In the Midst of All the Craziness...

I have not posted anything in quite some time, mostly because I have been TOO BUSY! Of course there is Christmas right around the corner, Avery turns 1 next week, and our house should be finished in abouth 3 weeks! Exciting stuff! I have been awful about posting pics lately too, which I will try to do soon, but my camera has been highjacked by my hardworking husband to chronical the house developments, so I rarely see it now. In the midst of all the craziness, it is the little things that make me happy, so here are a few I'll share:

-Avery blows kisses and waves goodbye now. She is so sweet!
-Oliver is asking all kinds of darling questions these days. He knows that his dad likes crab legs, and today he asked him, "Do you like to eat crab face?" The explanation for this one is that he saw the full crab, body and all being sold at Costco. Next time I go to Red Lobster I think I will try to order crab face...
-Dreyers Slow Churned Ice Cream, Take the Cake flavor, 1/2 the fat!

I'll write more soon - I promise there is some fun stuff to talk about, as soon as I settle down and can REMEMBER what it is!!!

Watch out world, here comes Avery!

So I realized that I have not yet blogged about Avery walking, which is big news! She's been doing it for aobut two weeks now, and I think she may be ready for the Olympics or something - she is refining her skill very rapidly. Here is how her learning process has gone:

Day 1: Walk along furniture
Day 2: Take five steps unassisted
Day 3: Take ten steps unassisted
Day 4: Walk all the way across the room
Day 5: Navigate uneven terrain

It is so cute to watch her, because she looks so little to be walking around, and also because she does this aerobics thing with her arms when she is walking. It looks like she should be holding some little weights or something because she pumps her arms out, then in, etc. She also dances now that she walks, which is really cool too.

One other thing that makes me think she is ready for the Olympics is that she picks up things that are larger than her and carries them around. The fuller her arms and hands, the happier she is. She gets so proud of herself.

I'll let you know when she starts pole-jumping!

Happy Birthday Ollie!

As most of you know, Oliver hit the big 4 this week! He was so excited - he has been checking his calendar very regularly for the last month or so. He is sure that he is bigger and faster now that he is 4. We celebrated on Wednesday with a day full of playing with new toys. I asked him if he wanted to go anywhere special to have lunch or play, but he just wanted to stay at home. He was mesmerized by his new hotwheels track. He requested a dinner with "special birthday food," so we ended up having pasta with breadsticks shaped like the number 4. He had several visitors that night to help him play to his heart's content. On Thursday, he got to be king at preschool. This means he wears a crown, gets to do everything at preschool, such as the calendar, the weather, leading the pledge of allegiance, and passing out the snack. The king's mom also gets to go and talk about the king as well as share a goodie. It was really fun to go and see Oliver in a kid environment, as well as see him feel so special with his king duties. Wendy watched Ave for me while I attended the king day, and she had the worst cold too. Thanks so much to Wendy for watching my very sick baby, and kudos to Avery for not crying for the entire time. You may think the celebrating would stop there, but Friday we had our party at the Clearfield aquatic center with all of Ollie's little friends. We had a Mickey Mouse cake, complete with an edible mickey mouse clubhouse (as requested by Oliver), hot diggity dogs, and fun swimming. On the way there, Oliver asked me if this party was really going to be fun. I told him I thought it would be, and then he said, "if you say so." I am pretty sure it surpassed his expectations, as it did mine. Thanks to everyone who was a part of Ollie's celebrations - he loved every minute of it.

