Savannah Turned Four

Well Savannah turned 4 here at the end of August. She has been so excited for her birthday, as she's wanted to have a princess birthday party. So we invited her friends over, played a game where there were shiny beads hidden in some cornmeal - they had to dig to find the gems, and then made a necklace out of it. They then applied lipstick, were blindfolded and had to kiss the frog prince. We had cake and ice cream, opened presents and had a great time. She was in heaven.

Mirian did pretty well despite that all week we had to remind her that it was Savannah's birthday and not hers. She did well until Savannah got some a new barbie and some clothes. She then thought it was her birthday since she gave her the present, and wanted to play with them. She loves playing with barbies and that present was too good to resist.

Happy Birthday Savannah.

Going Swimming

The other day I heard water running in the bathroom. Something to always set fear in a mom's heart, so I rushed in to see how much soap could possibly be all over the sink and walls, or how much water was now on the floor. This is what I found... with the explanation that "our barbies were going swimming". Of course you couldn't resist getting in the water yourselves either. You were just having too much fun. So I shut off the water, since it was full by then. Got your barbies some beach towels (washclothes) and let you have your fun. You were really good to not make a mess this time, and at dinner you just went off telling your dad about how your barbies went swimming today.

How To Add Video - Edited

Ok since I last posted these, I have found out that if you use blogger there is the option now right in your New Post box. See the little icon of a film reel right next to your photo icon. Click on that and it will let you upload video. How sweet is that.

Cherise asked how I add video to our blog so I thought I'd post the directions on here. Then anyone else out there wondering the same thing, can learn how too.

1. Go to Photobucket and create a new account. It's free. There are other places such as You Tube where you can also upload video.

2. Once you create your account go to your "My Album" and choose the option of video. It will have you find the video on your computer and upload it to Photobucket. There is a size limit though, so check that before trying to upload.

3. Once the video has been uploaded it will be put in your album as the example below.

4. Under the video you want to post to your blog you will see the option HTML Tag - Copy this info in the box.


5. Open up your blog and open up a new post. At the top there is a tag that says EDIT HTML. Click here.
6. Paste the HTML TAG that you had copied from photobucket.

7. You can now click on the tab COMPOSE and add any other commentary or regular posting you want, as well as add your title. Hit Publish post when finished and you should have a video posted in your blog now.

Have fun! I can't wait to see your videos!

To Be A Kid Again

A couple of weeks ago we had a rain storm, a really good one. The kids were outside when it started and despite our coaxing to come in the house, they stayed outside and enjoyed running through it. Finally we gave in and just let them have fun. They ran through it, jumped in puddles, stuck their heads under the water falling from the roof and just lived. We need to learn to do this more often as adults.

It's really OK

All right... now we know that we have readers out there, and family looking at this blog. So we wanted to make sure you know... IT'S OK TO COMMENT! Quite simple really.. just click on the comment button and leave us your thoughts. We love hearing from you and seeing what you enjoy. So let us know! We know you out there! :)

Pie Eating Contest

This last weekend was a family reunion with all of my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. There were about 70 of us there in attendance. It was so much fun to be able to see everyone. Get caught up on their lives, see their kids and show off ours. I also even played in a game of softball. I definitely need to improve my skills, but I had a blast playing. We also had a pie eating contest. Beau was a good sport and joined in, and not only that but he won. Here's him going at it!

A Sign of Savannah's

I think Savannah has inherited Beau's fetish for knots. She is the queen at tying a knot. It's not a knot as we know it, but it is a knot in the fact that it takes a lot of time to get it undone. You can tell when she has found a string as she will immediately practice her skills of knot tying and find something to attach it too. Obviously she was here at one point. This is also the tool for Mirian's latest scar.

Bear Lake

At the end of July we had a family reunion on Beau's side of the family at Bear Lake, Idaho. We went down and camped a night in our new tent. It was like camping in the Hilton. After 5 years of a 2 man tent with all 5 of us, we now have a 6 man tent with room to spare. The luxory of actually being able to stand up in it, room to move, and plenty of room for the kids to sleep instead of with us!

