The busy month goes on

 
After starting out the month with a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Boden, Ryan's preisthood ordination and birthday, Ryan's breakdance performance and the girls gymnastic performance (forgot the camera so didn't get any pictures of that one) we went on with more parties and performances. The triplets have been getting up 2 days a week a little early so they can go to school before it starts and be apart of the school Christmas choir. Yes, this is the same one that I mentioned before when I told you that Chase was doing it for "the party that has food afterwards". I asked if he was going to do it again next year and he said no. I guess the reward wasn't worth the effort. It's too bad too because he was hilarious to watch. He made the program worth watching. He was so animated throughout the entire performance. When I first saw him doing some "motions" I thought that they were supposed to do these motions to match the song but nobody else was doing them. Nope. Chase was making them up as he went and it was so funny! At first I was trying to shake my head no to get him to stop when he would look my way but I had a long time friend/mission companion, Nalene Low, who came to watch the kids performance talk me out of it. She said he was making the program better and that it wasn't a big deal. It was pretty funny.
Anyway, they did great and the girls did great on the lines that they had to give.

 
Every year for the pass 14 years (except for the year that we were in Omaha, Nebraska) we have gone to the Pyott Family Christmas party the Friday before Christmas. The Pyott line comes from Dave's maternal grandmothers side. Marie Pyott married Louis Larsen and they are Dave's moms (Carolyn) parents. It has been something our kids have grown up with and look forward to every year.
Every year it is the same thing; we have dinner, then Santa comes and each child gets to sit on his lap and they each get a gift and a candy cane, then we move into the gym and the kids get to hit a pinata that is filled with mostly candy but some change/money. This year was the first year, however, that they did not do the pinata. I honestly forget why though. It was still fun for the kids to see cousins and play in the gym. Here are each of the kids telling Santa what they want for Christmas.

 

Here are also some of the kids 2nd cousins sitting on Santa's lap. Sure wish we would get together with the cousins more. We really don't see them much and I really think that my kids miss not having their first cousins around. I envy my nieces and nephews who live in North Carolina because they have eachother. I hope they know how lucky they are.

December means....

 
Jenna has been taking piano for about 10 months now and she surely has a gift. She practices everyday without being asked and sometimes twice and has excelled quickly. People are amazed how good she is for the time that she has taken. She had a big recital in September that we forgot to take our camera to and a little one with 3 other kids at one of the students homes in December. I LOVE listening to hear practice. Especailly when she goes above and beyond and starts learning other songs on her own.

 
We have had a lot of snow this year so fat along with the rest of the country. Of coarse with snow comes at least one or two snowmen. Meagan was sick that day and didn't get to help so it was just Ryan, Chase, and Jenna that made this little man.

 

Neighbor gifts this year were a long time coming. I bought these little wooden sleds about 5 or 6 years ago with the idea of doing neighbor Christmas gifts and I finally did it this year....with Tyler's help (he was home sick from school). They turned out really cute, I think.
So, yes, we have had the "sick" going around in our house. My kids are pretty healthy for the most part and don't get much but colds every-once-in-a-while but this year we just passed it from one to another. All were good during Christmas and the surrounding days though so that was a blessing. Dave and I have been fine....and with that I will close my entry and go find some wood to knock on.

Crafts, a quiet Thanksgiving and birthday!

 
So one day I was watching a local channel called "Studio 5" and saw them creating these little Thanksgivng turkey out of chocolate nuggets. I thought they were so cute and simple that I just knew I had to do them with the kids. So, here they are and the kids loved doing them. I love the place card lollipops! We actually just made them for some of our neighbors and didn't use them as place cards. It was fun!

