Fall

So sorry blog. I have ignored you. Not on purpose. Honest.
I've been feeling like garbage since late August which means ZERO pictures taken, which means ZERO posts to blog about. That doesn't mean nothing has been going on. It's actually been very busy. So now catching up.

Drew
Loves Disneyland, is usually the only one who wants to go all the time, even though our passes run out SOON! Has shown interest in using the potty. Grandma even bought him some Cars underwear, which he's tried on a couple times. Could possibly be potty training right now, except Mommy's not up to it. Makes messes everywhere, is a pro on our newest Samsung tablet (aka "The Kid's Ipad"), and loves riding scooters.

For Halloween, Drew dressed up as a monkey. At first he wasn't a fan of his costume, but after the Trunk or Treat and chowing down candy, he didn't want to take it off. He still talks about his beloved costume and getting candy. Such a funny guy.

Leah
Leah is off to a stellar start in first grade. She has a great teacher this year (Mrs. Falciano) and has blossomed in her 1/2 combo class. Mommy gets to help out every week in the class and it's been a lot of fun. After he first parent/teacher conference, the only thing she needed to work on was her handwriting. Like the pleaser she is, she worked at it for a short time and improved drastically. Really, it was about taking her time and not rushing through her work. She has also discovered a great love for math and using IXL on the computer.

After her bff moved away, Leah has been busy making new friends. Anytime there is a little girl playing on the playground, she has no problem jumping right in and playing along. She enjoys reading and writing and doing crafts. This fall she didn't have any specific activity to call her own, but she is looking forward to trying gymnastics in January. She is constantly doing handstands, sitting upside down and trying to perfect her cartwheels. Still our little girly girl with a big heart and fun personality.

Dillan

Definitely the busiest of us all this season, Dillan participated in soccer AND flag football. He wanted to try football with his friend Cody. Cody's dad was the coach and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. Dillan instantly loved the game. He got really into football and watching college football with Daddy. His confidence started to pick up when he scored his first touchdown and caught a long pass, earning him the game ball. He told me he was always nervous when the play heavily relied on him carrying or catching the ball. He just needs to believe in himself more! It was his first experience and I know he learned a lot and had a good time. Soccer is definitely his thing. We tried a new league this year, much more challenging for him with more players, a bigger field, referees, offsides, big goals and goalies. He had a very nice coach and enjoyed himself. He misses his old team and his coach. He didn't develop this season as much as I would have liked, which was disappointing. He held back and let the older boys take over. Not really his style. I told him we would work on his kick and he would be unstoppable in the spring. At least, that's our goal. He can go back to Coach Edgar and we'll see if he regains his soccer confidence.

 

Dillan is doing well in 3rd grade. I think it was a big wake-up call for him, especially after a slow 2nd grade year. It is much more intense, but he has an excellent teacher (Mrs. Hoadley). Dillan clings to his competitive nature even in the classroom and is constantly trying to outdo his classmates. He has developed a great love for writing and wrote a few small books, all about various Mario video games.

Dillan has also been loving cub scouts. He loves to go to his den meetings, even though he only goes to church with Cody. He has been making new friends and having lots of fun new experiences. The highlight of the season was when we took him to a BYU football game. It was snowing and cold, but he loved it and we got to see 3 touchdowns happen right in front of where we were sitting.

Daddy
Daddy got a promotion at work (YAY!). He no longer goes to big stores, instead he visits individual dealers. It is more driving covering a greater area (thankfully he got a new car!), but also means weekends off and better finances to take care of our family. He works so hard and never complains.

Mommy
Mommy's the lifeline behind everyone else. It's not always easy and exhausting most of the time. Yes, I am pregnant, due in April. But that's just the icing on the cake. The day that I suspected I might be pregnant was the day I received my new calling from the Bishop. Primary President. Chris was traveling for the next month, it was the hottest most humid it has ever been, and I was in an all-out war with ants in my house!
This pregnancy has been a great test of hope and faith. I haven't told many people, because I'm not sure what the outcome will be. So far everything is perfect. I was horribly sick most of the time, but that has gotten better. It has been one year today since Chelsea was born, and it's been a crazy year.  I know that I have grown a lot, but I am amazed at the amount of growing I still experience. Painful growth too.
But we hang in there!
Thank goodness I have a great group of crazies to keep me sane!
 

