Daddy's little Man!

Dillan is a man's boy. He wants to be like his Daddy. He loves to play basketball with Daddy. Before bedtime, he will normally ask: "Daddy, is the Jazz playing right now? Can I watch it with you?"

No patience

We're counting down. We're trying so so so super hard to be good.

When Grandma's package came in the mail, we were beyond excited. The kids beat me to the door when it arrived, and when there's a big box sitting on the doorstep, it's hard to set aside and forget about till later.
Dillan has been sick all week and just miserable. So when Daddy was home for awhile, we decided to open Grandma's box, hoping for a lift.

St. George, we have lift off!

Leah had a whole bag full of stuff just for her. Tinkerbell stuff. A doll, a coloring book with crayons, a costume, a wand, a purse! Plus an adorable jumper for church.
She hasn't let go of the doll all day.

She's even been singing:

"Tinkerbell...Tinkerbell...Jingle all the way!"



Dillan started opening things. An I Spy book. Wow! Star Wars guys! Cool! New church clothes with a new tie! Nice.
Then Daddy pulled out his last one. He shot me the look: It's what you think it is. The one present that Dillan has not failed to forget in months. A gun that shoots rockets and sticks to things. He started tearing open the paper, then did something strange. He picked it up and ran out of the room saying "NO WAY!" I guess he wanted to finish opening in private?!? Have his own moment? Who knows? He came back in with pudding thick dimples and a smile like a watermelon slice.
He and Daddy spent the next few hours on target practice, shooting the faces on the Christmas card pictures strung up on the wall. The boy is lovin life!



Yummy peanut brittle and some Christmas decor, finished off the box.

Thank you Grandma and Papa!

I think we've reached a slice a heaven.

New Traditions

Chris has been talking about doing this for awhile. His family painted their own ornaments when he was growing up. So we decided we'd try it this year. Everyone got to choose their own white plaster ornament and we set to work. Dillan was beside himself with excitement. Seriously, Mommy never EVER pulls out paints. He's only ever painted at school. This was rare, indeed. His technique: dip the brush, dab or brush one stroke to his ornament, wash the brush, pick a new color, repeat. His ornament is in the shape of a house. Every window is a different color. It's merry and bright!



Leah was excited as well. She mostly loved dipping her brush in the dirty water and the purple paint. Her ornament is a teddy bear. She diligently painted her bear's face over and over and over again in purple. I resisted the urge to help her. And resisted. And resisted. OK, eventually it got to me, and I tried to help her. She freaked when I tried to help her dip her brush in a different color. She held a death grip on her brush and screamed when I tried to help her paint the body of the teddy bear. I let it be, finally. She would have painted all night, if we'd let her. But I didn't do anything to either of their ornaments except maybe dab at some of the mountains of paint glopped on in certain spots. It was all I could think of to make sure they dried!


Leah holds hers and mine (a penguin).
Dillan holds his and Chris' masterpiece (a kitty in a stocking)

Chris and I eventually set to work on our ornaments. For a guy who claims to have zero artistic talent, his turned out great! Better than mine. He must have the patience. I got too frustrated and impatient to finish. But they're done and adorning our tree in all their glory! (When the kids aren't taking them down and moving them around, anyway).

Jammies on Christmas Eve has been a tradition since before Dillan was born. It's so easy to find snuggly jammies, and usually the kids coordinate a little, but I've been feeling the urge lately to better domesticate myself, so I thought I'd try something new: Sewing.
Thanks to the example and encouragement of a friend, plus the expertise of my wonderful mother, I went to work.
Picking out fabric was tough. The boys in the house are big sleeping heaters at night, so fuzzy cuddly warm stuff was out. Cotton it was.
Mom helped me lay out and cut everything.
The sewing part was simple enough. Of course there's no reason to look too close to see all the imperfections, but that's why they're PJs! Thanks for all your help Mom and thanks Crystal for the inspiration!

Letters to Santa

Dillan was determined to write a letter to Santa. He wanted my help, but really really wanted to put SOMETHING down on paper himself. I should have had him do the entire thing on his own, since he's not so patient with himself and his handwriting skills. Next time.

Everything written down was EXACTLY as he said it and he wanted it that way. No shortcuts here.



I can read it. The part that he wrote says "I like Santa. I love Santa. Love Dillan." Guess he knows what he's doing!

Then he really really wanted Leah to have a letter as well. So we grabbed the Toys R Us magazine and got to work. He asked her what she would like and then we wrote it down (Leah holding the crayon, Mommy guiding her hand.) That's how SHE wanted it!



