It's Julie's Birthday!

Since I know Julie won't do this herself, I thought I'd take a few moments to reflect on a few things about Julie in honor of her 29th birthday. Here goes!

1) Julie loves her kids, even though they drive her crazy some (most?) of the time. At the end of the day, her love for our children is always evident, no matter how difficult the day may have been.
2) Julie loves her family. She works to have a relationship with each and every one of her brothers and sisters and her parents, and is always concerned for their physical and spiritual well-being.
3) Julie is a great example of compassion and service to others. She is always willing to give of herself to help those in need, and will often go out of her way to do so.
4) She loves books. I never thought anyone could read a Harry Potter book in less than two days, but I have seen Julie do it frequently. She has introduced me to some of the best books I've read (even if it does take me two months to read them).
5) Julie enjoys cooking, as long as it's not cookies because they take too long to bake when you have to keep going back and forth to the oven.
6) Julie is not particularly fond of math, which is odd because she's worked as a cashier and a bank teller. I guess you just can't escape it.
7) When we were first married, Julie didn't like to drive our car. Of course, she got used to it rather quickly. Later, when her parents let us borrow the Nissan, she wouldn't drive that either - she was too attached to the other car!
8) When Julie was a little girl, she shared a bed with her sister. Julie would frequently end up with her feet on the pillow, and often entwined her toes in Janice's hair. Thank goodness she broke that habit!
9) Julie loves holidays and always makes our home a very festive place to be.
10) Julie loves her crazy dog, although I don't think she loves the dog quite as much as she loved her cat, Morgan. I mean, really, has she ever taken a bath with the dog?

We love you Julie. Hope you day is great!

Graham Cracker Houses

Some families make gingerbread houses. In our family we make graham cracker houses!

We made these houses the day after Christmas while visiting Grandma and Poppa J. We split up in to teams to help the smaller kids get the job done. Here they are:

Matt and Kellie's house.
(Kellie was all about the eat and run approach, which left Matt to build with relatively little interference.)

Aaron and Julie's house
(Note the red Santa hat on our enormous snowman out front!)

Caleb and Grandma's masterpiece.
(Grandma should get a gold star for bravery for helping the sprinkle- happy 4 year old. Bless her!)

Christmas Day 2008

Tickly, Heartwarming Lyrics

In our family, it is not unusual to change the lyrics of our favorite songs. sometimes it is just something silly, occasionally it's indecent, but it is always brings either a smile or the roll of the eyes.

This morning we were singing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!"

Before long our lyrics were changed to " She's the Most Beautiful Girl in the World!" Which brought a giggle from Kellie.

After a few rounds of this, Aaron (my sweet little guy), turned to me and said, "Kellie is not the only beautiful girl in the world. You're beautiful, too, Mom!" (Don't you just love that?)

You would think the story could end there, but there is more. The lyrics changed again to "Matt's the most TICKLY guy in the world!"

As you can imagine, you can't sing a lyric like that without the accompanying choreography...
So, Aaron and I ganged up on my very extra tickly, very sensitive husband. hee! hee!

I've got to say it was the most fun morning I've had in quite a while. (Even though Matt might not agree...) :)

Baby, It's Cold Outside!

To school today Aaron wore the following:

socks and underwear

pants

undershirt

turtleneck

t-shirt over turtleneck

heavy coat, zipped up all the way, with hood up

scarf, under coat and around face and neck

gloves

hat, under hood

boots

If I had thermal underwear his size, I probably would have put that on him too!

It is SO COLD here in Colorado today. When Matt left for work about 7:30 am the temperature read -19 degrees. By the time we left a bit later, it had warmed up to a whooping -9 degrees.

Our high today is not supposed to be above 15 degrees in the heat of the day, with a chance of more snow this evening and tomorrow. I guess it's time to break out the hot cocoa again!

Cute Quotes...

My Mom and Dad came and spent the night last night so that Matt and I could attend his Christmas Party at work. (Thank you!) As always, the kids are extra cute when some of their favorite people are around. Here's some highlights from the last two days...

Caleb (singing): "You better watch out! You better not not scream! You better not cry! You better obey! Cuz' Santa Claus is coming to Town!" (I did NOT teach him these lyrics, by the way...)

Aaron: "Come play with our Baby Jesus playset!" ( I laugh because the kids refuse to call it a Nativity set, and insist it is their 'Jesus set'.)

Kellie: Making kissy sounds at Grandpa and shoving her stuffed dog relentlessly in his face for him to kiss over and over again.
Grandpa's response: "No, Kellie, I don't know where that dog has been- I don't want to kiss it!"

Caleb: (upon hearing that Grandma was going to make cookies with him while I took Kellie for her check- up) "I better go get my cookie shirt on, because it says COOKIE INSPECTOR on it and that means I get to eat them all!"

Christmas for "Little People"

For the last several years I have wanted to buy the Fisher Price Little People Nativity set for our kids. It was always just a little more than our budget could handle, so I never got it, even though I really, really wanted it. This year, I finally budgeted for, and bought it. We opened it a little early, so the the kids could enjoy it all month long.

The kids were fascinated with it. We presented it to them at FHE tonight, and I honestly don't know the last time we had a FHE that everyone sat quietly and paid attention to every word of the story. I'm glad we finally bought it!

(The star on the top lights up and sings "Away In a Manger.")

They love it!

I have a cute story to tell...

After FHE, we let the kids get down and play with the nativity set until bedtime. It was so cute watching them retell the story to each other.

At the end of the story, Aaron said "That's it, we're through," and Caleb corrected him.

"It's not over, silly! I think the baby Jesus wants to go for a ride now!"

He then put the baby Jesus in the donkey's cart and took him for a stroll through Bethlehem, introducing Him to everyone. I'm pretty sure that part isn't in the scriptures, but I thought it was pretty sweet!

Baby Jesus "going for a ride!"

My Favorite Christmas Things

I mentioned earlier that we got our Christmas tree up last Saturday. What I forgot to mention is that everything else was still in boxes, piled in our living room. I decided that today is the day to get it all up and the boxes put away. I always love pulling out the familiar decorations, remembering where they came from and making our house look extra special.

Maybe it's the 5 inches of snow out there, but I am just really starting to feel all Christmasy inside. Here's some pictures of a few of my favorite things...

