The Southern Utahn's

Patrick is crawling!

2012-01-19T06:51:00.000-08:00

My baby! My dear sweet baby who has not really gotten any time on my poor neglected blog... is crawling! He just turned 7 months so he is easily my youngest crawler. I guess being the youngest of 5 has it's perks!

First Day of School

2011-08-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's time for school again! We had such a crazy summer and now my two big kids are gone again! The house is so quiet right now! I probably made the kids late by taking these pictures, but it will be worth it. They are just so cute!
Grandma Nettie and Aunt Lori did a great job picking out school outfits! The kids had so much fun picking out what to wear for their first day!

"Look at me!" and this is what I got.

One more of Lorelai. I'm interested to see if that outfit comes back as white as it is right now. I'm thinking no!

The Rapunzel Cake

2011-07-22T12:18:00.000-07:00

The cake gets it's own post? YEP! I spent more time making this cake than I did being in labor with Lorelai! (Okay, that's a little dramatic. I was only in labor for 5 1/2 hours.) This cake took about 8 hours. I know that if I had just done it all at once with no interference it would have gone a lot faster, but that's the joy of motherhood!

Anyway! I looked online for a long time trying to find the best way to make this cake. Some people just made a bunch of rounds, stacked them on top of each other, and then cut the gown shape. None of those looked very good and I am not good at that kind of thing anyway. I bought the Wonder Mold Pan from Wilton.
Unfortunately, if you want to put a real Barbie in the middle it's not tall enough. I found that out by reading the reviews here (thank you Lori for this link. It totally saved me). So I added a 9in. round to the bottom and it was the perfect height!
When I finished crumb coating the cake (at 3:00 in the morning) I needed somewhere to put it. I was so afraid the kids would get up before me (which they did) and eat the cake (luckily, they didn't) so I put it as high as I could in the most inconspicuous place I could find. See it?
The kids saw it too. Luckily, Lorelai wouldn't let Reid near it and I woke up right after they did so it stayed safe! We spent the day playing and then I spent from late afternoon to the evening mixing (I have totally converted to gel food coloring because it's awesome!), rolling, placing, and cutting the fondant. Lorelai spent a lot of time advising me during this process.
I let her help smooth the fondant because (like everyone says) fondant shows EVERY little bump. She is a multi-tasker like me! Talking to Aunt Lori while she works.
Fondant DONE!
Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your long hair!
Finally we finished! It was so worth it! I can still see things I would change or do differently, but I think it turned out great for our first fondant cake! And my princess LOVED it. Also, I'm very glad we had extra batter and I made those cupcakes! I didn't think about the fact that you can't really put candles in fondant!
It killed me to cut into the cake, but it tasted great! I'm glad Lore is a chocoholic like me!
Tips for next time: Don't forget to use shortening. I read a bunch of different fondant instructions and only one of them mentioned greasing your work area and hands. I would have been in big trouble if I hadn't read that! I just need to be more careful about touching Rapunzels hair. It was a little greasy by the time we were done. Also, the crumb coating is key! I think I'll use a thicker layer next time because it's really the only frosting you get to eat. I'm just not a huge fan of the fondant flavor. If you are doing layers of fondant pay attention to the thickness. I should have made my bottom layer thinner. What an experience! The most important thing to remember is to have fun! It's not worth it if it's not fun!

Happy Birthday Lorelai!

2011-07-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

A real princess is sweet and kind. She puts the needs of others above herself. Of course, she is beautiful, but it's her beauty on the inside that really makes her special. A princess knows where she stands.

This is the perfect definition of my Lorelai. She is always taking time to help her brothers. She is always willing to hold Patrick. The other day Lore put the dishes away without being asked. She entertains the boys and helps me make dinner. Lorelai has very specific opinions about the way life should be and she's usually right! I love my little princess and I can't wait to see all the surprises she has in store for us this year!

Lorelai's birthday was super fun! She got dressed in her brand new outfit from Grandma and Grandpa T.

Lore got to play with friends while I was working out. Patrick wanted to add some weight to I'd have a better workout. ;)

Then we went to the Splash Pad with friends! Silly girls!

Sadie got to come home with us! We found a package from Grandma and Grandpa O. on our doorstep. It was just what Lorelai wanted!
After Daddy came home it was time for presents and cake. Everyone was so excited for Lorelai!

Lorelai loved getting her new Rapunzel doll! Three beautiful blondes!
I'm glad I left the cake on the turntable. It made everything more fun!

Nothing better than a Puddle

2011-07-15T23:48:00.000-07:00

Inspecting the puddle.
I think it passed the inspection!
Logan loved watching Reid.

Evan Jr.?

2011-07-14T23:38:00.000-07:00

A few people have said that Patrick looks just like Evan. What do you think?

Sweet Sleepers

2011-07-13T23:39:00.000-07:00

I know I've already posted many pictures of my sleeping kids, but I just love a sleeping baby!
This is what happened when I didn't put Logan down for his nap on time...

Logan is 2!

2011-07-10T21:35:00.000-07:00

One of the funnest things about birthdays is making the cake!
Decorating the cake. I have the cutest helpers!
Happy Birthday Logan!
Opening presents! Logan had a hard time moving from one present to another.
Grandpa and Grandma Olsen got to watch Logan open his present on the laptop from them. I love technology!
Logan is thinking "Please take this picture fast, I'm busy playing!"

I just love that laugh! Happy birthday buddy!

Montgomery Day 2

2011-07-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

Day 2: Eric went to work. The kids and I made waffles for breakfast, then packed up and headed over to say goodbye to Daddy. Lorelai had to check out Eric's work station. This is were Eric spends 40 hours of his week.
Luckily he has a Christmas tree (?!) to keep him company. It gave the kids some Christmas cheer!
After we said goodbye I thought it would be cool for the kids to see the Capitol Building. It was not cool. It was sweltering hot! We climbed and climbed until we got to the top.
I thought this would be an awesome picture opportunity.
Or not.
I did make one more effort. We started walking around the capitol, but we didn't get very far. It was just too hot. Lorelai's face really says it all. Logan was such a trooper though! He just kept smiling.
I also made the mistake of not having Reid use the bathroom before we left Eric's work. Whoops! And I left the diaper bag in the van at the bottom of the hill. I was not making that trip twice!

Montgomery is beautiful though. There were a ton of wonderful photo ops. I would love to take family pictures down there. Maybe next time we can actually plan for pictures. My only requirement is that it be less that 98 degrees outside!

Montgomery

2011-07-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

The conversation:
E: Tricia, do you want to come down to Montgomery?
T: Um, why?
E: I forgot a hard drive and I need it by Friday. Can you bring it to me?
T: Hmmm. 5 kids and me in the car for almost 2 hours. Can we stay the night in your hotel?
E: Yeah.
T: Does your hotel have a pool?
E: Yeah.
T: Deal!

So we drove to Montgomery! We left too late to swim, but the kids LOVED staying in the hotel. I just love how sleeping in a different bed is such a thrill for kids. They explored every nook and cranny. Even the closet!
Evan was being a statue.
Hi Daddy! We're so glad we get to see you on a Thursday night!
All the wiggle worms together!
"Sleeping!" They're so sweet!
An hour later...
Evan won the draw and got to sleep by himself on the pull out. He had a lot of company though.

I have to highly recommend Comfort Suites. Clean rooms, friendly people, and an awesome breakfast selection. The kids loved making their own Belgian waffles! Also, Eric uses their rewards program whenever he travels which is going to allow our extended family to stay free when they come visit in November!

