We went to Disneyland!

We were able to go to "the Happiest place on Earth" all last week! Pete had a work conference in the Disneyland hotel, so we went up a couple days earlier and had fun. We actually went into the parks for 4 days, which was the longest we have ever been there. By the end of the week, we were so tired! My parents came down on Wednesday night and joined us for a couple of days, which was great. We love it there, H is already asking me if we can go back!



Cute girls with their tiaras, you can tell they are having fun!



I love to kiss him - even when he wont let me.



Grandpa and kids on the big Sun Wheel in California Adventure.



I absolutely love this picture!



T celebrating his birthday at Rain Forest Cafe with his favorite new Jack gloves.



In the tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room...



H with Cinderella - one of the three princesses she got to meet after I waited in line for 2 hours!!



While I was waiting for the princesses, grandma took H and had her face painted. She was so happy! She told the lady exactly how she wanted it done and wanted it all in pink, of course.




I love the decorations for Halloween time in Disneyland! It is amazing. You feel like you are in a magical place.



Grandma, me and S on the Sun Wheel!



We were all so happy because H was finally tall enough to go on Soarin' over California! It was so much fun to go on the ride as a family. I could go on this ride all day long, I love it.



Dad and kids on the Orange stinger swings, T was just tall enough.



Yeah! T has been waiting for years to go on Screamin'. He loved it!! I love it that my kids dig the rollercoasters.

Our home

I have been getting quite a few requests for pictures of the new house, so here they are. We are feeling settled now and are loving it here. We feel very blessed and amazed to have been able to make this move & especially to sell our other house! We miss our old neighbors and ward, but are having fun meeting new friends too. One day when our life calms down (yeah, right!) we are going to have everyone over. Promise!!

I didn't think so...

but maybe I am...

H: "Mom, will you turn on this movie for me?"

Me: "Sure H, just a second, I want to finish reading this."

H: HUGE sigh & then, "My mom is so crabby."

I love this boy...

There are so many things I love about my sweet little guy. He is so smart, kind, funny and good. I miss him while he is in school all day long, I am still not used to it. These are some of the things about him that make me smile...

- Everyday after school he runs out the gate and buries his face in my waist while he hugs me. He will hug me the whole time we wait for his sister to come out of class. It makes me melt every time he does it.

- When we are walking to and from school he always holds my hand and tells me all about his "recess adventures."

- Everyday he has that little boy right off the playground smell. You know, the one that smells like a mix of blacktop, sweat, crayons and monkey bars.

- He has a laugh that makes you smile. And what I love, is the way his older sister can make him gut laugh like no one else.

- He has a memorized little spiel he says to us every night when he is going to bed.

- He loves to sleep in my bed with me when daddy is gone.

- He wakes up super early on the weekends (to watch cartoons) and then is soo tired on school days.

- He is legitimately proud of himself when he does something good. I hope he is always able to be happy with himself!

- When he makes a goal, he accomplishes it! For example, in order to play Rock Band he needed to learn the 100 words for 1st grade. He got the words, studied them and learned them in one day - no joke.

- He is really good at Rock Band!

- He has specific directions for his hair every day. Some days he likes it to the side, some days all spikes - but ALWAYS wants the front spiked up. Pete and I were laughing at Back to school night because every picture he drew of himself had his hair perfectly spiked in the front.

- He only wants to wear a suit on Sunday and he loves it when he and his dad wear matching colors.

- He tries so hard to be good and is really sensitive and sweet. If he thinks I am unhappy he can't handle it. He will always give in when he thinks it will make one of us happy. My mom and I always talk about how we hope he marries a nice girl and not one who bosses him around!

- He is always grateful, well, most of the time. And he is so happy for the little things - like homemade milkshakes, they make him so happy.

I think I could keep going on and on... I just love him.

I had to take a picture of him after school today because he came home so dirty! His school shirt actually looks grey instead of white (although the camera didn't really capture the filth.) I am glad their new school finally picked their school colors. Maybe we can get a new shirt!

We are going to miss this...

