Christmas on Hidden Manor

I know, I know. Christmas was 3 days ago. BUT in my defense, we had family over until late that night, and I've been sick with the stomach flu since Friday morning. So, here is the long-awaited Christmas update:

We have 4 - yes, 4 - sets of in-laws between us, not including our kids' other families. This essentially means at least 3 family parties beginning the Saturday before and ending on Christmas Day. Toss in my birthday on the 24th, and you have the makings of a hectic-but-festive schedule. On Saturday, we went to my Dad's party in Salem. My girls love this one! There was lots of snow, so they went sledding, and Lauren learned to drive the ATV with cousin Brendan. (Sorry, no pictures - too dark). Grandpa & Grandma Abbott really cater to the kids, so theirs is always the most active party!

Sunday, it was off to Grandma & Grandpa Riley's (Kent's dad) up in Bountiful. Our SIL, RaDawn, decided to have the kids bring and decorate gingerbread houses this year for prizes. Of course, we already have a village of them at home, but the girls love it so much that they enjoyed making more!

Monday was pretty quiet - just finishing up wrapping and baking. Tuesday was our last-minute shopping day at the mall. Our first stop, of course, was seeing Santa and dropping off the girls' letters. Sadly, Lauren decided she was way too old for that this year, and took off to Claire's. But Emily, who thus far has shunned Santa's lap, decided she was big enough to brave it. When e joined Lauren at Claire's, we got a little surprise: Lindsey wanted her ears pierced! Now, you may not know this, but we've been trying to talk her into it since she was 3, and especially since Emmy had hers done a year and a half ago. Lindsey had steadfastly refused, but on this day she was finally ready. She was so brave! (Of course, she complained the next day that she preferred her"non-earring lifestyle"after sleeping in them for the first time, but she seems to be adjusting to it now.) Then it was time for my Mom's family party. It's always nice to relax with family and just enjoy a little eggnog! I never remember to pull out the camera at my Mom's. I spend a lot more time talking to my mom and sisters, though. :)

Christmas Eve is always a little bittersweet for me, since it's also my birthday. As a kid, it was pretty disappointing. As a parent, it's sort of nice to be able to largely ignore it, despite Kent and the girls trying to celebrate it. :) This year, Kent and I hit a few stores, and then the girls and I ran around delivering gifts to friends while Kent fired up the snowblower. When we returned, we realized that he had gotten artistic and carved a kneeling woman out of snow in the front yard. He's really cute and interesting to live with. After that we stayed in watching movies. Yay!

Christmas morning dawned bright and early - for me, anyway. I woke up at 6:30 too excited to go back to sleep. Crazy, I know. Seriously, how many moms out there wake up earlier and more excited than the kids?! Anyway, after showering and everything, I dropped in on Lauren, who was awake, and promptly awoke the little girls (who were NOT happy about it, even on Christmas). Finally, at 8:00, everyone was awake and excited to dig into the Mt.Everest of gifts surrounding our poor, little tree.

Everyone was thrilled with their gifts, but the best was the Wii that Santa left. Yay, Santa! In fact, that's why we had guests so late - Aunt Amy commandeered the remote and wouldn't leave until she got the high score in We Cheer (proving that everyone really does secretly want to be a cheerleader :)).

It was so much fun having all my family over for lunch/dinner! Amy and I never really got to know any of our cousins growing up, so we make a special effort to get our kids together frequently. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of everyone together, but I did get a great video of Amy playing We Cheer. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas Eve, and we are feeling the excitement here in the Riley home! The stockings are hung, the trees are glowing, and cookies are baked for the Big Guy. We got a foot of snow on Monday, so the girls are EXTREMELY happy (a little more so than Mom, who got hauled out of snowdrifts twice, so far). Kent is home for the rest of the week, and a mountain of presents are piled around the tree. What more could we ask for?
Today, we're going out to deliver the last of the girls' friends' gifts, and then we're settling in for a peaceful night of Christmas movies and cocoa. Tomorrow afternoon, we're having some family over for lunch and board games.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

We wish all of you the best for this season and the year to come!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Don't you just love December? Beautiful Christmas decorations everywhere, yummy goodies, goodwill to all! Maybe I'm a tad biased, but this is my favorite time of he year. I love shopping and baking and drinking hot cocoa by the fire! This year, I tried my hand at candymaking. I made fudge, peppermint bark, and divinity in addition to the dozens of cookies. Fudge is tricky - and dangerous. I have several burns as proof. That's why only my favorite (local) people are getting any. :)

We've also made several gingerbread houses this year. Lauren made one for the Gingerbread Festival in November and another for a YW activity, and Lindsey and Emily each made one for fun. Add the one from a party Lindsey went to and the ones we're supposed to make for the Riley-Kearney family party this Sunday, and now we've got a whole village! Gingerbread, anyone?