I bought this Nativity at JC Penney's the first year we were married. It is a complete set, including the shepherds, wise men, animals and angels, but I don't always set the whole thing up, because the kids tend to get into it.
I love our stockings. Matt's mom spent many hours making all of these needlepoint stockings for us. Every one has a different Santa scene. (Matt's stocking is actually behind Kellie's- I need to get more hooks!)
Caleb. When I was taking pictures he told me to take a picture of him because "HE must be" one of my most favorite things ever! Our decorated light. Actually, this is not really one of my favorites, but I love watching the kids get all excited during dinner when they look up at the light. I love it because my kids seem to love it.

Santa Brought My Toys Back!

On Saturday, we pulled out the Christmas tree and started decorating. Normally, we would probably wait a week or two, but our schedule is so hectic that when we looked at the calendar, we realized it was now- or the week before Christmas, which is a little too late in my book.

We put the kids to bed and we started cleaning house. A few months ago I took ALL the kids toys away because they were so rude and nasty about helping me clean up. (They even told me it was MY job to clean up after them!) They have been earning them back, slowly. In the mess, I decided it was time to bring the toys back out and put them away properly.

When Caleb woke up Sunday morning, he ran downstairs to see all his toys back on their shelves. He ran up to our bedroom, burst in through the door and yelled, "Momma, momma! Santa came last night- EARLY- and he gave me all my toys back!"

DINOSAURS in the house

Upon hearing a tremendous amount of roaring, I went to find my kids in the living room. They were magically transformed into Super Dinosaurs! They had blankets wrapped around their necks like superman. I was informed that I have 3 dinosaurs: a T-REX, a SILLY-SAURUS, and a CUTE-O-SAURUS. Any guesses on who was who?

Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

That's right. You heard me right. EGGNOG. PUMPKIN. PIE. Matt's Aunt Kathy signed us up for this awesome magazine, called Taste of Home. Every month or two we get a magazine full of recipes (they are actually recipes you'd use, too, nothing too complicated). In the Thanksgiving issue it had a recipe for Eggnog Pumpkin Pie. It smells so good while it is baking. I thought I'd share what might be one of my newest favorite recipes.

EGGNOG PUMPKIN PIE (created by Lyn Dilworth)

Crust (I actually used a store-bought crust, but here's the 'real one')

1-1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

3 tablespoons shortening

3 tablespoons cold butter, cubed

3-4 tablespoons cold water

Filling

2 eggs

1 can (15 oz) solid pack pumpkin

1 cup eggnog

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Topping

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped pecans

In a food processor, combine flour and salt: cover and pulse to blend. Add shortening and butter, cover and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. While processing, gradually add water until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-1 1/2 hours or until easy to handle.

Roll out pastry to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Trim pastry to 1/2 inch beyond edge of plate; flute edges.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs, pumpkin, eggnog, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until blended. Pour into crust.

In a small mixing bowl, beat brown sugar and butter until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Stir in pecans, sprinkle over filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate leftovers.

Note to Self...

SELF- Please remember NOT to touch red burners on the stove any more.

On Friday, (the day I planned to do nothing more than hide), I did a monumentally stupid thing. I was browning some hamburger on the stove when I noticed an awful burnt smell. There must have been something on the burner or the drip pan, so I moved the skillet to a different burner, and then (without thinking!) I proceeded to reach down and grab the red hot burner so I could wash it off.

What proceeded was a whole lot of crying, a quick phone call to my husband, a trip to the urgent care, lots of a ice, a bit of Vicodin, a tetanus shot, and 7 stripes (that might possibly scar) across my fingers where I grabbed the coiled burner.

I am feeling better, but the skin is so charred across my fingers that I am having a hard time bending the tight skin. The worst part is I don't even have a cool story to go with my injury. It's bad enough when you get hurt, but it's even more embarrassing when you get hurt doing something stupid.

Sigh.

HIDING

Is it rude to turn off your phone, pull the shades, lock your car in the garage and ignore the world around you? I sure hope not, because I've about reached my limit and am preparing to hunker down. My schedule has been so crazy this week.

Last Sunday- Church is at 1:00. I really hate this time slot. It falls during both my kids naptimes and they are SO crabby both at church and then later at home. After the sacrament was passed this week, during the rest hymn, my tongue started swelling. I must have had a reaction to something. I went in the bathroom to see a big sore UNDER my tongue. Of course this meant a trip home for a dose of Benadryl and resulted in a very sleepy mom dealing with very crabby kids. To top it off I had to finish the dry pack order for the Bishop when I got home, so spent a few hours sorting through the mess, but got it done.

Last Monday- Early out at the school. I hate early out. I have to leave at 1:30 to pick Aaron up by 2. This falls in the middle of naptime for the 2nd day in a row. I've tried laying the kids down early, but it just doesn't work. I usually try to lay them down for a late nap when we get back, that is if they haven't fallen asleep in the car and wake up when I try to get them out. FHE's are especially bad because everyone has 2 days worth of crabby to deal with.

Last Tuesday- Our Cover to Cover group. We have been reading a few articles from the Conference issue and meet to review them every couple of weeks. This has actually been the highlight of the week.

Last Wednesday- VT extravaganza! Luckily, we got in to see everybody, even if we had to go out at three different times to see everyone. Finished one in the morning, and then one in the evening. Feels good to be done.

Yesterday- Dry pack canning. Stress. No other way to sum it up. Stress. Evidently most of the wards in our stake wanted the canners this weekend. I had reserved them so we got them, but I have enough to deal with without listening to begging from others. I feel bad that they have to rearrange their plans, but I really don't understand the wisdom in planning an activity that revolves around having access to certain equipment, and not reserving the equipment before you plan the date. Doesn't make sense to me. Spent several hours at the activity dry pack canning. It's tiring. Worthwhile, but tiring.
Also, Kellie went to the Urgent Care with a fever and an ear infection. Crabby girl.
To top it all off, Matt had an Elders Quorum meeting last night- at our house- while I was gone. The problem is that he didn't bother to tell me about the meeting until right before I was leaving. I was pretty ticked. If I had known we were having company, I would have made sure the house was clean. As it was, our house was a mess. (Husbands out there- don't ever do this to your wives- it is just not nice!) grrrrrr

Today- I am going to hide. Turn off the phone. Lock the cars in. Pull the shades. Hide.