 
We didn't use them as place cards because we decided to just have a quiet Thanksgiving this year. We had just gotten back from California 3 weeks earlier and were leaving for Cali again in 4 weeks so we didn't want to go any where. I usually call around and ask friends and neighbors without family around to come over but felt a little selfish this year and just wanted a quiet day with the family. At one point we were even going to go out to eat instead of make dinner but then Dave said he wanted to just have a dinner at home, "nothing fancy. Really quick and easy". Well, it turned out really nice and relaxing but I don't think it was simple. Turkey, homemade rolls, homemade cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, cracker with cranberry salsa (one of my favorite holiday foods) and bbqed asparagus (also one of my favorites). I was in my pj's most of the day (heehee) and the girls decided they wanted to give me a pedicure so I was a little spoiled too.
Our family tradtion is to set up and decorate the tree the Monday after Thanksgiving so in keeping with that tradition the kids went to town. It's the same every year; mom passes out the ornaments and the kids get to decorate with the ones they have made over the years. Aunt Marge always give the kids an ornamnent every year with the year and their individual names on them. It is really fun for them to put their ornaments she has given them on the tree. Now when they leave home they will have at least 18 ornaments to hang on their Christmas trees. What a cute idea! Thanks Aunt Marge. I'm stilling that idea for my Grandies ;-).

 
Ryan turned 12 on December 8th and since he plays guitar I thought it would be neat to make him a cake shaped like a guitar. I found it on Family Fun nearly a year before and knew that that is what I wanted to do for his 12th b-day. When I was growing up my parents always let us decided whether we wanted to have a party with friends or go out to eat and to dinner with just mom and/or dad. Well, most of the time I chose the latter because my parents hardly EVER took us out to eat anywhere. We take the kids out though and so I thought he would choose a party with friends but he didn't. I have to say, that makes us feel good. Don't know how long that will last since he is approaching the teenage, "I'm to cool for you, Mom and Dad" stage.
Anyway, he wanted to try and blow it out with his "air gun" but after two tries he decided he wanted to burn it our between his fingers.
Becoming 12 years old in the church is a big deal. They enter what is called the "Young Mens" program and they also recieve the Aaronic Priesthood and can begin doing baptisms in the Temple. Ryan, for a month before his birthday, kept saying, "and you know what I want for my b-day, Mom. It is so cool!" but whenever I asked him he wouldn't tell me. He just kept saying I should know. "An electric guitar?", "A rip stick?", "A nintedo DSi?", "a new Wii game?"....I guessed and guesses but was wrong. Finally I told Ryan that if he wanted what he wanted for his B-day that he'd better tell me because I didn't know. FINALLY about 2 weeks before he told me; "I want to go to the Temple and do baptisms". What a specail mommy moment that was for me. He has always been so sweet and spiritual and I pray that he continues on the path that he has choosed so far throughout his life. Nothing better than to see that my children "walk in righteousness". Nothing!

 

Ryan started taking Breakdance lessons in September and in December he had his first recital. He was nervous but did really well. The battery on my camera was going dead so the pictures weren't snapping as fast as I wanted them too but we got some good ones. Grandma and Grandpa Boden had just flown in from California that day to be here for Ryan's Priesthood ordination so they got to come to the recital. We SO appreciate the fact that Grandma and Grandpa always make it a point to be at their grandchildrens special moments. They never missed one until this year when Carolyn had pnemonia at Christmas and missed cousin Andrews baptism. It was hard for them to miss but flying to South Carolina was just not an option. I understand how they feel because I have missed alot of my nieces and nephews baptisms, blessing and such. It is very hard to live so far away from family.

California means Disneyland!

 
Whenever we go to California to visit Mom and Dad Boden we always go to a park that is just around the corner from them; Cherry Park. If it's a really nice day we walk there, let the kids play for an hour or two and walk back. It is a fun thing that has become a tradition.
While we were there this time we came across this huge spiders web with a HUGE spider in it. Freaky! I swore I was going to have bad dreams that night but I didn't. I had Tyler stand behind it so you get get an idea of just how BIG this spider was.

 
If you have never been to Disneyland in during the Halloween holiday I would recommend it. The park was not crowed and it was decorated to the hilt! They go all out! Especially on the haunted house. The entire thing was different. It was like a new ride. This is what happens when the two holidays and Halloween and Christmas collide.

