Unpredictable

It has been raining, pretty much nonstop, this whole week. We have been stuck inside, watching movies, playing games, doing art, and reading books. As I picked up Drew from school he asked if we could drive by the pond in the back of his school. I told him I wasn't sure what he meant and he said, "The playground!" We drove around the back of the school and saw this:
Water covering the swings! I've never seen anything like it in sunny CA!

It rained most of the night, I knew this because I was up with Mya, and when we woke up in the morning we saw snow covering the ground! Which is pretty unusual for where we live. I told the boys it snowed and they asked if they could go dig a snow tunnel! *Oh, there's no place like home!* So due to the snow, school was CANCELLED! Can you believe it? They said it was Unsafe!

My poor flowers!

We've had some fun while indoors, making pictures all over somes boxes that arrived this week. So my boys are pretty unpredictable, just as the weather can be, and while I was nursing in the other room they not only decorated the boxes, but .....

THEMSELVES

Of course it wasn't Ian's idea.......

somehow Owen just happened to draw two nice round circles around his own eyes.

I need it to stop raining, so my boys can go back outside!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY IAN!!!

Our spirited child, Ian turned 5 years old today! We celebrated with a few of his friends by taking them, or should I say, trying to take them to see the movie "Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel," but ran into some problems. I picked up three of Ian's little friends, dropped Mya off with Kenny at work, and took six little boys to the movie. When we arrived for the 4:30 movie the parking lot was packed. I had all the boys holding hands as we went into the theater and the place was swarming with people. I was shocked by how crowded it was for a Wednesday afternoon movie. I took the boys in the room, hoping for seven available seats and there were none! The guy holding the flashlight said he could help me place the kids in different seats, sitting by strangers! He said that if I wanted that many seats together I would have had to arrive two hours early. I thought Heck no...and we were out of there. Drew started crying saying, "I don't want to leave, I like the smell of this place!" Ian was mad because he wanted to see the chipmunks. I quickly put a call into a friend who had the first movie of Alvin and the Chipmunks and moved the movie theater to our house. It all ended up working perfectly. Good thing I bought Kenny a surround sound home theatre system for his birthday. The sound blared, we had all the lights off in the house, we went through five bags of buttery popcorn, drank sodas, had pizza, and watched the silly little chipmunks on our home tv. The boys had a blast and I don't think minded not being in the over crowded theater. When I asked Ian if he enjoyed his party he said, "It was Awesome!" So glad to make him happy.

Five things I LOVE about Ian:

1. He is our little comedian! He refers to many people as Stinky Pete and loves to joke about people being Barbies. Somehow this makes other little boys his age crack up.
2. He has a sense of adventure. He is not afraid to try anything. He didn't even think twice about jumping off the high diving board at four.
3. He is a great helper. In the kitchen with mom, helping dad in the garage, or taking care of Mya, he wants to do it all.
4. His eyes sparkle when he is excited and when he is being mischievous.
5. He is very empathetic with his siblings. When somebody is sad he is the first to try and make them feel better, as long as he wasn't the one causing the sadness!

WE LOVE YOU IAN & ARE SO GLAD YOU ARE OURS!!!

Memories made.

More than anything I wanted for Christmas was to be with my family. I wanted to be in my home, singing Christmas songs around the piano while my mom played the piano, making myself sick on fudge, reading my dad's creative poems to find my gift, and to be around the ones I love most in the world. I got to do all of those things and more and I feel like my cup has been filled and is running over!

Ge down on the floor playing with the kiddos!
Decorating sugar cookies with the aunties!
Cousins meeting for the first time!
A whole lotta Laughter, Love, & Craziness!
Silly boys!
Warming up in the hot tub!





The children's Christmas wishes came true too!

Drew got more train tracks. Ian got a new blankie, just like his old one he lost, made by our Christmas Angel Aunt Marilyn. He was so excited to find it stuffed down in the bottom of his stocking. It is the ONLY thing he asked for.


Owen received not only a Thomas the train set, but he also can now be Thomas!

Grandma made Mya a beautiful picture to hang in her room with all the information on it from when she was born. I treasure this too!

