This Year So Far...

Part of Quentin's mom's Christmas gift to the grandkids was a trip to Build A Bear after the holidays.  They each had a dollar amount to spend and they each got a bear and an outfit.  It was a fun idea and not only did they each get a great gift that they picked out, but a fun and memorable experience with Grandma as well!

 

 

In January we get LOTS of birds that fly around our neighborhood - they're just thick in the air!  I love that they like to hang out in our trees and have some berries from our flowering pear trees.

 

 

After a few years of hardly any snow, we've been hit hard this year.  On January 11 we got lots of snow - we measured 11 1/2 inches in under 12 hours!  Added to the snow that was already on the ground, we had 28 inches of snow!  Schools were closed and Quentin stayed home from work.  So fun!

 

 

Kiera's awesome class does lots of skits as they learn about history.  Kiera was able to play the part of Elizabeth Harrison during the Boston Tea Party play.

 

A few weeks after we got all that snow, we got freezing rain (which we never get in Utah!)  It was weird - and horrible watching the kids come out of school at the end of the day and slip all over each other!  This first picture is what our backyard and our neighbor's backyard looked like when their car lights were shining on the icy snow.

 

The ice measured about 1/4 inch.

 

This is a picture of snowflakes on my garbage can - so pretty!

 

Funnies

• Makenna was asking which day we did something, and I told her I thought it was on the 21st.  She looked at me for a moment before she said, "Don't you mean the twenty-oneth?"
• My brother- and sister-in-law were so kind to watch our girls while Quentin and I went to a movie.  After we picked the girls up and were on the way home, I said, "Oh, I sure missed you girls today!"  Kasidee piped up and said, "Did you miss my cuteness?"
• Makenna had almost lost her voice a few weeks ago but never had a fever or a sore throat.  She asked if she should go to church.  I told her I thought she would be fine going.  She said, "I would hate to contage anyone...."
• Kasidee walked into the bathroom as I was getting ready for bed one night.  She saw me taking out my contacts and asked me if having "itonks" hurt.
• You know the song "Soak up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow?  I heard Kasidee singing it one day...at the top of her lungs she sang, "I wanna syrup the sun!"

End of Year Catchup

I haven't been blogging as often as I would like.  It seems like most of my friends aren't blogging anymore - maybe it's already outdated and Facebook is the preferred way of social networking.  But I do love blogging and the idea that I can have a journal with pictures all in one place.  Anyway I want to do a quick catchup from where I left off.  And then hopefully I can be more consistent next year!

For Thanksgiving this year, Quentin did french braids in the girls' hair:

People may wonder what a vegetarian's Thanksgiving plate may look like - I think it looks pretty and yummy!

The girls have been begging to go to Get Air - they had a lot of fun!

Quentin's work had a family Christmas party - games, make ornaments, eat cookies, and we got to hang out at his desk for awhile.

This is on a big wall at Quentin's work - so proud of him!

We went to see Santa at Secret Haven (Rock Loft) this year:

It was Kasidee's turn this year to put the star on the tree:

Kasidee's kindergarten class made gingerbread houses:

We took Front Runner from Downtown Salt Lake all the way to Provo and back.  It was was free and it was crowded, but it was a fun experience for the girls!

On Quentin's birthday, we picked him up from work, took him out to dinner, and rode the trolley to Temple Square.  We looked at the lights there, looked at Deseret Book's Christmas window, browsed at City Creek Center, and checked out the candy windows at Macy's.

We saw the cute little houses at the Ogden Village:

Our traditional "Twas the Night Before Christmas" story on Christmas Eve at Mom's house:

Christmas morning, waiting to go downstairs:

 

Funnies

I haven't blogged for quite awhile but I've been saving up some funnies that my girls have said:

