Our Little Monkey

So I have a whole post that needs to be posted of the last 2 months of pictures, but this one is going to come first (plus, blogger is only letting me upload one picture at a time, so that post will take a while to do). From these pictures it is obvious we have a little monkey on our hands. This kid has sooooo much personality, which we have known for a long time, but now that he is getting older and being able to express it, oh my! He keeps us on our toes. Tonight at approximately an hour and a half after he was put into bed he figured this one out:

Doesn't he look so proud of himself?

It was accompanied by the following. All these pictures were taken within 2 minutes. Don't mind the black mark on this picture, I had to post it because it is his biggest, cutest smile.

Cheeeeesssseeee!!!

Then he started jumping around doing this head whipping thing....

Then he played peek a boo....

Then we switched to the other end of the crib. Here he is saying, "Whoa, whoa, whoa..."

Again, "Whoa, whoa..." After which he started to push himself backward across the crib saying, "Bye, bye." Nicholas and I only encouraged him by laughing hysterically and taking pictures. When I would leave the room for a second I could hear him saying, "Get picture, get picture."

Also another little funny, this kid is addicted to his bink (which he calls beets, so cute). He has started this new thing the last few weeks that before he can put his beets back in his mouth it has to be washed, so whenever we go to put it in he grabs it and says (with conviction), "WASH." Makes me chuckle every time.

Our Carterman is so much fun and we love all the energy he has. He has enough for everyone in our house and more. Love him!!

Shannon and Ryan

This is my beautiful friend Shannon. Shannon and I were roommates up at BYU-Idaho. She and I roomed together for two years, but our friendship did not end there, she and I continue to keep in touch even though it has been over ten years that we were there together. I count Shannon as one of my very dearest friends. When I think of her and the person that she is my heart smiles. She is one of the happiest people I know, she is kind, she is concerned for others, she is fun to be around, and the list could go on.

This is Shannon's husband Ryan. Ryan is equally as wonderful and awesome as Shannon. He is genuine in his conversations, always has something interesting to talk about, is also very kind, and is a very happy person as well.

Together Shannon and Ryan make a wonderfully happy and beautiful couple. These two have so much fun together. Even through the difficult times in life they continue to keep smiles on their faces.

Can't you just tell they have fun together...

Shannon and Ryan are looking to grow their family. In their words...

"We are also ready to grow our family. In fact, we've been ready for a while. Sometimes life has different plans, though. They haven't been what we were expecting, but they've been grand plans nonetheless. We've lived an amazing life so far. And now we're ready to add some more greatness. We feel that adoption is the way to grow our family, and are so looking forward to this fabulous adventure in our lives. "

I am a better person for knowing these two and I want to help them. Any child that comes to these two will be so loved and cared for. Shannon and Ryan are going to be the most wonderful parents.

If there is anyone that reads my blog that knows anyone looking to place a child for adoption, you can check out their adoption blog at the link below:

Ryan and Shannon Adopt

or there is a button on my sidebar that you can click on as well.

Happy 7th Birthday Nicholas

Nicholas turns 7 tonight at 6:59. Can it really be that he is 7 years old? That seven years has flown by.

He went from being this...
To being our big 7 year old...

More photos and details to come later. We are grateful to have Nicholas in our family. He keeps us smiling and laughing!!

The Best Parts

Soooo, I realize I am terribly neglecting my blog. I once again could give all kinds of excuses, but I won't.

So for tonight I will just tell you about the best part of my middle of the night awakedness last night(Not a word? oh well) and the best parts about today.