Tomorrow- Back to reality and more dry pack canning, while secretly dreaming of hiding out again next week. Hiding out and eating turkey. And stuffing. And cranberry sauce. hmm... cranberry sauce. (yummy)

Worst Date Ever

My cousin Carrie asked me to complete this tag about "The Worst Date Ever." I had to laugh, because until I met Matt 9 years ago, I had a string of really REALLY bad dates. Since I couldn't decide on just one worst experience, I thought I'd share a few and let you be the judge.

1.) I switched High Schools in my Junior year. I was invited back to a dance at my former high school. I really had no great affection for the guy who asked me, but I knew he had been following me around since 7th grade, and I kind of pitied the poor guy, who I had repeatedly rolled my eyes at. (He asked me like 6 weeks before the dance.) About a week before the dance, he called and told me what time I would need to pick him up. (Evidently, he didn't have his Driver's license yet.) Although mom and dad thought it strange, they agreed to let me go pick him up. At the door, his mom told me to promise to have him home by a reasonable hour. From there we went to dinner- a Chinese take out place where he actually tried to speak Chinese to the server. After dinner, as I headed to the dance, he asked me to pull into the King Soopers parking lot, since he had to get something. He wouldn't let me come in with him, so I circled the parking lot until he came back. He came out with a bouquet of carnations, and proceeded to throw them at me. I set them in the back seat, and drove to the school. We had been at the dance a little while when I noticed this Sophomore girl crying everywhere we went. At first, I didn't think much of it, but she kept staring at us and sobbing. I finally asked my date if he knew what was wrong with her. He then confided that she was upset because they had been dating for the last few weeks and she was actually his girlfriend. As politely as I could I asked him what he was doing here with me then, and he answered that he was hoping he could convince me to be more than friends. After assuring him that I was not going to be his next girlfriend,I told him to go to the sobbing girl. I spent the rest of the night with old friends, and when it came time to go home, I went to find my 'date'. he actually was so humiliated that he refused to get in the car. Thinking of the promise I made to his mother, I made quite the scene and told him to get in the car before I had to call his Mommy to come pick him up. He got in the car. Luckily, I never heard from him again.

#2 In college, I was asked out by a really sweet guy from my institute class. We were double dating with his brother and another girl from church. We went to Chuck E Cheese's where he then made a big deal about singing (loudly) with the animated characters, and at the end of the meal, he made us all sing Happy Birthday to him, so we could get a free dessert. (It was not his birthday) From there we went roller skating, which could have been fun, except he was terrified of falling, and so he was sweating excessively. His whole shirt was wet with perspiration. He then clung to me (literally), pulling us both down a few times. It wasn't really such a bad date for me, but I felt so sorry for the guy. I don't think I will ever understand why you would choose an activity that you are terrified of for a first date.

#3 During my first few weeks in the Singles Ward, I was invited to go up to Estes Park with "a bunch of us from church." (and yes, that is a direct quote from the guy) I was told that we would just be picnicking and enjoying the scenery. I agreed to go, and asked if I could bring a friend along, since several people were supposedly going. He agreed and came to pick us up from my dorm. When we got up to Estes Park, it was not a 'gathering' of church friends, like he had led me to believe. We were at his family reunion. He then introduced me as his date, and told everyone how much he really liked me. Since he drove us, we were "trapped' in the mountains with strangers who were pumping me for information about how serious we were, and if I minded getting married at a young age. It was awkward, to say the least, since I barely knew the guy, and was by now pretty determined that we would not be having a future together. Luckily I had a friend with me, who was just as shocked as I was. On the trip home, I decided I needed to talk to him- to let him know there was definitely NOT an us. So when he asked if we could take me for a walk when we got back to the dorm, I agreed. There was a park just a few blocks away.

During the walk, before I could really figure out just how to "let him down gently" he started grilling me with questions like: How many dates do I have to go on before I'd let a guy kiss me? or How many kids do I want? or Do I believe in short engagements? He never let me get a word in. Sitting on the shore at the park, I quickly realized that I would never have the nerve to tell this guy off, and I started praying mentally for a way to get away from him. Why hadn't I just jumped out of the car and run into my dorm? About that time, a very large rat started swimming towards the shore, right to us. It was all the excuse I needed. I jumped up and started VERY QUICKLY back to the safety of my dorm. He was running to keep up with me. I told him thank you for the interesting day and waved to him from my dorm. To this day I am convinced that the rat was sent as an answer to my prayer to help me get away from the guy. (Coincidentally, he was engaged within about six weeks to the very next girl he asked out after me. I am SO GLAD I dodged that bullet, and wish him all sorts of happiness with his wife.)

Matt, I am so glad you found me. Thank you for being normal, and loving me so much.

SNOW!

I knew all that wishful thinking about the holidays would pay off. This morning we woke up to snow! It was only about an inch or so, but I'll take it!

It is Sally's (our dog) first experience with snow. When I let her out this morning, she ran out into the yard, quickly turned around when she realized something was different, and glared at me through the door. (Yes, she really glared. Kind of a how dare you kind of look) She then parked herself on the concrete step outside our door until I let her back in. Her whine was enough to tell me that she was not all that happy to be out in the cold.

I, on the other hand, was glad to see the snow, even if it will be gone by tonight. Makes me want to go make hot chocolate. :)

Will Christmas Find Me?

I was sitting in my car this afternoon, waiting for Aaron to get out of school. Needing a change from our normal Cars soundtrack, I looked through our CD's. I found our Josh Groban Chrismas CD, (which by the way is excellent!) and threw it in.

Our kids love Christmas music, just like me, and nobody complained that it was too early to be listening to holiday music.

During the song, "I'll be Home for Christmas," during the part that says Christmas Eve will find me, Caleb spoke up.

He said, "Will Christmas really find me, Mom? Are you sure it knows where I am, and will find me?"

I thought it was pretty cute. So, to help Christmas find our family, I took the first preparations today, by revamping our blog to make it holiday friendly. Hope you enjoy!

Carrots and Tumbleweeds: a Not So Brief Explanation

Once upon a time in a very big backyard, a windstorm occurred. Over the fence flew many, many, many, many tumbleweeds. These tumbleweeds were bothersome to the inhabitants. The dog liked to chew and scatter the noxious plants, but moaned when their pricklies got stuck in her fur. The people groaned at the awful sight from their windows.

"What a horrible eyesore! Something must be done!" the gentleman of the manor exclaimed!

There was only one thing to be done. "We must banish these plants!"

