The O'Loughlin Family

Foiled

2012-02-14T16:34:00.001-08:00

Everyone was running outside to jump on the trampoline in the rain....then the hail came.
Still fun to look at!

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T13:44:00.001-08:00

2012-02-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

Come out for a fun race!

http://tr5kforvalues.blogspot.com/

That time of year

2012-01-13T12:21:00.001-08:00

Its pinewood derby time! Nathan has only been to one pack meeting (is that what theyre called?) And he seemed to really like it. Chad and Nathan have been working on his car for next Saturday

Alison and Maya

2012-01-13T09:06:00.001-08:00

So glad they have a good friend

Happy Birthday Chad!

2011-12-22T12:19:00.001-08:00

We enjoyed the morning with mini golf and Chipotle for lunch. Tonight were going out sans kids for sushi and Shelock Holmes.

Happy Birthday Caitlyn!

2011-12-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

Caitlyn's traditional birthday morning pictures:

Right before leaving for school. I was taking Caitlyn's picture when Alison came up and had to be in it with her:

Happy 9th Birthday Caitlyn!

Friends Christmas Party

2011-12-17T21:10:00.000-08:00

I look forward to the night that we have our friends Christmas party. Its just four couples and our kids and its a blast. We had our traditional "James' roast" for dinner (I'll say traditional because its two years running now) with mash potatoes, rolls and carrots. Its an amazing dinner - maybe it tastes better because of the company :) I was in charge of dessert so this is what I came up with:

Who's ready for a baby? Laree. She loved holding the newest addition to the group: Alice. She's only 4 weeks old

The kids were excited to start opening up the presents.Nathan was extremely excited with his Lego set. Good job Erin and Preston!

We gave Millie and Ellaree a marshmallow gun. It came equipt with eye protection.

Erin and Preston know Alison well. She was so excited to get a Yo Gabba Gabba coloring book and Broby thermos.

Millie looking cute

Then it was the adults turn:

but Alison kept making her way into the group with misc toys - as evident by the next two pictures

The kids had a great time and I'm glad that we were able to get a picture of them - eventhough Millie is covering her face. She can be seen in the next shot of silly faces. Maybe next year we'll remember to get a picture of all the adults together. Erin is mysteriously absent from the pictures. I swear she was there - was it on purpose? Hummmm...

WE HAD A GREAT TIME! CAN'T WAIT TIL NEXT YEAR!

(but I'm sure we'll get together before then :) )

Turning 9

2011-12-17T07:43:00.000-08:00

Caitlyn turned 9 this year and we had a great party. We had a science theme party (thanks Heidi). At first I was nervous that it wasnt girly enough but they really had a fun time with all of the experiments. Here is the group mid party. I'm glad I got a photo of all of them.

Their first experiment was to see who could build the highest tower out of marshmallows and toothpicks. We had some great towers!

After the towers we went straight into lunch. The girls were happy with the pizza but the mom in me required oranges and grapes on the table. I'm happy to report that they devoured the fruit as well.

We next went into our egg experiement. Chad did a great job explaining to the girls why our experiements were working. You should have seen their faces when the eggs were sucked into the bottles. They couldnt believe it

Now for the explosion. We had to go outside for this one. This picture is Chad explaining why mentos create a gyser effect when dropped into Diet Coke.We gave them each a small Diet Coke and Mentos so they could see it on a small scale.

Right before the first drop:Heres the mom in me again. I didnt want anyone going home covered in Diet Coke so I made them stand back before the big drop.

Chad wanted to really impress them so in went about 24 Mentos:

Next were presents. It was really nice of all of her friends to bring her a present. Especially so close to Christmas! She was happy with everything! A couple of friends gave her Target gift cards so she was able to get a Madame Alexander doll that she's had her eye on.For the final experiment we made Gak that they could take home. It was definitely the grossest and gooey-est experiment of the day but they had a great time watching it form.

We had so much fun that we lost track of time. By the time we got to cake and ice cream parents were starting to arrive! They ate their cake and they were sent out the door with Gak and a party bag of candy. It was a great party and I think all the girls went home with some great stories!

Caitlyn's Birthday outfit

2011-12-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

She was so happy to get new Tom's and a dress for her birthday

Franklin Winter Sing

2011-12-12T07:35:00.000-08:00

We were able to go to Franklin's Winter Sing. Caitlyn did a great job. They sang "Lights of Hanukkah", "We're Going to Catch That Santa" and "Sing Merrily Sing For Joy". I was happy that we made it through all of her songs before Alison and Nathan completely melted down. Needless to say we had to make a quick exit after her performance. Sorry to all the other participants that we had to miss - I'm sure you all did a great job! :)

Toasty

2011-12-10T07:41:00.000-08:00

We've been warming our feet by the fireplace and loving it! It's a great way to welcome in Christmas time.

2nd life

2011-12-02T14:34:00.001-08:00

We got this table when we were first married (almost 12 years ago) from Pier 1. It was a great coffee table in our apartment and our condo and it has spent the last 7 years at the foot our our bed. A couple of weeks ago Chad launched himself onto the bed from the table while playing with the kids and there was a big crash. The base had split from the base and we thought the table had seen its life.

Heres the problem: I need a table there. I love having a place to sit the laundry or use it to put my shoes on - its functionality has become a staple in our room - for both of us and the kids, but I dont want to afford a new table.

So Chad got to work. The table broke in a way that Chad could still use the old pieces as a pattern for new pieces. I'm so happy that I married a handy guy. It comes in, well, handy :) Now it just needs to be stained and it will be good as new. Love it.

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-28T13:43:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year was with the Vance's. We are a large group, but I really love getting everyone together.

Sweet Grandma and Grandpa Vance

Alison was completely in love with this dog.

This is Alison's new pose for pictures. So adorable.

McRae's

Chad's photography work.

You know its our table when there are huge Thirstbusters present. We were happy to have Jeff and Merrilynn (Randy's brother and wife) down from Colorado for the holiday.

Alison was going around drinking everybody else's juice. This is when she realized we were watching her.

