Be Positive, Dont Compare, Complain, Criticize, or Blame.

Last year for family home evening we tried to focus on some areas we felt our family could improve on. Our main focus was to be positive, don't compare, don't complain, don't criticize, don't blame. While trying to teach the kids these things it has definitely helped us become more self aware. I think it's good to look at your self and find areas that you might improve on. Why am I telling you this? Well I really what my kids to know what a good example their Dad is!!! On Spencer's birthday we dropped the kids off at my Mom's and we went to the Red Iguana for dinner. We were having a great time, until I made a wrong turn and ended up jumping the van over 3 sets of rail road tracks- think bucking bronco and you get the idea. Unfortunately the van got some major damage, transmission, radiator, ect. Needless to say it cost a lot of money to have repaired. Through this whole experience Spencer DID NOT complain, he DID NOT blame, and he "practiced what he preaches", that PEOPLE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THINGS! I'm emotional just writing about it. I've kind of had a roller coaster of emotions, first I was sad, I cried. Then I got mad (we went back in the day, the road is torn up, it clearly happens often, and why haven't those idiots done something about it. Put up a blinking light for heavens sake!). Finally I now feel really grateful, so grateful for Spencer and his example! Thank you for being a great example! Love you Spencer!!!

 

Spencer being serenaded at Red Iguana

The tracks must really be seen in person to properly evaluate the situation.

Year in Review

First of all, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas. I know we did, this time of year is so exciting: Parties, Birthdays, Christmas. The only down side, we got sick! On the bright side, I don't feel like doing much, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to catch up on the blog.
Every year I make a photo calender of the previous year. I picked up the calendar the other day, and Spencer commented on how much fun we had this year. Spencer felt that after Cy was born, and especially with his shoulder surgery we have been more limited on our adventures, but looking back on the year we did have a great year!!!
 Spencer and I celebrated our 10 year anniversary this year. Since my due date was just before our anniversary we decided to take a trip early in the year. We went on a cruise to the Bahamas. We also went to Hawaii with Glen and Maryann. In June we were able to go to Lake Powell as a family. I am thankful that we were able to get our backyard done this year. The kids love their swing set, and I love that we have a fence! Spencer had shoulder surgery this year, and is on the mend. I recently celebrated my 32nd birthday. AAAAHH!!!!

JJ just turned 6!!! This has been a great year for him! He started Kindergarten this year. He is a great reader, and is rapidly becoming a mathematician. JJ played soccer in the spring and fall, and is currently in gymnastics. He enjoys playing legos, basketball, soccer, and flying his helicopter (thanks uncle Jeff). JJ, is sitting next to me, and he asked that I write that he was not on the naughty list!!! Santa was good to him, he got two basketball hoops! Full court in our front room, I'm convinced that we will never have furniture in there, or else the kids will be SAD, it is our multipurpose room! For JJ and my birthday we got skis! We were able to go on Christmas Eve with cousins, and the 23rd just the two of us, we ran into Mr. C. on the slopes, pretty cool!

Eva had a great year! She turned 3, became a big sister, started preschool, and started ballet lessons. Eva had her first recital two weeks ago. Eva usually plays what JJ wants to play, but for Christmas we got a bunch of dress ups and girly things, it has been fun to see her gain some individuality, she had been practically living in her Snow White dress up!

Cy is ever the model baby! He is a great sleeper, and not the least bit fussy! He broke his first tooth a few weeks ago. He likes to grab his feet and roll to one side or the other, but hasn't rolled over yet. Cy has enjoyed eating solid foods. He really enjoys being talked to, he smiles, and laughs with out any ceremony. He recently has taken a liking to his thumb :).
Oh, and his is OBSESSED with my iPod!

We have had such a great year! We hope that the next will be just the same! Happy New Year!!!

It's that time...

of year, time to catch up, ect, ect, ect. Life has been crazy lately, but I just love the holidays! Today I took pictures of Jeff, Sarah, and the girls. I was excited to see how they turned out, and it also forced me to download all the pictures I have yet to blog about. I think their pictures turned out cute, I hope they'll be pleased! We had our family pictures taken a few weeks ago, I have Christmas cards made, printed, and about half of them addressed, hopefully I can get them in the mail by Friday. 

Here is Eva the night we had family pictures taken, she had rollers in her hair, just like Mom. She totally felt like a Princess!

Here is Cy after pictures. He smiled the most of all the kids. Go figure!?

I was able to attend JJ's feast at school. I just love JJ's teacher, she does a great job day to day, and look how fun their feast was, costumes and all!

Miss Eva's feast was a the same time as JJ's, so I missed it. She just loves preschool, I know she had a great time!

The kiddos FEASTING at Grandma Julia's house on Thanksgiving. YUMMY!!!

JJ and Eva love playing with the "Polar Express!"

This year I started decorating on Black Friday. I usually hold off until December, but being involved in the Festival of Trees always gets me in the Christmas Spirit. Besides, it took me a lot longer to get decorations up this year, I figure I might as well enjoy them a little longer! I just love all the extra light from the trees!

