Addison Turns "7"

 The girl who was the baby of the family for so long turned 7.  Oh, what fun was had that day.  We started it off with her Birthday breakfast…she requests donuts every time.  We had to hurry off to a Basketball game, so presents waited tell we got back.  She had wanted Rollerblades pretty bad, so she was so excited to get some, now the whole family has them and we can all go together.  After Presents we tried out the Rollerblades, then headed off to DQ for an lunch, before the girls had their Basketball game.  They love playing, and its pretty funny (fun) to watch.  After the basketball game we headed down to get her ears pierced, fiesta fun, and Golden Coral.  She was trying so hard to be brave the whole time we were getting ready to pierce her ears.  I asked her if she wanted me to hold her hand while they pierce them and she told me know.  When it came down to it she grabbed my hand as fast as she could.  So one hand is holding the camera, and one is holding my Addy's hand.  She only said ouch twice, and was great after that.  She was so excited to join her sister in the ear pierced club.  Also, on a funny note, my kids love arcade games at fiesta fun.  I do not.  I was trying to tell them they are a waste of money trying to earn the tickets to get these cheap toys.  You never win enough tickets to get the things you want, and blah, blah, blah.  Well, One jackpot later and a 1100 tickets.  They kids ended up with everything they wanted from there.  I told Dean that's how it always works when your trying to teach a money lesson.  I need to take this lesson down to the casinos and teach the kids why gambling is a waste of your money.  Then we will see what happens.  We ended the birthday weekend off with cake and ice-cream Sunday evening.  I think she had a great weekend.  She is so Tender hearted, sweet, and loving.  She is always giving hugs to however needs or wants one.  She is my little helper, and loves to help out with her baby brother.  She is in first grade in the Chinese dual immersion, and loves it.  I think it helps her older sister is in there the same program as well, so they help each other out.  She loves the color Yellow, pink, and purple.  Her favorite food is Corn Dogs…has been, and hopefully won't always be.  She also loves tacos.  She loves to do art.  Many papers are found around our house.  She loves soccer, and is currently doing basketball as well.  She doesn't know about basketball yet, but I think she'll come around.  She is in Tumbling with her sister Shaylee, and they both love going to that and learning new things.  She has no patients.  She can't sit still for more then a minute.  She likes to get done with things and move onto the next thing.  So coloring and art last about 2 minutes then she scribbles to get done to do something else.  She is a mother hen.  She loves little kids, and helping them.  She is my little sweetheart, and I love her so much.  Addison always remember You are Beautiful inside and out.

In Our BackYard!!

 This whole month of January we have had AMAZING weather.  I love where we live, and that we can be outside in January and its beautiful and warm.  The last few weekends we have taken advantage of the weather.  We went golfing as a family and had a blast being together and hitting some balls.  The kids hit a few balls, then wanted to head over to the putting green.  So that is why they aren't in to many pictures.  Also we headed up to Zion on Monday.  It was free national park day, so we headed up and had a picnic, and spent the day up there just laying around, hiking, and exploring.  Dean didn't get Monday off, so we did miss our dad, but we had good company.  I love that some of the family has moved back these last 6 months.  Its been so fun to get together, and for the kids to have their cousins back.

8 Months

Brecken is 8 months.  Wow.  He loves to move around; he can't sit still at all.  He loves to be held,  which is probably why he is not crawling yet.  He rolls everywhere.  He gets in crawling position and rocks back and forth, even takes a few crawls then falls and gives up.  We are working on it though.  He loves to play with his brother and sisters, you'll find him outside a lot in his stroller being pushed around, or just watching the kids play outside.  He does not like a lot of food, he hates texture in his mouth, again we are working on it and he is getting a little better.  For awhile he would just set with his mouth open tell the slobber dropped the food out.  He gags and throws up anything in his mouth that is chunky.  It has to be smooth like baby food.  He has the cutest laugh, but it takes a lot to get him to do it.  He takes 3 naps a day Sometimes.  usually around 9-9:45 then again around 12:30-3:00 and maybe one around 5:30 to 6 it just depends on that last nap.  He loves to chew on shoe laces, ties hanging from your sweatshirt or pants, zippers, he loves to put them in his mouth and chew on them.  He is saying Da da da, but that's about as big as his vocabulary is, unless you consider crying, then he is really good at talking.  He loves to hear himself, and will yell instead of talk cute, and nice. He really likes to hear himself in church.  1:00 Church is a joke.  The kid will not nap, and I set in the halls all 3 hours with him pretty much.  Oh, well he'll soon learn it's more fun to stay in sacrament then out in the halls.  I don't let the kids down or do anything fun, they get to be held, so they soon learn staying in is better.  He likes to have books read to him, and the kids love to do this.  He loves his baths still, and he gets one every night.  He is a blessing in our lives, and we are trying to enjoy every minute we have with him.  I can't believe he is getting so big to fast.  It seemed like Preston took forever to turn 1 and I'm trying how to slow down time so I can enjoy this stage a little longer.