1 Month Old

2011-07-08T23:21:00.000-07:00

Patrick's one month old! What a good baby he is. He is already sleeping 6 hours most nights and one night he slept more than 8! He is such a good boy!
He is already thinking deep thoughts...
Keepin' it real...
10lbs. 10oz. Pretty good for 1 month!

4th of July

2011-07-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

Independence Day started very early and ended very late. Grandma, Evan, and Lorelai flew in at about 1:45 in the morning! Grandpa picked them up and we had everyone in bed before 3:00. Needless to say, we did not feel like going to any parades in the morning. We mostly just hung out and adjusted to having 9 people in our tiny house. Eric and Grandpa got a lot accomplished. I can't imagine what they would have gotten done if Dad had stayed for a week!

We did decide to celebrate with a barbecue and some IBC.
Then (after the Dad's had a little nap) we were off to see Thunder on the Mountain. Most of the kids fell asleep on the way.
Evan rode with Grandpa and Grandma and he was wide awake!
Reid was being silly waiting for the fireworks to start.
Eric stayed entertained.
The kids woke up in time for fireworks, but Lorelai wasn't quite ready to be happy about it.
The street light was the only annoying thing.
Logan had a great time though!
Fireworks make us happy! Good times!

Blessing Patrick

2011-07-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

What a special day! Grandpa T made it late the night before. Unfortunately, Lorelai got sick Saturday morning so my Mom and the kids didn't make it until the next day. Mom sent the blessing outfit though!

Eric did a wonderful job and I was reminded that Heavenly Father really does know and love each of us as individuals.
The men.
The Three Musketeers

My Three Musketeers

2011-07-03T13:53:00.000-07:00

Evan & Lorelai are in Utah! Grandma Tucker took them back for a week and a half so it's just me and the Three Musketeers!
The boys helped me with a few projects around the house. We needed a new screen so the boys helped me install it!
Logan says Hi!
How did Patrick help? He did what babies do best!
Then the helpers made our dear friend, Araksya, cupcakes. I mixed and they cleaned up after me.
All that hard work makes us tired (and in Reid's case, dirty).
I really enjoyed my time with the boys. They are so sweet. Reid really enjoyed being the biggest brother in the house. He was so nice and let me nap while Patrick and Logan slept. I love my boys!

McWane

2011-06-21T23:21:00.000-07:00

Grandma T. and I loaded up the kids and had an adventure at the McWane Center. I COULD NOT have done it without her!

Evan's favorite part was the zip line.
Lorelai's first time on the bike! she has grown a ton this summer so she's tall enough, but not not quite strong enough to make it all the way back.
Evan loves the bike. We have to let him ride it every time we go.
Being silly in the toddler area (no one else was there so we let the big kids play).
I love that grin.
Patrick enjoyed his first visit to the Science Center.
Logan dumped blue sand all over himself while I was feeding Patrick. This is him after I cleaned him up. Clearly, I still had a lot of work to do when we got home!
The kids had a blast playing and building! Reid had fun with his creation.

Bundt's and Banana's

2011-06-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

I got a bundt pan! I know a lot of people don't use bundt pans, but I have always loved them. They make such pretty cakes. This is how we christened the bundt.

Sour Cream Banana Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
2 ripe banana's
1 (8 oz. container) sour cream
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable cooking spray (with flour).

2. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate chips, walnuts, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at medium-high speed, beat the butter with the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to slow, add the rest of the cinnamon and the remaining ingredients, and beat 3 minutes or just until smooth.

4. Sprinkle a third of the chocolate-nut sugar on the inside of the pan. Drop in half the batter in big spoonfuls. Sprinkle with another third of the chocolate-nut sugar mixture and top with the remaining batter. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate-nut sugar.

5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Turn the coffee cake out of the pan and cool completely before cutting. Serve crusty side up.

By Kay Chun, October 2001

First slice went to Lorelai for helping Grandma bake the cake!
In case you're wondering how good it was; this picture was taken less than 24 hours later.
Yummmmm. Happy day.

A Week

2011-06-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

We have had our little man home for a week now! I can't believe how well he fits in! He was clearly made just for our family. So what have we been doing with our week?

A little sleep...
Sock hands! This is what happens when the kids get a hold of the sock basket.
Daddy and Evan read Patrick a library book. Evan got his first library card this week. I think Patrick really enjoyed it. ;)

Logan and Reid can't stand being cooped up in the house. Wiggle cars are the best!
Lorelai let Patrick borrow a hat. Patrick was too ashamed to show his face.
Lots of Potato Head fun. Evan was particularly proud of his little family.
And now it's been a week! Patrick went to the Dr. today and is doing well. No jaundice, no heart murmur, and he has gained back and passed his birth weight by 3 ounces. What a good boy!
P.S. Notice the awesome new boppy from Grandma T. :) My old one was flat as a pancake.

Meeting Patrick

2011-06-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

Who wouldn't love this little angel?
So what did the kids think of their new little brother?
Logan's first thought "What is this cute new toy?"
Reid is very cool with the baby. He coos and talks to Patrick, but doesn't really fuss about him too much. Classic Reid.
Lorelai loves him! I think the grin says it all.
Evan approved. Definitely a keeper.
Grandma likes her newest Grandbaby too!
Logan held Patrick for a long time. When Lorelai asked if she could have a turn Logan said "Nope!" He does not like to share his baby!
We are a happy family! :D

D DAY!

2011-06-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

Today is the day!!!!!! We got to the hospital at 6:30 a.m. Here I am on my last day as a pregnant woman.
5 1/2 hours later...

Patrick Riku Olsen
Born June 8, 2011
12:00 p.m.
8lbs. 4 oz.
21 1/2 in. long

Our beautiful baby boy!
Check out those toes! These are Eric's hands. Looks like we'll be looking for big shoes for this little guy!
Daddy finally got his turn!I am one happy Momma!

Visit!!!!!

2011-05-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

They're here!

Happy day! Lori and Xander came for a visit! Be warned- this is probably 4 posts worth of pictures. :)

First stop: McWane Xander's brain. The kids enjoyed the water a lot.

Xander enjoyed putting Lori on the bed of nails. Hmmm. Reid made me do it too (thank goodness we didn't get a picture of that ;)

All the kids got in a little Wii play before bed.

Love you Aunt Lori!
Xander tagged along to Lorelai class party.

Lori's cute new slipper. :)
Splash Pad

Young love...
Lori and Xander got to stay an extra week so we got to go to the Splash Pad twice! I got better pictures the second time! All the kids took turns running through the rainbow tunnel.
Food!
Lori and I were so busy serving food that we didn't really have much time to take pictures. :) They were so cute though that I had to snap just a couple.

Cheetos=Happy kids!
Gotta love those chocolate donuts.

Xander made his own little house. I love that little guy!
These two are definitely related. :)
We had so much fun! I miss my sister so much (almost enough to move to Idaho :). I'm so glad she got to come and play with us before baby number 5 comes. Love you!

Balloon Bonanza!

2011-03-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

What have I been doing? My poor blog! I have so many cute kids and so many cute pictures and it has all fallen by the wayside! Some of this I can attribute to my growing belly, but the truth is Eric and I have been working on a different project. It still needs a little more work, but I'm ready to let people look (I guess I had better be ready since Eric has already passed out tons of business cards)!

Check out Eric's new website: breathtaking-balloons.com

Please please please go look! And then come back and give me some feedback! Did everything load quickly? Did anything seem vague? Feel free to add layout ideas too. It's pretty simple right now and I'm hoping to make it even better so don't hold back!