Last night we had a bit of a rough night around our parts. Around 2:51 a.m., to be exact, we heard a blood curdling scream from Emilie. Don't be alarmed, it was nothing too serious. She had just had an accident and was wet. Not a pleasant thing. So already crying exiting her room she woke up Carter who then screeched as she left because really, if she is leaving then shouldn't he be as well? So he was letting his wants be known. Emilie in her half awakedness got scared by Carter's awakedness and let out her blood curdling scream (which we're pretty sure woke up the neighbors upstairs and everyone in our home. Sorry neighbors). Emilie ran down to our room where Shay helped her get changed while I checked her bed, switched out the comforter, all the while Carter was rolling around his crib screaming like a wild animal. At this point I knew Nicholas was awake, but he was just laying in his bed trying to go back to sleep. Anyway, fast forward to 1 1/2 hours later and we still have three monkey's awake. Shay and I finally decided that one of us was going to need to sit in the chair in their room while they fell asleep. So down I trotted and plucked crying Carter out of his crib to sit in the chair and rock him while Emilie ran to the bathroom one more time. While sitting there I was trying not to make eye contact with him because I didn't want him to think it was time to play, but what mother can resist looking into their child's eyes just once while their rocking them? So down I looked and when I did he was starring right back up at me (waiting for me to look at him) and I could tell he got this huge grin on his face. When he knew that his grin was reciprocated he started to laugh and laugh, seriously laughing. Which made me laugh. I looked away and looked back and he laughed again. So in the midst of all the craziness of being awake for 1 1/2 hours in the middle of the night, Carter and I shared some laughs. I LOVE moments like these. When you're not really happy with the situation at hand and somehow this little person you are holding makes everything better and melts your heart. So that was the best part of our awakedness (I'm really liking this word) last night. By the way, I think I crawled back into my bed for real slumber around 4:36 a.m.

Now onto the best parts of being awake during the day. To name a few: receiving flowers from Shay "just because", receiving a giant box of apples from a friend because she is awesome (seriously excited about this, I'm trying to decide just how I am going to preserve these ones), being able to have lunch with Emilie, taking a little drive after picking up Nicholas to see some of the fall colors around our city, being able to feel the cool breeze come in our windows, being able to spend 1 1/2 hours outside on a beautiful fall day talking with friends while 12 (I think that's about how many there were) kids run around and played on the basketball court together, being able to surprise the kids by putting glow sticks in their baths tonight (idea found on pinterest)(which they loved), having Nicholas spell out everything he wants to say to me (my favorite was when I was bathing Carter and Emilie in one bathroom and he was in our master bathtub I heard, "M-O-M" and then he said "explanation point." He obviously was wanting me to get there fast, silly kid), spending way too much time on this website because every time I think I found my favorite color or idea she has used to decorate I find another gem on her website. I think I seriously have 11 tabs open on my browser just from her website. Obsessed much? (and while I am sharing I am seriously considering painting my pantry door just like hers, check it out here), and just being awake to enjoy it all!

Pictures to come soon, as soon as I have shay here to teach me how to take them off our new camera.

Past Due Update

I think my blog is way past due for an update. So here goes. The above picture was taken on Nicholas' first day of 1st grade. He has had a bit of a struggle going to 1st grade, but is starting to enjoy it and making lots of friends. He wasn't excited about the fact that it was going to be twice as long as kindergarten. He did tell me however, that he is excited for homework this year. He is playing soccer again this year and is on a team with his friend from kindergarten. It is fun to see the progress that has been made over the last three years. They are finally starting to get the concepts and aren't just in a little huddle running down the field. They are starting to take positions. Nicholas continues to be a curious little guy.

Looks like Carter is ready for school too. He thought he was hot stuff walking around with Nicholas' backpack on. This little guy loves his big brother and every day we go to pick him up attacks him with a great big hug. He says a few words one of them being his form of Nicholas which just sounds like an -as sound. He also says: hello, uh-oh (which is my favorite), mama and dada (sometimes), and this morning he said bross (gross) after I said it. He understands so much of what we are saying. Whenever we say it's time to get shoes on he runs to gets his shoes and then sits down on the floor waiting for us to put them on. He LOVES going outside. He is starting to be quite the tease. He knows just how to push Nicholas and Emilie's buttons. He loves to go and grab a toy they are playing with and take off running. I think it is so funny, his siblings do not. Carter is starting to show a lot of preferences and when he does not get to do what he wants he throws some big fits. His cute times far out weigh those fits which is good. He is such a fun little guy to have around. He keeps us smiling.

Sorry, the pictures are kind of random. This is what Nicholas came home from school yesterday looking like. His eye had a run in with another kids head on the playground. Luckily they had called me and warned me that he would be coming home with a black eye. I didn't think it would be this bad, but it's quite the shiner.

