Our Santa Experience

Please excuse the fact that the first two pictures are rather blurry, they were needed to tell my story...
Brynn sang beautifully (head seen to the left of her green star) at the ward christmas dinner.
While in the middle of singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town Santa arrived. Brynn promptly stood up in the middle of the crowd of kids (white blurry sweater directly to the right of Santa) and walked right off the stage. No crying...just no desire what-so-ever to be within 100 yards of the jolly old man.Tyler took mom's suggestion and got in line to see Santa. Wahoo!
He saw the enticing popcorn ball awaiting him. He ran...he grabbed...
And he quickly darted away...
Mom proceeded to grab his hand and take him back to at least say THANK YOU, and smile for a photo-op. My only darling child who would cooperate and sweetly pose with Santa...Dylan!
Of course after she realized he had vacated the premesis she was more than excited to sit in his seat!?

Our Pictures

Can't you just see the "JOY" on our faces??!?!?!

Seriously?!....a little cooperation PLEASE!?!

Family pictures have got to be one of my most cherished earthly possesions (hence my obsession with taking pictures and scrapbooking). But seeing as there is opposition in all things, it must follow that it is also one of the hardest, most frustrating things to get done. Ummm...is anyone out there hearing me on this one?

Bet you can't wait to see if by some small miracle we were actually able to get a good one for our Christmas letter...

Our Tree

Obviously I haven't done a post on our wonderful Thanksgiving trip yet...I was brilliant and left the CD of my 400+ pictures we took at my parents house. So as soon as my mom gets that in the mail to me (hint hint) I will go back and do a ditty on it. But for now we are having so much fun getting ready for Christmas that I need to move on.

Last Saturday we took the kids to get a tree and they were too funny. Brynn went straight for some little potted Christmas trees and Tyler made a mad dash for the shortest-to-the-ground ones he could possibly find and they were in love.

As PJ was holding up the giant 7-8 foot trees trying to convince them how cool the big ones were, Brynn got frustrated and explained that she and Tyler wanted to get one for them that was just their size. He could get one for the parents that was our size but she and Tyler needed one that they could reach. Our kids are stubborn and we love to see them happy, so of course we gave in and bought them their little 4 foot tree. It is pretty cute (although PJ couldn't handle it and eventually put it up on a little table to make it taller - as you'll see in a following picture). Then we decided to make homemade scented ornaments this year...

Decorating...

Their tree...

This is just a picture Brynn took of Dylan hanging out with some of our snowmen while we worked...

We're having lots of Holiday Happyness!...gotta love this time of year!!

Sleepover

We hit a milestone...Brynn had her first (successful) sleepover a few weeks ago at Abby's house. We tried once before, right before the Peterson's moved, but it was too easy for her to just walk home at night when she was all done - this time she didn't have that option...and she did just fine. She said she had SO much fun but really missed us at night but she wanted to be real brave so she didn't even cry at all. I was very proud of her and what a big girl she's becoming...ahhh!
And I was very proud of Jill for being brave enough to try!...what a good mom!

Things we let them do for a little peace and quiet...

I have had a ton to do, and have felt like I have been running from one thing to the next, this past week or so. Consequently my house has been destroyed and my to do list has gotten even longer. So I sent the kids outside to play so I could try to be productive. I heard the hose go on but decided to ignore it - they would have fun and I could continue to work. Well fun they had indeed...they made their very own waterslide into a mud pit. Lovely I know. But I decided to be the really awesome mom and let them continue their fun without a scolding...so I could continue my productivity and not be on clean up duty just yet.

Did he think he was actually going to get clean after this???!?!

A picture of my garden...why is this blogworthy you ask????...because see those sprouts? Something is actually growing, something is actually surviving Tyler. The other day I walked out and literally saw my entire tomato plant sitting in the grass...really??!?! What is there to not understand about the phrase 'don't dig in mommy's garden or you will go to time out for the rest of the day!'
My really cute baby in his favorite sleeping position - on his side, arched back, with head thrown back.

2 Months

Dylan is 2 months old today. He weighed in at 12lbs 12ozs which put him in the 75th% for weight. His height was 24 1/2 inches which put him at 95th% for height. Not that we are suppose to compare kids or anything, but Tyler has always struggled to make it to 50th% for height so if things continue we may have another Dallin/PJ situation on our hands (PJ is 6 foot and his little bro Dallin is 6' 7").

OK so the group wasn't working with me here:
Me and my baby:

November?

Yes its winter - And yes this picture was taken this evening as my kids were outside swimming. At least the pool needed to be heated...slightly. No really it has been quite chilly dipping down into the 50's and getting up into the 70's. Its wierd to think this is our last winter of beautiful weather and all the outsideness we can handle.