Mele Kalikimaka!

For all of you who may not receive this years Christmas Card (Kara, Jane Taylor,......) here it is. I realized that some of my friends have moved but just didn't have enough time today to track down addresses, so this will have to do! We are off to Hawaii in just a few hours so we hope you all have a very, Merry Christmas and we will see you next year! If I can get my new Mac to work in Hawaii I'll try to post some pictures there. Aloha!

Genius!

Every once in a while we are graced by the presence of genius. In my case, this blessing comes to me in the form of my wonderful, talented, smart sister-in-law, Kierstin, who fixed my problem with blogging my pictures. Thanks, Honey!

A Sweet Trade!

Tonight we passed out gifts to some friends in our neighborhood for Christmas. Caden did all the delivering and was SO excited when we went to the Rhodes and they gave him a present back. He came back to the car with a huge duffle bag and said "Mom, I made a sweet trade with Dusty. I gave him something small and he gave me something BIG!" Needless to say, He made a really good trade! Jane had MADE all the boys their own, fun, super-soft blanket with their name on it. As I have sown MANY blankets, I was so impressed and appreciative. They boys all love the special fabrics she picked out for them. Caden and Chase are snuggled in their beds for the night with their new gifts! Thanks so much Jane - you ROCK!

(OK-now I am really mad! I Have the cutest picture of them with their blankets and I still can't get my pics to post. I did everything the Mac guy told me. I did all my software updates and restarted my computer and its still jacked up!)

A Time For Giving....

Yesterday was such a busy but fun day. First, I had a party for both of my boys school classes. I set up a 3D movie theater in their auditorium. It was Santa VS the Snowman 3D. For any of you with kids, find this at an IMax theater near you. It is awesome! I made treat boxes for everyone with popcorn and Nerds ropes. Then everyone got wither a Snowman or Santa cup with soda. The kids were SO excited and absolutely LOVED the movie. As you can imagine, it was crazy setting up the movie, handing out treats, and getting everyones 3D glasses to fit, all while trying to keep and eye on Crew. So that explains why I have no pictures of this.

Then, last night, we went to Salt Lake with the Mortons. We visited 2 homeless shelters, one in Midvale and one is Salt Lake. We dropped off toys (Chase donated some of his own, brand new toys that he saved from his birthday) blankets, bedding, etc. It was sad to hear of the families (67 in Midvale, 31 in Salt Lake) and all of the single adults (5oo in Salt Lake alone) who were at the shelters. There was a long line of people waiting outside the Salt Lake shelter. The volunteers said that they were waiting to be bussed down to the Midvale shelter but fortunately everyone would be able to sleep inside somewhere for the night. Thank goodness cause it was freezing. After dropping off out donations we went to the temple, We ate at the Lion House Pantry (a restaurant in Brigham Youngs old house), walked the temple grounds, and then saw the Joseph movie. It was a great night and a great learning experience for all of us.

(Not sure WHAT is wrong with my computer - I can't download ANY pictures! Frustrating!)

Ward Christmas Breakfast

Well, it was dumping snow as the guys were trying to cook French Toast OUTSIDE but all in all the ward breakfast was great. We had a live band, great food, a visit from Santa and a super fun arts and crafts station for the kids. Of course, I'm biased because I organized the kids activities but they did have a blast. We colored felt Christmas puzzles, Made 3D Nativity scenes, and Jingle Bell necklaces. The cutest of all the kids were the Clarks who were dressed as elves and Santa. Then it was off to the kids last soccer games of the season. Chase has really done great on his school soccer team. He scores several goals every game and is really starting to understand passing and positions. He team won every game this season by a ton! Caden, who was the family soccer stud in the Fall, has had quite the opposite season. His team lost every single game and he seems to have lost his soccer skills as well. We think he must still be daydreaming about the ocean. Oh well - his team does win for being the cutest!

(For some reason my pictures won't load - I will try tomorrow)

Winter Wonderland

For those of you outside of the state, we have (now actually had) a lot of snow. It was quite a shock at first from Hawaii weather but really fun. The kids played in the yard all day Sunday and on Monday I took the boys and Boston sledding at the park by the temple. They loved it. Now we've gotten our winter fix and we are ready to go back to Hawaii. I've heard it had been pouring there though - not fun.

On a side note, Shannon had the cutest party for Hayes and Olivia tonight at Kangaroo Zoo. I can't believe those little munchkins are 3 already. Can I just say thank goodness for miracles - those babies are perfect. And now that they are 3 I will have to stop calling them the babies! Happy Birthday (party) Princess and Crazy Boy!

Aloha!

We had the BEST time in Hawaii with my family. All the kids were great and had a blast! Here is the only picture of all of us walking the beach after Thanksgiving dinner.
Trenton in the ocean. All our boys LOVE the beach!
Brennen and his grandma by our pool.
Crew and his Daddy (or MaMa, as that's what Crew calls both of us)
Chase and Brennen on the deck of a glass bottom boat that we toured Lahina in.

