Christmas Card!

I thought I would post this on here in case I didn't have your address and you didn't get one.


Christmas 2009
To our Dear Friends and Family,
I have a cute friend that always has a theme to her Christmas letters. I always enjoy how she shares about her year in a unique and creative way. I thought I would take a try at it and give our Christmas letter a theme. I guess it’s not really a theme, but an acrostic poem for our family.
C is for Me. Hmmm…how interesting that I get to be first. I am doing great. 2009 has been a fun year for me. It has had some downs, but the ups seem to come to mind when I think of the year. I am in my 9th year officially teaching (10th unofficially). I am in my 5th year of dong a job share. It is such a blessing in our lives. I have the opportunity to stay home with my sweet kids, but able to help make ends meet with the job. We were moved to the 4th grade this year and I enjoy it. I forgot how young the 4th graders are at the first of the year, but quickly remembering that we just need to be patient with them. I also remember that most of them still love their teachers. That has been fun. We have a really great class even with the very strange things that have happened the first few months of class. Work and being a mom keep me very busy.
H is for DD#1. DD#1 is 5 ½ and just started Kindergarten. She is attending all day kindergarten and loves it. She does have her days where she is tired and doesn’t want to go to school, but don’t we all? She is doing very well and learning a lot. She has recently begun to read sentences, which thrills us. She is a great big sister and loves her sister and brother. She loves to dance and sing.
R is for Responsibilities. DH has recently been called back into the Young Men’s as Assistant Scout Leader. He is really enjoying being with the boys. I am still in the Primary Presidencies and have enjoyed working with my Presidency. It is fun to be in with DD#1 and soon DD#2. DD#1 will be moving into the CTR 6 class. She loves Primary and especially loves singing time. DD#2 is advancing into the Primary as a Sunbeam. She just recently started enjoying Nursery and now it is time to move on. She is very excited to go to Primary. DS will be holding down the fort in Nursery. He began going last month and is doing pretty well. He sticks pretty close to DD#2, so we shall see when she moves on to Primary.
I is for Interesting News. I wish I had something spectacular to share with everyone, but I don’t.
S is for Superhero. DH is a superhero in the kids’ eyes (and mine). DH is so good with the kids. He often takes them when I send him out to do errands. He plays all the time with them and helps Hannah with her homework. He bathes them and gets them ready for bed most nights of the week. He often lets me to 0the gym or go shopping and give me a break. He is still working for Questar Gas and loves it. He is working on getting his Rep 3 soon, which will be a pay raise. We are so grateful for his job. He is a great dad and superhero to us all.
Tis for Terror aka DS. What a boy!! He is so different than his sisters. He has recently learned how to throw a pretty good tantrum. He also loves the word no and hitting. AHHHHH….this age is so hard. It’s a good thing he is so stinking cute. I think that Heavenly Father made them so cute so we could still love them even when they are being stinkers. When he is not grumpy, he is a very cuddly sweet little boy. He will often come up and lay his head in my lap and pat my leg. He is talking more and more each day. We love this little boy more than ever and will continue to be patient with him.
M is for Miss DD#2. That is what her Preschool teachers call her. The name really fits. She definitely knows what she wants and doesn’t back down for anything. She is 3 ½ and definitely confirming my theory of “whoever said terrible twos, didn’t have a three year old yet!” She is very sweet and kind, but sure can whine until you’re ready to pull your hair out. She is attending Preschool this year two days a week. She struggled really hard at first, but seems to be doing very well and isn’t crying anymore. She also loves to help and is very affectionate to her mom and dad. We love this beautiful girl.
A is for Anniversary. DH and I celebrated our tenth wedding anniversary this past August. Can you believe that? It has gone by so quickly. It has been a great 10 years and we look forward to many, many more decades together.
S is for Season’s Greetings and the Savior. We hope you are all healthy and happy. We hope you have a wonderful Holiday Season filled with love and happiness. We are especially grateful to a loving Heavenly Father that allowed his Son to come and pay the ultimate price for us. As we remember the Savior this Christmas Season, we are grateful for our many blessings.
We love you all and hope you are well.
Love,
Together We Can Family

First Day of Nursery!

My little man is old enough to go to Nursery. Crazy!! His first official week should have been last week, but he was sick and we didn't want anyone to get it.

We are so grateful for this little boy. He is my snuggly, cuddly little boy. He is definitely showing his 18 month old self these days. (He is throwing a tantrum right next to me as I type). :)

We took him for his 18 month well child visit on Friday. He is 33 inches long (60%). He weighs 25 lbs. 11 oz (50%) and his head circumference is in the 60%. So pretty average. We will take all of him! We you love you sweet boy!