Emilie is now 4-years-old. She and I get to spend a lot of time together now that Nicholas is at school. I think she is enjoying the solo time. She keeps me busy playing toys, dancing to music, working on her ABCs, riding her bike (which she absolutely loves), and whatever else she can think of. I have decided not to do a formal preschool for her this year and instead she and I will do some activities each week and then make sure we have play dates so that she gets to play with other kids. She is growing up so fast. She is starting to say so many fun things and it is fun to see how her mind is working. She has just recently gotten to the princess stage. She is loving everything princess lately.

Here is a cute picture of Carter with his bink in. The one below is what he looks like when we take it away. I am not sure what we are going to do when we have to take it away for good. He is very addicted to it. I think he and I will both need therapy.

Huge updates for Shay. I am not sure that I have ever updated about his schooling. He did get accepted to the school he wanted to, Roseman University (it is an extension campus of University of Southern Nevada that is here in Utah, they recently changed the name to Roseman). Along with the Pharmacy program they offer an MBA program as well. We debated long and hard about whether he should do that along with his pharmacy program. We ultimately decided that it would give him more of an edge in the end, so we went for it. That program runs for 6 weeks each summer during his schooling and is quite intense. Each class runs for two weeks and they told them that if they miss one day it is like missing 9 days of a regular college course. We are hoping and praying he doesn't get sick for the next 3 years because this is how a lot of his pharmacy program is too.
So he started that in July. And then he started his pharmacy program this past Monday. We are readjusting to his schedule, but it is going well.

Every other Friday for the next year he will be getting pharmacy experience at the Macey's pharmacy. We were very excited that they picked that pharmacy for him. He can walk and be there in 2 minutes. Here he is this morning going in for his first day.

Doesn't he look so official. I think so!

I don't have any recent pictures of me to post, I'm usually the one behind the camera. I am busy keeping up with everyone else. I spend my days taking care of the kiddos which I love. They are so much fun! I love watching them learning and growing. I continue to do my medical transcription work as well. They have kept me very busy through the month of August. I have also been enjoying reading lately. I don't have a lot of time to do it, so I have to sneak time in which is usually late at night after everyone else had gone to bed. I am currently reading two books side by side. Mostly I have been reading The Help, but I am also in the middle of 1776. I have also gotten addicted to the website Pinterest. Now I just need to start doing all of the crafts and projects I find on there.

Well there's the update. I hope to be able to be a little better about posting. I cannot guarantee anything though. Usually by the end of the day and after I get done working I want nothing to do with the computer.

I do have some other pictures I want to post though like pictures of Carter's finished quilt and some others from the summer.

Moments to Remember

At lunch today Nicholas and Emilie were fighting back and forth. I had had enough of it and I said to them, "If you can't stop fighting I will invite to go to your room." Nicholas without even having to think very long said back, "Well that doesn't mean we have to go because it is only an invitation and we can say no." How could I not laugh at that. He is quick witted that kid.

Tonight for dinner was leftovers, Taco Soup. Shay, Kim and Carter = fans. Nicholas and Emilie = not fans. So in an effort to actually nourish my children I was looking for an alternative for Nicco and Em (something I don't do regularly, usually the rule is you have to eat what mom makes). So I looked in the freezer to see what we had and saw turkey burgers (which we have had in the past and the kids loved). Here is the conversation that ensued between Nicholas and I:

Mom: Do you two want a turkey burger for dinner?
Nicholas (in his "you tricked us" voice): You didn't tell us those were turkey burgers?
Mom: Errrrr, I mean "who wants a burger (that's what we referred to them before)?" and following with, "the only thing you need to remember is that you liked them, don't think about the fact that they are turkey.

They both had one and enjoyed them a second time.

And a cute little something from Emilie:

Last week her pink blankie was needing to be washed. I told her I needed to figure out what I was going to wash "her" with. She came to me after a while and asked what I was going to wash her with. I told her that I would probably wash her with mom's and dad's white laundry and she said, "But that will make her white." I assured her that she would definitely stay pink.

