November Happenings

Is tomorrow really December 1st?? Where did November go? Wasn't halloween just yesterday?? Here's some of the fun stuff we did this past month.

Taylor's school did a turkey trot the day before Thanksgiving. She was so excited to run it and insisted on wearing sweats the day of, even though I had made her the cutest turkey shirt EVER! She said she NEEDED to wear sweats so she could run her best. So being the wonderful mom that I am I let her. :) She ran her little heart out and was actually the first girl in her class to finish. As we watched her cross the finish line she said to me "this is really hard!" However, it didn't get her down she asked Cort to take her running the next day so she could train for next year.

Chase's class made pumpkin pies the day before Thanksgiving, as well as these cute pilgrim costumes. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE his teacher??

We put up our tree a little early this year. For those of you who know me well, SHOCKER I know! I can't help myself, it's so much work, I want to enjoy it as much as possible. This time of year always goes by so fast.

Taylor and Talan dancing to Christmas music



Talan definitely caught the lego bug this month. I can't tell you how many legos I find in the washing machine that have fallen out of Talan's pocket. We have been riding his bike to school the past couple of weeks. Well, last week I knew he had one in his hand and I told him when we get to your class you have to give it to me. As soon as we got their he climbed off his bike and RAN into class without saying one word to me. Before we leave to go anywhere, he runs to the lego box to grab some of them. I keep telling him he's going to lose them. So now he tells me "I won't lose them mom I promise! I promise!" This is how I found him a couple nights ago fast asleep holding Woody the lego.

And then today I found him like this during his nap

Just getting in a little scripture study before his nap. Just when I think my kids couldn't be any cuter...they always prove me wrong!

HOORAY for good friends!! (And for aunts who live in Arizona) :)

This past week our old neighbors and dear friends were here for Thanksgiving at their Aunt/Sister's house. Lucky for us we got to spend some time with them while they were here. We did dinner, hung out, laughed, roasted marshmallows, and just enjoyed spending time together again. The kids were into roasting marshmallows for about 5 minutes if that and they ran off to play some more, leaving us adults there to enjoy the fire.
The guys

And me, Christine, and Easton

Christine was not only my neighbor/friend in Herriman, she was also my visiting teacher for a couple years, and someone that I grew to love with my whole heart. She is one of the most genuine, non-judgemental, and charitable people I have ever had the pleasure to know. I admire her so. And am so grateful for her in my life.

Rowen, Tay, and Chase playing Moshi Monsters. It's a game online, kinda like Webkinz, that Rowen introduced them too. They loved it and are totally obsessed with it now.

The girls got to have a sleepover that night too, we did a fashion show, played dress-up, and watched a show. The next morning as we watched them pull out of our driveway to leave Taylor broke into tears and through her tears told me "We were having so much fun and then BAM! She had to leave and it was over!"

Me and my little family went and saw Tangled Thanksgiving morning. If you haven't seen it, GO! I promise you will LOVE it! We then had dinner that afternoon at my aunts with about 40 members of my extended family. It was a lot of fun. I loved seeing my kids run around with my cousins kids, the same thing me and my cousins use to do when we were kids. We missed our families, but were grateful to spend time with family here too. And then that night, I met up with my cousin around 11:30 and we hit up the coolest mall in the valley. It was opening it's doors at midnight, and the Gap there was doing 50% off everything in the store, I don't think I could have been more excited! That included sale items too. We had such a great time! Can't wait for next year Cindy!

This past Saturday these 5 sweet kids got out some paint and went nuts painting their faces. No joke. They would paint their face run around with it one way for awhile and then go wash it off and re-do it. They had a blast. So glad for fun friends and neighbors.



What a guy!


Cort has had the past two weeks off from school, originally we thought that we would head to California for a couple days while he was off but decided instead to save money and just stay home and enjoy being together. In true wife fashion I made a list of things I wanted to get done while he was off and in true Cort fashion he finished every item on the list. I found the list sitting on the counter the other day, with all the items crossed off. Seriously, made my month! Love you Cort!

So excited for Christmas and all the wonderfulness that it brings.

grateful

"We can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” President Thomas S. Monson

A few things I am grateful for

First and foremost my knowledge of the Savior and his glorious plan

My amazing and crazy kids and their adorable little faces and personalities and the crazy things, they do and say. They make me smile and laugh every day.

For my family. Dad, mom, brothers and sisters, Maryan and her kids. And for Cort's family. They support us and do so much for us. As well as extended family that we don't see often enough. There's nothing quite as wonderful as family.

For old friends who we have made a million memories with and who we will make a million more. How lucky we are to have found such true friends. And not only for me and Cort, but for our kids as well, who as my one friend put it were at first friends because their moms were and our now friends because they genuinely love and care about one another, I know no matter where life takes us all we will all be lifelong friends. You all know who you are!

For music. All kinds of music. Depending on my mood.

For creative blogs and all their great ideas

For the ability to run. I don't claim to be fast. But I am grateful that I have a body that is willing and able. When I am out running that is my time, to think, be inspired, some of my best ideas come when I am out running.

For the spirit and the way it guides my life.

