The Ghost of Halloween Past Has Come!

This was fun - too bad it wasn't ready on friday for a "Flashback Friday." Oh well, we were busy. Here we go!

Audrey's first Halloween. This is her and someone who is still one of her best friends - the adorable red-headed sweetheart - THEO!!!

A cute little one-year (and one month) old Bunny!

Mom - the Cheerleader- and Bunny!

The "German" daddy and Bunny!

This is a close up of a two year old Princess Aurora or Sleeping Beauty!

(The costume fit better with the jacket underneath.)

She used to have a bit of curly hair but now it's pretty much straight.
(And I'm jealous of course!)

Here's a picture in color.

Here's the whole family the next year. A Dancer and a Peapod along with a Cheerleader and a German - (again?!)

This picture does the costume more justice than when she was sitting down.


A four year old Princess Aurora and an adorable 18 month old Pumpkin!

Are you so sick of Kevin and me wearing the same thing?! I think we're done for awhile!! Anyways, the Princess, Frog and Peapod were fun!

Last night we went down to Shelley and the kids showed their costumes to Great Grandma Walton...

Great Grandpa and Grandma Hansen...

And Grandma Hansen and Aunt Melanie!

(And this year we finally have our first scary costume!)

Happy Birthday Liza! (and Kyle's "ART WORK!")

Happy Birthday Liza! I am so lucky to have such a great sister-in-law like you! You are naturally beautiful on the outside and inside! You are a smart, hard-working, fun-loving, ready- for-anything achiever. And, we have so much in common - singing, dancing, acting, scrapbooking (even though I haven't started yet, I can't wait to do it someday!) Also, we both ADORE Greg! I wish I had the whole running thing in common with you. Maybe someday - I haven't ran a marathon like you but I did complete a half marathon once...

So, what do you all think of how Kyle expressed his creativity today...

ON HIS LITTLE BROTHER'S FACE?!?!?!

Singing Kids

Time for a concert in Audrey's room with her new microphone. Kyle sings the song he knows best, and Audrey shows off her ability to entertain and ad-lib. (The funny thing about that song is, I don't know where she got the idea to sing about a boy. She doesn't watch or listen to songs about boys - well, I guess there are those Disney and Barbie movies...)

Kaden tries his vocal cords on for size.

Thanks again Grandma Susan - this birthday present you gave Audrey is loved by all of the children! And it's fun for mom to watch them use it!!

Flashback Friday: Artic Circle?

The other day Kyle asked me if we bought his shirt at Artic Circle. I said "what?" a little confused and he repeated the question. I said no Kyle, actually this is one of your hand me down shirts from cousin Sage and it looks by the tag that it was purchased at Target because Circo is a brand I believe only Target sells. Then I realized something. When I looked at the tag and saw the word Circo I discovered why Kyle thought we got it at Artic Circle - because Circo and Circle are very similarly spelled words! The funny thing: we hardly ever go to fast food, and somehow he just remembered the sign from a local franchise!

While I'm writing about this, I might as well turn this into a note to Kyle.

Dear Kyle - my smart, cute, funny and full of energy 3 1/2 year old! You tried to fool us all for a little bit didn't you? When you were 2 years old you were saying less words than you were at 1 year old. And most of them only Audrey could understand (with some being understood by mom and dad.) I got you on a waiting list for speech therapy and shortly after you were 2 you started occupational therapy (for some slight sensory integration problems.) By the time you were 2 1/2 you were saying just about anything and although you were getting better at being understood by your family, you still had trouble with common pronunciation and diction. Finally when you were around 3 years old you got to start speech therapy and shortly after graduated from occupational therapy.

Well after around 6 months of speech therapy you have now graduated. You tested exactly average right at what any normal 3 1/2 year old would sound like for speech and I am so proud of you! The funny thing about what's happened since you started talking and started talking in a way that everyone can understand you is that now we all know how incredibly smart you are.

I've always been impressed with how well you have been with numbers - how soon you recognized them and how well you can count. You picked up on all your colors very early too. But, now I am absolutely floored by how well you are pre-reading. I can't believe that you know (and have for awhile) all your letters, can recognize them, know all the sounds they make and that we can ask you what letter a word starts with and 9 out of 10 times you know! I have to admit, I thought since you waited awhile to talk that you would not start reading before Kindergarten like your sister but I'm not too worried because I know a secret - Audrey wasn't even doing this kind of phonic recognition until she was 4! And don't even get me started on what a computer whiz you are already! Like I said, you tried to trick us for awhile there but there's no hiding it now. You are a brainiac! Way to go! And best of all, you are still my sweet, affectionate, cuddly little boy! I love you more than words, Kyle!!!

Love,

MOM

From Snowstorms to No Bakes!