The next day was spent all day at the beach. These are a few cute shots of the kids. They loved every minute. You couldn't keep Savannah out of the water as she was having the time of her life. One funny incident was when I looked over at Savannah in the water and she was taking her swimsuit off, I rushed over to her to tell her she needed to get her swimsuit back on only to have her inform me that she "needed to use the bathroom and Uncle Stuart told her she could just pee in the lake." "Opps" he said "that wasn't EXACTLY what I meant," when confronted about it later. Someone has to inform these brothers that the need to watch what they tell these kids. They will take it literally based on their limited knowledge of what they think you mean. I thought it was funny though.

After 3 coats of sunscreen, we all returned home absolutely fried. The girls have never really experienced a sunburn before, let alone one like this, one that was severely red and hurt. All they could do for the next couple of days was lay around and moan because they hurt so bad. We had a good time though and they now have a killer tan to show for it.

Another Scar

Mirian is our wild, adventurous one who is usually carrying her scars to prove it. I was in the house a couple of weeks ago grabbing something when Savannah come in hollering.She told me to hurry and comer here because Mirian was hurt and had blood on her face. I hurried to see what it was and here is the sight I saw. Only with it bleeding a lot more. She was crying a little, but wasn't near the hysteria that I thought she should be in based on how bad it looked.

Savannah and taken her rope and tied it to her tricycle and then tied it to the handlebars of Mirian's red scooter she was riding and was pulling her around the parking lot behind our house. They must have been going pretty fast around the corner because Mirian bit the dust right on her cheek. She cried a little, let me clean it up a tad, refused a band aid and was outside back on her scooter ready to go again. She's a tough one.

An Isaac Blooper

He was so proud of being able to stand up all by himself. The funny thing was he was laughing hysterically before hand and being all proud of himself. I never expected to have got such a unexpected surprise in the middle. If you have kids you know that it's not really a surprise it's a way of life with them and you just keep going sometimes.

After 2 years he's home!

After serving two years in the California, Sacramento Mission my brother-in-law Stuart came home. We haven't seen him for 2 years and have only got to talk to him once on the phone at Christmas about a year ago. He flew into Salt Lake City before flying into Jackson to see the rest of the family. We drove down to meet up with him during the layover and see him for the first time in two years. When he left Mirian was barely 4 months old, now she's 2 1/2. Isaac wasn't even born. It took them a minute to warm up to him once they saw him since it's been so long. As you can see they were giving him hugs by the time we left. Now they ask about him every day. It was so good to see him and we've missed him. It has been great to have him home again. Alex and him haven't seen each other in four years as he left before Alex returned home from his mission. Unfortunately for the rest of the family, we kept him a little longer than we should have. He missed his flight to Jackson, where his mom, dad and siblings were waiting to see him... he had to catch a later flight. They weren't too happy with us. Opps. It's good to have you home Stuart.

Another Mommy

This is a sight you will see often in our house. Savannah is our second mommy and you will often find her packing Isaac around just like this, and telling him what he should and should not do. She treats him just like he is her own baby, which sometimes he is great with and other times infuriates him. She definitely has that mothering nature and as she tells me "Someday I'm going to be a mommy and have my own babies to take care of." Yes you will Savannah.. yes you will.

What Are We Currently Doing?

The other day I realized it has been a while since I've just given a basic update on our family. What are we currently doing?

Beau

He is currently finishing up his masters research and will be starting to work on his thesis at the end of the summer. He will be finishing up a few classes and hopes to be able to defend this upcoming spring. He then plans on continuing with his plans to get his doctorate. The tentative graduation plan is Spring of 2010. It's ironic that I graduated from college in 2000? How did this happen. I swore I was done!;)

We recently moved into a new ward (church congregation) where Beau recieved a new calling of Bishopric 2nd Counselor (One of the 3 main church leaders over a ward of 400 members. He is in charge specifically of the Young Men and Women ages 12-18, and the scouting program, as well as helping lighten the load of the Bishop any chance he can. So most nights are spent in meetings, with the teenagers, or doing an extra sacrament meeting for a retirement home that is in our ward boundaries.

