Reasons to be Thankful

Over the past few months Ganon has been lamenting our lack of a piano. While neither of us are concert pianists, we both like to practice on occasion. We had decided to try using a piano keyboard instead, but we were worried about the kids around such an electronic/ expensive piece. Somehow, Heavenly Father always knows the righteous desires of our hearts and makes a way for some of them happen. One of my good friends was given a piano, but it didn't fit into her new house. She lovingly offered it to us. With a little bit of coordinating and a lot of strength from friends we moved it to our house. Now I have a perfect place to set up my nativity scene (generously left in the house when we moved in). The piano is definitely the best Christmas gift I've ever given Ganon-- he is so happy. Another Reason to be Thankful.

As we celebrated Thanksgiving at home this weekend, Ganon helped me with some nesting issues. I wanted to rearrange some furniture and some rooms (this usually happens when I am 20 weeks pregnant). We set up a bunkbed in the girls' room. We made David's room the Play Room. The kids love it. David was so excited to have his train table back in the house (it's been in the garage since we moved in). Rebecca even joined in when she was feeling up to it (she has been sick which is why we stayed home for T-day). I am thankful that the children choose to play with each other in the Play Room instead of using the computer or making messes elsewhere. Our house already feels more peaceful and organized. I am thankful for Ganon's patience with me during this whole process-- working with an emotional pregnant woman cannot be easy.


I am also thankful for generous friends and family. One of Ganon's friends (the same who helped with moving the piano) gave us some coupons for free stuff from McDonald's. These have been a life-saver over the past few weeks. I was especially grateful for them at the end of our ward party last week. Ganon had class so I took the kids by myself. They ran out of peanut-free desserts while I was waiting in line. Of course right then David ran up and announced that he had eaten the required number of bites of scary-looking real food so he had earned his dessert. Thankfully, I was able to use my last coupons to get a dessert for my kiddos and make the night less of a tragedy. I know this doesn't sound like much, but for a pregnant mom with three sad children it was a gift from heaven. I know that Heavenly Father watches out for us. He knows what we are going through. He doesn't always make our trials (big or small) go away, but he can make them more bearable.

Our Developing Story

So, for those of you who haven't heard, we are looking forward the Stork making a delivery at our house in April. Today we went to the Doctor for our 20 week ultrasound and we thought some of you might like to see a few pictures that developed. The baby is measuring right on schedule to arrive on (but hopefully before) April 15th. For those interested in knowing the gender of our little one feel free to email or call. We would like to allow those interested in the surprise (definitely not me) to remain in the dark (until I accidentally slip...sorry).

Halloween Fun

Our neighborhood had a trunk-or-treat this year on the 31st. David dressed up as a train engineer. He pulled his "train" (the bike trailer)all the way to the church and around the neighborhood on the way home. Rebecca was a care bear and Sarah was Minnie Mouse (or a caterpillar without her hood on). They enjoyed stopping at the different trunks and getting candy. Ganon and I had to hold Sarah's bag because she kept eating all of the candy (including the wrapper). The kids really got into it on the way home when we stopped at a few homes of elderly couples who didn't make it out to the party. They kept running from house to house. Luckily it wasn't too cold outside either. Overall, I think it was a successful night.

Isn't that a great face?

This was just a cute fall pic from last week. Sometimes the kiddos are helpful. Too bad it is the neighbor's yard.

The Pumpkin Patch

I took the girls to Pumpkinland on Monday. They had fun and enjoyed the nice weather. BYU has an MBA Spouses Association (MBASA) that sponsors activities throughout the year. They get everyone a discount so we were able to get in and buy a pumpkin for the price of my regular admission.

They had ropes that surrounded the garden patches. The girls had fun holding on and swinging them as we walked.

Rebecca's best friend Emma was there too. They had fun playing at the park area together.

Thanks Mom & Dad...

You always know how to make me smile and remember to be grateful for what I have. I love you.

The more things change...

Today we made our first attempt to hike the "Y" since Heidi and I took our engagement photo. We didn't quite make it all the way up but we did see a familiar looking rock formation. We agreed that we'll have to make another attempt before the snow flies.

Two-Dollar-Tuesday: ROAR!!

During the month of August Thanksgiving Point has each of their venues open for only $2 per person. I had heard wonderful things about their Dinosaur Museum, but I wasn't willing to pay the $36 for our family to go. So last Tuesday I took the kids. It was worth the $6, but I'm glad I didn't pay full price. Of course the line to get in was crazy (I'm not the only one who loves a good deal). We got there 45 minutes before it opened and there was already a line of about 30 people. The line probably had a couple hundred people in it before the doors even opened.

Anyhow, all three kids loved it. Some of the dinosaurs were HUGE!! The kids took turns posing for pictures in front of the different dinosaurs. Sarah got excited every time I let her out of the stroller to take her picture.

