Author Abi

Abi's been writing up a storm lately (goes through a ton of paper, I have to hide it from her now cause we're on our last ream and she could breeze through that like it was nothing). The following three creations are all from last night. First she cleaned the house while I took Hyrum to band. I told her that if it was clean, I'd bring back a treat. When I got back, I found a clean house and this note - 

"Her is a klen hase. love Abi and Jules and Lily. we will klen sumor kus I love klen! cus I wont a tret to nite."

Proper English translation ~ "Here is a clean house. Love Abi and Jules (Abi's friend and our neighbor) and Lily. We will clean some more cause I love clean! Cause I want a treat tonight."

She also made this one - she was just being creative and made a little temple thing on a paper and said "The templ is holy i have den to the templ wons i liket it decus i gon a cucy it tas god her is the templ.

Translation ~ "The temple is holy. I have been to the temple once. I liked it because I got a cookie. (It was at the Bountiful Temple Open House, I told her they don't always give out cookies) It taste good. Here is the temple.

 I love it Abi. Keep it going. And she wrote in her journal this morning too, unfortunately Lily cut it up before I could save it for her scrapbook.

Translation is "Last night I had a doughnut. It taste good. I fell asleep on the couch and when I woke up I saw my brothers and sisters. Went to school and it was dark. My mom and Dad was there too. And last night I went to school. On Sunday I went to my Grandmas house. I got a new bracelet. And today I am going to school

Abi, you're a good little writer. Keep up the good work! The spelling will come with time :)

Out to Dinner with Family

We had a rare treat last Saturday night - we got together with my family! And it was a very rare and special treat because we got together without the kids and so we all had lots of time to visit and laugh, it was so fun! We tried to get together over Christmas but didn't get all the Utah siblings together cause they had other family in town and orthodontist appointments. It gets harder and harder each year cause we're such a big and busy group. But we decided to try for an "adults go out to eat" on a weekend in January, and after 20 emails of "what days work for you" we finally found one date without soccer tournaments or traveling taking one of us away. So Jan. 31st was the day and we all went out to Mimi's Cafe in Sandy. Mom and Dad treated us, so nice. Jared and Jerusha's kids babysat Grant's and Neil's kids. We were in a side room and weren't totally by ourselves, but it was private enough that we all could all see each other and hear each other and it was just great. Someday it will be nice to have the Indiana and Texas siblings here. The last time we were all together was when Beka got married in 2011, and that was still missing one in-law. Ya do what you can. 

Anyway, great visit. Lots of laughing as Neil and Amy remembered the 3 and a half years they lived with my mom's parents. Neil's perfected his Louie Jean impression. And he broke his collar bone and so he rubs it just like she always rubbed hers, so funny. What else did we laugh about? We started dinner at 6 and were there until 8:45. This was the only picture I got that turned out at all. Stephanie took one though, I'll try to get a copy of it.

Good times, I love my family!

Corey's Home!

These four little girls are so glad when Daddy comes home! And Corey's lap doesn't have room for them all. Hope he doesn't get smothered. He said "I gotta figure out a different time to come home..." His flights usually come home Saturday afternoon. Perhaps when the kids are all in bed would give him a little breathing room. After he was released from their clutches he also commented, "I like them. They're just.... competitive." :) We are glad he's home safe.

Orthodontist Appointment

Neither Corey nor I had braces growing up, so I have no personal experience with orthodontics. But that is about to change, cause I now know that I have kids that will need them. Today I took Wesley and Abi in for a consultation at McDonough Orthodonics. Their office came very highly praised via my facebook request for recommendations. My little sis' endorsement was the one that influenced me most, so she's the one I named and that I think they'll be sending the $20 thank you gift cards to in the mail. :) I have to say I was a little skeptical of all the enthusiasm and raving about them, I mean they can't be that amazing, it's just another dental office, right? But I'm happy to say after our appointment there, they delivered on all those high expectations I was trying not to have and I love them too. (I wish my maternity appointments could be as much, blah) Great office, great experience, even cookies as we left, and I'm super glad we're going there!

Abi is just 7, and Dr. David (such a nice guy!) said that orthodontics are most likely in her future, but not yet. So Abi just gets to come back every 6 months for a check up. Abi is glad she doesn't need them yet. She was pretty nervous, but then again, she is always been my sensitive little girl. When they were taking pictures of her teeth, Wesley and I were laughing so hard, I had to go get my phone to take some pictures. I hurried out to the lobby to grab it. And to check on my 3 little girls (still watching Monsters Inc, good baby sitter Lily!) We came back, and they had moved on from the clear plastic funny face maker and on to a metal one...