 
Space Mountain, Tower of Terror, and Thunder mountain! I lost my sunglasses on Space mountain. It was worth it!
You can't see Chase in the Tower of Terror but his arm is on the very left hand side of the picture.
Mom was the one taking the picture for the last picture so I'm not in it but here is the family at the entrance.

 

I love the way the kids get along and play with each other. For the most part they really do get along. It is so cute/fun to watch. Tyler and Ryan were "too old" to hang out with Mom and Dad so they were off on their own most of the day. That is why I don't have many pictures of them.

Disneyland in OCTOBER!

At the end of October we went to California and used our "give and day, get a day" tickets to Disneyland. Having gone three years in a row now I wasn't as excited and thought the kids would feel the same way. I was wrong. They were excited, giddy, and so fun to watch.
 
HAHA! Can't help but laugh when I look at this first collage. Jenna and Meagan were finally old enough this year to go on 2 of the rides they were not old enough to go on last year; California Screamin' and Indiana Jones. Last year one of them (i think Meagan) got on Rock-n-roller coaster (the equivalent of Screamin') one time but not another as there was a different person on "guard" the second time that would let her on. Jenna, I guess, was a tad bit shorter than Meagan. It was seriously less than a forth of an inch from where the top of their heads were supposed to touch. She was so sad that she couldn't go with Meagan so we went to the bathroom and tried to stuff toilet paper in her shoes to make up the slight difference. It was a no go. SOOOO, this year they were SO excited! Then, Jenna started getting scared standing in line. She is a very timid child in a lot of ways. The top picture is of her expressing her doubt about the safety of the roller coaster. Of coarse, she went on because Mom is mean and made her and of coarse, just as Mom knew, she loved it and wanted to go, "Again! Again!". I actually took video of her going on it the first time. It is pretty funny/cute. I'll see if I can upload it onto here.

 
I have to say that Tower of Terror is a family favorite. I know it is my personal favorite. I think we hit it at least 3 times that day. I never get tired of that one.




 

Another family favorite and actually the one we always head straight for when the park opens is Splash Mountain. We get a pass and then go on. We always get on with no wait and usually a two minute wait as we get off and go straight around and get on a second time. This time, however, we pulled up and they asked if we wanted to go again because nobody was there waiting. Yeah! Oh, and I took a picture of their picture of us going down the big plunge. Chase is trying to act like he's asleep and I was trying to get a picture of the big plunge from our view (obviously didn't get it in time or it would be on here). My face is ugly/hilarious! What the heck?!?!

 
Every year my brother, Greg, flies out to go to a BYU game. This year it was the BYU/San Diego State game in October. The kids always look forward to his annual visit. He is a GREAT Uncle who loves to spend time with them and they know it. They know that he loves them. First we started out by going down for the free breakfast of blue pancakes and milk. Then we waited for the parade to begin. The triplets were hilarious. I dared them to go out in the middle of the street and dance to the music they had blaring and they did (after I bribed them with money). It was hilarious. Especially Chase. By the 3rd song they had a bunch of other kids dancing with them.

 

After the parade we walked around campus, went to the bookstore and told the kids funny stories about when Dave and I went there. Then we headed over to Fat Cats Bowling lane and bowled to games and ate Costa Vida for lunch, which I had never had before and now LOVE! After that, we split up. Dave took Tyler to the game with Uncle Greg and his long time friend, Mike, and me and the kids headed home to watch it on TV. What a fun family day. Next year I want to go early and run the 5k as a family.

More summer fun 2010!

 
No matter where we have lived the girls find it very easy to make friends. They love eachother and honestly don't know what to do when the other isn't around (really, Jenna was following me all over the house the other day when Meagan went to play with a friend and she didn't becsause she had piano lesson). They are like lost little puupies. They are eachothers best friends. They, however, are also very social and love hanging out with friends. This was a fun night with their friend Eliza Cook. We hung out at Eliza's pool then I took the girls shopping where they picked out these matching shirts and then we all went over to Mimi's Cafe for dinner. Afterward, we came home and watched a movie. It was a fun girls night out with my girls and Eliza.


