I Told You...

That I would PREVAIL!!!!! :)

Maddie Girl in October...

Maddie got a surprise halloween necklace from her Nanny in Utah and wanted to wear it to school with a black shirt and halloween hair clip. She had a plan for how to do her hair and everything. She's so cute!

She also had a special halloween themed activity days this month where they got to make these fun treats! She did a great job! They also painted wooden toys as a service project that night and her leaders all commented on what an artist she was! Runs in the family I guess on all sides!

Last Monday night she had Kaitlin help her give a VERY good FHE lesson about geneology and temple work. She learned about this in activity days also and they sent the girls all home with a DVD so that they could pass on the new info to their families. Both girls did a really good job on the lesson and incorporating the DVD into the lesson with a question and answer game.

She's such a great girl!!!!! :)

Okay, a Little More Bragging then I'll Stop...

He also brought home a surprise for Emmy last week so that she could color... very cool, only she took a bite out of one right away!

And, the girls get to have a big bear hug when he comes home from work... He is the BEST DAD!!!

K&D (and me) each get their very own hug because they're too big to pick up with the rest of them!!!

Bragging...

I really don't brag on him as much as I should...

My husband does sweet things like this for me!!!

Kaitlins Young Womens Evening of Excellence...

Kaitlin is loving Young Womens this year. They just had their Evening of Excellence and the theme was the Oscars! The leaders did a fantastic job with the theme and decorations and the program. All of the girls were to do a poster on the 10 hour project they were currently working on finishing up. Hers was in Divine Nature and her goal was to learn to prepare and cook 10 meals, including clean up. She did an awesome job on her project as well as on her display board!!! We were so proud of her that night (and always of course!). She had to stand up when it was her turn and go to the front by her board and explain her project to all in attendance. She is such an amazing young woman and beautiful and perfect inside and out!!! We love you Kaitlin!

Sidenote: She borrowed a pair of Aunt Tawna's peep toe heels that went oh so perfectly with her glamorous gown for the evening, the only problem is that they were a size too small. Instead of telling us before we left she decided to grin and bear it for fasion... bad choice!!! I looked down at her feet when we were sitting at our table during the program and burst into laughter. She looked like one of the step-sisters on Cinderella with her feet CRAMMED into these fasionista peeps!!! She got some long toes courtesy of her papa and it was hilarious!!! She thought it would be okay because they were open toed and her toes could just hang over the front a bit because her dress was really long, but they were killing her about 30 minutes in. Kevin took a pic with his cell phone and if I can download it I will add it here... too funny though I assure you!!!

Happy 4th Birthday to Lauren...

Ocotber 25th Lauren turned 4!!! She is getting so big! She ate up all of the attention, along with her favorite dinner, orange chicken and rice from Panda, and a yummy chocolate cake her Daddy made for her!!! In our house we all sneek into the room by the bed of the person whose b-day it is and we softly sing Happy Birthday to wake them up. Then we sing it again only louder, and so forth. We also sing it so many time during the day that it could make you sick, except we LOVE it!!! Lauren likes this tradition the most probably and we actually sing for days for her!

She's learning so much in school thanks to Miss Tawna (aka Aunt Tawna!) and is so excited to go each time. She is talking really well and is easier understood at this point by all. She also seems to understand consequences and rules a little more this year and can be reasoned with at least a bit. She loves having her friends over, especially Brianna :) and the first thing they do is strip down their clothes to play dress up. They come down from the toy room with all kinds of different costumes and outfits... but whatever keeps them happy!

She is such a sweetie and I love her soooooo much! I love that she helped to join our families 4 years ago and can't imagine life without her. We are blessed!

Shoe Fit... as in the TANTRUM kind of FIT...