We had a great Labor day swimming at my parents house. The kids LOVE to swim, they are fish. Even H, she can swim without any help across the entire pool, pretty amazing for a 3 year old! They have so much fun going over to grandma and grandpa's house. Not only for the swimming, but they get to roam the backyard there and just be outside. There have been a couple of times this year when T has caught a lizard and had it climbing all over him. It is just a fun place to be. I love it too, and have gotten spoiled this summer because every time we went over my parents fed us!

In fact, a couple of weeks ago we were there and my parents were busy. H noticed they were not hanging out with us and asked where they were. I told her they were busy and she said, "But, they didn't bring us out any food!" She really is my daughter - she knows how important food is! Thanks mom & dad for a really fun summer in your backyard!! We are already looking forward to next summer.

New school...

The kids started school yesterday! They were both really looking forward to it, but were nervous too. We are so proud of them. Neither one of them have complained or whined about going to a new school. We know it isn't easy to leave a school with friends you love and go to a new one where you dont know anyone. But they went in to their classes like they had been there for years. They both have really cute, young teachers who seem very excited to be at their school. It will be fun for them to be a part of the first class opening the school - they get to pick out their mascot, colors, etc...

I missed them a ton during the day! H and I kept looking at the clock and she kept asking when we were going to "get the kids." I love that she calls them "the kids", it just makes me smile. I am especially having a hard time with T going into 1st grade, I dont like him being gone all day long. Kindergarten was perfect, he could go and play for a while and then come home. I never felt like he was gone for too long. Now they are both gone longer than they are at home, it makes my heart ache to think about it.

But, even though I am missing them, they are ready to go and I have to be grateful for that. We saw a mom chasing her son down the street and then actually carrying him onto campus crying - I felt so bad for her! I have loved laying in their beds with them the last 2 nights at bedtime and hearing details of their days. They are the cutest kids and I love them so much!

Pre-school!

H went to her first day of pre-school on Tuesday! She is going to a cute little school with some little friends and the nicest teacher. She was excited and felt so big.

We have been talking about it for a while now so she would be ready and she always tells me "mom, dont cry. You can come and pick me up!" I didn't think I would cry, but when we dropped her off and she walked right in and started playing, I had to walk away so I wouldn't start. It was harder than I thought.

I missed her the whole time she was gone, I kept forgetting and looking around for her. She is my pal all day, we are hardly ever apart. She is a sweet girl and I am happy she gets to be in such a great place to start out her school experience. I love her!

We will miss them...

We went to the park yesterday with our great friends who are getting ready to move to Utah. Over the last 6 years Stephanie and I have watched our kids and our families grow and have become better friends. She is an amazing person and there is so much about her that I admire. She is kind, smart, beautiful, generous and an awesome mom. There have been many times when I dont know what I would have done without her. I am so lucky to have her for my friend. I am excited for them to move and start their new adventure, but I am going to miss her and her cute kids a lot - and I know my kids will too!

Jonas Brothers...

Who would have known it would have been so fun? My friend Kellie called and invited me & S to go to the Jonas brothers concert with her and her daughter. S was so excited to go to another concert with her best friend. Two years ago they invited us to Kelly Clarkson and it was a blast, so she was ready to do it again. I went into this concert not really expecting to like it as much, but I have to say, I am kind of a fan now. They are pretty cute boys and they play their own instruments and write songs. S is a huge fan now, she was always afraid to say she liked them before because they are boys - and boys are gross. But not now, she is openly admitting her fondness for them, although I still cant get her to tell me which one she likes the best. Because she cant handle the word "like" being used for any boy, even a Jonas brother. H on the other hand, will tell you immediately she is a Nick fan, she already thinks she is 9 too. Thank you so much Kellie for inviting us, we love you guys!



The girls in front of the tour bus before the show.



On the grass, waiting for the show to start!



The girls made their own signs on napkins, they say "Jonas brothers, you rock!"



This was their faces when the pyrotechnics started and the boys came on stage!



I love this picture, they are both in the air!



They started playing their favorite song, "burnin up"!



Encore!!!

































This is during the 2 HOUR drive home, crazy!!