The Mary Special . . .

{ New Years Eve . . . 2011 }

2012-01-09T08:47:00.005-07:00

We have started a tradition of having a New Years Eve party with my family and cousins at the Rife house. New Years Eve is my Mom's birthday so it's a combine birthday celebration as well. We always have a chocolate fountain which is the highlight for the kids. I had been watching Laura's kids that week while they were gone (post to come) so it was a wild party with many children.

{ the Rife girls }

{ All the Ladies }

{ Tasha, Brent and Keith }

{ Alysha and Jesse }

{Uncle Brian }

{ I love this picture! Look how grossed out Logan is! Awesome . . }

{ Like a moth to the flame . .}

Last year we did a white elephant gift exchange. It was so funny! Everyone was so creative! So we decided to do it again this year. We let the kids do one as well but they just got gifts from Dollar Tree. They ended up fighting over which gifts they wanted so I doubt we'll do that again! But the adults had a great time.

Karrissa brought a new game to try and even though it was crazy loud in there, it was still a fun game. I'd love to play it again when the kids aren't there.

The kids made up a game of their own in which they acted like dogs and locked themselves in Bristol's crate. It was hilarious!

{ Even after the others were gone we couldn't get Myla out of the crate! She loved it! }

{ These 2 girls were good friends (Myla and Kylie) }

This picture was taken after midnight as everyone was getting ready to leave. I couldn't believe how awake and HAPPY they were!

I am really excited about a new year. It always give me a new resolve to be better and set goals for the coming months.

{ Christmas morning }

2012-01-03T16:36:00.009-07:00

We got home so late Christmas eve that I wasn't sure what the kids would do in the morning. Even though I am an adult I still have a hard time sleeping on Christmas eve. I woke up 5:15 and waited for an hour for some sign of stirring from the other room. Finally at 6:30 I went into the kids room and woke them up! Ha! I couldn't wait any longer and we wanted to leave for Orem at 7:30.

We had so many wonderful moments as the kids got up and saw the awesome stuff that Santa brought them in the night. They always have the greatest reactions.

{ Cutest sister loves }

Our kids have the best reactions when opening presents. Our Christmas mornings are always filled with laughter.

I'm pretty sure it was a sucessful morning!

We rushed to get changed and out the door so we could head to Orem for Christmas morning with the Rifes. The kids can't get enough of their cousins.

They were exited to open their presents from Nana and Papa, as well as from their cousins.

Logan and I got spoiled by my parents with money and thoughtful gifts. My favorite gift though, was a necklace from my Mom. She has a necklace that she never takes off. It has an anchor, a heart, and a cross on it which stand for Faith, Hope, and Charity. She gave one to each of the girls and it was a special moment for all of us. I know we will all wear them forever in honor of our Mother and the wonderful person she is.

After we enjoyed a delicious breakfast we loaded up in the car once again and headed up to Salt Lake for the Hammer present extravaganza!

First the kids opened their presents from their cousins and Brammy and Bapa.

{ Sophie and Aunt Kristen }

Then Brammy had a scavenger hunt planned for the adults. It was so fun to run around the house and yard finding clues. We finally ended up in the basement where our gifts were laid out. Judy had made these beautiful family tree pictures for us. I'll post a picture once I have it up on the wall. It was such a thoughtful gift, we will cherish it forever.

So it was another very successful Christmas for the Hammer family. I'm so thankful for this time of year we get to spend with the ones we love.

{ Christmas Eve . . . Rifes}

2011-12-28T07:57:00.006-07:00

We got to Orem around 3pm and were able to help with the set up for Christmas eve dinner with the Parsons family. Once the guests arrived we sat down for a delicious ham and potato dinner. (our second for the day but we aren't complaining!)

{ Andrew, Sophie, Kylie and McKinley }

{ Connor and Ayden }

{ Papa and Nana }

{ Myla Jae }

{ Laura and Hannah }

{ Kiersten and Todd }

{ Jenny and Trevor }

{Brent and Tasha }

After dinner Papa Rich had a game planned. He had purchased 30 gifts and wrapped them all. He passed them out and then read "Twas the Night Before Christmas". Every time he said the word "the" we had to pass to the right and every time he said the word "and" we had to pass to the left. Everyone got a kick out of it! It was so cute that he found this game and prepared it for the group.

After that, the Parson family played a video they had prepared. It was awesome! Each year we see A Christmas Carol at the Hale Center Theater and there are certain lines that we all remember and quote throughout the year. They made a video of clips of them acting out he most memorable parts of the play. It was hilarious!

Next up, Connor and Ayden sang Jingle Bells. They looked at each other with silly looks on their faces through the whole song. It was great.

{ Then Sophie read "I believe in Santa Claus" one of our family's favorite books. }

The Buchanan family got up and sang a song Abby had taught them about Santa. I love that they are all doing the actions in this picture.

{ Since Logan was all warmed up from earlier in the day, he played Silent Night on the trumpet. It was beautiful. }

{ The girls have a tradition of singing Kurt Bestors "A Mother's Lullaby" each year. }

We finished off the program with the Nativity as usual. Papa read as the kids (and Brian and I) played the parts.

{Lined up and ready to go }

{ McKinley as "Mary, Ayden as "Joseph" and Greyson as "Baby Jesus" }

{ Andrew, Sophie, and Uncle Brian as the 3 wise guys, Connor as a shepherd }

It was a very reverent Nativity, better than prior years. The kids have a sweet spirit about them. After the Nativity NanaJan gave the kids their "to be opened on Christmas eve" gift and they all got in their new zip-up team pjs!

We sent the kids downstairs to play while we waited to talk to Elder Rife. We have been so lucky because we got to talk to him last Sunday for his "set up" call. And his Mission President was allowing him to contact us through skype since my mom can no longer speak.

While we were waiting his girlfriend Hilary came over to give us a gift. And what a great gift it was. She told Michael months ago to start recording himself doing missionary work. He also made a video of himself talking to us through the camera. Hilary edited it together and added beautiful music in the background. We all sat and bawled as we listened to him talk about his experience as a missionary and got to see him knocking doors and teaching people. It seems like just yesterday I was there in Korea and that missionary was Elder Hammer. I can't believe my baby brother is that big. He is working so hard, I'm so proud of him.

Once we got the call set up and working, it was so fun to see him and hear his voice. I wish I could've talked to him more but it was so late and we had to get the kids home. He looks so good though and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to speak to him. What a gift that Christmas call is!

By the time we got home the kids were so out of it we couldn't even get them to wake up to put out the cookies for Santa. But we knew they were exhausted from a long day and needed their rest for the exciting day ahead.

{ Christmas Eve . . . Hammers}

2011-12-27T09:15:00.014-07:00

Our Christmas Eve is so jam packed with fun, it's unbelievable! I'm sure I break it down in my post each year so this year I will let the pictures do the talking. First up . . .

Pinata~

(First up . . . the girls)

{Clara and Sophie waiting their turn }

It was so cold in the church this year it was almost unbearable. Myla was a grump and not really interested in hitting the pinata.

{Daddy got her to take at least one swing at it}

{ Everybody cracked up when Sophie tried to kick it }

( On to the boys . . . )

{ Ayden is a little timid, but he always gets in a good hit or two }

I tried to get a picture of the kids together but I had to settle for individual head shots.

Logan and Colter started a Kazoo band and Whitney wanted in on the action.

{ Denied! }

Once we were done at the church (and officially had frost bite) we went back to the house for some delicious snacks and got ready for lunch. After lunch it was time for . . .

Santa~

(and of course . . . Logan had to entertain us in the meantime by making fun of his Mother's earrings )

{waiting for Santa }

{ Sophie was first. She sure loves Santa. Especially this particular Santa }

{ Myla was next. And she gave us the classic 2 yr old performance. She did enjoy opening her present though. }

{Ayden was last and had been very patient! }

Nativity~

(The kids go crazy for the Nativity costumes. Sophie was able to be Mary this year and we was really excited about it.)

{ Hadlee and Ayden as shepherds }

{ Sophie and Braden as "Mary" and "Joseph". Precious. }

{ Sophie took her role as "Mary" very seriously }

There was a special musical number performed by Logan, Zack and Colter. Zack has been learning the trumpet at school and he was really excited to perform some Christmas songs. Logan and Colter had so much fun they played a few more songs later and ended up practicing downstairs for a bit as well.

This ended the Hammer festivities . . . but we loaded up and headed down to Orem where the party was just getting started!

{ Hammer Cousin Gift Exchange }

2011-12-27T09:03:00.004-07:00

Each year the kids get really excited for the Hammer cousin party. Brammy started this tradition a few years ago and it has been a huge hit! Each child draws a name and is given $3 to spend on that person. We split up and each Mom loads up her car and takes the kids to a different store to choose a gift for their person. Then we come home and sit in a circle to exchange gifts. The kids love it! They get all excited trying to guess who has them and what they are going to get.

