Getting ready

The jury it still out.  I'm deciding how Christmas will feel without cold, snow...all of it.  Growing up in Colorado and Utah...then moving to Missouri, I've always had a cold Christmas.  Last year we spent Christmas day in Florida, but we celebrated our own Christmas a few days before.  Actually, jury just came in.  It's not the same.  It is still fun and exciting, people decorate their homes and everything does seem cheerier, but the whole feel is just different.  Boo.

It took me a bit longer to get our Christmas set up this year, but it's finally done.  To see the "pretty" finished pictures and more of the home decor stuff, I just did a post on our blog Fresh Poppy, so check it out :)

Here is some of our family decorating.  Little kids decorate trees so stinking cute.

I've been trying to keep the tradition (from my family) of a new ornament for the kids each year.  This year they chose stars.

Isn't that the best??  Like a million ornaments on one branch, everything on one side of the tree...and they couldn't be prouder :)

This year I also got them their own tree to have in their room.  They chose to decorate it blue, of course :)  Daddy was proud.  I've promised that they can sleep with the tree on for Christmas eve.

Merry Christmas!

Year after Year

the last few years about this time...

2007

Sawyer: Almost 6 months. A lot less crying. So much happier.

Me: Rocking Sawyer way less. Getting sleep.

E: Working. Waiting to hear from schools.

Us: Living with mom and dad. Mastering Guitar Hero. Late night movies.

2008

Sawyer: Ridiculously cute. Talking a lot. So much fun.

Me: 7 months pregnant. Making friends. Getting ready for surprise family visit.

E: Studying. Studying. Eating. Studying. Quick nap.

Us: Away from family. Exploring. Snuggling on the couch.

2009

Oliver: Almost 1. So so happy. Smiles. Crawling.

Sawyer: Big brother. Potty trained. Discovered love for scooters.

Me: Enjoying friends. Knitting. Crocheting.

E:Studying. Studying. Hang out w me. Repeat.

Us: Will be moving to AZ. Got back from Chicago. Preparing for a Florida Christmas.

2010

Oliver: Talking. Wanting to be Sawyer. Rascal. Funny.

Sawyer: Crazy. Sweet. Smart. Wants to go. go. go.

Me: Quilting. Being w family. Discovering new places. Meeting new people.

E: Learning. Excited. New places every few weeks. Discovering his calling.

Us: Together. Surviving. Planning. Happy.

Welcome To Suburbia

Halloween was stupendous.

Our street was amazing.

There was a home that had at least 75 things on their lawn that screamed, moved, jumped out.

We actually had trick-or-treaters.

Oliver and Sawyer

Again, that baseball costume was my uniform as a kid. Sniffle.

We hit a pumpkin patch.

Not only for a pumpkin, but a hay ride, saw animals, bounce house, the works. 

S had his hand on E's leg the whole ride.

I kinda thought it was the sweetest thing.

We carved pumpkins.

Sawyer loved taking out their guts.

It was a little too gross for Ollie. 

They sure did love lighting them up.

Ward Carnival...amazing 

 Um they kinda didn't mention there were 3 photos.

Gym carnival complete with a very spooky haunted house.

I was there with girnormous lips baby!

Speaking of BABY this guy is 2 in a couple of months!!!

And of course, E was on-call for the weekend.

How sad is that?

Poor guy.

We did all go trick-or-treating together in the end.

And ate candy together.

That counts.

In a week

Last week...

Monday

We got the yummiest English candy in the mail!  Yay!

 Tuesday

We've been just playing and playing in the backyard...so nice!

Wednesday

We made pumpkin spice cookies for YM/YW activity

Thursday

We got free passes to the Children's Museum of Phoenix...more to come on that but so fun!!

Friday

Visited daddy on his last day at the hospital for his internal medicine rotation.

And we saw trains.

Saturday

Barnes and Noble Halloween story time.

S is wearing my uniform from when I was 10.  Awwwwe!

Sunday

Made yummy lemon bars, stacked blankets and pillows and watched AFV.

(aka America's Funniest Videos)

Quickly becoming a very favorite tradition.

At the start of most video clips Sawyer says,

"that's not a good idea..."



Throughout

VERY good business week, Heather and I are actually getting some benefits from running our two little blogs...and by "benefits" I mean

FREE FABRIC

(say it like Oprah)

That was our week!

Storytime Live!

the other day the back screen was off track and needed to be fixed

s: Mom maybe Team Umizoomi can fix it?

c.u.t.e

ps Team Umizoomi is a show on Nick Jr, they are a tiny team, they work behind the scenes...

a while later E fixed it and I asked if Sawyer had seen him

e: no

I pulled Sawyer over to the back door and exclaimed

m: Sawyer!  Team Umizoomi came and fixed the door!!

he stared at the backdoor for a long time, but not a word.

My amazing awesome brother Rich was recently in town to see a client and scored us some free tickets to Nick Jr Storytime Live.  Basically it is Nick Jr shows in play format.  We got to see:

Ni Hao, Kailan

Backyardigans

intermission

Wonder Pets

Dora

It was cute.  The boys had fun.  We got to be in a suite and have delicious food and watch the show. OF COURSE E was working that weekend.  Boo.  We missed him.  There was a bunny named Ollie on the WonderPets.  Sawyer found that quite silly.  "That's not Ollie, that's Ollie" pointing to our O of course.