Being the Fourth

2011-02-08T00:18:00.000-08:00

Oh, my dear sweet child. Logan is our fourth child. They say that you take less and less pictures the more kids you have, but fortunately for Logan I didn't have a digital camera when Evan was born. Also, Logan is extremely photogenic (in my opinion). Pull out a camera and he is ready to strike a pose. It makes it super easy to want to take his picture. So here are a few pics of my adorable little 18 month old.

Logan helped me knead some dough for cinnamon rolls. What a good helper.
A nice way to sit and watch TV.
Doing homework.
Chocolate. :D
My little muscle boy.
Eric did his hair. It's nice that he already knows how to vacuum!
My little early bird. :)

100, 101

2011-02-08T00:04:00.000-08:00

Sadly my blog has taken a back seat while my belly has continued to grow. This baby boy wears me out! However, I have had a short burst of energy so after a midnight cleaning of the living room I thought I'd post a few pictures to my sad little blog and cheer it up a little :)

Lorelai celebrated her 100th day of school. All the kids decorated a t-shirt with 100 items. Lorelai chose heart stickers which turned out perfect! Here's my little love bug.
Evan celebrated the 101st day of school (ironically they celebrated about 4 days apart). They had a cowboy themed party and Evan had a rootin' tootin' good time. He makes a good lookin' cowboy!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

Happy kids playing before dinner...
Sweet Sophia.
Thanksgiving was so great this year. We got together with the Anderson's and the Kennards. The food was exceptional as was the company.
The kids table
After everyone else was done Evan was still eating turkey! He just LOVES turkey!
My sleepy boys...
This year we are thankful for good friends and family. It hasn't been the easiest year, but we are grateful for our trials and all the blessings that have come our way. We are grateful for food to eat, clothes to wear, a place to live, and a family to love. Can we really ask for anything more?

Long Ago...

2010-12-18T01:31:00.000-08:00

Long ago girls wore flower print dresses and aprons. They also wore bonnets or hats, but I only had time to make the dress and apron.

Here is Lorelai in her dress for "long ago day" at school. She looks just as cute back then as she does now. :)

The most awesome thing about the whole outfit? It didn't cost me anything! I had the fabric, elastic, and pattern already!

Trick or Treat!

2010-11-24T22:04:00.000-08:00

I swore I would have all my Halloween pictures posted before Thanksgiving and I JUST barely made it! My poor blog. I promise to post more current things very soon, but the kids were just so cute I HAD to blog about it. I put Reid and Logan in some warmer costumes because it was a tiny bit chilly. This was the best picture I got of the four of them. They were all happy and so excited to get more candy!
We went over to the Anderson's neighborhood Saturday night and had so much fun!
We had some brains for dinner...
And then headed out with a whole crew!
Logan was in the stroller a lot, but I let him out to knock on a few doors. It was so cute! He loved it and didn't want to give up his bag of goodies for anything!
Leila and Reid being sweet.
Craziness back at the Anderson's.
My little witch snacking on a finger! Yum!
Some of our favorite friends, the Reeders.
Leila had to nest on her candy to protect it from Reid. :)
Happy boys.
It was a great night! We're so blessed to have such awesome friends to have fun with!

School Halloween Parties

2010-11-02T21:06:00.000-07:00

I got to go to Lorelai's party! I set Reid up with some extra paper and crayon's. I think this picture is a good indicator of his future in school.

Lorelai's hat was just a little too big.
Lorelai's spider and treats.
Reid joined in and made one too!
Logan was a happy boy in the stroller! He got some pretzels and a few Skittles and he was good to go.
Here's one of the whole adorable class.
Here is Evan at his class party! All the first graders participated in a costume parade so he got to wear his costume all day.
Evan's awesome teacher took these pictures and sent them to me.
The whole class.
After the kids came home they went through their goody bags. We had happy campers all around.

Trunk or Treat!

2010-10-31T21:32:00.001-07:00

Trunk or Treat was so fun this year. Lorelai and a few of her bf's all showed up in black. Not planned, but super cute!Reid is so southern. He drinks his cornbread out of a glass.
The whole group. Not super organized, but everyone looked awesome. Everyone was creative and that always makes it more fun!
My not so great attempt at a family shot. Eric was already outside and Reid was not interested in posing when he could be outside getting candy!
Eric had a line as usual.
Eric was much happier than he looked in this shot. A woman that came was actually so impressed that she booked him for her son's birthday party!
Batman and Sandra Dee.
I took some pictures of my primary kids too! They were just too cute!

Hannah and Savannah. Those are some cute chicks :)
This is Mark's candy face.
Leila the butterfly loved her giraffe.
Esther was a beautiful princess who loved her purple kitty.
There's no stopping my Robin now that he has a sword.
My munchkins all sat on the curb and started eating as soon as they got finished walking around. They needed something to do while Daddy finished making balloons. :) Pete was making faces in the background.
I saved the best for last! This was after ONE little kit kat.
All in all it was an awesome night! Everyone had a great time!

Who needs sleep?

2010-10-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

I just love taking pictures of my sleeping babies.They are so peaceful. I thought I would go ahead a share since I'm getting quite the collection. :)

I have super sleepers!I think the other kids must have been making too much noise.
Reid didn't make it through dinner.
Sometimes it's contagious.
Good job Grandpa.

My big 7 year old

2010-10-15T22:21:00.000-07:00

My handsome boy is SEVEN! I have a whole year to rhyme about Evan from heaven being seven! :)
So, what about my little angel? Evan has a wonderful innocence about him. He is so smart and is constantly doing things that leave me stunned. He is in the top reading group at school, and rarely comes home with less than 100% on his papers. Evan loves his teacher and she has really been fantastic for him. His first report card was perfect! Here is some of the work that Evan is particularly proud of.

Evan has also been getting better and better at tae kwon do. He is now a green belt and will begin sparing at the end of this month. It is so cool to see him shouting out answers and learning new things. He loves to show everyone his double knife hand and various other cool things.

Here are a few of my favorite pics of my little angel. I don't know what I'd do without him.
My handsome boy with my handsome baby. He's such a good brother!
So brave.
Geronimo!

WALL*E Party

2010-10-15T21:20:00.000-07:00

We love this little robot. The kids thought the giant bounce house WALL-E was even better than the original. The guys that set it up were great. That had this guy up in about 5 minutes.
All the kids were eaten by WALL-E! They loved every minute of it (except Leiala, whom I had to carry out).
Evan with Q.Q. and Adam. These are two of Evan's favorite buddies.
Logan loved this balloon. It was supposed to be Evan's, but once Logan set eyes on it he didn't want to give it up for anything.
We grew our own pizza for the party. :)
Unfortunately, Reid didn't think the pizza looked as good as the candle.
Everyone else enjoyed their home grown pizza!

I usually only get pics of the little ones, but adults are cute too! (And they hold still)
So what did Eric do for most of the party? I'll give you one guess.
It must be time for cake when the kids start playing their favorite game, get John.
WALL-E cake!
Tastes good!
Evan was spoiled as usual!

The Booth

2010-10-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Here it is! The booth that I've been planning for the last month! I had awesome help setting everything up. Eric made the prizes and the ticket containers.

We ended up staying at the Carnival from 4:00 until well after 9:00. It was a long night, but the kids had a blast! I was not great about taking pictures, but here are a few things the kids did that night.

First stop, the giant slide. Here's Evan:
Lorelai:
And here is Reid trying to climb back down after he got to the top:
Evan eventually "convinced" him to come down, but it was close. I thought I was going to have to climb up there myself.

Evan climbed the rock wall, but found out it's a lot harder when you don't have shoes on. :)
Reid was much happier in a bounce house.
Evan's class booth was the pony rides so everyone took a turn!
Lorelai didn't look at daddy for her picture and the lady forgot to stop.
Then the fun part ;) Cleaning everything up! Here is my messy van with everything taken apart and put up.
Lorelai got the ticket box to wear as a hat.