Tinkerbell. It's all about Tinkerbell. She finds Tink everywhere we go!

He's making a list, and checking it twice...

GO COUGS!!!

We are always there in spirit!

We're ready wearing our Cougar Blue. No red allowed.

We've got the spirit!

a time for thanks

"Mommy, we're Bubble Monsters!"

All About Me!

Dillan has been chosen as the student of the week this week. His teacher gave me this chart and told me to get it done as soon as I could. I don't pretend to have a knack for creativity, so wasn't sure what I was going to do with this thing!

I wanted Dillan to be involved, but he's not so conscientious about coloring as most, so I had him help me fill in the blanks. I only helped on one.

The finished product came out OK. Dillan was so proud of it and after I picked him up he shouted with that huge smile, big dimples and loud voice: "Ms Carol hung it up on the wall!"



I love all the pictures with all the many faces that he can make. Daddy loves that under "some super-cool facts about me" Dillan said "I get to play with Daddy everyday!"

Down Day

Since we're all trying to fight colds this week, we've been hiding out in our cozy sweats and socks, watching some new flicks, reading, and of course our latest obsession...



PlayhouseDisney.com.
Somehow I stumbled upon it unintentionally from some other Disney website and just happened to have two peeking faces behind me who jumped out of their skins when it appeared on the screen.

They sat there quite a while playing and giggling. It was really fun to watch. I only had to help a couple times. Dillan even completed a few math problems.

And yes, they both were dressed at one point during that day. Leah at least didn't lose her bling. They both would rather frolic in the almost-nude, towing their cuddly blankets all over. Every few minutes asking Mommy to re-wrap them.

30 Expectations

The big 3-0. It's been strange. Whenever I told someone who was older than me, I got a slew of different reactions. "Eh, you're just a baby" or "Just wait till you hit 40!" I had more than one person tell me that they bawled their eyes out on their 30th, declaring that their life was over. Lindsie, or was it Chad (ha! I've already got you guys confused!), said it best: "It feels a lot like yesterday, doesn't it?" That's the perfect way to describe it.
Still, it is a milestone. I remember being 20ish and thinking about everything I would have completed, accomplished, finished, become once I hit 30. Here's what I came up with:

-I expected to be done having children. Although nothing's set in stone, I really don't think I'm there. And to go along with that:

-I expected to have my body into post-children shape. The good shape. No comment.

-I expected to be done with school. And I am. For now. I thought Chris would, too. OK new goal: before HE turns 30!

-I expected to have a new short haircut. CHECK! Just barely! Most moms I know, who started out with long hair with 1 or 2 kids, ultimately chopped it off as they matured.

-I expected to be, not a star chef, but exceptional in preparing a wide variety of fabulous dishes and desserts. Still working on that.

-I expected to have returned to France by now. Yeah. Someday. Someday.

No, I don't have 30. I may have expected myself to have a list of 30, but I don't. And I'm okay with that.
I think I am growing, even if it's slow. As a wife, as a mother, as a child of God. I am learning to not let things bother me. To cherish my little monsters, because they have grown up too too fast. I am learning to be more dependent on Heavenly Father and relinquish my will to His. I am being sweeter to my husband and trying to dispose of sarcasm and criticism. I am learning patience, but also the need to treasure and capture every moment that I have with those I love. I am learning about sacrifice and gratitude. Of loyalty and consistency.

So, for the next 30 years I have a lot to keep busy with.

2 if by sea

Chris has been wanting to do a cruise since forever. I was always skeptical, afraid of being seasick, leaving the kids behind, whatever. I had an excuse for everything. So finally, since I have a very important birthday coming up, Chris decided it was time. He made all the arrangements, told me when to show up, and it was done.
It came so much quicker than I expected. I was nervous about leaving the kids, although I knew they were in the best hands (second only to me, maybe) possible. Going through boarding procedures, I was nervous. Just nervous about the whole trip. I didn't know what to expect.

Here is my wrap-up of the experience:

1)You can't beat the sea air and the water. It never got too hot, and cooled down perfectly at night.


Leaving San Diego

2)We were able to bring out our gaming skills a few times and took home 2 trophies and one medal.


Catalina

3)The dining room food was amazing. Period. I ordered the chocolate lava cake twice and never finished it. I tried exercising a couple times and still felt like a glutton! p.s. I'm not eating till Thanksgiving!


Relaxation at its best!

4)The bed was pure luxury. It put me to sleep like nothing.


Ensenada

5)We met a lot of very nice people on the ship. Yes, including those 2 couples from our ward! BIZARRE!

