Thankful Tree

Mom-food to eat, family, flowers, church, temple, Joseph Smith
Dad-3 beautiful daughters and wife, brothers & sisters, healthy daughters, my parents, prophet, scriptures
Annie-Dad, Madelyn & Alyse, home, mommy, cozy bed, family
Alyse-Doritoes, Jesus, Bratwurst-my favorite food to eat, family, mommy, daddy
Madelyn-grandmas, Daddy, temple, mommy, prophet, Jesus

We started our thankful tree the beginning of November in the hopes of doing a thankful hand each night, but apparently that didn't happened...instead we did 6 nights :) The girls loved it though and it has definitely become a family tradition

New Moon...

I am way behind on my real life, but this is a quick and easy post, so I can do it!! Last night my friend held a New Moon party. The same one who did the Twilight party last year and again, it was amazing and so much fun. She had a drawing for all kinds of prizes....CD, poster, Edward doll, trading cards, etc. She also had a candy table to we could all have treats for the show. Hot candies with "Are you Red Hot for Jacob?" on it....Jelly beans with, "Will Alice know which flavor you eat?" and star sour candy with, "Are you starry eyed for Edward?" So cute!! She also had those life size cut out of Jacob and Edward...so fun!
Then we headed to the movie. We saw Twilight at 9, which was better this time than the first time in the theater. Then New Moon started at 12ish or more like 12:30 after all the previews. It was so much fun to be there with all my friends and to hear the screaming when Edward and Jacob came on screen. It's all part of the experience that I LOVED....here's my thoughts on the movie...way better "movie" as far as the director, special effects, acting, etc...however, I think the story line was a little too slow for me. But it could be that I was REALLY tired too. I think I'm going to see it again with Kurt and maybe I'll have a different opinion about it. Don't get me wrong it was good, just slow....I'd love to know what everyone else who sees it thinks!!! and Bella still totally bugs me...I cant handle her stammering and inability to speak half the time! Jacob is way HOT!! man oh man....he has his shirt off for most of the movie and WOW!! very nice....

Halloween

This year was a lot of fun. I was in charge of helping with the ward Trunk or Treat party and it turned out really well, beside being a little dark. The girls decided a long time ago what they wanted to be...Annie a witch, Alyse Rapunzel, and Madelyn a black cat to coordinate with Annie. At the last minute, I found a wig for $5 and decide to be a witch with Annie and then I spotted one for Kurt and coaxed him into dressing up also. What a good man!! So, we decided our theme was witches and would pretend that Alyse was the good with of the West instead of Rapunzel(only she didn't know that). And Kurt was to be called a Wizard, not a manwitch :) We had a hay ride, mummy wrap, needle in a haystack, cupcake walk and face painting...everyone brought chili to share and it was an amazing night!








An interesting fact about that night...Annie got herself ready in the bathroom. The next day, after she had left for school, I found hair in the trash can. I asked Alyse and Madelyn if they had cut their hair and they said no. And I really couldn't find any evidence of it either, so we came to the conclusion that Annie had done it. When she got home, Kurt spotted it first and then I started laughing. Annie had cut herself some "bangs." However, not on purpose. She explained to me that while she was getting ready, she put her wig/hat on and there was still some hair sticking out of it. She didn't want it to show, so she decided to cut it off. I could see the logic in it, so she didn't get in trouble. I did tell her if it happened again, she would be busted!!

Then, on Saturday we took the girls trick or treating and it turned out to be quite chilly. Since Kurt is always thinking, he had brought gloves for the girls and it was a good thing or we may have been home after just 15 minutes of being out. Alyse was the best trick or treating...each house she would go to she would come down saying, "I don't like this kind, mom (or dad), you can have it." Unfortunately is was also loud enough for the people who had given her the candy to hear. Or she would come down from the doors saying, "Look another KitKat." That has become her new favorite candy and every house that had them she was thrilled. At the end of the night we counted how many she had...30 KitKats! Annie was in the front of the pack with our good friends' boy, Derek...they couldn't get to the houses fast enough. Needless to say, we still have Halloween candy around the house the is headed to Kurt's office this week!