Advice for next time: 1. Take the kids to go potty at the gas station nearby if you are going to wait outside a locked bldg for 45 minutes; 2.don't take any food or drink- they make you dump out your baby's bottle too; 3. try using a baby carrier instead of a stroller if it's going to be crowded; 4. don't go with a big group of friends/ family and expect to stick together-- there is just too much to see and do and not enough room; 5. warn David that they will want to stamp his wrist so he doesn't freak out; 6. Be okay with not seeing everything and going home after only an hour.

Where did those trees come from?

     We received a very generous gift from the Todd Family.  They had heard we were interested in some lilac clippings and they had a lilac tree they wanted to get rid of.  So, Saturday morning they called and asked us if we wanted to come and get some from them.  After a couple of hours of digging the tree out and a short trip in the back of a truck we had a large lilac tree in our driveway.  We borrowed a post-hole digger from the ReStore and spent the rest of the day digging, cutting, holding, watering, and tying our new lilac hedge along our fence.  

     We were hoping to put in a hedge over the next few years with one small bush at a time, but we were able to save hundreds of dollars and several years of waiting for them to grow.  Now we just have to make sure they survive the shock of transplant.  So, Thank You to the Todd's for the tree and free delivery, Dustin for the extra manual labor of digging it out, the ReStore for the free Tool Library, and the Cox's for helping us transplant even though your tree was blown over while ours were going up.  A special thanks also goes to Ganon for going along with my crazy plan and working hard even when it hurt.   It looks great!

Firsts

Here are a few pictures of some first-time events recently.

We went to the Veteran's Memorial Pool one afternoon while Ganon was working. Our friend Lisa met us there so I wouldn't have all three kids by myself. The kids loved it! For those of you who have been swimming with our family before, you know what a dramatic change this is.

David began Preschool this Summer. He is attending BYU's Child and Family Studies Preschool Program for seven weeks. He loves it! The only real problem we have is getting Rebecca to leave every time we drop him off and pick him up. She thinks she should be in Preschool too. I think David will transition to Kindergarten in the Fall just fine after this experience.

We haven't yet gotten a quality video of Sarah's first steps, but she has started branching out on her own this week. Her face lights up every time and she looks around to see if anyone is going to praise her. We are so proud of her! (This picture is of her after just waking up-- she had an overnight visit from Rolf the Night Hairdresser).

Hope

I took the kids to the park yesterday while Ganon did homework.  Rebecca voted for the Exchange Park because it has swings.  "I like swings now," she says, but I'd heard that before.  Anyhow, with some gentle coaxing and Sarah's help we got Rebecca into the swing with Sarah.  They both loved it!!   Today we went to Pioneer Park  and Rebecca again voted for the swings.  She still won't let anyone swing at home and she doesn't like the swings to move if no one is in them, but I feel like there is hope for a swingset in our yard eventually.  We'll see.
These are just some of the roses from our bushes and a few orange ones from the neighbor's.  Having flowers that grow without too much effort gives me hope that I may be able to keep my houseplants alive this summer.  We'll see.

Summer Vacation 2009

(Bryce Canyon)

We had a wonderful vacation at the beginning of May. We started out by spending a few days in SoCal with Aunty Pat and family. It was fun to visit with Chrissy, Ted, and Brandon. We were happy to see Aunty Pat doing so well.  We also made a stop at the beach (the kids' first time seeing the ocean).

(SoCal Beach)

Our next stop was Red Rock Canyon on the outskirts of Las Vegas. I thought it was a beautiful side of Las Vegas. After one night there we headed for Zion National Park.

(Las Vegas)

Located in Southern Utah, Zion is the middle step of the Grand Staircase made up of Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon.  We were able to camp inside the Park next to Watchman Peak.  
(Bigfoot with our tent and Watchman Peak in the background)
Zion has a shuttle system that runs during the summer.  We got on a bus at the Visitor's Center (about 100 yards from camp) and it took us to all of the major scenic views and trails. 

After two nights at Zion we moved on (through a 1.1 mile tunnel) to Bryce Canyon.  This canyon was called Ebenezer Bryce's Canyon-- after an early LDS settler.  As the top step of the Grand Staircase, Bryce is 8,000-10,000 feet in elevation.  Following the advice of my father, we opted for the cabins instead of the tent for the two nights.  I think the morning low was about 27*.  Thank goodness for indoor heat.  As we went exploring David loved running from one lookout to the next.  Our campsite was fifteen miles from the Park, but it was only 3 miles from Red Canyon Park.  It was fun to let David look at the peaks from the ground instead of the cliffs.       

Ganon with the kids pretending to be mountains.  This is a shot of the Three Patriarch's-- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob from left to right with Jacob being the white peak behind Mount Moroni. (Zion)

Us at Zion with Gram, Papa, and Aunty Becca. Behind us is the Great White Throne (and something else with a name)... (Zion)

This is us in Red Canyon.  I love cameras with timers.

Sarah scoots again...

Grammie, this is for you.  I know I've been promising a new video of Sarah scooting.  I bribed her with a trail of smarties.  The next video of her will probably be First Steps.... Stay tuned.

