Valentine's Houses

I really like the idea of Gingerbread houses at Christmas time, but I struggle with the execution of getting our houses done during the holidays. So, a couple years ago I decided we should start a new tradition of making Valentines Houses. (I actually want to call them 'Love Shack's but don't want my kids going to school and telling their teachers they make love shacks at home...) Anyway, last year, with the house selling we didn't get to our houses but this year the tradition was back on track. Bella LOVED eating the candy and is really upset today that she can't get the candy off. Clark had a good time making his house and his house is already a mess since he breaks the frosting to get those candies off to eat. Good times.

Happy Birthday Clark!

How come our kids grow up so fast? Is it possible that NINE years ago Clark was born? I guess so, since today was his birthday! He was such a cute little baby and he is still a cute kid!

He lucked out and had a great day at school - Field Trip all day! They went ice skating in the morning and then to a museum after lunch. Ryan, Bella and I met the class at the museum and walked around with Clark. It was really fun. We had his special request for dinner - Shepherd's Pie - and then Ryan's sister and her family came over for cake and ice cream.

We are so grateful to have him in our family. I can't even imagine our lives without his playful grin and contagious laugh. He loves to play sports (basketball, baseball, wii sports, ripstik, etc.) and also is becoming a great pianist. We love you Clark!!! Happy Birthday!!

A Bench, A Lightswitch and A Chair

Time to guess the common link again. Bench, Lightswitch, Chair. Hmm.

This is how scripture reading went down tonight. Ryan, Clark and I are sitting on the sofa reading and Bella is running around like a crazy lady (normal). I have a bench against the wall in living room and Bella often gets on it and then jumps off. Tonight she was doing this crazy ritual but then she noticed the light switches off to the side. So she turns on one light and turns the other off. Nice. Clark starts laughing. Bella jumps off the bench. We continue to read. Bella climbs back onto the bench and turns both lights off. We are sitting in complete darkness. Clark is in hysterics. Bella laughs, turns both lights on...waits a few seconds...turns both off. Clark laughs harder. (Ryan and I are also laughing, but trying not to egg her on.) We ask her to turn them on, but she has jumped off the bench and has no intention of turning them back on. So I get up, turn on the lights and move the bench so she can't reach the light switches when she climbs back on the bench. After a minute of the lights being on, she goes back to the bench, climbs up and tries to reach for the switches only to hit the wall. This time I was the one that was smiling. It was priceless. She got so upset that she couldn't reach time any more. (Meanwhile we are still trying to read.) So Bella gets off the bench and we see her a minute later carrying a little chair from her table over to the wall. We are almost done with our chapter, so we start speed reading through the last verse and get the last phrase in, right as the lights go out, and Clark breaks into laughter, again.

New Year Events

I just had a few pictures to post. Clark had his first basketball game today and I took some pictures, none of which turned out. They were all way too dark, so this one I lightened but they just aren't the same - at least you can see him in action. Go Clark!!

And I was finally able to get Bella to sit still long enough to braid her hair - I have tried unsuccessfully several times before. This time we got it done while she was watching Little Einsteins on TV; you do what you have to do! I am out of practice and sitting still for a two year old is not really very still. I think it is cute though. It reminds me of Anne of Green Gables - especially after a few hours when the small pieces started coming out...just not the right color.

Snow Fun

The kids love the snow. I am getting to old I guess; I really like it if I just stay inside and look at it, but being outside and driving in it are not my thing. We did go sledding over the holiday and it was fun. We had a great time with the Harris's (thanks for coming to visit :). Bella says "I like sledding." She gets taken down the hill and then pulled up again by mom or dad - what is not to love?! Clark has a great time too and asks to go almost everyday!

Since we aren't always at the golf course for sledding, the kids have fun outside in the front yard too...There is a pile of snow almost 4 feet high from off of the driveway, so there is no shortage of the white stuff to play in.

And in case you get tired a need a break, here is the perfect winter chair created by Clark and finished by Ryan.

Christmas Morning

We had a great Christmas day. Here are a few picture highlights...


Please notice Clark's pillow and book in the hallway - he of course woke up hours before everyone else and so he read until it was time. (He had been given very specific instructions on what to do, since we are getting used to this yearly occurrence :)

Bella loved her new little kitchen! She came out into the room and said, "Kitchen!" It was so cute! She has a great time playing with it. Now I just have two kitchens to clean daily!

Clark wanted a Santa Hat for Christmas (along with the ripstik that you can't see in the picture.) He is having lots of fun riding around the neighborhood with the other boys that have them. They have been able to ride a few times when the roads are clear from the snow. Unfortunately that hasn't been a lot since Christmas!

Merry Christmas

If I didn't send this to you, sorry, I need your e-mail address!

These Boots are Made for Walking...

Just another normal day in the life of a two year old:

"Ah, Mom's boots. Those look like fun. I will take off my jeans and put them on and run about the house... Yes these are great fun!"

Mrs. Webster

I think it is really funny when kids come up with new words that no one else has ever heard, but yet they use them often. Such is the case with Bella and the new word is 'cuteaful'.

Defination: Something both cute and beautiful.
Usage: She gets dressed in the morning or puts on her play necklaces and says, "It's cuteaful."

Everyday is full of some 2 year old disasters, but most of the time she really is so cuteaful.

Chop, Chop

I have been saying I wanted to cut my hair short for a couple of years and I actually did it! Normally I don't post anything about me specifically, but my sisters have requested some pictures, so here they are. If you don't like it, you don't have to leave a comment; if you think it is ok, then you can leave a nice message :) I like it - I should have taken a picture when I came home from getting it cut, because I can't style it as well, but here I am!