{Clara and Sophie }

{ Hadlee, Ayden and Emma }

{Clara, Sophie and Elsie }

Once all the gifts have been exchanged, we sing some reverent Christmas songs and do the candle pass. They kids go around the room in a circle saying what they are thankful for this year. Ayden said he is thankful for Brammy. Sophie said she is thankful for her uncle who is serving a mission in Korea. After their turn they get to turn on their candle and we sing Silent Night. I'm so thankful that Brammy has the patience to do this each year. It is a great memory fore the kids and something they always look forward to.

{ Ogden lights }

2011-12-27T08:55:00.004-07:00

Our friends (the Borens ) invited us to go see the lights in Ogden. We try to make it up there every year but I think we missed it last year because the kids didn't remember going. (they have better memories than we do) Logan has been really busy with work the last couple of weeks and unfortunately he wasn't able to join us.

{Sophie with her 2 best friends Kaiya and Ashlee }

{ Sophie and Emily }

It was so cold outside we didn't last long, but I'm glad we were able to go!

{ Jazz game }

2011-12-27T07:53:00.007-07:00

We had a busy few days leading up to the Christmas festivities. On December 21st Ayden had his first Jazz game performance. He was really excited to be a member of the Mini Jazz team this year. He has worked really hard and improved a lot on his tumbling skills which are a requirement for the team. They practice every Saturday for 2 hours and also practice on the Jazz floor each game day for over an hour. They have to be there really early which makes for along day.

We had an early morning practice at the ESA last week and while they were practicing Paul Millsap came in and asked Courtney if he could shoot some hoops while they were rehearsing. Ayden got a little side tracked and found it hard to focus with a huge dude playing basketball just a few feet away from him.

{ early morning practice }

After they practice on game day we walk over to Gateway for dinner before we come back to the dressing room to get ready. This time we ate at Jason's Deli.

{ Sadie, Courtney and Ayden }

It was a little boring waiting for the girls to get ready since Ayden is so fast. But they sure do look cute when they are all done.

{ Top row: Keely, Sydney, Courtney, Sadie Baylee, Olivia }

{ Bottom row: Lou Lou, Lauryn, Jenna, Kendal, Ayden, Brooklyn, Dasia }

{ Courtney giving them a pep talk }

{ Another pep talk and an encounter with the Bear }

{ Waiting for the timeout }

{ Lined up and waiting for the music to start. (he looks so tiny on that big floor) }

I caught a little part on video but it's hard to see. Ayden is right in the middle.

{ A very proud Mama }

It is a really long day but I'm thankful for this opportunity that Ayden has to perform. That was always my favorite part and I hope he finds the joy in it. We are looking forward to the next game on January 2nd when Nana and Papa will be there!

A Christmas Carol

2011-12-21T14:54:00.001-07:00

Of course I forgot my camera and only have phone pics from our annual viewing of Hale Center Theaters presentation of A Christmas Carol. It was an incredible night. The kids absolutely loved the play! (Sophie kept saying "Mom, this is a good movie!") And although there have been years where it wasn't quite as good, this year it was excellent!! The actors did a great job and I loved it! I love this family tradition and it was fun to have the Buchanans there.

-posted from my iPhone

{ Christmas traditions }

2011-12-19T21:37:00.009-07:00

Christmas Recital

We have a lot of Christmas traditions, which is what makes this time of year so special. Since Ayden started preschool at JDS back in 2007 we have attended a Christmas dance recital. Now granted, that first year was a pretty total bust when he freaked out and wouldn't go on stage after we had been sitting in the audience for almost 3 hours, but fortunately he has come a long way.

Our concert this year was short and sweet, which is a nice change from previous years. It was a benefit concert put on by 2 other studios in addition to ours. Fortunately we got to go first.

It is a pretty stressful night considering I am not only a teacher at the studio but I have 2 of my own kids performing as well. Sophie's team just did one dance this year but Ayden is on 3 different teams! Their dances went great and its always a joy to see them perform. Brammy came up to watch and we are thankful for her love and support.

{Camryn and Sophie }

{ Sophie's team . . . Mini Co }

(there are also 4 boys on her team, not in the picture)

{Ayden's team . . . Prodigy }

(he is also on Mini Jazz and DaGroove)

I'm so proud of my kids. I'm so happy that they love what I love and we get to share these great nights together. And I'm so grateful for a husband that is in full support of all the dancing that goes on in our lives.

Frontrunner and Lights

Last year we started a new tradition of riding the frontrunner downtown and going to see the lights at Temple Square with the Bott family. They are our good friends and will most likely be moving soon but this is a tradition we have vowed to keep as long as we can, even after they move. (tear)

{ on the way downtown }

( not sure why Ashlee is so unhappy )

We caught the frontrunner at 4:36 (barely) and it takes about 30 minutes to get to the station downtown. Last year we looked for somewhere to eat by the Temple but wander aimlessly for quite some time. This year we played it safe and went straight to The Gateway. We knew the kids would be thrilled with McDonalds at the food court and then at least we'd have some options.

{ dinner at the food court }

{ Some pretty bundled up kiddos }

The lights never cease to amaze me. How they can get that many lights on those trees is just unbelieveable to me. It's beautiful.

{ The Bott family. Lee, Ashlee, Brooke, Cami, Nicole and Daci }

{ The Hammer clan }

{ Best friends }

{ inside getting warmed up }

{ Waiting to catch Trax back to the station }

Riding Trax back to the station:

We missed the earlier train home and ended up sitting on the next train for about 40 minutes waiting for it to leave. We figured that way we would be sure not to miss it and the kids had a blast playing hide and seek on the empty train.

I love this tradition and I really hope we can find time each December to see the lights with the Botts.

Christmas Pajamas

We love the tradition of Christmas Pjs and we decided to give the kids their new pajamas a little early this year. We had a nice dinner and for family night Logan talked to the kids about why we give/get presents for Christmas. He explained that it is because Christ gave us the gift of the Atonement and continues to give us gifts in the form of blessings, and thats what we should remember when we give or receive gifts this Christmas.

They were so excited to open their presents and very excited about their new pajamas and slippers!

{ seriously, that face. }

{ Ayden 7, Myla 21 months, Sophie 5 }

For some reason the kids were serious about taking a picture with Mom. The girls were fighting over sitting on my lap for a picture. Even Boston got in on the action, silly dog.

They are all snug in their beds in their new jams right now. Good night my babies.

Merry Christmas.

{ Twas the night . . . }

2011-12-12T08:17:00.006-07:00

. . . we went to the annual Kurt Bestor Christmas Concert. This is one of my favorite traditions my family has and I am so thankful to my parents for making it all possible. There is no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than listening to that beautiful music.

{We were trying to get a picture of us with the sea anemone that decorates Abravanel Hall . . }

The music was beautiful as usual, just like the company.

{ Jenny and Trevor . . . Todd and Kirsten }

This wasn't like any other concert, though. This time the boys in the family were determined to get my Dad up on stage to read Twas the night before Christmas, Kurt Bestor style. He pulls someone up from the audience each year and Dad usually jokes that he really wants to do it.

So as they started to get the stage ready Grandpa started hollering at Kurt to look over our way. Then Brian started in and finally Logan yelled "We've got your guy over here!!" And what do ya know . . . he said "Well, send him up!"

Next thing you know, there's my Dad on the stage with Kurt Bestor!! It was awesome!

Dad was incredible. One of his good friends, Michael Dowdle, is in the band that plays with Kurt each Christmas and when they were talking after the show Kurt said my Dad was one of the best he's ever had. He was such a natural up there, reading the story and even dancing a little. It was such a memorable night. I'm sad that Mikey missed it but I tried to record as much as I could until my memory card was full. The video was too large to load though.

It was an incredible night!

{ The Tree }

2011-12-04T22:36:00.006-07:00

We always keep the tradition of getting all of our Christmas decorations out the day after Thanksgiving. Our kids so look forward to it as do Logan and I. We finish off the day by setting up the tree and decorating it.

Well this year we decided to get a real tree. I had a real tree a few times growing up that I can remember, but Logan has very fond memories of always having a real Christmas tree. So Saturday afternoon we went to a tree lot and found the perfect tree.

It doesn't look like much strapped to the top of our car, but she's a beauty! We had quite the adventure setting it up but once we did we were so excited to decorate! Logan and Ayden started with the lights.

As you can see, Ayden thought this was the greatest job. They had a system all worked out and he was a great helper.

Then I came in with the ribbon and bows. This is how Logan and I would love to leave the tree, just classy. But the kids get such a thrill out of seeing all their old ornaments on the tree.

Next up the kids divided up the ornaments and went to town. They did a really great job! (I only had to move a few of Sophie's spatially challenged ornaments)

And last but not least, they always love to help Daddy put the star on top. This tree is so huge that they couldn't reach the top.

Myla was asleep while we decorated but when she woke up she was thrilled with the new additions to the tree. We love having our Christmas tree up. It creates such a wonderful feeling in our home. Logan loves to get the kids hot cocoa and sit in the dark room with only the lights from the tree. I hope that having a Christmas tree up will always be a fond memory for our kids as they grow up just like it was for us.