This was Abi's and mine and Wesley's favorite part of the consultation - making silly faces with their mouth opener thingy's while they took pictures of her teeth.

Wesley and I were laughing so hard at her, and I think she was laughing too, but you couldn't tell she was smiling cause her lips were already spread out all the way. When she was done, she was excited to see for herself what all the fun was about. I showed her a few of the pictures I took of her ~ "AHHH!"

...and then we said "Wes, you're next!!!" And we started laughing again

We'd never had so much fun at the doctors!

So funny!

For Wesley, the moment is upon him... Wes is getting braces next week!!! Are you excited?

C'mon, show me your most excited smile!

Hey, you can do better than that!!

Abi and Wes both want some of these mouth things for their birthday, cause just think of all the fun we could have making funny faces with these! Oh yeah, all the kids in our house of characters would love it.

So, Wesley is going back tomorrow to get models of his teeth made, and then next Wednesday he goes back for the braces. We'll post about that big day when it comes. Joseph and Hyrum have appointments next week, we'll see how many kids in braces we can have at the same time! Yeah, that sounds like fun! (Hope it doesn't break the bank!)

11:30 At Night

What are most toddlers and 1 year old's doing at 11:30 at night? I don't know, but I think it's probably not the same as my babies. 11:30 at night, and they are still in a game of making food.  Sophi cooking up a delicious concoction for Natalie.

Natalie can't wait to try Sophi's new recipe!

Ok little girls, as soon as Mel puts her journal and scriptures down, it's lights off.

Abi wanted to move the kitchen up to their room, and she tucked it behind the closet door so they have a little hall way as their kitchen "room". Kids seem to love small spaces. Sophi heading back into the kitchen for more food. Cute girls.

Neck Hugs

Everyone loves sitting by Natalie during dinner time. She's a bit messy, but the cuteness outweighs the possible spills and food messes she'll make on ya. And the kids always are excited when Natalie starts passing out neck hugs, which she often does at dinnertime.

 (Mel is being weird in these two pictures, not sure what she's doing)

Natalie had already given Wes and Abi a few hugs, but with a little help and encouragement, she did it again so I could capture it on camera.

Often when she gives out her "hey buddy" hugs, we love seeing the reflection in the windows of her cute little arms just barely able to reach around the neck. She's such a cute little girl! The kids were laughing telling me how cute it looked from the front, too, with her little face all squished in there.

We like you Natalie, we love having you around! Thanks for making all of us feel special with your little hugs.

Sophi's Dinner Party

Tonight the kids were playing together perfectly and beautifully. That often happens once it's past 10pm and it's time for bed. I came to check on the status of teeth and pajamas, and they were all lost in a game of "Sophi's Restaurant"

Sophi was a busy as a bee (in the green haircurlers) running back and forth from the kitchen to the table, delivering food she was making.

And all her customers were asking for refills of drinks too. She'd run over to the pretend sink and make a water sound as she put the cup to the faucet to fill it up, then deliver it back with a "Here go!" in her little Cinderella voice.

Ethan said "You know all that stuff I said about hating all the princess movies? I take it all back. This is really cute!" Yes, the big brothers (understandably) prefer to not watch the princess movies, but now that they see that the fruit of all that girly-ness is a little sister who hums while she cooks pretend food and sings as she delivers it, well, it's made her brothers have a change of heart. :)

They were laughing at the cute food combinations Sophi brought out to them, such as cookies topped with a generous helping of ketchup (that was my dinner), or a sandwich topped with cream and a cherry (Abi's meal).

Sophi, you are too cute. And Natalie liked the game too. She's practiced her cooking skills by playing with the pans and lids.

She's getting ready to open up her own restaurant in the next year or so. With all these kids, we might always have a kid restaurant since toddlerhood may never end!

First Brazil Trip in 2015

Corey left for Brazil today. He gets back the 31st. Since I'm pregnant, I let myself get some survival food this time. Not cheesecake this time, we're going for coconut ice cream heaven, mmm! They are at the local Walmart now. I usually resist buying them, but since I'm in survival mode, I picked some up on the way home from dropping him off at the airport. I also happened to run into one of my teachers from 9th grade there in the freezer section. I said hi. Not sure if she remembered me or Corey (she was our supervisor when we were SBOs in Jr. High) but I told her our names and that we got married.

Corey was pres in the middle there, I was historian. Sure, it was 23 years ago (I knew that since we just had our 20 year high school reunion) but you remember us, right? It's not like you've had 100s of students each year from the 7 classes you've taught over the past 20+ years! Yeah... she probably doesn't remember, thats ok, but she was nice. It was only a little awkward. I asked her if she gets stopped often, she said she does. There are kinda like celebrities to an exclusive fan base that happen to find them now and then. 

