ellie jane

layla ann

2 year old stats:
weight: 25 lbs, 20%
height:  33 1/4", 24%
head:  48 1/2 cm, 72%

apple pickin'

This was from way back in September, but I though it was fun to compare McKay at age two with McKay at age seven in front of the apple tree at the state fair.  Kind of crazy that this kids is getting so old and tall!  Also, kind of fun to compare two year old Layla to two year old McKay.  And Elle is thrown in because she's cute.  

                                       2007                                                                       2012

smokey and sparkles

These two family members are getting bigger and smellier by the day.  Brian and I are completely regretting our decision regarding these little things, but the kids claim to be attached.  Meaning, when we threaten to get rid of them, they suddenly fall desperately in love with the guinea pigs and tears drip down their faces.

It was not a great decision, I'm the first to admit (especially since it was Brian's idea and fault).  If they weren't so scared of us and of being held then I might feel differently, but they run for cover whenever we walk by- well, at least Sparkles does.  I do find myself thinking about them as I cook and saving scraps for them like the pet store lady said to.  I just wish these kids actually played with them, but then can I blame them?  No, it's not that fun to play with a guinea pig.

thoughts on a sunday

• Elle lost a tooth this week!  She had loosened it, she says, by biting down on an orange seed last week.  We were all pretty surprised that it was already loose, but I thought it would be awhile before it came out.  McKay's teeth would sometimes be loose for months before they fell out.  So a few days ago when we sent her in to brush her teeth and heard a blood currdling scream coming from the bathroom, I did not think it was from her tooth.  Even when I saw that blood dripping out of her mouth and the panic in her great big eyes I didn't know what had happened.  Then I saw it.  A little, tiny, white thing in the sink.  Her tooth.  She had biten the cap of the toothpaste open, like she always does, and out came her tooth and in came the blood!  We were all surprised, but no one more than Ellery.  She cried for several minutes just from the shock of it all, before calming down.  Knowing that the tooth fairy would be coming helped.  

• The tooth fairy did come.  It was funny, in the morning Ellery brought in her tic tacs and dollar and the little tissue that her tooth had been wrapped up in!  I was worried that the tooth fairy had forgotten to take her tooth, but Ellery reported that she took the tooth and left the tissue.  Then I vacuumed the floor, you know, just because.

• Ellery has been doing this thing where she loves to sneak around and hide.  I'll be getting ready in my room and she will zoom in and dive behind the bed, hoping that I didn't see her.  Usually I pretend not to, and she continues to zoom and dive to different locations around me.  Then I'll look at her and scream like she's surprised me and she thinks she's so sneaky.  Almost a daily thing, this little routine.

• If you know us at all, you know that our kids are notorious for not playing well on their own.  This week we had some major improvements in this area.  Farm was a big hit one afternoon, as well as a Where the Red Fern Grows inspired homemade horse-drawn carriage.  This makes me so happy.

• I got a new calling.  The bishop asked to come over to our house and since we had both just gotten callings in the last month, we had no idea why he was coming.  Well, turns out they didn't want me in primary after all.  I am now the beehive advisor.  I'm excited, but there are so many of them!  Like twenty I think.  There are three teachers, so I don't teach every week, which is nice.  

• The other day I was grocery shopping with Layla.  She's funny, she kind of gets in her own world as far as volume goes, and she gets lost in her own voice.  This particular shopping trip was such a time for her.  She got stuck on Do You Know the Muffin Man and was singing it. . .no. . .yelling it at the top of her lungs all throughout Walmart.  People were staring, laughing, smiling.  Heads were turning down every aisle.  She just gets lost in the music and lets loose!  It's cutely embarrassing.  

• During this trip she also started playing echo with another baby shopper.  She would make a noise, then he would copy, then she would make a different noise, then he would copy, and so on...

• Layla discovered that she could fit into this little doll crib.  I think maybe she spent an hour in there being a baby.  She even found a souci and was so proud of herself for turing into a baby.

• McKay got his first spelling words last week.  At and the.  I don't know why I think that is so fantastic, but I do.  He got 100% on his spelling test!

• I don't know if you knew that you were reading the blog of a famous family, but you surely are.  Today in Stake Conference, McKay and Ellery were mentioned for all of Utah county to hear.  Adele works out with Sister Reynolds, who spoke in conference today, and had told her this little story- when McKay and Elle put their hands on their hearts when we were passing the temple.  I can't believe that I chose that moment to take a restless Layla out to get a drink, but I missed it!  Brian said that after she told the story, McKay leaned over to him and said, "Is she talking about me???"  I wanted to get up after her talk and tell everyone in the stake center that she was talking about my kids- we were right there, sitting among them!- but I decided not to.  