{ Big day for Lew }

2011-12-04T21:17:00.003-07:00

Sophie has had a loose tooth giving her grief for a few weeks now. I thought she would be like Ayden and have no problem pulling her loose teeth out because she's so tough. Man was I wrong! Even when she realized that the permanent tooth was coming in behind it she wouldn't let me anywhere near it!

So finally she decided to go for it herself. Logan told her to just grab it and crank it down as hard and fast as she could. Well, it worked! Our Lewis girl lost her first tooth!

I think she looks so cute and so grown up. She does not agree. I can't even count the number of times she has said to me "Mom, I look weird with my tooth out. I don't like it." Who knew a 5 year old could be so vain! Silly girl. I can't believe my baby girl is so big! Way to go Lew!

{ Cruisin Disney style . . . finale }

2011-11-29T12:44:00.014-07:00

I need to finish this last post about the cruise! I got so side tracked by the birthdays! But I wanted to make sure I finished this since it is my journal.

The second day in Cabo was a short day. And since it was such a fiasco to get Myla and all her gear on and off the ship I decided to stay behind and have a nice boat day while it was still warm. The boys had researched out a few snokeling options and decided that it was a good day to go since the moms and kids were staying on the ship. So Logan took Ayden along with Todd, Alan, and Connor to spend the day snorkeling in Cabo San Lucas.

Logan is going to write a journal entry for that day and I will add it to this post once he's done. For now . . . here are the great pictures they took on their adventure.

{ These 2 are such good buddies }

While the boys were ashore, we took the little kids to the Mickey pool which was very busy but incredibly fun! They just played for hours. Uncle Trevor got in the pool and tossed them around for a bit. I just sat on the side and enjoyed the warm sun on my face. It was the perfect temperature outside.

After dinner that night, Logan took the kids our on deck 4 and got some cute shots of the.

Unfortunately I couldn't post the cutest one because Sophie is even more sprawled out and it wouldn't be appropriate for the web.

{ She's even cute with Mickey bar on her dress }

We went to Studio Sea to watch/play a game show that night. My kids even got a chance to go on stage! But I guess I was the real show, because they were playing a trivia game with still shots from disney movies and I got a little too into it. In my defense . . . I was AWESOME!

The Final Day:

It was officially our final day on the ship. The kids had some stuff they wanted to do in the Oceaneers Club so the adults went down to a lounge for some yummy drinks and games. We found out they were having a giant game of bingo there and the boys all bought some cards to play. (for the record, they spent way too much money, and none of them won a dime. But it was still fun)

This was the day we lost Dee Dee. That is what Myla has named her special blanky. I took the kids up to deck 9 while we were waiting for bingo to start and when we got back, dee dee was gone. I retraced my steps 20 times, but it was no where to be found. I think I went to the lost and found at least 8 or 9 times that night. And I continued to call the front desk to see of anyone had turned it in. I was a mess. Myla was sad and fussy, but it seemed like she wasn't quite sure what was missing. She slept on top of me that night, I was her dee dee. I just kept praying that we would find it before we left the ship. (And we did! It was rolled up in a ball at the final lost and found before we left the port. Hooray!)

{ This was taken right after we found it. You can't tell from the picture how elated she was.

Oh, and I was crying. . . of course }

The next morning at breakfast everyone was a little somber. Its always hard when the trip comes to an end even though you are usually ready to get back to real life. We had the added hardship of saying goodbye to the Buchanans AGAIN! Man we hate always having to say goodbye to them. The kids love each other so much and have become such good friends. This trip was a great bonding experience for them.

{ The girls walking towards the exit of the ship }

We went through customs and as we got to the baggage claim to round up our bags we realized one was missing. All of Logan's clothes were in a giant duffle bag and it was no where to be found. So I sat with the kids while he walked all over the port trying to find it. We finally had to file a report that it was missing and write down the value of the bag. Not fun. There was one piece of luggage that was part of a set that had been left behind so we were really hoping that those people had taken his bag instead and would call us when they realized they had the wrong bag. It took a few days, but Logan finally got his bag back!

We took a taxi to a car rental place by the airport. We were on the same flight as Jenny and Trevor and Brian and Todd, but they were planning to sit at the airport from 10 until our flight left at 4. We knew better than to attempt that with 3 little ones so we decided to rent a car and go find something to do in LA until our flight left.

Luckily we got a hold of the Buchanans who also had a later flight and had rented a car. We met up with them at In-and-Out burger for lunch and then went to a park for a little bit to let the kids run around. As Logan put it, seeing them one more time was the perfect way to soften the blow of the trip being over.

Our flight home was good and seemed to go by quickly. As we found our car and drove home, we talked about what a great trip it was and how lucky we all were to be able to have had such a great experience. Thank you so much, Nana and Papa, for so generously taking us on this trip and giving us the opportunity to spend time with you and our other family members. We will cherish this experience forever. You guys are the best. Love you.

1st Grade Pow Wow

2011-11-26T08:15:00.002-07:00

I haven't had a chance to post about going to Ayden's Pow Wow. My friend Nicole watched my girls so I could go help in his class. He was so excited, he's been asking me to come for a while now.

When I got there both his teacher and teachers aid told me how excited he has been all week for me to come. Way to make your Mom feel special Aydo!

We had a great day making rain sticks, honey butter, pottery, and necklaces.

It was so fun to see him in his environment. He's a good boy and I'm very proud of the person he is. Thanks for sharing your day with me buddy!

Posted from my iPhone

{ Kindergarten program/Making Pies }

2011-11-23T18:20:00.007-07:00

Sophie was very excited to perform in her Kindergarten Thanksgiving program. They had prepared some excellent songs to sing for the parents and she looked so cute in her pilgrim costume.

Every year the kids look forward to pie making day at Brammy's with the Hammer cousins. Brammy puts it all together and then they get with a partner and make pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving.

It is a great tradition.

Well this year the Hammer-clan came down with the flu the night before the big pie making event. The kids were so bummed they couldn't go, but even though they felt better we didn't want to pass along the flu so that others ended up sick on Thanksgiving day.

So we stayed home.

As a consolation prize, Daddy picked up some stuff on his way home from work so we could make pies as a family. It wasn't the same, but they were good sports about it. Thanks Daddy!

They were really good helpers. Not sure why they had to sit on the counter though . . .

{ The finished product } { Enjoying the goods! Yum! }

Man I love these cuties.

{ Birthday weekend }

2011-11-21T09:46:00.019-07:00

A month or so ago my parents told us they were going to San Diego for their anniversary and so we could use the cabin to celebrate my birthday!

I was pumped and immediately started planning.

We decided we wanted to stay one night with just adults and then whoever wanted to could grab their kids and come back.

We invited 3 couples the Botts, the Borens, and the Browns. (or the 3 B's as I like to call them)

We got up there just before dinner time. I really wanted to get there before dark because it's a little harder to find in the dark, plus there are lots of deer and I didn't want there to be any accidents. (like last winter . . . boo hoo)

{ Logan got to work on the fire }

{ Jeri and Jason Boren Kirk and Texie Brown }

{ The ladies. (minus Nicole) }

I have some awesome friends. Jeri and Nicole made a delicious dinner. Lasagna (home made by Jeri) french bread, and salad. And Texie made score cake for dessert. Thanks ladies!

Texie and I have this thing with matching. We always like the same clothes and have quite a few matching items. Here we are in our matching coats (from 2 years ago) and matching jeans.

{ Twilight shirts . . . great minds think alike }

It was snowing while we were eating dinner. It was the perfect atmosphere to be in the cabin with the fire going and the snow outside. We got in our pjs and played a roaring game of wacky sixes.

Around midnight we went downstairs to the theater room and turned on

The Count of Monte Cristo.

I have always loved that movie but I think it's mostly because I saw it for the first time when Logan and I were dating. (for that whole month and a half)

I was the only girl that didn't sleep through the movie, and Logan was the only boy who did! Ha! We are kinda reversed that way these days.

The next morning I heard Logan get up really early and I had a good idea what he was up to. I love the tradition we have of decorating the house for birthdays.

It definitely makes the birthday girl/boy feel special!

{ this is what I woke up to }

As well as a delicious breakfast being prepared! We sat around visiting and enjoy the peace and quiet, knowing it would all be over soon as we headed to pick up our kids.

{Logan was so pooped from getting up early to decorate, he crashed! }

We had a relaxing morning and then all went our seperate ways. Logan and I went to see Breaking Dawn before we had to pick up the kids from Aunt Jenny. I always go see it with the die hards first but we usually see it together soon after. If we don't, I will explain the entire movie to Logan before he gets a chance to see it.

(I actually had already described a lot. Sorry Log)

I liked the movie a lot better the second time. It was hard to look past some of the stranger scenes on the first time around with such high expectations. I think Logan liked it as well.

