Minimum Days!

We have loved this week because Thomas has minimum days all week. I love that he gets to be home for lunch and all afternoon. He told me that he likes it because he can "spend more than just 3 hours with my family until I have to go to bed." I know it is important for him to go to school, but we sure cherish the times we are together. Spring absolutely loves that when she wakes up from her naps he is home and he already has his homework done so they can just play!

Yesterday we had his parent-teacher conference and Joel was able to be there for it as well. His teacher told us how wonderful Thomas is doing in school. We already know he is very advanced academically but it was great to hear her tell us what a great kid he is. She told us how obedient, responsible, kind, and hard working he is. It feels so good as a parent when you hear that your children are demonstrating the behaviors that you work so hard to instill in them, even when you are not around...to know that they choose to be obedient, even when mom and dad aren't watching and to stand up to others and defend their beliefs. His teacher is always impressed by his positive attitude even when they are doing work that is far beneath him. She said he is so kind to everyone and kids naturally gravitate toward him. She told us that he eagerly helps those around him and explains things to others when they don't understand. She told us that he extends himself and goes the extra mile on his assignments. We loved being able to see some of his writing assignments in which he really extended himself and in his teacher's words, "really shined and showed what he is capable of." She also told us that there have been a few instances when Thomas has "saved her." She told us about when she was losing her voice in the middle of a story and started coughing and needed to take a break. She went to get a drink and the kids were concerned. Thomas, very matter of factly, asked, "Mrs. DeiRossi, would you like me to read the book to the class?" She cheerfully took him up on the offer. She said the class was so impressed at the end because he read an "adult" book with so much excitement and inflection. She was surprised that Thomas had not even told us about it! We are so blessed to have obedient and cheerful children. We are so grateful that Thomas is still willing to work hard and have a positive attitude even when the work is not challenging to him.

Snowflakes for Dessert

Our family is still working on learning the Articles of Faith. Tonight we passed off the 5th and started on the 6th. It is so fun, and entertaining, to hear them recite the Articles of Faith. Spring, especially, is so cute to listen to . Then we combined our FHE activity and treat as we made snowflakes. It was so much fun. We folded flour tortillas into quarters and then Thomas and Spring used scissors to cut snowflakes, just as you would with paper. Then we cooked them in a little oil and sprinkled them with powdered sugar. It was so fun and exciting! Thomas and Spring decided to run some over to Jeff and Wendy before eating their snowflakes!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

We spent the day today decorating for Christmas. Thomas and Spring were so excited as they went through the boxes of Christmas decorations and were reminded of things they had seen and done in past Christmases. I think that is one of the greatest things...the memories that we create and are able to share again and again each year. Mary was fascinated by the lights on the Christmas tree and kept trying to grab at them. Sammy enjoyed hanging ornaments this year and the older 2 were so good at helping him understand what he was supposed to do. Tonight we are going to watch the 'Polar Express' and then Thomas and Spring are having a sleepover in the front room by the Christmas tree.

decorating

Howdie Partner & Horseshoe

Thanks for the book, Aunt Alanna.

I love that there is a horseshoe in every picture. I have found 2 only so far. I will keep looking for more. I like it that it is signed by Brad Wilcox.
Love, Thomas
Hip Hip Horray for Annie McRae. I like that it says "hip hip horray for Annie McRae" on every page. I love you.
Love, Spring

Holiday in the Park

Holiday in the Park

We took the kids to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for the final time this year. They were celebrating with "Holiday in the Park." There were lots of decorations and fun Christmas activities and shows. It was only open from 4 pm-10 pm so it got really cold but the kids had fun. There was snow falling in 'Winter Wonderland' that they were able to play in. Thomas and Spring tried ot catch the snow in their mouths. They visited Santa and Mrs. Clause in Santa's workshop. They also decorated a huge sugar cookie and shared it the rest of the evening. We had a good time and it got everyone really excited for the Christmas season.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving 2007

We had a good Thanksgiving this year. It was a little difficult because all of my family was together in Utah and all of Joel's family was in Arizona. We were not able to travel because of the very brief break from school that Thomas had. Spring and Sammy also have ear infections. Spring is doing much better but Sammy is still really fevered and just not feeling very well. We had a good time, though. We went to our friends, the Water's, for dinner. The kids had so much fun playing together. All, in all, it was a wonderful day. We have so much to be thankful for. We have a wonderful family, obedient children, wonderful families, and our testimonies of Jesus Christ. It is a great opportunity to reflect and remind ourselves of all Heavenly Father has blessed us with.