On a Saturday morning, (well to be perfectly exact, THIS Saturday morning.) all members of the household retired to the backyard to rid this plague from the land. The littlest one, Lady Kellie, worked with the most enthusiasm, never complaining at the daunting task. Her roguish brothers escaped duty as much as possible, by digging a huge hole in the dirt.

Kellie's father, Sir Matt, braved the bright red trash can, jumping and beating the weeds until they were truly bits. (Here is where you sigh, and say, "My HERO!") He then hauled them off so we would have to look upon them no longer.

Meanwhile, The exquisite Julie, Sir Matt's wife, harvested the remaining carrots from the garden. There were many varied colors of carrots, since the seed packet used was a variety pack named "Kaleidoscope Carrots." Later that afternoon, while the younger children enjoyed their afternoon siesta, Aaron, The exquisite Julie, and Sir Matt cleaned, peeled and sliced these crazy colored carrots. "We will enjoy them in a feast, perhaps later this month, " said Sir Matt.

And that is the very true story of how a family rid their yard of pesky tumbleweeds, and prepared their carrots for consumption. THE END.

(Well, what do you expect? It wouldn't have been any fun to say, "We cleaned the yard and picked the carrots." That sounds boring...let us live a little, and pretend our life is more exciting than it actually is.)

Carrots and Tumbleweeds

Matt's Weirdness

Julie tagged me. I can't believe it. (Yes, I can.)

Share 7 random or weird facts about yourself.

I'm going to have to lean heavily on the "random" aspect, since I'm not at all weird.

1) I'm an only child (not uncommon, I know, but still a bit random).
2) I am deathly afraid of heights, but only open heights. Flying doesn't bother me. I think it's mostly fear of falling to my death.
3) I've never eaten eggplant. I don't think I'm missing much.
4) I once thought - before I could read - that the CBS jingle went "C-V-S."
5) I'd rather drive across Wyoming than across Colorado. If you've done this, you understand the weird factor here.
6) I don't like Hawaii - it's too humid. Colorado is even a stretch for my personal humidity scale. (In all fairness, Hawaii is a beautiful place).
7) I'd rather spend time with those I love than watch the Super Bowl. I understand from some of Julie's college friends that this makes me weird. I would disagree.

I don't have anyone to tag, since Julie already tagged everyone who reads our blog. But if you read this, and haven't been tagged, please respond!

Tagged from Andrea

My friend Andrea tagged me. Here goes...

I am glad that I have 3 wonderful (and sometimes very noisy) kiddos.
I think I am ready for snow. (We've had such warm Fall weather, I think I'd like a bit of white stuff, instead of 70-80 degree weather.)
Everything in life can be made better with time, prayer, and faith.
I want to be debt free! We are getting closer.
I have so many blessings.
I dislike laundry. It never ends!
I miss laughing and playing games with my sisters. (You two better miss me when you're together!) :)
I fear snakes and crickets. Snakes are just gross and it's just not natural for a creepy little bug to be able to make so much noise. I hate them. (A LOT)
I feel like hugging my family.
I hear my dog outside barking at the neighbors cat, who is on the fence. (She is actually afraid of this cat, and if it comes in the yard, she whines at the back door for someone to save her.)
I smell the burning leaves from the field a few blocks from here.
I crave Mexican food.
I cry a lot lately. Emotions have just run a bit close to the surface these days.
I search for really good books. I love to read.
I wonder when we'll finally decide to move and what our new house will be like.
I regret not always being the first to apologize.
I wish I always knew what to do.
I love my husband and my kids. I couldn't be more blessed.
I care too much. I hate to see other people hurting or worried.
I always play with Matt's hair when I am trying to fall asleep.
I am not very good at math. (It's kind of funny, really, that I am married to a Math Major)
I remember the first time Matt called me. I was getting ready to walk out the door to go to the Dining Hall for dinner, and I was so surprised that he called that I skipped dinner to talk to him instead. I was SO HUNGRY later, butI think it was worth it.
I believe in routine bedtimes and schedules. My life is much less hectic when the kids know what to expect, and when I have an hour or two to myself every evening.
I sing whatever song Matt gets stuck in my head. It is so annoying! Matt is always singing showtunes and then they get stuck in my head, too.
I don’t always think before I speak.
I argue over things that don't really matter. Ask Matt. We are both so stubborn sometimes.
I write in my journal.
I win at Battleship most of the time. I feel bad for Matt, he always lines his ships up in predictable patterns, whereas my ships are all over the board.
I lose my cell phone a lot. It's always at home, butI just forget where I set it down.
I listen to the Primary CD's in the car.
I don’t understand why my kids think they will get their way by yelling at me. Has that ever worked?
I can usually be found at home, at Aaron's school or at the church.
I need to go fix dinner soon.
I forget to send Show and Tell with Aaron on Fridays sometimes.
I am happy when I take time to count my blessings.

I tag: Carrie

Halloween

Kellie's Birthday

My Weird Side...

I've been tagged again. Here's the rules...

Share 7 random or weird facts about yourself.

Tag 7 different people to do the same.

1.) I can't brush my teeth without gagging. It started when I was pregnant with Aaron and the taste of toothpaste would make me nauseous. To this day, I still gag every time I brush my teeth, and I have tried every flavor of toothpaste there is. Nothing helps.

2.) I have to have a "breathing foot" when I sleep. Even if I am cold, and my toes are covered in socks, I have to have one foot sneak out on top of the covers. I need to "breathe".

3.) I like salt on my pineapple. My husband insists that this is absolutely disgusting, but I love it!

4.) I really don't like sweet meat. This includes meats that have been 'honeyed', 'sugared', 'mapled', or glopped with various pie fillings. Original, smoked, or mesquite, please, and keep the sweet stuff to yourself.

5.) My brother, Jordan, and I have memorized one of our favorite Chritmas Movies, "Muppet Family Christmas". We have been known to ramdomly throw quotes from this movie out in the middle of conversation, much to the confusion of others around us. Sorry! (To Jordan- "Careful of the icy patch!" and "I don't care if the turkey said the dog is the turkey. The dog is not the turkey. The turkey's the turkey, You Turkey!" ) (Janice was there, too!)

6.) When driving, I really REALLY hate it when people make a turn lane where there's not one. It is probably my biggest pet peeve ever! I have been known to position my car smack dab in the in the middle of the street so others can't squeeze around me to create a non existing lane.