We picked up the kids from Aunt Jenny around 3:30. That's right, she had our 3 crazies for 24 hrs. What a trooper! Not only did she and Trevor watch them, they played with them, made pictures and crafts and had a great time. Thank you so much Jenny and Uncle Trevor! You're the best!

The kids were so excited to go to the cabin. There's just something about that place. Not only is it beautiful, it has a special feeling about it. We got there just about the same time as the Browns who went home to get their kids and came back. Their kids were mesmerized by its beauty. They just ran through the house saying things like "this is a mansion!" and "I wish we could live here!" They were excited at the potential to go sledding but it was getting dark so we decided we'd have to wait for morning. We had some dinner and the kids made up some pretty fun games using our heytell app as a walkie talkie.

That night the kids made me a cake and sang happy birthday. They also gave me a present. None other than a Pillow Pet! Ha! It's my own fault because I rave about them to people and always joke about how I want one. Well now I've got one! Thanks guys!

They Brown kids decided to call the bunkbed room

the barracks

(their dad is in the military) and they were really excited to set up camp.

And while they were busy setting up camp, we were setting up for the tour.

Rockband tour that is.

We started a band together about 2 years ago and haven't had a lot of time to practice lately so we thought this was a good opportunity!

The next morning we held the kids off as long as we could . . . but by 9am they were all dressed up and ready to sled!

There wasn't much snow, but this didn't stop these crazy kids. And they had a blast!

{ Check our the balls that collected on Boston's bum! }

They liked going with Logan because he could slow them down with his hands. It's a pretty steep hill with lots of twigs and branches poking out. Ayden sustained a few battle wounds.

{ warming up with some delicious hot cocoa }

We chilled, played rockband, watched movies, took naps, and just enjoyed the day with our close friends. It was a great weekend that I will look back on with fond memories.

Special thanks to my Mom and Dad for giving us the opportunity to use their beautiful cabin. You guys are the best.

{ Twilight }

2011-11-21T08:34:00.004-07:00

Things have been so busy lately that the annual Twilight movie kinda snuck up on me! But for the whole week before I was so excited I had a hard time focussing on anything other than the movie. I even lost sleep the night before because I was so excited!

We had tickets to the midnight movie at Gateway so we had some time to kill before it started. I went with my friends Texie and Jessica down to check out that new H&M at Fashion Place mall. My birthday money was burning a hole in my pocket! I got some cute clothes for the kids there and then we went over to Nordstrom to do some more damage. Once the mall was closed we we headed to Cheesecake Factory because 1- it's yummy, and 2- it's one of the only restaurants open until 11pm.

{ The shirts are super cheesy but its tradition! }

We had to be at the theater at 11:20 for the raffle to start. (no. . . I didn't win anything. I never do! Boo hoo.) When we got there we headed straight for the ladies room, but of course the line was forever long. So my sister-in-laws had the brilliant idea to use the mens bathroom. Whitney stuck her head in and called out to see if anyone was in there. The coast was clear so a small group of us went in. I was the third one to go in the stall and as I was doing my business I heard some male voices. Next thing I know, I hear only male voices. So I called out "did they leave me?" and all I got a low pitched "yup". AHH! So I hurried out, trying to wash my hands with my eyes closed because there were already 3 guys lined up using the urinals! I ran out to see all the ladies laughing at me! SERIOUSLY??!!

{ Team Edward? }

{ Team Jacob? }

{ I'm so happy that I got to sit by my Mom and sister! }

{ The Hammer ladies! }

The movie was great! There were a few interesting parts but I really liked it. Breaking Dawn wasn't my favorite book so I wasn't expecting it to be my favorite movie. I ended up seeing it again on my birthday with Logan and I liked it much more the second time.

Disclosure . . .

2011-11-09T09:46:00.002-07:00

I just wanted to point out that each day as I am trying to get these entries blogged about our trip I am doing it with a 20 month old (who hates being ignored) pulling on my hair, arms and legs, yelling at me and trying to type on the keyboard. So they aren't my best entries and I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't make sense at times, but it's better than nothing right?!

Gotta love her.

Thats my disclosures.

{ Cruisin Disney style . . . part 4 }

2011-11-09T08:52:00.012-07:00

We woke up the next morning in sunny Cabo San Lucas.

This time we had to take a tender boat to the port which I was really nervous about because on our previous cruise the tender boats didn't seem safe for kids. These boats were just fine though. Once we got to the port we headed down the main strip to find a ride to the nearest beach. Most of us just wanted a beach day and the Buchanans were planning on baptizing Connor in the ocean that day.

We found some guys who give you a ride on a boat to and from a beach across the port. So we loaded up in this little boat, kinda scary, and headed out to the beach.

{ This is the sweetest picture of Papa and Abby holding hands on the way to the beach. }

When we got to the beach they drove the boat up onto the sand as far as they could and we had to hop out and run up onto the beach without getting too much of our stuff wet. It was quite the adventure. We walked a ways down the beach to find a spot for our big group. The sand was so hot! We were carrying strollers among other things so it was a serious calf exercise.

We found some umbrellas and chairs to rent for the day. As we got settled the kids couldn't wait to dive in. The water is so warm, it's incredible.

{ Ayden, Connor, Andrew, and Abby with the Disney Wonder Cruise Ship in the background }

{ Our sweet set up }

{ Daddy and Lew }

Once again Myla would have nothing to do with the sand. So she sat for a while in her stroller before falling asleep for a nice long nap.

When they were ready to do the baptism, Alan and Connor put on their white clothes. (I'll add pictures later when I get them from Laura) We all stood around them in a semi circle in the water while they performed the baptism. It was by far the coolest baptism I've ever seen. Once they were done some of the crew headed back to the ship. The rest of us (except Alan and the sleeping babies) went over to the street to see what we could find to eat.

We found a restaurant called "The Office" and they said they could accommodate the group. We were hot and hungry! The tables were right in the sand and there was a canopy of umbrellas above us. Once again I thought about how cool it was to be in this crazy place.

So far from home and my every day life.

After lunch we played on the beach and swam some more before loading up and taking a walk back to the port. It was a little far for the kids but it was cool to see the city. As we were walking Logan stopped to ask someone a question and he ended up being the nicest guy. He said that he was able to save up and bring his family to Disneyland. He said we have the most beautiful country and the people are all very nice. It was interesting to hear because we were in one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

We made it back to the tender boat and on to the ship in time to get ready for dinner.

It was pirate night and we were in for a real treat!

Our servers were dressing up like pirates and they had napkins for us to decorate ourselves with. They played music and had the kids (and me of course) march around the restaurant. It was a riot!

I loved that even as adults, we were able to act like kids. That's the magic of Disney.

{ Abby had the best pirate face }

That night they were playing the movie in the big theatre. The kids were in the Club so Logan and I went to see it! I loved it! The kids were ready to be picked up half way through the movie so Laura and Alan were so nice and took them all back to their room until the movie was over. Thanks guys!

{ Cruisin Disney style . . . part 3 }

2011-11-08T11:38:00.013-07:00

Our second day on the ship started out with a delicious breakfast at the Beach Blanket Buffet on deck 9. Breakfast buffets are my favorite because breakfast food is my favorite kind of food. If I had it my way we'd eat cereal, french toast, or pancakes for dinner every night.

Our kids were so excited to swim so we got on our suits and headed up to the pool. There were 2 pools for the kids on the ship, the Mickey pool which had a water slide attached, and Goofy's pool that was a little deeper and had hot tubs. The kids wanted to go to Mickey's pool but it seemed like every time we were ready to swim, it was closed because someone had an accident in the pool and they had to drain it and sanitized before they could fill it back up.

When we got to Goofy's pool they started doing some line dancing on the stage in front of the pool. So you know who were the first ones to join the party right?! The Hammer clan! At one point we had our whole family jammin out on the stage. I even had a lady come up to me later and say "nice job on the dancin!"

{ Me and the girls }

{ The whole fam }

{ Cute Baby Jae. Lovin those chunky legs. }

There was a self serve ice cream stand not too far from the pool and we took advantage of that every chance we got!

{ Andrew's ice cream beard. He needs a licky slurpy }

There was a gazebo by the pool where the characters would come for pictures and autographs. Here are the kids with Daisy Duck.

{ And here they are again with Pluto }

{ Logan and Sophie wearing the "wedding" Mickey ears }

We just took it easy that day and it was a nice relaxing day.

The next morning we arrived in Puerto Vallarta. It was so beautiful there, I couldn't believe the view.

Logan and Trevor jumped off the ship and went to check out what activities we could do with that large of a group. They found a company that had a big enough van for all of us to fit. I use the word "fit" loosely, more like squeeze. But they took us for a tour of the city and made a few stops for activities on the way.

Our first stop was mostly a potty break but there was an incredible view of the ocean.

{ Daddy and the girlies }

{ My baby }

Our next stop was a resort where the guys could go snorkeling. There was a little beach spot where the rest of us could play while we waited for them. This is where we discovered that Myla is not a fan of the sand. She was so mad at me when I tried to walk her down to the water. I ended up just putting her on a lawn chair where she sat for about an hour eating some fruit loops.

