Happy 2nd Birthday Grant!!

My little Grant turned 2!! He was so happy with his Toy Story cake. I had so much fun making it. My parents ended up being in town, so my mom helped me make his cake. We made homemade marshmallow fondant, and then colored each tier different things. One is Woody's shirt, the other is Andy's bed, and the last is the Earth for Buzz. We had a little party with a few family members and Grandparents. He got a car ramp toy (I'm not sure how to explain it), but he loves the one in Nursery so we decided that would be the perfect gift.

A few things about Grant. He is still not talking, which is driving Chad and I crazy. He has started hitting me when he wants something. He has started saying a few things, and he will talk through his throat with the syllables of things. I am ready for him to start talking. He loves, loves, loves Toy Story. My friend that watches him once a week has all her movies down low, and Grant always walks into that room and grabs a Toy Story movie for her to turn on. He calls everyone he likes Emma (basically the people who watch him for me while I'm working). Emma has watched him since he was a baby a couple times a week, so if he calls you Emma that is a good thing. He is a very happy kid, but is definetly two, and wants things on his own time. He loves to be outside. He is still taking a 2 to 3 hour nap each day, and if he doesn't get it, it is miserable around here. He is sleeping in the bunk bed, but still has to have his special crocheted blanket with him. He loves to put his fingers in the holes. He loves his little sister, and whenever he sees her he say "hi pretty girl," at least that is what it sounds like. He has hated nursery for forever, but is finally going. It is a big relief for his mom. He loves to sing, and especially loves Old McDonald. You can hear him many different times a day singing EIEIO. It is especially lovely during Sacrament Meeting. Happy Birthday Grantie!! We love you!

Ava 4 Months

Little Miss Ava is 4 months old!! I can hardly believe how fast each of my children grow. She is such a good baby. She loves Owen to pieces, but is still a little scared of Claire because she is a little aggresive. She is sleeping all night (did I mention she is my favorite - just kidding), and she is starting to like to take bottles. That was a bit of struggle when I started preschool. She loves to sleep on her tummy, and she will take about 2 naps a day. She is still not on a nap schedule and that is hard for me because I like to know when they want to sleep so I can plan around that. She is always smiling, and loves to talk to anyone around. We are so lucky to have her in our family.

Spud Day

We had decided to go to Chads parent's house one Saturday to help Trevor cut some wood, and I was thrilled to hear that it was Shelley Spud Day. I was also happy to discover that I didn't have to work! We left the house early so I could take the kids to the parade with Chad's mom. We had so much fun. It is one of the best parades I have ever been to. The kids were so excited to get candy to put into the bags. Grant was having a hard time understanding what was going on. He would try to eat each piece of candy he picked up. Once he figured out that they kept throwing it, he was happy to put it in the bag. He only got hit once by some flying candy. The kids had a great time with their cousins. The kids all left with a lot of candy, and happy to see all the fun things that the parade has.

Fish Hatchery

Owen and I took a preschool field trip to the local fish hatchery. It was a lot of fun. They showed us where the fish hatch, and then we got to go outside to see the big fish. They fed them while we were standing there, and we were getting wet. Then we went on a nature walk and scavenger hunt. We topped it all off with a picnic lunch. We had a great time and Owen loved seeing the fish.

Oreos

The kids wanted Oreos after dinner, Grant was in the bathtub - this is what happens.

College Weekend

My parents came to town to stop for a few days before taking Amber to BYUI for her freshman year - yeah that makes me feel old. We had a great time visiting. We had decided that on Saturday we would all go to Lava Hot Springs for a fun day. Unfortunately Chad and I both had to work. I got to go for half the time and brought dinner for everyone, but Chad had to work, so he couldn't make it. It was fun for the kids to spend some time with Grandma and Grandpa without me around. They had a great time. Both Claire and Owen went down the big slide. I went with Owen, but Claire went all by herself. Grant finally loved the water, and the other two were little fish. They had a lot of fun, and were exhausted when we were finished. Thanks for a fun day mom and dad.

Claire's First Day of School

Claire started 1st grade this year!! I can hardly believe it! She is getting so big. We were all ready for school to start this year. She was ready to have some time away from us, and we were ready for her to have a little more structure in her life. Her teacher is Mrs. Stout, and all she has told me so far is that her school day is soooooo long. She was very excited to eat lunch at school. We love you Claire and hope you have a wonderful school year.

Meat on a Stick

One night while working at the ticket office, I was talking to the girls about how frustrating it is to get my kids to eat meat. Seriously I don't think I cook that bad, but I hate dinner time. Every time they ask me what I'm making they whine and say "I don't like that." Well, they told me to try putting meat on toothpicks. I told Chad my plan, and we decided to try it.

It worked, this is what our kids looked like after they tried their "meat on a stick."



Owen said it was the best chicken he has ever had. Having the success of chicken, we tried it with steak, and they loved that too!! Thank goodness for toothpicks.

Miss Ava Jean

I feel like I haven't shared very many pictures of my sweet Ava. She is growing up so fast. She is such a joy to have in our family. She is sleeping most of the time, and sooo happy. We are lucky to have her.

Trouble!!

I was busy working in the preschool trying to get everything ready. The kids love to play out there, but they know that they aren't allowed in the preschool unless I am with them. I don't want it to become a play area. Anyways, I ran upstairs to do some work on the computer, and Claire came upstairs as happy as can be. This is what I found . . .

Oh yes, she was in trouble!! Not only did she cut a ton of her hair off (she was trying to look like her friend Cassidy, who has long hair??), but she also convinced Owen to cut his hair, and they cut some of Grants hair off.
Seriously?? You would think she was old enough to know better. Of course this was the week that school was going to start for her, and I was starting preschool. So I told her that they would have a hard time figuring out if she was a girl or boy. She looks terrible!! I am not even happy with the fix that I got, but it was the best my hairstylist could do. She had to pay for a haircut, which she was not happy about. Owen's hair was a much easier fix, a short buzz, and he was fine. I keep thinking that Claire will learn her lesson, but it hasn't happened yet. Here's hoping that this is the last time. But for now we have quite a few headbands with big flowers.