appliances

Maren's soccer class!

I always heard that when you own a home, many times the appliances all crash at once.  This has come true a few times for us this past year, but instead of appliances, it's been a mix of things that need fixing and attention.  Our current short list is: Oven, wood trim on outside that is rotting, chipping paint, shower head and nozzle.  Oh, and why is peanut butter my dishwasher's nemesis?  No matter if I've rinsed it or not, there's no getting that stuff off with the dishwasher alone.  The joys of buying an older home! 

This little dollie is looking for anything to keep her entertained.  She loves to look through drawers, cupboards, boxes.  Her hunt for entertainment ends when she finds anything made of paper.  

Maren and I found these redwoods on our date the other day!  They're beautiful and have a very distinct smell.  I'm pretty sure they were man planted.

 

 

With the time change, I find that we spend less time in our backyard after dinner.  Who wants to jump on the tramp in the dark?  Andy set this up for the girls one night so they could paint outside.  

Silly girlies.  I can't say enough about them right now.  I keep thinking they're in the funnest stages right now-all 3 of them.  As you may remember, I was NOT at this point at all 1.5 years ago-it was quite opposite.  But we really are having a lot of fun with them.  Of course they still stretch us beyond our limits at times, those moments are less than the happy ones. 
 

Each day Maren wakes up and tells me how many more days until Andy's parents come visit.  They'll be here for Thanksgiving week!  It's been 6 years  since we stayed home for this week!  It's also been 6 years since we've been to Utah for Christmas.  We switched it up this time!

Growing up my sister and I secretly wanted a soccer goal of our own.  My dad bought a golf net once and put it up in our unfinished basement, but I think Carrie and I used it for our purposes more than my dad.  Well Andy made my childhood wish come true, we have our own goal.  The girls don't know how good they have it. lol

 

Here's SOME of the Young Women in our ward.  We had a special activity and they shared what they were doing to help themselves progress in the gospel/life.  It was really neat!

YO, you!

Here's the view I had at the start of my bike ride one Saturday.  22 miles later, and you're at the beach!  Andy and I have yet to do this ride, but we will sometime!

Sometimes it's hard knowing how to spend your time as a family.  If you're like us, by the time dinner is over, we just want to collapse on the couch and watch a movie.  But if you're also like us, you know that's not the BEST option:) On such an occasion, Maren chose we go find a 'new' park.  We mapped it after we got buckled in the car, and found this one.  It was bordering a golf course, and had a little of everything: climbing trees, bike riding paths, play structures.  One thing absent: a bathroom.

 

These two look similar, eh?

HAHA! I have this pic set as the background on my phone right now.  It just makes me giggle.  We were getting her 12 month clothes out, and found this hat.  Maybe we'll need it come December?

Happy Halloween!  (I can never remember if Halloween has 2 or one L's, until after I right it a couple times:)  Maren was a Cowgirl, Lauren-an Indian girl, Brooklynn-a Lamb.  Andy was a Jordan High Beetdigger footballer, and I was a Cowgirl as well.

Maren started a soccer class this month.  She really loves it.  I REALLY love to watch her.  

Please Fall!

We have had sister and elder missionaries in our ward now for about 8 months, and I am in heaven:)  Sometimes they'll come and do their laundry, or have dinner, or I'll get to go on exchanges with them.  I have wanted sisters in our ward forever.  My girls love them, and wanna be like them!  This pic above is of Sister Moore.  It was a Sunday afternoon, and the look on our faces is so funny to me.  We are bad a faking it, we were really tired-except Sister Moore.

We went on a walk one evening by the regional trail that leads to the ocean.  Here's Lauren in a tree.

We have great neighbors.  One of the children next door wrote us this note and gave us Romanian chocolate because things had mysteriously been making their way over our fence:)  (scooter, sand toys, etc).We laughed about it.

She wants to stand and be in the mix of it all.  I now understand why some parents tell their babies to stop growing and stay little!

We got to see the USU aggies play here at USC.  They lost but we're so glad we went.  Of course, there was a HUGE aggie section!!

 

 

This is fall to me, just beautiful!

The Best Nest

Have you ever read, The Best Nest ?  It's a children's book by  P.D. Eastman.  2 birds wander around looking for a 'better' nest, but in the end, it's their original one they really want.  Very cute, very clever.  ANYWAYS.  We went to St. George this month, and met my parents there.  The red rock is just beautiful. 

I have fond memories of hiking this red rock from growing up.  At the top of this picture, there are pioneer names from a few original settlers of St. George.  We loved having one on one time with Grandma and Grandpa.  Because it doesn't happen often, the girls look forward to these times a lot.

Andy's mom gave us this for our last anniversary.  It's a dry-erase glass frame.  It's been a lot of fun to write messages back and forth.  I think I'm in the habit of looking at it each time I pass it-even though I know Andy is still at work.  Maybe he secretly wrote something when I wasn't looking?? LOL.

I love you can be easy or hard to say.  When we were dating and getting more 'serious', he told me he loved me. xoxo.  But I nearly broke his heart when I didn't say it back right away!  I really wanted to mean it, and had to wait a little longer before I could tell him the same.  When I finally said those 3 magic words, it became a lot easier to say them over and over.  How easy is it to say those words, but not say why you actually love the person??  VERY.  I love this gift because it helps you put into words the reasons why.  Our reasons are usually silly\simple ones, like "I love you BC...you know how to camp!" or "I love you BC....we get to go on a date to Back to School Nite!"or "I love you BC...you sell things on craig's list."