Lauren got really into the Christmas spirit last week for Spirit Day at school, and dressed up as a Who from Whoville. Her friends were supposed to dress up, too, but none of them could get the hairdo to work so they gave up. Being as self-confident as Lauren is, it didn't bother her a bit to be the only Who wandering the halls at LJHS. I love that about her! How many 12 year olds do you know who could pull that off? Little girls LOVED her look, and giggled and pointed everywhere we went that day. One little girl at Target got SO excited, and was loudly trying to get everyone else to notice Lauren Lou Who, too. Lauren, of course, loved that!

Lindsey is really hilarious! In class, they have centers each week that I get to help out with. One week, they were supposed to paint a picture and write their Christmas wish. Everyone else was busily painting that special toy they want under the tree, but not Lindsey. Her wish was that our 2 cats would have goodwill and get along. This week, they wrote about their favorite Christmas traditions. Now, Kent and I have put a lot of effort into creating several great traditions: gingerbread houses, seeing The Nutcracker and Thanksgiving Point's Holiday Lights, decorating the trees, watching holiday movies together, the HUGE Advent calendar...... Any one of these would've worked for this assignment, but Lindsey's favorite tradition is celebrating my birthday on Christmas Eve. She's actually looking forward to it as much as she is Christmas! It's really silly what kids find interesting and fun, isn't it? Lindsey was also darling in her school's Christmas Sing-Along. Unfortunately, the video file is too large, so I can't post it. :(

Emily was so cute in both her preschool's Christmas program and her dance recital. She's such a little performer - just like her sisters! For someone so shy, she's amazingly comfortable onstage. She obviously knew her dance really well, since she was always one step ahead of the other dancers. When I asked her about her favorite Christmas tradition, she told me it was "giving presents away". She loved choosing gifts for her friends and wrapping them, but sighs heavily and says she has enough toys whenever I ask her what she wants Santa to bring her. It's sweet, but it's making shopping for her a tad more difficult. :)

Both little girls had Polar Express Day at school this week. It's the latest trend, and a great way to celebrate Christmas at school. They both got little bells and went to school in their jammies - what could be better?

It's ALIIIVVE!!!

Last night, Kent surprised me by presenting me with my beloved PDA in now-working condition! Sending it in to be replaced/repaired was going to be expensive, so I've been holding out for a Blackberry when our wireless contract expires. But that is still weeks away, and I'm struggling to keep organized without my electronic assistant. Probably tired of hearing me wail daily about the loss of my "brain" since it died a couple months ago, he had come up with a solution. My darling, personal Dr. Frankenstein cannibalized his also defunct PDA and replaced the touchscreen in mine! I am absolutely amazed that he even thought to try it. What a cutie!

An Abundance of Blessings and Turkey

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving, everyone!
Kent and I hosted dinner for my mom's side of the family again this year, and it was great! Of course, we cooked enough for a small army again, but I think that's why we get begged to do it each year. :) The begging is no exaggeration - I mentioned that my dad had invited us there, and my mom about had a nervous breakdown. I think I even heard tears falling.
Kent and I really do enjoy hosting dinners and parties. I love creating tablescapes, cooking large quantities of food, and watching everyone enjoy it all! Kent is very supportive throughout the whole thing - especially the clean-up! I think I would've made a fantastic Italian matron - force-feeding family and friends, cooking a mountain of pasta and appetizers. I'm actually glad my mom and grandma dislike entertaining. It gives me a perfect outlet for my domestic energies to be able to host all the family gatherings.
This weekend was also special because my adorable nephew, Garrett, was baptized. It's a moving experience to witness the power of the priesthood in action! I loved watching so many of the men in our family standing together in righteousness. All of these men were also in the circle when Garrett was blessed 8 years ago. I believe that Grandpa Duwayne and Grandpa Rick (who passed away a few weeks ago) were both on hand, too.
I feel so blessed to be part of a strong, spiritual family. It's just the last decade or so that it's been that way, which makes it all the more precious. I especially love the example my little sis, Chantelle, is setting for my girls. She's so sweet and spiritual, and a great role model for all her nieces.
I could ramble on, but suffice it to say that I'm feeling abundantly blessed, and inspired to draw even closer to the gospel than I have been recently.
Even Cub Scouts is seeming more exciting. :)

