Christmas

We were all kind of under the weather for Christmas this year. We stayed home Christmas Eve instead of going down to S.D. like we usually do. We ended up just hanging out all day with the girls playing games, short trip to the park for some fresh air, and snuggled up for a Christmas movie before bed. The girls let us sleep in until 8:30!!! Christmas morning. This is a record for us! We heard our door open then Corynn telling Alli, "Go wake Dad & Mom up and tell them you're hungry". After presents we headed down to S.D. to visit with family. The girls had fun as usual playing with all their cousins on both sides. I loved all the Mexican food Mom made. Hyrum must have played everyone in the house on his family's new Ping Pong table. Corynn asked me last night how long it was until Christmas again so she must have had a good one. So, another Christmas over and now its back to life as usual. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

This one is for you BREI!

I just want to give a shout out to one of my way cool neices Breianna who happens to be graduating at the top of her Nursing class tonight! Girl you ROCK! Now hurry on back here to AZ, we have a shortage of nurses you know! I really am proud of you girlie!

Concert, Santa, and more.

Thursday Hyrum and I started off this last weekend early with a concert that he had bought tickets to for my Birthday last month. I think Hyrum expected me to accept the tickets and invite someone for a girls night out. Nope I dragged him along and he was a very good sport. We saw Augustana(weird, but very good) Alanis Morrisette(not the scary,angry chick I thought her to be) and last but not least Sarah McLachlan who was fabulous I'll have you know! Friday we had our ward party and enjoyed great food and Santa. Santa had all of the kids sit down first and reminded them of the true meaning of Christmas. Then of course they sat on his lap and bombarded him with requests for every lead filled toy of every kind. Allison was first on his lap and just asked him for a candy cane that was sitting in a basket next to him. Corynn was next and asked him for one thing, and that thing is already hiding nicely in my closet...he,he. Anyhoo, Saturday was Hyrum's sister Sarah's baby shower which I had to miss due to the raging fever my Audra was running! I hate it when the doctor says its viral nothing you can do about it! Sorry Sarah! Hyrum worked saturday morning and then attended a missionary meeting that night(for one of his callings). It was a good meeting the mission president spoke to them. We tag teamed through church, he stayed home with the baby so I could go teach my lesson, then I flew home so he could go teach his lesson in Elder's quorum. Wheeeew. Weekend over! So is this lengthy post.

Thanksgiving

I managed to put my fork down long enough to snap a few pics. Corynn was running around the whole time with her cousins so I never did get her in any of them. We ate with Hyrum's family first and had a great time, then went (around the corner) to my parents house and had more food and played games with my mom and sisters. My dad and brothers took off to go hunting shortly after eating. Eventually we ended up back at my inlaws and played more games. Whew! I am very thankful for our two families! Hyrum and I feel that our girls have wonderful grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins!

Audra and cousin Dawson are very thankful for each other!


At Hyrum's house the missionaries came over and one played around with my camera and rather enjoyed taking pictures of Miranda...I mean Miranda holding Audra (wink,wink)


Allison and cousin Haley playing in the leaves.

Honeymoon & Cheese

I was in the kitchen fixing lunch when I overheard this conversation between Hyrum and Corynn today.

HYRUM: "I'd like to go to outer space some day."

CORYNN: "Dad, you already did!"

HYRUM: "I did?"

CORYNN: "Yeah, you know right after you married mom, you two went to the Honeymoon."

HYRUM: (much laughter)

CORYNN: "Hey mom, did you eat the moon and did it taste like cheese or honey?"

Yum

Early this morning I gathered the girls and headed down to S.D. to get yet another bread making lesson from Mom(I believe this was like the 4th or 5th) and she showed me how to make the apples I cooked all night in the crockpot into apple butter. This is my finished product. Thank you, but the applause really aren't necessary. Oh and thank you Mom for spending your day off teaching me to make this homemade goodness!

One for the History books...

This morning over Cocoa Puffs, I broke the news to Corynn that our candidate and his "friend" did not win the election. I told her that Obama will be our President. I told her that I still feel good about my decision to vote McCain/Palin, and she said, "Me too mom, we voted for the right person they just didn't win." So there you have it. I was pleased to see that Arizonan's passed prop 102. One less thing to worry about. Way to go AZ!