{ No one loves the beach as much as Nana }

{ I love Abby's face in this one }

{ I can't get enough of those "hungee buns" }

This was a precious moment for me. I just stood there watching these to ladies who I love so much have a special moment together. Priceless.

When the snorkelers got back we loaded up and headed to our next destination, a restaurant in the middle of the jungle! I was able to look past the bugs and dirt and it was so cool.

There was this pet parrot just hanging out as we walked to our table. Sophie was fascinated with it. So of course she tried to touch it and it bit her!

{ Myla waiting patiently for her food }

We were all starving and so incredibly hot. Check out Myla's hair!

The food was pretty good and while we were eating a man came over and serenaded us. It was actually pretty cool.

While Sophie and I were walking to the bathroom we saw this line of ants carrying food to their hill. I was totally amazed by the size of the things these little creatures were carrying. We had to take a picture.

We loaded up for our final time and headed back to the port. A few of us stopped off at Walmart to grab a few things and met up with everyone else at dinner that night.

After dinner there was a performance of Toy Story the musical. Aside from the music (I wasn't a fan) it was an excellent production! The costumes were incredible and the kids loved it!

We slept good that night after a very long and adventurous day!

{ Snowy Day }

2011-11-07T14:42:00.006-07:00

Most people aren't really thrilled when the weather starts to cool off and we head into the cold Utah winter months. After an incredibly warm Halloween, I don't think we were quite ready for the cold front to hit. But for some reason Sophie was thrilled with the snow! She got all her snow clothes on and spent hours playing outside with our neighbor Madi. Even Myla and Boston got in on some of the action. It was a very exciting first snowy day of the season.

{ Cruisin Disney style . . . part 2 }

2011-11-04T13:44:00.010-06:00

The first 2 days at sea we didn't have any stops. But our first morning on board we had our Character Breakfast! The kids were so excited! The characters went from table to table taking pictures with the guests.

{ It was a little earlier then Jenny and Trevor were used to }

Mickey Mouse was up first! I loved his Hawaiian shirt.

{ Myla wasn't sure about the characters }

Next up was Goofy!

{ Sophie was lovin the character breakfast.

She would hug each character multiple times, it was so cute }

Then came Chip . . . (from chip n' dale)

{ Hannah also enjoyed the characters. Check out that grin! }

Then Pluto and Minnie Mouse!

They served the kids Mickey waffles that were pretty yummy. While we were eating our server made our napkins into Disney hats.

{ Logan as Pluto }

{ Pirate Ayden and Pluto Mom }

After the Character breakfast Papa bought the kids an autograph book and pen from the Disney store which make seeing the characters around the ship even more exciting!

The kids had some fun activites in the Oceaneers Lab that they were planning on attending so until it was time for that we went up on deck 10 (the top deck) and played some basketball and fuze-ball. It was still a little chilly because we weren't very far south yet.

In the lab, the kids got to learn how to make flubber! They system they have for the lab and club is really so cool. You can check the kids in and then they txt you on your wave phone when they are ready to be picked up.

{ Sophie and Andrew making flubber }

{ Ayden and Connor making flubber }

We picked up Sophie a little early because it was time for the princess parade in the lobby.

Logan got in the line early so we wouldn't have to wait as long.

Nana has a special place in her heart for Princesses. This is why:

"The Disney Princesses ~ I get emotional every time I see the Disney Princesses. I know that they are trained to be this way, but I love the way the focus on the little girl in front of them. They hug the little girl and make eye contact and get down on their level. I imagine that this is what Christ would do with children. I'm thankful to see such a great example of Christ-like behavior."

So Jenny and I had an emotional moment as we saw Nana watch from the balcony while Sophie met the princesses.

Dinner that night was formal attire. It is stressful to get everyone ready but creates a nice mood when everyone is dressed up.

{ Myla enjoying some mac n' cheese }

After dinner we changed back into our comfy clothes and went to one of the Studio Sea for some dancing!

It was a great first day.

{ 31th }

2011-11-04T11:33:00.004-06:00

For some reason I just love it when little kids say things wrong. I think it's so cute. It shows their innocence and how they are trying to understand the world around them. Sometimes Sophie forgets to say 31st and says 31th. Most of the time she quickly fixes it because she knows it doesn't sound right, but I still think it is so cute.

So one of my rhymes for Logan's birthday posters today was . . .

On this . . . the 11th month

We happily celebrate your 31th

(birthday that is)

This my birthday shout out to the man of my dreams. Seriously. He brings me more joy than I could ever have imagined to have in my life. He is the most incredible father. Our children adore him. He will drop anything at any time, no matter how busy he is, to help them or play with them. Most of the time I am telling him that he's too nice. But he truly enjoys being with them and so it's hard for him to say no.

It's funny how opposites attract. His strengths balance out my weaknesses and vice versa. He teaches me so much and I feel like I am always learning how I want to change and be better through his example. And he is so patient with me as we have learned that I am slow to change.

Not only is he the man of my dreams, he is my best friend. We spend so much of our time together laughing. Even last night as we sat on our bed in our pjs eating pine nuts and catching up on the shows we have missed this week, we just laughed. I always comment how crazy it is that we don't get sick of each other. After 9 1/2 year of marriage, we still genuinely enjoy each others company.

My life has been so blessed because of this man.

Happy Birthday baby. I love you.

{ Cruisin Disney style . . . part 1 }

2011-11-03T11:43:00.000-06:00

I'm not sure exactly how I want to post about this trip. I usually do a day by day rundown, but I have so many pictures that I may just blog about specific events and post the pictures that go together.

We have been so excited for it to finally be October! When Papa told the kids they were going to ride on an airplane they were pumped! They have both been on a plane couple of times before, but they were very little and neither one could remember what it was like. Our flight didn't leave until later in the day so it was hard for them to wait.

They were very excited when it was finally time to go!

{ Grabbing a few donuts before we headed to the gate }

{ This is just the cutest pic! }

The 2 big kids were awesome on the plane. They ended up sitting on a row together while Logan and I tried to deal with Myla on the row across from them. She is quite the handful, especially when you are trying to contain her.

These 2 are so friendly, the ended up making friends with the older couple behind them. They were playing with them and I heard Ayden ask "What's your name?" The man said "I'm Tim and this is my wife Sue." Ayden immediately replied' "I'm Ayden and this is my sister Sophie." It was so funny. We saw them again later in the airport and both kids got all excited yelling "Hey look!! It's Tim and Sue!!" What goof balls.

Once we arrived in CA Papa and uncle Todd were at the airport waiting to pick us up. They had rented a minivan and the kids (especially Myla who didn't have a carseat) were pretty excited about it.

That night we stayed at the Vagabond Inn. We met up with the rest of the family and the kids were thrilled to see their cousins. They got to play for a little bit before the Buchanans headed to bed. They had to get up at 3:30 in the morning to catch their flight and they were exhausted.

Logan and I took the kids and walked a few blocks away to a KFC. It was super ghetto, but it was fun to have some time alone before the party began the next morning.

Logan got the kids to bed while I went to Jenny's room to color Laura's hair. It is always fun to have a little girls night with my Mom and sisters.

In the morning we met up the the whole crew at the McDonalds down the street for a delicious breakfast.

{ The kid table . . . madness }

{ The "grown-up" table . . . Papa, Gramps, Brian, Gram, Nana, Todd }

After breakfast the 2 drivers (Papa and Alan) made a trip to the dock to drop off all of the luggage, and then they came back and took all of the people.

{ Waiting for the vans to get back }

They dropped us off and we tried to go get on the ship but learned that unfortunately you can't enter until your entire group is there. So we hung around outside the dock for a while waiting for Papa and Alan to drop of the rental cars and get a taxi back.

It was a little anti-climatic, especially for the kids.

Once we got inside we went through security and the kids got their special wristbands. These wristbands cost $50 to replace so we figured out right away that they were pretty important. All their information was stored inside and when they went to the different play centers this is how they keep track of who they belong to. Pretty cool.

{ Sitting with my parents while Logan got the kids registered. I just love em. }

{ Staring in awe at The Disney Wonder }

{ Boarding the ship! Finally! }

We went in and had some lunch before finding our staterooms. Kids are always super excited to see the room. I don't know what they were expecting, but I guess this was better than that.

They were pumped!

{ cousin love }

{ the balcony }

{ uncle Alan from our balcony }

Each night on the ship you have a 4 course dinner at the same table (well with this big of a group it was "tables" 8 & 9) with the same servers. Our wait staff was awesome!

Our head server was YaYan from Indonesia.

{ YaYan and Papa }

And his assistant was Carla from Peru.

{ Carla loved baby Hannah }

And our Maitre d' was Tektas from Turkey.

He came around once or twice each night to make sure everything was going well. The first night he did a little magic trick and it was so well recieve that he came by with a different magic trick each night for the kids. I think Ayden was the most excited about it. He loves magic!