7.) I bite my kids. When each of my kids went through their 'biting' phase, I bit them back, pretty hard. Needless to say, they didn't like getting bit, and the phase only lasted a day or two.

Now that you know more about me than you probably ever needed to know, I will finish off by tagging 7 (lucky?) unsuspecting individuals.

Janice

Jared

Matt

Andrea J

Andrea D

Cami

Carrie

A Conversation with Caleb

This morning as we were driving Aaron to school, Caleb asked me a series of questions. The conversation went like this:

"Will I get to drive the car when I'm a dad?"

"Yes, Caleb, when you're bigger, you can drive a car."

"But who is going to sit next to me and talk to me while I drive?"

"Well, Caleb, your wife will probably sit by you when you drive."

"My wife? Who is my wife Mom?"

"I don't know Caleb, we probably haven't met her yet."

"I know! I can marry Kellie! She can be my wife."

"No Caleb, Kellie is your sister. She can't be your wife."

"Well then who is my wife?"

"I don't know Caleb, we haven't met her yet."

"Well I just can't do it."

"Can't do what?"

"I can't find my wife all by myself."

"Why not Caleb?"

"'Girls are just too hard, Mom."

Out of the mouth of my four year old. Girls are too hard. Poor guy- what have we done to him?

Somebody's 2!

Today is Kellie's birthday. I can't believe my little ball of energy is 2 today. 2 years ago, I thought she'd never come out. I went in on the 24th at 6 am and she held on and refused to be born until about 3:30 in the morning on the 25th. Needless to say, it was a really long day. We are so glad to have this pink little bundle in our lives. I dedicate this post to all things Kellie. Here goes:

1.) Kellie loves her boys. This includes her brothers, her grandpas and most especially, her dad. Even as a baby, she tolerated me, ignored Grandma, and fawned over the men. About her 1st birthday, she decided the women in her life were okay, too, but if given a choice, she prefers her following of men to the women.

2.) She is VERY curly. Her hair is wild and amazing. Every time you see her, it looks different. Her hair is actually a little past her shoulders when it is wet, but you wouldn't know it because her curls bouce up so high.

3.) She loves all writing implements. (as the coloring on my walls will testify.) She will color anywhere, on any surface. Her "masterpieces" have shown up on doors, walls, floors, computer screens, skin, and the refrigerator.

4.) She loves trains. She loves to play with the little magntic Thomas trains, much to the irritation of her brother, Caleb.

5.)She loves dum dum suckers. You have to be really careful, though because she sneaks into them and I find little sticks all over the house.

6.) She has been very independent from day 1. She refused to wear a bib and feed herself before she was even a year old.

7.) She loves to eat cheese sticks. She will go in front of the refrigerator and beg.

8.) Oswald is her favorite tv show. When she hears the theme song, she runs from whereever she is in the house to come watch.

9.) She is getting very good at blowing kisses.

10.) One of her best friends is her dog. She loves to hug and kiss and pet Sally.

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl.We love you!

Kellie's Newest Word

I was kind of hoping to avoid hearing this word for a while, but the word has arrived, right on schedule and in time for her 2nd birthday this weekend. I guess I'll just have to get used to hearing the word NO.

"Kellie, will you come here?" Her response, "No."

"Kellie, please stop doing that!" Again: "No."

"Kellie, use your f0rk instead of your hands, sweetie. "

(Need I say it...) "No."

Unfortunately, I have only found one way to get her to stop saying the dreaded word. It goes like this:

"Kellie, I said NO, don't do that!"

Her emphatic response: "YES!!!!"

What a defiant little thing! I guess you gotta love her, although, I hope she figures out fairly quickly that it will be much more pleasant around here when she stops arguing with me...

My Newest Favorite Cleaning Product

I am really not trying to bore you, I just had to share this! I'm sure you've all seen the commercials for the New SCRUBBING BUBBLES TOILET CLEANING GEL. The lady walks up to her toilet, sticks a wand in the bowl and stamps on an extra sticky glob of gel that slowly dissolves over time and supposedly helps keep your toilet cleaner between scrubbings.

Ever the sceptic, I probably would not have even tried this product, but I was at the store and needed new toilet bowl cleaner. I saw this right underneath the cleaner and thought I'd try it. This product is amazing. It really is easy to use; I probably shouldn't admit this, but as far as cleaning supplies go, it is probably the most fun to use, too! You kind of feel like a Jedi with a light saber! (okay, maybe that is pushing it a bit, but it was still fun!)

I love it! My most favorite features: 1.) It's disposable, you can use it six times and then you toss the dispenser 2.) It's easy to use and actually does what it says it's going to and 3.) IT WAS UNDER $5. Can't beat that.

Adventures at the Doctor's Office

We showed up for the boys annual checkups this afternoon. It took me a few minutes to check in since they had to update their files and insurance information. While I was standing at the desk waiting, the kids went just behind me to the sitting area where the tv and toys are. This was our first problem.

For whatever reason, they have removed all the toys. As a parent concerned about sharing other people's germs, I'm okay with this. As a parent of 3 kids who are stuck in a waiting room for half an hour or more with nothing to do but annoy other people, I was not too happy. Caleb came running to me, whining about nothing to do. I'm standing there, trying to rush the receptionist so I can go manage my kids- and she is impersonating a Walmart checker. (slow and indifferent...)

Meanwhile Kellie got pushed and starts screaming. I go to get her, and the receptionist says, "Don't worry, I'll wait," and stops working until I am standing in front of her again. Meanwhile, the line is backing up. It took me over 10 minutes (no I am not joking) to check in. (It normally takes about 2)

I finally get over to the waiting area and I see that they have mounted a huge chalkboard on one wall for the kids to draw on. On the surface this sounds like a good idea, and I will say the kids had fun. 25 minutes later, as we were walking back to the examining room, my kids are covered (and I mean COVERED) in multicolored chalk dust. I don't know why I bothered to bathe my kids this morning. There clothes are completely covered in a fine mist of chalk and there hair looks like they have serious dandruff. (I was watching them, and I still don't know how they managed to get it in their hair...)

We stop at the nurses station to get their vitals and I find out that Aaron can't see and needs to have an eye appointment because he probably will need glasses. Meanwhile, Caleb has a complete breakdown when they put the blood pressure cuff on his arm and it starts tightening up.