Sometimes after school, we need to party, right?  This day we got some snacks, and played in a water fountain. The 3rd body in this pic. is a statue btw.  I look forward to the day when I check our girls out of school to go see a movie, or go get a slurpee,etc.  (I just need to wait until the girls can keep a secret from their Daddy.) hehe

This little baby doll is really growing big.  She is getting to where she wants to be by scooting, crawling, rolling, etc.  This week has been rough bc she wants to be held or have someone sitting by her at all times.  Teeth coming?  Not enough quality attention?  I dunno.

I look like a tired Momma.  I am tired, but a content tired.  I've been reading my childhood journal to the girls and Andy and back then, I never would have dreamed I'd be where I am today.  I never would have thought I'd be THIS tired, but also this IN LOVE.  

Maren the Brave.  This is her bravest face for Kindergarten.  We have an arrangement with a fellow classmate named Hope.  If she'll hold Maren's hand after I leave, then Maren promises not to cry.  It works for us, and she is Brave.  Hope has a great name, don't you think?

Mrs. Westphal.  Do you remember your Kindergarten teacher?  I do.  I also remember being silly while sitting on the 'rug'. Here's to a great year for everyone!!

Thoughts lately

We visited the OC zoo.  It was small and perfect for the girlies.
With summer winding down, I'm thinking about how fast this went.  Fall brings some changes to our little family.  Maren starts Kindergarten!  She is really excited, and has been wanting to learn to read for a while.  We started this summer and she has picked it up.  Just like most, I have mixed emotions about watching my children grow up.  It's bittersweet.  I'm starting to talk to her more about what situations she may find herself in during school hours(wandering on the playground, what to do if she can't open her lunch, how to include the 'loner', how to include yourself if you're the 'loner', etc:)  I've always thought she's a wise ol' soul, and she'll do great, but meet plenty of road bumps along the way.

Lauren starts preschool where Maren went last year.  She excited, and seems like she'll really enjoy it.

Being 1 of the only members of the church in the school(my guess there will be 15-20 total), I want her to start now to be a light for others, I think she is bc she came wired that way.

 

Last Friday, I told Andy while we were on the phone, that it'd be fun to take down this tree in our backyard.  And that is what we did.  Now, we just need 20 yard waste cans to get rid of the branches.  He loves projects just like this, and I love CHANGE.

I read about this idea, and wanted to do it.  Collect seashells from each beach you visit, mount them, then label the block they're mounted on.  Memories saved.

Visited Laguna beach yesterday.  While I was taking this pic, some passerbys were laughing at Brooklynn on the blanket.  She had no clue where she was, nor did she care.  She was drooling on a toy and was happy:)

View from the top.

We...

 
make.... 

one mold.

I say this bc it's true!  I have a million pics just like this one-just of Maren and Lauren.  They all look so similar.

Lauren is in the phase where she can voice what she thinks and sees clearly, but is still innocent about what she 'thinks' it means.  In nursery this week, after telling her I would be staying to help out, she said, "OK Mom, let me show you what I do.  I do this."(scans her head back and forth across the room) "I watch out for people, so just, just, just....watch out for people!"  LOL This meant she watches out that she doesn't get trampled, etc. I guess you never know what might happen in nursery!

Then, Maren told me while we were driving home from church that to her, it doesn't look like they focus on God at ALL in nursery.  That they "just play with toys and eat snacks and stuff." LOL.  I guess that's what is looks like:)

They both frequently tell our friends or neighbors that there's another baby in my tummy, and proceed to squish their hands into my stomach as if that would show others that it's true.  I say, 'ok, thanks girls!  Just bc it looks like it, doesn't mean someone really IS pregnant' :)

Oh the greatness of being a parent!

A Kindergartner's Life

The girls helped us plant and harvest our garden this year.  Mainly they just liked to see what grows\what doesn't, and what critters we find along the way.  One afternoon, we took our produce to a busy corner in our neighborhood, and sold them.  It was a huge success, people were asking if we'd be out next Friday:)  The funnest part was meeting more of our neighbors, like Julie, who's yard we used.  The girls loved to hold the sign and yell...haha, even if the sign was crooked at times.

Happy 5th birthday to Maren!  She is girlie, competitive, extremely forgiving, a peacemaker, and adventurous.  She's tall, wants LONG hair to her waist, loves to tell secrets, and jump 'super high' on the trampoline. Happy birthday MareBear!

She told me exactly how she wanted her cake.

We saw this fun activity in a magazine.  We can imagine rainstorms, even if we never see them:)

Andy was in charge of a few games for Maren's b-day party.  Never to disappoint, he had it mapped out, with a list of items needed.  Obstacle courses, lifesize board games, etc.  She loved it.

One Saturday, Maren and I came home to this above pic.  Any way you can get it done, is what you take around here!  

A few shots from a couple nights ago...

 

 

 

My friend and I did an obstacle course race together.  It was funny and had a lot of DIRTY water to fall into.  I'm fine not ever doing it again:)