My Fridge

My refrigerator is way too small to accommodate all the great pictures, drawings and treasures that come home from school. Especially this year with two girls in preschool. I use the back doors and wall as my fridge. All the kids love to hang stuff up there now. Ariana even likes to hang her drawing up there. I love to look at it all day long! Right now the penguins and snowmen are my favorites! They make me smile!

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A Good Day

Today was such a good day. I was able to accomplish so many things. Some Saturdays I feel like I work in circles and get nothing done. Today was not like that. Yippee!

I set up Tori's crib in Ammon's room. She has been in a bassinet in my room. She is too big for the bassinet and I have debated where to put her. I need her out of my room! The choices were Ammon's room or Ariana's room. Ammon is not excited about sharing a room with her. He thinks she will wake him up too much. We will see tonight!

She tried her new bed out today during her nap. Isn't she so peaceful?!
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Her cute bedding is what Adam's Mom bought Ariana. I love it! So girlie!
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I love when Tori lays all stretched out with her hands above her head! SO sweet!

I Love To See the Temple

We all went down to the open house of the Draper Temple. Before a temple is dedicated anyone can go through. I thought it would be a wonderful experience to take the kids through to see the inside of the temple. Nik, Zoe, and Ammon already went through two other temples, but this was Ari, Britain and Kalixta's first time. It was wonderful! The temple is beautiful. The spirit sweet!

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I think Ariana's favorite part was to bus ride to and from the temple. We rode on her "favorite bus" there. On the way back she kept saying "Go blue bus. Go blue bus!"  All through the temple she counted things 1,2,4,6,7,8,9,10.6.7.8.9.10… Zoe loved all the beautiful chandeliers. Britain and Kalixta loved everything about it. Ammon was hungry and Nik can't wait to do baptism there!

Vision Boards

We all sat down at the beginning of the year and wrote down some of our goals. This year Adam had the great idea of turning our goals into pictures and putting them on poster boards. We made our vision boards. These are great for so many reasons. The kids can now "see" there goals. I tacked the boards onto the ceiling above each person's bed. Now they are the first and last things they see everyday. 

They all had the great goals of reading the scriptures everyday, praying every morning and night, following the prophet, and making Christ the center of their lives. Here are a few more of their goals.

Britain wants to be a queen when she grows up. She also wants to be rock star!

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Kalixta wants to learn how to cook along with learning how to read.

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Ammon is excited about becoming a cub scout this year. He wants to learn how to play the drums and be a vet when he grows up.

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Zoe wants to be on Sesame Street and meet Elmo! She wants to learn how to swim and be a writer when she grows up!

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Nikolas wants money and a Lamborghini!  He also wants to play football at BYU, get straight A's, go on a mission and be happy.

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Great goals for this year and the future! 

Sisters

As a little girl I felt surrounded by boys. I had an older brother and 3 younger ones. Most of my cousins around me were boys. I was a tom boy and fit in but I wanted a baby sister so bad. I wanted a girl to hang out with and share clothes and secrets with. I finally got one when I was nine years old. I remember my dad calling my grandma's house, where we were staying, to tell me I finally had a sister. I can see the whole scene in my mind right now! I then got another one when I was 12 years old.  

Growing up I was to big to share clothes with my sisters. I was too mean and bossy to appreciate them or really know them. I love having them close now. They both help me so much. We can even share clothes now! Well, at least a little! I now even have almost 5 sister-in-laws that are awesome! I love my sisters and all my sister-in-laws! 

What is the meaning of my little rant? I look at my girls and want them to be the best sisters, best friends! I want them to love a appreciate each other today and always. I thought of this today as Ariana was patting Tori's tummy as she lay naked on my bed. She said, "Tori looks like a boy, Mommy. Tori looks like a boy, Mommy!" (I don't know why toddlers have to repeat everything until they get a response;) "But she is my Tori sister and I love her!" I teared up! I love my sweet little girls! I hope she always feels like that about all her sisters!
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I hate that Zoe is missing. I will have to take this picture again!

Dr. Suess

It seems the older the kids get the bigger the projects for school get. I don't mind some of them. It beats the math homework that Nik does every night. 

Zoe had to do a biography book report. She had to dress up as the person and had to do a first person presentation. Off to the library we went to find the right book. After pulling all the books off the shelf that were girls Zoe started rejecting everyone. "Mary Lou Retton, No, I don't want to wear a leotard to school." "Boring." "Boring" "Michelle Kwan, no I don't have ice skates." On and on it went. Nothing I said helped so the search continued. Finally I started pulling guys too even though she didn't want to dress up as a man. Finally we settled on Pocahontas and Dr. Seuss. After reading both books she decided on Dr. Seuss because he was more fun!

We stayed up late last night finishing the project because I am such a procrastinator, but it turned out great. She borrowed a hat from a friend and looked great!
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She learned some fun stuff. Did you know Seuss is his mother's maiden name? 
His first book was And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street. 
He illustrates his own books.
The Lorax is his favorite book and he wrote it in 45 minutes. 
Interesting stuff!. 

Squeeze Fudge

Tonight for Family Night we watched a movie and made squeeze fudge. My Mom sent me the recipe and it sounded to fun and yummy to pass up. We had a good time passing it around.

Zoe and Ammon started the squeezing.
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Britain continued it.
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This is what it looked like in the end.
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Squeeze
Fudge

 

3 oz. cream cheese,
softened

½ cup butter,
softened

1/3 cup cocoa

1 t. vanilla

1 lb. powdered sugar

 

Place all ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag,
then squeeze it and squish it until the fudge is creamy.  Enjoy.

 

In this bag is ¼ of the
recipe.


We made two bags and couldn't eat it all. It is very rich. It didn't take long to make either! Thanks Mom for the great recipe!!


 

4 Months

People always ask me who Tori looks like. I can never tell who babies look like unless it is totally obvious. This includes my own kids!  At first I thought Tori looked like Zoe. As she has gotten bigger I don't know. I still thought she looked more like Britain and Zoe than Kalixta or Ari.

Yesterday I was looking for something and stumbled onto pictures of Britain and Kalixta when they were babies. I Changed my mind. I decided she looked like Kalixta. Tell me what you think? All these pictures are at 4 months.

Here is Tori.
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Here is Britain and Kalixta.
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Britain is in the blue in the top picture and Kalixta is in the green in the bottom!
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Here is Ariana.
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I even dug up a picture of Zoe.
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It Starts!

So it has started! Love notes to Ammon. Nik got all the way to fifth grade before the notes started! But not Ammon! He started this week! First Grade! What?!

Zoe got into the car yesterday popping with news, but she "can't tell me." "I promised I wouldn't tell!" she said. We get home and papers start flying everywhere. Homework comes out. Zoe walks slowly by the sofa, stops in front of something, clears her throat, looks at me and then keeps walking. So I walk over the the sofa and pick this up!
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Just in case you can't read it, it says "I love you. From Your seceret idmirer to Ammon Your hot"

I opened it up and saw this poem!
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Ammon's first love note! I read it and the quickly went to Adam's office to share it with him. We laughed and I started out to put it back. I ran into Ammon and asked him what it was. He rolled his eyes saying "A secret admirer loves me. I found it on my desk today."  My, my when did girls get so brave?!

How could I forget….

….Adam's other Valentines!!

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Thanks for the reminder Angel, I almost forgot!