Giving Thanks

If you are reading this, we must be thankful for you and how you are apart of our lives! Thanks for being you! We have so very much to be grateful for and we don't express enough all we have been so richly blessed with. Truly one day isn't enough...

A Book, A Pocketknife and A Screen

What do a book, a pocketknife and a screen have in common? Let me tell you.

Last week Ryan and I had gone to the temple and Ryan's brother Darren was nice enough to watch the kids. They went to bed before we got home and it was quiet when we came downstairs. I was doing a couple things in the kitchen when I hear all of this commotion. Ryan had gone into the kids room and what does he find, but Clark outside in the window well. What was he doing there we ask? Apparently he was reading this book using a flashlight underneath his covers and it was kinda scary. (As a side note on the book - the Librarian had recommended it as a good one.) Anyway, he had heard us come downstairs and thought we were robbers, so he had gotten his pocket knife out of his nightstand, opened the window, cut the screen and had crawled out onto the rocks and was trying to get out of the window well when Ryan found him.

I just don't understand. What was he going to do when he got out? What about Bella? I guess she was just on her own. How would a robber get past Darren and Grandpa (who was also home)? And to top it off, it was only about 40 degrees outside!!

The next morning we had just gotten up and Clark suddenly runs upstairs (in his pajamas). What on earth? He came back with his pocketknife that he had thrown up on the ground above the window. Good thing we didn't forget that!

Not a Baby Anymore

My baby is not a baby anymore. Today I went and got a toddler bed for Bella and tonight the crib went away. It is sad. The day was inevitable but still a bit sad. She thought it was great!! She got in, and then out, and then in, and then out! When I put her down she just jumped out again. We had to talk about how it was still bedtime. Eventually I just had to close the door so it would be dark and she couldn't come out. She didn't cry so I think she knows it is just nighttime. How the time flies by!!

Short update - she stayed in bed until Clark went in to go to sleep - as soon as the door opened she was out of bed and running down the hall! Crazy little girl!

What did we just talk about?

I really don't have anything new to say, but I am just tired of Halloween being at the top of my blog. So I decided I would post about our Family Home Evening last night, since it was quite comical. I was giving a lesson about Manners (I know that everyone else doesn't need this lesson in their house, but we can use it often :) Anyway, we were talking about our Super Hero's including, 'Thunder Thank-you' and 'Super Sorry' etc., when Clark accidently knocked Bella in the head and she fell over and started to cry. Now, since we are talking about this very subject, wouldn't it make sense to lean over and say, "I'm sorry, Bella."? No, too much to ask. Clark had to cry about his arm that got hurt when he knocked her over. I hope that someday our FHE lessons will work, but I don't when that day will be. It is obviously not today.

Happy Halloween

I tried to continue the tradition we started last year of all dressing up to match. It took a lot of convincing and I don't know how many years this tradition is going to last, but we, correction, I, had a good time. We didn't get really great pictures - Clark ran out the door after the only one we managed to take together and I didn't even get one of just him - the candy draw was just too much!

My dad got a few more pictures - luckily. Clark wanted to wear socks with his costume, so he 'distressed' them himself.

Grungy Graphics

My graphics design class ended today - unfortunately - as fast as it started. Too bad. It was really so much fun; there is a whole new world of digital art out there for me to explore. Today I learned how to make things look 'grungy' (if that is a word). There are lots of variations you can do, but this is the one I did after coming home - meaning that I can do it without someone walking me though it step by step...well OK, I followed my notes that I made in class, but still that is pretty good. Here is what I started with...

And this is what I did with it.
Neat huh? I think it is great. If only there was more time in the day that I didn't have to be doing laundry or cleaning, just think what could happen on my computer?! Someday. Perhaps this will encourage the team to do better this weekend!!

Conference

Conference was a few weeks ago but I forgot to post a couple pictures. We went on Saturday when it was cool and wet, but it was great to be able to go to the Conference Center. Ryan stayed home with Bella so Clark, my dad and I went. We were so happy we could go. As always, it was a great meeting and there is a special feeling when you are there. I was telling Cami that I think it can feel the same when you are watching at home, but there is always someone needing something so it is a little harder. Clark had a great time taking pictures before it started, but since they never turn out really great being far away, I am posting only one (if you want to see the 10 others, including the video of the primary choir practicing before the session, just let me know)!

New Class

I found this great two week class that I can take for FREE and it is teaching me how to use my Adobe programs, which I really like, but didn't know how to work very well. It is two hours a day, two days a week. Today was my first class and I learned some neat stuff and I came home and tried out what I learned on this picture and here it is for you to look at. Hopefully I will keep getting better!

Follow-up

I have had a couple people ask me about Bella and her potty training that she almost seemed to do on her own. Less you think that it was that easy, the day after my post she ADAMANTLY refused to sit on the toilet. This wasn't just any refusal; it was an arch her back, stick straight legs, screaming two-year-old refusal. Why? I don't know. Why trick me like that? It has been that way anytime we have mentioned the toilet or tried to go near it. "Do you want to go sit on the toilet?" I say. "NO!" is her response. So we are taking a break from that exercise. I don't want to be frustrated and angry about it, so we will try again later.

Fall Time

Well it has been many years since I have been in a place that has a 'real fall'. Sorry to say Arizona has a lot of good things going for it, but a breathtaking fall is not one of them. Today we drove up into the mountains to see the beautiful fall colors (before it snows up there tomorrow). Wow. It was such a great drive. Unfortunately, Ryan was taking a test and Clark was in school, so it was just my dad, Bella and I. (My dad came for Conference.) Words don't do it justice, so here are some pictures; really there are a lot more pictures - these were my favorites!