Really bad hair day

It's so stupid that I'm sitting here bawling over a bad haircut. I mean, it's just hair, right? Eventually, my bangs will grow out and the rest can still be pulled into a ponytail. It's just that....well, money's tight for us (and everyone else, too) right now so I've been trying to cut back on expenses where I can. So, I stopped getting my hair colored a year ago, gave up acrylic nails and started doing my own manicures. I switched from Clinique and Estee Lauder to generic makeup and cleansers, and I haven't replaced my burned-out favorite curling iron. The last concession was giving up a nice salon for Great Clips. This horrible haircut was the last straw. Somehow over the last few years, I've gone from relatively high-maintenance to frumpy housewife. A fat, frumpy housewife, no less.
It bothers me that I'm so upset over this. With the abundance of blessings my family and I enjoy, I shouldn't feel so deprived. I know in my heart that I am richly blessed with the things that matter most - a strong, healthy, happy family tops the list. So, in the spirit of gratitude, I think I'll write a list of things I'm thankful for until I feel better. It'll have to be a pretty long list, though. My bangs look that bad.

I'm truly grateful to the Lord for:
- my cute family - Kent, Lauren, Lindsey and Emily are my life.
- a strong, eternal marriage to my sweetheart
- a beautiful home with enough room to entertain friends and family
- my hair - a bad haircut beats baldness any day
- my health (although a good fitness program would help here)
- the gospel. No matter how much I gripe about getting up for church, I love it dearly.
- my extended family - even the nutty ones
- my crazy friends who like me no matter what
- being a stay-at-home mom
- Diet Coke and chocolate
- Cafe Rio salads
- Jill, Wendy, and Maddi for keeping me sane through cheer season (they also fall under the friend category, but I wanted to be more specific here)
- all the beautiful, spiritual women who have inspired and taught me over the years: mom, Becky Thomas, Sheryl Wilson, Andrea, Aunt Julie, and a dozen more from my childhood ward
- having a sister who total "gets" me. Usually.
- Kent's great job. Without it I'd really be making sacrifices! :)
- a husband who truly enjoys being a husband and father, and helps around the house, too. (I know you're all feeling jealous, huh?)
- the holiday season and all the joy it brings!
- Jill again for agreeing to try to fix my bangs later today :)

Okay, I feel a smidgen better now.

10 Years Down, An Eternity to Go!

Wow! Today, Kent and I have been married 10 wonderful years! It's truly amazing to me how quickly the years have come and gone. One day, we're blissful newlyweds, the next we're surrounded and outnumbered by little girls and cats!


10 years ago, as we stood before our friends and family, we could barely tear our focus away from each other long enough to repeat our vows! All I remember is looking into those gorgeous hazel eyes and seeing more adoration and love than I could have ever imagined being directed at me. Amazingly, we still look at each other that way. We still love spending time together, although we've learned that we're woefully unproductive as a pair. (Any yard work we begin together ends with us walking around the yard, hand-in-hand, planning and dreaming of what we'll do when we have more funds. Ditto cleaning the basement.)


Not that every waking moment has been joyful. We've had our moments, too. Thankfully, Kent is the sweetest, most patient, loving man ever created, so those moments are both rare and short-lived! Every day, I thank Heavenly Father for bringing Kent into my life. I love this amazing man more today than I ever imagined possible, I still think he's the sexiest man alive, the best daddy in the world, and my very best friend. I can't wait to spend the rest of eternity holding his hand, walking around, planning our next big project.

Happy Anniversary, Sweetie. I love you!!!!!