Halloween

We had a great time Friday night. Hyrum's family came up from S.D. and we ate pizza then hit the streets in our neighborhood to do some trick or treating. This year Corynn was Little Red Riding Hood, Allison was Minnie Mouse, and Audra was a pumpkin (all 3 girls have worn that suit for their first Halloween). They had fun with all the cousins and now Corynn is already planning her costume for next year. My computer is not letting me add all my pics for some reason but here are a few. All the kids were so cute!


Cousins Mercedeez and Nevaeh

Alli and Nevaeh "cat and mouse"

Last Minute Pumpkin Carving

October has been so crazy busy at our house so we didn't carve our pumpkins until just a few hours before we went out trick or treating! But we did get it done thanks to Hyrum and the girls loved it. Corynn shared all the pumpkin facts she had learned earlier in the week at school with us. Alli mostly giggled and said, "Eww stinky, gross!" the whole time.

Kiddie Polls

Corynn's teacher has been talking to them all week about the upcoming elections and the importance of voting. Today they marched into the Library and got to vote. When I picked her up from school she informed me that she had voted for John McCain and his friend Sarah Palin not "Brockit Ovama". We've corrected her several times but she still says his name that way. Funny girl.

Pumpkin Patch

We took the girls to pick pumpkins on Saturday. Every year we go to Buckelew Farm outside of Tucson. The girls love the horse drawn wagon rides to and from the pumpkin fields, finding the perfect one, and of course the petting zoo, snow cones and kettle corn (my favorite). This year one of the vendors was a man dressed like a pirate selling pirate stuff. Corynn got a picture with him then asked him where his ship was, he told her it was still in the ocean and that his crew made him walk the plank. She bought the story and gave him a hearty "ARRG!" The girls had a great time as usual and combined the pumpkins weighed in at 20 lbs. thank goodness for the wagon ride back to the weighing station.

WANTED!!!

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MASKED BANDIT?



If you see her please tell her that her mother would like her to respond when she calls her name, tell her to stop jumping on the bed, and please, please keep her voice down when she shouts "YEE HA!", she's going to wake the baby! Thank you.

My Girls

I love these girls! They laid down by Audra to watch their cartoons early this morning. Couldn't pass up the photo op.

More Recital Pics

Can't forget the audience.




Cousin Sammy tolerated the recital and was greatful for the 2 sweaty peanut M&M's Alli was willing to share with him. Alli wanted to dance with her sister so bad so I told her she could dance on the stage after the program was over if she could sit and be good. She was VERY good so she got to dance! And dance she did!

Dance Recital

Corynn had a dance recital last Friday. The theme was "Every Girl Can Be a Princess".
She did really well and it was a lot of fun to watch.




I couldn't find a very good spot to take pictures of her 2nd dance so I have the lovely sound equipment in them.

Heard Around The House

Sometimes I hear some pretty funny things from my kids during the week.

Corynn: "Mom Audra's feet smell like Cheetos"

Allison: "What the Hecks?"

Corynn: "Dad I'm going to give you a finacial notice!" (not sure what that means)

Allison to me: "Honey, you o.k.?"

Allison 2 inches away from my ear:(at 6:00 am loud, raspy, whisper voice)"Mom I want faffles, peeease!"

Corynn: "Mom, you should ground me from school today, I can't wake up!"

Allison at least 5 times a day, at any given moment:(at the top of her very, very loud lungs) "No more bunkeys(monkeys) jumpin' da bed!"

Corynn: "Mom, you're not going to want to hear this, but, Alli's writing on herself with the markers!"

Names

I saw this on my friend Rachel's blog and thought I'd try it out. So these are some of my names, but I mostly go by "Mom".

