Christmas Time

The Christmas season is upon us! I have done my Black Friday crazy stay up all night shopping, we have decorated the house, I have started wrapping gifts, I'm about to start baking... but it can't go without notice that we are one person short this season. It is hard to enjoy the holidays when you are missing a huge someone like your dad. We put our tree up and then we realized that David needed a tree too, so we took this cute little tree I had and glued some decorations on it and took it up to him. I'm so glad that even though he can't be here, we still get to share the holidays with him.

Random

These are completely random but cute nonetheless....

I love this picture. Elise is just getting too big!!! She looks so grown up!

Elise was so tired but insisted on swinging (in the baby swing) and she rocked herself to sleep.
This is Dallin dressed up like Shaun the sheep in "Take Away". (If you haven't seen Shaun the Sheep I highly recommend it. It's a very age appropriate clay-mation cartoon for kids. They have a bunch of it on Netflix.)

Field Trip

Dallin has his first field trip for Preschool to a children's museum and he was loving every minute of it. He loved the bus ride, he loved all the hands on stuff, he loved eating lunch there.. They had so many different rooms we didn't make it to all of them, but we did a lot in 3 hours! I am so glad that I got to go with him!

Halloween 2010

Although we didn't go trick or treating on Halloween (since it was on Sunday) the kids got plenty of candy at Jon's work and our ward trunk or treat. Jon's work does a Halloween parade every year where the kids get to go all over his office building and they get candy from various places. They totally scored there! Dallin was an astronaut that his Grandma Seeley made for him and Elise was Tinkerbell courteous of Sarah (of course!). Then we went to our ward trunk of treat and had a lot of fun going to different cars for candy. This go around Dallin was Spiderman, but Elise was still Tinkerbell. Elise was done, out of her costume, and in the car within 30 minutes where as Dallin wanted to keep going around until there was no more candy. It is so funny how kids are so different.

New toy

Sarah sent the kids a new toy for the basement and they have been LOVING it! This swing gets A LOT of use. It will definitely come in handy this winter too. Thanks Sarah!!!

Turkey Hunting

Jon and Dallin went turkey hunting this year...well, it was more of a nature walk Jon said. It isn't easy sitting quietly for hours when you are 5 years old. It was a fun father-son experience if nothing else. Dallin collected a bunch of dried soybeans but no turkey. Better luck next year boys!

Happy Birthday Dallin!!

I can't believe that Dallin turned 5 on Saturday! He is growing up so fast! He had a Spiderman birthday party with family on Friday night. He requested chocolate cupcakes with blue icing. And every year I make him a pinata and I think this year was my favorite. Happy Birthday Dallin! I love you so much!!!Okay...this one needs explaining. Dallin LOVES to draw. He goes through multiple pieces of paper each day. He makes "books" and I don't always have scrap paper for him. So every time we are at Walmart he asks for his very own paper and I tell him maybe for his birthday. So that is one of the things he got. He was SO happy! He loves having his very one stash of paper.

My mini Jon

Dallin has a bit of an obsession with Spiderman at the moment. The funny thing is he had never see a Spiderman cartoon/ movie when he got bit by the Spider man bug. So we have gotten a few of the Spiderman cartoons for him from Netflix and he LOVES them. His birthday party tonight is Spiderman. He plays spiderman, has Spiderman clothes...you know what I mean. I noticed that at the zoo, on his birthday this Saturday, Spiderman will be there. So I asked him if he thought that would be fun to go to the zoo and meet Spiderman and this is how the conversation went:

Me: Dallin, guess who is going to be at the zoo this Saturday, on your birthday?
Dallin: Who mommy?
Me: Spiderman!!!
Dallin: Like the real Spiderman?
Me: Well...Spiderman isn't real.
Dallin: Will he have any superpowers?
Me: No
Dallin: So... it's just a guy in a costume then...?
Me: Yeah, pretty much.
Dallin: Oh....

So I guess that didn't go over very well. That is EXACTLY how Jon would react.. But he isn't turning 5! So not only do they look alike, they act alike!

This girl is getting too big

My Elise is just growing up so fast! She is talking like crazy, potty trained, becoming so self-sufficient. Her hair is getting thicker and longer and it is so fun to do new hairstyles on her. I'm not a pro-braided, but... not bad for being an only girl. :) I just love this girl so much! She has such a sweet, witty personality. She is quick with jokes and will make you laugh till you cry.