Baby Leah

Nathan discovered the trampoline early off and it was hard to separate him from it for the rest of the afternoon.

Steve and Melissa came down as well. We were happy to have them stay with us. One big slumber party= very happy kids.

This is a death trap. We grew up with it at my grandparent's house and it always resulted in injury but the kids had fun with it. Especially when Chad was the counterweight. Nobody lost a foot so I guess all is well!

Nathan wasnt happy at the end of the day when it was time to go home and he had to leave the trampoline. I hope he'll be excited on Christmas day :)

Next Time

2011-11-28T05:59:00.001-08:00

Next time we offer Nathan pumpkin pie for dessert we will know to just give him a plate of Cool Whip

Pretty In Pink

2011-11-08T09:20:00.001-08:00

Alison lookong cute today

Kids on Halloween Night

2011-11-02T14:00:00.001-07:00

Alison was a little possessive about her candy....

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

Halloween 2012

2011-11-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago we went with Ben and Sarah to a Fall Festival. We all had a great time! They had great games for the kids, a bounce pad, animals and a fun train ride - all of which was included in the price.

HALLOWEEN NIGHT: We first had to make it out to Grandpa O'Loughlin's to see all the pumkins - a fun family tradition.

Our peacock, watermelon and boxer. Caitlyn came up with the idea of a peacock. At first I wasnt sure how to pull it off but it actually was a lot of fun to make!Alison wanted nothing to do with her costume until her friend Maya came over last week and tried it on. Then she threw a fit until we put it on her. Nathan's was a last minute purchase - but that's when you get a good deal! (50% off). He LOVES it and wore it all weekend.

Alison caught on pretty quickly and soon enough she was around anyone who had the candy. She ran out of M&M's so she sat next to Nathan hoping for more.

We had a fun time at our Trunk or Treat then it was off to Grandma Harmon's house. It was a busy night - but a lot of fun!

Somedays....

2011-10-12T13:57:00.001-07:00

Its just more fun to make fall goodies than to clean the house.

R.I.P.

2011-10-06T16:40:00.001-07:00

So sad to say goodbye to my custom license plate. Since I graduated 2 1/2 years ago I figured that it was time to move on (saving $50 a year might have been a bigger factor).

Days to remember

2011-10-05T12:53:00.001-07:00

It is such a momentous day... The first day that you can stand to be outside after the long, hot summer. Today is that day for our family. So, when Nathan had an early release we decided ( Alison, Nathan and I) to head to the park with a few items from Taco Bell. We're having a great time and weather couldn't feel better.

Have I ever mentioned how good Nathan is on monkey bars? He is really good - if there were olympics for monkey bars he would be on the short list. Me on the other hand... lets just say its been too many years and I dont have very good upper body strength. I may or may not have had a really hard time making three of them, but I'm not going to confirm that.

Blogging

2011-09-30T14:49:00.001-07:00

Love this blogging app. Expect a lot more updates.

Caitlyn update

2011-09-30T14:46:00.001-07:00

Caitlyn recently came home with her report card for the first quarter. She received all A's. We are so proud of her. We insituted a new reward system: $1 per A, so she earned $10. Chad always earned money for A's, and I never did. What does your family do?

Alison today

2011-09-28T10:41:00.001-07:00

Sometimes its just great to catch their little mannerisms and what they are into for the day. Yesterday Alison found Nathans Bob the Builder bucket and she fell in love with this belt. Today she brought it to me and insisted on having it on. I was happy to oblige. She looks so cute wearing that belt around over her dress. She has also been bringing me tools to put in the belt. At least she'll be ready in case of a mechanical emergency!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALISON

2011-09-12T12:49:00.000-07:00

Its pretty appropriate that this is our traditional birthday picture for Alison. She is so feisty! Usually we take the picture by waking them up, but she got up pretty early today - and since she started sleeping in her toddler bed a couple of nights ago, she got into our room before I got into hers. Did I mention it was early? - about 5:40am (pretty close to the actual time she was born!) The sun wasnt quite up so the flash was really making her mad.

After she was awake for a little bit we got a better picture

Last night we had a little party for Alison (and Aaron coming into town) over at Grandma and Grandpa Harmons.

Nathan NEVER misses out on a birthday cake and blowing out the candles. As always - after the birthday person blows out the candles they have to be relit for Nathan to take a turn.

Alison thoroughly enjoyed her birthday cake. Good thing because she's getting more tonight.

some of the crowd. Its always fun when Abby is around.

Chad and Aaron

Alison got a shopping cart full of goodies (fake food) and a couple of new dolls to add to her "babies" collection. She loves babies.

More festivities tonight!

Totally Alison

2011-09-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when I try to take cute pictures of Alison. I'm so glad that I captured this timelapse.

This is for Melissa:

Oops

2011-07-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

He thought he regularly used the "red" guard. He actually uses the "purple" guard.

Took a little time off - new posts coming! I have a list of 9 events to capture in the blogging world!

Lets Share, shall we?

2011-05-28T14:47:00.001-07:00

For the past 2 months I have been working on the C25K challenge. I am pretty proud of myself for sticking with the program even when I really didnt want to. I have cheated or missed a single day. Now that I am in week 8 and am running a full 28 minutes (next week I go to 30!) I have hit the open road. I like to see when the run will take me, and so far it has been rewarding and fun.

So here is the sharing part. I want to hear what your favorite song is to run to. Currently, mine is "Right Now" by Van Halen. If you dont have this on your playlist I suggest you add it. It is a long song, the lyrics will inspire you and the tempo is fast.

Hopefully we will all have some fun new songs to keep us moving!

Behind the Times

2011-05-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

Movie trends usually hit about 2 years after the initial movie premiers around our house. It takes nathan a few times of watching the movie to actually enjoy it and then request it again. I guess you could say he has to aclimate.
Well, Toy Story 3 has debuted on our movie channel and Nathan is in love.
When I was running this morning I jogged past a garage sale and saw a toy that I knew Nathan would want. (We've wanted to get him one for years but toys are just so dang expensive!)
Anyway - I increased my jogging pace so I could get home and drive back to get the toy before somebody took it. When I made it over there they not only still had the original toy, but also a bag of Toy Story 3 toys for $2 and some Dr. Suess games (another Nathan obsession). Needless to say, Nathan's day - hopefully weekend - has been made.

