Disneyland 2012

We decided to start our year of traveling early and went to DISNEYLAND!! This trip came right in the middle of remodeling the kitchen but Steve hired a guy to put in the cabinets while we were gone so it worked out ok...

We stopped at the London Bridge on the way there. Some guy paid to have it shipped over in pieces and then reassembled in Lake Havasu City, AZ... Random, but cool.

The first night we were in California was for a work conference Steve had to go to, we stayed on the 14th floor of a cool hotel. Johnny was a little scared of the height, the elevator was glass so he could see how high we were, he crawled from the elevator to the room...

That night Steve cracked the curtains and the city lights were the kids night light, they thought that was super cool.

Our first morning at Disneyland, Valentines day!

Cute Maeli girl!



They were prepared to wait until the monkey car was available on this train ride, luckily they didn't have to wait, everyone in line could see who belonged in the monkey cage!



Goodmans and Seamons



Ky, John and Sarah, trying to remove the sword in the stone...



Tired kids!



Johnny driving his car at Autopia. He drove me once and thought it was hilarious to just take his hands off the wheel and bump around when the tires hit the center rail, track thingie. Steve said he didn't do that with him...



Steve had to go to his conference one morning for a few hours on a Disneyland day, I decided I could brave it on my own... The boys in the stroller, Mae in the sling and Ky helping me push. Sully thought it was funny...



Tuck and Rolls bumper cars! It stared to rain and this ride got busy, it was covered...



Johnny decided Pluto was his favorite this time, he loves dogs!!



Another favorite dog, Doug from Up.



Ariel is Ky's current favorite but she decided to be shy when we met her and she wouldn't talk to her... or any of the princesses... The little mermaid ride was her favorite ride, we went multiple times in a row, no lines, might as well...



Leo was so excited to meet Buzz! His favorite ride was the Buzz Lightyear ride.



We spent a couple hours at the beach. Leo is so cute here, I love it!



Mae loved the sand and didn't eat too much...

It was a fun trip, we got to see some Cali friends, play with some of our AZ friends and enjoy being together as a family with little to distract us.

We came home to a kitchen still not done, the cabinets didn't come in when expected, but really what else can you expect from home remodeling... it is ok though, we will get it done... eventually...

Steve's Cabin Fever Project 2012

It is a big one... I think the last thing in our house that hasn't been remodeled yet... THE KITCHEN!! Steve has been wanting to do it for awhile and with the whole wall removal, new counter top adventure he got the bug. Oh and when the new counter top turned out to be, well, less than stellar... we decided to go for it and do the whole thing!

I have been cooking out of the microwave for two weeks and everyone is getting sick of frozen burritos but we are just about done! Cabinets come tomorrow and it should go fast after that.

The Saturday before we left we did a lot to get ready... This is what it looked like at breakfast. And if my great grandpa Jackson were around he would ask what is for dinner? Sawdust and nails?! :)

By dinner time, still sawdust and nails on the menu, but a new window in place, someone had the great idea to make it 4 inches bigger so it took a little longer than just replacing the old one...

All the old cabinets removed and SOLD! Yea for craigslist!

After a week away and then a week of working on it this is what it looks like today. New light over the sink, painted, lots of little things you can't see... Oh and a make shift sink, Steve rigged up a 2x4 base for the the old counter and sink so we could have a kitchen sink again... What a great guy! Tomorrow morning the cabinets will be delivered and then the real progress will begin. Fingers crossed that I will have it put back together by next weekend!

Maeli Jo... 6 moths!!

Miss Mae Jo is 6 months old already!! Time with our littlest princess has flown! Maeli is now rolling over, both tummy to back and back to tummy. She rolls in the same direction over and over to try and get things across the room. Mean mommy watched her do this one day, it took her 10 minutes to get across the room then I scooped her up just as she reached her goal... the fireplace gate... She can sit on her own as long as she has patience for it. Mae is eating solids, well mostly smearing them all over her face but I do think some gets in her mouth. She still smiles a huge smile for most everyone who looks at her. She giggles and coos, mostly for her brothers, they are funny guys. She is a lot of fun and we love her to pieces!

Toys, toys, toys... Mae has discovered them and loves them. I think she may be my first bay to go from fussy to happy just by giving her a toy.

I hope our little sister, Mae Mae, knows how loved she is... especially by this guy! Did I mention mae mae means little sister in Chinese... fits perfectly!

Three of the munchkins. And a lot of their toys... remodel mess makes it harder for me to keep up with all the other little messes. Oh well, everyone is healthy and happy!

snowman

Our month of spring has ended... it snowed last night!! AND no school today!! Perfect conditions for snowman building!

Leo is pretty cute with his "cowboy hat" I think it is actually a horse but that is what Leo calls it...



Pretty little Miss Ky.

At 5 months...