New Pictures

I just picked up the pictures from JCPenney's today. We have Sammy's 2 year pictures as well as family pictures we took. They were both taken about 2 weeks ago. Let me tell you, family pictures are becoming more and more of an adventure...but it is so worth it. We always laugh about how the pictures sometimes turn out. We are glad if most of us are looking in the same direction. Pictures are so important to me so we take them quite often. I don't care if someone is making a goofy face either because I just remind myself that the most important thing is the memories we have from the pictures!

November pictures

Soccer Party

Tonight was Thomas' end of the season soccer party at the Pizza Factory. Thomas enjoyed seeing all his friends from the team again. He made really good friends with Cody and Kyle this season. He loved getting his trophy. We, Mom and Dad, are relieved the season is over. It was a wonderful opportunity for Thomas to learn the game and to work hard and make marked improvements. It was an excellent opportunity for Joel to spend time coaching Thomas. The whole family enjoyed going to the practices and games together. But, we are glad there was an end to it. We look forward to more time to just be home in the evenings together...we also look forward to Saturday mornings where we don't have to run off to soccer games again! If the kids want to play again next year, we will...but it is a good thing we have almost a year before this starts all over again. We feel strongly that we need to be careful to not overschedule the kids so that we always have time to relax and enjoy our time at home. No year-round chaos for our family! :)

The infamous "silly" picture of the team!

Thomas' Field Trip

Thomas had a field trip today and I was fortunate enough to be able to go with his class. We walked to the local high school to see the play, "The Little Mermaid." I am so glad I have the opportunity to help in his class weekly and attend field trips and other special activities with him. I appreciate wonderful friends that are willing to let our younger children come play and have fun. Thomas really enjoyed the play and it was fun to listen to him talk with his friends on the way to the play and on the way back to the school. It was funny to hear them all tell us how hungry they were on the way back to the school. They did a lot of walking and got back to school just before lunchtime!

Dirt+Water+Kids=FUN

Lydia and Gideon were over again today, as it was Monday and they always come to play on Monday. I knew they were in the backyard playing but it was too quiet. I went out back to find them building 'sand' castles with dirt and water. They were having so much fun. It is amazing how much fun kids can have with some buckets, dirt, and water! Sammy, of course, ended up the dirtiest out of all 4 of them!

After the escapades in the dirt, Sammy needed to be stripped down and rinsed off in the sink. He ended up running off before I could put more clothes on him and then I didn't bother. He spent the rest of the day in a diaper, happy as could be! After naptime he wanted to put on Spring's soccer socks, shinguards and cleats. Doesn't he look adorable!!! Joel woke up to see him dressed that way and just shook his head! Sammy thought he was cool and that's what is important...right?!

California Cougars

Saturday evening we went with some of the other family's from Thomas' soccer team to a California Cougars soccer game. The Cougars are a professional indoor soccer team. It is so intense. The game is a mix between soccer, hockey, and basketball. It was very exciting and fast paced. We all had a wonderful time together. After the game the kids went with Joel down by the field and the Cougars came to them and gave them autographs. They had worn their soccer uniforms so they had them covered in autographs. The players were very friendly and good with the kids. One of the players kept trying to get Spring to give him "5". She was being shy and wouldn't but after about his 4th for 5th try she finally gave him "5" and he got so excited. We will definitely do this again with the family. The kids fell asleep on the drive home and when I was laying Spring into bed she said, half-asleep, "I'm so glad we went to the soccer game." That made it all worth it!