2011-05-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

A trip that was supposed to just be for girls camp quickly exploded into a bomb pop/bullet overload.
On Tuesday, me, along with 3 lovely ladies that I work with in Young Womens, took a trip to downtown Phoenix to the Costco in the candy/ice cream world. We knew that candy for girls camp wasnt going to be the only thing purchased for the day, so we planned ahead and brought a cooler for our ice cream treats.
You see, this place sells all of the ice cream truck goodies - such as Bullets - both regular and rootbeer, Bomb pops- in all flovors, ice cream bars, the popsicles shaped like your favorite charater and so on.
We thought we would have plenty of room.... we were severly mistaken. We took all of the Bullets out of the boxes and they lined up single file in the cooler. We still didnt have enough room. So we bought ice, asked for some extra boxes and made our own make shift freezer. What we didnt realize is, just like everything else, the ice comes in bulk. We had so much ice! It is that great flakey ice that you hate to throw away so we just packed it up too. Needless to say, we may have purchased to much. Our eyes might have been bigger than our car, but we got it all home, our freezers have enough icey treats for awhile and our families say thank you.

Sarah's Birthday

2011-05-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

For Sarah's birthday we used some Groupons that we had gotten the boys for Christmas and went to F1 Race Factory - then out to dinner at True Food.

We had some time to waste before our race began so we killed a lot of time at this machine because it gave out the most tickets.

We're all about the tickets. - We may have used them all on flavored tooties rolls. Who wouldnt though right?

Once at True food we had a great time. We got the private room in the back and the proved to be advantageous for all others trying to eat their dinner. We were pretty loud. I would go back there just for the room.

Lessons learned

2011-05-12T11:23:00.000-07:00

Its nice to see when something you have taught your kids has actually sunk into them. This morning Caitlyn and Nathan got up early. Since Chad and I are not partial to getting up an hour earlier than expected we let them hang out until breakfast. Unbeknownst to us Caitlyn got cereal ready for her and Nathan. We didnt realize this until she came in to ask Chad where he had left off in our family scripture reading the day before. She went in and picked up where he had stopped and read aloud a couple of verses to Nathan.

A sweet victory moment for parents.

2011-05-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

I love seeing the rays of sunshine come through the cloud of Autism. Sharing moments such as these are so fun to watch

Happy Easter

2011-04-30T12:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! Our family pictures didnt go as well as planned this year - so this is the best we got :)

Easter Morning:

basket fun:

The Easter Bunny sees the advantages of giving a toy they would like with less candy. Much less.

Easter Egg Hunt. The Easter Bunny got sneaky this year and hid them in the front yard.

Later at Grandma and Grandpa Harmon's house. We had a great family dinner. This picture is so priceless because Lucy doesnt go to many people - especially Brian but when he promised her a treat she reluctantly agreed. Brian has a way of scaring of most toddlers in the family.

Grandma's Easter Egg Hunt. This was the last picture I got before the camera died. I guess thats a good place to end. :)

A day off

2011-04-23T06:31:00.001-07:00

A day off of school and it looks like summer is right around the corner. Caitlyn and Nathan spent a good portion of the day swimming, eating popcicles, watching Tangled and of course: crafting. (the "of course" is for Caitlyn - but Nathan always enjoys the project after it is done)

The craft of the day was making a car out of a cardboard box - with a "Tangled" theme.

Quest

2011-04-20T07:55:00.000-07:00

I am on a quest for answers, help, suggestions, whatever could help.

Let me start with an explaination. We have a little girl {who will remain nameless}, and she is very VERY strong-headed. She doesnt take direction well, which also means that she doesnt listen to her parents very well.
Please dont think that we are picking out negative things about her. We love her! She is an artistic, creative, smart little girl. We see all the good qualities that she has. As parents we understand that this will and drive can be a great force of good in her life when she gets older, but for right now it leads to disobedience. On most occasions, when she is asked to do something, or we give her directions, it is met with why that wont work, what she is doing instead, or why she wont do it. ~ Which is why we say she is so smart. She thinks about things and want to try things her way.
But this has sent me on a quest to figure out where the real problem lies; what can we address as parents to help her be obedient without feeling like she needs to complain or talk back. One thing that I have noticed is a lack of time managment. It takes way too much time for her to complete most tasks ~ which leads to frustrated parents. Does anyone out there have a good theory on teaching time management to kids?
Just so you know - timers dont work. She hates the stress of competing with it.

Discoveries

2011-03-31T09:12:00.000-07:00

Now that we have discovered how helpful headphones can be for Nathan, he is willing to try new things. He LOVES to help mow the lawn.

Somebody please just put me to bed

2011-03-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

San Diego - a welcomed break

2011-03-22T11:48:00.001-07:00

We were so excited to get of Arizona for a few days and have a vacation in San Diego. We visited the Mormon Battalion Visitors Center (renovated and so much fun), Old Town, Seaport Village, the beach, a couple "Diners Drive-in's and Dives" places, and of course the beach. After checking all of this stuff off our list we were ready to head home. Six hours, 3 kids and 1 Prius equals and interesting drive (but so worth it - ask us about our gas mileage!)
Here are the pictures:

Nathan took our picture in the hotel room. We were sure he cut our heads off but he didnt do too bad.

Waiting for everything to open at SeaWorld

Sea Lions

The Shark Encounter. I was so shocked that we got Nathan through that tunnel. We was such a champ!

This was totally spontanious on Nathan's part. He just wanted to walk with Caitlyn.

Caitlyn really wanted to sit in the splash zone for the dolphin show. We let her- but she was on her own. We made sure we could see her, but when she thought we werent looking she would scoot down a row. She ended up on the third row. So this is her before shot

And this is her after.

Abby's Sea Star ride was the only one Nathan begrudginly went on. I think he regretted it.