Applesauce

I was give a couple of boxes of apples from a lady in my ward so I made applesauce and apple butter. It was a sticky but yummy day. Dallin loves to help squish the apples through the machine. Elise tried, but she isn't quick strong enough yet.

Cereal anyone??

So, a few months ago Hyvee had cereal on amazing deal! It was on sale plus you got a coupon for $6 off you next purchase. So, I had to go and get some cereal. I ended up getting over 90 boxes for less than $8 total!! Yes, that is correct! That is .08 cents a box!!! We now have a years supply of cereal! Waa-hooo!!! I love good deals!

Hooray!!!

Elise is officially potty trained!!! It was challenging at first, but then she just got it! And now she can make it through the day with no accidents and even take naps with no problems. And I don't have to remind her a trillion times like I did with Dallin. I am smiling!! I don't have a child in diapers!! My budget is smiling too!!

My little boy

At church on Sunday the kids got to choose a song to sing and one kid chose "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam". All our primary kids love this song because they fly out of their seat when the word "sunbeam" comes along. Well I noticed that Dallin just sat in his chair with his arms folded with a little scowl on his face. After church I asked him why he didn't sing along and bounce around like the other kids and he said, "Well mommy, I was thinking about it and... I don't think that is very reverent." He made me laugh and smile. What a sweet boy! I just love that about him. It reminds me of his Grandpa Seeley... I love those little qualities that I find in him.

1st Day of School

Dallin had his first day of preschool on Tuesday and I'm pretty sure I was more nervous than he was. He had a hearty breakfast of pancakes and sausage and off to school he went, never looking back. I went in with him and found his seat and after a few minutes I asked him if he was ready for me to leave (kind of hoping he would want me to stay for longer) and he said yep. He was there for 3 hours and when I picked him up he was a happy boy. He had a great time and was excited to go back. I'm so glad that he gets to go to (free, yep that is right FREE) preschool but I am really happy that it is only 2 days a week for 3 hours. I miss my boy when he is gone and so does Elise. My baby is growing up!This is the look/smile he gave his teacher for his picture on the wall. Only Dallin...

Words can't describe...

Words can't describe the shock we felt in the early morning hours on Tuesday, August 3rd when we got a call from Jon's mom telling us they were taking his dad to the hospital via ambulance for a pain in his chest. We both thought it was simply a complication from his ankle injury. In July they had gone to Maine and he was hiking and ended up breaking his ankle. He had some complications with a skin infection from that so we assumed it was another complication. Jon got up and left around 12:45am. By 1:45am I couldn't stand the wait so I called. I knew that it wasn't good when my sweet husband was crying. His dad had passed away from a blood clot that had traveled to his heart. The shock was too much to swallow. I couldn't believe my ears. The man who rides his bike everyone, who eats healthier than anyone I know...is gone at 58 years old. My heart broke. What do you say to someone who loses their dad when they are only 29 years old? We are so grateful for the gospel and the knowledge we have of the atonement and that we can be a family forever. That is the only thing that has gotten us through this. David was truly the most amazing man. He loved the Lord and served every chance he got. We all feel like we have huge shoes to fill to try to be half the man he was. He was such a good dad and grandpa. I'm so glad I got to be part of his family; I'm honored to be his daughter-in-law. I know that we will meet again but I wish we had more time with him. I feel like I had so much more to learn from him. I just have to remind myself that it is the Lord's plan... It doesn't make it any easier though.

Colorado Trip

In July we took a family vacation to Castle Rock, Colorado. We were meeting at my cousins house with my brother's family, my other brother's oldest girls, and parents. We had so much fun! The kids had a blast! There wasn't a single time out the whole week...I wish that would have carried over to home. No such luck. We visited the Denver Museum of Science and Nature (Dallin was in heaven!), Pikes Peak (which is at over 14,000 ft and where on a clear day they say you can see Kansas), and a great outlet mall. We really didn't have to do much to enjoy ourselves. It was just nice being with family. We ate great food, stayed up way too late chatting, and laughed until our stomachs hurt. It doesn't get better than that!The gang (minus my parents)
Me and my Taylor. I can't believe how grown up this girl is. She is one of the sweetest, most responsible 10 years old I have ever known. I just love her to pieces!
View from Pikes Peak
Elise actually took this picture. Not bad for a 2 year old!The newest addition, baby Evelyn. Such a sweet baby!
The Denver museum...They had TONS of dinosaurs and space stuff so Dallin was LOVING it.
They also had an Egyptian mummy exhibit. Pretty gross.