cougar soccer

Soccer Saturday

Saturday was a very full day for us...but it was fun. Joel helped the YM clean the church beginning at 7:00 am. Thomas wanted to go as well so they both cleaned the church. They came home in time for us to head off to the first of 2 soccer games for Thomas. This was the Jamboree for the end of the soccer season. After the first game we came home and the kids played baseball outside for quite a while. Joel fixed the water pump on our washing machine...so grateful for his willingness and ability to troubleshoot and fix this for us. The kids had lunch and naps. They woke up in time for us to head off to Thomas' second game of the day. Thomas played so well in this game. He usually plays goalie but he played forward for this game. He had 3 shots on goal. He told us after he loved playing offense because he was able to get more exercise than he usually gets! We came home, had dinner, and headed off to the California Cougars soccer game. It was a full day but we were together all day and enjoyed the time as a family.

soccer saturday

New Milestones for Mary

It seems Mary is really starting to grow up lately. It seems everyday she is doing more and losing more of her 'babiness.' It is always bittersweet...I miss my newborn cuddler yet it is so fun and exciting to watch her learn, discover, and grow. I think that may be how our Heavenly Father feels about us as we are here on earth. We lose our innocence as we leave His presence, yet He is excited and marvels at the choices we make and the growth we accomplish while on earth.

Mary has started to pull herself up on things. She often does this on stepstools on the tile. As she starts to stand up her feet usually slip out from under her, those darn socks, and/or the stepstool starts moving on her. She falls a lot but seldom cries. She is very determined and just starts again. She also likes to pull up on the chairs. She loves to chew on the metal legs too...trying to get that 4th tooth to break through.

Another thing she has began to do is babble a lot. It is so fun to listen to her. I think those little sounds are soothing and so wonderful. She and Sammy babble back and forth all the time-especially in the van when we are driving. Sammy sits in the back and can see Mary's face so they babble and laugh back and forth. Sometimes it is difficult to distinguish who is the babbler! What precious blessings our children are. I love them so much and my heart is so full with gratitude for the time I am allowed to spend with them. I feel I am living the dream as I spend each day playing, teaching, feeding, cleaning up after them, and sharing in their sweet innocent spirits.

Homemade Bread

I decided to post some pictures of making homemade bread since it is a weekly ritual at home...actually I make bread at least twice a week, sometimes more depending on how quickly we go through the bread. We have not bought bread in almost 3 years now. I really enjoy making it and I love to see how excited the kids are to have warm homemade bread. I usually try to plan it so the bread comes out of the oven around breakfast, lunch, or dinner because we will go through at least a loaf right out of the oven. It makes for a quick and easy meal. Otherwise, it is just a really yummy snack for the kids. We usually give away at least one loaf as well. The kids love to deliver a loaf to the neighbors, friends, or others we have chosen. All the kids love to help me make the bread...Thomas even has the recipe memorized. One of their favorite parts is to butter the top of the hot bread right out of the oven.

Last Sunday was our Primary program. I made homemade bread for the kids to have as a treat during sharing time. I made 5 batches of bread on Saturday. Thomas asked me why I was making so much bread and I told him it was for a treat for primary. He said, "Homemade bread is not a treat...we have that all the time!" Let me tell you though, all the primary kids loved it and thought it was so wonderful. I was glad I was able to make it for them.

Hodge Podge of Pictures and Videos

These are just some random pictures and videos from the last few days. Yesterday we had such a fun morning and afternoon because Thomas was off school. The kids never even got dressed yesterday. We just stayed home and played games, read books, and played together. It is so fun to just spend time together.

Sammy pulled himself up onto Mary's tray and was hanging there when I walked in the room.

I love our sweet, little Mary. She is growing up so fast and really developing her own fun personality.

Sammy was adamant about wearing this hat all day. He put it on in the morning and went to naptime with it still on.

Thomas is our little man. He is a great example and so much fun. It is fun to hear him tell us all the new things he does at school and talk about his friends. His favorite thing to do at recess is play tetherball and jumprope.

