Let's Catch Up

So I have realized that I'm a failure when it comes to taking pictures. I have very few to represent the last 2.5 months. Anyway, we had a lovely, but crazy busy holiday season. I must admit that I'm glad it's over.

First we spent Thanksgiving with Ammon's family. It was a lot of fun. So much so that I didn't take any pictures. But we always enjoy time spent with all those wonderful people.

Then it was my 30th birthday. I had thought Ammon had nothing planned, but to make a long story short, I was very wrong. We dropped the kids off with my sister and her hubby in Vegas for 3 days while we went on to Palm Desert. It was so fun. Thanks Sera and Darrin. You guys are awesome. And of course thanks to Ammon. He's so good at keeping a secret. I had no clue.

The view from our room. We could see 4 of the 7 pools.

The Hyatt Regency. So fun. I highly recommend it.

We left Palm Desert a nice wonderful 70 something degrees to drive home in a horrible horrible blizzard. We had over a foot of snow when we got home (there was none and it was rather fall like out when we left). Then it got really really cold. We were home only a couple days when we were scheduled to take a train ride to the North Pole. Our neighbors put it on every year. It's a lot of fun.

Cormac had to ride a car in front of the rest of us. But he still enjoyed it.

It was really freezing cold.

Cormac had been talking for days about how he was going to ask Santa for a new "Planes" bike. But when he got up there he froze. I was afraid he'd forget, but at the last minute he remembered and got his request in.

Azure wanted nothing to do with Santa.

Azure has taken to wearing Cormac's boots every opportunity she gets. Cormac actually takes every opportunity he can to get upside down. Funny kids.

Then my family came and we celebrated Christmas early. Then later the wedding of my cousin. It was nice to have a bunch of us together. We missed Darrin and Nick.

The snow was horrible for snow man building, but these two gave it their best shot. Our poor snowman face planted the next day because of all the heavy snowfall.

Ammon's specialty is snow forts. So naturally they made one of those as well.

Christmas Eve was upon us all too soon. The kids wrote a letter to Santa with Daddy's help, in their new Christmas jammies of course.

Azure got some fun new dishes for Christmas. She had her first tea party.

We've made huge progress on our closet. It's finally usable. The kids love climbing in there. All that's left is the paint.

I love her face in this one. Cormac stood right at the wrong time, but I had to include it anyway.

These 2 kids are really good friends. They always sit close when they watch movies and they love to play and dress up together.

Azure likes to wear her crown backward which cracks me up. It's how the cool princesses do it now.

And lastly, here is the hat I made for Az. And her gorgeous big brown eyes.

And you're caught up. I'm just glad we are finally slowing down and getting back into a routine. Christmas with kids is wonderful, but being the mom is a lot of work.

To have a brother

My wonderful Sister-in-law, Jennifer, took a few family pictures for us after Thanksgiving. I wanted some fall ones. She was kind enough to agree. The following series of pictures delights me more than I can express.

"Give kisses:"

Cormac gets it. Azure kisses the air. Close enough.

Here the adults swoon. So sweet.

Rather pleased with themselves. They know how to work us over. But wait...I think an idea is forming.

"CORMAC! Don't Lick Your Sister!"

I love Cormac's expression, but even more, I love Azure's.

A triumphant brother and a grossed out sister.

And that, my friends, sums up very nicely what it's like to have a brother.

Dance Party

Trunk or Treat

 Last night the youth of our ward put on a Trunk or Treat. I loved these growing up. This is the first one that has happened in this ward in the 4 years that we've been here (and I doubt they've had one for a while before that). We had a wonderful time.

First we had to get prepped for the event. Cormac did an amazing job getting all the stuff out and helping me carve. We did these during Azure's naptime, so she didn't get to help. And Ammon is sort of a scrooge, so he was fine to miss the action. We still love him though, and he did humor me by dressing up, so I guess he's not too bad.

Then it was time to start getting ready. Cormac was so excited to get his makeup on. I wasn't so excited with how easy it came off on everything.

Howling like a wolf.

Here he is. Our fierce, Big, Bad Wolf. He wasn't too happy about being a "scary wolf" at first. Anytime anyone would say that he'd say, "Not scary. I'm a cool wolf." Fair enough. Eventually he did embrace his role as being "scary."

He was a big hit last night, but so was Little Red.

She wasn't a big fan of her hood though.