After Trick or treating we had a get together with our neighbors and friends. It was great! We had chili, snacks, dessert and smores. Jason and Jennifer had a fire pit, which was perfect since it was so cold outside. Eventually I took the kids a few doors down to get to bed and once they were asleep snuck back out to talk some more. I LOVE our neighborhood and the people here. I am going to be so sad when we leave them. Everyone is so friendly and considerate. I don't know how to really explain it, except that we just fit here and are so grateful for the time we had here. We've really felt a part of the community, which we never did in Richmond during dental school. None of our neighbors are members of our church and it's been great to know first hand wonderful people outside of the church and to have them be an example of kindness and charity and service. I was talking to my mom about this and we were saying that as members of the church I think we sometimes feel like we have a "corner on the market" in this category and that we are really good about serving, etc. However, it's been interesting to see my friends here and how willing they are to do anything for anyone and I mean anything. To realize that we are not the only ones helping out. I know I could ask anyone of them to help me and I would not be turned down...they are all so generous. I can only hope I've been that same example to them.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNIE....

Annie's birthday was October 23rd. I've started printing out pictures of them from birth through the age they are turning and line the walls from their room, down the stairs into the kitchen. It's fun to listen to them asking who that baby is and then remind them that they are all pictures of Annie. The festivities started with donuts in her classroom and then donuts for soccer practice.
In our family we alternate each year friend, then family party. This year was a friend party and Annie has been talking about since her birthday last year. Also, we are moving in February, so I let her invite anyone and everyone she wanted. As it turns out we invited 16 girls and 14 of them came. So, I had 17 girls at my house for the party. I thought it was going to be CRAZY!!! However, it turned out really well. Kurt was out of town, so I had two of my good friends stay and help. We did a pajama party (7:30-10:00pm), since I don't let my kids do sleep overs...I broke the girls up into three groups and had a nail station, hair station and make-up station. They loved it and everyone looked fabulous at the end. Then we did a dance party upstairs with the strobe light. I am sure my neighbors were wondering what in the world was going on. After we came down stairs to sing happy birthday and open presents. Annie does not like cake, which I am so grateful for. I never have to worry about making a "cute" cake for her. Instead, we did an ice cream bar with vanilla and chocolate ice cream and she picked out about 9 different toppings she wanted to use, plus hot fudge, strawberry syrup and caramel. It was perfect!! She got some great presents and thankfully, not a bunch of toys. I was quite impressed with the things she got. She has a lot of really great friends and I was so glad I could do this for her. However, I told her we would not have such a big party next time...we'll have to make the list about 1/2 the size.












Annie is such a great girl. She is very obedient and always does what I ask of her. She loved to have special time either Kurt or I. She loves school and is doing very well. Her reading is really starting to come along now and it's so exciting to see her progress so much. She loves math, so I told her that she's definitely my child then. She makes friends very easily...of all ages. She had girls at her party her were younger than her and ones that were a few years older too. She's starting to get a little sass to her, more like annoyance in her tone of voice, which makes me worry about how I talk! She likes to think she's the funny one in our family and make her sisters laugh by doing "silly" things....like snorting when she laughs or telling knock knock jokes. Often times, she reminds me of my little sister because she can be such a nerd (cute, though). She is loving soccer and doing really well this year. I will be so sad when we leave because we've been with the same group of girls for 2 1/2 years now and I just love the families we've met and become friends with. Annie likes to play defense, which is also like me. She's not in the action all the time because she likes to play close to the goal and keep it out of there...or to stop the girls who's on a fast break. We just have to work with her kick....she likes to jump and do a little of a butterfly kick in the air:) She loves to sit on our laps or really close to us. Unfortunately, it can be a bit crazy because she is the biggest wiggle worm ever and has a really boney bum, so not so comfortable when she's sitting on you! She is very helpful with her sisters and is so kind to them. She is such a blessing to have in our home and I am so excited to continue to watch her grow...she is such a beautiful little girl.