6)I have the greatest husband in the world. He is all I need to have a great time. And yes, the rumors are true: he set up my hair appointment with Natalie, hoping I would change it up, and she eased me through cutting off 6+ inches and adding color and bangs. He loves it! Thanks for a great week babe!

We went shopping for these two. A couple $6 T-Shirts + a guitar, purse, and dress from the exclusive flea market in Ensenada. Hey only the best for our kids! They're quite taken with our plastic ship trophies as well.


Dillan has not put down the guitar all night.

I think they missed us.

Thank You SOOOO Much Grandma, Papa, Chad & Lindsie for loving and taking care of our kids so well. We wouldn't have enjoyed our trip without you!

Trick-or-Treat!

Apparently Tinkerbell was the costume of choice this year! Sweet! We took a few months to educate ourselves on the whole Peter Pan scene, and it payed off. The kids are hooked on Peter Pan! We already had the Peter Pan costume from 2 or so years ago, so just needed Tink to complete the duo.


Let's do this thing!

Leah knew exactly who she was and told anyone who would listen. She was a trooper trying to keep up with big brother. After about 45 minutes she wanted to be held. She'd lay her head on my shoulder, but keep a death grip on her heavy bucket of goodness. All we did was approach the next house and say, "OK Dillan, go trick or treat this one" and she perked right up and ran after him, shouting "TrickorTreat! TrickorTreat!"


The Little Crazy

Dillan was called an Elf and Robin Hood more than once, but didn't seem to notice. He carried a small knife, sorry SWORD, on his belt that kept him fearless most of the night. He was into it. He pointed out any cool costumes that would pass us on the streets, as well as all the outdoor decorations put on some houses. When he got a new piece of something put in his bucket, he immediately pulled it out and proudly proclaimed what he got. He is still talking about how many doorbells he rang while Mom and Dad waited on the sidewalk. He's feelin' big!


Action shot!

Best part? Dillan doesn't like chocolate, and thinks the Utz pretzels shaped like pumpkins and bats are the coolest thing in his loot. Whatta crazy kid!

Fetes of Fall

Some fun October times...


Oak Glen


The DINOS!


@ Cabazon


The Huge Pumpkin Slide


Peltzer Pumpkin Farm


Pumpkin Carving


School Parade/Carnival
with the cutest Peter Pan ever!


Two of the happiest kids you'll ever see!

Forever Loyal

The kids are already showing signs of being competitive (like they have a chance with us as parents!), so even though not every game is won nor is every kick of the ball result in a goal, we're learning that playing is the fun part.



Not to be outdone by big brother...



GO COUGARS!

Weekend

We've been talking about this wedding since August. When we tried to explain to Dillan that Chad was going to marry Lindsie, he was happy, but concerned. "Mommy, when am I going to get married?" I told him that he had a long time until he had to worry about that. First he had to go to school, then learn to drive, then go on a mission, then go to college, then he could get married. He had to be big, like Chad. He was okay with that.
After thinking it over he said, "I think I will marry Leah!" No Dillan, she's your sister. Roxy? Nope, not legal. Then WHO? I told him that he didn't have to worry about it, and he could start looking after his mission. It didn't settle with him. He wanted to know that there was someone out there for him. I made sure to tell him that he needed to marry a girl who 1-went to church, 2-went to school, and 3-made good choices.
Just days later when I picked him up from school, he announced that he knew who he was going to marry. Great, I said, who is it? Celeste. She's in our ward and goes to his school. Perfect, I said. She's a nice girl and has a good family. A few days later he had another announcement. "I'm not going to marry Celeste anymore. She wasn't at school today! I'm going to marry Gwenyth!"
Another girl from the ward and school. Since that day he says that she's his friend and they like to play together at school. I wonder if it'll last!

But it was fun for all of us to be apart of the wedding this weekend. Dillan remarked on what both bride and groom were wearing. He thought Lindsie's dress was beautiful and loved Chad's green suit. He's told me to go purchase a suit just like it for him for his wedding. Leah loves Lindsie, and especially loved seeing her all dressed up pretty. Chad too.



The Happy Couple


With the Old Folks


Still Smiling! (I hate pictures of me!)


Chad & Papa's own vision/creation


The finished masterpiece

Chad and Papa drew up the plans for the reception and how they wanted it to look. They actually asked for our help! We had fun helping! It turned out amazing!

Congratulations Chad and Lindsie!

