sleepover!

There's something about a sleepover that is so appealing to my kids. Kerry and I are not exactly keen on them and so most of the time we compromise and do what we call "late-overs". Occasionally, we make exceptions for sleepovers with cousins. Since Brayden had his first camp out a few weeks ago and was going to be gone overnight with his Dad, we invited Kayelyn and Delaney to came over for a sleepover. They made a big bed with blankets on the floor in the bonus room. Being the oldest of the girls, Shelby is admired by all her little cousins and baby sister. She's good to them and it makes them happy. Claire was so happy feeling like a big girl that night. Shelby, as usually happens, was the first to fall asleep. Delaney stayed up the latest until 12:30am! Pretty late for a 4yr. old. I hung in there, but was glad when she finally fell asleep. I'm so glad that my kids live so close to their cousins. They have a lot of fun together.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAYDEN!

Today is Brayden's birthday. I can't believe I had my first baby 11 years ago today. The years have flown by.

11 things that we love about Brayden.

1. loves music and playing the piano.
2. Very smart and does well in school
3. figures out how to do things on his own
4. makes his own lunch for school everyday
5. shakes his hands back and forth whenever he's excited (done this since he was a baby).
6. Loves to surf the net for the next best hotel and vacation spot
7. very inquisitive. Watches the news every morning.
8. Has big brown eyes
9. loves to have fun and go on family vacations
10. likes to do crafty things
11. loves the church

Trick or Treat

The last hoorah for Halloween. Trick or Treating in the neighborhood for awhile. and then off to Grandma's house to see cousins. We had quite the busy neighborhood this year. The streets were lined with cars from people who had left there neighborhood to trick or treat in ours. We must have a reputation that I was unaware of. I felt bad leaving to go to my mom's with so many trick or treaters around, but a grandma wants to see her cute little grand kids all dressed up for Halloween. She was smart and bribed us with dinner.

Halloween Fun with Friends

Co-op has been the greatest thing. Whoever thought up this idea is a genius! Thanks to my friend Melissa for starting it up in our ward. We've been doing it for over a year now and the kids and the moms have really bonded. Here's a picture of most of them at the Halloween party.

TRUNK OR TREAT!

Took the kids to the annual trunk or treat at the church's parking lot. Lots of cute costumes! I love to see them all. So many cute ideas! The girls decided to be cowgirls and Brayden wanted to be some scary chainsaw guy. Claire was excited to have her cousin come. Before opening her bag for a treat she would say, "this is my friend laney". She must have said this at every car they went. We are glad she considers her cousin her friend. Everyone came home with a bag full of candy. I think Claire had her bag have eaten before we made it home. Except for a bite of a hot dog, candy was her dinner. Scary! Why does sugar have to taste so good?

Daddy's girl

Today Claire went to a friend's house to play. As we were leaving, the Dad of that family unexpectedly came home for lunch. This must have impressed Claire because she said to me as we were leaving, "I want my Dad to come home and see me too". No doubt she loves her dad.

FHE at the pumpkin patch

Met my sister and her family last night at the pumpkin patch. Here's a few pictures.
HAPPY FALL!

He's the Rabbit

The school is doing Alice in Wonderland in December. I hinted to Brayden that we are very busy right now and the play in the spring would be a great play to participate in. He quickly replied, "I'm trying out for that one too, mom." Well, he really loves it, so in spite of an already crazy schedule; we have added drama to it. He got the part of the white rabbit. We had to buy the movie. It must have been the only one we didn't own (of course). He's learning his part and listens to the music every night before bed. I'm sure he will be great and can't wait to see it!

Running with Dad.

Brayden and Kerry have been running together for the past few months. At first, Brayden wasn't all that excited about the idea. I was sure Kerry was ready to give up some days, but I think they are both starting to see the fruits of their labors. Brayden ran over two miles on Saturday. They are now looking into running a 5k together. Brayden seems excited.

My poor cat!

Been so busy with life that I haven't posted anything about life lately. I can't believe that September is about over; however, before it's over, must write about my poor cat, Bunny. I came home from work about 13yrs. ago and heard a little kitten meowing from the bathroom. I opened the door and there she was. A cute little gray kitten! She was Kerry's Easter gift to me. You know a man loves you when he, who is not an animal lover, brings home a cat. Just one of many thoughtful gifts from my husband. Bunny has brought me, but especially my children joy over the years. A few weeks ago, we had company stay with us. I got up early to take care of a project in the garage. I pulled the car out, and took some things out that I needed. When I was done, I left the car parked in the driveway because I was planning on taking my sister-in-law shopping. I ended up taking Kerry's car instead and my car remained in the driveway. Later that day, Kerry left to run an errand. He opened up my car and heard Bunny pathetically meowing from inside the car. She must have jumped into my car that morning and had been locked in for several hours! Not to mention the temp was well over 100 degrees that day! We rushed her to the vet. Her internal body temp. reached 107! They took excellent care of her and I had her back the next day. Not a bad recovery for a 13yr old cat. Claire seems to love the cat the very most. A few months ago I took some shots of her with the cat.