Sammy and Mary are really quite good friends. They babble back and forth to each other with the biggest smiles on their faces. Sammy loves to share with Mary. I just love to see him bend down, bend his head to the side so he can look her in the eyes and talk to her with the sweetest voice.

Evening at Grandma and Grandpa's house

Thomas didn't have school yesterday and Joel got home from work earlier than we had expected so we decided to go to Fairfield so the kids could see Grandma and Grandpa. It was a fast trip and we were only there for about 2 hours but the kids had a great time. They helped Grandma make homemade pizza for dinner and Sammy got to open his birthday present from them. We also were able to see Tammy and Ty for a few minutes before leaving to drive home.

Grandma's house

Getting Ready for Sunday

Spring is giving a talk in Primary tomorrow. She has a big day because it is also our program. She and Thomas are so excited for the program. They have invited our neighbors to church and there are at least 2 coming. They have memorized their parts and know all the songs. It will be fun. Spring has also been working on her talk (which she made up on her own). I told her the theme was being thankful for our blessings so she got down the gospel art kit and pulled out pictures. A little while later she told me she was ready for me to listen. I think she did a great job. She wanted me to take a "movie" of it so everyone could hear it. So, here it is...

Green Bath Fun

We saw a picture of the kids' cousins with green bath water that their mom kindly colors for them. I was commenting to her that our kids make their own using a whole canister of green foam soap. They have done this twice...after receiving the foam soap from Grandma. Here are the pictures from each time they did it!

This was in June 2007

This was in February 2005

For the Love of Chocolate

Alanna... Here are some of the pictures I found of the kids enjoying chocolate! Let me know which one you think would be best. I think it is such a good idea to enter the contest!

For the love of chocolate

Playplace Fun

I took Sammy to get his 2 year pictures today and then the kids played at the playplace afterwards. Sammy was in heaven being able to climb on anything he wanted without me following behind getting him down. Spring loved having Mary with her. It was a fun morning just letting them play and run wild. They were so tired afterwards that they came home for lunch and then went right to sleep for their naps!

playing at the mall

Laundry Day

What do the following things have to do with a load of laundry????

They do wonders at getting red melted crayon off of clothing! Yes, that was my task today during naptime. I went to get the clothes out of the dryer and saw red spotted clothing...lots of red on every item of clothing and then a red crayon (what was left of it) in the lint tray. I have no idea how a red crayon ended up in the dryer (can anyone say "Sammy") but it did. Thank goodness for the internet where I was able to find tips to remove it. Well, it did take close to an hour but I think it will work. Partway through, however, I decided I was not going to waste my time on the kids' underwear, pajamas, or socks. They aren't really seen anyway!!!

Can he fix it???

Joel, our lifesaving handyman, saved the day. He was able to get ALL the coins out of the cassette player in the van. All it took was a $5 tool and about 15 minutes. We couldn't believe how much money Sammy had shoved in it. So, we have been able to get the coins out of the CD player and the cassette player. I told him he could keep the change as a tip for his hard work!

Family Happenings

"Marily" on her way

Mary has really been on the move lately. She is the first of our children to do the army crawl and that is all she does right now...but it works for her because she is so fast. Her latest tricks are pulling herself up to things. She loves to empty out baskets. She also loves to chew up magazines and paper. She is so fast now that I often turn my head and she is gone. Her smile lights up the rooms though and I love to hold and cuddle her. She has 3 teeth now and the 4th should be in by the end of the week. About the only thing that gets her crying now a days is when she bites her own thumb!

We Love Our Daddy!

Daddy has been really busy with work lately. They have given him a new project that is very intensive but he is doing so well. It is a great experience for him and he is finding a lot of success. The kids love to run out to the car and help him "drive" into the garage when he gets home from work. I love him so much and I appreciate his hard work and his desire for me to stay home with our children. He is my best friend and my eternal sweetheart!

