dirty face in Annie, her bouncy ringlets from Scrooge and her very yellow self in Seussical!

My darling girl- we are all praying for you!

Hail to the Chief!

Just a fun announcement- Justin ran for student body president and won! We found out today. He has been the "acting president" since school started because we didn't have one yet and we were at the new school. Someone was needed to do morning announcements, etc so he did it because he was Vice President last year. He was even in the newspaper and the Irvine School District newsletter online. He did not think he was going to win and was happily surprised this morning when the principal announced his name! How cool to be the first President ever of Stonegate Elementary!



If I had been smart, I would have taken a picture of him in a shirt and tie as he did his speech yesterday- oh well. Instead this is the first day of school when he was asked to lead the students and parents in the Pledge of Allegiance. And one doing morning annoucements!

Seussical the Musical

Some fun pictures of the girls and how they have been spending their time these last few months... I took the pics during warm-ups, so there are people missing wigs, and only in partial costume...

Marin is Cindy Lou Who in this picture, but on some shows she is a jungle creature, a Grinch child or a regular Who- lots of things to learn!



Marin and Amanda as Who sisters


Amber is on dance team and gets to wear these really "beautiful" outfits! Remember they are in a Seuss play so they are supposed to look like animals we've never seen before except in our "thinks" (dreams) or maybe if you've ever tried LSD :)





The family came to see them last night which was extra fun. Ryan kept trying to make Marin laugh onstage- he did not succeed- she stayed in character! We had fun watching our other friends as well (Halls, Lee, etc). This is truly a fun show to be in and to watch. Very clever!

Gracie's First Dance Class

I just had to blog today after Gracie's first dance class. Is she not the cutest thing you ever saw? I teach Mommy and Me on Wednesdays and she will now be coming with me. She did come once before, but Marin was being my assistant that day so she took care of Grace and I just taught.

I was worried that she wouldn't follow directions, but she did it all! She was so cute that the other parents in the class couldn't stop watching her. She just followed along. I guess she has watched me choreograph enough dances that she knows to follow because that is what the big kids always do.
I love the diaper bum and the bottle at class! (She did not drink during class) How cute is she?! I just wanted to pick her up and kiss her all over. I asked her if she liked it and wanted to come again next time and she said, "Yeah!"

Last Days of Summer....baptism...school starts...etc!

(I have to cover it all because I have been such a slacker this summer. It's really because I hate our office- I can't decide how to decorate or organize it- so I don't like going to the computer in the midst of chaos)

Our last beach day of the summer is always bittersweet! We had fun though- even Grandad came to play and enjoy the beautiful weather. These are some of my favorite pics.

cheesy smiles!

Ben actually surfed on his boogie board multiple times- I just couldn't get the picture in time. He was laying on his board, caught a wave, popped up to his knees and then stood and rode the wave in! He has such amazing balance- what kind of career involves great balance that doesn't involve the circus? Any ideas?

We did get in one trip to Disneyland in August. I want passes again- I miss going regularly. I am a Disney junkie. Ok, I've admitted it, now maybe I can get help. Marin took this picture of Ben, Gracie and me at California Adventure.

We went up to visit/ babysit Zoey one day. Justin ended up doing most of the baby holding. Zoey likes him better than me! When Auntie Lolo got back, she and Grace had fun with bananas! (Laura also past her oral exam and is now "all but dissertained". There should be some good joke in there)

Did you catch Justin on the NFL Network with Rich Eisen? A few of the older boys from football got to spend the morning with him filming a mock fantasy football draft. It was so cool!

Last, but certainly not least, Marin was baptized Labor Day Weekend. Nana and Grandad surprised her by bringing Natalie with them from Utah. The girls sang "If the Savior Stood Beside Me" and did such a beautiful job.

Not the best family pic- but oh well. Marin was so excited that day and we loved having family and dear friends there to share her special day with us at the church and at our home afterwards.


Finally on Sept. 10th school started! Here are the kids at our new elementary school. The school is beautiful, but we are all still adjusting to the new place- it's a lot like moving into a new house- trying to figure out where things are, where they should go, the best way to drop off/ pick up, etc. It'll be great!

ROAD TRIP!

(Utah first)

We drove and drove and drove- California to Nevada to Arizona, to Utah, to Idaho, to Montana, to British Columbia, to Alberta, and back again. We saw 44 out of 50 state license plates and 8 provinces, and a territory plate. The kids were really good. Justin who hates reading, read for more than 20 hours. We played silly car ride games, sang to tunes on the ipods and watched movies to pass the time. Dad drove the whole way!

Handsome cousins at the Oquirrh Temple Open House in Utah- Spencer, Justin and Jackson.

And pretty girls- Natalie, Marin and Brookie.

One of my favorite pics of the whole trip. Grace was tired and hungry so she and I went outside to wait for the rest of the gang- still in the temple. She loved the fountain and the flowers.

4th of July tail-gating before Stadium of Fire and the Jonas Brothers! Julie, TJ and Natalie with her broken arm- she was a trooper with a newly broken arm and all her cousins to play with!

Two cuties!!! These two love each other and were so much fun watch. They danced, laughed, "jumped" on the trampoline and followed each other everywhere! They called each other "Baby" and the second we stepped in the door of Julie's house Grace would call for "Baby" to come play.

On to Canada...

Ben lost his first tooth the first day we got to the cabin. He was eating ice cream and out it came! He was very excited and the Tooth Fairy brought him $5 in Canadian money! The next day on the boat he posed for this pic.

Grandad led us (Uncle Todd, Ryan, Justin, Ben and I) on a fun hike- "short, but steep", the guidebook said - we were on top of the world and could see for miles and miles. Ryan's nervous tummy did not like the height, but I loved it. It was beautiful! They actually have ramps where hang gliders run off the mountain!

After a tough day on the lake- the gang needed to relax in the hot tub!

"Cheese!" I told her to look at me and smile!

Grace loved the swings and slide!

Making S'mores!

Yummy Spencer!

One of the most exciting things was a knock at the cabin door. Amber opened the door and there stood Spencer and Annie- she began screaming with joy! I think the craziness and giggling continued until they had to go home- it was lots of fun- and a bit loud :)

Grandad showing off his whiskers on the gondola ride up the mountain in Golden.

Boo the grizzly bear we "hung out with" at Golden. It was cool!

Ice cream and bowling with cousins- who could ask for anything more?

In Calgary, we had to say good-bye to Spencer and Annie- boo-hoo! We did have some fun though at the Calgary Zoo! Justin and Gracie posing.. (I forgot the stroller, so we took turns holding her and letting her walk all around the zoo)

After getting everyone's teeth cleaned at Granddad's office, we picked up Dad from the airport and headed to Lethbridge where we had a BBQ with the Sherwood cousins.

Aunt Lynn and Amber who is holding SaraLynn's 2 week old baby, Rebecca. She is a doll!


Vacations are great and so is coming home to your own bed! What a fun trip!