christmas chair

When jonny and I were first married we went couch shopping. (We were using this hand me down green couch from one of his cousins. I love hand me downs...but this was one pretty bad news.)
We headed to the green ant, a vintage furniture store in salt lake city, to find a couch. We found one we loved. It had a hole in in from the start, but it was to perfect to pass up. So long story short we have had this poor (beautiful) couch. Anyway this year we reupholstered the center section, to use as a chair. It had gotten pretty torn up over the years ...now it looks so perfect! And the other two pieces go together to form a shorter couch....its still white vinyl . Oh they just dont make 'em like they used to. Thats why we will have this couch forever. And now I can mail emily back her curved needle :) Thanks ron and sue.                        

                                                                     Before

After

warm decembers

We had a nice warm day on Monday. We have had a good long streak of above average temps.
Sadly I think its back to winter now. We took advantage of the warm day and walked across the street to the nature preserve and playground. The boys had fun running down the bike trails and climbing trees. Nora just sat happily taking it all in.

beauties

thanksgiving

We had a lovely Thanksgiving. Lots of yummy food and a nice warmish day. Jonny cooked the turkey on the grill again. I love the notion of men being in charge of all meat cooking.
The weekend before we had a visit from some friends for the weekend...took a trip to the field museum, drank homemade root beer and played cards.
Nora is getting to be quite the fussy pants....she screams for attention a lot. She really likes to be lugged around all day. She has 8 cute tiny teeth, and a bitty curl behind each ear.
Ian is getting to be such a big boy, he is speaking in almost full sentences. He wanted some greens for his salmon burger last night. He pointed across the table to them and said "flowers, flowers?" and was so happy to put a few pieces on his plate (that he didn't eat).
Life is busy.
I wish winter was over.

catching up

Happenings...
* Jonny and I (.mostly Jonny) have been brewing some rootbeer. We have made 2 batches and are learning     lots about home brewing!

* nora has started to dance...all the time! She will dance to jonny whistling. to kids singing, toys playing music like tones. She loves it all.

* I ordered my turkey and she will be ready to pick up on the 20th. I feel like I should go visit her on the 19th and maybe apologize.

* Had parent teacher conferences. Both kids are doing well. Lincoln is being moved into a advanced thinkers group during part of the day, I'm hoping this will hold his interest. He is still acting anxious and not participating as much as she wants. Liv's teacher is all about reading...she gives little to no homework and just wants everyone to read...as much as possible. She is a great teacher and liv really likes her class.Her teacher said she has adjusted to being new very well. Her test scores were all really high and they asked if she was ever in gifted and talented classes. Does hanging out with grandpa Ron count?

* I went to a friends house the other night and a group of us did some crafts. I made a gumdrop wreath for Christmas. It couldn't be more vintage candy land kitsch. I love it!

*I have to make some rolls today for Lincoln school thanksgiving feast.

* We have friends coming from Indiana for a visit tomorrow,  woo hoo.

Christmas gift preview

I had pictures taken of the kids as Christmas gifts to all the Grandmas.I have been so anxious to get them.
Here is a preview because they turned out so pretty, and I just couldn't wait until Christmas.

Nora can eat!

miss Nora mae is really loving "solid" foods. My friend came over a couple weeks ago and we made tons of baby food. We each prepared several fruits and vegetables and then had tons of fun blending yummy combinations together. We froze them in ice cube trays and the next day I had several bags full of colorful little frozen cubes. We made some seriously delicious baby food....Ian steals it as much as he can. Nora is in full on "solid" food mode now, and eats her 3 meals a day....plus tons of nursing. She has 6 teeth, so she may be moving on to crunchy apples soon. She also sits up and is a serious flirt. I cant go to the grocery store without 10 people going on about "look at that cute baby!" She like to smile at people. People like that.

                                                       molly and nora playing with toys.

thursday

                       I don't think I have ever experienced a more amazing fall. The weather is perfect, the trees are so so beautiful. Our street has several large mature trees that line it. They are all beautiful shades of autumn.

Lincoln is such a little crafter. He is concerned our house isn't decorated well enough for Halloween  He scours the internet for "Halloween crafts for kids" and delights in making all sorts of crafts for our home. he will often say " we need a really really scary craft. We need a deadly craft" The paper towel roll spider hanging from our front door is pretty deadly. Here is a non halloween picture he made for me. Its him with Jonny and me.

Ian found some shaving cream, at least he only painted with it on the shower walls.

Nora has stopped sleeping. We are up all hours of the night. I am so, so tired. She is cutting 4 top teeth at once. Who does that...its so sad. They are almost there I can see the white edges of them all. If I can just keep my sanity one more month I think the worst of it will be past us.

random stuff

Ah...It is finally friday. Its a rainy day and getting chilly already.

-I had to get all the winter weather bedding out this week.
-Jonny and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary...wow.
-I had the kids pictures taken. I am very anxious to see how they turn out!
-I am working on a lesson because I have to teach relief society on sunday. horrible idea.
-Took Ian, Lincoln, and Nora to the library this afternoon. Overall Ian did pretty well.
  our new little towns library is even nicer than the old one.
-I have been riding my bike a few times a week on the bike path across the street. I love workouts
 where you can feel your muscles burning!
- We walk to school from time to time and today lincoln went into the school all by himself...no                  
 hesitations. He is making great progress:)

                                   sweet gray babies.