Meet Midnight

Well, it's official. We have a new member of our family. She's a stray that adopted us a few months ago, but we hadn't decided to keep her until just recently. At first, we avoided feeding her when she came around, but she looked so small and hungry that we soon relented. That was the camel's nose in the tent. Soon, "Midnight" had a bed in the garage and food bowls. Then we started closing the garage door fully at night so she'd be protected from other animals. A litter box appeared in the garage. When Kent started leaving his car window down so she could curl up in his backseat to stay warm at night, we realized we had a problem. After a much-needed bath (at which point I discovered that she'd been declawed) she was given a trial membership to housecat status. We wanted to make sure she and our other cat, Tabitha, could co-exist relatively peacefully before we fully claimed her as a Riley. Of course, they still aren't exactly happy about the arrangement, but relations seem to be improving a little. She's quite a bit friendlier than Tabby, so the girls LOVE her, but she's also really pushy. We can't eat without her begging like a dog for food. It's cute. Sort of. Anyway, today the discussion was what kind of tree ornament we needed to get for her. In our family, that's as good as full citizenship, so please welcome the newest Riley - Midnight.

A Serious Case of PED (post-election depression)

I am in a major depression today. How could anyone who heard Obama IN HIS OWN WORDS talk about "choosing his friends carefully" and "discussing Marxism, Eurocentrism, and socialism in the dorms at night" not see that he is a complete socialist??? Why didn't it concern them when he said it was good for everybody when we "spread the wealth around"??? Oh. Right. The mainstream media was so infatuated with him that they failed to report any of it. Fact: Obama is rated as the #1 most liberal senator - surpassing a self-proclaimed socialist senator ranked as #4! In any other country where the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government were controlled by a single party - not to mention the education system and media - we would see it for what it really is. I can't remember which great man said it, but this quote keeps running through my mind:
"Those who would trade freedom for security deserve neither."
For everyone who voted for Obama because they think he and Pelosi will cut their taxes, increase their various government checks, and pay off their mortgages that they never should've qualified for anyway, I only have this to say: Thanks a lot.

Halloween and Cheer

It was a busy weekend with Halloween and our last cheer competition, so I'm a little behind and out of order. The girls had a great Halloween! I have to say, though, that I was once again disappointed in our neighborhood. We tried to go trick-or-treating, but only our cul-de-sac was even home! The little girls were happy to just go to a few and then watch a movie, and Lauren went with her friends up in Oakley's neighborhood (which was far more festive than ours, I might add), so they were all content. Kent and I were sad that we didn't get more trick-or-treaters, after all the decorating we did. :) Oh, well. More leftover candy for us! BTW, here is the long-awaited picture of the completed pettiskirts. Aren't they they cutest little witches ever?! (So, I'm a little biased.) Lauren finally decided to go as a Monster Bride - excuse me, a Monster Girlfriend. She told everyone she was too young to be a bride. :) The tiny blonde in the middle is her BFF, Oakley.

My cheer squad had their last competition on Saturday, and did MUCH better than the weekend before. This was after one girl quit Tuesday, and another broke her hand right before the last practice on Thursday, so we were quite pleased with how well they did. I know I'll miss the girls, but I'm also really glad to be done. I've been coaching twice a week plus games since last October (2 consecutive squads' seasons), and I'm more than ready for a break! Lauren starts a tumbling class this week, so she'll still be able to get her cheer fix.

The Tooth Fairy Cometh

Our sweet, little Lindsey lost her very first tooth tonight! She bit into an apple and out popped a little tooth. Very cliche, I know. :) She's so excited for the Tooth Fairy to come tonight, and to put her name on the Lost Teeth chart at school. So cute! She's been working on it for weeks now. I'm really going to miss all those darling, perfectly tiny teeth as they disappear. Kent will miss part of his paychecks when she eventually needs braces. :) But what we'll cherish always is her first adorable, gappy smile!