I know she looks kind of happy in this first picture, but she was really ticked off that I put these shoes on her! How dare I! It's my fault really because I have waited far too long to introduce her to shoes. I never saw the point before she started walking and even then, we are inside most of the time so she didn't need shoes. However, the weather is getting nicer now and it's time to start hitting the park for play dates instead of being indoors. So, we were going to play with cousins at the park and have a picnic and I put jeans and lace up tennis shoes on her. She was MISERABLE!!!! She wouldn't even walk. She crawled around and flung herself on the ground and cried and cried and screamed and screamed!!!! Finally Kevin couldn't stand it anymore and took them off of her... WIMP! I was prepared to leave those things on her feet until she dispensed with the drama and figured out she really could still walk! You'd think that they were big cement blocks strapped to her feet with the tantrum she threw! It went on for about 15 minutes and by the end she was so worn out from her big show, that she went into her bed for a nap (happily , I might add, she luvs her bed!) and Lauren and I went without her, which BTW was even better!!!! I do love her, but the next time I put those shoes on her feet (when the wimps at work...) I WILL leave them on till the bitter end!!!! I will prevail!!!

Poor Daddy...

Lauren was so worried about Kevin on Sunday because his back/neck/chest were so sore from having the flu, that he needed to lay on the roller massage table. She had to be right there with him, so she sat on his butt and read her book the entire time he was laying there!

Cute Purse by Kaitlin...

The young women made purses over the last 3 weeks and this is Miss Kaitlins! She helped pick out the fabrics and did all of the pattern and cutting out and sewing! She was sick with the flu the last week they were finishing them up so she brought it home and Oma helped her finish it here. It is really cute!!!

More art by Kaitlin...

She has specific assignments due in art class and these are two of them. I am not really sure what the exact project was, but the cake picture they were to draw some kind of food and the other is an alien! You'll have to check out her blog for more info on these!!! She is SOOOOOOO good!

Daron is the BEST Big Brother...

He's the best brother in the house!!! He is doing so great this week at school and at home! Him and Lauren hung out together so that the rest of us could go to Kaitlins choir concert the other night. They watched a movie together and were all curled up on the couch when we got home, just happy to be spending time together! He takes such good care of his sisters!!! They have been working on a rocket in scouts every week for about 6 weeks and it's finally ready! He was the manager of the project. He got to fire it for me on Wednesday night when I went to pick him up. They get to have a swim party and rocket launch the next time they get to meet after Fall Break and he is soooo excited! He's really coming along with his sax and I got a call from the band teacher telling us how good he is. She can't believe he's never played an instrument before! He will work his way through the begiining band book and shortly move up to the advanced band at the school! He is practicing hard and loving it! I can't wait for his first concert...

Maddie is so SWEET...

I love this girl... she is always (well, mostly) sweet! She goes with her Daddy for dinner 2 nights a week and sometimes comes home with a balloon, which is fought over because Lauren thinks everything is hers. The other night she came home from Red Robin with 2 balloons, so that Lauren could have her own and there would be no fighting! Good thinking!!! Thanks for being a peacemaker Maddie!

Kaitlins 1st Choir Concert...

Oma & Opa came and gave her these pretty roses and a nice card...

Kaitlin & Savvy... one of her best friends this year!

The whole choir...

She was the prettiest girl of course! Her Daddy says she is getting too big and he loved being there to hear her! She is an amazing singer and this will be fun for her through junior high and high school.

We had a great time going to hear the choir sing at their first concert of the year. Kaitlin loves being in choir even if the teacher isn't one of her favorites. Oma made her a really cute skirt and we found the perfect shirt!!! She has many concerts this year that we're looking forward to...

Laurens Imagination...

She's hilarious!!! I have no idea why these dolls are "hanging" out like this, but I walked by and did a double take and laughed my head off! She's always putting her dolls and little pets in the strangest places! Once we even found the pepperoni from her pizza on the entry window sill... crazy girl!!!

She really knows how to Clean her plate...

Squishy girl!!!

That's a BIG pair of shoes to FILL...

Maddie Stuff...

She is such a great student! Her teacher has the nicest things to say about her and gave her an extra little award last week!!! She was very proud of herself and so are we!!!! :)