When he has spare time he likes to go mountain biking, play racquetball, read, and hang out with his family. He is also currently building a business on the side with his three engineering buddies. They have huge plans for it, and I am pretty excited about it actually. It has huge potential, and it's fun to see them all get so excited about it.

Shalae

Right now I love being the stay at home mom to three crazy kids. They are so much fun and definitely make life exciting around here. I planted a little garden out front which we have been watching bloom all summer and are actually harvesting some beans, peas, zucchini and tomatoes out of it. It's fun to see the kids get excited about it as well.

During my spare time (which usually is after the kids are in bed, 5:30 in the morning and Monday afternoons when Beau takes the kids and gives me personal time) I have lots of fun! I am currently a designer for ScrapGirls.com where I design digital scrapbooking products. I can't tell you how much fun this is. I get to use my art skills in so many unique ways. I've been able to design kits, write ebooks, teach online classes, create layouts, be published in magazines, and have got to know some incredible people from all over the world. It's the perfect opportunity. I can do it whenever I want, as often as I want, and whatever I want. It is truly play! It's interesting how you can make such good friends, and have such a bond with the other designers, when we live all over the world and have never met in person. I am excited for the opportunity to be able to fly to Minnesota at the beginning of October, where I get to meet our other designers, and good friends for the first time.

I am currently the Relief Society teacher (a church class for the women in our ward) once a month. We are studying the prophet Spencer W. Kimball. I also love having the chance to read on my own, play with the kids and keep up on my blog.

Savannah

She turns four at the end of this month. She is our oldest and has somehow inherited that first child attribute of being the mother hen and boss of everyone younger than her. She has that natural mother instinct. She can be shy at times and very outgoing at other times. She loves dancing and will start a basic dance class this upcoming fall, which she is so excited about. She keeps asking if she will learn how to be a ballerina. She loves dressing up as a princess. She is very dramatic and could take up acting, as there is always something dramatic going on with her and Mirian or her dolls. She packs Isaac around like he is her baby and takes care of him quite well. She is very smart and has an incredible memory. She can remember things in amazing ways. We can travel somewhere once, and if she ever goes in that direction again, she can specifically tell you where we are going and how to get there. She has a keen sense of direction. She is learning her alphabet and how to write her letters and name and is so proud of herself.

Mirian

She has also been known as Merlin. She turned 2 this last April. I love Mirian, she has a personality like no other. She can be very sweet and observant, but can turn around and be furious and angry in a second. She is passionate! Ever since she was little she was passionate about what is right. If anything is unfair, especially when playing, she lets you know about it. If you deal fairly with her she is the sweetest person in the world, but watch out if you don't! She is full of energy, lots of spirit. She is often reserved and would rather sit on moms lap and observe things. It takes her a while to warm up to things, and yet sometimes she gets out of that shell and just goes for it. She is daring, and loves jumping off of things, and being rough with dad. She has a laugh and a smile that will just melt you.
Right now, she is learning her letters too, since she has to do everything that Savannah is doing. She can point them out to you and tell you what they are (not all of them yet) and can tell you what sound they make. She is our spirited one.

Isaac

He's 8 months now and I could just eat him up. He is just the most adorable guy you've ever run across. He has a killer smile, and the girls are going to fall for him. He has nonstop energy...go, go, go. He doesn't stop unless he's asleep and lately it's been hard to get him to stop for a minute so he will go to sleep. He's got 5 teeth and even though he's been belly crawling for a month already this last week he figured out how to work his knees into it. He is one happy kid too. He is always smiling, playing and happy. He's only ornery if he is starving or tired. He is a momma's boy (which I'm happy about:)) and takes a minute to work up to strangers, especially if he thinks your here to babysit him. He's got a great laugh which we hope to get a video of soon, and post here. I love the stage he is at right now, and he is so cuddly, fun and just so wrapped up in everything around him.

Well that's us right now. I hope I didn't bore you. I know this is a long entry, but since I never write letters anymore, and rarely get an email out to everyone I thought this would be the next best thing.