...Maeli is a cute little cabbage patch dollie! Look at those cheeks!! She has started to suck on her bottom lip and the result is a fabulous cabbage patch doll face!

...Maeli is working on sitting up, she can do it unassisted for short periods of time, one mississippi, two mississippi...

...Maeli is chewing on everything in her reach. AND growing a little HAIR! I see "bushy hair" in her future. ;)

...Maeli still HATES tummy time. At this point she would rather cry with her face in the rug than roll over.

Our sweet girlie is growing up, we are loving every minute. I am even trying to love the 3 to 4 times she wakes up at night... at the same time I am reading a book about how to help her sleep through the night... Here's hoping! :)

The Little Ballerina

Kyla read her new favorite library book to Miss Maeli, all about a little ballerina. It was really sweet! I read the book to Ky earlier and she told the story to Mae from memory and the pictures. Yea for sisters!

Shut the Door!

Leo talked about shutting the door for a week before I figured out what he was talking about... The gingerbread house's door is OPEN! Leo has heard "Close the door it is cold" enough that he is super concerned about the door being open on their home...




New this year to the nativity's at our house... From the trading post in Cameron. Closer to home than the one's from Scotland and Mexico but technically it is another country... :)

how we roll...

I was trying to catch Maeli doing her latest trick... ROLLING!! I didn't get it but got these instead...

Leo with his "shoot." My kids have bee playing with cardboard all week... cardboard boxes the Christmas presents were shipped in... cardboard rolls that held the wrapping paper the Christmas presents were wrapped in... who needs the presents?! :)




Johnny has a new addiction... Mario Kart Wii!!! He is always asking to play and has gotten pretty good!




You want me to roll over for the camera?!


That is what I have to say about that...

The Tiniest Snowman Family... in the world

School was delayed 2 hours this morning so we tried to finish up our to do list from yesterday... Snowman, check... kind of. We have 2 feet of gorgeous powder... not really snowman making snow, so we made these from the chunks of snow shoveled off the driveway.




The kids were happy with our tiny snowman family...



We are getting another storm this weekend, I'm sure we'll get a snowman made soon!

Leo Rockstar!

I just found this video of Leo and it made me laugh, so I thought I'd share... we all need a booty shakin' two year old to make us laugh sometimes!

"I rockstar, oh yea!!"

Snow Day

We had an awesome storm last night... It made for an awesome day today! Who stayed in their jammies until noon, played in the snow for hours, had Grandma Grover's hot chocolate, watched movies and ate popcorn? Yep, my kids and I!! We love snow days!!

I love that the sun comes out right after the storm, beautiful mountain snow!

Lots and lots of beautiful mountain snow!

4 little months!!

Our sweet Miss Mae is 4 months old today!! She is a fun little girl. She smiles and talks and blows bubbles. She has rolled over a couple times. Just onto her tummy but then she is stuck and mad about it, she does not like tummy time! Usually though her rolling is just onto her side. The kids all love her and want to hold her. She is pretty happy with all the attention.

Our pretty little Miss Mae Jo!

As usual, everyone is crowding around the Mae. Johnny calls Maeli, coochy coochy Mae Mae. It is pretty funny, especially when Steve calls her that... :)

I Buzz Lightyear!

Leo has decided he is Buzz Lightyear. At tithing settlement last week the bishop asked how he was doing, and Leo said, "Good, I Buzz Lightyear." We all laughed and you know what that means... our little comedian will do it again and again, he loves to make us laugh.

He had me tape the empty wrapping paper roll to his back for his wings... "And Beyond!"

Christmas is Coming...

And here it is, set up and decorated!

I love Christmas!!

Christmas is Coming...

We cut our Christmas tree this weekend. It was snowing and stressful driving but FUN to play in!

Cousins! Kyla Johnny, Ellie, Ian and Leo. Leo was in the middle of throwing a fit because he wanted me to help him make a snowman, not take a picture of him!

We got a juniper tree this year, it is the best shape and size we have ever had.



Paul and Sarah with their tree!


We love the tradition of cutting our own tree, this year was a bit crazy due to the snow and that we had to be back for the ballet... We made it though and had a wonderful time!

Christmas is Coming...

Kyla danced in the Nutcracker ballet last Saturday. They perform with the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra, it is pretty cool. Also cool is that the little girls only dance in one of the three performances AND Kyla was put in the matinee! Cool because it is only the 2nd act and the tickets are less than $10 instead of more than $50 per seat!

Kyla was a Marzipan sheep. Steve thinks it is funny that she has been animals in both her ballet performances, a poodle last spring, and now a sheep. Kyla liked this costume better, even though the last one was pink, because it has a tutu!

If you look close you can see she is right in the middle of the line of girls, one of the few actually dancing...

Middle back...



After the performance...



Silly dancing girl, with her tongue out! :)



My beautiful ballerina!