Teach them while they're young....

and it becomes one of their chores when they're older.

Dan found these great little kid snow shovels that the kids have been very anxious to use. So the first really chance they got to shovel the walk, they were out there and they did a great job. Dan said they really did a lot of work.

I think they actually cleared most of the whole sidewalk between the two of them.

Little mommy

Jonah just needed someone to cuddle with while I was unpacking groceries and getting dinner ready. I thought it was just too cute. She really got a kick out of it.

8 years ago

So I thought I'd post a little tribute, since this is our 8 year anniversary today. As you can tell, it was a beautiful sunny day, short sleeves, no snow. We were married in the L.A. Temple and had our Christmasy reception that night. After three weeks off of school and work (that's why we got married on the 16th) we packed up all my stuff and headed for Provo so Dan could finish school. Now 8 years later, here is our family. Three adorable children and lots of fun.

Decorating the Christmas Tree

It was late and he was tired, but he still got to put his two ornaments on the tree.

Megan with her antlers. She wore them all night while decorating the tree.

Who needs a ladder when you have a daddy?

We had to tell the girls to put ornaments on the back of the tree because they kept wanting to put them all on the front where everyone could see them.

It wouldn't be Christmas without Catherine having a Strawberry Shortcake ornament. It even smells strawberry. I'll have to post a picture of the finished tree later.

Antlers

We got these antlers at the store the other day. Megan saw them first and wanted to wear them around the store and then Jonah took them from her and wouldn't take them off his head (which he usually doesn't like stuff on his head). They were so cute that I had to buy them. And if you buy one for one kid, you have to buy one for the others.

I guess this picture should have been first. I went shopping at Macey's one day and they had Santa there. I expected Megan to be shy, but no. She asked to sit on his lap, walked right up and just chatted with him. I was so proud. Jonah only wanted the candy cane. When Catherine heard Megan got to sit on Santa's lap, she asked her, "where you a little bit scared?" She then told me she had to sit on Santa's lap also and kept asking when we could take her to the mall. I must admit though, I am throughly disappointed with the mall Santa's I've seen. No hat, no coat, just the red pants, and some Christmasy turtleneck, and very bald. Then Albertson's announced Santa was going to be there on Saturday, so we went and Catherine got to sit on his lap and tell him what she wanted. Of course, Megan got all shy and wouldn't go near him and Jonah still only wanted the candy cane. Wouldn't go anywhere near him either.

Should I be worried?

Today, while driving home from Target, Jonah was in a very grumpy mood, until Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer came on the radio and then he just started laughing like it was the funniest thing he'd heard. Then when the song was over he went back to being grumpy. I guess I don't have anything to worry about yet but it sounds like his grandma's might.

Shepherds

Our ward had a cute Christmas party where everyone came as shepherds and they had a potluck dinner then the Christmas Nativity play. These are my two shepherds. Catherine was so excited to dress up as a shepherd but was also the first one to take her costume off during the dinner. Megan kept hers on all night. Catherine also was bored because all they had was just singing. Megan sat there singing or just watching the whole time. They were very cute.

Grocery Shopping with Megan

This has happened to me a couple times now and I thought it was funny, though being the mom, I can't laugh when she's around. As I've taken Megan with me grocery shopping (thinking two kids would be easier than three because Catherine's at school) I'm finding I'm spending more. One reason is, when I get home and I'm unloading the groceries there are items that I did not put in my cart. I've found out it is Megan who is the culprit and I think she sneaks stuff onto the conveyor belt when I'm busy unloading the cart and not looking really carefully. Sometimes, as we are walking around the store, she'll ask me for something and if I tell her no, she'll try to hide it until we get to the checkout. She knows that if it gets home, I'm not going all the way back to the store to return it (unless it was really expensive, which I hope I'd catch at the checkout). I've gotten pretty good about catching her early. It's just really funny. I've definately got to watch her.

Misc Pictures

Ok here's some pictures. Catherine & Megan eating snow in our first snowstorm. That's what they love, to build snowmen and eat snow.



















































Dan & I at the football game. This is the first game I've been to since 2001. I'm just not as much of a fan as Dan. I'd rather watch the game comfortable at home, usually. It is fun to go to a game once in a while.








Catherine's swimming lessons.



















Catherine dressed up as a pilgrim for their Thanksgiving feast at school.












Catherine, Megan & Jonah setting up the Little People Nativity. It's great because it's a Christmas decoration they can play with and I don't have to stress over it.

Catherine, Megan & I on the day we decorated for Christmas. Yes, we have to be all Christmasy to decorate the house.

