Christmas Sing

Lots of Christmas Sings this year! Between chorus performances for Annabelle and Benson and just regular Christmas performances for Maxwell, I felt like we were juggling, A LOT.

I brought the whole entire crew! My kids have never had such an audience all under the age of four! Luckily Beetle saved the day and met me, and luckily this double stroller has straps that Bayliss didn't figure out a way to wiggle out of until the end of the performance.

             Poor Annabelle inherited personal space issues from me, I can so feel this awkwardness.

             Grandma Phyl and Grandma Cheryl came to the University mall performance to support.

 So did the entire Elder crew, complete with Giant Ricker, sad I didn't get a pic, Pearl was proudly representing though.

                       I don't remember the last time all seven of us strolled through the mall together.

Nothing like these performances to get you in the Christmas Spirit, I wouldn't miss them for anything!

Annabelle's Birthday

Can you believe this Girl turned ELEVEN?! She will be in Young Women's next year ) : 

 I thank the Heaven's everyday for my little Annabanana. I felt so lucky when I went to her ultra sound and found out my first baby was going to be a GIRL! I just couldn't believe it, one of my worst fears before I was married is that I would never have a daughter(kind of a weird fear huh?) I celebrated all day long and showed everyone who cared or didn't care the ultra sound pic. So glad I have appreciated every GIRL moment, cause we don't have many Girl moments in this family. I truly feel blessed and not just because she is a Girl but because she is Annabelle. She is so much fun and always adds excitement to everything we do, I am pretty sure she gets this from her Daddy :) She has also been the biggest help with the other kids. All of her brothers are crazy about her, especially Brigham and Simon. Brig said "Annaba" before he said "Momma".

 For Annabelle's Birthday I checked her and her two best friends, Jaycee and Addy out of school a little early and took them to do ceramics. She is really into Art lately.

 Beetle made her an Art Box out of Cherry wood that can fit all of her Art supplies, she loves it. I love watching her lug it around the house.

 Annabelle's mind is always going, she has always had a hard time falling asleep. We gave up on enforcing her bed time about 10 years ago. Her lamp light usually stays on all night because she falls asleep reading or playing. Playing... I am so happy that she is still "playing" and making villages with legos or anything else tiny she can get her hands on. Beetle went to check on her one night about a month ago and this is how he found her. Freeze this Girl! There is NO way her teenage years are just around the corner.

 This picture was actually taken at Maxwell's Birthday Party, but I thought it was so cute of her and Beetle. She is looking so grown up, I told Beetle "Good thing your in skates pal or she would be taller than you."

                                                              We Love You Annabelle.

Miss J and Summer begins

Annabelle loved her teacher this year, Miss J. Sometimes I wish she would talk about me like she talks about Miss J. She has been the best teacher for Annabelle. Annabelle would always come home with funny stories about her and she would always tell me how Miss J loves to hug and kiss her.

She wasn't kidding! When I asked to take a picture of them on the last day of school, this is what I got!

I'm a side hugger and I am pretty sure my daughter is too, I was loving having a front row seat to witness Annabelle's awkwardness. 

Loving Miss J's face and Annabelle's blushed face

Joking aside, I am so thankful for Miss J and the positive influence she had on Annabelle. Annabelle stayed after school twice every week for homework club and I know it was so she could be around Miss J. longer. Annabelle says she always makes learning fun. When Annabelle said good bye to her, she had tears in her eyes. I know she will miss her, thank goodness she is the chorus instructor so Annabelle can still see her often next year.

                                                            Now let the Summer Fun begin!

Last Day of School, Smart kids and Malaki

Baby Kate

Smart boys and George

American Girl-Seattle

We were lucky enough to be in Seattle on Syd's birthday week. Aunt Jamie treated us to a very fun dinner at the American Girl Restaurant to celebrate Sydney's Birthday.

 It was so cute! The greatest is when the waitress came by and tucked "Megan's" hair behind her ear. Gotta look nice for our dinner! I would have LOVED this place when I was Anna's age.  Annabelle was loving it too!

 Our waitress led the entire restaurant in a birthday song for Sydney. She was so cute, her embarrassed face was Awesome! Sydney is such a sweet girl, and a loyal friend to Annabelle, plus she has her Momma's great smile with the best dimple!

                       Thank goodness I have Annabelle so we can have our "Girls Night Out"!

We stopped at a really yummy yogurt joint after dinner. If you ever have a chance to try cinnamon roll yogurt smothered in NERDS, sour gummy worms,mini gummy bears and juicy balls, topped off with a dabble of Raspberry sherbet.....DO IT, you won't regret it!

                                         Thanks again Jamie and Syd, for such a fun night out!

The Art of the Brick

Last Saturday we went to the "Art of the Brick" exhibit in Park City. Benson was so excited, he has watched a Lego DVD with Nathan Sawaya's work countless times, so to see it in person was a real treat for him.

  It was fun to see him so excited and happy, he has always wanted to go to Lego land. I should have just told him Lego land came to Park City....for FREE! Because really this work was Amazing!
           

Maxwell is obsessed with kitties right now, so he wanted a pic in front of "Grey Cat".

This guy and Lego art exhibit don't jive. He made us and the museum personnel a bit nervous at times. He brought loose Legos from the kids Lego table in to the exhibit area and we learned in a hurry-- that is not allowed, they were worried he had taken them from one of the show pieces. I'm glad I got a pic before I realized I was being a dumb parent.

Can you believe what he did to this guy?

Just Kiddin. But with four of my kids running around, this sculpture gave me anxiety every time I looked at it.

The Lego Table

Benson was loving life.

Simon has just started building with Lego's, I love his concentration face.

He was talking to all the other kids at the table while he was building. I wish I could have understood what he was saying because it sounded important!

Benson's finished work, inspired by Nathan Sawaya.

What we have been up to....

Our fine motor skills

Annabelle's "Spanish Ladies & Gentlemen" History of Utah performance.The highlight of my night was watching Annabelle dance her first dance with Jorge. Her and Beetle also stole the dance floor dancing the Virginia Reel.

 Notice all the girls admiring Annabelle's Spanish Spirit? Too bad they all don't have an Aunt Rachel to hook them up(;

 Lots of Snow and COLD weather! Beetle still refuses to wear pants on his days off work... even if it is 4 degrees outside.

A lot of inside time. Which means A LOT of Lego building for Benson. He came upstairs explaining his creation. "look at my billboard...you know those things you see on the freeway, it's advertising Star Wars."  Very observant, this boy is.

A lot of SICK time. Luckily only Annabelle, Simon and I have experienced the flu thus far. I don't know how Beetle, Benson, Brigham and Maxwell escaped it, but I am sure thankful. Simon is now just getting over the croup too. Today I made banana bread and Simon saw it coming out of the oven, I don't know if he thought it was meatloaf or what but he ran to the fridge and said " I wan kessup". I tried telling him we don't eat ketchup with banana bread but he wasn't buying it. He had a craving and he wanted to satisfy. I know he gets his ketchup taste buds from me, so I let him be. Beetle won't like this picture, I know it.