You would have thought that the most popular pop star was in their midst. Alison and Nathan were so excited. From 20 feet away Alison just kept saying "Elmo! Elmo!" over and over. Have I mentioned she doesnt say momma yet? yeah, its awesome.

The Baluga whale exhibit. Alison is in the middle of "loving" the window.

Last time we came to SeaWorld Nathan had a huge meltdown at the Shamu show. Its just too much stimulation for him. So before we came I had the idea of headphones. I have seen other kids where them and it was amazin how much it helped him. Not only did he remain calm, he loved the show! It just took the edge off. He will now tell you that his favorite part was Shamu because of the splashing. Everytime Shamu splashed he would laugh like he just heard the funniest joke ever.

We like to go the PetShow. This time they had a kangaroo as part of the show and Caitlyn couldnt wait to go up and meet it afterwards.

Chad and Caitlyn are the only two in our family that you can convince to get on a water ride.

At the Mormon Battalion visitors center they dressed Caitlyn up in the same stuff that the men would wear. It is a great interactive tour that I highly recommend. At the end of the tour they take your picture - all western like, and the kids pan for gold, and pretend to make bricks like the saints would havd done back then.

On the front porch they have rocking chairs and a wagon the kids can get in and try out.

Old Town San Diego is right around the corner so we decided to walk around. They have a jerky and root beer store. How great is that?!

Caitlyn got to pick out a candle and dip it herself

Then we were off to the beach. Nathan wore my sunglasses so he could see his kite in the sky.

Alison is not a beach baby. She was constantly giving us her feet to wipe them off.

The next day (and our last) we went to Seaport Village to find our Christmas ornament and to walk around. We found some, not so shy, ducks and fed them for a bit.

Then we realized that we feed Alison in the same exact way.

It was a great trip! The kids slept well at night - and we realized that being a parent on a family trip is not that relaxing, so we're already looking into what our own vacation will be later this year :)

Preach My Gospel FHE Books

2011-03-01T13:03:00.001-08:00

This is an amazing book that was printed by inspirationfor our efforts in missionary work. It is also a great learning tool for the family.

We are so excited to be selling a companion Family Home Evening book for our Young Women's girls camp fundraiser. The Preach My Gospel manual has been divided up into weeks for an entire year of Family Home Evenings. Every week has a lesson and activity that can be adapted for younger or older kids. If you are interested in purchasing one let me know.
We are also selling Ward Cookbooks. We have over 100 recipes!

The books are $15 for one or $25 for two - any combination of two.

Help our girls get to camp please!

Short and Funny

2011-02-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a short but funny story:

Yesterday we were sitting and enjoying out sacrament meeting. Nathan was eating is snack and then all of a sudden he spits something into his hand. Upon further investigation Chad and I realize that it is a tooth. No blood, just a tooth. So we looked in his mouth and saw that it was one of his bottom baby teeth and that hole had already almost healed over. It must have been hanging on by a thread. The weird part is that we brush his teeth with him and we didnt even detect it. Either this is just really odd or we need to brush his teeth better.

Happy Valentines Day

2011-02-14T07:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Im not too big on this day but I do believe you can tell those around you that you love them and enjoy one another!

Oh - whats that on Alisons face you ask? Well, she had a run in with the treadmill on Saturday. They're pretty much like sandpaper when they are on, and I feel bad because I was the one on it. After a quick pop in to the ER we were on our way with neosporin and some children's Motrin. She'll be good as new in no time :)

Going on a Bear Hunt with Nathan

2011-02-11T09:15:00.001-08:00

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

This is one of Nathan's favorite things to do right now. We love how vocal it makes him. He's totally imitating the tape that they listen to as school, but he's so cute!

2011-02-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

On January 12th this cute girl was baptised:

Nathan turns 7

2011-01-03T20:47:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, bud! By this time (6 am on his birthday) we had already sung to him/blown out candles 4 times in the few days prior. Its his favorite part of his birthday.

(our traditional morning picture)

New Years Eve

2011-01-01T09:19:00.000-08:00

We had a fun New Years Eve with friends over. It wouldnt have been complete without going to Sonic for half-price drinks. Thanks for walking in front of my picture Ben.

Soon the activity of choice (at least for the boys) was to shoot the dart gun around the family room. Im found a couple in my Christmas tree when I took it down.

I realized that it was a better idea to make them a target.

This is the best picture of the night by far.

Card games ruled the night. It was a great way to ring in the new year! Man. You can definitely see that I was tired.

Christmas Part 1

2010-12-26T17:29:00.000-08:00

Nativity Mayhem. Cody and Sarah were in charge of our traditional Christmas Family Home Evening and they did a great job. We had Costa Vida knock - off (a very good knock - off) and a great nativity. I wish I had a picture of the nativity. I swear I took some - so when I find them I'll be sure to upload them. You're on pins and needles aren't you?

Our cute sheep

After the nativity the grandkids, as per tradition, exchanged their gifts to each other... which is always a book. It is such a great idea, and you would be surprised at how excited they are about them.

Grandmas Breakfast:

A couple of days later we got together for Grandmas breakfast bash. In years past this was done at Great Grandma Vance's house with all the extended cousins, but we kept it a little more simple this year and brought it down a generation.

After breakfast they made a gingerbread house together

While the boys went outside and helps grandpa move rock. Exciting.

And cuteness ensued:

Christmas Part 2

2010-12-26T15:14:00.000-08:00

Two days before Christmas Chad and Caitlyn had and idea....

To make a rocking horse for Alison

So Chad worked:

And Caitlyn made a fort out of his scraps: (true Caitlyn style)

Christmas Eve. PJs are a tradition at our house and Cailtyn LOVES matching Alison

Christmas morning before it got ransacked.

Alison and Nathan eating breakfast before opening presents. Caitlyn is still sleeping

Caitlyns most prized gift of the day: A heart box of chocolates. thats what she wanted from Santa. Where on earth did he find that?

Chad looking at my most prized gift for him. I put all of our past blogs into books.