They got the keys!

Mom and Dad finally got the keys to their new home today! I don't think my mother will ever move again. This has been a long haul and today she spent the afternoon running around copying, signing, and faxing papers. We helped them move some of the little stuff tonight. She's having movers come take care of the big stuff tomorrow. Thank goodness! It's going to be nice having them close.

Back to School!

Another school year is upon us. The day got off without a hitch, rain and all. I think this is the first year that their school year started with a rainy day schedule. I didn't even get out of the car. Just wished them a good day and off they went. This year, Brayden is a fifth grader and Shelby is a third grader. They both came home from school happy. I hope they have a good school year!

No more cups!

I finally did what I've told myself that I would do for a while now. I threw away all of Claire's cups. She started using these when she was about a year old. At first I thought is was great that she was taking a cup, but after a while she became very attached. We did not leave the house with out one. When she was happy to take them empty, it was obvious that they were mostly a pacifier. She would stroke her ear with one hand while holding the cup in the other. Everyday she would put herself to sleep this way. I have to say, these cups sure made life simpler for me. I knew taking them would be just as hard if not harder for me than her. She cried several times the first few days. In desperation, she went on a cup hunt and managed to dig up a few more. I thought I had found all of them. A few nights ago she started fussing for a "baby cup". I told her that she was a big girl and didn't need them anymore. She looked up at me and asked, "can I just have one more?" She reminded me of an alcoholic begging for one more drink. We are on day five and she's doing great. I think this was more my addiction than hers.

Great to be Eight

Shelby was baptized Sat. Aug. 4th. She shared this day with many family members and friends. She looked like a little princess in her white dress. She is growing up before our eyes. I saw what I hope is a glimpse into her future as I looked at her in her beautiful white dress. So far, Shelby has been such a good little girl. Her testimony is growing and she understands the importance of following the Savior. We have high hopes for her future and hope that she will always remember this day.

Five things about Shelby:
1. likes gymnastics
2. lives to play with her friends
3. likes mashed potatoes and gravy, chili cheese fries, and hot Cheetos.
4. favorite color is turquoise
5. favorite TV show is Hannah Montana

She's swimming!

I learned about a swim school that several friends have used to help teach their children to swim. I figured that I for sure had waited too long to get Claire in for lessons. I decided to call them and was pleasantly surprised that they had openings for lessons. She went four days a week for two weeks. She screamed the whole time on the first lesson. At first it was very scary for her to go with a stranger into the pool. By the third lesson, she was a different child, She was a little reluctant to do everything, but she was happy. By the end of the lessons, she was not swimming,but she was kicking her feet and putting her face in the water. One day after we got back from vacation, she decided she wanted to swim to Brayden and Shelby. She took her floaties off and off she swam! I couldn't believe she did it. She certainly surprised her brother and sister too. She's not ready for the Olympics, but she's swimming great for being three years old. Those swim lessons were worth every bit of money spent. I'm so glad she did them.

summer vacation

We went to Newport Beach for a week this summer. We bought a timeshare here two years ago and finally tried it out. We really enjoy this area because it is central to many fun locations. This year we spent a day at Sea World and a day at Universal Studios. Brayden and I went to see Wicked in L.A. The rest of the days we spent either at the pool or the beach. It was wonderful spending time together as a family. As is usually the case with vacations, the week went by very fast.



Eating nachos at the bar.




Pool time! Shelby poses for just a moment before jumping in. The property has four pools to choose from. This picture was taken at the main pool.













Getting ready to leave to see Wicked!
Kerry and I saw this play in June and knew
Brayden would love it. I learned first hand
how terrible LA traffic is. Unfortunately, we were a little late but Brayden loved it. I bought him a CD of the music. He has listened to it so many times that he has memorized all the songs. Now he is asking for the sheet music so that he can play the songs himself.



















Little Lola Claire obliging her mother for some cute shots.















Sea World was a highlight of our trip. We were able to spend some time with a trainer and one of the dolphins. The kids got to touch and feed the dolphin. Here, we're giving the dolphin the signal to wave. The kids enjoyed all of the exhibits, rides and shows.