That's all that's going on here. And Corey introduced the kids to BYU's Vocal Point a few weeks ago, and they have been listening to this song A LOT, like a ton.

I didn't think I'd get sick of it, but I did today. Still, it is pretty cool. We think Tanner rocks (plus my little brother knows him, so we feel like we have some sort of connection to him) :) I just saw this ball prank video, I think I'll show it to the kids to get them off of their vocal Point kick (no offense guys) Pretty funny prank. :) Have a good weekend

Hockey Night

The good news: the ice rink is finally ready!

The bad news: Corey's leaving for Brazil tomorrow and will be out of town all next week. Other bad news: the weather forecast is going to be pretty warm next week, possibly getting up to 54 on Monday... Will the ice last until he gets back? We hope so, but in case it doesn't, Corey and the kids went out for a late game while they had the chance. I should have gone out to take some decent pictures. They were too busy playing and this was the only picture Corey returned with:

Pretty sure that's Joseph. They played for almost 2 hours, and the game ended after Ethan took a fall and got a bad bump on his head. I gave Ethan head massage after they got in, he was in heaven. "This is even better than a back rub!" He has now put scalp massages on his list of things he wants his future wife to do for him. I told him he should also start working on a list of things he will do for his future wife, cause it should go both ways. ;)

Elasha's Salad

Up at the New Years' gathering with our friends, Elasha made a lovely salad that I loved. I preferred it to mine and I think I ate most of it, as it was hitting the slight case of pregnancy nausea I had. And I like to name recipes I love after the people that introduced them to me, such as my Sue Snyder salad, and Kelly Cloud's banana bread (made that today too). So here are the simple ingredients to this delicious salad recipe:

• Romaine lettuce
• red onion, diced small
• mandarin oranges
• Brianna's Blush Wine Vinaigrette
• Feta Cheese
• Toasted (or candied) almonds

So good. I went to the store after we got home cause I needed more. We've had it several times since then, and today I mixed it up and used strawberries instead of the mandarin oranges. Corey didn't eat much of the main dish at dinner time cause he kept refilling his plate with several second helpings of the salad. Tasty stuff, Brianna's dressings and feta cheese are now on my regular shopping list. Mmm!

Big Brothers

Big brothers are the best.

Sophi has been way into the kid zone theses days and is lost in play. She has three games she goes between: Friend legos (with Disney princess characters), Polly Pocket dolls (Disney Character ones) and Little People toys in the Disney Princess variety. (I think I see a pattern here?) And she's been loving it when her brothers play with her. Ethan played Disney princesses with her, and of course brothers always do things that girls don't think of, like putting one of the magic-clip gowns on Prince Charming. Boys are so funny! Which is why they make girl games so fun.

Joseph played with Sophia too with the friend legos, he was going for like a half hour in a great falsetto. Super cute. Then he had to break the news that he had to go practice music. After he got his horn ready and was a minute into it, Sophi was upstairs beckoning for him to come back, yelling "JOE!!!" a hundred times in a very loud voice. Finally she came down stairs and was pulling on his legs to get his attention. We helped distract her by reading books and dancing. 

Hyrum's been playing "little people" with Sophi a lot too. He played with her all Monday and then today she was calling and looking for him when he was at school. I'll try to get a picture of their games, it's super cute, and I love the big kids taking time to play with their little sisters. Sophi's really been in the play with toys zone lately. Her and Lily are having their sibling squabbles that come with passionate imagine games, but mostly it's just been fun.

Big brothers are awesome. 

Goofy Boys, Pretty Girls

We all enjoyed having a day off from the regular schedule and routine today. And what goes on around here when there is no school in session? Usually there is a lot of running around and goofing off. Ethan got the goofy-ness started today. He came down around lunchtime looking like this:

Not sure what inspired this get-up or what character he was trying to channel - Mel's shirt was tied around his head and looked a bit like an Arab headdress. And he was sporting a nice mustache too.

I had a hard time holding the camera still as I took a picture, I was lol-ing too hard

Yoga tree pose, nice touch.

Then he chased Hyrum around the main floor trying to karate chop him. In other news, Natalie's hair looked so pretty today, I just had to take a picture.

The kids make fun of her and say she has a mullet. No, that is not a mullet. Don't you worry Natalie, you look gorgeous.

It looked especially pretty from the back ~ isn't this lovely?

Closer shot - those are her natural curls. If I scrunch it up a little after a bath, she will soon reveal beautiful layers of lovely soft curls! Mel and I were ooh-ing and awe-ing over her hair all day. So pretty! :)