Take me there

I daydream a lot. I dream a lot. There's always something new to add to my wishlist of dreams.
This time of year my thoughts normally take me to a big beautiful home surrounded by huge trees with blazing red and orange leaves that occasionally float to the ground. My children have gone to bed early, it's not even 8:00! I am sitting on a huge overstuffed chaise made of ultra soft material wearing ridiculously soft sweats and ultra fuzzy socks, in front of a large fireplace with blazing fire. I have just finished a chapter out of the best book ever written, but set my book down for the night. Chris, also dressed in ridiculously soft sweats has just put on a movie and hands me this:



Full of European imported, really expensive and fancy, hot chocolate with marshmallows. Of course, the house is still full of the aroma of fresh baked oatmeal cookies fresh out of the oven, that HE baked. Ahhhh yes.

Someday. Someday.

Sunday Morning

This is what happens when Mommy is "almost done, just doing one more quick thing before church" on the computer.





Could be worse. At least they're playing nicely together.
Am I worried? Naaaahhhh

Dillan scored his first goal on Saturday. Of course, it happened right at the start of the game, while I was visiting with another mom and getting my load of stuff set up and settled in. I looked up just when it happened. My first thought was "Oh no! Chris is going to be so MAD he missed it!" And I didn't have my camera out in time! At least Papa got to see it. Dillan played so well, he is getting so much better and more into the game. The coach asked me what I had done to him to get him to play this way. I said nothing, but I think having Papa there cheering/yelling from the sidelines helped out a lot. Coach then invited Papa to attend the rest of the games. Hopefully he will!

Last Saturday, during the soccer game, every kid on our team got to score a goal. Except Dillan. I know he came close, but the ball would get away from him and someone else would shoot it. When we got home I got on the computer and bought a portable goalpost and net on eBay. $25 + free shipping= great bargain. We can use it to practice and I know it will be used for a long time, and eventually Leah will use it too.

So for Family Night we went over to the park and set it up. Dillan practiced kicking and running after the ball and taking it away from Mom and Dad. We worked on running and shooting the ball and throw-ins. It was a lot of fun for everyone. We stopped at In-N-Out on the way home for dinner. Everyone ate like champions. Such fun times!

How sweet!

Since my baby brother is just two weeks away from the wonderful world of marriage, there has been some serious cleaning out of drawers, closets, boxes, etc. During the process, my mother came across some schoolwork that is about 11 years old. She found this essay, written by Chad. I had never seen it before. Big smiles here. (There has been no editing done prior to appearing on this blog.)

My little, big sister.
Chad Arnold, Period 5
10/19/1998

I have a pretty unusual situation. I have a sister that is older than me, yet she is shorter than I am. Her name is Kim. She is almost 19 years old, and she is attending BYU (Brigham Young University), which someday I would like to attend. My sister and I have a bunch in common. Practically the only things that make us different are our ages, what I want to major in, in college, and that she's a she, and I'm a he. She has a great sense of humor and she is a great athlete, like me.
Before my sister went off to college, we loved to hang out, and we still love to. We had a special bond, you know, like we were meant to be sister and brother. My other sister and me are good friends, but we are nothing alike, so we fight a lot and don't hang out as much. We share a different friendship than me and Kim do. I still love her though.
Where my old house was, there was a big park, with four full sized soccer fields, just waiting for me and her to go and play on them. Whenever we had time away from our busy schedules we would go down there, set up a net, and switched off kicking at the goal. She would shoot ten shots on me, and then I would shoot ten shots off her, and so on. Also, we had a swimming pool in the back yard and we would go swimming. Except, we could only swim in the summer, because in the winter it was as cold as a snowcone on a chilling fall morning.
I have some great memories of when we were younger. This one, when I was around three years old and she was around eight. We were in Utah visiting some relatives and we were staying at a campground and it had a jungle gym. Well anyway, she went up it and started swinging on a bar. So I, being the brave and strong wanna be I thought I was, started to follow her. I got to this bar and I tried to swing on it, but instead I fell on my face. I was okay, despite my stupidity. Now, this moment was a key example of how much I wanted to be able to be like my sister. She is a great friend to have, and I hope that our friendship will last forever.




Even though he's not such a baby any more (and still bigger than me) I just wanna squeeze him! Love ya Chadley!

This time of year

I know I've said it a million times. I LOVE this time of year.

Pumpkins
Cool weather
Bright leaves
Warm sweaters
Apples
Halloween
College Football
Birthday
Soup Soup Soup
Dillan's crafts from school

Even I feel the need to craft! I finally finished Leah's tutu. Only took 18 months of talking about, forgetting about, then her #2 birthday to get me motivated!

The best time of the year!