We find our way into the room, and before the doctor can even join us, Aaron has a hissy fit about getting a shot. Caleb, who has never been scared of shots in the past, has a little breakdown and is sobbing when the doctor finally arrives.

While I am trying to talk with the doctor, Aaron decides it is time to jump and roll like a gymnast on the examination table. I told him to stop, which he did, for about a minute, and then he was back to his wild monkey antics.

While this is happening, I am holding and trying to calm down Caleb, who has decided that the Doctor IS NOT getting anywhere near him. It was like trying to wrestle an octopus, while the doctor is trying to examine him.

I look up in time to watch Kellie join Aaron jumping on the table. I stand up, Caleb draped on my body since he won't let go, and pull Kellie and Aaron off the table, catching Kellie before she falls head-first to the floor. As soon as I let her go, she goes to the chair and climbs back up with Aaron. I finally move the chair to the other side of the room so she can't climb up anymore.

Before the Doctor leaves she gives the kids a nice lecture about why it is important to listen to their Mommy, and that she expects them to obey me the FIRST time I ask them to do something. I am thankful for the support, but so embarrassed that my kids were so heinous she felt the need to correct them. I thought this visit could not get much worse. I was wrong.

The nurses are sent in to give the kids their shots. Aaron goes into full combat mode screaming, kicking and hitting the nurses. Yes, hitting. It took me and two nurses to hold him down. As I'm holding Aaron down, Caleb is puddled at my feet screaming and trying to push me and the nurses off his brother.

Next was Caleb's turn and of course he chooses this time to tell me how much he hates everyone. "I hate you! and you! and you! ...." Again, 3 people to hold him down. His final comment "No one LOVES me!!!!" By now the drama in the room is pretty thick.

I pull Caleb off the table and start to dress him, when I realize that Kellie has climbed up the chair that I moved earlier and is armpit deep into the sink, splashing water everywhere.

On that joyous note, I quickly dressed my kids and escorted them to the car. I was hoping for a quick, dignified exit. Instead, I had 1 screaming, inconsolable child refusing to walk (Caleb), one child moaning about how much I'd wounded him (Aaron), and a half soaked toddler trying desperately to get away from me and get back to the sink where she was having so much fun (Kellie).

I'm not sure if the stares I got were full of pity, annoyance or concern that I'd somehow scarred my children for life. If I wasn't trying to get out of there as quickly as possible, I think I might have sat down and had a good cry right there in the doctor's office.

Anyway, here's the stats:

Aaron's 7 year check-up:52 lbs (50th percentile), 49 3/4 inches tall (75th percentile), vision 20/40

Caleb's 4 year check-up: 38 lbs (60th percentile), 42 inches tall (80th percentile), needs to visit a speech therapist

Kellie: still wet

Mom: ready to curl up in a ball and cry

LDS Journal Website

A friend of mine recommended a website called http://www.ldsjournal.com/ . I checked it out and I love it. It's a free service that is completely private for journaling. Don't get me wrong, I love my blog, but have been reluctant to put anything TOO personal here. People can be given too much information, if you know what I mean.

It has some awesome features. For instance, after you set up an account, you can be linked with pages that ask you tons of questions about the things that you did growing up, your wedding, your family now, and tons more! The format is such that you can choose a question that you want to answer, type in your answer and save it for your posterity in minutes!

And you can also add journal entries at any time you wish. You can upload pictures, poems, stories, favorite conference talks, you name it! It has a lot of similarities to a blog. The main difference is that your information is for your eyes only, which is nice when you're writing something very personal.

Another cool feature is that the company will take the information that you've put into your account and they will download it and create a bound book for you, if you want it. Or you can print each entry as you go, and compile it yourself.

My FAVORITE feature is that you can set it to email you evey day, every three days, once a week, etc., and it will remind you to add to your journal. It's nice to be reminded how long it's been since you last wrote in your journal. I find it very motivating.

I love this. Check it out.

NEW EVERYTHING

I looked out my window today and realized I had NEW leaves. Well, maybe not new leaves, but leaves with new color. I think it happened overnight. Gotta love fall.
Today, Matt starts his NEW job. He was pretty excited when he left this morning, and I am happy for him. It seems strange to be starting a new chapter in our lives, but, although unknown, we are looking forward to this new arrangement.
I will have to get used to a NEW schedule. Matt leaves about the same time every morning, but will be a little bit later getting home, since he has a farther drive. Hopefully soon, this new schedule won't feel so strange.
So, anything NEW in your life?

Why am I even curious?

I have to tell you- I have a problem. I am too curious. I just finished the last book in the Twilight series. I am so irritated that I lost those hours of my life. Whose fault is it? Mine. Let me start at the beginning.

A few months ago, some friends from church recommended I read the Twilight series. The first book was okay. Creepy, but interesting. The next two were interesting enough. Creative, but still a bit wierd. To be honest, I kept reading, not because I loved the premise, or the writing, but because the storyline was one of the strangest I had ever heard of. I finally broke down and read the last book, if for no other reason than to see how it ended. Curiosity. Pure curiosity. Will she become a vampire or won't she? What should have been a quick read to satisfy my need to know, turned into a tedious chore. 700+ pages later, I am amazed at how the darn book drug on. It should NOT take 200 pages to describe a pregnancy that lasted 1 month. Get an editor! Why did I keep reading, you ask? All I can say in my defense is, I was curious. I wanted to know how all the loose ends tied up. AAAAAHHHHH!

I should have known better. I have been duped before. I endured the Lord of the Rings junk because everybody raved about how good it was. I have read the books- they were okay. The movies were really, REALLY long, and very creepy. I don't like scary movies. I don't like violence. I watched because darn it, I was curious. I kept expecting it to get better, which it didn't.

Pirates of the Caribbean. SO DISAPPOINTING. I liked the first movie- it hooked me. The sequels were creepy with those disgusting sea creatures. I watched and at the end of the 3rd movie, was really ticked off. You can ask Matt. I was mad. Really mad. Did I really just spend the last few hours of my life watching revolting sea creatures and slap stick swordplay to have it end by killing off the main love interest? Oh, but I forgot, He's not REALLY gone. Just mostly gone. (It felt very reminiscent of a scene in Princess Bride about the difference between being dead, and mostly dead.)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I need to see a doctor. Maybe they have a procedure that can remove my darn NEED TO KNOW syndrome. Either that, or they can induce some rare form of amnesia that makes me forget all the time I just wasted. grrrrrrrrrrr

WANTED

WANTED: My little boy back

When I picked Aaron up from school today he was so excited! He had to show me his new necklace and the gaping new hole in his mouth. I should be used to him losing teeth by now. Today's goner was #8. I guess it's not so much the tooth, but the thought that my little boy is getting bigger. Some days, I look at him, realize how big he really is, and I have a moment of reality when it hits me that I'm old enough to be his mother. (especially since I am his mother) I guess after 9 years of marriage and 3 kids it shouldn't be so much of a surprise.