Alison loves the rocking horse

Our big gift to the kids were new rollerblades. They loved them and couldnt wait to get outside to try them out. Even if it was in their pajamas

When Grandpa O'Loughlin arrived he gave Caitlyn some rollerblading tips. (He's our resident rollerblader). There are already plans in the works for them to go out together

Later that day at my moms house. Alison is ready for a party

An overall shot of the grandkid mayhem. My mom got all the kids cute hooded blankets and embroidered pillowcases. They are so cute.

Jeff and Abby had Becky and Jared this year and to poke a little fun at him they gave him a box of Krispie Kreme donuts. (He's a cop)
Too cute not to post. The older boys showing me their approval.

And when all was over. This is how most of us felt.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-24T23:19:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas All!

The quilts are finished (last night)

The presents are wrapped

"A Christmas Story" and "White Christmas" has been watched

Its time for bed.

Happy Birthday

2010-12-22T12:09:00.000-08:00

Chad is 33! To celebrate we are off to The Forgotten Carols with a stop at Sauce for some awesome food. (he got a hikers water purifier as a present)

Before we hit Christmas...

2010-12-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

Lets take a look at Thanksgiving! This year we were invited over the Ellsworths for dinner. They rent a bounce house - which means we didnt see the kids the entire time. That pretty much makes the rental worth while wouldnt you agree?

Alison and Maya love to love on each other. They are always so excited to play

why not.

We went to Brian and Laura's house later for dessert and then over to Grandma Standages to see extended family.

Randy is always so modest when it comes to taking photos

Growin' Up

2010-12-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Caitlyn!

She turned the very important 8 years old and will be getting baptised next month.

Here's a recap of years past....

7 years old:

6 years old:

5 down to 1 yrs old:

2010-12-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

Step 1: cut out squares -check!
Step 2: design pattern and sew - check!
Step 3, 4 and 5 : adding batting, quilt stiching and rolled edge to be completed - tonight hopefully. I have to wait while the kids are not home or asleep. I know, I should have done more work on them when they were at school. When it is a big project (this is arguable a big project) I tend to start them, and then need a small break before finishing. That is what happened here - but I am feeling the pressure of finishing! So wish me luck!
PS - I am still so in love with these fabrics. Especially Caitlyns. I hope these will be blankets they hold on to for a long time.

A beautiful sight

2010-12-12T06:15:00.001-08:00

It may not look like much, but this is 4 LARGE batches of salsa divided into 25 portions. All ready to go to neighbors and school teachers (Nathan has 10 teachers - thats right I said 10! So many aids and therapists that work in the room. Its great for him, but proves to be difficult to get them a Christmas goodie) I usually try to not to food. I try to do some sort of little gift but this won out. Its fast and tastes good.

Side note story to explain:Two years ago I went to Caitlyns Christmas Party at school and I was a little sad the most of the items the teacher got was baked goods - including ours. She was leaving out of town for the holidays and there was no way she was going to get through all that food. I vowed that I would be more thoughtful and try to go non-food when it came to teachers.

I am going to wrap them up with bags of chips and a nice decoration on the outside of the bag.
If you were a teacher would you appreciate it?

On another note - the quilt(Im working on Nathan's first) is coming along great. More pictures to come.

Projects

2010-12-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas season everyone! I havent been around the blog world for awhile and now I'm afraid that we dont have any readers! So, to boost your confidence in me I am presenting you with my current project....
Quilts for Nathan and Caitlyn. I finished my quilt for Alison (and my personal progress) and I kind of felt bad that I didnt give one to the others. They will not be as difficult as the other quilt, but they will have something more special. At least in my eyes. All of the fabric I found at my grandma's house. She is an amazing seamstress and there is no way I could ever compare to her talent. She hasnt been able to sew for awhile and she has loads of fabric. I am honored to use them for my kids, and will be sure to let them know where it came from.
Seriously how awesome is that vintage fabric of basket ball scenes. I LOVE it!

The florals were amazing and I had to actually edit my selections down. I originally had a couple stripes picked out too, but I think this will be perfect. My favorite is the rose buds on the right. Does anyone else remember that fabric? Its so nostalgic for me.

Im starting on them today so I'll be updating.

Note to Heidi: I have no idea how you made that quilt in one day. I will not be competing with you thats for sure.

2010-11-25T05:22:00.000-08:00

As per our Thanksgiving tradition I present to you the pilgrim and indian ready for their Thanksgiving feast. We hope everyone enjoys their day and takes a few minutes to acknowledge all of the blessings in their lives.

Happy Thanksgiving

(were going to have to get a new picture next year that has Alison in it)

YEAR SUPPLY

2010-11-19T12:40:00.000-08:00

Im giving a lot of thought to our year supply right now - mainly because it is not a year supply. We'd be lucky to last a couple of months. REALLY lucky.
I want to beef it up, but am unsure where to begin.
Anyone have ideas? What has helped you?

I am seriously considering just buying the ready-made-delivered to your door supply. That's really my style, but it definitely is more expensive.

Thank you

2010-11-09T09:15:00.000-08:00

I would just like to give a public "THANK YOU" to my sweet husband. I had a Young Women's meeting go long on Sunday night and when I came home the dishes were done, dinner was cleaned up, and the laundry had been changed. It means so much to me to come home to a clean house. AND the kids were all in bed.
It means more than flowers.

Menu 11/8/2010

2010-11-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

Monday - family party
Tuesday - Roasted chicken/carrots/potatos
Wednesday - Shephards pie
Thursday - grilled cheese sandwiches/soup
Friday - BBQ
Saturday - out
Sunday - breakfast

Itchin'

2010-11-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm inchin' some good fall or Christmas decoration craft ideas. Has anyone seen any good tutorials out there? If so could you give me the link ? I need some good, original ideas!

Thanks!

Grrrr......

2010-11-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

I despise school fundraisers (except for the cookie dough one because I buy from that one). I hate that they give an assembly to the children and show them all of the "prizes" they could win. "If you can sell 50 items you'll with this paper airplane" Oooh, Ahhhh.

Its lame.

Its also lame that Caitlyn is totally taken in by these tactics. She is my infomerical child. On a regular basis she brings me phone numbers that she has written down and tell me that we need to buy that item. Our latest and greatest was the Shoes Under. This was just one that wouldnt go away. She kept asking and pleading for it. She would convince us that this item would change her world!