And a picture of him and his sisters. They are always wanting to get in the pictures. :)

School Pictures

We finally got all the school pictures back from school. I think I may be taking DS to our retakes and get his picture done. The girls' photos on the wall stand out a little more. I get a half off discount being a teacher, so it really is a great deal.

DD#1 Kindergarten Year

She is going to all day Kindergarten this year and I was a bit hesistant when we decided on it. I was really worried at first and her wonderful teacher told her to give it a month. Here we are two months later and she loves it! She is learning so much. I get to hear all about her learnings on our way to pick up the other two every afternoon. She is doing wonderful. We have her first Parent Teacher Conferences in about a week and we will really see how she is doing.

DD#2 Preschool Year

She is going to Preschool two days a week. Next year she will go 4 days a week. I was very hesistant in putting her in as we wall know her personality. She was terrified of strangers from day one. When her teacher asked if I was going to put her in preschool last year, I told her no because she is so shy and would be a terror to leave. Nursery was the case in point. The teacher said that this would be the best place for her to get over it. So I signed her up and the first day she went in and said bye to me with much surprise. I couldn't believe it. The next time comes and you would have thought I was killing her. She was throwing the biggest fit ever. It was so different than DD#1. I didn't know what to think. Her teacher was really good and just told me to leave her, her fit and all, and it would be okay. She survived. The next time, same thing, huge fit. We finally came up with a chart. If she doesn't cry when she goes to preschool, she gets to put a sticker up. We are 2 months into it and she is doing well. It is hit and a miss. We still have our hard days, but the easy ones are more than the hard ones. She is really enjoying preschool and loves to play school with her sister.

Halloween 2009

November!! Really?? Does anyone else wonder where September and October went? I sure do.

Halloween was very fun this year. The girls and even the little guy really got into it. I am looking forward to getting out of the princess stage, so that they can branch out and be a little more creative with their costumes. DS did not care so we used DD's costume from last year. It worked and surprisingly enough he kept the hood on the entire time. He did not like the face paint and had it smeared before we could even get out the door.

We went to the ward's trunk or treat and the kids got a lot of candy. In fact, I took DS's bucket and dumped it into our bowl and distributed it out again. Is that cheating? I did not want a lot of candy around this house.

The weather was beautiful and the kids had a great time. Now on to November and Thanksgiving.

Look for photos of the kids's school photos next. We have DD #2's but are waiting on DD #1's. I may even post my school photo is you are lucky! :)

Enjoy the pictures of Halloween 2009.

A Real Hero!!

DD#1 went to a super hero party yesterday for a young boy in our ward. She made a cape, played games with flashlights and overall had a fantastic time at her "super hero" party. She had a lot of fun and it was a cute theme.

My cousin, Heather Christensen, became a true hero yesterday! She gave her life trying to save others, namely her students of American Fork High School.

John Miller, who leads the American Fork band and is a music teacher at the high school, said Christensen died while attempting to save students on the bus by grabbing the steering wheel after the bus driver had an apparent medical episode, causing the bus to veer off the road.
Christensen dived for the wheel and tried to steer the bus back on course, but fell out a window as the vehicle rolled, Miller said.

"She loved her students, they were her life. I know she died trying to save them," a tearful Miller said late Saturday evening.

What a tribute to a great person. Heather and I were the same age. When we were younger, we would always play together during family get togethers. But as life seems to go, we grew apart as we grew older and life got busier. I am so grateful that we got to see her this summer at a family reuntion. She paid a wonderful tribute to my Grandpa that everyone was in awe about. It probably took her a long time, but it was so worth it. I can only think that there was a sweet reunion with people that we have lost in our family.

My heart aches for her family, for the days ahead of them. They will be hard! I pray that Spirit will comfort them in this hard time of life.

I am so grateful for the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. We will see Heather again. I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father, that provided a way back to Him. I am grateful to our Savior, who gave his life, so that we can return to our Father in Heaven.

We will miss Heather. DD#1 drew a picture of her last night and said, "I love you Heather". She had only met her once, but expressed her love for her. She and Heather share a birthday and have that common bond with each other.

Just a few more things that wonderful people have said about her....

The Wilsons went to wait with Peterson on her bus after the accident and were there when a teacher came on board to inform students that Christensen died.
"They broke out in sobs," Ellen Wilson said. "She was dearly loved. She will be sorely missed."