Several years ago, my dear Aunt Mary told Lauren that if she put her tooth in the bottom of a glass of water, the Tooth Fairy who came would dive in for it and leave behind a little of her coloring and fairy dust along with the money. (Apparently, there is more than one Tooth Fairy, which explains how they can handle so many children and their teeth.) Being the ultimate authority on fairies made her one of Lauren's favorite people, so of course we had to try it. You can imagine Lauren's joy each time she discovered what color HER fairy had been! The problem with this wonderous plan was with our cat. No, she doesn't seem to gobble up visiting fairies - and we get a lot of them! BUT she does love to dip her paw into unattended glasses and shake it all over the counter, and fairy coloring tends to stain. The question now is whether to continue this beloved tradition with Lindsey and Emily ( and 2 household felines), or find a new way. The House Fairy leaves fairy dust behind when rooms aren't clean enough for gifts..... Perhaps the Tooth Fairies could be persuaded to leave a little dusting with the money if they don't have to take a dip in a glass of water to retrieve the tooth? Hmmm....it's worth a try - if only to spare my countertops.

I love Halloween!

So, I only ended up with about 2 hours of sleep last night, so I'm going to need a huge diet coke soon. BUT it is just 9 days from my 2nd favorite holiday - Halloween!!!! I love Autumn and everything it brings - fall leaves, pumpkins, hot cocoa.... Sunday, we had some of my family over for dinner and pumpkin-carving. We used to do big parties, but it was really nice to just have a low-key one this year. Last year we hosted 2 Halloween parties for the kids (1 for Lauren, and 1 for the little girls and neighbor kids). Lauren said her friends that came are still talking about our Dead Man Buffet!
Kent is especially into the whole spooky Halloween. It's so funny watching him every year! Every Halloween, he comes home early and starts decorating the yard - strobe lights, fog machine, scary figures - the works! My only stipulation is that it can't scare away trick-or-treaters, so nothing really scary until after 8:30. When we moved to this cul-de-sac a few years ago, we discovered that we don't get nearly as many trick-or-treaters, so we started giving out full-size candy bars to entice them. Sadly, most of our neighbors don't even stay home, so our efforts to increase traffic have been thwarted. The Lawrence's are great, though! They sit in their garage and make homemade scones and pass out candy. I love them! We usually take the girls to our old neighborhood so they can visit more houses. Seriously, what's the point of creating darling costumes if only a few people get to see them?

1:00 AM Morning Update (aka Random Thoughts)

It is 1:00 am, and I'm awake stressing about my cheer squad and our competition this Saturday. I seriously need help. Or a sleeping pill. Probably both.

On a happier note, our cute-but-cautious Lindsey finally ditched her training wheels last week! I guess having your younger sis do it first is a powerful motivator. :) It's so cute (and a little scary) watching the two of them cruising really fast down the street to their friends' houses. I love being a mom - kids are so entertaining!

Tonight, Lindsey spent a considerable amount of time and energy trying to rearrange my schedule for Thursday so I can go on her field trip. Sadly, they aren't allowing any preschoolers to go and it's an all-day event. That pretty much eliminates me from going right now. Lindsey did volunteer every single person she knows as a potential baby-sitter for Emmy (who loudly objected to being called "the baby" at this point), but to no avail. Usually at this point I'd see about Kent working from home, but he's so busy this week at work that he didn't volunteer as usual so I'm assuming that's not a possibility. Poor kid. She actually enjoys having me around as much as I love being there, so I try to be involved as much as possible. It just won't work this time.

It's really weird that a rather large number of people think Lauren is my sister because they think I look too young to be her mom (AND we look a lot alike) And yet I am finding an appalling number of grey hairs and tiny wrinkles. Someone PLEASE explain how this works!

Kent picked up our Scouting materials tonight in the form of a large, grey tote. Typical of our ward, it is a HUGE mess with no form of discernible organization whatsoever. I've concluded that I was called to this position to bring order and enlightenment to the poor boys and leaders in an effort to produce more Eagle Scouts in future years. This is much preferred to believing that I'm somehow being punished. Thank you, Andrea, for reminding me to "make it fun". Cutseying-up 3-ring binders and organizing chaos are pretty high up on my "fun scale"! Just don't ask me to go on any campouts.

It's now nearing 2 am, so this concludes this edition of Random Thoughts.

Tag! You're it!

I just remembered that Amy tagged me a few days ago, and I promised to do this. So here goes:

8 TV shows I love to watch:
1. Glenn Beck (do political shows count?)
2. Divine Design
3. The Starter Wife (new favorite)
4. Sex and the City or Desperate Housewives (I know - really bad, but it's only occasionally. I promise!)
5. I don't really watch anything regularly besides HGTV.