So, we used it to our advantage. A long standing problem in our house is random shoes strewn around the house.... see where this is going? Chad challenged Caitlyn to not have a pair of shoes left out for two weeks, then we would buy her a Shoes Under. She accepted the challenge, and wouldnt you know it? We didnt see any of her shoes for two weeks. She is capable of cleaning up her shoes!

Here are the ultimate results: She got the Shoes Under and her shoes can still be found all around the house.

Awesome.

Priceless

2010-11-02T22:42:00.000-07:00

I took this photo last year. Quite honestly, I think its one of the best photos ever and is totally Nathan.

Halloween

2010-11-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

The Friday before Halloween Alison sporte her skull and crossbones bow in preparation of Halloween

Too cute not to post. Notice the lid is on. I just dont want anyone to think we have bad parenting skills

Batman at the trunk or treat. The Bat Mobile was made by Chad a few weeks ago for their Primary Activity Day so I decided to roll with it.

The kids ready for the trunk or treat. Batman costume - free on Craigslist and the mask and gloves were $5 on Craigslist. Cowgirl items were mostly borrowed. Indian costume - borrowed. (Thanks Becky!)

Menu 11/1/10

2010-11-02T13:55:00.000-07:00

Monday - Stuffed Shells
Tuesday - White Chili
Wednesday - Beef Stroganoff
Thursday - chili rellenos
Friday - homemade pizza
Saturday - date night :)

10/25/2010 Menu

2010-10-25T10:24:00.001-07:00

Monday - Meatball Sandwiches
Tuesday - Mushroom Chicken with rice
Wednesday - Beans
Thursday - Roasted Chicken
Friday - out (pumpkin carving night)
Saturday - Trunk or Treat
Sunday - grandma's house? :)

Groundhog

2010-10-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

The weather must be changing for the season because my token winter visitor has arrived. Have Imet him? No. He is a resident in the same community. Every year in April(ish) I watch him pack up his house, put a trashbag on his front door, vaccum his front lawn (thats right - I said vaccum. He has those great rubberized-rock lawns) and head back to "Beautiful British Columbia" - as it says on his license plate. Then in October(ish) I watch him come back into town, park his car in his immaculate gargage on his carpet squares - so he wont leave a mark on his perfectly clean garage floor, and I know that Fall has come with him.

You see, he is my personal Groundhog. I have faith that he has been monitoring the weather and he know when it is the perfect time to come back. So when he comes I get excited and when he leaves I get sad. He keeps his home so immaculate that I have to believe that he arranges his arrival with precision. So, to my personal groundhog - whom I never have met, but look at his house everytime I drive by, I say thank you.

Side By Side

2010-10-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well, its not really side by side because I dont know how to do that in blogger - but I love seeing Alison wear some of my favorite dresses from Caitlyn. One difference is for sure... Alison has a lot more hair.
Oh - and Alison is not that bright white. The flash was on. Opps.

I'm kind of tired

2010-10-18T11:15:00.001-07:00

Not really in the mood to cook this week. I'm tired. so, I will continue on, BUT we're having an easy - sandwich filled- week.

Monday - Salmon with fresh vegetables
Tuesday - BLT's
Wednesday- Tomato Bisque (this recipe is a favorite in our house) - probably with grilled cheese sandwiches
Thursday - grilled chicken sandwiches
Friday - skillet mac and cheese

Thats all I can handle.

10/11/10 Menu

2010-10-13T10:13:00.000-07:00

Okay- my menu is lacking a bit this week. I'm leaving for our youth Pioneer Trek tomorrow so I have had lots to do!

Monday - hamburgers/grapes
Tuesday - Tia Rosa's (it was their free food night!)
Wednesday - Bruschetta Chicken over pasta
Thursday - grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle soup
Friday - frozen pizza
Saturday - grillin' chicken and vegetables - maybe make fajita burritos. That sounds good.

2010-10-12T08:31:00.001-07:00

Wishin' I was more crafty.

Thats it.

Weekly Menu Continues! 10/4/10

2010-10-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm a day late. Does it really matter to anyone else other than Chad who checks to see what we're having for dinner?

It doesnt matter - I do it for myself. Or better yet, for my Personal Progress. This is one of my Value Projects.... to plan and cook menus - including a new recipe each week. I've done enough hours for my project already, but I'm having fun, and it really does help when I'm grocery shopping. It appeals to my organized side. Its nice to know what I'm cooking instead of trying to figure it out last minute and, lets be honest, then it usually doesnt taste good. So I hope that it is helpful to somebody out there!

Monday - lasagna
Tuesday - chicken noodle soup (I have a great recipe and I cant help but love the weather!)
Wednesday - pulled pork sandwiches
Thursday - stuffed shells (make enough to freeze a batch)
Friday- surprise - Caitlyn and Chad have planned this night. It should be interesting
Saturday - pizza
Sunday - hope we get invited to my moms :)

Alison's trick

2010-10-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how she figured this out, but this is one of Alison's tricks:

She loves to look at people through her legs. I love how she gets up on her tippy toes so she can get as high as possible.
She'll come down, smile and laugh, and then get right back up. Its pretty cute.

Menu 9/27/10

2010-09-27T12:16:00.001-07:00

Monday: Meatball Sandwiches
Tuesday: Chicken with Olives
Wednesday: Chili
Thursday: Mexican chicken
Friday: leftovers

9/20/10 menu

2010-09-20T12:42:00.001-07:00

Monday: Roasted chicken
Tuesday: Taco Salad with homemade taco shells
Wednesday: lasagna
Thursday: Chicken Tortilla Soup
Friday: out
Saturday: dont know yet - probably my old stand by of homemade pizza
Sunday: Roast

Couple Things About Nathan

2010-09-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

If you have met Nathan there are certainly 2 things you know about him. He loves movies and quoting lines from them. He also loves to spell things out with plastic letters. Occasionally he will get a phrase stuck in his head for a while and we find it all over the house. This is one of those phrases. "Now on DVD"

We also discovered that he is a fan of the BYU Mens Chorus live performances. No interest in the music on CD but loves to watch them on TV.