They had their work cut out for them with this group. 12 adults and 7 crazy kids. We are a wild bunch but they did a great job and were so cute and helpful with the kids.

The first night at dinner we discovered the incredible Mickey Bar. It was one of the dessert items offered to the kids but quickly became a favorite for all.

(pretty much a dove ice cream bar shaped like Mickey)

One night Trevor asked if there was any way we could get a Mickey Bar other than at dinner and Yayan brought him out 2 with his dessert. Then every night after that he would bring out a few extras and pass them around because he figured someone would eat them.

Man, I could really go for a Mickey Bar right now.

I think Myla was the biggest fan though. It was her favorite part of the day. Which leads to my favorite thing . . . pictures of her with the Mickey Bar.

After dinner that night we went to the welcome show in the big Mickey theatre. It got us even more excited for the things to come. We went to bed that first night exhausted but anxious to see what the next few days would hold.

{ Family Photos 2011 }

2011-11-02T12:09:00.006-06:00

So I am an absolute loser when it comes to getting our family pictures taken. I have tried to do it myself a couple of times over the last few years to save money, and while those pictures suffice for some things I decided it's high time to get a professional family picture taken.

I know part of the reason I have lacked the motivation to do it is because of the stress it will inevitably add to my life. I don't consider myself an extremely stressed out person, but big events have the potential to make me crazy. (Just ask Logan) And when you are paying a professional photographer to take pictures of your kids, with it comes a lot of stress. Stress to make sure everyone matches and looks cute. Stress to make sure they have a good day and are in a good mood so as to minimize the meltdowns along the way.

But I know that it's important and therefore I buckled down and made the appointment.

Our photographer is Haley Miller. She lives in Syracuse and is friends with a lot of my neighbors. (Captures is the name of her company) I had seen her work before and she is amazing. I was really excited and very pleased with the way they turned out! She is still editing a few photos for me but she's a few weeks out on that and I couldn't wait to post some of the great shots she got!

{ Halloween 2011 }

2011-11-01T11:01:00.008-06:00

I am beginning to enjoy Halloween a little more each year. This year was so much fun because the kids are at such fun ages!

They found their costumes in Nana Jan's giant cedar chest of costumes. They were pretty excited about being puppy dogs together. I was happy that they seem to finally get a long and share similar interests.

I was bummed that they had a full day of school on Halloween so I decided to keep Sophie home and check Ayden out at lunch time. They were so excited to do the "parade of offices".

Our first stop was Logan's new office down in Salt Lake. They have never been there so it was exciting for them to see where Daddy works!

Myla LOVES the computer. I can't even count how many times a day I have to unplug my keyboard so she doesn't mess up anything. So of course she couldn't get enough of Daddy's computer!

Next up was Brammy's office which is surprisingly close to Logan's office. We were able to meet up with the Halls there which was very fun for the cousins. They were all Dr. Sues characters. So cute!

{ Myla on Brammy's computer}

{ Josh (cat in the hat), Lauryn (thing 1), Ethan (Horton), Clara (thing 2) }

After our Salt Lake visits, we headed down to Orem for a quick stop at Nana's house and then we went to visit Papa and his office.

{ How cute is Nana's pumpkin outfit! }

{ Outside Papa's office waiting for him to come let us in }

Papa had a couch full of surprises for the kids when they got there!

Thanks Papa!

I forgot to get a picture, but we were able to make a super quick stop at Gramps and Gram's house on our way to the freeway. (I am sorry we couldn't stay longer) We were trying to make it back for the ward Trunk or Treat. (that we ended up missing because of traffic)

Once we were finally home, we had some puppy faces to re-do and then the kids were out the door with Daddy for some mad trick or treating!

{ I guess Sophie did NOT get the memo about being a princess this year }

{ But she was thrilled with her 4th and final puppy face }

We weren't sure how Myla would hold out, but Logan took the stroller and she went the whole time! She is a big fan of candy so I'm sure this will quickly become her favorite holiday.

Once they get back, we have a tradition of drinking hot chocolate to warm up. It wasn't very cold but we wanted to keep the tradition alive. So we enjoyed a delicious cup of french vanilla hot chocolate and then the kids crashed into their beds. They were exhausted from the fun filled day of visiting the people they love. It was a great day.

{ October 30th }

2011-10-30T22:03:00.004-06:00

As Sophie would say . . . For Family Home Meeting tonight we finally carved our pumpkins!

I used to fight this tradition because I'm not a huge fan, but over the years we have had some pretty sweet pumpkins and I have started to find the joy in it. Not to mention, the kids LOVE it!

{ Daddy scraping out the yuckies }

{ photo taken by Sophie }

{ hiding under the table }

I must say, I was pretty pleased with the finished product! Logan's Utah one is awesome!

{ Dad and Mom on the left, kids on the right }

We are pumped and ready for a fun filled day tomorrow.

Happy Halloween!!

{ Great Guy }

2011-10-26T15:36:00.009-06:00

Seven years ago today this great guy was welcomed to the world with open arms.

Ayden has been a joy to our family from day 1. He was a perfect baby and a near to perfect toddler. And now he is turning into quite the special little guy.

{ On his first birthday }

{ On his second birthday with cousin Connor }

Ayden isn't like other boys his age. And not just because he is an incredible dancer and lover of all kinds of music. Ayden loves to talk to adults. He is very friendly. Almost every time I pick him from a friend's house, their mother comments on how he sat and visited with her instead of playing with the kids. Which leads into my apology if they were trying to get something done! But they always say how much they like him and how kind he is.

Ayden has a very kind heart. Although he is immune to being reprimanded by his parents, he would be devastated to get in trouble at school or dance, or by a friend's parent. He is very good at obeying the rules and feels guilty when he doesn't.

Ayden is all for a special day all about him. (I have no idea where he gets that) He has been overly excited about his birthday since Sophie celebrated hers in June and he knew he was up next. We have tried to make it a very special one!

Of course he woke up this morning to a completely decorated house and presents to open!

{ Logan's latest crete paper creation }

{ He requested donuts for breakfast }

{ He opened Sophie's first because she couldn't wait }

{ Opening his card from Gramps and Gram }

I decided that since he has expensive taste and wouldn't be receiving as many gifts this year I'd do a treasure hunt to find his last big gift. He is always making treasure hunts for his friends.

Clue #1:

This may sound gross to me or you

But your second clue is by where you take a poo (that's right, bathroom humor at it's best)

Clue #2:

Sometimes you complain because your hair is fuzz

Your next clue is in the place Mom gives you a buzz

Clue #3:

Here you can print a coloring page

Go to the place you consider your dancing stage

Clue #4:

He's our dog and we call him B-town

Go to the place where he can always be found

I didn't think it would begin at such a young age, but Ayden has been asking for this specific brand of shoes that he has seen the bigger kids at school wear. He's been talking about them for months and was pretty thrilled when he realized his last gift was some Osiris skate shoes. (otherwise known to us old folks as Zack Morris high tops)

Ayden wanted to invite a few of his friends to Chuck E Cheese for dinner after dance tonight. We brought his friend Delaney from school and his friend Megan from dance!

{They were a cute little threesome tearing it up at Chuck E Cheese}

{Delaney, Megan, Ayden}

{Enjoying some, well . . . eatable pizza}

{ This face will never get old }

{ I'm lovin this guy }

I'm so thankful to be Ayden's mother. He is a wonderful and talented little boy. I am excited to see all the great things he will accomplish in his life. At the same time I wish the clock would stop so I could enjoy him as a little boy just a bit longer.

I love you Aydo. I hope you had a wonderful birthday.

{ October 12 }

2011-10-12T10:37:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was Parent/Teacher (student) conference for both Ayden and Sophie. I was excited to sit down and talk with each of their teachers about their progress. Because they both went to such a great preschool they have always been at the ahead of their class. But because they are both very social I wanted to make sure they were being respectful, not talking out of turn or being too crazy at school.

Ms. Allen:

First it was Ayden's teacher Ms. Allen. She is wonderful. She has a great spirit about her and she is always very friendly and happy. She started in by expressing to me that she knows how smart Ayden is and she is constantly trying to challenge him. She said one of the best things about Ayden is that he challenges himself. When asked to do something that is very easy for him, he will adjust it or enhance it to make it more challenging. (for example: when coloring a picture he uses patterns and when writing his name he uses cursive) On his report card he got all 3's which stands for "meets or exceeds grade-level standards". He was tested in both reading and math where he achieved a 2.5 grade level. (meaning he is at the level of a second grader half way through the year) He also took a national test and was placed in the 88% for his age. I'm so proud of the good student he is. Ms Allen said he always does his best and is willing to help the other kids around him. She is starting him on an AR program where he will take a library book home and when he brings it back he will take a test on that book to help him improve his reading comprehension skills. She also said that although he is very social and has to be reminded to be quiet every once in a while, he is respectful to her and the other kids in his class.