• McKay stayed up until midnight last night to watch the BYU/Utah game with Brian at the Bott's.  We decided not to get cable in our new house, for many reasons, and I am totally happy with the choice.  Brian has been too. . .except for lately.  It's hard to not have cable when you're a football fan.  But it's only hard in the Fall.  He'll soon forget and be happy again.  

• It was mix match day at Ellery's preschool on Friday.  I have never seen a child more excited about something so small before.  It was so cute.  I am really happy that she is in preschool.  It is SO great for her.  My sister and I were talking the other day about how great preschool is.  A lot of people don't think it's necessary, and it's not I guess, but I absolutely love how much fun it is for my kids and I think there are a lot of important things gained from preschool- social skills, preparation, routine, independence, confidence.  Besides that, its pure fun.  There is no pressure to learn to read or write or add.  It's just friends and play and fun-learning!  I am a fan of preschool and so happy for my preschool-girl! I think it will be a great year for her.  

• We went to the school carnival on Friday.  Basically, the kids ate pizza, spent all their tickets on face-painting and colored hair spraying, and a few trips on the bouncy house thingys.  They loved it.  

• After that they got to have a sleep over at Grandma's- just because she wanted to.  They of course loved that.  Brian and I loved it to.  We got to go out to eat and to a movie- which is rare around here.  It was a nice break, and nice to miss them.  Sometimes I want so bad to have some time in my house alone to get things done and just have some time to myself, but when they were really gone, I found  myself missing them.  

• McKay started piano lessons this week.  He was so excited to be super busy like aunt Marilyn.  I stayed for his first lesson and it was cute to watch.  He got a million skittles, so he thought it was pretty great.  

• We hate our Guinea pigs.  Do you want them?  Actually, I don't hate them, it's just that I hate having Guinea pigs.  As predicted, our kids have lost interest, except when we threaten to get rid of them.  They are getting bigger, and Sparkles is so scared of us that she runs and hides when we just walk by the room.  Also, she is much bigger than Smokey, so I think that she is being a bully and hogging the food- and let me tell you, they eat a TON of food.  So I'm annoyed as Sparkles, and annoyed at Guinea pigs in general.  That's all.

Happy Sunday!

visitors

It was hard to say goodbye to Oregon.  There are times when I still miss it.  Every time it rains or is cloudy my mind goes back there.  I wonder if that will always happen.  What is great about moving to Utah, is that most people in our ward back in Oregon come to Utah every summer.  So that means we get to see them!  

There was a two week period where I saw four of my good friends from Oregon.  It was the best!

The Thompsons came to visit and actually stayed at our house for a couple days.  Our twin family (except Starr is pregnant- so not for long)  

We went on a little hike, ate at Costa Vida and had shaved ice, plus did all the festive things on the Fourth of July. The kids had so much fun together and it made me sad that they all just can't play anytime they want like they used to.  

I sure miss them and was so glad they came to visit.  Starr is one of my very best friends and I hope to be the one visiting next time!

Right after Starr left, we got to hang out with the Hendrickson girls for a little bit at Thanksgiving Point.  

Katie is such an amazing person and we talked about how we both wish we had had more time living by each other because it just wasn't long enough!  She is such a sweetheart and such a good mom.

The kids of course were in heaven playing with Taylor, Halle, Kenzie and Evelyn.  I love that they have four girls- it reminds me of my family.  The kids just went right back to being friends like no time had passed at all.  I love friends like that.

Not long after that the McRae's came by for an afternoon.  I was so glad that Deanna made time in her trip to see us.  She is just one of my favorite Oregon friends and David and McKay were glad to be reunited for a bit too.  What a great family!

Even though they aren't from Oregon, I was also thrilled to see these girls the next day!

Katie was here from Newfoundland and Molly came down from Kayesville.  We had lunch at my house and the kids ran around playing in the pools and slip n' slide.  It was so great to be able to chat for awhile with these friends that I've had forever (missed you Kris!).  I love them.

  

Halle and Ellery, the only girls, got slayed by this big group of boys.  My dramatic girl was all over this game.  

So grateful for such good, sweet friends in my life.  What a great couple weeks we had!

favorites from the fair

We hit the Utah State Fair with the Allreds and Roylances this year and it was a blast!  We enjoyed a picnic dinner, a high dive show, the lemurs, the smelly animals, the kid farm, a bit of the rodeo, fried green jello and of course the big yellow slide.  In fact, looking at the pictures of us at the bottom of the big yellow slide makes me smile because of the huge smiles on all our faces.  It was a great year at the fair and we're glad to be back to enjoy one of our Utah favorites!