Coloring Contest

Grandma found a coloring contest page in a magazine, and it was for a 55$ value for a pair of new kids shoes at our local sports store.  Each kid colored a picture and I turned it in before Christmas.  Well last week I received a call saying that Shaylee won the coloring contest.  She was so excited, she spent about 45 minutes in the store looking at shoes.  She didn't care for any shoes, so they let her get roller blades and we paid the 5$ difference.  Preston got some for his birthday so they have been out trying them.  Shaylee started to get the hang of it at the end, but its a work in progress.  They think its a lot like ice skating, and they loved ice skating once they got the hang of it at the end.  

New Toys

We've been busy around here trying out all the fun toys that we received for Christmas.  We have had a lot of fun with a few of these toys.  The whole family decided they loved Shooting Preston's Bow and Arrow at the target.  Of course none of us are competitive, and of course we all played for fun.  wink, wink.  The girls have really had fun with their Salon Dolls as well.  They are getting better with the curling iron and have really learned a lot.  Shaylee has been having me try and teach her french braids, and she is a really fast learner.  We sure are enjoying the nice weather that we are having so we can be outside to enjoy our new toys.

10 YEARS OLD!!!

It's official Preston is a decade old.  No more single digits for him.  He was so excited for his birthday.  He had some of his boy cousins move back to live by us, so they were busy making plans.  We started a day early so that we could get in the cake part of it.  Sunday night while everyone was up at Grandpa and Grandmas we sang and did cake and Ice Cream.  Then we had the boy cousins come have a sleepover with Preston down stairs.  Grandpa and Grandma Monson gave all the kids so twin blow up mattresses so we blew them up and sent them downstairs to sleep.  They were in heaven, and Dean and I didn't have to hear them.  Win Win situation.  We woke up early so Dad could see Preston open his gifts before it was off to work for him.  He got Rollerblades which he had wanted for awhile.  We had his favorite Waffles for breakfast, then it was off with 6 kids to Fiesta Fun!!!  My mom was a trooper and went with me (Life Savor).  The kids played in the arcade, and then out to mini golf.  They had a blast and we are so blessed to have cousins on both sides who are the kids age.  Mini golf went quiet fast, and then we were off to Jack in the Box for Taco's.  My kids love 'em.  We ended the night with a trip to his favorite restaurant "Pizza Factory".  We love you Preston.  A Few fast facts about Preston.  Favorite color is Blue, and Red.  Favorite sports team: BYU, Real SL, UT Jazz, Denver Broncos....really he could go on all day with these.  Favorite Sport: Soccer...though I think he loves them all.  Favorite food: Pizza, hasn't changed much on that one.  Favorite School Subject: Math. Favorite Drink: Root Beer.  He loves to make people laugh, and is constantly telling jokes, and stories to get a smile out of people.  He loves to play outside and that is where I find him 98% of the time.  He enjoys watching sports on T.V. and watches anything that has to do with a ball.  He is very intelligent and it sometimes gets him in trouble....his teacher says maybe work on being a little more humble.  At our last SEP conference the teacher said he is well above everyone in his class so she tries not to call on him to often because he is the only one to raise his hand.  Well one day She had a picture of the ocean on the screen and asked one girl if we could survive off the sea, she said yes because it is water, in which Preston raised his hand, and said "That would be wrong the Sea is Salt Water, and we can't live off of that water."  The teacher reprimanded Preston and told him that we could eat the food out of the ocean, and that the girl was still right, but Preston wouldn't budge.  The teacher says he sometimes makes other's feel not so smart, by always correcting them.  So as much as we love that he is smart...we are working on being more humble and teachable.  Lets hope it works.  He is a sponge he soaks up anything we say or anything he learns and he remembers.  He Loves having a bother and enjoys being with him.  I think they are going to be good friends.  Preston already lets him know he will coach Brecken's sports teams when he get older.  He is my early riser, he always has been and I think always will be.  Know matter what time he goes to bed he is up around 7 everyday if not earlier, but he stays in bed and reads and things tell he hears us up and about.

 and No we did not have Root Beer for Breakfast.  Preston got it as a gift since it's his favorite, and we didn't move it off the table to eat.