"I know this is a difficult situation for my students. I will be dealing with the sadness that will be at my school. I'm saddened. We all are," said Merrill, reached at her American Fork home Saturday evening.
She said she wants to wait to speak about Christensen until after the teacher's family has had more time to process her death. She praised her for what she called her "wonderful attributes."

Dan Adams, one of a group of parents that travels with the band, said, "We've never had any accidents that I am aware of in the 25 years that I've been here. It's just a tragic, tragic thing — not only for the students but the tragic loss of a wonderful teacher."

My regret is that I didn't keep this amazing person closer to me. She was a wonderful person and she loved those around her. My prayer to each of you reading.....keep your family close. Hold them close. They could be gone in an instant.

We love you Heather and you will definitely be missed. God be with you until we meet again.

First Day of Kindergarten!!

Wow!! I can't believe that we are actually here. DD#1 started Kindergarten today. She was so excited to go and woke up in the greatest mood. I made it without crying, even though I did feel a few tears coming on. DD#2 said on the way to take her to school, "I'm going to miss DD#1". I had to hold back the tears then.

She is going to my school and has a great teacher. She is in the all day kindergarten class and I am a little anxious about it. I am excited to see how her first day went and how she handles all day. She did ask when school would be over and I said not until the afternoon. Hopefully she will handle it. She hasn't taken a nap for over a year and just this last week, she has started taking them again. Go figure. I konw they will have a rest time these first few months. Hopefully she will be able to handle it.

So here we go. I know that it will only go so fast from here on out. She did say on the way that she will be in High School soon. Thankfully, not so soon. But I am sure when it comes that time, I won't believe it.

Good luck sweet girl with your first day of school!

10 Fantastic Years!!

This is our engagement picture. We lost our wedding scrapbook in the fire. It was all pre digital so we will have to replace it with what my inlaws still may have. :(

I am in awe at how fast the past 10 years have gone by. It is absolutely crazy to think that I have been with my best friend for 10 years. I guess the saying, "Time flies when you're having fun:" is true. Happy anniversary Sweetheart! I have loved every minute of it and hope to spend many more years with you!

Here is a fun breakdown that I have seen on others blog which help you realize just how much joy and happiness. along with heartache and sorrows, we have been through. So grateful that it was with my best friend!

10 years

120 months

22 weeks

3,650 days

87, 658 hours

5,259,488 minutes

315, 569, 260 seconds

6 homes

4 cities

9 Jobs

7 cars

4 Wards

10 Callings (shocking to me because I have been in the Primary almost the entire time)

1 House Fire

48 (LONG) months of trying to get pregnant

4 pregnancies (1 miscarriage, not pregnant now :))

3 Beautiful Children

3 Pets
4 Surgeries

3 Funerals (my dad, my grandpa and DH's grandpa, Miss them all)

7 Siblings Weddings

1 Disneyland/California trip

Many trips to the cabin

Many, many, many sleepless night with children

Many Laughs

Many tears

Millions of Hugs and Kisses

Many Unforgettable Memories

Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!

Pictures

We got family pictures with DH's side of the family. I thought it would be a great time to get my kids year pictures. Since we had already had DS's done a few weeks back, we went ahead and did the two girls and the kids together. My sister in law did a wonderful job again. Thanks Sarah!

DD #1 is growing up to be a beautiful little girl. She is very intelligent and so kind. She is always saying thank you and gives plenty of hugs and kisses. She has become such a big help around the house and to her brother. He has learned the words, "don't and stop" because she is constantly toting him around. We are so grateful to have her in our home.

DD#2 has really started to come out of her shell and show her true personality. She is our little chatterbox that we love to hear. She can talk your ear off and you are good to catch most of what she is talking about. She is in the prime of the wonderful 3's. She can throw a tantrum with the best of them. She loves her siblings and is a joy to have in our home.

A picture to show just how fun the 3's are. :)

Our Children... What special spirits from our Heavenly Father. Not a day goes by without me realizing what a gift these sweet children are. As my summer is coming to an end, I feel sad. It has been such a fun summer with these sweet kids. I have really enjoyed spending so much time with them. I count my blessings everyday for having such wonderful children!

DD's 5th Birthday Party!

We had DD's 5th birthday party a few weekends ago. It turned out very well. About 8 months ago, DD asked for a camera party. I had just bought a digital camera for her right after Christmas for a killer deal. It was perfect. I could give her her camera and have it be the theme. I searched all over for a camera cake and the only ones I could find were ones that were 3D with fondant. So we took a clip art picture and made it from that. We decided to make it silver, however I should had made a pink camera cake for her. Oh well. It was a lot of fun.