Alyse and soccer

So, I'm going to take a pretty good guess and say, as of right now, that Alyse is NOT going to be our soccer player. She has a pretty rough time of it. I'm not sure if it's good or bad that Kurt is the coach. However, at her first game things got a bit silly. She really didn't want to be out there playing. She did look mighty cute though. The uniform is about 3-4 sized too big for her. As you can tell, the shorts go down to almost her ankles. Anyway, one of the times that Kurt did get her on the field, she decided to put her shirt up over her head and try to run after the ball. Then it was her turn to kick off...so Kurt placed her right in front of the ball and told her, "ok, kick the ball, it's right in front of you." And she did. The other parents on our team (the Unicorns) were cracking up. I was too! As she ran off the field, she says to me, "Mom, did you get a picture of that? That was so silly. Did you get a picture?" One funny kid!! Most of the time, however, she spends glued to Kurt's leg and not in the action, which is fine....I'm just glad she's willing to go out there. The one of her lying on the ground would be extremely cute, if only it wasn't taken when the rest of her team was warming up!!

Little mimicker-Madelyn

The girls had a blast playing in some puddles/swamp areas in the back of our neighbors house. It had rained and rained for like 2 weeks straight. They also found a few turtles who would pop out of the water and make a bee line for the forest behind the house. The turtles reminded Alyse of the 2 turtles we found in our backyard when we moved here and cleared out the bushes and so she tells the story, which is followed by Madelyn the repeater...

Firsts for Alyse

Alyse started preschool this year and absolutely loves it(First day was 8/26). She's a lot more talkative about it than Annie is about school. Each kid's personality is so different. She knew I had taken Annie out to get a new outfit for the first day of school, so asked if she was going to get one too. How could I refuse, even though she has a gazillion clothes/dresses. So, we went to Target and found this dress. She had about 4-5 picked out and ultimately decided on this one. She told me, "This dress is so beautiful. Everyone will think I look beautiful in my new dress. Dad will think it's just beautiful. All my friends at school will love it." It was pretty cute. She repeated this when she put it on the first day.
She looks up to Annie so much and I never realized how much she pays attention to the things she does. On the way to school, she tells me, "Mom, I think I will love my class. It will be beautiful. I can make lots of new friends and have a best friend. And she can come over to my house to play and I will love her." So I told her maybe Maddie will be your best friend (a girls she knows from church) and she said, "No mom, I haven't met her yet." Priceless!
Then we met another one of my friend's girls, Lauren, who is in her class and on the way out I said, "Alyse, did you meet Lauren? Maybe she can be your best friend."
Alyse told me, "No mom, she has short hair. My best friend has long hair like me." Hilarious...fortunately that didn't hold up and her and Lauren are "best" friends.
She always picks out her clothes the night before and the cutest part is that she lays them out exactly how it's suppose to be worn. For instance last night, I put her dress out with her underwear and socks laying on top of the dress. She says to me, "Silly mom, the underwear doesn't go on top of the dress, it goes under the dress." So, she puts the underwear underneath the dress and then takes her socks apart and places each on below the dress, like she would wear them on each foot.




Unfortunately her first day of school also happened to be her first day of soccer practice. Kurt is coaching her team and let's just say Alyse isn't the most into the game. She was so tired that day and pretty much just hung on Kurt's leg the entire time. Granted it was 90 degrees outside. Since that time Alyse told Kurt, "Dad, I promise I won't hang on your leg at practice." Well, she did the next practice, but not as bad. So when we were in the car the next week before practice she tells me, "Mom I promised dad I wouldn't hang on his leg, but I did, so this week I'm going to pinky promise him I won't hang on his leg."