Electric Company

So, we decided it was time to upgrade our electrical circuit breaker boxes.  I was tired of going to Lowe's with a repair question and having them give me a blank stare when I mention glass fuses.  An electrician who used to live in our ward agreed to help us out.  His crew worked hard and had everything back up and running by mid-afternoon.  We're excited to move on with the list of repairs that have been waiting for this day to come-- The joys of owning our own house...

Definitely NOT Popcorn Popping

So after posting the pictures I took yesterday of our lovely blossoming plum tree, I thought I would share the change in weather that happened today.  Not exactly what I was hoping for, but we take what Heavenly Father sends us since we can't very easily move to a warmer climate.  I just wish that the meteorologists would clarify that when they say "no accumulation"what they really mean is "at least two inches."  Maybe I'll write an angry email to KSL.  Well, maybe not an angry one...

Not Exactly Popcorn Popping

So, if popcorn pops on the apricot tree, what pops on wild plum trees?

Our apricot tree popped a few weeks ago, but the next day it snowed.  So, unfortunately our apricot tree looks rather sad with its soggy popcorn on it.  We're hoping that our decorative plum tree makes it through the storms this week.  These are a couple of pictures from the calm before the storm. 

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Yesterday was Sarah's First Birthday.  We had a big party with all of the cousins from West Valley.  Jon and Kelly came with their families to have lunch and an Easter Egg Hunt.  I think everyone seemed to have a fun time (except Rebecca who was sick).  Thanks to everyone for sacrificing to come and visit us.  

These are all of the cousins who came (except Rebecca who was sleeping on the trampoline).

Mirror Mirror on the wall

We have a great mirror that came with our house (I wouldn't have bought it, but it makes the wall look less empty). It was a brass/gold color. I didn't like it so my sister suggested that I paint it. Yesterday it was warm enough to paint. I hung it on the wall last night. It's nice to not hate looking at that wall now. Anyhow, here are a few pics of the kiddos from the last week.

David at the end of the bouncy obstacle course at BYU's MBA March Madness party.  Free food, fun, and games for the kids.  I love Provo!

Sarah at the Dinosaur playland at the Mall.  She was excited to scoot around a little bit.
Rebecca getting ready to go down the slide.  She doesn't sit still for long when I'm trying to take pictures.  

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Friday night was the BYU vs. U of U Baseball game. A good friend of mine told me it was also only twenty-five cents per ticket. Well, I personally am not a huge baseball fan, but I thought David would enjoy it. And for only $1, we wouldn't be out much if we didn't stay long. I was also told at the ticket office that the food would be the same 25 cent price as well. So, by this time my dutch blood was flowing. I love a good deal even if it is chilly-willy.
We got to the game a little late and a few people were already leaving. They were muttering about the score being 9-0. We found our reserved seats behind home plate in the lower section (row 4--pretty good I think). The kids tried out our new binoculars and I tried not to cheer too loudly in Sarah's ears.
The bad news was that we quickly learned that the popcorn was the only thing that actually cost 25 cents. Of course it was also the kind that is manufactured with peanuts-- aka we voted for the $2 cougar dogs. The kids each ate one. By this time it was really cold and the kids were losing interest. They decided they were ready to go home. So after about three innings and two hours the score was 11-9 with BYU catching up fast. As we left David said, "That was Perfect, but it was really long." All in all, I think it was a good first experience with BYU baseball. Maybe next time we'll wait until later in the season when it is warmer.

P.S. The pictures were taken with Ganon's work phone. I will be buying new batteries today for our camera...

Inspiration

As I was working on our Upcoming Enrichment Meeting, I found this wonderful video on lds.org. As a woman and a mother I feel like I fall short so often. I try to keep up with all of the creative, talented, hard-working, beautiful mothers I know. Somehow, though, they always seem to be one step ahead of me. I think I need to try harder to do what Heavenly Father wants me to do instead of what others want me to do. This video has reminded me that I can make a masterpiece without having something to show for it--except perhaps my best self. I can work harder on nurturing my children and supporting my husband. I don't have to be perfect at everything else too.

Scooting-- Caught on Camera

Since my last post Sarah has sped up a little bit with her scooting. She can now move from one room to another if she Really wants to. We got a little video of her. This was the last try with the video, so she wasn't as excited about me pulling her toys out of her reach Again. She even shakes her head "no." She is pretty cute.

Sarah the scooter

So Sarah started scooting this week. She is not interested in crawling, but she got tired of just sitting. She just wiggles her legs and hips until she moves forward. I would have posted a movie, but it takes a long time to move very much. Perhaps time-lapse photography would be more appropriate right now. Anyhow, because Sarah can move into the hallway now we installed our gate at the top of the stairs. Since I know first hand the bad things that happen when a baby falls down the stairs, we didn't want to take any risks. Thanks to the Austins for giving the gate to us in Bountiful!
This is just a cute picture of Sarah after she got bored watching David play on the computer. Look, Grammie-- she's even wearing socks!!