I found that leotard at DI and just added a bit of black ribbon lacing to the front. The cape was an Amazon find, and I made the skirt. It got a little crazy. The white was supposed to lay down more and look like an apron. Either way she was adorable.

At last it was time for the big event. Out trunk wasn't as awesome as my dad always created growing up, but with what I had lying around it worked fine.

And here we are. The woodsman, Granny, Red Riding Hood, and of course, The Wolf.

Happy Halloween!

Small Spaces

If there is one thing Azure is really good at it's finding little places for a girl to hide. She's a pro. And usually she can find a place for two.

I sure love these two.

Party Time

I posted these pictures on Facebook right after the party, but honestly, they need a home here on the blog as well. Who knows, maybe one of these days I'll actually get ambitious enough to print this thing. It does have an awful lot of our little family history on it. So I want to make sure to include this as well.

On Monday right after Cormac's birthday we had a party for him. We all met at the fire station (Station 5) just a few blocks from our house.

A big highlight for all the kids was getting to hold the big fire hose.

Hang on boys, that's a lot of pressure.

Cormac was a bit shy at first but warmed up as his buddies arrived.

Milo getting to work. Milo was a bit camera shy, so he isn't in many of these, but we were glad to have him.

And the never shy Ethan.

Cole was a bit cautious as well, but warmed up over time. He sure looks the part.

After the hose and once everyone was there we started the big tour. They kids got to sit up in the fire truck, see what goes in all the compartments, listen to the loud horn, and see the lights. The firemen were awesome. The kids had a blast.

It's pretty big for these 2 still.

Marshall and Maggie may have been the most excited about everything out of all the kids.

I can't tell you how sad we are that Ethan and Dakota are no longer our next door neighbors. But we are glad they haven't gone far and could still make it to the party.

Ethan and Cormac ready to get to any emergency.

Azure adopted this scowl that she wore the entire time. She didn't want anyone to know she was having fun I guess. But this girl loves to be behind the wheel of anything she can, and she really loved this fire truck.

We tried to get a group shot of everyone, this is as much as we got. Marshall was off exploring, Maggie got lost behind, and some of the kids were already out the other side. 

Grant was so excited to be in the big truck. I love this kid.

The boys really liked the big saws.

Maggie found a friend. She grabbed this fireman's hand and led him over to the truck. Then she had him help her in and then jumped. This went on for a while. It was awesome.

A few of the kids saw the ambulance as well. There's Seth ready to go in the doctor's chair.

I told Ethan and Cormac to smile and  Ethan posed. Cracks me up.

Most of the group. Seth, Grant, Cormac, Ethan, Cole, Maggie, and Marshall. Milo, Azure, and Dakota aren't pictured.

After our time at the fire station we headed back to my yoga studio for the rest of the party. Nancee ran to Costco for the pizza for me since I hadn't gotten lunch made that morning. She's my hero. I had set up an obstacle course for the kids. The biggest hit was by far the "Fire Extinguisher" part. Silly string. A poor unsuspecting spider that had decided to make that box his home got a rude awakening when 7 boys started putting out the "fire."

It's hard to tell but that box is "on fire" and they are trying to spray it out.

The awards/present table.

I forgot to get many pictures, but this is the spread. The obstacle course is along the back.

The kids would come in from outside, climb the structure, go down the slide, go under the burning table on the back wall, stop, drop, and roll, grab an extinguisher and put out the fire, then walk through the rungs of the ladder on the ground, crawl under another table, then climb up the ladder, grab the "kitty" that was helplessly stranded there, and escape out the side door. Cormac had so much fun with it while we were setting up and after when we were taking down. He'd be outside on his "fire truck" (his bike) and he'd yell, "Save yourself." Then he'd peddle over to the door and yell, "I'm a fireman. I'll save the kitty." Then he'd do the whole thing and rush out the door telling me he'd done it and the kitty was safe. He's a funny kid.

I had set out Cormac's fire trucks to decorate, but these two decided to put them to better use.

I had run to the store to get Cormac's cake before Ammon had even left for work. I didn't have the courage to make one. Then I forgot to take a picture of it, but it was awesome. Cormac asked me all morning if he could eat that cake. He was so excited for it.

Finally, time for cake.

My handsome birthday boy.

 

And of course presents.

They boys were all very excited to bring their present over to Cormac to be opened. It was a lot of fun. It was a wonderful, special day. Now if you ask Cormac how old he is he'll say, "I'm turning 4." Trying to drag out that birthday fun a bit longer I think.