Before we left for the show that day I kept "teasing" Sawyer

m: we're gonna do something really fun today...

s: what??

m: i'm not telling...

after a few of these he got really annoyed

s: WHERE ARE WE GOING TODAY?!?!?!?!?!?

he finally resigned

s: I know where we're going, to Chuck E. Cheese's house.

We've never been, but he insisted

He was definitely happy with the surprise though

I kinda love the idea of Build-a-Bear, in fact my sister Amy took me for my birthday when I was an adult, really.  It's so cute!  I've always wanted to take my boys but knew it would be for me more than them.  I know Sawyer would have fun making it, but he doesn't care for stuffed animals so it would be a waste of money.

Anyway, when we were walking around the shopping center after the show we came across the boys version of Build-a-Bear!  It's called RideMakerz.

They lured us in with a remote control car outside.  It is sooo cute!  The first part you pick out the shell of your car (they have all models, including a blue Mustang GT just like Sawyer likes :)

Then you can add wheels, rims, stickers, etc.  They have this area that looks like a mechanics garage.  In the end you make a personalized license plate.  It is seriously so cute, I wanted to buy them right there on the spot!!  I think we'll definitely have to go back though, maybe for a birthday or Christmas :)

Here's is a video of Ollie being chased by the remote control car.  He would run after it, then when it started to chase him he'd run away yelling, "no, no, no"

siete

One of my favorite places EVER!

I have so many memories growing-up and spending days and days at the lake.

We used to go every summer as a big fat extended family reunion.  We had a house boat, a couple of speed boats, a water weenie, tubes and sometimes we'd rent wave runners.  I would have never gotten to know and befriend so many cousins if we didn't do this.  I loved it!

Over the fourth of July we met up at the lake with my sister Heather and her hubby Dallan at his parent's home which is right on the lake (okay 5 min drive).

All the cousins!

I must admit I was kinda nervous to go.  I guess  just having two little ones I was scared about safety.  However, we enjoyed ourselves immensely and everyone made it back home.  Hurray!

Sophie and Sawyer are just 2 days apart.  Sophie's older, however gestationally (is that a word?) Sawyer is older :)

Heather and I have been waiting and waiting for these two to hit it off, and they did! 

Sophie the damsel in distress and Sawyer the knight in shining armor. 

I call not telling them they're cousins.

Heather darling and oh so sweet girls who loved and doted on my boys.  Sawyer loved having so many friends to play with, especially Addie.  When the girls had disappeared somewhere in the house Sawyer asked me, "Where is a lot of everyone?"

We actually did pull them behind the boat...ever so slowly.  It was the plan for E to take Sawyer but Oliver started bawling because he wanted on...and he never was scared!

We loved our little rendezvous...and it was only 5 hours to drive and meet up with my sister, definitely happening again and again :)

AZ is treating us well.  I am still feeling overwhelmed at getting settled while keeping up with everything and saving time for E.

(the boys, the blogs, trying to make patterns, crafting, decorating, preparing meals, exercising, cleaning..the momma stuff)

I promise many pictures of the home to come...but I'm just not there yet :)  I am going to set a goal for myself to show one room at a time, maybe weekly, so I can start finishing some of these projects!  Maybe I'll start next week?

I'm scared.

Goodbye Missouri

Goodbye Missouri

I didn't think I would, but I miss that place

The best thing that happened there?

Oliver King

January 6, 2009

Ernesto and Oliver

And of course, friends.

I had no idea how many girls I'd find to have so much in common with.

Melissa's front door was something like 20 steps from my front door.

We had a lot of fun together, watching America's Next Top Model, being each others go-to babysitters, borrowing many a movie, food items, you name it.  Oh and of course, countless hours spent outside keeping each other company while our babes played.

Melissa and Megan

Sawyer and Taylor were like brother and sister.  They could have themselves a good fight.  But they also had a lot of fun together.  Look how much they grew!!!

More of my friends.  Sad.

Tamara, Megan, Sara, Aimee and baby Simon

Angel, Gentri, Melissa, Megan, Aimee

Tamara, Simon, Sara

Crystal, Megan, Megan

Let's see...we had craft nights, movie nights, watched Biggest Loser, there was Breakfast Club, playgroups, project night, playdates and Columbia trips.  Babysitting for each other, meeting at the park and aquatic center...preschool...gift exchanges for fun.  Parties and baby showers galore and fire pits and getting together because we had nothing better to do.

I tell ya two years ago I would've never guessed I'd be such a social butterfly :) 

Oliver, Olivia, Noah

Ollie insisted on bugging Olivia

Jason, Taylor, Sawyer, Preslee, Scotty, Ryder

Sawyer and Jonah

My favorite pic.  I hope when they grow up they're friends so we can tease them with this nerdy picture.

There you have it.  Saying goodbye was so sad, and so embarrassing.  How can some of you hold in tears?  Seriously.  I actually did pretty good, and by the end I was cried out.

Cross your fingers for me that I can find at least one good friend!

PS  E was there too.  I asked for him to give me pictures of him and his classmates and friends.  He laughed.  I guess boys don't do that.