Good Things

I just had to share these good things I have really been appreciating or enjoying lately. I thought about making a Thankful post, but then didn't want to spend the time to come up with a comprehensive list (how awful!) so, here are some of the things I have enjoyed lately:

1) Fruits and Vegetables! A friend of mine organized a produce group and we have been relishing the bounty! We have had so many different kinds of produce and have been loving it! I love all the colors and flavors! We still have loads to eat! Yum! I have always loved this scripture:

Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart. Doctrine and Convenants 59:18

2) Going along with the above post: Roasted Cauliflower! I never really knew what to do with cauliflower. Sure, a little steamed cauliflower was okay, but I rarely bought it because I didn't want a whole head to have to eat. With this produce run I got quite a bit of cauliflower because I wanted to puree some and a friend told me about roasting it. It is fabulous! Even Emma asks for seconds and wants to share it with friends and relations! So, cut into florets, toss in a little olive oil and sprinkle on some seasoning salt and put it on a rimmed baking pan in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. You will need to keep an eye on it and move it around once or twice. It is so delicious!

3) Jersey Knit Sheets: We were given a set of Jersey knit sheets for our wedding (Thanks again P&L!). I don't know what it was about them, but I had no interest in using them and didn't for 4 years or so. Then one day I put them on. I LOVE them for the Winter time. Not so much in the warm times of the year, but for cool nights, it is so nice to get into bed (or get back into bed) and not have freezing cold sheets; Especially those nights when the kids are getting me up 3 and 4 times a night between the three of them!

4) Parenting Class- I have been attending the Church Sponsored parenting class this fall and it has been a great experience for me. I have really learned a lot and hope I can be a better parent for my wonderful children. I only thing that would make the class better for me is if Kenneth were bale to attend with me. Maybe someday!

5) A couple of great movies- In the last month, Kenneth and I have watched a couple of really fantastic movies that I wholeheartedly recommend:

One Good Man, made for an LDS audience, and Fireproof, made by a Christian group. The later is particularly inspiring.

Well, Those are the great things I wanted to tell you all about.

The Best Daddy Ever

Lately I have been noticing often what an incredible father Kenneth is to these 3 little ones. I love catching moments like these on camera. He is so loving, funny, and caring with them. He is always looking for ways to teach them and to spend time with them. We love you, Daddy!

Daddy and the girls in the Logan Canyon during our visit to Aunt Karen and family
Daddy and Arianna on Sunday afternoon.

Story time
Story before bed

Pizza Party Videos

So, I successfully posted some videos this evening, so I thought I should try these again. You have got to see this little dog in action- he is so cute!



This is the parade we had in the backyard so the kids could show off their costumes. It is hilarious to me that the girls stay right around the bush walking nicely and then you see the silver bullet zoom by- the oldest boy at the party!

Grant man growing up!

Grant is 14 months old today!! Wow! I can't believe how fast he is growing up! I guess technically in some ways he is growing up slowly. . .just yesterday he took his first steps!! 7 in a row and a couple more here and there throughout the afternoon/evening. He definitely wants to walk now. This morning he was walking down the hall steadying himself on the wall. I am going to list bullet style some of the other things this little man is learning or doing at the moment:

• Grant has started to almost insist on spoon feeding himself things like yogurt and applesauce. It is, of course, a messy prospect, but one which leads to greater independence, which I am looking forward to!
• He seems too young to already know how to do this, but he knows how to throw a tantrum with the best of them. Funny little guy.
• Going along with that last one, he is also learning to try to get what he wants from his sisters. He will pull their hair and swat at them when they are doing something he doesn't like or when he wants something they have.
• This little guy has an early-morning gene in him because he is awake 9 days out of in the 5 o' clock hour. Fortunately, I suppose, I am mostly used to this now and am learning to accept it.
  
• Kenneth is embarrassed to admit this one, but Grant is going through a phase where he always wants to be wearing his sisters' necklaces. He kind of looks like a white, baby Mr. T (minus the mo-hawk!)! I think it's adorable.
• Grant loves anything with wheels, anything electronic or anything that resembles a ball. He even goes after ladies' walkers in Relief Society. He even calls muffins "balls".
• He gives hugs and kisses on demand. This is what makes all those those dirty diapers worth it!!!
• He folds his arms for the prayer- he can even read the cues and knows when to do it by himself!
• He is saying so many words: diaper, car, truck, tickle, hot, go, door, park, ball, "all done" and he will 'roar' when we talk about lions. He is talking so much more than his sisters were at this age.
  
• One of his favorite activities right now is climbing up and down my step stool that I keep in the kitchen. The first few times it scared me to death, but he hasn't fallen yet.
• A few things to notice in the video:our lovely 'vintage' kitchen, again Grant is wearing the necklace, and listen to him say, "ball". The girls are painting at the table behind me in case you are wondering what they are doing. Isn't he adaorable!
  
• Like any real male he loves digging in the dirt!

Enjoy the sibling love at the end!

• His facial expressions are hilarious. He has the funniest smirks and smiles.
  
• Finally, he is always so excited to see his Daddy when he comes home.
  

Dress up Pizza Party

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that my post last year for Halloween was "Halloween Grinch". Yup- that's me. I just don't like the holiday. I never have. We didn't really celebrate it when I was young; I never went Trick or Treating. I hate all the spiders, witches, ghosts. Yuck. Last year we did take the kids trick of treating and The girls were afraid of all the decorations at peoples' doors. Then, last month, Arianna really was scared of the Halloween decorations that she saw in Lowe's. She was terrified. So, we decided not to subject her to all of that this year. My kids also don't need all that candy. (Truthfully, I don't need all that candy. If it comes in the house, I can control their intake, but Kenneth and I generally eat WAY TOO MUCH.)

But, I do want my kids to have fun. So, a friend and I decided to have a Dress Up Pizza Party. Earlier this week a family in our ward gave us a whole bag of costumes, so my kids were so excited to wear them to the party! We let them make their own mini- pizzas, had a little parade around the backyard, had dessert and let them run around. It was such fun.

I am realized blogging in real time is so much more fun! So, even though I am still way behind in all my other blogging, I wanted to get this up here tonight for you all to enjoy before the "H day" itself! (And yes, this is our rental home in case you are wondering. For those family members who have asked to see pictures of our place)
Here are our kids and their friend and their pizza creations. Notice my baby boy looking so grown up!

Yum! Enjoying dinner

The cutest puppy you ever have seen! (Little Grant)

Our little ones (Notice Emma and Arianna sucking down the juice- can you tell they don't get it very often!) Emma is Ariel (The Little Mermaid) and Arianna is Minnie Mouse

Sweet little Minnie




Here is a video of our little Costume parade in the backyard. Well, I tried for over a half hour to upload the blasted video and it wasn't working so, for now. . .th th th th th. . that's all folks!

A clue. . .

It's definitely a clue that you need to change the way you communicate with your children when your 4 year old talks to her 2 year old sister in the third person. . .

Family Pictures

Hey all! I have been so delinquent in posting. It seems any time I think about posting, something else takes presidence (or I have technical difficulties). But, we did have family pictures and Grant's one year old pictures taken. When you go to the link, most of the family pictures are toward the end of the slideshow, so don't cop out before you see some of the cute ones! (There aren't that many pictures, don't worry!) So, here is the link for your viewing pleasure:

http://click.preferred.jcpportraits.com/?ju=fe211677726205787c1075&ls=fded11757c64047476137673&m=fef71778776c07&l=fe871c777065037b73&s=fe2e16767367077f711370&jb=fef615787d6701&t=