The Monday after Thanksgiving was decoration day. Our tree was "Our Greatest Treasure". Our dedication said: Many thanks to the Dr.'s, Nurses, and staff at PCMC. Thankfully our children have not had any chronic, or life threatening illnesses, but our children have been treated at PCMC, and we are so grateful to have such a wonderful facility to take our Greatest Treasure, our children!
I thought it turned out beautiful, there was a box with each of the Grand kids name on it, one for each of our treasures! I read an article about the festival, it said that last year the Festival raised 1.5 million. And nearly 30 million from the start. I am proud to have been involved in the festival for the past 10 years!

JJ had been asking me to take him to the skate park for a long time. I promised him I would on a nice day, and when kids were in school (so no one would crash into him) . Thankfully we made it before this cold spell came. Blah to the cold! JJ had a blast!

JJ and Eva have made some really good choices lately, and Spencer and I are so proud, we got them a bunch of balloons as a reward. They've had a lot of fun playing with them!

 

Cy had his four month check up, he weighed in at 16 pounds 15 ounces. He is growing, growing, growing. Man, the infant stage sure goes by fast. I started him on Rice Cereal this week. He's a pretty good eater.

Here is Eva waiting to pick up JJ from school. The bus has been causing JJ a lot of anxiety, so we decided it might be better to pick him up, thankfully Eva has been very patient while waiting!

I confess...

I have not taken many pictures lately, and by the end of the year I start fizzling on the blog side too. However, just as I have done every year for the past 3 years I will recommit myself to preserving our memories. I've had two blog books made, they cover every post from my first post, Eva's birth, until the first post with Cy. The kids have been looking at them A LOT lately, it makes me happy, they enjoy looking at all the pictures, and I know one day they will enjoy reading all about our lives. 

Any how, things have been really crazy around our house. This was the first normal school week in a month, so I actually feel like I was able to accomplish some things, like ironing, laundry, cleaning. Not that things are perfect, because they are not. I found this cute saying on Pinterst, it says:

"Please excuse this mess, the children are making memories." I Love it! The kids have had a "set up" in their room pretty much all week, but they have been having fun, they've even slept

in their sleeping bags. At this Thanksgiving time I just want to say how thankful I am that I can be home with my children, it means the world to me! When asked what I wanted to be when I grew up I would often say, A Mother. Best job in the world!!!

Last week the kids helped me make lasagna. We had a lot of fun, we didn't make a huge mess, and the lasagna was yummy! Here are my cute helpers!!!

Eva got her costume for dance last week, she wore it for like 3 days straight, she really lights up when she puts it on!

JJ has been loving gymnastics, he has gotten good a cart wheels and back bends. I really enjoy watching him on the bar, he is so good at it, he seems like a natural.

Cy is getting so big! He loves to watch JJ and Eva, they are always up to something! He loves to be talked to, he smiles a lot, and when he talks he gets his whole body moving, it's so cute! This week he really seems to be enjoying toys. Oh, and he's been slobbering A Lot, I know it's kind of early, but maybe he has teeth coming?.

Spooky Fun!

Eva started dance class the week before Halloween. She was supposed to wear her costume, but she was so excited she really wanted to wear her leotard. Her teacher let her wear a tiara, so she could be a ballet princess. She loved it, she asks every day, "Mom, do I get to go to dance today?" I love that she enjoys it!

I had a lot of fun making the kids spooky breakfast. One morning I made Ghost Toast, bloody brain  (eggs), ghost guts (bananas), and sinking sand (chocolate milk). 

We all went to Planet Play. JJ got to play laser tag for the first time, he thought it was great. I took JJ and Eva in the race cars. I ended up going around that track like 100 times. The kids had a great time!

A lady bug that landed on Eva, I love how this picture turned out!

Eva really wanted to paint her pumpkin, and JJ wanted to carve his. The turned out really cute!

Spencer and I went to the Army Surplus store to get a few things to surprise JJ. Spencer has surprised JJ the last three years. The first time JJ was Spider man, and Spencer dressed up as the black Spider man. Last year JJ was Darth Vader, and Spencer surprised him by being Darth Mal. This year we got dog tags made JJ's says "Army General Pratt" and Spencer's says, "Army Private Pratt". JJ thought it was great. I actually heard JJ say, "I don't take orders from you!", which was kind of funny, the first time, but it got old real quick. 

Eva was so excited she kept asking me throughout the day, "Mom, it's not Halloween is it?" I would tell her. "Yes, Eva it is Halloween, but it's not time to go trick or treating yet." She would just say "Oh", and then ask me again an hour later.

The weather couldn't have been better for trick or treating. I guess it was the calm before the storm, because the next morning we woke up to snow. At least the kids enjoyed it! :)

JJ recently started gymnastics. Each time he gets his hand stamped. I had pictures scheduled, so I asked his teacher if he could get stamps on his big muscles. He thought it was great! He is really enjoying gymnastics. I think he's a little natural.

When I took the pictures of his muscles he started goofing off, so I just started snapping pictures. I thought it was fun, and I like the results...