And here is my little trooper at the end of the night.
I love this guy! He was so great. We bribed him with dum dum suckers and he was awesome all night!

Happy Birthday Lori!

2010-09-23T20:45:00.000-07:00

September is a big birthday month for us! Just thought I'd send out a quick happy birthday to the best older sister in the world! I don't know what I would do without her. She is always the one I call about everything. She's seriously the sweetest person you'll ever meet. She is the woman I aspire to be. Love you sis. Miss you lots.

Here's a matchy picture of Lore and Lori. Aren't they cute!

Happy Birthday to You

2010-09-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

I forgot to add this in my last post. Enjoy.

Puppy Party for Reid!

2010-09-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

If you know Reid, you know he loves three things; his family, cars, and dogs! (Not necessarily in that order. ;) Since our next door neighbor recently agreed to let us walk her dog, Reid has been a little obsessed with puppies. So for his party this year we did our best to make sure he had a doggone good time.

The invitations...

Puppy paw cupcakes.
Notice the awesome balloon puppy Eric made.
I have a little puppy and he won't bite you and he won't bite you, but he will bite you! Run Caleb, run!
We also had a puppy relay race. The kids had to run and get a dog bone (gingerbread cookie) and then run back on all four's like a dog. It was hilarious.

Presents! Reid was so spoiled!
Cupcake heaven.
I think they like them!
Eric stayed busy making balloon animals! The plan was to make lots of dogs, but Eric's creative side won out :P Here's Caitlyn posing with her two headed dragon.
For the Auburn fans... (Eric made a red elephant hat too, but somehow I didn't get a picture)
Isn't Sam a great model? So pretty.
The After Party

Reid wasn't ready to crash after everyone left so the kids took out all his fun new toys and started playing with them.
The after party ended up outside (Reid's FAVORITE place to be). Reid cruised for awhile.
My very happy, very dirty three-year-old.
The only sad part of the day was when Reid slipped and gave himself a fat lip. We put some ice on it and watched Bolt. I don't think either of us watched more than ten minutes. :)

Salt Lake Temple

2010-09-04T23:04:00.000-07:00

I found this post almost finished and unpublished. Silly Tricia.

By a happy coincidence my cousin Jackson got married while I was in Utah. They are such a cute couple and brought back happy memories of my own wedding. I just love the excitement and joy of a brand new married couple. It's so cute!
The thing that made me so happy was that I got to see my Grandma! I haven't seen her in so long!
Grandma is so beautiful. She has earned every one of those wrinkles. I hope to be as beautiful as her when I reach her age.
While we were there we got to go into one of the visitor's centers were they have a replica of the Salt Lake Temple. It was amazing. They had all the little rooms out so everyone can see what's inside. There is a touch screen that talks about all the different rooms and what there purpose is.
This is the Celestial room. I love the tiny chandeliers!

And then you turn around and there is the real temple!
It was really so beautiful and I feel so lucky to have been able to go inside as well as see the replica.

Utah Wanderings Part 2

2010-07-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

Dinosaur Park
We haven't been here since Evan was a toddler! We met Aunt Lori and Xander at the Dinosaur Park. It was pretty hot, but still so much fun!
Evan loved his snow cone so much, he helped the other kids finish theirs.
Happy Grandma, Happy Baby!
Logan had a little too much fun.
After the Dinosaur Park we went back to Grandma and Grandpa Tucker's for a family barbecue. All the cousins are together! Silly kids :)
Sorry Lori, I just couldn't resist...
Everyone loved the giant marshmallows...
even Grandpa!
Jump, jump, jump
Logan is my first baby to like swinging! He loves it!
Downata Hot Springs
These hot springs are up near Lava in Idaho. It's so beautiful! They have cabins, tepees and spaces for tents. We got a big cabin (yes, we prefer having a bathroom when we camp ;) and everyone had a bed to sleep in.
Getting settled at the cabin :)

Sleeping Beauties
Reid found his own bed
Swimming- July 22, 2010
All the cousin's are ready to swim!
Ella Bella
Randi
Maya
Evan was very nervous his first time down the slide, but by the third time he told me to stop coming with him.
After a full day at the pool everyone was ready for a rest.
It was nice to sit down and relax!
Lorelai's Birthday Part 3
This is the actual day of Lorelai's birth so once again she got everything she wanted in a birthday party ( which was a crown on her ice cream cake, cookies, and princess plates). She's an easy girl to please.
I thought this was so funny. Notice what Reid is eating while everyone else has cake.

Logan got another present too!
All the kids made glow in the dark hats.
Aren't they cute!
Nate started a fire all by himself!
Oh, wait. That sounded bad, but really it's great because it was something he needed to do for scouts and he was fully supervised by Grandpa T.

Utah Wanderings- Part 1

2010-07-18T21:14:00.001-07:00

Our trip got off to a rocky start when we missed our flight Sunday morning, but it ended up working out. Everything went very smoothly the next day. We got there VERY early and everyone was very nice. I was so glad my mom flew down and helped me fly up.

My BF from high school had her first baby on July 10 (exactly one year after Logan!) so I had to go see the little angel ASAP. Eisley is so cute! Logan thought she was absolutely adorable. We have already made plans for them to date (if we ever get to move back to Utah).
Risa and Eisley. Aren't they beautiful?!
That evening was Uncle Randy and Uncle Kyle's Water Polo game.
Clapping for his uncles.
I took this video for Eric, but thought I would post it too. Just in case anyone is wondering what in the world Water Polo is. :)

Kennecott Copper Mine
One of the things I love about visiting Utah is that I get to be a tourist in my home state. We visit places that we wouldn't if we lived in the area.
These are the biggest dump trucks I've ever seen. Reid was mesmerized.
They had some great videos about how they mine the copper and the history of open mining. I think Evan was the most appreciative of all the new information. He watched one of the video's twice. He is an eager learner!
After the copper mine we went over to the Magna Park. It was pretty warm, but the kids had so much fun. The Olsen cousins love playing together.
Baby Miles is so cute! This is my newest nephew and we love him so much. It's been killing me not to see him.
The next generation of Olsen's love water just as much as their daddy's!
Tracy Aviary
This aviary was so neat. It's located right in the middle of Salt Lake City and they had some of the most beautiful birds. The kids really enjoyed seeing birds from all over the world.
Birthday Party Part 2
Did I mention that my kids are spoiled?
Lorelai felt the she needed a Crown Cake so Grandma Beth got a cake from Roger's Bakery, we added a crown, and there you go!
I think this look says it all :)
Logan liked his new friend.
Cake for everyone!
THE BEST BREAKFAST PLACE IN UTAH. Kneaders
We had so much fun in Magna. I can't believe we fit it all in in just 5 days!

Logan is 1!

2010-07-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

My baby is ONE! This year has passed so quickly! Logan has been such a good baby. He has only been in a bad mood twice; the first was in April when he got his first teeth and the second was about a month later when his two top teeth came in. Other than that he is my little angel. He's always content to sit and watch everyone play, but he's not afraid to dive in and have fun either. Logan say's all the regular words like "Da da, ma ma (finally!), juice, and more." His first phrase was "more chicken nuggets" and his second was "love you". He claps, throws, and knows the sign for "more". He thinks he is so big. When all the kids run to bed he just crawls right after them. Logan isn't walking yet, but he did stand up today with no help so I think that the walking is just around the corner. Maybe he'll do it while we're in Utah.
Logan had his birthday party at the splash pad (pictures to come) and he spent his birthday at the McWane Center and then had his first Happy Meal at McDonald's. It was all awesome. We all love our little guy so much. He just gets cuter and cuter!