• Kasidee wanted to play with one of her friends from preschool that she hadn't seen for 2 years.  I wasn't really in the mood to make arrangements for that that day, so I asked her if she could pick a different friend to play with.  She asked why she couldn't play with her old friend.  I said, "Well, you only have an hour to play and you haven't played with her for 2 years.  Wouldn't it be awkard to call her up and say, 'Hey....'"  Before I could finish, Makenna piped up to finish my sentence and for some reason said, "Got any grapes?"
• Makenna has been really into cleaning lately.  She makes her bed right after she wakes up and likes to go from room to room straightening up.  One day she said, "Daddy told me that there are people who feel like they always have to clean and it can be a problem."  Kiera said, "Uh, yeah - people like maids and they have to otherwise they'll get fired."
• About a month ago I got a call from one of my preschooler's moms letting me know that her child had lice.  Aughh!  Thank goodness we weren't affected, but for the week after we got the news we checked the girls' hair.  Makenna said, "Oh, I kind of wish I had lice - that could be our pet!"
• Kasidee is such a good sharer and is not satisfied until everyone has something and everything is equal.  One night Quentin finished off the soda that we had bought as a treat.  I jokingly said, "Oh, I guess I didn't need any  more!"  Quentin apologized and we didn't think about it anymore.  About 30 minutes later Kasidee came in to me and asked if I was okay.  I said, "Of course...why?"  She started to cry and said she had bonked her head.  I held her as she cried quietly.  Then she said, "Actually, I'm not crying because I bonked my head.  I'm just sad Daddy took the rest of the pop and you didn't get any more."  Oh, my heart melted!  Something that was not even an issue made Kasidee so upset because she was worried I felt bad!  Quentin overheard and quickly went to the store and got another bottle.  She was so happy and all was well in her sweet little world!   

Thanksgiving Eve

I've recently realized that, while Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, there simply is nothing better than Thanksgiving Eve. I absolutely love it! I love spending hours baking and cooking and making some of my favorite harvest dishes. I love having the girls home from school - they are such good helpers and are becoming confident little chefs. I love making my house look festive, and it smells soooo good! This is my favorite time of the year, and I believe that Thanksgiving should be a sacred holiday. A holiday to focus on the blessings from our Heavenly Father, our beautiful world, and the ones we love....

Happy Thanksgiving (Eve)!

Misc.

A couple of weeks ago the girls had a Monday off from school. We went to the Church History Museum with their cousins - they had a blast playing!

Last Saturday was the first big snow of the season. Kasidee was so excited to try on all the gear - and she loved being funny by putting gloves on her feet!

Kiera made a little sled for her bears

Sledding with Daddy!

The kindergarten classes got to have a Thanksgiving Feast - they wore pilgrim costumes and had an early lunch in the school cafeteria! (Kasidee chose grapes, chocolate milk, and a roll.)

This morning the school had a "Grandparent's Breakfast." The girls were so excited that Granny could come and be with them, see their classrooms, and meet their teachers.

Kiera and her class also had a Thanksgiving Play - I just love that they are learning so much while having fun!

Funnies

Makenna's favorite toy is a little monkey that has a face only a mother could love. She adores Georgia (and insists that's a boy's name) and loves to take him around with her. Just in the last 2 weeks, she left him at her cousin's house for 5 days, left him at her piano lesson, and then left him at school when we were at SEP conferences. She didn't realize she left him there till 9:00 p.m. Of course the school was closed by then, and all 3 girls were worried that he would be scared, that someone would take him or throw him away, etc. Makenna's little heartfelt prayer that night was so sweet. I sat by her bed as she tossed and turned and tried to fall asleep. All of a sudden, she popped her head up and said, "Mama, did you know that it's a family tradition that if someone loses a toy then they can't sleep all night?" It took her awhile but then she drifted off to sleep. Daddy was a hero the next morning when he went to the school early in the morning and found Georgia, right where Makenna left him. Thank goodness!

The other day Makenna asked me how much money Quentin and I have. Without giving specifics, I thought it would be a good time to have a little lesson about the importance of saving money and preparing for the future. I asked her if she knows what the word "retire" means. She said, "Yeah - it's when you're, like, 60 and you're not useful anymore so you don't work."

Makenna ate some yogurt/fruit/granola for breakfast - she couldn't seem to get enough and had 2 servings. As she was walking around, she said, "Oh - I think my yogurt's on the move!"

Halloween!

Funnies

It seems like I am constantly posting funny things my kids say, but they just don't stop cracking me up - and I want to make sure I write these things down before I forget.

Anyway, Makenna has been saying the funniest things lately. Here's a few from the last couple of weeks:

* One day Makenna told me about her substitute teacher. She said, "She has traveled everywhere in the world.... Well, except for the Ice Age."