While we were watching the LDS Saturday morning session of General Conference there was a beautiful snowstorm. The kids were so excited to go play in the snow after the session was over (before the afternoon one started.) Well, that didn't happen due to the warning on the t.v. to stay inside. When we finished the session, came upstairs and looked out the window, this is what we saw across the street (this is actually one of Audrey's very best friend's Theo's house!) As the days have gone by I've seen more and more trees down, either shrunk and crunched down or split and/or fallen down. (There were too many leaves still on the trees so the snow weighed them down!) It was sad! Rochester 2nd girls can we say ice storm? It looks like that (except the ice storm was 10xs worse.)

By the way, I just adored this years General Conference! (This is a picture I took during Conference last year of the kids singing along to the MoTab.) The talks on faith always inspire me. I was also moved by Elder Eyring holding Elder Wirthlin up when he was shaking so bad he could hardly stand up. And Sister Beck the General Releif Society President's talk touched me the most. I don't know if I've ever cried that much over one talk in my life?! I vow to continue to be vigilant in raising my children and(try) not to fear. I have to trust that Heavenly Father will help me in my righteous efforts to raise the next generation of leaders!

My Aunt Jan sent me these the other day. She bought them ahead for her daughter and didn't get to them before she could use them. Audrey now has enough white, cream, navy blue, black and nude tights to last her for four years! The wonderful thing about this is that I was just trying to find some extra cash this month to buy Audrey some tights because she's grown out of them! Coincidence - I THINK NOT!

On the left is the Pooh Bear blanket my mom and I made for Kaden, on the right is the frog blanket my mother-in-law and I made for him and the baseball bear one in front is one the Relief Society made us in our last ward. Well, they are currently in the closet due to the fact that his new favorite snack are the ties off of them!

This is the new blanket I bought him to use instead!

Sometimes I catch him eating fuzzies but they don't add up to nearly as much "non-food" he was getting from yarn a day!

By the way, Kyle still uses his blanket my mom and I made him when he was a baby 2xs a day! Nap (on my bed so he and his brother don't mess around and resist sleep) and bedtime!

I made "No Bake" cookies the other day for the first time in around 5 years. I messed up the process/order a bit, but was able to save them and they came out perfectly normal. I told Audrey that mistakes are how we learn. She said"ya and you make good mistakes - these are yummy!"

Flashback Friday - Mother and Daughter

It was so fun looking through pictures of Audrey for her Birthday Post! Some of the older ones I haven't seen for a long time. I found a bunch of shots of just me and her that I adored, so here we are! I hope you enjoy. I just love my Flicka to pieces! (There was no school today so we borrowed that movie from Kev's mom and watched it last night and it's SO good. I don't even like Country music but Tim McGraw's song at the end of it about watching daughters grow up made me cry - in a good way! Oh and Flicka means a young, beautiful girl. Now she has another new nickname!)

This is mom with Audrey in her tummy getting ready for a Christmas party at our house. I didn't know I was pregnant yet - but was just barely! That was a year or so before we learned about and started to eat healthy. Back when we bought pop and junk food. Now we never buy it and hardly ever eat or drink it either! (All things in moderation...)


My last Christmas (see our Christmas tree in the background?) before I would be a momma!

Me and Audrey in my tummy (sticking out a little) in Arizona a couple months before I had her. Kevin and I and his family all went on a family trip to Salt Lake (Temple Square), Southern Utah (Lots of gorgeous Red Rock and scenery), and Arizona (The Grand Canyon, Kevin's parent's friends, and Kevin's Great Aunt Shauna's.) This was at Kevin's parent's friend's house in AZ and I'm holding one of their 2 twin poodles. There's an awesome pool in the background!

Mommy and Audrey at one day old!

What a cute little sun dress - we're all ready for church during her first summer!

That summer I loved to cover up her beautiful bald head with hats!

Headbands were fun too!

She reminds me of Kaden here!

But looking more feminine of course!

We loved to play in her Pooh Bear room!

This is about a month before she got a brother! It seems like forever ago when she was an only child. It was a special time. But now having more children is even more special!

I had us pose the same to see if I could understand why people said we looked alike. After this picture I said o.k., maybe a LITTLE BIT. But not a lot!

This is at a Mother-Daughter Enrichment at the City Park! A Hawaiian Night! (The night I won the Hula Hoop contest!) How Fun!

Mommy and Audrey love each other so much!

My little helper - even with opening my own Christmas presents! :)

Hanging out in a real HOT hot tub out on the patio of the resort in Estes Park.

Mom and a daughter that is growing up faster than she knows what to do about!

For heaven sakes she is 6 years old in this picture (well, it was taken 2 days before her b-day.) She's tall and thin, she's smart as a whip, she has even lost 2 teeth and has a permanent one almost all grown in. I guess I have to face the fact she is growing up now!