My brand new baby:
Six months (just getting the hang of that sitting stuff):
And my big birthday boy (we've fattened him up)!
Love you buddy! You are the best fourth child ever!!!!

A Royal Splash

2010-07-09T20:46:00.000-07:00

Lorelai and Logan had an awesome party at the Splash Pad! We gave out spray bottles to all the kids and they had so much fun running around spraying each other (and we mom's didn't mind getting misted either :P). Logan and Lorelai were both very spoiled. Logan loved his very first birthday party and I think he's looking forward to many more.
Great friends!

Great food!
Good times!

Yellow belt!

2010-06-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

Evan passed his test! He is a yellow belt now! He did so great! He wanted me to take pictures for each part of his form.

Here's Evan with his head instructor; Mr. Crocker.
Thanks to Mr. Crocker Evan now knows who Bear Bryant is. :)

Awesome

2010-06-10T22:30:00.000-07:00

A few pictures of my awesome boys. Reid is so cool.I just loved that he was eating his pizza with chopsticks.
And here's Logan in Reid's shirt. He's only 11 months old and already doing chin ups.

Summer do's

2010-06-06T21:31:00.000-07:00

Evan has been asking to shave his hair for the last few months. I told him once school got out he could cut it as short as he wanted. So here we go!
Before:
After: It's as short as it can be! He was VERY happy!
Glitter girls. Lorelai decided we needed some sparkles in our hair :)

Here is proof that I did Lorelai's hair at least once this summer.

Two Graduations

2010-05-29T12:32:00.001-07:00

Preschool Graduation May 20, 2010

Here is my fabulous little preschooler posing in her bumble bee shirt right before graduation!
A little video. Notice the adorable accent.

There's Lorelai on the far left! They did a great job!
This is what Reid did for most of Lore's graduation. It was so cute! He didn't misbehave until Lore got up at the end. He decided to see how far his cars would go on the cement floor.

Kindergarten Graduation- May 26, 2010

Evan did so great! They had the cutest little program. Evan was front and center so we had a good view of everything he did!

I was so glad they sang this song. Love it. Sorry about the crappy view. I forgot to zoom before I started recording and for some reason it wouldn't let me zoom while I was recording.

After graduation.
Top left to bottom right: Showing off his diploma (he had to wear the hat), our ice cream celebration at Cold Stone (only the best for our graduates), right after graduation with our good buddy Bella, and last but not least- Evan and his teacher Mrs. Ali Barber.

In case you need a laugh...

2010-05-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Characters

2010-05-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

So many awesome characters! The only characters we really stood in line for were Mickey and friends and the princesses and fairies. We saw quite a few others though! Epcot turned out to be the best place to meet up with characters. We saw quite a few princesses and I don't think we stood in line for more than 5 minutes to see any of them!
Lorelai was so happy! All of the princesses were so sweet! I think they lived up to Lore's every expectation.
I missed Belle. Thank goodness Grandpa had his camera when they ran into her!
These guys were probably my favorite! I got my picture taken with them also, but it was blurry :(. I don't know why I love them so much. I guess I have always loved the idea that stuffed animals have there own world in which to live and play.
The kids thought they were pretty awesome too!Mickey and friends!
We even got Grandpa and Grandma to pose!
Pluto even signed Evan's hat!
Eric's all time favorite character.
Eric even left Goofy's signature in Canada on the table where everyone else decorated masks (and the table).
The rest is all Lorelai. If any of you have kids I think you absolutely need to take them to Disney World when they are four years old. It makes the entire trip worth every penny.

First up were the fairies. Lorelai assured Rosetta that she was a garden fairy. I think Lorelai especially loved her because she is the one with a southern accent.
She wasn't too sure about Tinkerbell. Tink has a loud personality and we love her for that, but it made Lore a little nervous to be in the picture alone.
Last was Silvermist. Lorelai told her that she was definitely a water fairy. The best part was when Silvermist sprinkled her with pixie dust. I think she floated a few inches off the ground right then and there! She wouldn't let me wash her hair for days afterward!
Later this same day Lorelai decided she needed to go see the Princesses. Belle, Cinderella, and Aurora were all waiting to see her! Belle was really fun and Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty were so sweet!
After meeting Sleeping Beauty Lore decided she wants to be her when she grows up. As they were talking Lorelai showed Aurora her hair. Aurora said her hair was so long and beautiful. Aurora said they must be sister's. Lore was in heaven.
When Aurora asked who Lore's best friend was she said Grandma Tucker. It was so cute! We had them all pose for a picture.

These last two pictures were from Magic Kingdom. They had a large area where character's came and danced with the kids. Lorelai would NOT leave! They all had so much fun!
And here is Lorelai's favorite character out of everyone she met...
Stitch was the hands down winner!

I wish these pictures could really show what an awesome time we had. I thought this was a great way to celebrate my parents big birthday's this year! Happy Birthday to both of you. Thanks for coming with us. It was absolutely magical!

Around the World in 80 pictures

2010-05-03T23:13:00.001-07:00

Okay, I won't actually post 80. I could, but I won't.

Our first stop was Mexico! Inside was a busy market where they sold every kind of breakable you could think of. Reid made me very nervous, but he did great. Everything was amazing and beautiful.
The kids decorating their masks.
The finished product. (Reid was still working on his)
Testing the maraca's :)
The buildings were so amazing.
The cute Japanese woman that told the kids stories.
The view from Japan. Reid was trying to figure out why Eric and I kept posing without him.
We had to have America in there too!
A spectacular view of Paris. :)

Epcot- Flower Festival

2010-04-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

My husband is so strong!
We lucked out this year! Epcot was having their annual Flower and Garden Festival. It was so amazing. There were beautiful flowers everywhere!
Here is a whole collage of some of the pictures we took! The fairies were part of the Pixie Hollow Fairy garden. So adorable. All the bodies and clothes were made of flowers.
Lore snuck in the picture with Grandma and Grandpa.
O Canada (if this is seriously what Canada looks like, I am totally moving ;)
The seven dwarfs cabin perhaps?
And everything smelled wonderful!
I thought this one was very creative.
I think these ladies were my favorite. I'm not sure why, but I just love them. Just imagine how much work went into just this one display. Also, I didn't see a single weed anywhere.
Lorelai loved these flowers. She also loved posing for pictures :)
Epcot was so amazing. If you haven't gone- go! I am thinking of writing to there gardners. The letter would go something like this:

Dear Epcot Gardeners,

You are fabulous. You have inspired me beyond words. I suddenly feel the need to plant hundreds of flowers and plants. Feel free to come help me and my weed infested lawn. I would be eternally grateful. Also, you are welcome to trim my hedges into any Disney shape you want. I think my holly bush would make a wonderful Mickey Mouse.
Deepest regards,

Tricia Olsen

Tuesday- The main event

2010-04-22T23:55:00.000-07:00

Magic Kingdom!
Happy day! We made it the most magical place in Disney World! The kids were in heaven from the moment they spotted the castle!
Getting to Magic Kingdom is a journey in and of itself. First you park, take a tram, and then a ferry boat or the monorail.
The kids first ride! Reid was terrified, but he did really well. The poor kids just followed us everywhere. Hopefully they won't be damaged for life.
Teacups were at the top of our list and the line was pretty short. Logan was so patient. He just grinned and grinned!
The crazy cup.
Lorelai in the calm cup with Grandpa and Grandma T.Reid waiting for his favorite ride ever. Anyone want to guess what it could be?
Love you Grandpa!
Mickey's Philharmonic. Lorelai wasn't sure about the 3-D glasses.
Logan's glasses stayed on for about 3 seconds. (Just long enough for the picture). Then they made a great toy to play with while we sat for the show.
Beating up Zurg.
After Evan got Zurg we went and met Buzz
Silly hats
On guard!
Lorelai and I were watching the Dream's Come true parade. Lorelai leaned over and said "Mom, can we just stay here for a long time?" It was so magical. She just loved it. Reid was not as impressed.
One last ride... the carousel.
They didn't make it long enough to stay for fireworks. Even Evan was out like a light!
The ride back to the car. Everyone was exhausted, but Logan was happy as a clam. He got his first taste of lemonade.