For friends and families blogs who I get to keep tabs on even though we are a gazillion miles away from a lot of you. And for those of you who don't update them, well I am still thankful for you too! :)

For this adventure we are on here in Arizona. We are close to family members that I am use to seeing like once every five years. And for all the new and wonderful friends and people we have met here. You have already touched my life for the better through your example of goodness.

For slurpees at Circle K. We are officially addicted to them.

For questions my kids ask that make me think and let me know that they are thinking too.

For Cort. He is my very best friend in the whole world. He knows me better than anyone in the world and yet he still not only loves me but likes me. :) I feel so lucky to have him in my life.

This list could go on and on. So much to be grateful for. Happy Thanksgiving!

One year older and wiser too

Easty turned one year old yesterday. Yes it's true! I'm not quite sure where that year went either. Tay, Chase and Talan decorated his room the night before. It was all their idea. We are all SOO in love with this little guy with our whole hearts and then some.

I have already noticed some major changes in Easton the past couple of days. After not really showing a interest in walking recently, all of the sudden today Easton started letting go of things without any coaxing from anyone and trying to walk. He is starting to understand things when we talk to him. He LOVES to be outside, almost as much as he likes climbing the stairs and if his brothers and sister are out there he will stand at the door and scream at them. The other day we were hanging out in the Family room and Easton literally jumped on top of Talan. I think he's seen his brothers wrestling around so many times before, he just decided to join the fun. It was quite entertaining watching the two of them roll around laughing their heads off together. It was one of those moments when I felt so much graditude for all I have been blessed with.
Easton's decorated room


Hanging out at the zoo on his big day

Getting ready to eat cake

Opening presents

Our little green giant. Easton really enjoyed his cake. He literally picked up the entire cake and started taking bites.


Even though some of our days can be a little crazy with four little ones running around, I can't imagine life without these kids. They bring so much joy to mine and Cort's life. What a love you are Easton. We love you.

Chase's Birthday week

What a fun week for us all. It all started with Chase's actual birthday him and Tay came down to our room around 6:30 in the morning. The first thing Chase said is that he wanted to open his presents and that he is the birthday boy and so we have too. And so we did at 7:00 in the morning. Chase made sure to take full advantage of his birthday boy power that day.

I'm not quite sure how we get so lucky to always be surrounded by such wonderful people, but around 8:30 that morning we heard a knock at the door and there was my adorable neighbor with some delicious homemade muffins she made Chase for his birthday. We then went with them to a really cool park that has a train that goes around the park, a carousel, and a lot of other fun stuff. Our kids are all the same age. Chase and sweet Tessa are such fun little friends. So grateful for them. They make us feel right at home here. Having good neighbors is the best.

That night Chase decided that he wanted to go to Peter Piper Pizza. I am pretty sure that that place is the breeding ground for new germs that have yet to be created. But my kids love it there and since it was his birthday, away we went. The kids always have so much fun there. Talan kept disappearing, but each time he did I always found him in the same place, hitching a ride with some random kid on one of the little rides they have there. Hilarious. Talan really does just go to the beat of his own drum.


Chase's preschool teacher is so good at what she does. They threw a little party for Chase the day after his actual birthday. At the beginning of the week Mrs. Peggy asked me if it would be ok if we celebrated Chase's birthday after his actually birthday, I said sure. She then told me that Chase told her that they couldn't celebrate his birthday because they don't go to school that day, she then told them they could do it the day before and he told her no, it had to be after. I am sure he had his reasons.
Here's Chase outside of preschool. Mrs. Peggy puts this huge sign up on the day of each child's birthday celebration. She is absolutely wonderful and makes everyone feel so special. Chase adores her. In fact after we had written out all of Chase's birthday invitation he told me there had to be one more. I was so stumped and I asked him who did we forget?? And he then said "Mrs. Peggy!"

Chase's friend party was this past Saturday and I had so much fun planning it. I decided to copy the Disneyland version of training to be a Jedi as our theme for the party. We made a light saber cake, and I made each boy a Jedi robe and found these little blow up light sabers for the kids to take home. Cort was our Master Jedi and after some serious training and a obstacle course, the kids battled it out with Darth Maul himself AKA: me. It was a lot of fun and the kids were sooo into it.






Of course you can't have a Jedi training party and not have the Top Master Jedi Yoda there. Easton is such a good sport.

At the age of 5 Chase loves to do puzzles, Lego's, really anything that requires putting things together he loves to do. He loves to go on bike rides, play baseball, swim, and he picks up on things so easily. He is learning so much. He is such a little sponge.
Some of Chase's favorite things these days in his words are
Favorite food pizza
Favorite color blue
Favorite tv show star wars the clone wars
Favorite thing to do jump on the tramp
Favorite song star war theme song
favorite primary song scripture star (scripture power)
Favorite place to go Peter Piper Pizza
favorite scripture story When he get thrown into the lion's den, Captain Moroni, and when the guy gets thrown into the whale
When he grows up he is going to be a superhero
Chase still loves to help Cort with just about anything he is doing. He is all boy, and loves to wrestle, sword fight, tease, and yet at the same time he will come up to randomly give me a hug and tell me how much he loves me.

Happy 5th birthday Bubba! I can't believe how fast you are growing up. I couldn't been more proud of you.