Hawaii was perfect as always. My family NEVER vacations together so it was a really special trip. We were able to cram a lot of activities into one week with my sister but the kids would have been happy just being at the beach all day every day. Our condo is amazing and is almost done. There were still quite a few contractors there the whole time we were. I just hope everyone is done by the time we come back for Christmas break. We had kind of a crazy flight home but its good to be back for just a little while. I have so much to do for the holidays before we leave again. To all my Utah friends - if it weren't for you, I don't think I'd ever come home. Can't wait to see everyone again - Jane, I can't believe I missed your party AGAIN!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

A quick visit from Uncle Bryan! We miss him and Kelli so much!
I know it's early, but we are leaving to Hawaii on Friday and won't be back until the end of the month so I had to get an early jump on things and decorate the kids room.
Crew LOVES the train and is actually really good about not knocking it off the track!

Keeping Up With The Boys

We had a busy and fun weekend as usual. Friday night Chase had a soccer game (they lost). Saturday Chase had another game (they won - Chase had 7 goals - he was on fire!) and Caden had a game (they lost but Caden scored one of the 2 goals). Saturday night we had a box for the Jazz-Warriors game with the Taylors. It was so much fun, even though the Warriors lost. They kids loved the game and LOVED getting food and drinks whenever they wanted. Not to sound spoiled, but a box is the ONLY way to see the game if you are bringing 6 kids! We had our own bathroom, kitchen and plenty of seating. Bryan and Kelli - where were you?! Stinkers still in NYC! Then Sunday I played soccer with my boys (I have a huge bruise on my calf trying to teach them how to NOT be afraid to block shots when you're a goalie) and we rocked to Guitar Hero III (my fingers feel like I have arthritis!) So an eventful and fun weekend, though my body feels a little beat up. It's hard to keep up with 3 boys - well, actually 4!

Guitar Hero III

I get the "Bad Parenting Award" for the night. I really try not to spoil my kids. I admit, holidays are a little out of control, but other than that I really try not to buy them stuff. They have a chance to earn $5 per week for chores and I am a stikler about receiving the money only if ALL their chores for the week have been done. Well, all of those wonderful teachings were out the window last night. We went to Toys R Us to kill some time while waiting for a table at Chilis. They just got a shipment of Guitar Heros and I totally succombed (spelling?) to peer pressure and bought it for them! Boston had a sleepover and they rocked out until midnight. Then I rocked out until 1:30! It is addicting and SO much fun! Boston is totally the best. He taught us all. He passed a ton of levels that I couldn't even pass. It is seriously so fun to watch him. His little fingers move so fast and he can totally keep the beat. Shannon, I think you are raising the next Eddie Veder!

Halloween!

We had such a great Halloween! We had two awesome school parties for the kids. On the way home from school I asked them what their favorite part of the party was and Chase answered "You!" So that made all of the work worth it! Then we had trunk-or-treating at the church. I got Geoff a "G Money" costume and he handed out $1 to all the kids. He was a big hit - a little embarrassed - but a big hit nonetheless. Then it was off to Jane's for her traditional Halloween party with soup in pumpkin bread bowls. Last, Geoff took the boys and some friends trick-or-treating on the Rhino (4-wheeler). Now they're counting their candy. How much fun is it to be a little kid on holidays?! I hope they make memories that will always stay with them! Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday, Shannon!

To my Best Friend in the World - I love you because.....
you are ALWAYS in a good mood.
you're so fun to be around.
you always play with me.
we share so many of the same interests.
you are such a good mom, wife, friend, etc.
you stand by and stand up for your beliefs.
you always try to keep the peace and make everyone happy.
you'll always try new things.
you enjoy the outdoors and sports.
and many, many other reasons!
Happy Birthday, Shannon!

Haunted Forest!

OK - I feel a bit guilty about this, but it was really fun! Chase wanted to go to the Haunted Forest SO bad. We warned him over and over again that it was really scary, but he insisted on going. So we got a babysitter for Caden and Crew and we took him, along with Cory, Shannon, and Boston. He was a little freaked out but was doing ok UNTIL we actually walked into the forest and the first scary guy popped out at us. He had an absolute panic attack! He was crying, yelling, etc. He was so worked up that he actually puked - twice! I didn't know what to do with him but finally he calmed down and came through - hiding behind me the ENTIRE time. It REALLY scared him. Needless to say, I had all three boys in bed with me last night - we kicked daddy out to the guest bedroom. But guess where Chase wants to go tonight? That's right! The Haunted Forest! He wants to bring Caden and the Mortons. He is so funny! I think we will forgo the Haunted Forest for a few years!


This was the pumpkin smash! You had to hit the small metal pumpkin and then the hammer would come down and SMASH a pumpkin. To my surprise, both Chase and Boston nailed the target and smashed their pumpkins!


Notice that Chase is missing from the picture! He would NOT leave me for a second!

Man VS Wild!

