Disneyland

Sometimes life can seem a bit mundane. We do the same things over and over again, day after day, week after week. School, work, running around, laundry... Sometimes you've just got to mix things up a bit, so Friday night Ryan and I went out on a little date to a local car dealership. I suppose it was a good date because we left our 2000 Odyssey there and came home with a bit of an upgrade. And seeing as every new vehicle needs breaking in, the next morning we pulled the kids away from the television for a little drive to Disneyland.

We had heard that the early weeks of December were ideal to avoid the crowds in "The Happiest Place on Earth". Mix that with a weekday and some rain and you've got yourself a walk onto many of your favorite rides. The deserted park did come with a bit of a cost though, wet feet and a some complaining... but wait times were rare and we did get to see the Hillbillies perform in their indoor venue three times!

Sunday we took a bit of a time out and visited the Observatory overlooking Hollywood, the inspiration for the observatory in Megamind, and the Los Angeles temple all lit up for Christmas, before heading back for more happiness. Kids have a way of making things more fun though, helping you see things in a new light. Who new that Disney had canoe rides and rope swings?

All in all, the trip was a welcome retreat from the day to day tasks of life. The kids got to leave school behind for a few days, Ryan escaped from work, and I got to set aside the demands of running the house.

It seems though that there is always someone that can't quite leave life behind and is difficult to please. The demands on a 13-month-old must be exhausting!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today we are thankful for...

Ryan: my family

CeCe: the opportunity to come together and celebrate

(Uncle Brian and Aunt Amanda are with us this year!)

Braden: my house

Emmry: my friends and family

Hadley: my baby, RJ, my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Canella and my mom

Chloe: my family

RJ: the dishwasher

Here We Go Again

This morning RJ dumped half the contents of a Costco-size bottle of liquid soap on the floor. While he discovered that it may be fun to play with slippery, slimy soap, it doesn't taste half so good.

As I scooped him up all I could think of was how I thought these days were behind me. Thank goodness there's only one of him!

Unearthing Prince Eric - Happy Halloween

For some reason there comes an age when being cute just won't do. Princesses with ringlets and fairies with sparkle dust; cowboys with plastic guns and sheep dogs with painted noses... they're all so adorable! But there is some allure to being something frightening, something that scares others.

Halloween provides just such an opportunity. An opportunity to become something gruesome for a night and go about terrorizing people in their homes. Our kiddos were no different. Moments before our spooky little ones hit the street Ryan made up the faces of a ware wolf, two vampires and a scary alligator... truly a frightening bunch... though through the face paint, the dripping blood and fanged teeth, there were four smiles that could not be masked! And they must have had a successful evening, because somehow we ended up with four heavily laden bags of candy, much more than I began with.

Without doubt the most frightening thing to visit our home this month came disguised as a headless mummy. Last year for a school project Braden had to make a sarcophagus. He begged Prince Eric, Ariel's handsome prince, off the girls, wrapped it in medical tape, and transformed it into a mummy. You would think they would be appalled, but no, they thought it quite an honor for their prince.

After he fulfilled his role at school, it seems our embalmed Prince Eric somehow found his way into a bush in our front yard. There he had been peacefully resting before being unearthed by a pair of twin archaeologists. You would have thought they'd found King Tut himself by the way they danced their way into the house with his decapitated body. They passed him along to the embalmer himself who seemed to reminisce over this great prince that once was.

Silence.

Then a repetitive high pitched scream that could have been coming from a little girl, but instead from the depths of a twelve-year-old boy.

Emmry running with her own version of the same.

The twins staring mesmerized.

What curse had Prince Eric unleashed on our home?

As Ryan and I entered the living room we found that out of the body... out of that pea-sized neck hole of Prince Eric... had climbed a giant spider the size of a tarantula. Perhaps it was a tarantula. Both empty body and spider lay on the floor where Braden had dropped them. There was little talk of keeping this mammoth arthropod as a pet as I was completely against it!

You can bet we learned two lessons from our archaeological experience: 1) never disturb an embalmed prince, and 2) next year for Halloween dress as a headless mummy!

Happy Birthday RJ!

What do I really have to look forward to on my first birthday when I'm the fifth child?

I've already had pudding by the spoonful and chocolate chips by the handful. I've shared Popsicles with my sisters and Oreos with the dog. I've had cake and suckers, M&Ms and chocolate bars . I've sucked on a variety of public railings and eaten food from the ground.

I've had scoops and scoops of ice cream which is my absolute favorite. I am quite the expert and am sure to recognize it in any flavor in any shopping cart or freezer.

I wonder... perhaps it's better being the fifth child!

Girls' Night In

Doesn't he look cute! The boys will never leave him home with us again!

Happy Birthday Emmry!

We had the great privilege of traveling to Utah to be with family for Emmry's eighth birthday where she was baptized a member of our church.

What fun we had riding on an airplane together as a family for the first time in three years! The kids were so excited to fly and Ryan and I were so excited to cut the travel time, though door to door it still took five hours (half the usual)!

It is not often that we get to spend birthdays with family. We played hard for the 48 hrs we were together, even squeezing in a birthday party with Grammy and Emme's cousins at the Lion House!

We are so proud of our little Emme! It is amazing to see her grow, experience life, and pursue her dreams. Congratulations Emmry!