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!

Flashback Friday - Audrey, What A Fun 6 Years It's Been!! You are one of a kind!!!

I remember this day so well! It was your mom and dad's 6 month wedding anniversary and I found out I was pregnant with you!! How fun!!! I WAS SO EXCITED!!! (Pleather pants were in that year - I promise!)


We went to a maternity fair at the mall a week before I had my set appointment for the ultrasound with the OBGYN to find out what you were. We were so happy and bought some cute pink things that day! ( I wanted to be showing so bad - I wasn't, but wore a big maternity shirt anyways!)


The day you were born September 25th, 2001, was one of the happiest days of our lives! You were so beautiful and sweet! Dad slept with you most of your first night on earth - in the recliner at the hospital! You were such a good baby and only cried if you were hungry, messy, overly tired, or in pain. You were born the most social person I've known. You were outgoing from the day you were born. You never cared who you were with and always communicated with everyone who would listen!


I love this shot! You have definitely inherited the shopping gene from mom! You love clothes but have learned we don't always get what we want when we want it! It has to be a good sale!!

What a great picture! You look so warm, cozy and peaceful! You slept through the night at 2 weeks. You are my good sleeper and always have been. And yet you still wake up pretty good at 6:25 am for Kindergarten!

So alert and aware and interested in Dad! You loved interaction (as you still do) with all people but especially mom and dad - of course!

You shared your 1st b-day party with Grandma Hansen (since her b-day is the day after yours) and you were so cute and happy!

It was funny because you wouldn't use your hands to eat your cake like a typical messy 1 year old eating their first piece of cake! We had to put that bit of frosting on your nose to get a funny picture of you supposedly pigging out!

This is that other "UH OH" picture I mentioned in the last post. I found it!

Pretty in pink at your 2nd b-day party!

Cake time!

Those boots look good with that outfit, Audrey!

Happy 3rd b-day with your first My Little Pony!

I can't find my disc with your 4th b-day but it was the first time you got to have a friend's party in addition to your annual family party. You had two friends meet you at Leo's Play Place and you had so much fun! This is you about a month after you turned 4 (on your way to dance.)

Can we say "Mom, what were you thinking for my 5th friends b-day party?!" Well, the answer is I wasn't. After I sent out all the invitations to the friends you wanted to invite I realized it was over 20 kids! Only 1 didn't come and TONS of siblings came so there were over 30 children there (not all pictured in this shot.) At least most of the moms stayed so I had a lot of help!

Hopefully you'll always remember it because it's not happening again! (It was more fun than anything but a little crazy!)

The family b-day when you turned 5 was joint with Kaden's blessing day! Here you are with your own family and Grandma and Pops Anderson.

And here's the Hansens that made it!


I can't believe my baby is six now! This is 2 days before your real b-day at your family b-day party! You picked that dress out yourself at the store and I must say it looks fabulous!


I love this picture of you with Aunt Melanie, Grandma and Grandpa Hansen!


And this pic of you with Great Grandma and Grandpa Hansen is beautiful!

A real downsize from last year - 10 friends there at your friends b-day party the day before you turned six! It was perfect!! I think everyone had a nice time!!! I still think it's funny that Kyle and you didn't want all of the balloons blown up all the way - notice in the picture 2 out of 3 balloons there are very small, but it was your choice! (Oh and you were right about making the pin the horn on the unicorn game ourselves instead of buying the donkey game - it was so fun to do art with you! I know you are talented at it and I'm not, but I did draw a unicorn - OR TRY TO!!!)

Audrey it has been a wonderful 6 years of having you in my life! It will be hard - but so I don't ramble on and on - here's 6 of my favorite things about you...

1.) You are so beautiful on the inside and outside. Your natural beauty in and out blows me away every day. Those gorgeous green eyes, that long, thick hair and more importantly - that sensitive soul.

2.) You are gifted intellectually - which is why you spend most hours of the day in the 1st grade (and are one of the top students there) although you're in Kindergarten.

3.) You are gifted emotionally - you are so in tune with people. You have never met anyone who is not your friend. You don't know how many people's life's you bless because of your pure love for all of God's sons and daughters

4.) You are gifted artistically - you have the singing, dancing and acting side of this from both mom and dad but you also have the talent of drawing from your dad and then general craftiness from Grandma Hansen along with storytelling and story writing from Grandma Hansen too!

5.) You are mom's helper in any possible way. You do it with no problems. You are such a great oldest child. It comes naturally for you to help all people!

6.) You are such a sweet girl who brings the Spirit of Heavenly Father to our home. You are a peacemaker. You are happy and full of joy. You love to do good to others.

Audrey, my "Doll," I love you and know you can accomplish anything. I am so lucky to have you in my life. You teach me so much everyday and I hope I am teaching you something in return!

Love,

Mom