 
I think this was actually in September but I can't remember. That's why I try hard to get things written down as soon as possible because I don't always remember everything I would like to include. We took the kids up one of the canyons, parked our car and road up 2 more miles on our bikes, then got off our bikes and hiked another mile up to a lake called "Cecret Lake". Except for being a little chilly it was a great activity with the kids. They all did great (after they warmed up on their bikes from going uphill) and we all celebrated by going to Hire's Big H (which, btw, is much better then In-n-Out. Yes, yes it is). Ahh! now I remember! It was Labor Day weekend so it WAS Septmeber. Anyway, what a nice day!


 
Once we got to the Lake we broke out the granola bars and let the kids play. I was waiting for one of them to fall in but we were lucky this time. Everyone came back down the mountain dry. Miracle of miracles!

 

Back in April, for Chase's 9th b-day, one of the gifts he got was a fake ticket to a REAL soccer game. In August, we finally delivered on that promise and took him and a friend (Zack Rhodes) to a game. Wait a minute....I need to call Dave at work and ask him who they were playing. I can't remember. I do remember we won and I do remember the AWESOME goal that one of the REAL players made. Dang it! He's not answering. Must be on a date with his girlfriend ;-). Well, it was a very fun day for him as he stuffed his face with popcorn, hambugers, pop, and cotton candy and rooted for REAL. The boys were SO full of energy on the way home that we let them go at the top of Zach's street and made them run home. Thus, the picture of Chase running down the dark sidewalk and the picture of the boys wrestling in Zach's front yard. Too bad I can't bottle that energy and sell it. I'd be a rich women.

August fun!

I have tried to get in here and catch up a couple of times but for some reason I can't upload my pictures from Picassa to my blog sometimes. I am not sure what I am doing when I can't and I am not sure what I am not doing when I can't. I am not very good at computers. The fact that I even have a blog is thanks to a couple of friends that have helped (thanks again Laurie, Holly and Natalie). Sooooo, on with the summer. I am still behind by 5 months so I'm taking you back to August 2010.

 
Dave's work throws a summer party every year for the families. We had it at Sugarhouse Park and it was alot of fun for the kids; food, games, prizes, jump houses, and climbing walls. I think my kids favorite was the climbing wall. We used to have a Lifetime fitness family membership and we would go do the climbing wall there all the time. It was raining when we first got there but it cleared up by the time we were done eating (under the pavilion, thank goodness).

 
Chase started on a club soccer team this year and had his first tournament up in Park City. They won 2 of their 3 games and were stoked to begin the season. Unfortunantley we had the opposite statistic; only one win the entire season. The great news is that our one win happen on the very last game. That is a good way to end the season. Can you see the rain coming down? It was coming down pretty hard. I had gone out the day before and purchased one of those tent thingy's so there were quite a few parents that we got to know that game since we were the only ones to bring one.
 
Dave and I celebrated our 16th year anniversary this year. It was a mellow one. We enjoyed the day together and had dinner at Market Street Grill. We were going to go downtown to a Steak restuarant but the traffic was awful. I love the Halibut early bird special at Market Street though so I didn't mind at all.
We have such cute kids! We came home and they had made this poster for us and had it displayed as a suprise on our headboard. I love it when they do cute, thoughtful stuff like that on their own.
I wish I had taken a picture of the frame Dave bought me. It was silver with the inscription "happy sweet 16" on the bottom and a picture of us together and Lake Powell". I am lucky to be married to such a good, loving, honest, hard working, responsible man! Lucky, lucky, lucky in love!
 

Right before school started I took the kids to a water park for our last big adventure. It is so much nicer to go to these parks when your kids are old enough to go off on there own. I enjoyed reading a good book most of the time and only had to worry about lunch time and check-ins. I did, however, go off with them at one point and ride some slides. I was trying to avoid it but they kept begging me to come with them. "But it's SO much fun, mom! You have GOT to try it!" I can't say no because I know that there will come a day when my kids won't want me to go with them and hang out. They'll just be too cool for that. Besides, they were right; it was fun! :-)