February 28 - Visitors

Shennie & Kacie came to visit tonight!  They are touring the new temple tomorrow morning and they came to our house to visit and stay tonight!  It was fun to have them here!  And fun to receive the  bountiful basket of home grown food from Kacie!  We got banana bread, farm eggs, freezer jam, canned peaches, pure beef, and garden corn!  All home grown!  Thanks, Kacie!

Of course we had to take them somewhere fun in town.  Since it's Sunday, we chose to take them on a walk around the temple.  Fun Sunday!

February 27 - Brunch

We went to brunch this morning with the Craig family!  I used to work with Ken in Las Vegas and they invited us to their house (now in Provo) for brunch this morning!  We had a great time and look forward to getting together again!

And then this afternoon, I spent some time decorating for Easter.  Made the egg banner.  Got a pretty neat looking vase from Katie and sprayed it with pink spray paint.  Then added some flowers.  Wala!  Side note: I took Andlie & Haze with me to get the spray paint.  On the way there, I was singing along with the radio.  Andlie told me, "Mom, you sing pretty.  You should go to college & sing."  And Haze said, "Mom, you sound beautiful."  Well.  I think they're the first people in the world to tell me that.  And I'll totally take it.

February 26 - Ideas

Brainstorming for April Fool's Day.....

February 25 - Helmets & BYU Game

I put my red lipstick on again this morning.  Nora watched carefully & said, "Mi, you color on you lips!  And you color them."  Better hide my lip liner & lipstick.

Tonight we went to the Lantern Festival where we saw Andlie's lantern!  We had to use the flash to take the pic, so she couldn't keep her eyes open, but wanted a picture anyway!

After we got home, we spent some time outside riding bikes!  We made sure to get a helmet on all three of the cute little heads on the bikes.

And after dinner, Bryan took Andlie & Hazey to the BYU basketball game!  It didn't even start until 9:00 which is bed time in this house, but they had so much fun!

Meanwhile, Mommy & Nora went shopping and cozied up on the couch for some quality TV time together.

February 24 - Tranformer & Getting Big

I was working on the computer when all of the sudden, I turned my head and saw that Haze had used Nora's baby furniture to turn in to a transformer!

Then that transformer took my phone & took some pictures (about 20) of his favorite subject.  Got a pretty cute/sassy pic of Princess Nora.

I thought Nora was looking extra grown up this morning.  She's getting so big!  And has the vocabulary & personality to prove it!

Hazey wanted to take his picture in the chair.  So we did.  I love his shoes on the wrong feet and his happy little face.

February 23 - "Daisey Coat" & Chinese Lantern

FINALLY cleaned out all the kids' clothes that were too small.  (I had nightmares about it last night.)  In the process, I found a cute 2T coat that used to be Andlie's that fits Nora now!  It looks just like Daisey's coat.  (See here.)  So when we put it on, she proudly exclaimed, "I wearin' Daisey's coat!"

 

Andlie finished her lantern for the Chinese Lantern Festival at her school this week.  Since it is the Year of the Monkey (as Andlie told me), she wanted to put a monkey on her lantern.  She drew it FREE HAND BY HERSELF and then cut it out & glued it on her lantern.  Girl's got skills.  And they're not from me.  Then Daddy helped her drill holes all around the monkey so it would light up when the lantern was lit.  Turned out pretty good and she's pretty proud of it!

Just in case you were wondering, here is the monkey that she looked at while drawing (FREE HAND) the monkey for her lantern.

February 22 - Selfie Stick

Bryan is in charge of CERTIFIed again this year.  It's his company's big user conference.  This year, it's in June in Florida!  He's already been working hard on the conference and spreading the word.

He ordered some selfie sticks to give to all of the participants.  They came in today.  So naturally, he & Kris had to try them out.

February 21 - "Gotta Do My Makeup"

Cute little Nora.  After church today, she noticed that my makeup was still out from this morning.  She sat down & started doing her own makeup.  She'd use each brush and put it right back where it went when she was done and she kept saying, "I do my makeup.  All done.  I look so pretty.  Beautiful."  I got her lunch ready and told her to eat & she said, "No, I'm good.  I gotta do my makeup."  And then went right back to the chair with the brushes.

Cute Hazey fell asleep on the couch today.  Had to take a picture.  I mean, look at that dried yogurt on his face and his beautiful lips and lashes and his messy blonde hair.  Sweet Hazey boy.

Today while I was going to the bathroom, Nora came in to pay a visit.  I was looking at my phone and heard her say, "You naughty.  You go time out."  But I didn't know that she was putting her baby in drawer time out until I tidied up after the kids went to bed.  Hopefully, she won't put her babies in drawer time out when she's a Mom.

