Mud Run

Emerson and a couple of her friends participated in a 1K mud run over the weekend.

it's a obstacle coarse full of mud!!!

she had so much fun, as you can clearly see.

we were just watching and cheering on but we didn't escape from the splatter!

Mission Inez

Emerson has been looking forward to building her California Mission since last year.

Every 4th grader gets to build a replica of a California Mission. Hers was Mission Inez in Solvang California. She was so excited. Most parents are the ones who gets stuck making this project but not us. From day 1, Emerson was determined to do this project herself. She didn't even want us to buy the kit from the craft store. She wanted to make it from scratch. I only cut out the shape of the mission and she did the rest. She even made headstones for the graveyard including spiderwebs made from the glue gun and trees that she put together with branches from our trees and gluing moss and an 18 page report about her mission. She is so creative and she was so pleased with the outcome of her mission.

T-Ball

After years of watching our friends kids play baseball, it was finally Atti's turn. We signed him up for t-ball this year and the season has begun.

Atticus is a natural born athlete. I'm not just saying that because I'm a proud momma. He really does have a knack for sports.

He's figured out that short stop has the most contact with the ball so he usually places himself there. He gets so excited when the he gets the ball. His goal for the season is to hit the ball over the fence!

Temple Walk

our stake's youth had a goal to walk from our stake center to the temple in one day. That is 22 miles. The youth got to practice for a couple of weeks for this venture but not Graham. He did it without practicing. When I saw him at mile 11, he was hurting. He had already developed a blister on his heel. I could see that he wanted to quit but he had to save face.

Over 100 youth and 50 leaders participated in this walk. At the end of the walk, the temple president and his wife gave a talk in front of the temple about how we can do hard things.

this was the second blister Graham had at the end of the walk. He was in so much pain, he couldn't even walk to the house from our car. Emerson had to go get crutches for him.

Valentine's Day 2012

It seems like our family's Valentine's Day dinner always gets bigger and bigger each year. We love it though. That's what Valentines Day is all about...sharing it with the people we LOVE!

Atti started EAK!

Since Atticus has a late birthday, he didn't go into kindergarten this year but he did get to start a pre-k called EAK (early admission kindergarten) for all the kids who missed the deadline.

He loves school and he loves his teacher Miss Houfek.

I cannot believe my baby is going to be going to full time kindergarten in 5 months!!!

making the neighborhood beautiful

What do you do with a box of sidewalk chalk?

beautify the streets of coarse!

the kids had so much fun just drawing all over the street. When Graham came home from work, he said "I am not happy right now with what the kids have done to the street!" I asked "Why"? He said something like "we're not being good neighbors and it's embarrassing"! So called him "The dementor of fun"! detroyer of childhood dreams, one kid at a time.

so the kids revolted and took him down!

they outlined his body and wrote "the city manager Graham Mitchell told us we could do this"

that will show him!

Merry Christmas 2011!

Christmas really is getting more fun each year with the kids getting older. Emerson discovered the truth about "Santa Clause" last year but she puts on a good roose for Atticus.

I love that they never forget about the reindeer.

They decided to sleep together for Christmas eve so they could wake up together and check out what Santa left them. Sooo adorable!

I always drink Dr. Pepper and Emerson always trys to sneak a sip but I never let her. But Santa brought her 2 pint size Dr. Peppers for her in her stocking and boy was she STOKED!

Atticus loves infomercials and his favorite is the "Magie slushy maker" for months he has been talking about it. He makes me watch the commercials, he pauses the dvr so I can stop whatever I am doing and watch the "snowflake science do it's magic"

The kids favorite gift was the "flying turtles" they got from Santa. They ride them around the house, the street and the park. I think I remember these when I was a kid.

Putty loved his chicken jerky he got for Christmas

the mess!

Merry Christmas from all of Us!