Last Days of Summer

The kids were determined to spend the last few weeks of summer doing as little as possible. Some days Dillan would get frustrated if I told him I needed to go to the store because he did NOT want to put clothes on! They played the Wii every morning until finally got...bored. Once the boredom set in, it was Mom who suffered. It was too hot to go outside or do anything. Those days were hard. When Daddy finally got home, we ate dinner and discovered the temp outside was better. Poking around in the garage, the kids rediscovered their bikes. Some little tune-ups, new helmets, and smash! Now they are hooked!

It's a new found freedom that they love. Mom and Dad are now in the market to get bikes of our own.
 A bike riding family!
It's a forgotten dream of mine finally coming true!

Drewby absolutely LOVES his bike. Although there's just one problem-he doesn't pedal. He insists on putting on the helmet and sitting on the bike, waiting for someone to push or pull him.
So once I finally get a bike, I will have to figure out a seat or trailer for him. Or he will have to let me know what works for him.  Now if we can get Leah to ditch the training wheels she doesn't need, we'll be good to roll!

Shaver!

It is such hard work waiting for Shaver Time to roll around. The kids (and parents) had to dig out all sorts of patience to wait for the day to finally come! The days just seemed to drag on until the cousins arrived and we were ON OUR WAY!!!

 

This year Papa came up with the brilliant idea of adopting a cove and dedicating it to Kaley and Tayler. Duh! Why didn't we think of this before? 80 hours of picking up trash, with the Taylors? Piece o cake! The kids didn't even complain. They had fun trying to figure out what some of the stuff was they were finding. Yes, mostly bottle caps and cigarette butts. There were a couple treasures found, too. A turtle-shaped sand toy and a squirt stick!











 We also discovered another hidden treasure in town: Hawaiian Shaved Ice! Perfect after the hot days at the lake, just before dinnertime. Next year: Amazing breakfast crepes!!!










The kids were over excited to be with cousins. They played in the sand, played in the water, rowed the kayaks to "rock island," played frisbee and snacked to their hearts' content! Dillan even braved the tube this year behind the boat and loved it! Drew couldn't wait each morning to get on Papa's boat and go "simmy-simmy!" He's been going through all the pictures and points out Papa's boat almost as much as he points out Baby Gwennie!

It's the best time of the year, we love being with the family and making memories!

summer unwound

Summer started out a little like this:

A little trip to the ER for Drewby, when he started limping one day. He didn't seem to be in any pain at all, just hobbled around. He started doing it after a trip to the park where he had been playing on the toys. We checked for splinters, tried flexing his foot, anything to get a reaction. We were ready to just wait it out, much to the dismay of our doctor. The next morning he didn't put ANY weight on it at all, which was scary. Clear X-Ray, clear blood tests, doctors didn't know what to think! We were told to put him on Motrin and wait till it goes away. Which it did. Without Motrin. I'm convinced he bruised his heel.

Soon after Leah and Avery were finally able to have their very first sleepover! It was a long wait, but they made it. Soon after we said a teary good-bye to the Camps as they moved to Utah. They promise to visit and go to Disneyland before our passes expire, but it's been sad for all of us!



 Then Daddy announced that he had some time-off from work for Independence Day. So we decided to take a trip to St. George to see Grandma Donna & Papa Bob. We made our own patriotic T-shirts for the occasion! We had fun swimming, baking, crafting, slipNslide, watching fireworks, and even got to set off our OWN! That never happens!

Leah got a haircut and had fun being Grandma's shadow in her salon, shopping, and going through her jewelry.


Dillan got a Happy Napper Monkey from one of his friends for his birthday, and Drewby has not been without it since. I finally convinced Dillan to let me buy it from him for Drew. Which he was fine with. Drew loves this monkey and is usually snuggling with it or kissing it. He also has begun talking to it, calling it on the phone and disciplining it.


Drew has also come to love Papa's boat and truck! He's not as fearful on the boat as he used to be and lets the wind blow at him, no problem. When it's time to jump in and swim, he usually says no. He waits until no one is looking or asking him to get in, when he finally decides to do it himself. He'll put his feet on the deck, then sit on the deck.
On this last trip, he saw his brother and sister get on the EZ Ski and decided he wanted to try it too! Dillan got on with him and they floated for a few minutes without fear! He seemed a little unsure, but smiled the whole time, looking and feeling BRAVE!

Yay for summer!

Cub Camp

Back in April Dillan was invited to register for Cub Camp, since he would become a scout soon. Since his birthday, he's only had one den meeting, but absolutely loves scouts! It's been hard waiting for camp to finally get here. Here's how it went:

Day 1: Chris got to go as a parent helper. They packed up their sack dinners and were all set. They got home at 8:30. Dillan ran inside the house and yelled, "MOM! I got to do archery! I did tug-o-war. Look, I drew a map of the camp! My den is den #7, you want to hear our den cheer?" He couldn't stop talking about all the fun he had!