Monday- Discovery Launch

2010-04-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

We got up VERY early to drive out to see the Discovery shuttle launch. It was so amazing. We took Reid and Evan and they did great. Eric stayed at the town house with Lore and Logan. I don't recommend watching the whole video, but if you watch the beginning you'll see the light from the boosters and everyone was cheering so loudly on the beach. It was kind of cool knowing that everyone was there for the same reason.

The boys at about 6a.m. waiting patiently for the rocket launch.
Reid was way too happy.
This is where the atmosphere was disturbed from the rocket.
Watching the sunrise
Surfing lessons at the beach. We're so good we can do it in our clothes :)

The Kennedy Space Center...

Easter Sunday

2010-04-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny came to see us in Florida!
Reid loved his new monster truck clothes!
Happy Panda!
Grandpa and the boys
Heard of webkinz? These are sea pets! The kids love them!!
After a healthy breakfast...
It was off to Cocoa Beach! Everyone had so much fun! I don't know if I've ever seen a child eat so much sand.
Reid's swimsuit was still big, but I think he loved it anyway.
We dig, dig, dig, the whole day through.
Buried alive!
The kids got tiny airplane kites. They are so tiny it's hard to see. They were awesome though.
Digging for shells.
All tuckered out.
Eric didn't make it either.

Disney World- Part One

2010-04-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone that reads our blog loves Disney because there are going to be quite a few posts on the subject in the near future :).

Our journey began at about 10 p.m. Friday night. We left the house later than planned (which is quite normal for us), but with a book to listen to as a companion I was not worried. Seven hours later I was ready to be relieved of driving and Eric took over after a short break for breakfast at McD's. A couple short hours after that and we were at Disney's Animal Kingdom! Yay! I think the kids were happier to see there grandparents than they were to see the Disney sign. The adults were all exhausted, but since check in wasn't until 4 we decided we should make the most of the day and dove right into the fun.

There was too much for the boys to see to pose for a picture.
Evan's favorite thing at Animal Kingdom
Silly pictures
Reid was trying to make the same face as Eric. I think he did pretty good :)
Lion King was so amazing. The kids couldn't stop staring.
Lorelai's favorite part was the monkeys
This was the look on Logan's face the whole week! He was a happy, happy boy.
Some of the amazing animals.
Our first character sightings!
Reid was not sure about the baboon.
Enjoying our ice cream. It was SOOOO good!
On the tram ride home we were so tired and happy. I think Lorelai was disappointed that she didn't get to see Cinderella's castle, but other than that it was a great day!

Dream come true

2010-03-21T19:21:00.000-07:00

Lorelai and I got to go horseback riding. We had so much fun! We drove up to Knoxville, TN and stayed with our friends. Since Eric is super allergic to horses he stayed home with the boys. Friday night I was a little worried. Lorelai seemed terrified of the horses, but before we went to bed she told me that she was planning on riding and the next day she was as good as her word. After watching Bella and Leila practice she was ready. Lore loves horses (she asked for a REAL pony for Christmas last year) so this was a dream come true. Here is a little video of her trotting. She had the time of her life.

This was really a child's paradise. Lots of room to run and tons of animals to feed, love, and chase.

A peacock strutting his stuff. He even turned around so we could get the full effect.
The girls favorite place to play when they weren't riding.
The horses were happy we were there. Check out the grin on this guy.
Lore really made those horses reach for the food!
All in all it was an awesome trip. A big thank you to Michelle for being so hospitable and Chelsea and John for letting us come up. The drive was definitely worth it.

Logan

2010-03-17T22:27:00.000-07:00

There are so many little milestones at this age! It's so hard to keep up. My little baby is practically a toddler! His first word was Da da. I have accepted defeat 3-1. He also says "hey" and has started shaking his head no. At first I thought it was a mistake because none of the other kids did it, but he has done it multiple times now so I guess he just caught on quick! Here is a snapshot of Logan's month!

Here he is (almost 7 months) showing off how well he sits and trying to eat his weight in newspaper. Notice the little piece of paper on his chin.
Logan and Eeyore eating his first Mum mum! Whoever made these things was a genius. They dissolve quickly and don't make a mess.
I just realized that most of these pictures involve food. Here is Logan with some plain toast. He snatched it right out of my hands. I can't believe it. He's only 7 months old and he is already stealing my food.
He is just so happy when food is involved! This was the result of me taking a shower while Logan was awake. Reid climbed on the counter and got the chocolate chips out of a top cupboard. He was feeling generous and shared with his baby brother. I have to keep reminding myself that millions of children have survived older siblings.
Posing in his Winnie the Pooh outfit.
Playing peek-a-boo (8 months old) in his 12 month clothes! They never stop growing!

January Part 2

2010-01-28T21:57:00.000-08:00

Snow days are always a good excuse to pull out the playdoh!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Reid. It shows exactly who he is right now. My Super Boy with his favorite blanket, a baby binky, and his awesome cape.
As you can see, Logan does not enjoy his tummy time. It might have something to do with his happy helpers though. :)

This is a picture of Reid's sweet side. It was nap time for the stuffed animals! He made sure they were very comfortable.

100 Days of school! Evan has been in school for 100 days. He made a shirt with 100 stickers to celebrate at school.
I don't know what it is about the top bunk...

January

2010-01-14T23:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a quick recap of January! First and foremost... Eric got his DEGREE!!!!!! I am so proud! He has worked so hard! Working full time, being an AWESOME dad, serving in the YM presidency, and going to school. It has been pretty stressful, but that little piece of paper (and the grin on Eric's face when he got it) makes it all worth it. So if anyone hears about a computer networking job that needs filled... I know a guy :)
Next, we said goodbye to some great friends! We love you Gillespies and wish you the best! We have had such a great time enjoying the South with you. We hope Reno is everything you love and more.
Just look at how much we've grown!
Just a few days after we left the Gillespie's I celebrated my 27th birthday. It was a low key birthday, but awesome. It actually snowed here on my birthday (Heavenly Father's b-day present). So in honor of the snow Eric baked me a cake and we put some powder on top. Reid even dug out some valleys so it would look more like the Rocky Mountains ;) Evan and Lorelai made sure a I had some snowmen to play with in the snow.
On the tenth my little Logan turned 6 months old!!! He is getting so big! He loves being up in his high chair so he can see everything. He is a big fan of Rice Cereal, but he does not like any other kind of baby food! His dexterity is very good so I think he'll be one of those independent babies that feed themselves. He has started practicing sitting by himself and he is doing great. I just love his little laugh and smile. His little grin just melts my heart.
He loves his brothers, but he absolutely adores Lorelai. She thinks of him as one of her little babies.
This is a mischievous picture of Lore. She destroyed a bunch of Styrofoam and I was having a terrible time cleaning it up. It kept sticking to everything (even the wall). Lore just laughed with that little twinkle she gets in her eye and told me it was snowing. I laughed, took a picture, and made her clean it up.
This is Logan and his little friend Daniel. They are just six weeks apart (if I remember correctly). I could NOT get those rascals to smile, but at least they are both looking at the camera and not falling over.