{Ms Allen said they read a story with patterns and then had to re-create them with a picture. Ayden chose the hardest pattern.}

Mrs. Kagie:

Next up was Sophie's Kindergarden teacher. Mrs Kagie is a sweetheart so I knew it would be hard for her to say anything bad about Sophie, but I again wanted to make sure she wasn't too crazy in class. She told me that Sophie has passed off all the curriculum for Kindergarden. She got all 3's on her report card except for one 2.5 because she was struggling with above and below. (so silly) She started her on the 1st grade sight words (most of which she already knows) and her weekly readers are much harder than the rest of the class. Mrs Kagie said that Sophie is a delightful child and that she makes her smile every day. She is very good at applying the things they are learning about to her daily life. She loves to rhyme and point out patterns. She said Sophie is nice to all the kids in her class and has many friends. Even though she needs a reminder every once in a while to stay quiet, she is always respectful.

I am so proud of my kids. Logan and I really try to stress respect for others, especially your teachers, in our home. They are such fun and spirited kids that I worry they may get carried away and forget the things we are trying to teach them. It was so wonderful to hear from their teachers that they are working hard and setting good examples for the other kids in their classes.

I love you Ayden and Sophie. Way to go!!

{ October 11 }

2011-10-12T09:10:00.004-06:00

4 days until cruising.

checking things off the list.

this morning . . . . nails.

Me and my girls.

{ October 9th }

2011-10-09T20:08:00.002-06:00

Hot chocolate.

My husband LOVES hot chocolate.

And so as a result, my kids think theres nothing better then to have a steaming cup of hot chocolate. We were outside visiting with some neighbors until after dark today so it got very chilly. You know what that means . . . Hot Chocolate!

{Lovin the hot chocolate}

{ October 8th }

2011-10-09T16:48:00.008-06:00

I have been trying to decide for a long time now what kind of camera I want. I am always noticing the pictures on other blogs and although I have a Cannon point and shoot that works fine, I want better quality pictures of my kids. So after going back and forth on a few choices I finally decided on the Nikon P500. So far I have been totally thrilled with my purchase!

(although I'm not sure I even know what I'm doing)

Here are some of the random pictures I have taken with my new camera:

{crazy Mommy }

{ crazy Myla! this girl loves the camera. }

{ See Food! }

My kids had their dance pictures this week. They usually just wear their practice outfits for the pictures but this year the studio director wanted to have the kids dress in old fashioned clothes. My kids ate it up! I'll post their actual pictures once I get them back.

I love having a new toy!

And it makes me that much more excited about the great pictures I can take on our

Disney Cruise!

6 days baby!

{ September 30th }

2011-09-30T12:29:00.003-06:00

It is crazy that September is almost over! Our October is filled with some pretty exciting things (ie. Cruise, Aydo's birthday, Halloween parties galore) and it just seemed like it would never get here!

We have had an excellent September filled with lots of fun things. The kids are loving school and making lots of friends. I purchased them each their own lamp for their bed and they love reading in bed each night. Ayden is reading Magic Treehouse books that I believe are 2-3 years above his grade level. Sophie reads the books Ayden brings home because her Kindergarden books are too easy. They both love to tell me about the new friends they are making at school and the things they are learning.

Sophie is big into "crushes" these days. She originally said that Gunnar was her boyfriend. Then it changed to Brock. Now she just tells me the people she has a crush on. The other day my nephew Ethan (who is 4) was here and she told him she has a crush on her cousin Andrew. To which Ethan replied "Why you no have a crush on me?" She felt bad so now she tells everyone she has a crush on 2 of her cousins, Ethan and Andrew. What a silly girl. When I tell her I have a crush on Logan she says

"Mom, you can't have a crush on him. HE'S YOUR HUSBAND!"

I don't think she really knows what a crush is.

Myla is becoming more and more fun as the days go on. I forgot how fun it is to have an 18 month old. When Ayden was 18 months I ready to pop with Sophie. Then he was barely 3 when Sophie was 18 months so I think I missed this stage with them because I was overwhelmed. Don't get me wrong . . . the screaming fits in Target I remember. And they are even less fun the 3rd time around, but it's all the cute and funny things they do that I think I forgot. Myla LOVES to play! Which is why she LOVES her Daddy. From the minute he walks in the door he is chasing her and teasing her. And she eats it up! We have a routine every morning that she follows him out to his car and fights with all her might to get in. I think she believes if she could just get in the car, he'd have to take her with him.

Myla doesn't like it when I'm distracted. If I watching a show or using my phone, she will climb up on my lap, sit facing me with her little cheesy face right up next to mine, and giggle or act silly until I have no choice but to look at her. She has such a funny personality, she's always making us laugh. She has a very sweet side too. The other night she randomly woke up around 2am. I knew nothing was wrong she just couldn't sleep. She would whimper for a minute and then be quiet. Then she'd cry for a few seconds and go quiet again. This had been going on for almost an hour so I decided to go rock her and see if I could help her get back to sleep. As we sat in the rocking chair she laid so still in my arms. She is a good snuggler. When I thought she had finally gone to sleep, I kissed her head and softly whispered "I love you, baby" in her ear. A few seconds later, binky still in her mouth, she whispered back "I ya you". I just sat there squeezing her so tight. Oh, I can't express how sweet that moment was. I just love her so much.

I didn't think we'd have to start dealing with this in 1st grade, but Ayden is very caught up in what other people have. There's a certain kind of shoes that he's seen other kids at school wear and now he just has to have them. ($75 . . . a little steep for a 7 year old)

Another thing he noticed was these bracelets that kids are wearing. He got Logan involved and after driving all over the place they finally found the stuff you use to make them. Paracord. Pretty cool stuff. Anyway one night we watched a few videos on YouTube and learned how to make them. Now we can't stop! It's so fun! Here are some examples of paracord bracelets:

{ Even Myla has one! }

Ayden asked if I could make one for all 27 kids in his school class so he can bring them as his birthday treat! Ha! I had to tell him no because I enjoy the use of my hands too much!

It's been a great month.

{ Bowling night }

2011-09-27T17:41:00.004-06:00

It's funny how something can sound so crazy to you until you hear it enough and eventually it starts to seem normal.

Example: Chickens

The first time I heard that people had chickens as pets, I thought it sounded ridiculous. Apparently thats a "thing" up here in Davis County and the more I've heard it the more it starts to sound like an okay thing. My neighbors just built a beautiful coupe for their 15 chickens.

Well the first time my friend told me she wanted to join a bowling league I thought she was off her rocker. That's for grandmas and weirdos right? Wrong. Up here in Layton, it is perfectly acceptable to be on a bowling league. After much persuasion, I decided to give it a go.

And . . . I love it!

Now you'd think that means that you have to be somewhat good at bowling . . . wrong again. I totally suck! My average is 106 right now, I'm barely breaking 100 each game. But it is so fun! I think the accessories are the best part!

I am now the proud owner of my own:

Bowling Bag

Bowling Shoes and most important . . . Bowling Ball!

Once I had all my stuff I was dying to go use it so I talked Logan into taking the kids bowling! They have been bugging me to go ever since I started claiming it's "unfair" that I get to do something fun without them while they are stuck at school! I'm such a mean Mom.

We decided to go to Boondocks because you can rent a lane for an hour. Little did I know, it would take an hour to bowl one game with these slow pokes! But they had a great time!

{ With Daddy }

{ Beautiful Lew }

{ Sophie's granny roll. Awesome. }

{ Ayden had better luck using my heavy ball and using the kid ball roller . . . }

{ Showing off my new stuff! Love that Myla Jae and her cheesy face. }

So hopefully as the season goes on I will improve my bowling average and become a decent bowler. If I am anything like my little brother Michael, I may turn out to be pretty good.

{ sweet Lew }

2011-09-24T19:12:00.001-06:00

Sophie is such a sweetheart.

I found the sweetest notes from her while walking through the house today.

Inside my bowling bag there were notes for Logan and I.

A note outside Myla's bedroom. (she was sleeping)

On Ayden's bed...

And best of all, on her own bed.

(that's right, it says "I love me")
- Posted from my iPhone

{ Ayden the hoarder }

2011-09-22T11:31:00.003-06:00

My son is a hoarder.

I knew this at an early age after I found all of his Christmas presents under his bed unopened.

At Thanksgiving he asks is he can keep the turkey bones.

Everything is a treasure to him and I am constantly cleaning out his drawers and finding all kinds of junk that he has saved.

Well his new spot for hoarding is his bed. He is on the top bunk and I am very lazy sometimes and just pull the blanket up to cover the mess instead of cleaning it out.

Well today I decided to buck up and clean it off. As I started the process I was amazed that he can even sleep up there! What a mess! Here is a list of the things I found:

3 pillows

4 extra blankets

4 pillow pets

4 puffles

2 webkins

2 popsicle sticks

2 airhead wrappers

7 bananagram letters

6 books

7 beanie babies

1 empty roll of tape

3 build a bears

and 4 stuffed animals

If you add it up there are 24 stuffed creature in that list. This is a twin size bed we are talking about! They are his friends though and he loves sleeping with them. What a funny boy.