* Makenna asked me why I don't like to sew. I told her that I learned how to sew in Home Ec and in 4-H and did a lot of sewing as a young teenager. But now that I'm older I just don't have any interest in it, and it just drives me nuts. She said, "Do you have anger issues with string?"

* Makenna's BFF Sophia (who is just about 2 months younger than Makenna) got baptized today and we were excited to be there. As we got into the car to go home, Makenna very seriously and thoughtfully said, "I just can't believe how fast Sophia is growing up."

Misc.

I love, love, love Kiera's teacher. She was "Teacher of the Year" last year and I can see why. This teacher does a lot of plays/skits that help the kids learn - and makes it exciting to learn. Anyway, this week the class did a play about Magellan and other early explorers. They wore costumes, had a cute set they designed, sang songs, and each had parts. Awesome!

The other day it snowed for the first time this season, but it didn't stick for very long. But the next day we woke up to lots of frost. I was mesmerized by how beautiful it was - every single blade of grass covered in shimmery crystals. So of course I had to get a picture - and I didn't mind laying on my stomach in the driveway as cars drove by so I could get some neat shots!

Ha Ha!

* Now that Kasidee is learning how to read, she is discovering that things aren't quite what she thought they were. Since school started, she has been brining home a paper each day with a letter on it. For her homework, she's supposed to find pictures or words of things that start with that letter and glue them on the page. When we were on the "D" page, I suggested finding a dragon or a drum. Kasidee looked at me like I was crazy. She said, "Um, those don't start with the letter D. Juh, Juh, Jragon and Juh, Juh, Jrum don't start with D." It was the same when we were on the letter T. Apparently tree (ch-ree) and trailer (ch-railer) don't start with T either!

* Makenna is our little M&M. Sometimes she can seem hard on the outside, but she's so soft on the inside. It's just trying to crack that shell that's the hard part! Anyway, she just cracks me up. One day as we were in the car running errands, she said to me, "Can we please turn on the radio...and get this party started?"

Random Stuff

Here's what's been happening the last couple of weeks:

The school had their first annual carnival! We went to check it out but couldn't stay long because the 5 of us (plus Granny!) had tickets to see "Little Women" later that evening. Anyway, Kiera and Makenna wanted to try the rock-climbing wall, and Kasidee got a turn at the bouncy house and the air-inflated slide. Good times, yes.

Kasidee and her 2 little friends were playing soda shop one day and wanted "pink milk." After that, there were lots of bubbles, slurps, and giggles!

Last week the girls planned a "Sisters Club" for a Friday night. They set up our little castle tent and extended it with a fort made out of tables and blankets. We had pizza and the girls watched a Barbie movie while Quentin and I watched our own date night movie in the theater room. The girls wanted to have a sleepover with each other in their tent (even though all 3 of them share a room and have a sleepover every night!) It apparently was so fun that they did it again Saturday night!

When the girls want pancakes for breakfast, they like me to do letters. With a turkey baster, it's easy!

Kasidee gets out of kindergarten right when Kiera and Makenna go to lunch. Last Monday I packed a lunch and Kasidee and I joined them! Here's a pic of Makenna and her BFF Sophia:

We joined Nikki and her family at Gardner Village to celebrate her birthday and enjoy the beautiful Fall day! My kids were talking about her homemade sugar cookies for days!

(Kasidee and Isaac)

The girls have been talking about doing a "Spa Night" for weeks - for some reason Kiera was really excited about trying a mud mask! So when Quentin was at the Priesthood session, the girls and I did mini facials - it was nice and so fun to do with my sweet girls!

Today in between Conference sessions, we went for a little drive to look at the beautiful Fall leaves. We ended up taking a little walk but it was pretty chilly and the girls didn't bring jackets. But the mountains were so vibrant! I just love this time of year!

And finally...a couple of funnies from Kasidee:
* Kasidee and I love to make orange juliuses and in the summer we had them several times a week. The other day she told me she was craving an orange julius. She said, "You get out the orange juice and I'll get the tornado thingy." (Blender)
* Kiera was listening to her MP3 player the other day and when she was done Kasidee asked if she could have a turn. She got the MP3 player but asked where the "Ear Mufflers" (earplugs) were!