February 20 - Outside

Tried a new 'do on Andlie today.  Daddy showed up in the picture I took.

The sun was shining and the skies were blue today!  So we took a picnic to the park and then played at the park and played tennis!  Wonderful and happy way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

After Nora got bored gathering tennis balls, we went back to the park to play.  She kept poking her little head out of the "teeny houses" and saying, "I a duck.  Quack, quack!"  "I a kitty.  Meeoww!"  "I a doggie.  Roof!"  And if I would get my phone out, she'd say, "Put you phone in you pocket, Mom."  She's a smart cookie.  And a very happy girl.  Who LOVES life.  She's a light to be around.

Nora got some hand-me-down"foot jammies" a few weeks ago and she LOVES them and always looks so cozy when she's sleeping in them.  So tonight we went & bought a couple more pairs so we could wash them sometimes and she loves these ones too!  She's so happy to be in her "monkey jammies!"

February 19 - Red Lips

Haze asked if he could take some pictures with my phone this morning.  After a cute little smiley faced boy begged me, I agreed.  These are the nine pictures he chose to take.  He only took pictures of his sister.  Nothing else.  These two.  They can be such cute friends.  

He giggled and she squealed during their little photo shoot.  And then Hazey said to me, "Mom, I don't ever want Nora to grow big."  "Why?"  "Because look at her cute little face.  Her eyes are so cute.  And her little nose!  And she's so cute!  And her little leggies.  And her toesies.  And her little bum.  She's just so cute and little!"  Talk about melting my heart and saying everything I've been feeling since I started having babies!

I found a little gem in Andlie's journal while I was cleaning up today.  (Don't worry.  It was unlocked and on the table so I wasn't snooping!)  She's got such a mature spirit!

"Whenever I feel sad I can pray to Heavenly Father.  I love my Heavenly Father."

Today I cleaned out all the kids' drawers.  I put clothes that are too small away in storage.  Worst job ever.  Took up my whole Friday.  But I'm glad to have drawers that will open and close freely and without curse words.

I tried on my new red lipstick from Lenzi tonight.  It was fun to see the reactions of my little gang.  As soon as they saw my lips for the first time, they immediately stopped talking about what they were talking about and turned all attention to my lips.

Bryan: "Woah!  You tried it on!  It looks good!  I like it."

Andlie: [Wearing a big 'ol grin:] "Ooooooh my heck.  Your lips!  They're red!  I like them.  They look so fancy!"

Haze: [Wearing a big 'ol grin:] "Moooommy.  What did you do to your lips?  Did you paint your lips?  Are they still wet?  I like it.  It looks pretty."

I think I like it.

February 18 - Cavities Filled

Brave little Hazey had a dentist appointment today.  He had to get two cavities filled.  We've been discussing what would happen since his appointment on February 4.  He hasn't been super thrilled.  Except we added 11 Hot Wheels car prizes to the mix this week and he's been much less nervous.

Last night Daddy gave Haze a blessing.  He blessed him that he would be brave and comfortable and that all would go well at the dentist. 

He was still nervous today, but we got in the car and he buckled himself in and then told me, "My cars are sitting in their own spot."

All was well when we got there.  We had fun with their Valentines swag!

And then Haze's name was called.  They put the nose medicine on him and he freaked.  He wasn't a fan.  Cried and screamed and got all stiff and was not happy.  It made me kind of nervous that we were gonna have to leave without getting his teeth fixed. 

BUT, we love our dentist (Andlie's Primary teacher and our neighbor) and he was so sweet with Haze.  He came in & told Hazey, "Thank you for letting me fix your teeth."  He rubbed his little head and his chest and spoke so softly and calmly to him.  Once the gas was on for about five minutes and the magic dentist helped, he was okay.  (Notice his two "brave bracelets" are on: Captain America & Iron Man ones.)

Hazey got two cavities filled and sealants put on all eight of his molars.  And he was a champ!  After about 15 minutes on the gas, he started giggling and singing and stroking my arm with his little hand.  Made me giggle.

When it was all over, he just kinda laid there in a happy stupor.

He was so happy to get FOUR tokens to get prizes!  And then we went to the car & opened his Hot Wheels!  He was one happy (giggly) camper!  Thankful that he ended up having a great experience at the dentist!

Tonight, Andlie drew Haze and Nora on her whiteboard.  She's quite the little artist!

Meanwhile, Haze and Nora played "Star Wars" with their blankies.  I have no idea how Haze thought to call it that because we are not a Star Wars family, but he did and it was cute and he looked just exactly like a Jedi.