I feels good to clean that out and I'm going to try and do better about controlling what makes it up on the bed.

{ SePtemBer 16tH )

2011-09-16T07:13:00.003-06:00

Yesterday was the day each year that I look forward to and dread at the same time.

It was Salsa Day!

It starts by heading out to Day Farms in West Layton and picking our veggies. The kids were tired from a long day at school and dance, so I did most of the picking myself. Logan met us there and Sophie was really excited to pick some peppers with her Daddy.

They are such good buddies right now, it's very cute.

Thursday morning I started bright and early. Here is the salsa recipe I used this year. I was a new one and it turned out GREAT!

1/2 bushel Roma tomatoes

2-3 lg white onions

3 lg green peppers (6 small)

8-10 jalepeno peppers (depending on how hot you want it)

10 aniham peppers

1 Tbs fresh garlic

1/2 cup Salt

3 Tbs dried red peppers

Boil for 2-3 hrs depending on how thick you want it. Funnel into jars and wet bath for 40 mins.

When I take the jars out of the wet bath I lay them upside down just to insure that they seal correctly.

It took the whole live long day but I made over 50 jars most of which are were the big jars. I originally planned on doing just 3 batches but my friend Texie and I decided to make one last batch at the end of the day that was extra spicy for the boys. Both of our husbands love really spicy salsa. We got the peppers from this farm in Syracuse that is known for their spicy peppers. Logan was thrilled! I'm really happy with the way everything turned out this year. It's a long day, but we have a whole year to reap the benefits from a days work.

(I also canned peach/strawberry jam this year. It was actually a lot easier than I thought.)

{ SePtemBer 14tH )

2011-09-16T07:08:00.002-06:00

The kids weren't in school more than a couple weeks and it was already picture day! They were both really excited and I'm very pleased with the results!

Ayden Sean. 6 yrs old. 1st Grade

Sophie Lynn. 5 yrs old. Kindergarden

They give you a disk with the pictures on them now so I had to post them so I will have them on my blog forever!

{Farewell dear cousins }

2011-08-31T08:39:00.005-06:00

After an awesome week, it was time to say goodbye to the Buchanan family. We had initially planned to go down to Orem after school, but everyone was nice enough to meet us half way.

We met at The Cheesecake Factory at Fashion Place.

Yum.

Unfortunately there was an hour and a half wait for a table altogether so we decided to split up into 2 tables of 7.

The kids were wild and silly, but the nice thing about that restaurant is that it's very loud in there! You couldn't hear them over all the other noise.

After dinner we said our farewells. Nana wanted a picture of all the kids in age order along the wall. I was worried about Myla, but then remember she LOVES the camera. As soon as I got it out, she ran over to the wall and said "cheese"! It was harder to get Ayden to look forward than her!

{ Silly faces }

{ Me and my Mama }

{Ayden and Connor having a bro-mance }

{ Cousin Love }

{ We never pass up an opportunity for a girls picture }

{ Of course I decided to be a weirdo during the one shot where everyone is looking }

{ Me and T- Rusty }

{ My big (little) Sister }

It's always hard to say goodbye, but this time it was a little easier. The next time we see each other we will be getting on the Disney Wonder and taking off on our

Disney Cruise!

{ Cabin Weekend! }

2011-08-30T09:17:00.016-06:00

The Buchanans are here and we have been having a blast! The kids really love their cousins and look forward to every time they get to see each other.

Laura got here on Monday night and we drove down Tuesday after school for dinner and a quick visit. It is always so fun to watch the kids reunite. As we were getting closer to Nana and Papa's house Ayden kept telling me how excited he was. Then as we were driving up the street he said "Mom, I'm so excited my bones are shaking!" As we pulled up Connor was waiting on the front porch. The boys ran to each other and just as they got close enough to touch, they stopped, looked at each other and said "Hey Ayden", "Hey Connor" without even touching and headed off into the house to start playing. It was so funny! They are apparently too cool for hugs these days.

That night we ordered pizza and let the kids play for a bit. My kids weren't excited that they had to go home for school the next day, they wanted to sleep over. But I knew that we would be missing school on Friday to stay at the cabin so I exercised some self control and took them home.

Thursday after school we left for the Cabin. The car was loaded and the kids were pumped! We got there just before dinner. Laura was the cooking queen this weekend, she made such delicious meals. That night was pizza rolls. As soon as dinner was over the kids headed straight for the hot tub.

We couldn't get the bubbles to work so it was pretty much a giant warm bath, but the kids didn't seem to care.

{ Myla was happy just watching }

{ The ladies }

{ I love this shot because Papa is taking a picture of Myla in the background but it looks like he's taking a picture of our butts! }

Friday we let the kids play all morning and then headed into Heber for lunch. There's a restaurant called Dairy Keen "The Home of the Train". The kids love it because there is a train that cruises along the top of the restaurant that you can watch while you eat.

There is also a train outside that you can eat on, but it was too hot so they had to wait until dessert time to go out there.

{ crazy baby }

After lunch we headed across the street to the park and let the kids get some energy out before heading up to the cabin.

They started doing some races and even Papa joined in!

{Sophie and Connor racing}

Friday night Logan headed up after work and it was great to have him there. We had a delicious dinner and the kids went in the hot tub again. After the kids were asleep, the adults all went in the theater room and watched Source Code. We saw it right when it came out and I liked it better the second time.

Saturday morning Sophie had her first soccer game. Since Logan is the coach again, we thought it was important that we drive back home for the game.

Sophie has 2 of her very best friends on her team and I think it's going to be a great season! The girls love their jerseys and named their team "Red Lightening"! Sophie is so fast and so aggressive! She is going to be an excellent soccer player.

After the game we checked on Boston and headed back to the cabin. When we got back the kids were dying to head out on the 4 wheelers! I am usually very nervous about that kind of stuff, as is Laura, but we decided to lighten up and let the kids have some fun!

{2 cuties waiting for their turns on the 4 wheelers }

Even the adults got involved. When Nana said she wanted to go for a ride, Papa decided to step it up and ride one too! It was classic!

{ The boys teaching Papa how the drive }

{ and he's off! }

{ So cute }

{Seesters}

It started to rain pretty hard which creates a really cool mood when you are in the mountains. The kids played with Uncle Trevor on the porch. Then, of course, Mom had to join in on the fun and try to make everyone laugh.

{After bath time, I gave the Buchanan kids some haircuts. Andrew is just so cute! }

That night we had baked Mac n' cheese for dinner. And after the kids went to bed we decide to play some games. We started off with a little oreo madness!

We played catch phrase. It was so fun! Once we got into a rhythm we decided to spice it up and describe our word in an accent of some kind. It was hilarious!

Sunday morning was crazy because lots of people were going different places. We decided to take our kids and go have a fun day in Park City.

{ goofy kids }

{ Sophie the model }

When we got back the kids went for a few more 4 wheeler rides and we had a BBQ for dinner. Of course the big girls had some fun while making the dessert . . .

{ Love these 2 girls }

We were originally going to leave Sunday night so Ayden could get to school in the morning, but we were just having too much fun. The cabin sucks you in and you never want to leave. Not only is it extremely comfortable, its so wonderful to be in a house with people that you love so much. We did miss Michael so badly though and wrote him a note while we were there.

The kids decided to have a dance party on the porch. They were so fun to watch.

The weather was beautiful.

{ playing a follow the leader game }

I challenged Jenny to do her backhandspring!

Laura turned on a song I danced to back in 1997 and I just had to see how much I could remember.

{ Check out my hair! Crazy! }

That night Logan put the kids to bed by reading them a story in all his many voices. And that wasn't the stilly part, the only book he could find was a potty book! They kids were in heaven! And bed time took a little longer than usual.

Laura decided she wanted a haircut so we played beauty parlor again and then sat around visiting until the wee hours. I love my family and I'm so grateful we got to spend the weekend with them!

{ 1st day of Elementary }

2011-08-22T13:09:00.004-06:00

Today was Sophie's first day of Kindergarten!

{She wanted to show her backpack like Ayden did}

I can't believe she is so big. She is such a smart and brave girl. She has been so excited all day. I put her in afternoon Kindergarten because she is usually a late sleeper and because I like to have my afternoons to get stuff done. But this morning she was so excited that she woke up early and was in the shower at 7:30 when I came home from the gym! At that point I knew it was going to be a long time before 12:30 rolled around.

I am so excited about Sophie's teacher Mrs. Kagie. She seems so incredibly nice and works so well with the kids. This is only her 3rd year teaching but you can tell she is very organized and has a lot of energy. Sophie loved her right off the bat.

My friends who have girls in morning Kindergarten told me they got very emotional when they dropped off their girls. For both of them it is their first child to go to Elementary School. I thought that because I did this with Ayden last year it would be different for me. I was wrong. I got very emotional standing there as she waited for her teacher to round up the kids, lined up with her class, and headed in for the first day of school. I'm so proud of her for being brave. She is an amazing person and I love her so much.

Congrats, Lew! Happy First Day of School!