Thomas is such a great example to his younger siblings. He wants to do what is right. Our ward is in the middle of a 40-day fast and our family took a turn this past Saturday. Thomas decided he was going to try to fast also for the first time. He had a soccer game Saturday morning so we convinced him that he could just fast lunch. Well, he had a very small breakfast, drank some water at halftime and then had his snack after his game. He then fasted from 10 am until 5 pm when the missionaries came to break the fast with us! When we got home from his soccer game he asked us to pray with him so he could start his fast. He did so well and we were so proud of him. The only time he told us he was hungry was at 4:30 and we told him he only had a half hour to go. He decided he could finish and he did. It was a wonderful opportunity for our family to fast and feel the Spirit in our home.

Spring is such a big helper to me during the day. She loves to do her "homework" during the day. She will write letters to people asking me to spell the words letter by letter as she writes them down. She now can spell about 20 different words all on her own! She loves to play with our neighbor's dogs and ride her bike outside. She is our little "mom in training."

Sammy, oh Sammy

I am not sure what else to say about Sammy. He just turned 2 and is living up to the label of "terrible twos!" He is so darn cute and his smile saves him from serious reprimands sometimes. The last few days have been really tough with him. Sunday he decided to shove a bunch of coins into the CD player and cassette player in our van. I was able to get them out of the CD player but we are not sure what to do about the ones in the cassette player. He is our little monkey and climbs everywhere. He can somehow shimmy his way up the cupboards to get onto the counters without the help of chairs or stools or anything. Yesterday I walked into the kitchen to find him on top of the refrigerator. He was after the bowl of Halloween candy and had a huge smile on his face! He thought he was so funny. Another new trick of his is to turn the kitchen lights off and on. He just laughs hysterically as he is doing it.

Then, today I lost him and Spring in Target. He slid out of the basket and Spring went to get him. Then all of a sudden they were gone. I was pushing the basket with Mary in it and calling all over for them to no avail. I was starting really panic as I saw a sister from our ward. She asked where my other kids were and I told her I couldn't find them. She said, "Leave Mary with me and you can look better." Just then I saw another sister from our ward and she took off in the opposite direction looking for them. We got near the registers to see them walking together with Sister Chance, our ward's primary chorister. I was so relieved. Sister Chance told me that when she saw them, Spring ran up to her and said, "We can't find our mom. Will you help us?" I am so grateful for God's hand in our life with this. Spring told me how lucky we were to see so many people from church at Target. I took the time to explain to her that it was not luck, but a blessing from Heavenly Father to help us in our time of need.

"Don't I look cute?"

Sammy received a package in the mail from Aunt Alanna today for his birthday. He was so excited when I handed the package to him and he immediately tried to tear it open; however, he was unsuccessful. Spring saved the day for him and quickly opened it for him. When he saw the clothes he started clapping and then started to pull his shirt and pants off. We, of course, had to put the new clothes on him. They are so cute. Thanks Aunt Alanna!

Jumping Jacks

The kids wanted seconds on brownies for dessert so we told them they needed to do 20 push-ups. That was really funny to watch. After much weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth from Spring, we told them they could either do the 20 push-ups or 40 jumping jacks. You can watch to see what they decided on!

Happy Birthday, Sammy!

Sammy's 2nd birthday

Our little Sammy is 2 today! It is hard to believe. His birthday seems to sneak up on us with Halloween before it. Thomas and Spring were so excited to have a "party" for him. This afternoon Spring helped me make pizza for dinner and brownies for his "cake." We usually do brownies instead of cake because none of us enjoy cake very much. Then, Spring wanted to wrap Sammy's present but I didn't have wrapping paper. I was just going to put it in a gift bag for him. Well, she was convinced he needed wrapping paper so she made some of her own. It was really cute. It was a fun evening celebrating his birthday as a family. Sammy is such a delight to have in our family. We are blessed daily with his silly personality, his contagious smile, and the unmistakable twinkle in his eye, inherited from his Great-Grandpa Spring. We love you, Sammy!

Happy Halloween

We went trick or treating around our neighborhood on Halloween night. We probably went to about 10 homes and the kids were ready to come home. They came inside and sorted through their candy and then we put it all in a big bowl. They loved handing out candy when people came to our house...in fact I think that was the part they enjoyed the most.

halloween