Menu 9/13

2010-09-14T15:20:00.001-07:00

My weekly menu is going to go to pot at the end of the week because Chad and I are attending an all day (Friday and Saturday) Autism Conference in Phoenix. It is sure to give us some great information, but at home, our kids' food will be suffering a bit. Dont judge me.

Monday: Pizza
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Salad
Wednesday: Apricot Chicken (new recipe compliments of Becky)
Thursday: Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Friday: Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Saturday: out
Sunday: Roast/Carrots/Potatoes

You probably noticed, (I bet most have not - but whatever) that my new recipes come from Pioneer Woman. I love that website. I have to try the Apple Dumplings some time. They look fantastic. Thanks for the idea Angie :)

A day of celebration

2010-09-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

A day of celebration! Well, this picture doesnt look like it, but it was Alison's first birthday yesterday. Gasp. I know. I cant believe it either. The time flew by and I have to admit that I am a little sad about this.

Our tradition stood strong yesterday morning with our birthday morning pictures:

Later in the morning Chad was wrestling around with her on the couch and she LOVED it.

The cupcakes for the party. They were a lot of fun to make and not that difficult. I think they turned out nicely.

Alison all dolled up for her party. She is saying Horray to Hip Hip Horray! Gotta love the spit ring around the neck... it wouldnt be a true picture without it.

Playing peek a boo:

Blowing out her candle. Well, not really. If anyone knows our family then they know that when the birthday song is sung and there is a candle then Nathan is front and center. I find it actually quite funny that he isnt in this picture because he was on top of the cake saying "Nathan" when everybody was singing.

Enjoying her cake. She ate it crumb by crumb.

Thank you to all our friends and family that came and helped us celebrate. We had a great time!

2010-09-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

I had a great time with friends in Cailifornia. A day on the meach and another at the OC Swap Meet was fantastic. Pictures to come soon....

As far as our menu is concerned here is my week: (sorry it wasnt up yesterday - the holiday through me off) I'm making two new recipes this week, and although I have made variations of the two dishes it will be fun to put a new spin on them. Who's going to try them out with me?

Monday - homemade pizza
Tuesday - Pork Roast
Wednesday - Chicken and Dumplings
Thursday - Meatloaf
Friday - Black Bean Quesadillas
Saturday - out
Sunday - Roasted Chicken/Carrots/Potatoes

heading out

2010-09-02T14:41:00.000-07:00

Leaving in about an hour for some girl time, beach time, and Orange County Swap Meet shopping time. See ya Saturday night!

Wish Chad luck. Love ya sweetie! Dont worry, all of us girls will get you a guys trip planned soon!

Menu 8/30/2010

2010-08-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

I promise I'll start posting in between menus. :)

I'm trying two new recipes this week. since I'm leaving out of town on Thursdays (without the husband or children) I may be feeling a little guilty and want to make some great food for them.
So here we go:

Monday - Apricot Chicken Sandwiches
Tuesday - Gazpacho - I've been eager to try this
Wednesday - Black bean Quesadillas
Thursday - Chili
Friday - I'm sure Chad will be found at Taco Bell, Chipotle, or Costa Vida with two other husbands that dont know what to do for dinner
Saturday - not sure yet :) Maybe I'll actually do the homemade pizza this time!
Sunday - Pork Roast

2010-08-23T12:05:00.000-07:00

Ok - so I am going to become cliche and post my weekly menu, BUT there is a reason. I have been doing weekly menus for a few weeks now (thank you very much - no applause needed) and I need a way to remember what I have done without having papers everywhere.... enter blog.
So if it is helpful for you then great - but I'm really doing it for me.
Also, I have decided that I am going to try one new recipe a week. Just to keep myself adventurous, and if it succeeds with the family, it can be entered into my revolving menu plan. This will most likely be on Monday nights because I usually do my grocery shopping on Mondays. sound good? Here we go:

Monday: Chicken with Olives
Tuesday: Steak fajitas
Wednesday: BLT's
Thursday: chicken tortilla soup
Friday: sloppy joes
Saturday: homemade pizza
Sunday: havent decided yet. Anyone want to invite us for dinner? :)

Quilt top

2010-08-14T08:41:00.001-07:00

Step 10 completed out of 50 - my top is finished. It took some time to map it all out and peice it together, but I really enjoyed doing it. So much in fact that I think I am going to make two more so all of my kids have a quilt from me. They probably wont be zig zag next time though.

I love a good chart

2010-08-11T18:12:00.001-07:00

We needed a new system! So here's our new job chart - Angie inspired! (Thanks Angie!)

Inspirational, hope-filled

2010-08-11T10:51:00.000-07:00

HELP WANTED:

2010-07-28T14:40:00.000-07:00

If you know anyone that would like to do HAB work with Nathan we currently have an opening for Monday afternoons and Wednesday afternoons. Because both Chad and I work with the youth in our ward Wednesday nights would be until 9 p.m and it would be with all three kids from 6-9.

We currently work with AZA United for our HAB hours, so you would need to go through them (feel free to look at their website) and it would also require you to take some courses through AZA.

Let me know if you are interested. We are currently interviewing people.

New Tricks

2010-07-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Alison stood on her own (several times) for more than 15 seconds. I'm counting that as standing up. Wouldnt you agree?

and today she started clapping on her own. She is mesmerized by clapping - its so funny.

FHE

2010-07-20T07:24:00.001-07:00

Last night during Family Home Evening I was playing "Called to Serve" while Nathan laid on Chad. When the song was over Nathan said "I love that song". It was adorable. Even more so because he doesnt show much interest in music. For the rest of our lesson he was humming the song.

Milestone

2010-07-12T09:32:00.001-07:00

We made it. We hit the ten year mark last Tuesday and we have a fun night to celebrate. We went and checked out St Frances restaurant in Phoenix (I tried to call you Maren :) ) and then we enjoyed the Diamondbacks game. We didnt win, but we had great seats and we enjoyed being so close and watching the people around us. The restaurant was fantastic and I would go back anytime. Highly recommended. Good, fresh food.