Last week, Chase and I got in a bit of an "argument" which resulted in him going in the backyard and building himself a shelter. It was perfect because it kept him outside of 2 hours creating and getting some energy out and I couldn't help but laugh at him, even though I was mad. He started with an A-frame shelter ancored in a hole in one of our trees. That was just going OK, then daddy came home and helped him with this teepee shelter. He collected leaves for bedding and came in so excited to show me. Now he says he has a place to "be by himself" when he's in a bad mood. He is so cute and creative - I can never stay mad at him for very long.

Becki's Pics

My sweet, talented friend, Becki took these pictures for me at Chase's baptism. Becki, you should turn your passion into a business. She is so good and crafty at everything she does. That day was so busy for me, I was grateful to just enjoy the experience and not have to worry about taking pictures. Thanks again, Becki! I owe you BIG time - and don't think I'm not paying you for these!
As a little side note, I almost killed myself trying to look at these pictures. Becki dropped them off the day before we left for San Fran. I was going crazy trying to get everyone packed and I ran upstairs to load the CD onto my computer. As soon as I got up there I heard Crew crying in his room (he had gotten stuck behind his toilet!) so I went to run downstairs and totally missed the first stair and fell HARD. For those of you who don't know, we have hardwood stairs, which made the fall SO painful. I just layed there for about 20 seconds trying to regain my composure and assess if I had broken anything. I thankfully hadn't, but I had a football sized bruise and lump sticking out of the side of my upper leg - as if my thighs needed to look any uglier! The bruise is finally starting to lighten (10 days later) but I still have like a tennis sized hard lump under the bruise - anything to be concerned about? Or will it just heal eventually? It has gotten considerably smaller.

Fall!

I love the fall! Our yard looks gorgeous for a few weeks with all the leaves everywhere. Yesterday we raked the leaves into piles to play in. The kids had so much fun. Today we are enjoying high 70 degrees. So much fun to be outside!

More San Fran

My computer is still being difficult and taking WAY too much time. Anyway, here's our top 10 from our San Fransisco Trip.

10. Boudin Bakery - awesome bread, soups and salads. My kids particularly enjoyed their loaf of Sourdough shaped as an alligator.

9. The Metreon - the Sony store was the best! We got to try out all the new games for the PlayStation3 and the PSPs

8. Pier 39 - always fun to walk the Pier and see the Sea Lions squabble at each other - a favorite for Crew.

7. Union Square - we love all the action and shopping.

6. People Watching - boy are there some wierdos in the city!

5. Exploratorium - a HUGE hands on Science center for kids. The boys LOVED this, especially Chase because being a scientist is one of his "fall back" options in case professional basket player doesn't work out for him.

4. Alcatraz - this was probably Geoff's favorite - even though we weren't able to go to the prison, he teased the kids relentlessly that he was going to take them there and lock them in solitary!

3. Ghiradelli - great ice cream sundaes!

2. Walking the Golden Gate Bridge - for some reason the boys were REALLY excited to do this - despite some tears from Caden because Geoff kept telling him he had to jump over into the Bay.

1. Cheesecake Factory - we ate here 3 times! The best part was the location of the restaurant - outdoor balcony patio seating on the 9th floor of the Macys building overlooking Union Square.

The City By the Bay!

OK - I was trying to post all of our San Fran pics and I was only able to download one. I uploaded 1 image at a time and it still froze up on me. I waited like 10 minutes for 1 pic to upload and then I just gave up. Does anyone else have issues with theirs? What do you do?

Creepy, Crawly Treats!

Here's a picture of one of our Halloween caterpillar - not the best picture but it was fun to make and eat. Crew was so excited - can't you tell?

We Thank Thee For A Prophet!

Yet another wonderful conference this weekend. All the talks were great but my favorites came from Monson (yesterday morning) and President Hinkley today. How lucky are we to live in the fullness of times - when we can relax in our beautiful homes and listen to the words of our phrophet and other leaders in the Church? I am so grateful to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! Most of the talks seemed to be about very simple, basic truths. Geoff thought that maybe that was due to Romney and all the interest he has brought to the Church. Hopefully a lot of curious people were watching and learned about our religion. The kids tried to be good and listen to conference but it is still hard for them to focus. They were in the kitchen coloring and during President Hinkley's talk Chase asked "mom, is Jesus coming again?" I did not think he had really been paying attention but obviously he was cause I was thinking the exact same thing! Who knows when that time will be, but He will come again! Also, I loved how President Hinkleys talk centered around his testimony of Joseph Smith. I couldn't agree with him more. I would exhort all my friends and family members to STUDY the short life of Joseph Smith. It is remarkable and will be such a testimony builder for all those who do. The only explanation for all the miracles, events, visions, translating of the Book of Mormon, his many prophesies at a very young age, everything in his life is that THE CHURCH IS TRUE!

Early Halloween Fun!

Today when the boys were at school I surprised them by decorating their room for Halloween. I hung orange lights on their bunk bed and put a scary witch and skeleton that scream and shake whenever you pass on their houses. I also put together goody baskets filled with Halloween toys, blankets, soap, etc. They were SO excited! We are now officially ready for Halloween. The front porch is decorated, all the Halloween books, movies, and music are out of storage, and I have a bunch of stuff to make cute Halloween goodies this weekend. Happy Halloween!