8 things that happened yesterday:
1. It snowed. Yuck!
2. Got called as the Bear Den scoutmasters with Kent. Double yuck!
3. Worked on cutsie Halloween decorations.
4. Does anything truly interesting happen on Sundays?

8 favorite places to eat:
1. Cafe Rio. An addiction, really.
2. Olive Garden (one just opened in AF - hooray!)
3. La Vigna
4. Carrabba's
5. The Mandarin (in Bountiful, so we seldom go - but very delicious!)
6. The Mayan
7. Spaghetti Factory
8. Chili's

8 things I'm looking forward to:
1. The end of cheer season.
2. Halloween!
3. Hosting Thanksgiving again for my family.
4. Decorating for Christmas.
5. Truffles from Costco.
6. Christmas morning with my cute family!
7. Having time to scrapbook and finish craft projects.
8. Spending more time with my sweetheart!!!!!!!!

8 things on my wish list:
1. Losing 50 lbs.
2. A fence to keep out those d*** dogs in my neighborhood.
3. Another trip to Disneyland.
4. A new car for Kent.
5. Getting all our debt paid off (house included).
6. A finished basement with a fitness studio.
7. Fully landscaped yard - no more mud or weeds.
8. More time alone with Kent. We're always really busy, and I miss hanging out with just him.
8 people I tag:
1. The 8 people who actually read my blog... Consider yourself tagged!

Oh,no! It snowed!

I woke up yesterday morning, looked out the window, and cried. Everything - including my tomatoes - was covered in the awful white stuff! Now, normally I love the first snow. But it's only the middle of October, and we haven't even had Fall yet. At least it melted quickly. We have a tradition of having hot cocoa every time it snows, so I did break out our cocoa maker for breakfast. That eased my pain a little. Then Kent re-lit the pilot on the fireplace. I love him! He knows just how to cheer me up.
Nothing will make me feel better about being called to Scouts, though. Anyone who knows me, will understand that this is like the 3rd ring of Hell for me. And you can all just stop laughing RIGHT NOW (especially you, Kirsten and Amy!). At least Kent has to do it, too. This does give weight to my theory that some callings are more desperation than inspiration. I think it's time to move again.
On a happier note, I finished the little spider ornaments for my Halloween tree, and our newest family member, Midnight, seems to be getting along a smidgen better with Tabitha. (Midnight: abandoned house cat that adopted us recently; Tabitha: existing cat with serious neurotic tendencies). They do fine as long as they can't see each other. Lots of hissing and swiping of paws when they do. This is a little reminiscent of Amy and I as teens. (Love ya, sis!)

Watch me, Mommy!!

Yesterday afternoon, Emily came running in yelling, "Mommy, come see what I can do!"
I watched from Lindsey's window as Emily suddenly appeared - flying down the driveway on her friend's bike WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS! Apparently, she had decided that if Sophia could do it, of course she could,too. I was stunned and excited for her. Our very shy, little Emmy is the most daring and determined of the three girls, so this wasn't a completely shocking event. Just unexpected. I immediately went out to the garage and removed the now-unnecessary training wheels from her own bike.
We're so proud of her for being so independent and fearless, but I can't help but feel a little sad that we're missing out on something. One of my favorite memories is watching Kent hold the back of Lauren's seat as she gained confidence to balance herself, trusting that Daddy would be there until she was ready to go solo. Lindsey is still at that stage where Daddy holds on to help balance her. Emily pretty much just let us know that she doesn't need us quite as much as her sisters. Should this worry us about her teen years? I guess I should just celebrate her accomplishment, huh? Anyway, here's a short video clip of that first (that I saw) ride, and one of her doing her other favorite trick.

Our Pumpkin Patch

Today was a typically gorgeous Conference Sunday, so in between sessions we went out and picked most of the pumpkins growing in our garden. The girls were really cute about it! Lindsey even used her new camera to get these pictures.

Happy Birthday, Lindsey!

Sweet, little Lindsey is now a big 7 year old! She had so much fun this weekend being the center of all our attention. For her Star Student Day, all of us got to go into her classroom and tell her class about her. The cutest thing was listening to her answer all their questions. Every one of her answers began with, "Well, I'd have to say.....". Our favorite was when someone asked who her favorite friends were to play with. Her reply was, "Well, I have lots and lots of friends that I love playing with." VERY diplomatic!