1. Your Rock Star Name: ( First Pets name, current Car)
Panther Jeep
2. Your Gangsta Name: (Favorite Ice Cream Flavor and Favorite Cookie)
Nutty Coconut Chocolate Chunk
3. Your "Fly-girl" name: (First Initial of First Name, First 3 letters of Last Name)
C-Cot
4. Your Detective Name: (Favorite Color, Favorite Animal)
Purple Polar Bear
5. Your Soap Opera Name: (Middle Name, City where you were born)
Renee Phoenix
6. Star Wars Name: (1st 3 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of Mother's maiden name, 1st 3 letters of Town where born)
Cinespho
7. Super Hero Name: ("The" + 2nd Favorite Color, Favorite Drink)
The Pink Dr. Pepper
8. Nascar Name: (The first names of your Grandfathers)
Arlis Ira
9. Stripper Name (Yikes!): (Name of Favorite Perfume, Favorite Candy)
Lauren Snicker (hmm, no future there!)
10. TV Weather Anchor Name: (5th Grade Teachers Last Name, Major City that starts with same letter).
Ruder Reno
11. Witness Protection Name: (Mother and Fathers Middle Names)
Jeannine Ira
12. Spy Name: (Favorite Season / Holiday, Favorite Flower)
Autumn Tulip
13. Cartoon Name: (Favorite Fruit, Article of Clothing your wearing right now + "ie" or "y"
Nectarine Shorty
14. Hippy Name: (What you ate for Breakfast, Favorite Tree)
Oatmeal Mullberry
15. Your Rock Star Tour Name: "The", your favorite hobby/craft, favorite weather element + "Tour")
The Reading Rain Tour (That will sell some tickets)

Sweet Sister Love

I often find Corynn and Audra this way. Corynn is always telling me that "Audra is the best thing to happen to our family" and wants to be near her all the time. Now if I could just get Corynn and Allison to act like this!

Random pictures

Hyrum making funny faces with Audra(she looks mean doesn't she?)

One of my summer beauties taking a break from running in the sprinklers

Here Corynn is at school with the "share bag". Each week someone gets to take the share bag home and fill it with things that are special to them to help the other children get to know them. She's showing her 5 generation picture that I took of her as a baby with Hyrum, his mom, his grandmother, and greatgrandmother, pretty cooooool.
Corynn teaching her class about the letter "O"(no I didn't take the pictures, her teacher is fabulous and understands that mothers like to document everything and takes pictures of them every week and emails them to us)

Here we go again...

We've started the potty training process with my two year old. I'm tired of having two children in diapers. Corynn was already potty trained and getting her own drinks, fairly independent, when Alli was born. But because Audra was an "unexpected blessing", she and Allison are less than 2 years apart. So for the last 4 months, we've gone through I don't even want to guess how many diapers and well, I'm tired of buying diapers at 20 bucks a box X2.
So this morning I'm sitting on the edge of the tub next to Alli who is sitting on her little plastic throne...I'm dosing...then I'm startled when she yells, "Ta-da!!!, I did it Mommy!" So I immediately start cheering, "Yeah, your a big gir"......then I notice she's holding up her little finger showing me a huge booger that she had been laboring diligently to remove since she woke up. Not quite what I was hoping for but good job Alli.

Trip Down Memory Lane

Here's the rules...

1) Think of a memory that you and I have shared together and leave a comment about it.

2) Thennnnnn, post these same instructions on your blog and enjoy or blush horribly at the things people remember about you. I'll assume you are playing the game too and I will leave a memory on your blog as well.

Escape to the pines!

These are some of the pictures we took last weekend when we escaped to the mountains for a couple of days. My parents invited us up to Alpine to camp with them, they have a travel trailer which to me means, running water, shower and a real toilet. I'm not a fan of "roughing it". The weather was beautiful, I loved the afternoon rains. We camped near Luna Lake so Hyrum got to fish everyday but still came home fishless, probably because he had his girls with him and spent most of the time untangeling and recasting lines every 5 minutes. He was a good sport though and made sure they had fun. Hyrum would take the girls on a hike and quad ride everyday too. Thank you mom and dad for letting us crash any hopes of the two of you having a nice relaxing weekend in the pines!

Locks of Love

Corynn has been wanting to cut her hair for awhile now, and I've been putting it off but my friend was free to cut it today so we decided to do it. Corynn is donating it to Locks of Love which required a shorter hair cut than she wanted at first but after viewing their website, there was no hesitation on her part, she told me she would be donating it to someone who needed it. She is much braver than I am! Soooo her beautiful long locks are gone, but her "new do" is so cute I think, and it has even given her a little bit of an attitude...