Day 2: Almost 9 pm, Dillan runs inside "Mom! Look what I made!" He had a birdhouse under one arm he had painted, a long with a small yellow and green rock-looking thing. "It's made out of clay, mom." I turned it over and it was a compass! "I killed it in kickball today!" He went on and on about how he got so many people out and how his friend Luc kicked a home run. His shirt was covered in paint, and could I please wash it?

Day 3: They had a discussion about nutrition today and talked about the American flag. He told me he was making something at the camp, but it wasn't finished yet. He was looking forward to shooting a BB gun. His den won the loudest cheer. He thinks kickball is the greatest thing ever. He promises to check the lost and found for his hat the next day. He set it on a cone that divided the field, but when he went back to get it, the cones were picked up.

Day 4: The last day. The camp provided a BBQ for dinner for the campers, so he was excited he didn't have to pack a dinner. Hot dogs, chips, watermelon and gatorade. He LOVED the BB guns. He proudly showed me his target with the score written in the top corner: 29. He also showed me his patriotic craft. A red, white and blue sand art in the shape of a firework with sparkly garland all around. He is getting to know some of the other boys in the den, since he is only one of 3 from our ward, out of 12.

Such a fun week! Wish I could have seen it all!
Although, Dillan did describe it all pretty well. And I don't think he left out much.

Busy kid

Catching up, Dillan had a crazy month of May!
First, he turned 8. He wanted to have a soccer party. Because it was during baseball playoffs, we changed the party 3 times! Two different invites and a last minute change. It was nuts! But fun!

After a stellar soccer season, Dillan was selected for the all-star team! The U8 team was to play a U10 team, with a 16-year-old goalkeeper to help them out! It gave the U8s a chance to play on a large field and have a goalie for the first time. Positioning was the hardest thing for them to figure out, and they all ran themselves till they were exhausted! Dillan played center-midfield and did awesome. He scored the only goal for his team. They lost 1-3, but they kept it close most of the game. He got a medal and had fun playing with his buddy Ethan. Next season Dillan will be playing in a different league, which will be good for him. We'll miss his coach, but he's excited for the challenge.

These kids also FINALLY mustered up some bravery at Disneyland/California Adventures. Dillan braved California Screamin' and loved it! Leah went on Splash Mountain, let out a lot of tears after the big drop, but once she got off screamed, "Next time I'm riding in the FRONT!" They were rewarded with large lollipops to finish out their day!

And finally, Dillan was able to get baptized on June 1st. Grandma Donna, Papa Bob, Aunt Leeann and Uncle Chad all came from Utah to share in his special day. We also had a lot of family come to support him. He was very excited and talks all the time about his responsibilities because he is baptized. He understands the importance of being a good example to his brother and sister. He got to be baptized with Isabella, who's family are recent converts to the church. It was a great experience for all of us!
I hope he doesn't forget his special day. Hopefully he can read this post one day and know how proud we are of him and his decisions. He tries to make good choices everyday and follow the example of Jesus. This is his first step in his eternal progression and there is still so much for him to learn. I learn a lot from him everyday. He is very observant and always thinking. New experiences and responsibilities are his now. I can only hope that I have done all I can for him up to this point and can continue to help him along his path. He just grows up too fast.

Last Day of School!

...and we finished another school year! Amazing! It's like it just started, and now it's over!

Leah had an awesome year, with the sweetest teacher, Mrs. Taylor! She made lots of new friends, reads like a superstar, AND her writing took off like a rocket. She even earned a Young Author's Award! She is so excited for 1st grade, which means going to a full day of school with her big brother!

Dillan bragged all year how he had the only male teacher at the school. He loved Mr. Fisher, and had a great year of learning. He mastered multiplication and division, is reading well above grade level, and discovered a new talent/passion: art. He earned all 4s and 5s on his report card and is looking forward to a fun summer and then 3rd grade!













The kids came home to their doors blocked off with notes from Mom and Dad. They also had Dippin Dots ice cream to kick off the start of SUMMER!

10 years!