She also was ecstatic to learn that the reason it was hurting to eat her beloved apples was her very first loose tooth! She wiggles it constantly, and wants detailed info on how much the Tooth Fairy pays and if she'll leave the tooth for Lindsey to show her class. So cute!

Lindsey has matured and grown so much lately. We love her quirky sense of humor, her thoughtful answers, and curiosity. Watching her swing on the monkey bars (upside down!) and climb to the top of the rope in the backyard is so fun! We're so proud of her!

This year, Lindsey wanted a Barbie Fashion Show party. Words don't do it justice, so just check out the pics. (Kent was predictably good-natured about helping build the props and taking pictures. Thanks, Honey!) I'd also like to thank my wonderful "staff": Amy, Jill, Maddi (Barbie), Lauren, Oakley, and Stephanie for their willingness to help out with this production!!!!

Kent ran his first 5K today!

After a really late night, Kent got up early this morning and ran in our stake's Fun Run 5K. He's been working through a podcast 5K training program for a few weeks now, and was really excited to get out there. He finished in about 34 minutes, hills and all. We're so proud of him!!!!! I, on the other hand, think "Fun Run" is the ultimate oxymoron. Running for me is just pure torture.

My cute hubby the gardener!

Kent has spent all summer tending to his - er, our garden with a fervor that, frankly, makes me a tad jealous. Every evening and weekend, he's out there checking on the plants, killing nasty squash bugs, and watering. I love that he has a "hobby" that seems relaxing for him (which he denies, but I can't be fooled!). He was so proud and excited when he came in last week with our first ever watermelon. Who knew our crappy soil here would be great for watermelons?? I have to admit that it's definitely the sweetest I've ever tasted! I really love my cute husband!!

Pettiskirts & Pompons

So, here we are right smack in the middle of cheer season, and I decided to make Lindsey and Emily pettiskirts for their Halloween costumes. Yep. Total insanity. Kent is calling the kitchen "The Project Zone" and refusing to enter it. He's also hinted a few times that he finished my craft room a year ago to avoid this kind of takeover, but of course, the craft room is overrun with a few other projects currently in the works! For those who don't have little girls, pettiskirts are adorable, fluffy things that retail for about $80 in boutiques - way out of my current price range. That is why I'm up to my neck in ruffles making them! Nearly 20 yards of nylon chiffon later, I'm almost finished with Lindsey's and starting Emily's. I'll post pics when they're finished.....

Speaking of cheer season, my cute squad has now cheered at 4 games, performed at a HS game halftime, and done a great job every time! We're so proud of them! We've gotten lots of positive feedback from parents of all the teams and even other squads' coaches. Once they settle down, they do an amazing job! Lauren is - of course - loving cheering this year. I love seeing her improve and become more confident! Her enthusiasm is apparently catching on. Last night, as we got ready to leave, Emily appeared in her cheer shirt, shorts and clutching Lauren's old poms to her chest - she wanted to go cheer, too! So, we got her all dressed up in a lavendar cheer uniform and let her come along to cheer. Everyone thought she was so adorable! I guess we know what she wants to be!

School days, school days!

I love this time of year! I love the smell of brand-new Crayola crayons and #2 pencils, organizing cute binders, and shopping for new clothes! Every year, I've stocked up on school supplies - even when I haven't had kids in school. Crazy, I know. But I've always looked forward to the fresh start of a new school year. We moved ALOT when I was young, so for me, nearly every year meant a new school, teachers and friends. I'd prefer my girls to have a little more stability than that, but a new school year still means new friends, teachers, and experiences for them!

Monday, Lindsey started her first day as a 1st grader at her new school. She was so excited! We had decided to move her from the charter school back to traditional school this year, but we were still a little nervous about it. As it turns out, she's now in a class with all the little girls from our old neighborhood, so she has tons of friends in her class! Plus, her friend, Avery, is in the classroom next door. She told me yesterday, "Mom, I didn't know first grade was going to be this fun. We haven't learned anything - just playing!" Great. Wait until next week, sweetie!