                                             teaching ian how to ride his trike.

                                              liv rode her bike with me to town.

           Random corn...i know. But this made me smile when I saw it at the grocery store. This was the beginning of summer. Corn taller than me.

ian

               Oh Ian how I love you so. He the quirkiest little person I've ever known. He is obsessed with doors, garage doors specifically, buttons and switches. Jonny tends him by giving him the garage door remote (which he checks jonnys pockets for daily, and asks for the "mote" all the time)  it will keep him busy for an hour. His favorite things to say right now are "light witch" "bunnel" which means button "ice cream!!" and of course "hi nora.....baby" All of these you have to image it sounding like a little robot. Jonny fears being an engineer is in his future, or maybe a garage door sales man :)   We love you sweet Ian.

nora moves out

 Nora moved out of her bedside basinet/seat to a big girl crib. Im sad to see her go, but she was getting to big. Here she is.... her first nap in her crib.

First day of school

                                      Oh so cute. Here is lincoln on his first day of kindergarten and Liv on her first day of 4th grade.They started back on tuesday. They both had good days and said all was well at school. Lincoln is happy when he comes home ...its so fun to see him growing up.  Liv gets a locker this year, and even has a friend from church in her class. She makes friends easily and has already found some gal pals at school. Ian was yelling for linc all morning on tuesday...but has since adjusted :)
They enjoy their lunch time together.

catch up

So...I am very sorry but I can't find my camera cord that attaches to the computer. I have been putting off writing a blog post until I could post photos from life's recent events. I have a couple random pics on my phone, and i guess that will have to do till I find the cord. I will now bore you with a list of what we have been doing lately...in no order (because that is the theme of my life lately)

* olivia had a birthday, she is now 9! holy smokes when did that happen. We went to the nature center, had a little family party, and went to the pet store to choose a pet fish. Ate chocolate cake and ended the night with a little Just Dance. Liv has some sweet dance moves.

* Lincoln lost his 2 front teeth...and became a jr. ranger.

* We went camping for our family vacation in the U.P.
It was beautiful, so so beautiful. Camping right on the beach out in the middle of nowhere. I have never seen a starry sky like the ones over Lake Superior. Amazing.

* We moved. It is so hard to move, I am slowly digging out and trying to figure out where things should go. The town is close to our old one (although we did almost end up in north carolina), but nicer and more cute. They have better schools, and allow chickens. jonny is interested in this hobby, but sadly I think molly would be pretty interested as well. Our street is a dead end and is full of children. The back yard in fenced, and big. Ian is loving it. I have talked to more neighbors the past 2 weeks then the whole time we lived in north aurora. The girl across the street even brought us cookies :)

* Went to a cruise in last night with our friends from our old ward, the guys both showed their cars.
We had root beer floats, and the kids all entered a hula hoop contest. ..except liv, who was to shy.

                                 she is so popular...liv and all her primary friends playing with nora

           

doctor

We had a doctors appointment on Thursday. I thought I would schedule them all back to back to save my self some trips and time. Worst. Idea. Ever. It was madness. Ian is a runner...he won't stay put anywhere. This is a big challenge, when i'm trying to talk to a doctor about another kid, he is running

out the door. over and over again. Lincoln is trying with all his might to get attention, and nora was 

so ready for her nap. Next year for our well child check ups i am hiring a babysitter, and taking them all individually. The doctor was rushed and trying to get me out of there.  I don't feel like the kids should have to miss out on the doctor visit they so dearly love (seriously they LOVE having doctor check-ups)
Anyway. They are all healthy I guess...and in the 90th+ percentile in everything. Nora has doubled her body weight:) The doctor said Ian was to young to do a blood test for his wheat allergy, but that we can do one when he is a bit bigger, just keep on avoiding it...And linc got is shots (even though 2 people had to hold him down) so he is ready for kindergarden. woo hoo.

Is It... Man or AstroMan?

We had a fun visit with family over this holiday weekend. Our driveway firework "display" was complete with our own personal bagpiper. My dishes were always magically done after dinner, and jonny and i even had a date in the city for my birthday. We went HERE, and HERE, and HERE.

oh nora mae.

Oh this sweet baby. I can't imagine my life without her. She is so good. She takes a good long nap(3 hours) at the same time as ian every day. She smiles and laughs, she loves kisses and songs
and her siblings. She sleeps all night and eats really well.  Absolutely my easiest baby. I am so thankful for her. I love you miss nora.

busy

Wow. I can't believe I haven't posted anything in a whole month! We have been busy busy so far this summer. We had some friends come visit from california, then some friends from indiana, then some family, then some more family. And in 2 days some more family.....
Olivia is back and we have been enjoying having her with us again. They have been doing the summer reading program at our library. This library gives away awesome prizes. I remember being a kid and getting one of those red plastic fortune teller fish as a prize, or a bookmark.
For the first 2 sections they got free children's museum tickets, ice cream, kids meals, free putt putt golf, baseball game tickets, and the list goes on! We have been able to do lots of things on the cheap,...my late book fines going to a good cause.

Ian is talking so well. I swear he learns a new phrase or word daily. Today he said "get that cweem"
translates to "can i get some ice cream?".  He can tell on lincoln now, he often says "linc hurt arm...owie". He absolutely loves the splash park...we went with some friends last week, and on our own this week.

Here are a few photos from the past little while...