We had friends and family come and enjoy her birthday party with us. We had sloppy joes, chips, fruit and drinks. Thanks all who came and supported her.We had a camera scavenger hunt. Each person got their own disposable camera and a scavenger hunt list. The kids had a lot of fun running around the park getting pictures of their clue. The last clue was to get a photo with them and the birthday girl. She loved it.We then had a dress up corner and the kids got to use their cameras to take pictures of themselves dressed up. The boys enjoyed the tie.

She then opened presents and was thrilled with all the new things that she received. It is crazy to think that she is 5. We waited 5 long years to get her and the past five have definitely flown by. We love you Lou, Lou! Happy Birthday!

Update Coming Soon!

I promise, they are! :)

I am One!!

Okay, so I know that he is 14 almost 15 months old, but the summer has been a crazy one. I thought I should get on the ball and get his pictures done. My sweet sister in law met me at the park after work and she took these awesome photos. He was having a hard time smiling, but once we put him in the swing, he was all smiles. I wanted her to capture two things.... his 4 teeth and his eyelashes. She got them both. They are wonderful. Now to figure which ones to put up on the wall and which ones to scrapbook. She did take over 300 photos of him. :)

The Fabulous 4th of July!!

I don't know what it is about a good ol' small town 4th, but they are the best! If you haven't tried one, you really should. It is just good fun to have a parade with candy flying everywhere and a party at the park afterwards. This year was especially great because my whole family was there. It has been a long while for this to happen. We all sat (more like stood) in front of great aunt Rosie's house. She is always so great to let us invade her space. :) The parade was fun. My kids actually got a little bored of picking up the candy (gasp!) I guess when there is taffy flying at all times, it is quite the workout to pick it all up.
After the parade, we ventured over to the park for food and fun. We actually ended up not eating the food there. A first for our family. The kids got to ride the ponies and run and play on the playground. It was a great day. We went and rested at Grandma B's home and DH and the two girls headed out for the derby. Another tradition of our small town. My mom and I and DS waited until the powder puff to go. My sister drove in it. We watched the fireworks and enjoyed the nice cool breeze. It rained some, but just enough to keep it cool. DS loved, loved, loved the fireworks. He sat there in awe of the amazing show in the sky.
I love going home for the 4th. It is nice to see old friends and have a great time celebrating our wonderful country. I am proud to be an American where we are FREE!

The Birthday Cake!!

I have been slow this year with birthday celebrations. I have worked some this summer (Mill Hollow) which has put me off my game. I decided when the kids were born that we would have a party on their odd birthdays. The even birthday would just be cake and ice cream. Something low key. Well, seeing that all of my children were born two years apart has changed my thinking. That is a birthday party every month for 3 months. I am going to have to rethink my plan, because it is a lot of work and a lot of money. Anyway, DD#2 wanted a princess party this year. She wanted a princess cake, but that seems too daunting to me. So I got on the computer and started looking. I found this video to this fantastic cake and it looked fairly easy. So I got DD#2 all excited and we took the challenge this weekend. My piping skills are not the greatest, but it did turn out pretty cute.

I will post some of the pictures from the party when I can figure out how to get them off of my camera rather than off of my memory card. Until then, enjoy the cake pictures!

Father's Day Gifts

Has it really been two weeks since school got out? I can't believe it. It is going too fast. My sister and her family moved out, the next day DH's sister and her DH moved in. We have celebrated DD#2's bday. She turned 3. I went to Mill Hollow with 5th and 6th grade students from my school and now we are preparing for Father's Day. In the next few weeks we have more planned. I am going to go to Mill Hollow with another school as a sub (crazy, but the money is good), the 4th of July, a small birthday party for DD#2 and a Family reunion. It will keep us busy. Busy is good, right?

So, I decided to try my hand at some really cute food that I saw on a blog. I do not take any credit for these little beauties. It was from Bakerella's blog. She has done some amazing things and I really liked this idea for Father's Day.

So with the help of my mom and my kids, we were able to accomplish this. I thought they turned out pretty cute. I hope that the men in our lives will love them tomorrow. It took some time, but they really did turn out cute.

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there. and to those that are not Fathers yet, Happy Father's day to you as well. You all deserve it!

Last Packed Lunch of the School Year!!

I just packed my kids last lunch this year. Hooray!! I am so excited to take a couple month break from packing lunches. School is out tomorrow!! I am so glad to have a break. I have had a great class this year, but it will be nice to not have to work for a bit, not saying that 3 kids isn't work.

Well, here is to a great summer. Enjoy it everyone. Because we all know that it will go by so fast. Next thing we know, we will be posting pictures of our kids first day of school next year. AHHHH!!!