November

Ok, I know it's been almost a month since I've posted anything and I keep saying that I need to upload pictures and update the blog and it never happens. So I'm updating without pictures and hopefully they'll come later. It seems like this has been a crazy, hectic month. Catherine had swimming lesson for two weeks and she loved it. I admit I got to the point that I dreaded taking her to class everyday though. Megan and Jonah weren't feeling well so I wasn't about to let them play in the water and I had tonsillitis for a couple of those days so it was not fun for me, but great for her. She really is our little fish and loves being in the water.
My parents and two of my brothers with their families came up a week(ish) ago and we had a lot of fun. We had a sort of Thanksgiving dinner at my house on Saturday with lots of family here. It was great to try some new recipes on a big crowd and had some really good compliments. It was nice to have my parents here. My mom watched Megan and Jonah one afternoon so I could volunteer at Catherine's classroom, which is something I'd love to do more, but don't get to do very often.
Then this last week I tweaked my back, enough to be bothersome, but not enough to be out of commission. Dan was very worried, mostly because he is so busy at work and working late a lot, that he couldn't be around to help if I was out of commission. I'm fine though. It happens every now and then.
I am thankful for Thanksgiving this week and for this time to think about all we've been given. I am thankful to be going close by for Thanksgiving and not having to drive far this year. It seems to work out well, that the years we have to drive I'm in the mood to get away for a vacation and the years we're at home, I'm content to just stay close by. Hopefully I'll get updated pictures posted soon.

Trick or Treating early

We took our kids to the Legacy Center to go Trick or Treating. We went last year and they really enjoyed it. This was Jonah's first time trick or treating and he was adorable. He wouldn't take the trick or treat bag off his arm. He was even unsure of letting people near it (even if it was to put stuff in). I must say, he makes an adorable pumpkin.


The girls were so excited to take pictures with the princesses. The person handing out candy told them they should just stand there all night and be part of the display.
























Two pumpkins. How cute.

Digital Scrapbooking

Ok, so I'm considering getting into digital scrapbooking and my sister (who's also thinking about it) found this really cool site. It has searches for all the free downloads and has them on one site. Yes, I have been ignoring my children way too much today, but I'm almost done downloading.

http://digifree.blogspot.com/2008/10/freebies-previews-7-of-7-27-oct-la.html

Out to Dinner

Catherine has been asking us for quite awhile to take her out to dinner, so tonight we took them out to Macaroni Grill (that's the macaroni restaurant she's been asking to go). Catherine's been getting better at going (though we haven't been in a long time), but I have to say I was sooo impressed. Tonight was the first time my kids were actually entertained by those coloring/activity books they give you at the restaurant, and not just to scribble in. Catherine was doing the word search and Megan was actually coloring the pictures. If Jonah hadn't have been there it would have been an enjoyable evening at a restaurant. I don't think I've said that with kids in the same sentence. I can't blame Jonah too much though. He did good for an 18 month old at a restaurant.

The Party's Over

So here are some of the highlights of our party. We had a lot of fun. Dan did a great job on the games.
Here is the totally awesome scarecrow Dan made. It will probably be put away this weekend until Halloween night. After Dan put it up on Friday I kept hearing kids screaming outside. It was pretty funny.







My favorite part of Halloween parties is seeing what creative costumes people come up with and lots of times the most creative cost the least.



Here we have the pregnant "Sister Morrell", the devil and the pregnant nun. They funny thing is, none of them knew each other before the party. I just had to get a picture of them all together. Cara, as the pregnant nun, won the "Funniest Costume" award, though Becca, the pregnant Sister Missionary, was a close second.

Zorro or Wesley? All night long people would say how cool his Zorro costume was and that she was Catherine Zeta Jones. Problem was, he was Wesley from Princess Bride and she was Princess Buttercup. Oops! Larry tied for "Most Original" Costume.







Our devil and angel here won the "Best Couple" costume. He also was a close runner up for cutest costume. This is actually the second time they've won the "Best Couple" costume award at our parties. I guess they're the two to beat.





David was hilarious (as usual) and made a great joker. He won hands down as the "Best Costume" overall and won "Scariest Costume." Debora won the "Cutest Costume" this year.






Matt was the other who tied for "Most Orignal Costume" with the gangster costume. He was hilarious and should have gotten funniest, in my opinion. But, we vote so my opinion isn't the only one who counts. When he turns around, you'd see why his should have been the funniest. You can see his wife is the pregnant Sister Missionary. Boy, her Mission President would love that.





I was the infamous "Mad Scientist" as you could tell by the food. And Dan was our Mexican Revolutionist. He was hilarious also, though he couldn't stay in character all night because he had to act as host also.











By the end of the night, Dan was bone-tired (ha,ha) as you can see.

I wasn't able to post everyone's pictures. They're just too many. It was a lot of fun though and we're already coming up with ideas for next year.