Just Some Fun

The kids and I had a little fun at Carter's expense today, but he looks pretty happy about it, doesn't he? (I think he's actually happy because I got down and was taking a picture of him) He actually wasn't. I think it bothered him to have them on there because he started crying so we had to take them off.

He makes a pretty cute spike head though.

Here he comes to get me. All the other pictures turned out

blurry because he was too close to me.

Emilie and I had some fun with her hair the other day. Looking a bit festive.
It was super cute on her. I got the idea from here.

And last, but certainly not least. Nicholas went with cousin William to a PBS kids club thing a couple of weeks ago and they got their faces painted. He looks pretty fierce, doesn't he?

December and Early January Pictures

Here are some pictures I've been wanting to post, why, because they are super cute.

Obviously these pants were a little bit big for Carter, he crawled right out of them.
He's just as shocked as I was (actually he has his mouth hanging open a lot because
that is what he does when he is excited).

A cute bath baby. This little guy L.O.V.E.S his baths. Since he has been wearing the helmet he gets one everyday and he seriously loves it. He can be in the family room playing and I'll go start the bath water and he comes crawling with his mouth hanging open in excitement. Sometimes I take way too long for his liking getting his clothes off, he would seriously jump in fully clothed if I let him.

One day in December the kids wanted to go out and play in the snow. Carter was sleeping and I didn't want to be cold so I let them go out (with the door cracked so I could hear them). The built this little snowman all by themselves. They were pretty proud of themselves and I was very impressed as well.

Kisses for their snowman
(he had a name, but I cannot remember it 1 1/2 months later).

I love how he is looking up towards the sky. And look at that cute yarn smile!

One night before bed Nicholas got the idea to "dress up" as Santa. He went into his bedroom and put his church pants on and a green shirt and stuffed it to make himself look fat.

Emilie had to sit on Santa's lap.

There were even snacks left out for Santa and his reindeer. It was pretty comical watching Nicholas try to eat them with his beard on. I thought it was super cute that he had this idea all on his own though.

Wowzers!! is all I can say. This is usually how Emilie's face looks after she enjoys something chocolate and delicious.

In the tub again, this was the night he discovered he could kneel up to the side of the tub. Do you think he's pretty excited about that discovery? Yep, so do I. He now thinks it is fun to stand in the tub. Tonight he got himself standing up next to the faucet and handle to turn the water on. He thought he was the king of the world.

This is one of my favorite. I love it when my babies start kneeling while they play.

Can you tell he is mischievous? His new favorite thing is to play with all of the electronics. We have had to get creative in covering them in order to keep him out.

And some cute stories and quotes from the kids:

I introduced the kids to sloppy joes tonight. While I was making it Nicholas was watching me and complaining about how he wasn't going to like them because he doesn't like sauce mixed with his chicken (I didn't tell him it was really turkey, another story on that below). He kept complaining and I told him he couldn't say he didn't like it until he tried it. He also said, "Calling them sloppy joes doesn't even make sense. That just sounds like some guy named joe that is messy. He is so funny and practical in his thinking. And did he end up liking them? Yes, yes he did.

Other turkey story: We have been getting turkey bacon at our house recently which we (meaning Shay, Em and I) love. It tastes good and is a lot healthier for you. Anyway, Nicholas found out we were buying some more turkey bacon recently and said: "Why does everything have to be turkey!" as he dragged his feet along in the store. (Maybe you have to know Nicholas' exasperated side to enjoy this one)

And one more Nicholas one (I know I have some Emilie ones too, but they have left my mind right now. I'll have to see if my mom remembers the ones I have told her). So on Sunday I was gone to a meeting and the kids decided to put on a talent show for dad. As they were preparing their talents Nicholas said, in a completely serious non-joking voice: "Em, what kinds of things are you good at besides annoying people?"

Can you tell that we have quite the little character living in our home? We just found out at parent teacher conferences that he sometimes butts heads with his teacher and rolls his eyes at her when he thinks he is right and she is wrong. Something we will be working on.

Emilie stories to come as soon as my brain can clear and I can remember.

Nicholas Funnies

Shay was just asking Nicholas if he liked (as a friend) someone (not a girl) and Nicholas responded, "I'm not really sure how to answer that question."