(So tonight as I mourn the loss of my 'little' boy-I'll welcome the tooth fairy. I think she'll be easier to handle than the girlfriend that I'm sure will show up in a few years. I'll take my perks where I can get them.) (big sigh)

Utah Photos

Trip to UTAH

We started our trip Thursday morning, driving through Wyoming. We stopped in Rawlins for lunch and found a really cute park with an actual train. The kids loved it!
Friday night, Matt and I attended Matt's 10 year Mission Reunion. (He was in Perth, Australia.) It was so fun to finally put a face to these people Matt has loved so much, and mentioned often. His Mission President, Danny Hamilton, and his family, were able to come. It was a wonderful night.
We spent the rest of our trip playing with the cousins, and eating lots of YUMMY food. (Janice is an awesome cook!) Here's some highlights:
1. Aaron rode a bike without training wheels!
2. Kellie loved on Sabie!(Jan's dog) She made sure she was properly accesorized with plenty of bling! (She kept putting necklaces on that poor, patient, dog)
3. Matt reminisced with old friends!
4. We learned to play Ticket to Ride! (So fun, even if I lost.)
5. Caleb soaked up attention when Aunt Janice would read to him.
6. Have I mentioned the YUMMY food? It really was pretty tasty!
7. Elf bowling. SO COOL. (I guess you had to be there.)
8. Kellie was chauffered on her own little bike, wearing bike helmet and all! ( I hope Jamie's back isn't too sore!)
9. The men attended Priesthhod session. Very uplifting!
10. We relived Jared's Greeley "Squirrel" roommate experience. (such a funny story! You'll have to ask him about it though.)
Thank you, Porters, for a great weekend! (we enjoyed your room!) We love you Corless Familly! Thank you, Mom and Dad, for watching our crazy pooch!

To see even more pictures of this fabulous weekend visit my sister's blog at http://j6porter.blogspot.com/ . She got some really cute photos!

FAVORITES TAG

This is my second tag in 2 days! Here's the info:

My Favorites Right Now Are: (drumroll, please)
Food: I love chicken enchiladas (today, tomorrow it might be something new)
Drink: really cold milk
Fruit: raspberries
Ice cream: Black Walnut
Candy bar: Mr. Goodbar
Music: country
TV Show: anything on FOOD NETWORK
Movie: White Christmas
Book: I read so many books every week, it's hard to choose... Um, I pick Fairest by Gail Carson Levine- it was cute, and my most recent read
Sound: my kids' laughter
Smell: fresh baked bread
Sight: the leaves changing color on the trees
Touch: Kellie's curls
Taste: hazelnut hot chocolate

Again- I tag Janice! You're it!

HUSBAND TAG

I've been tagged! I've put it off for a few days, but since my adoring fans want to know...
What is his name? Matthew Lane
Nicknames? Matt, Babe!,
How long have you been married? 9 years, 1 month and 14 days
How long did you date? 4 months until we were engaged, 4 more months until the wedding
How old is he? 31
Who eats more sweets? depends on the day- Matt eats more cookies, I eat more popcorn
Who said "I love you" first? I said it out loud first, but Matt had written it in a card first.
Who is taller? Matt
Who can sing better? Matt
Who is smarter? Academically, Matt is. Common Sense, me.
Who does the laundry? To be honest this is one job out of the many that Matt tackles most of the time. I REALLY hate laundry. I do it, but Matt probably stays on top of it most of the time.
Who pays the bills? Me mostly, but Matt has been known to help
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? me
Who mows the lawn? 98% of the time, it's Matt
Who cooks dinner? 98% of the time, it's me
Who drives? I normally let Matt drive, because it's easier than telling him to move out of the way so I can see around him. He claims it is just as important for the passengers to be aware of their surroundings as the driver, I claim it is more dangerous if the driver can't see his (or her) surroundings. I just get tired of telling him to sit back so I can see. It's not worth the arguing.
Who is more stubborn? Since I get to answer, I say Matt, but I can't guarantee he'd agree if you asked him first.
Who kissed who first? Technically, I kissed Matt first. He was so nervous. He kept leaning in to kiss me, and then he'd lose his nerve and lean back out. After about an hour of watching him teeter-tottering, I "took pity" on the poor guy and helped him out by just planting one on him. I think he was a bit surprised. So, it was Matt's idea first, but I helped him out a bit.
Who asked who out first? Matt called me. I was a bit surprised actually. At FHE, I would find Matt sitting next to me. Didn't talk to me, just sat there. Then, at a party at a friend's house, he somehow managed to sit by me. (silently) At church, he was right behind me. I was beginning to think that the guy never spoke to anyone, when out of the blue he called one afternoon. The rest, as they say is history. We were hardly ever separated after his initial "stalkings". (This makes him sound creepy, it really wasn't- he was kinda cute, really!)
Who proposed? Matt. But I wasn't really surprised, I knew it was coming, I just didn't know when. (He kidnapped my Teddy Bear and sent me on a scavenger hunt to get him back. At the end of the hunt, I got my teddy bear, some roses, and a ring on my finger!)
Who has more siblings? Me, Matt's an only child
Who wears the pants? I wear the "ALL THINGS DOMESTIC" pants, Matt wears all the rest

I send this on to JANICE, as her adoring fan, I'd like her to answer this tag!

Who Stole the Cookie...

Last week my visiting teacher's dropped some cookies off for me. They were in an old ice cream bucket with a lid. I had them on the counter, and since they had a lid on them, I figured they were safe. I was wrong.

First, Kellie just reached up and took them off the counter. (When did she get that tall?) I was extra surprised when I realized that she had mastered the art of opening buckets. Operation "Save the Cookies" began.

My next maneuver was to push the bucket all the way to the back of the counter, where she couldn't reach. I was outsmarted when I heard the familiar screech of my kitchen chairs scraping across the floor. Now when I hear this noise I know I have about 5 seconds before Kellie is into something. She's learned to push the chairs or ottomans over to whatever is out of reach and climb up. Once again, I made it just in time to save the cookies.