Bedtime

2010-01-04T23:26:00.000-08:00

Bedtime is usually a quiet affair. We say "On your mark, get set, go!" and away they run. I must have sent the kids to bed too early though because sleep was the last thing on their mind. On my way down the hall I encountered Evan "sleeping" on his pillow in front of his room. The other two were also "sleeping". It was so funny and adorable.
I just love that grin :)

Enjoying Christmas

2009-12-30T22:58:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures of the kids enjoying their Christmas presents!

Christmas

2009-12-26T20:59:00.000-08:00

What can I say? Christmas was awesome this year. It is so fantastic watching the magic of Christmas through a child's eyes. Here are the kids on Christmas Eve all ready to go dream about sugar plums...

The tree after Santa got to it, but before we let the kids in. They were so spoiled this year!
Logan in his new high chair trying to make sense of a new toy.
Eric was more than a little excited about his new game.
Reid was thrilled with all his cars.
Evan's haul. His favorite prize... Runner the hamster!
Lorelai's presents
Reid couldn't be bothered with looking at the camera. His favorite toy was a tie between his microphone and Bolt.
Christmas Pajama's from Grandma! Merry Christmas!

Kids Christmas Party

2009-12-26T18:51:00.000-08:00

The kids had a late Christmas party this year! Great friends and good food made our day!
Swapping Christmas presents!

Eric came up with a race for the kids. Pete and Emma did a great job! Everyone had so much fun watching the kids try to decorate their own tree in record time.

December

2009-12-23T23:29:00.000-08:00

The Christmas presents are starting to arrive! This package was almost as tall as Lorelai.
My little Rudolph.
The cutest reindeer around!
Reid wanted to help me out and make dinner for me. He decided to make soup and corn muffins. I opened cans and put the muffins in the oven, but other than that, Reid did it all!
Dishing it up...
Time to eat!
He did a great job and the food was great!

The Trip

2009-12-11T11:24:00.001-08:00

Wow. I am so behind. Here is a quick recap of our trip to Utah!
Logan's first flight! He was AWESOME. He only cried once and we were so lucky that he got to take his car seat on the plane.

Reid thought he was such a big boy with his back pack.Just chillin' in Reid's car seat.

Evan had all his silly bands on for display. He even gave me a couple to wear. I feel so trendy.Eric was honored to confirm our neice a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on his birthday. We love Maya so much and we are so glad she waited for us to come!
After the baptism we went for Olsen family pictures which was great (it also explains the matching shirts). Then we went to Randy and Shannon's new house. Eric got to spend his birthday doing exactly what he loves, playing games with his family and eating pizza and red vines.
I even made him a Rice Crispie cake to celebrate his last year as a 20-something.
Playing in the snow...

I know this is random, but my mom has the coolest apple slicer EVER! Lorelai helped.
Evan showing off his apple
We also got to go up to Idaho and went out to eat with Lori's family and my cousin Jimmy. I haven't seen Jimmy in years and it was so great to catch up and see his adorable family. The kids were all enamored with the Christmas tree at the restaurant.
Last, but not least... Christmas crafts with Grandma Nettie!

Thanks to everyone for everything. We had so much fun and miss everyone so much. A special thanks to Dave and Beth for the plane tickets. Love you guys!

Our costumes

2009-11-12T22:03:00.000-08:00

Yes I know it is the middle of November, but I never got to post my Halloween costume pictures this year! Thanks to Jessica for taking pictures for me at Trunk or Treat!
The whole crew.
Eric had a line as usual. Who needs candy when you can get a balloon? (Also, notice the side view of Reid's Raggedy Andy costume)
Check out Chelsea's blog to see the costumes I made! (My Mom helped too) I'm always glad to have a reason to practice sewing. I only get better when I practice!

My Super kids
Raggedy Andy from the back. I had to unpick the pants twice because I kept sewing them wrong, but it was totally worth it!

October

2009-11-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

Last month flew by so fast! And this month seems to be doing the same thing. Here are a few highlights from October!
Lorelai's cool hair...
and Mom's cool hair... (done by Lorelai)
Evan had his Halloween party at school. I think he had a blast and he was so careful not to rub his cheek so that his spooky ghost would stay put!
Carving jack-o-lanterns. Logan thought it was all very interesting. Evan did a great job poking his pattern into the pumpkin.
Lorelai did her first design free hand. It was a very cute ghost.
This was all Lorelai. The other design (shown up top) was done by me under her direction. She really used everything she could find for decorating.Pardon my naked children, but they all had their silly mouths in at the same time!
A perfect fall day. Perfect for falling in the mud :)

Blessing weekend

2009-10-20T07:23:00.000-07:00

My parents came up last weekend for Evan's birthday and we decided to bless Logan while they were here. The weekend was way too short, but we had fun! Eric did a great job with the blessing and it was so nice to have my dad there. He is the only one (besides Eric) that has participated in every one of my children's blessings. Grandma spoiled the kids (myself included) as usual and we got most of an indian costume sewn. All in all it was an awesome weekend!

This was my dance costume when I was little!

Happy Birthday Evan!

2009-10-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

My little monkey is SIX!
He is such a good big brother. He knows what to do whenever Logan cries.
Evan wanted to decorate his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cake.

He did a great job!
Yum! Funfetti!
Evan loved all his presents. He was very impressed with his pocket watch from Grandpa T and he is taking VERY good care of it :)
I love my Evan so much! I love the little boy he has become. I miss him when he goes to school (why do they make school so LONG?) and I love to hear his stories when he gets home.

Quote of the day- "Jordan is a trouble maker. Mrs. Barber says he knows better, but he really doesn't know better."

Evan had to make an All About Me book for school at the beginning of the year. I asked him a bunch of questions and then tried to find pictures to go with whatever he said. My favorite question was when I asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up.
I love you Evan! Happy Birthday!

Fall Festival

2009-10-06T18:40:00.000-07:00

When I was young they did a Halloween Carnival at my school. I always thought it was AWESOME! We had a cake walk, fish pond, a haunted classroom, all the classics. I was not prepared for how huge Evan's Fall Carnival would be! They had bounce houses, slides, a ton of game booths, they had the local dance groups perform, an auction, and much more. I actually heard them auction off a football signed by Nick Saban (Alabama's football coach). It went for over $250.00. It was nuts!
The kids had so much fun and I had a blast volunteering in Evan's class booth (the Crazy Hair booth). Poor Eric was all alone with all four kids while I helped out. After I was done I overheard some women talking about how fantastic my husband was. :)
In summary, it was so great. I know the kids are already thinking about next year!
Lorelai found this vest (which was Reid's last year) and just had to wear it! It does look cute though.
After they visited the crazy hair booth... (Lore has sparkles, you just can't tell)
At the end of the night with prizes :) I think Logan had fun too!

What little boys are made of...

2009-10-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

This is what a REAL boys pants should look like. Spray N Wash is going to make SO much money off my family. :)

Note the contents of Reid's cup. He is absolutely a believer in the two-year-old's diet!

We got a dog!

2009-10-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

Ok, it's not as real as it sounds. Reid loves this thing though. He wouldn't let it go all day! It is definitely the kind of dog I love. He's fully house trained and very quiet!

Miracle Diet! Guaranteed Results!

2009-09-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed this quite a bit. It's very accurate:

People are always on the lookout for a new diet. The trouble with most diets is that you don't get enough to eat (the starvation diet), you don't get enough variation (the liquid diet) or you go broke (the all-meat diet). Consequently, people tend to cheat on their diets, or quit after 3 days. Well, now there's the new Toddler Miracle Diet.