As far as presents go - Chad got a new grill. Highly romantic right? and I got a band to match my wedding ring. Love it. It matches my ring perfectly.

So how did we make it ten years? Love, perserverance, selflessness, laughter, friendship, and faith.

Happy 4th!

2010-07-03T10:09:00.001-07:00

Spiderman is patriotic right? This is what he wanted to wear and I wasnt about to take on that battle. At least it is red and blue

I've been saving this little outfit for a few months now. Would you believe that I found the onesie and the tutu at Once Upon a Child for $3.50?!

Alison's new found treat

2010-07-02T20:30:00.000-07:00

Babies growing up

2010-06-29T12:56:00.000-07:00

This girl lost her first top tooth this week and for some strange reason it made her grow up. She is trying very hard to be conscious of every choice she's making. She decided on Sunday that she was only going to bring her scriptures to church and that she was going to listen to the speakers. She told us that she is getting ready to be baptised.

She has also been helping out around the house, and with Alison. She is doing her chores and with hardly any complaints! That may be due to the fact that we told her if she didnt change her attitude about doing them they were all going to be taken away. BUT before she would have forgotten about that and complained the next time I asked her so this is good progress :)

Chad and I have been catching little moments lately that show us that she is growing up. Not only in the way she's acting, but the way she looks. She is no longer our little girl - she is becoming a young woman.

Nathan has had slow but steady progress. We'll just go ahead and ignore the annoying blood curttling screams that happen when he doesnt get his way. The biggest thing I have noticed is that he will answer my questions when I pick him up from school. This is major, people! I can ask him what he did that day and after a little bit of thinking he can tell me! Its fun to communicate with him that way instead of me just wondering or feeding him what he did and him replying with yes or no.
(Isn't that awesome Jessie!)

He has been excited to do activities with us such as baking cookies and swimming since we got the pool. The pool has been worth every penny if only for the reason that Nathan and Caitlyn get out there and play together. He is totally comfortable being in the water if he has his goggles on. Goggles I can handle!

Milestone. First ponytail. Any mother of girls would agree that this is an accomplishment. She is in a mimicking stage. She studies very hard what we are saying or doing and tries to replicate it. Its quite cute. Her current favorite treat is a popcicle. We discovered this because Chad gave her a lick of his and she screamed until he gave her another on... and so on and so on until the entire thing had been finished off. I imagine it feels good on a mouth that is developing teeth. Thats right, I said developing, because she is yet to have any teeth come through yet. I'm not too worried - all of my kids got their teeth around 10 months. She's just a doll (as my mom would say) and we are so happy to have her. She is a complete joy and one easy little girl to take care of - except for her built in 6 am alarm clock.

Major accomplishment dates: (for my record keeping)

April 10th - first solid food. Plain rice cereal. Didnt like it! Loved it with fruit though :)

April 21st - sitting more than one minute without assistance

April 24th - good solid army crawl

May 2nd - started Bababa - ing a lot. Dadadada and Mamamama follow soon - but I dont think it counds as first words. Do you?

June 15th - tried out hands/knees crawling put drops after a few feet to army crawl

June 19th - standing unassisted for more than three minutes

June 21st - starting pulling herself up on furniture (joy!)

Garage Sale

2010-06-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Garage Sale this Saturday
All proceeds are going towards our Young Womens girls camp. So come shop, buy some baked goods and have a fun time!

We are also accepting donations (items to sell or moola) :)

Summer Cleanin'

2010-06-15T16:16:00.000-07:00

Okay everyone.
Its time to clean out your closets and give me your stuff.
Or rather, give it to our fundraiser.

Our Young Women are having a garage sale on June 26th

and we need stuff to sell, so if you have items that we can sell please let me know! I'll even come and pick it up! I know a deal, right?!

2010-06-09T09:23:00.000-07:00

I dont know why buy I dont feel like I have a lot to blog about.
I just got back from girls camp. It was a lot of fun, and I am happy that I had the opportunity to get to know the girls better, but I am also glad to be home and back with my family. (Chad is especially happy :) )

We're just enjoying the summer. Both of the older kids are in summer school and loving it. Caitlyn is in a program that is teaching her all about Australia. She cant wait to go everyday, and I am glad that she has something to fill up some of the summer time.

We made a big purchase and got an above ground pool. So if you ever want to swim ghetto-style let us know. Its large, abnoxious looking, and oh-so awesome. We are glad we have something for the kids. They LOVE it. Its only filled up to their shoulders so they can stand anywhere in the pool and they have a blast.

Hope all is well for our two blog readers! Check back - I'm leaving the next post for Chad to do. I'm sure he'll come up with something phenominal!

2010-06-01T20:52:00.000-07:00

See ya on the flip side of camp. Taking off tomorrow morning!

Totally cute, right? Its going at on the bottom of my blog

2010-05-27T10:06:00.001-07:00

My Family from WiddlyTinks.com

Teacher Gifts

2010-05-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Have you started your Teacher Gifts yet? I stole this little diddy from Ms. Martha. Love it. In the packet is a little not saying "Thank you for helping {insert child's name} grow this year... and then a personalized message, a packet of seeds and a piece of chalk. Wrap it with a bow, and voila! Original enough I hope.

Reading

2010-05-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

So how is everybody's reading going? Im doing great! Right on track and having a good time. I havent posted about it lately because, frankly, I didnt get a whole lot of response last time so I figured people wanted to keep to themselves. Thats fine. I'll just post to let you know that I am still here and keeping with the program. If for nothing else then to hold myself accountable.

We had Caitlyns dance recital a week ago. I really want to post the video on here - but it hasnt been letting me. I promise to get it working and up. I promise - you will want to see this, and it wont be like that California dance group that everyone has been talking about recently. Thanks to Heather it was a tastefully done performance and all the girls did great!

To close out the school year she also has her piano recital tonight. It should be really cute. Video to come!

2010-05-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

It took me forever.

The idea came from Sarah - but originally from Martha Stewart.

I look at it all the time and smile.