So I've been trying to figure this out. Is life like a roller coaster? Not sure. I get the ups and downs and turns, but I just don't think it fits. A maze maybe? But that may say that you're constantly searching for the "right way" to go in order to find an escape.
I want to say that the past 10 years have been...crazy?...dizzying?...educational?...amazing? A hike! I guess it's a hike. A hike through mountains. Canyons. Across oceans. Noisy, stinky cities. There are many paths. Some paths go through mud. Some water, floating on a cushion. Some flip you upside-down, not sure how you'll ever recover. But you have to keep moving forward. Backwards is no good. You have to help each other. No matter the cost. One may be the better swimmer, one the stronger climber. You learn from each other. You learn to be patient. You give and you take. And you grow.
Then you have kids to take on this hike. And they take the adventure to a whole other level. They complain, they argue, they take more and more when you feel you have absolutely nothing left to give. Fortunately, they also bring joy and pride. They teach you. They make you a better person. One you never imagined you could be.
Isn't it great!

















I am so blessed to have you. Everyday I feel like I don't deserve you. I wonder why you chose me. Yes, I have self-esteem issues. You are my constant reminder that I am worthy and loved. Even when I think you over-do your affection or I feel awkward and undeserving, my heart smiles. It still skips a beat whenever I see you walk into a room.


















Thanks for being my rock. My sure place. My everything. My love.
Here's to the first 10 and a zillion more!
Imagine if I get a little better every year, how amazing I could be in that amount of time!

8...when did that happen?

It's another milestone. One that kind of snuck up on me. Not sure I'm ready to have an 8-year-old around here. It's like he's crossed over in upper-childhood. Cub Scouts. Baptism. It's a big deal for this kid!
Good thing he makes it look good!

Dillan has been crazy busy this spring playing baseball AND soccer. He's been going a thousand miles/hour, and trying to finish up 2nd grade. His soccer team finished with an 8-0 record and he made the All-Star team. He's definitely become quite the soccer player. I believe he has found his spark. I'm glad that he tried a lot of different sports, but it became obvious last fall that soccer was IT for him.

 This month is crazy busy with school projects, baseball playoffs, soccer finished up - now AllStars, cub scouts, preparing for baptism, a birthday party, and trying to fit in Disneyland before summer blackouts!

This year for his birthday, he didn't ask for any toys. He really just wanted a party. Chris came up with a great gift, though. A telescope. Genius! Dillan couldn't believe it. At the beginning of the school year, his school put on a star gazing night with a group from the local planetarium that brought in 10 huge telescopes to the blacktop. Dillan loved hearing about constellations, planets, and shooting stars. Once he saw the telescope, all he wants to do is go out and look at the sky. I also found a puzzle game for his DS and a little propeller car he has to build himself. Kind of a science/learning theme. Grandma and Papa gave him Super Smash Bros. for the Wii. He beat all of us easily.

On his birthday he got to attend his first cub meeting. It was at the park just down the street from our house! Before he left he asked, "Mom, so today at cub scouts, it's just practice right?" "And Cody's mom is our coach?" Not sure how to explain scouts to him, he expected it to be like a team. Once he got home, I asked him how it was. His response: AWESOME! He loved everything about it. They got to run around and do races, read from their book, and had a snack.

Dillan, Mommy and Daddy are so proud of you and the young man you have become. You are learning to make good choices and how to be a hard worker. We love watching you play soccer and hearing about all your successes at school. You have become a great writer and artist this year. You are also the greatest big brother to Leah and Drew and are a great example to them. We are so proud of your decision to be baptized and follow Jesus. We love you more than we can say!
Love,
Mom and Dad

San Clemente/ Spring Break

Two weeks off! I tried for days to think of things to do since our Disneyland passes were blacked-out. I shouldn't have bothered. The kids were determined to stay in their jammies all day and not leave the house! We did manage to get away and camp for a few days with Grandma & Papa and play at the beach. It's tradition, and we love it.










Speaking of tradition, we took the training wheels off Leah's bike so she could try to ride. Not this time. She was not having anything to do with that. She definitely needs more practice riding WITH training wheels. Maybe we'll try again this summer. Drewby took a turn on Dillan's old bike. He liked sitting on it, anyway. Feeling big. Not pedaling yet, but he'll get there.

The family camping across the road from us had a bunch of kids who became instant friends. We figured out later that their mother and I were on the same floor at DT at BYU. We had classes together in the Freshman Academy and in the same ward. "No wonder you look so familiar!" Once she said she was originally from Arkansas, I immediately remembered her.










Riding bikes, campfires, playing in the sand, playing baseball at the park, flying kites with Papa.
As an added bonus this year, we had cousins come see us!
That's what it's all about!