It was a wonderful Christmas spent making memories with family and remembering the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

A White Christmas

Kenny's Christmas wish was for a white Christmas, not only for him, but for our boys. He wanted them to be able to experience all the fun of SNOW!!! We couldn't have his Christmas wish come true if we were in California, so we packed up our bags and started in on a two week vacation to Colorado and Kansas! We decided to drive instead of fly so we could spend time with both families. I was very nervous to be in the car with our kids for four long 10-12 hr. days, but they all did marvelous. We only watched one movie each day and the rest of the time was spent playing new games like mile marker and the alphabet game. It was a trip Kenny, the kids, and I will always treasure.

Sledding down a hill on top of dad was a blast!
Finding a mule deer in the pasture was....interesting. The head traveled with us to KS for Uncle Ty!
Digging tunnels in the snow with cousins burnt lots of energy!
Snow, kinda bland, but still devoured by Drew!
Skating around on Ice with Grandad!

We had so much fun experiencing a white Christmas, but I sure was happy to return to sunny California.

We wish you a Merry Christmas!

In between buying presents, wrapping, making yummy treats, decorating the house,and attending several parties, there is the task of sending out the Christmas letter. Since I have started blogging, I have put Kenny in charge of the letter. Of course this is one of the last things to be checked off our "to-do" list for the holidays. A picture needed to be included this year since we didn't have one last year due to running out of time. Luckily, thanks to a last minute request (BEG) to my ever so talented friend Darcy, we have some amazing pictures! Huge thanks to Darcy for squeezing us in between all your photo shoots this weekend.

*There are more photos of Mya, not because she is the most adorable, because she's not (hehe), but Darcy took them for her 3 month pics.

These big boys sure do love their little sister!

Our letter will be sent out soon!

HO, HO, HO

On Friday night we had our annual church Christmas party. The boys were excited because they knew Santa would be coming. I was a little nervous of how Owen would react to Santa, but to my surprise he LOVED him. He went right up to Santa, climbed in his lap, and said, "Thomas." After his turn he kept going in the "exit" door and walking up to Santa and just staring at him. He was mesmerized by his countenance, or maybe he was just trying to figure out why Santa sounded and kinda looked like one of our good friends Mason! Drew asked for more train tracks because I guess our huge tub of train stuff isn't enough. He said he wants a million pieces so he can make a ginormous train. Ian asked for his blankie, which has been missing now for three weeks! He has prayed for it and now has only one request for Christmas, his blue and white cloud blanket he's had since he was a baby. I'm really hoping his Christmas wish comes true, or we are going to have one really sad little boy on Christmas morning.

Owen just looking sooo cute!
Santa and the boys! After I got this picture someone asked me where Mya was and I am sad to say this, but I completely forgot about her! So I then felt guilty and woke Mya up so she too got her turn to meet Santa for her 1st Christmas.
Isn't she just so precious!

As we left the church that night we looked on the roof for Santa's reindeer, but it was too dark to see them. Maybe next time.

Let the Games Begin!

Drew running in the light blue shirt and Ian standing in the far back just watching!

Today marks the boys first day of playing a real basketball game! It wasn't as fast paced and it didn't come to them as naturally as soccer, but fun nonetheless. The team ages range from 5-7. Luckily we were able to sign Ian up even though he is still four, since he will be turning five during the season. However, maybe not such a good idea. We missed the one and only practice because we had a Christmas party, so as we arrived for our first game today I was a little nervous for Ian. He hasn't really ever played before and doesn't have the interest for the game like Drew does. I was hoping his height would make up for his skills, but much to my surprise Ian and Drew were the shortest kids on the team! Drew loves basketball and was running up and down the court, dribbling, shooting almost every time he was given the ball (we will work on that), and made two baskets. Ian....lets just say he needs ALOT of practice. The coach had to constantly tell him where to go, to watch the ball, to dribble the ball, to put his hands up....etc. The coach at one point told Ian as he demonstrated, "To dribble you have to bounce the ball up and down!" Every time Ian put his hands up in the air he did wiggle his little fingers, which coming from a mother who was a cheerleader, he did have great spirit fingers! They were both fun to watch and I look forward to seeing their progress over the season. Practices twice a week will surely help. I hope!