Baby Gavin

We made a quick trip to Boise for the blessing of Gavin Dean Holyoak.  What a sweet baby.  We had so much fun holding him.  Especially Asher.  It was so fun to watch him, because he genuinely enjoys holding little babies.  He told me he likes how they smell.  I have to agree.  Anyhow, Gavin was a real treat and we're so happy we came, even though it was a fast trip.  Here are just a couple of the pics from his photo shoot that we did.  

A Great Read

We read Left to Tell for book club this month.  It is a fantastic autobiography about this woman, Imaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan Holocaust.  If you get the chance, read it.  It is an inspiring story of the power of the human mind and spirit, and the power of faith. 

Questions from an 8-year-old

Last night Asher came home from playing with a friend and quickly found me  because he had some pressing questions.

He said, "Mom, I have 2 questions. First, Jake told me that my parents were really Santa and that you buy all the presents.  Is that right?"

Now, how long do I keep up this Santa stuff.  He's only 8.  But what is that discussion going to look like when he goes back to his friend and defends Santa?  I don't know.  I didn't want the dream to die, so I told him, "Ash, of course we're not Santa.  We don't have enough money to buy all those toys."   He was satisfied.  He replied, "I told him."  

Next question.

"Jake also told me that parents have super powers.  Not like superheros and stuff, but like if we were in the store and a kidnapper tried to take me and I was 3 aisles away, if I screamed would you know it was me?"

i love it.

"Actually, yes Asher I would know your scream."

"Cool!", he said, "I can't wait to be a parent!" 

Wasn't that last question great?  I never had thought of it as Parental SuperPowers, but I guess they kind of are.  

Happy Birthday dear Johnny, Happy Birthday to You!

Today is my only brother, John's, birthday.  He's 27!  So I've included a few of my favorite pictures that I have of him.  And here are some of my favorite things about him:

* He's thoughtful

* He has a tender heart

* He's a positive person

* He looks good without hair

* He's funny.

* He reminds me of Dad

* He honors his priesthood

* He survived 7 sisters and it did not make him a "sissy" (people ask that ? a lot)

* He's loyal

* He's humble

* He has a good sense of fashion

* He's easy to talk to

* He doesn't judge

* His wife makes him an even better person

Love you Johnny.  Have a happy day. 

Outside Day

What do you know, I've used this title before.  

I guess I've run out creative ideas.  This was all I could think of.  It was overcast and nice out today, so I sat outside and watched the kids run around, ride bikes, build a bike jump, hunt for bugs, etc.  Then I gave all my boys haircuts.  Of course I had to play around with my camera due to the perfect lighting and the fact that I wanted to mess around with photoshop some more.  Fun. 

Rules, Shmules

Me: Aidan how was school?

Aidan:  Good.  I learned a new rule. 

Me:  What was that?

Aidan:  No kissing at school.

Me:  How did you learn that rule?

Aidan:  A girl was kissing me at school today, and the teacher told her that there's no kissing allowed at school.

Me:  Why was she kissing you?

Aidan:  I don't know, she's crazy. 

Let them stay little.

On the way home from errands in town today Aidan was complaining about how he wanted to be six now, he did not want to wait until March. This is our conversation from that point:

Me:  Well, Aidan I don't want you to turn six until March because I don't want you to grow up too fast.   Before you know it you'll go on a mission, and to college, and find a wife and have your own house. 

(long pause, concerned look on Aidan's face noticed in rearview mirror)

Aidan:  I don't want to be six ever then.

Mom:  Oh, Aidan, it's okay to grow up. Are you just worried about moving away from you're family?

Aidan: Yeah.

Mom:  Well, when you're 19, you'll be brave enough to move away from our house. 

Aidan:  Mom, please tell the Prophet I'll go on a mission when I'm 30. 

I have to admit this conversation made my heart happy.  (I'm reminding myself of my Mother right now).  Of course I want him to never want to leave our home, but alas, I am sure he will be begging to get out when he is a teenager.  I guess I"d better really enjoy this time when he thinks we are all that.  

We made our yearly trip to the Hogle Zoo finally.  The kids have been waiting and have been excited.  I think it is kind of funny that my kids get so excited to go to the zoo every year,  but was a nice day for the zoo.  We met my parents there and off we went.  I love to watch the excitement in kid's faces as they see a different animal.  Cole had a few phrases that he'd repeat at every exhibit, "I wanna get in there" or "I wanna ride on that".  This morning as we were getting ready to go he said, "Me love animals.  Me wanna ride on animals."  I told him they were wild and they could hurt him, and how quickly his tune changed.  "Me gonna punch animals away!"  ha ha.  Anyhow, the only mistake made was that I let the kids stay up until after 10:00 last night, so we had some tired kids.  Mom and I took turns pushing someone in the stroller, but Dad got the real workout pushing Scotty up and down those huge hills.  He always amazes me with how fit he is, he wasn't even out of breath...I was.  Anyhow, thanks for the zoo trip Dad and Mom, we love you.  

Photoshop Phun

I've been messing around with the new Photoshop Elements that Em & Shawn gave me (thanks guys!).  I can see it will be a lot of fun, if I can figure out what I'm doing.  Here are some shots I've monkeyed with.  

before

      after

before

after

before

after

Good Things Happen in 3's.

Today Aidan lost his 3rd tooth in as many days.  You all saw the story of the first tooth being yanked out.  Well the next day the tooth next to that, which was very loose, came out, and yesterday the trilogy was complete.  I think he feels like the ROCKSTAR of his Kindergarten class.  I mean who looses 3 teeth in 3 days.  His teacher said she's still looking for her tooth chart so she can mark the kid's progress.  I told her she'd better hurry it up.  He ate his spaghetti through the hole in his mouth.  He also kept asking me all day, "Do I look like someone else now that I have teeth missing?"  I said, "Not really, unless you smile."  "Well, I think I do" he says.  

The best part of all is that he decided he wanted to keep his teeth and write the Tooth Fairy a note asking her if he could please keep his teeth and get some money.  Genius.  

Disneyland 2008

Here are the pictures to prove, we did in fact go to Disneyland in June!  What fun!

Hair Check

I just picked Aidan up from Kindergarten today.  This is what he looked like. 

 I just started laughing outloud when I saw him.  I asked him what happened to his hair.  

"They had to check it," he replied nonchalantly.

"Check it?!  For what?", I asked.

"Just to make sure I'm taking care of it," he says.

This just had me in stitches.  How funny.

I confirmed with the teacher that someone's sister had lice and so they checked all the kids. 

Everything checked out, Aidan is in fact taking care of his hair.  What a boy.  

HIs first "lost" tooth

Aidan lost his first tooth yesterday night.  It wasn't the tooth we were expecting him to lose.  He has  had a loose bottom tooth for a while now, but he is very protective of it.  Here's the story:  he had been told to come in the house for the night.  We had just finished dinner with Will & Kelly's family and the kids were going to watch A Bee Movie before bed.  Aidan decided to climb the metal rail on the front of the house and then come in.  Not the best plan.  He ended up standing on the rail to jump down onto the porch and fell.  Luckily, I have a big thick  mat on the porch and that is what his head landed on.  He looked up at me with a dazed look on his face and I said, "You won't do that again will you?"  My heart sank when he opened his mouth and blood came running out!  On the fall he had knocked out a tooth, root and all, that wasn't ready to come out quite yet. The two teeth next to it are also loose.   Aidan never shed a tear.  Luckily, Will took him in the bathroom and cleaned him up.  All in all he's excited that he lost his first tooth, and he can stick his tongue through the hole it's created.   He didn't put it under his pillow last night because he wanted to show it to his class today.