Throughout the day she tried standing at the counter pointing. Then she tried standing at the counter pointing and screaming. She tried getting Aaron to get them for her. She even tried buttering me up by hugging and snuggling then quickly running into the kitchen to wait expectantly. The girl definitely gets points for persistence.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those moms who refuse to give her kids cookies or sweets, I just don't think she needs to eat them ALL DAY. She just will NOT stop until the bucket is empty.

You can imagine my surprise, when later that evening I happened to look over at my daughter. (She had been extra quiet for a while, so I figured something must be up...) There sitting on the floor was Kellie, happy as could be, savoring every bite of her chocolate chip cookie.

I did my mental checklist. She's not tall enough to get it herself. The boys were upstairs in the bath. I didn't hear a chair scraping across the floor. Now how did she get that cookie?

Upon further examination we found a child's rake on the floor in the kitchen. (A neighbor had given us the rake as a Happy 1st day of Fall gift earlier this week) We figure she must have used the rake to reach up and snag the bucket. How she managed to do it so quietly, I'll never know. We figured if she could resort to such desperate measures she deserved her treat. Here's the evidence...

Caught in the Act!

Her next defiant bite! (So there, Mom!)

Her choice of "weapon".

Matt's New Job

For the last 6 years, Matt has worked for the school district here. He started in the classroom at Greeley West, and three years and his Master's degree later, he ended up in the district offices as the Math Coordinator. During that time, Matt has been trying to decide what direction he wanted to take his career, and I think we've finally got it figured out.

In about 2 1/2 weeks, Matt will be taking over as the new Editorial Director over Math Content, for a company based outside of Longmont called Sopris West. They produce textbooks and curriculum for school districts and they specialize in interventions. Matt is so very excited, and although it's sad to leave the district here, we feel this is a really good move for Matt's career and for our family.

So the big question is: Will we be moving?

The answer is Yes, and No. We eventually want to be closer to reduce the 1/2 an hour commute, but we feel it is important that Aaron finish out the school year here, and it may take us a while to get our house on the market and sold. In the meantime, we are going to stay put and focus on paying off some things, so that when we do finally move, we have less to worry about. If all goes as planned, we'd like to be settled and moved before the next school year comes.

We look forward to starting this new adventure, and to being a little bit closer to family, but are so sad to think about leaving Greeley after living here for the past 10 years.

Aaron's Birthday

Aaron had a wonderful 7th birthday. All the kids in his class made cards to give him and at the end of the day I brought little mini cupcakes to share with his class. We opened gifts and enjoyed cake. Thanks to everyone who called and sent gifts and cards. You really helped make his day extra special! Aaron and his gifts.
It's always fun to get money! (Thanks Grandma J and Grandma Rose!)
Aaron and all his gifts. He got a Lightning McQueen race car, the new Thomas movie, a flashlight book, 2 other Ready to Read books, and some nice new clothes.
Aaron's Birthday cake.
"It looks just like a present with all that curly ribbon!"

Somebody's 7!

Aaron is 7 today! (I have baby pictures of Aaron, but I didn't have a digital camera until Aaron was 3, so this is the youngest picture of him I could find for this post.) I can't believe my oldest baby just isn't a baby anymore. I thought I would dedicate this post to all things Aaron- here goes...

1.) Aaron's due date was September 10. (All things considered I guess I'm glad that he was late since September 11th occurred in the year he was born.) He weighed 9 lbs 4 oz.

2.) Aaron loves spaghetti. He is especially fond of meatballs, and cheese on top is a must.

3.) When Aaron turned one, he got the movie Monster's Inc for his birthday. We went about a year when he would cry if he couldn't watch it- EVERY DAY. (sometimes more than once a day) Ironically, now it scares the eebeegeebees out of him.

4.) He is famous for saying, "When I was a little kid..."

5.) He has very neat handwriting for a 7 year old. He gets compliments!

6.) He loves to teach things to other kids. I understand that he is frequently trying to help kids on the playground learn how to swing. "You have to pump your legs, like this..."

7.) He loves the color blue. He was really upset when he realized that Caleb has blue eyes, and he doesn't. (By the way, Aaron has REALLY beautiful deep brown eyes, and really long, dark eyelashes that most girls would trade anything for!)

8.) For the first 2 years of his life, Aaron was either rocked, cuddled or walked to sleep. (Then we got smart, and after about a week of fussing, he learned to go to sleep on his own.) He has NEVER gotten out of bed once we put him in, either.

9.) He loves to play in the back yard with his dog, Sally. It's one of his favorite things to do. In fact, he is always looking out for the dog. "Mom, can we let her in?... Can she get out of her crate?... I need to hug her goodnight ... Will you tell her I love her while I'm at school?"

10.) He loves Cars and Thomas. A LOT. Sometimes, if you look closely at his schoolwork, in the corners, or on the back, he has drawn lightning bolts and the #95, like Lightning McQueen, the racecar.

It was brought to my attention that I forgot to mention Aaron's love of all cookies! He LOVES cookies, and is in heaven if you make them for him. Also, he LOVES blueberry muffins!

ZOO!

This Saturday we attended the Denver Zoo in honor of all our kids birthdays. It was a beautiful day. We got there at about 9 am and the weather was perfect. Sunny, but not too hot. The kids had such a good time. Here's some highlights:

My bears; Matt, Aaron and Caleb.

Aaron, Jordan and Caleb watching the monkeys.

Mr. Monkey.

Kellie, Julie, Aaron and Caleb with the statue of Klondike and Snow. (two polar bear twins that were born at the Denver Zoo. )

Aunt Melanie trying to point out the sleeping wolves to Caleb.

The baby Zebra.

The Sea Lion. (or is it a seal? I'm not sure!)

Baby Giraffe.

Kellie trying to get free from her "cage".

We ended our trip with a ride on the Zoo train. Caleb was so excited!

All aboard!

Back at Grandma and Granpa J's house we enjoyed cupcakes that Grandma had decorated with zoo animals. So cute!

Here they are!

Enjoying our cake!

Kellie got some necklaces to open even though her birthday is not officially until next month.

The boys opening their gifts.

Thanks for the books and movies from Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Melanie and Uncle Jordan! You really helped make the day special!