And another one from last night:

As I was doing the dishes last night the kitchen sink became clogged, like in we were going to have to pull the pipes apart because something was stuck. Shay and Nicholas were playing Wii and I informed Shay the sink was clogged (slathered thick with hinting that I wanted him to take care of it). Nicholas caught on to the cues that I wanted his Wii partner to abandon ship and help so he said, "Or you can fix it (meaning me)." And then followed a minute later, "Or he can make you fix it." I just burst out laughing because we have no idea where that attitude came from. Needless to say Shay came and fixed the sink for me (and we won't even discuss all that occured during that process) and we will be working on that little attitude of Nicholas'.

Another funny sink story (hopefully it won't gross you out): Last weekend I was cleaning our bathroom vanity when I realized the sink was clogged (fortunatly for Shay he was at work that morning). I decided to pull the sink stopper thingy out of the sink and check it out (it isn't stuck down like it is supposed to be and can be pulled out). I could see there was some blockage within reach so I decided to take care of it. I needed something just long enough to reach what it was so I grabbed and old (emphasis on the old, one that we don't use regularly) knife from the drawer to use. Nicholas was standing there watching (and dry heaving in the corner) as I pulled out the clog, hair (who put their hair down my sink?). As he sat there totally grossed out he says to me: "And I'm going to USE that knife?" Laughter ensued and then I put that knife in my cleaning tote instead of back in the drawer.

P.S. We are getting into the stage where hopefully I will have some Emilie quotes too. Although video is probably more adequate to show who our little Emilie is.

Christmas 2010

The traditional stair picture...

What Santa brought...

The tree...

Opening...

Carter loves this toy...as do Nicholas and Emilie (they have figured out that they can hold it up side ways and shoot the balls out).

Remote controlled car...

Spider web shooterZooblesPlaying with new toysWe had a wonderful Christmas. The season came and went so
quickly we hardly know what happened.

More updates coming soon!

Christmas Eve 2010

I have a lot of catching up to do, but before Christmas is old news and no one wants to hear about it anymore...here are some pictures from our Christmas.

We spent Christmas in Colorado this year with my (Kim) family. It was wonderful to be there, we enjoyed every minute of it. And the kids got to play with their cousins too. Emilie and Mackay became quite the companions and knew just how to make mischief together. Nicholas and William played as they usually do and Carter and Zack didn't really play together, just did their own thing. Maybe in a few years.

Here are the pictures from Christmas Eve:

We have the tradition, as most people do, of opening jammies on Christmas Eve.

Side Note: Most probably don't know, unless you live close by, that Carter is sporting this cute little helmet. He has what is called positional plagiocephaly. That means that his head was flat on one side and jutted out in the front a little bit. For several months we just repositioned his head while sleeping (he liked to sleep on the left side, so we made him sleep on the right) and would make sure that when we talked to him while he was laying on the floor that we were on his right side so he would look to the right. We could only do that so long until he started to move, so the helmet is helping to reshape his little head into a perfectly round one. He has now had it for about a month and they say he could have it up to three. Just depends on if he is in a growth spurt or not.

So here is our cute little fella with his little helmet opening his jammies: He really is as cute as ever even with it on (although we like him best without it).

And Nicholas getting ready to open his jammies...

And Emilie...

Nicholas loves Phineas and Ferb so that was what kind of jammies he received.

And because my sister-in-law, Kalli, and I have great taste, we got the same jammies for our little girlies without even knowing it (until we discussed it about 5 minutes before they opened them).

And again, unknowingly, we got the same jammies for our little guys as well. We must shop at the same store or something.

Cute as ever!!!

All the kids by the tree, Carter not enjoying it so much.

Grandpa going over the story of Christ's birth with
the kiddos before they go off to dreamland.

And Uncle Nathan reading a story to calm all of them down so they'll go to sleep easier.

I didn't get a picture, but all the grandkids had the pleasure of sleeping on the floor in Grandpa and Grandma's room together (my parents were very brave). They all did really well. Emilie only woke up once and then went back to sleep quickly.

Coming up next: Christmas