Over the years you may have noticed that most two-year-olds are trim. Now the formula to their success is available to all in this new diet. You may want to consult your doctor before embarking on this diet, otherwise, you may be seeing him afterward. Good Luck !!!

DAY ONE:

Breakfast: One scrambled egg, one piece of toast with grape jelly.

Eat 2 bites of egg, using your fingers; dump the rest on the floor.

Take 1 bite of toast, then smear the jelly over your face and clothes.

Lunch: Four crayons (any color), a handful of potato chips, and a glass of milk (3 sips only, then spill the rest).

Dinner: A dry stick, two pennies and a nickel, 4 sips of flat Sprite.

Bedtime snack: Throw a piece of toast on the kitchen floor.

DAY TWO:

Breakfast: Pick up stale toast from kitchen floor and eat it.

Drink half bottle of vanilla extract or one vial of vegetable dye.

Lunch: Half tube of "Pulsating Pink" lipstick and a handful of Purina Dog Chow (any flavor). One ice cube, if desired.

Afternoon snack: Lick an all-day sucker until sticky, take outside, drop in dirt. Retrieve and continue slurping until it is clean again.

Then bring inside and drop on rug.

Dinner: A rock or an uncooked bean, which should be thrust up your left nostril. Pour Grape Kool-Aid over mashed potatoes; eat with spoon.

DAY THREE:

Breakfast: Two pancakes with plenty of syrup, eat one with fingers, rub in hair. Glass of milk; drink half, stuff other pancake in glass.

After breakfast, pick up yesterdays sucker from rug, lick off fuzz, put it on the cushion of best chair.

Lunch: Three matches, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Spit several bites onto the floor. Pour glass of milk on table and slurp up.

Dinner: Dish of ice cream, handful of potato chips, some red punch.

Try to laugh some punch through your nose, if possible.

FINAL DAY:

Breakfast: A quarter tube of toothpaste (any flavor), bit of soap, an olive. Pour a glass of milk over bowl of cornflakes, add half a cup of sugar. Once cereal is soggy, drink milk and feed cereal to dog.

Lunch: Eat bread crumbs off kitchen floor and dining room carpet. Find that sucker and finish eating it.

Dinner: A glass of spaghetti and chocolate milk. Leave meatball on plate. Stick of mascara for dessert.

~Comedy Central

Tony

2009-09-26T20:29:00.000-07:00

My cousin Tony passed away unexpectedly and left me in shock. I haven't seen him for a number of years and I never really considered the possibility that I wouldn't see him again. I'm sad, but also grateful. This experience has made me take stock of my own life. Who else am I taking for granted? What can I do to rectify that? I think I've become complacent in my life. Anyway, I loved Tony and I'll miss him. My aunt had this picture of him and I think I will always remember him just like this.

Reid is 2!

2009-09-18T07:26:00.000-07:00

My little baby is now a big two-year-old! Where did the time go?

We decided to buy a cake for the first time. I don't think we'll do it again. Here is the cake about two minutes after we came home. Most of the frosting is on the lid because Reid decided he was ready for cake and pulled it off the counter. At least the lid was still on and I didn't have to clean the floor!

I think it turned out alright though. Reid only wanted the cake because of the dump truck on top!

I doubt anyone has ever had a better third child. He's so sweet and caring. He loves to tease, but he is always quick to say sorry. I have been trying to get him to do his Knock Knock joke for the camera. This is the best I've been able to get...

Ok, now repeat this video about 10 times and you'll have the whole thing! I'm so lucky to have such a smart little guy! Love you Reid!

My Little Shadows

2009-09-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

I should put this on a little card to hand to people when they see me with my crew and get those big round eyes...

I saw a young mother with eyes full of laughter
And four little shadows came following after.
Wherever she moved, they were always right there—
Holding onto her skirts, hanging onto her chair,
Before her, behind her—an adhesive pair.

“Don’t you ever get weary as day after day
Your four little tagalongs get in your way?”

She smiled as she shook her pretty young head,
And I’ll always remember the words that she said:
“It’s good to have shadows that run when you run,
That laugh when you’re happy and hum when you hum—
For you only have shadows
When your life’s filled with sun.”

~Mormon Momma

Memories to Treasure

2009-09-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to have plenty of blackmail for the future. I won't even need to pull out the naked pictures! Truthfully, I think they are adorable and right now they think so too. I wonder what their prom dates will think...

Grandma Nettie! We love you!

2009-09-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

I never got to post the pictures of my mom's visit after Logan was born. I thought this was a good opportunity since today is her birthday. She reminds me of my own Grandma. Always loving, helping, teaching, and serving others. Thanks Mom.

Grandma and Evan have a very special relationship. :)
She lifts you up when you are down.
Here she is helping the kids make cupcakes.
It's hard to catch her holding still, but I "made" her hold the baby. Logan was exhausted just watching her work.
Chillin' at the zoo.
Cheese!

Love you Grandma! Happy Birthday!
~Love,
Your favorite Grandchildren in Alabama

H2O Polo... the next generation

2009-08-31T00:44:00.000-07:00

Boosterthon Funrun

2009-08-27T00:23:00.000-07:00

The PTA started fund raising early this year. Evan had so much fun getting pumped up and running to earn money for his school. The funrun was awesome. I've never seen children so happy to be exercising!

Evan told me he got the Razor scooter for me, but I think he changed his mind once he rode it. :-)

Official 1 month photo

2009-08-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a grainy version of Logan's official one-month-old picture. He wasn't completely cooperative, but we managed to get a couple of good ones. We really only needed one so we're happy!

First Day of Preschool, etc.

2009-08-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

Lorelai's first day of preschool! She was so excited and she actually sat still while I did her hair! She's my big girl now!
A seam ripper works great to get all those pesky elastic's out. I found the secret from my favorite hair blog.
We went to Target for Lorelai's 4 year old pictures. This was one of my favorites. I love the things they can do with computers now!

1 Month Old

2009-08-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

Logan has survived an entire month! He is weighing in at 10 lbs. 2 oz. and is 22 1/2 inches long. Last night he set a new record by sleeping for 7 hours (His old record was 5)! He is growing so quickly. His newborn outfit doesn't fit anymore and he looks very comfortable in 0-3 month clothes so I have started pulling out the 3-6 month stuff in preparation.

Camera

2009-08-12T06:40:00.000-07:00

I have never been so angry at an inanimate object!!!! Every time something important happens my camera decides to be dumb. Today was Evan's FIRST DAY of Kindergarten and I don't have a picture! GRRRR.

Holey Ears, Lorelai!

2009-08-02T12:21:00.000-07:00

That's right, my little girl has holes in her ears! I told Lore she could get her ears pierced after her 4th birthday. We talked beforehand about the responsibility (cleaning them every day, etc.) and she still wanted to do it so Wednesday (while Eric was home) we went over to Claire's and she picked out her sparkly blue earrings. Lore was very brave and although she looked a little scared she didn't back out. Why do they keep getting older and older? If I blink we're going to be picking out prom dresses!

Grandma's new camera

2009-07-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

Due to some technical difficulties our camera is out of commission. We will be getting our new (or fixed) camera back in the next week or so, but in the meantime we have been borrowing from very kind friends and using Grandma's new camera. Whenever we have a new camera around we take tons of test pictures! Here are a few of our favorites!

Here's Reid with one of his best mischievous grins.
Action shot. Evan is in mid-jump.
Our little thumb sucker. (Check out those long feet)
Smiling for Daddy
Peek-a-boo~!
Logan is already telling tall tales... "When I was born I was this long"