catching up 6 (last 1 I promise!)

Well, I just had to tell about my latest home improvement project because it was so fun! I found some spray paint that was textured and looked like stone so I decided to see if I could refinish my old kitchen table to look nicer, and I think it turned out pretty well. Eventually I will probably paint my chairs to match, but they needed to be dry enough to sit on for Grant's birthday dinner yesterday. Can you tell the table used to be a pine farm table?

Catching up 5 (Shaylee)

Shaylee is loving 1st grade! Math is her favorite, she must take after her Dad! She also has been working on piano, though Ellie is almost caught up to her!

All 3 of the girls started Gymnastics this month, and are loving it! We go to the "lil Flippers Gym" in Kaysville. It gives them an appropriate outlet for all thier climbing and jumping energy- they get to jump on the trampoline, Ellie & Chloe do an obstacle course of sorts where they practice walking on a low beam, climbing ladders, jumping in a pit of styrofoam blocks, swinging on a low bar, doing somersaults and stuff like that. Since Shaylee is school age she gets to use actual olympic equipment- bars and floor and tramp are her favorite, though she is working on beam and vault as well. They absolutely love it!

Shay is very happy to be well again. She missed the whole week of school a couple of weeks ago because she was sick with the swine flu. She was pretty miserable, so if you can get the vaccine instead, I'd recommend it! (and if you have a sore throat and cough then start running a fever-stay home! I would willingly run any errands you need so you don't have to go anywhere!)

Well, many lysol wipes, 1/2 a can of lysol spray and a keg of Hand sanitizer later, I think we are finally rid of all the flu germs!

catching up 4 (Ellie)

Ellie is growing up fast. She loves to be able to do what Shaylee does, and feels bad when she doesn't get to. She has been trying to learn to read, and loves to sound out little words she sees, and loves to do "homework" in her little preschool workbook from Grandma Valerie.

Ellie loves preschool and has a little friend named Emma that she calls her best friend. She always talks about her, and is so excited to go to school to see her!

Ellie is also getting very good at piano, she just seems to be a natural! She is starting to put both hands together, and likes to figure out how to play songs she hears other people play.

We just celebrated Ellie's 5th birthday at the beginning of October, She is so excited to be 5! She got to have a big birthday dinner with Nana and Grandpa Darley, and then later in the week she got to have Grandpa Bruce and Grandma Valerie and her cousins and uncle Jeremy over for cake and icecream. She loved the attention and the festivities!

Catching up 3 (Grant)

Grant has grown a lot...and his birthday is tomorrow! I can't believe he is already a year old! He is such a busy boy, but he is cute and hilarious! He gets into everything, and is so proud of himself! He started standing himself up in the middle of the room at about 8 1/2 months, and by 10 1/2 months he was pretty much running all over. He loves emptying drawers, and then climing in them. He likes to play piano, or anything else that makes noise! He is a true boy, he loves balls and cars- for his birthday we got him a little basketball hoop and balls and he stands there and throws the ball in the hoop over and over and over! He also loves to run his little trucks back and forth and make "car sounds" (it sounds more like "Oooooh!") He loved having "big people food" for his birthday dinner yesterday- it was the traditional Spaghetti and chocolate cake because it is so funny how messy they get! He was so proud of himself for being able to feed himself with his spoon and fork, not that he used them much!

Still catching up!

This summer we also went to a family friend's pool, and the kids loved it! I am just thankful for arm floaties that made it possible for me to enjoy being the only adult in the pool with 4 children under the age of 7... we visited the Costley's and rode horses, and visited, and mostly just survived Jeff's traveling...

It's been a while!

Well, I am going to have to catch up in segments, sorry it has been so long!

This summer just went way too fast- we gardened, experimented with making spaghetting sauce from our tomatos, and just kept up with busy kids!

Chloe is very creative in her mischief- but I only have pictures of her trying to brush her teeth without hands, and the mess she made to "help Grant be happy" (she got out every blanket, movie, and toy in our family room and spread them around the floor...)

No Picture evidence...

Well, the last month or 2 has been a little crazy, and unfortunately, I can't find our camera, so we don't even have picture evidence! But here's the run down!

Our Stake had an H1N1 Flu scare (as in 15 families had it, and church and stake conference, and all activities were cancelled for 3 weeks...) My Sister Alicia got married, (Yeah we are so excited!) We had a family reunion in Seattle (We drove 14 hours there and back with 4 kids... Thank Heavens for Car dvd players and a very creative mother-in-law!) And Camp Kiesel with the Activity Day girls! Now, we are just trying to dig out!

Grant is just a few days away from being 9 months old- He tries to stand up to everything, climbs on everything, and is just a happy busy boy! he loves exploring and getting into stuff, especially if he can empty it onto the floor! He likes all sorts of cords (like printer cables, and t.v. cables...) cars, tools, and anything that makes noise!

Chloe is 3 and at kind of a contrary stage. She definitely tests her limits and tries to see how much control she can get by just ignoring what I say and doing what she wants! She is very smart and loves spelling her name to people. She also loves to play out side and has endless amounts of energy!

Ellie is getting excited to turn 5 this fall, and go to preschool! She tries really hard to make people happy, I am so glad I got at least 1 kid who is a Pleaser! She loves to play with friends and is very sweet and loving, and always willing to give (or get!) a hug!

Shaylee needs a challenge, or a goal...She likes to play with her friends whenever she gets a chance, but drags her feet if she has to do anything that is not her idea! She does love reading anything and everything from signs we pass in the car to her favorite Junie B. Jones books. She is excited to be starting first grade this fall and asks everyday when we can get ready!

Jeff is loving being a manager, notwithstanding the extra responsibilities...(and the extra hours!) He keeps up the davis arts council website, as well as Grandma Child's family history website in his spare time. He also enjoys being a sunday school teacher for the Youth, and going to Davis Arts Concerts in the park...

Anika is still in primary...A year and a half and apparently they aren't sick of me yet, or I haven't learned everything yet...probably more the latter! I went to camp Kiesel with 3 parents and 17 girls for a whole day and can I just say how early 5:45 a.m. is? Camp was fun, though, and I think the girls had fun too! I really enjoyed going up to Bellevue for the Family reunion, the time was too short and I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to but enjoyed the people I did see! Now we are just gearing up for fall...school, lessons, holidays, birthdays...bring it on!

Well, hopefully we will find our camera so the next update will have pictures to make it more interesting!

We love you all and hope you are doing well!