Handwritting

I don't know when others starting playing around with how they write, but I know I didn't start when I was in kindergarten. Catherine came home from school the other day and was very proud of herself and when I went to her teacher conference last night, her teacher said she was very surprised because most kindergarteners don't play with their lettering. I remember when I was older playing with how I wrote and exploring new ways of writing and what I liked best.

Miserable time

I know I went from having a wonderful time and now it's a miserable time? Saturday night Catherine came down with the flu and I was up all night with her throwing up. Of course, she only wanted mommy. Then yesterday, Megan was playing with the ear thermometer and wanted her temperature taken and when I took it, just playing around with her, it turns out she had a temperature. Great. Out of curiousity, I took Jonah's, who was fine, and mine, and I had a temperature. That would explained why I didn't feel the greatest yesterday. To make a long story short, the rest of us came down with the flu last night... Dan, me, Megan and Jonah all at the same time. I know, I know.. Who's supposed to take care of whom when you're all throwing up in the bathroom. I've never been more grateful for having more than one bathroom. Though we're (Dan & I) are exhausted today, we're all on the upside. Of course, Megan and Jonah are acting like nothing ever happened. Why can't they just want to lay around and recover when I want to lay around and recover. Oh well.

My week

Sorry I don't have any pictures for this week. Hopefully I'll get on the ball soon. We had our sewing classes this week and they went really well. I've even had a couple of people tell me they've worked on their projects (pillowcases) at home or have started other projects. I'm really excited and having lots of fun teaching it.

Update on Catherine's hearing test. It was fine, just like I thought. She's just wiggly, which makes the numbers come out lower. Imagine that, a 5 year old who's wiggly. I just can't imagine. It also means that when I have to call her name more than once to get her attention, she's can't use the excuse she can't hear me. She's just being 5.

Megan and Jonah are driving me nuts. If she isn't teasing and making him scream, he's pulling her hair and trying to get his way. And I thought it would be easier with just the two of them while Catherine's at school. I know, I know. This too shall pass. We're just trying to teach her not to tease and him not to be a brut. If he wants something he will pull or push you where he wants you to be to get what he wants. It'll be fun when he's older, right.

Today my wonderful husband took care of the kids and let me do whatever I want. It was a in return of his going to all the BYU football games and leaving me at home every Saturday while he does what he wants. I'm beginning to like football season. I spent a lovely 4 hours at the Family History Library (by myself) (with no kids). It was great. Of course I didn't find what I was looking for, but I did find lots of stuff I wasn't looking for. Such is the way of genealogy. I guess I'll just have to go back soon. Oh darn!

Well, back to inputting the names and places into my genealogy program.

Kiss me again babe!

Can I say, I just love baby kisses. Jonah has just started giving kisses, (I know he's a little behind, but he already knows the remote & the phone) and I just love when babies give kisses. They are so cute.

thump, thump "Can you hear me?"

I got a call from Catherine's school today saying they tested her twice on the hearing test and she did not pass, so they are referring me to an audiologist. I know she can hear (or at least I thought she could). And to think all this time we've had to call her name more than once to get her attention we thought she was just ignoring us. I'm sure it's all right, I'm curious to hear what he says though. It's Megan that has problems pronouncing "j's" and other letters.
More to be updated on that next week.

Megan's Dance

Since I posted Catherine's gymnastics I have to post of Megan's dance class. I was really nervous about her going because she was so clinging going to Nursery at the time. From day one she was great. She walked in like it was her own house, no crying or clinging or anything. She loved it and looked forward to going each week. Funny thing is, when the class was over and I asked her if she wanted another dance class, she said no.

Graverobbing

Ok, so we're not graverobbing here, we're just taking pictures of tombstones and my children are getting so used to going to cemeteries and when we have the camera out in general, us taking pictures of them. So now when we go to cemeteries, they want us to take pictures of them with the headstones. I think it's kind of funny, that's why I've added it.

24th of July Primary Activity

Here's Catherine at the Primary Activity Day. She did the stick pull and the other picture she's throwing clothespins in a bucket. We weren't able to stay for all of it. Catherine was sad because she likes to make homemade butter.

Catherine's Gymnastics

Here's Catherine in her gymnastics class. She loves it and wants to go more than one day a week, but not enough to keep her room clean everyday. (That would be my Catherine and her anti-clean gene). Now her and Breanna are in the kindergarten class and I'm impressed on how much more they are learning. The teachers work on more exercises with them and more one on one stuff.

I love living in Utah

How I would miss being able to light fireworks living in California. I know some parts of California you still can, but not where we lived. Jonah was soooo tired but completely enthralled in watching the fireworks. They were a little loud for him though. I would put my hands over his ears and if I removed them at all, he would grab my hands and put them back over his ears and he laid in my lap watching the show.