Today was Emily's first day back at preschool. She has the same teacher Lindsey had 2 years ago - she's such an enthusiastic, sweet teacher! Emily's our little shy one, so I always worry about how she'll do. Apparently, I worry over nothing, because her teacher said she was wonderful and jumped right in. She was thrilled that she was the first one there for the open house on Monday, so she got the coveted hot pink "cubby" this year. Little girls are so funny!

Where has the time gone?!

Today was Lauren's first day of junior high! Yep, our little girl is a 7th grader now - can you believe it?! Where has the time gone? I feel like I just walked her to her first day of kindergarten yesterday, and now my baby is as tall as I am! In fact, on Wednesday, we were all wearing the same shirts (squad and coaches) at camp, and Lauren said the other girls mistook her for me several times until she turned around! Personally, I think she's way cuter than I am, but I do see the similarities. I'm just hoping she's not too much like I was as a teenager....

Lindsey's open house is tonight. I can't believe she's a FIRST GRADER!!! She's going to be in school all day now! I'm so not ready for all of this. Even Emily is so big now. She's going to her second year of preschool, and I know she'll be reading by Christmas (super academic preschool). She still looks like a baby - albeit a super tall one. How did this happen? How are these sweet, little girls getting so grown up without us noticing?? Are we just so incredibly sleep-deprived that we just aren't very observant? I really thought that their childhoods would take longer.

The big question is: have Kent and I taught them everything they need to know up to this point? Have we taught them every value and developed every trait they need to have by this time in each of their lives? Probably not, since I'm sure we're the most quirky, undisciplined parents alive. But I do hope that we've taught them enough so far that they'll at least be prepared for the coming year's challenges. Then I look at our amazingly mature, charitable Lauren, intelligent, friendly Lindsey, and our sweet, enthusiastic Emily, and I realize they'll be just fine.

Now we just need to focus on a few minor details - like decent bedtimes and chores.

Cheer Camp & Seven Peaks

Hooray! Today was the first day of camp for my 7th grade squad, and we had an awesome time! The dances were a little fast for the girls, but they're getting them. Stunting, however, is where they really shine. Most of the stunts they were teaching, our girls had already done, so they worked on their competition stunts some. We also got the most coveted award in cheerleading - the SPIRIT STICK. (Ooohs and aahs are appropriate here. :)) I was so proud of them! Hopefully, they'll work just as hard the next 2 days, right? Anyway, it's always fun to see their hard work paying off.

After camp, Kent, the girls, Lauren's BFF Oakley, and I all went to Seven Peaks to relax and play. We found another of Lauren's friends there, Makenzie, so the 3 of them ran off together. Lindsey is getting to be such a good, little swimmer! She LOVES the water, and seems to spend a lot of time beneath the surface lately. Her swim instructor said she's a natural - she may grow fins! Emily is still a lot more timid about it. In her defense, she has nearly drown a couple of times over the years, so maybe her reluctance is well-founded. Hopefully, all the time we've spent at the waterpark will help her get more comfortable with water.

A Little Obsessed With Twilight

Last weekend, I read Breaking Dawn (in 12 hours straight), and I'm already thinking about re-reading it - as soon as I can pry it away from Lauren (current reader) and Kent (next in line). Is it maybe a little obsessive to read the same 4 books over and over? Or could the whole Twilight series be just a tad addictive...? A friend of mine - who will remain nameless! - actually went to a HOTEL with 3 other women that Saturday just to read Breaking Dawn without interruptions! I admit to being a touch jealous...I had to put it down to go to McD's with Kent and the girls for dinner (cook?? In the middle of chapter 30?!). Is it too horrible to admit that I was tapping my foot impatiently the whole time? Seriously. Admittedly, I'm one of those readers who have a hard time putting down just about any book, but this was causing me actual, physical pain. Needless to say, I'm really looking forward to seeing the Twilight movie. Let the countdown begin!

What was I thinking???

So, my little sis, Amy, talked me into doing the blog thing. I'm still not sure I really want everyone on the planet knowing what goes on in my head, but we have a ton of family out-of-state who would probably like to see more of our lives than the obligatory Christmas card. Of course, that's a pretty big assumption. Maybe even our annual card (sans dorky "brag letter") is too much....At any rate, I really need a way to use the endless number of pics clogging our hard drive, so I'm going to give this a try. I hope you all enjoy the show!