Happy Haunting

Happy Haunting

So I have not been the best at blogging this month, so there are several things related to Halloween to post about. First, Oliver's costume: we started at the beginning of the month with the idea that he could be a bear (a REALLY scary bear, as Oliver said) because I just happened to have a bear costume in his size from my days of working at the Gap when I bought things that were good deals, but did not necessarily have a use for at the current time. There is a pic of Oliver in this costume on the blog from earlier in the month. Anyway, he decided the bear was not scary enough, and then thought he would be spiderman, and it would be twice as cool since it was his cousin Kade's costume. Well, the idea of Spiderman went out the window when Oliver saw there was a mask that went with the costume. He does NOT like masks. So for a few days, we were back to the bear costume and he was happy and content to be a bear. In fact, we were going to be a family of 3 bears and 1 monkey. That fills you in on Avery's costume, which held much more constant for the month! I thought the 3 bears and goldilocks would have been cute, but I was vetoed by Oliver. Even though we planned on not buying any costumes this year since we already had plenty to use, we ended up buying not one, but two other Halloween costumes for Oliver: Batman and Hulk - neither of which had masks, but probably because they came from the D.I. and the masks were long since lost. It turned out to be a selling point for us! (By the way - did anyone else go to the grand opening of the D.I. in Layton? It was crazy - people buying cartloads of merchandise, the parking lot was packed! It was awesome!) So Oliver tried on both of these constumes when we got home, and it turns out they actually make you faster and stronger, as he demonstrated for us. Who knew? He finally decided that the Hulk was the strongest costume as it had the built in muscles, so he chose it for his costume for Halloween night. Oh, this is the point where it was decided that Jed and I would also be Hulks, so we ended up being a family of 3 Hulks and a monkey! We found out Halloween night that Oliver also does NOT like face paint. I put a little green paint on his cheek to complete the Hulkish look,a dn he immediately washed it off. I then put the green paint on my face so I could look a little hulkish, and Avery got scared and started crying. Needless to say I washed mine off right away too. Jed and I were pretty shabby hulks as our comstumes were not quite as elaborate as Oliver's - and when I say they weren't elaborate I mean they consisted of green sweatshirts stuffed with batting to make muscles (it sort of, kind of looked like muscles!). This did not ruin the fun of the night though, as Oliver is finally old enough to keep up with teh big boys when trick-or-treating, but still young enough that all the neighbors think he is adorable and give him extra candy because of it! One house was handing out orange soda, and Oliver exlaimed, "They sell soda at this house!" (A little confused about what "selling" actually entails!) We rounded out the night by going to the Harry Potter house, which was very cool, but is probably extremely cool to someone who has read at least one of the books or seen at least one of the movies!By the end of the night, we were all tired, so we went home and Oliver let Avery man-handle all of his loot. He is such a good big brother! Other Halloween celebrations of note: we also attended the Dinosaur Park's party, which Oliver loved! He used his Batman costume for this night since he could put it on and still fit in his carseat! He had lots of questions about the dinosaurs, like "Which ones are real?", and "Which ones are alive?", and "Why aren't there any dinosaurs now?" After a lot of explaining on my part, Oliver got a quivering lip, choked back the tears, and said, "That is so sad all the dinosaurs are dead. Do you think they'll ever come back?" I LOVE THIS AGE!! We also went to Gardner Village with Carrera, Wendy, and Sharma. Lots of fun decorations, all the witches were so creatively posed. Oliver was Carrera's little buddy that day, and I am pretty sure she ended up buying a witch decoration she would have otherwise not purchased purely because Oliver wanted to be "same-ee's." It was a great October. Avery went with the flow for the most part during all these activities, loving the lights that were hung everywhere.

Can we build it? Yes we can!

Our house is coming right along - I think we are on the home stretch now! Our exterior is going on now, as well as the sheetrock inside. It is so exciting to watch it all come together. Jed has been getting his hands into the projects lately, putting in wiring (not high voltage, but all the fun stuff like speakers and cable and internet), with some much appreciated help from Ry. Oliver is also his biggest helper! It is so cute to see him at the house. He always finds little things to play with, and loves the dirt pile out back. It is his "mountain."

Husband Tag

Rerra tagged me with some questions about the hubbie (phew, I don't have to spill secrets about myself this time!), so here is some Q&A about Jed:

1. Where did you meet? High School - we had advisory together.
2. How long did you date before you got married? about 6 years...sounds like a long time until you find out we started dating when I was 15.
3. How long have you been married? 6 years, which means we have known each other for 12!!
4. What does he do that surprises you? He never complains how much I eat out (I LOVE fast food) - which I would think he would do, since he is pretty frugal and there are definitely cheaper ways to fill the belly. I guess he just knows how much I enjoy it!
5. What is your favorite feature of his? I don't know if this is a feature, but his is sexy as ever to me because he is a wonderful dad. There is nothing quite so fullfilling as seeing him play, hug, and laugh with the kids. It is so easy to tell in those moments that we are doing exactly what we were made to do. But anyway, if I had to name a physical feature, it would have to be the dark hair, dark eyes, and tan skin...WHEW! I better stop now!
6. Does he have an annoying habit? Isn't it funny how characteristics that were so endearing in the first couple of years of marriage can morph into full-fledged annoyances as the years go by? A great example is the degree of research that my husband puts into each and every decision he makes. He is a MASTER of internet researching. Give him a little time and he can locate the best product for anything, as well as the web address for a company that sells it for 40% less than you can buy it retail, as well as a coupon code to sweeten the deal. I cannot complain about this too much as he has saved us A LOT of $$ over the years this way.
7. What is your favorite quality of his? It may be the same one that gets on my nerves sometimes! Also that he is a great listener and has so much empathy for me.
8. Does he have a nickname for you? Sweetheart, babe, Lis. I know if he addresses me as "Lisa," we are ready for something serious, or maybe just that I didn't hear him when he called me pet names!
9. What is his favorite color? Green - I only know this because our little boy is very interested in knowing what everyone's favorite color is, as well as informing everyone that his is "red."
10. What is his favorite food? Cheeseburgers and Pizza. Not together of course - that would be too much guilt!
11. What is his favorite sport? Basketball is first (go Jazz!), then football (mostly college).
12. When and where was your first kiss? On my doorstep, like 12 years ago. I don't remember the date, but it was a week before Jr. Prom...ah, memories!
13. What is your favorite thing to do as a couple? We like to go out to eat together, and we will grab a movie in or out whenever we have the chance. We both really like The Office too.
14. Do you have any children? You can probably gather from the rest of the questions that we do. Two to be exact. They are the best!
15. Does he have a hidden talent? He is good at magic - just ask Oliver.
16. How old is he? 28
17. Who said "I love you" first? I think it was him, but I'm pretty sure I was dying to hear those 3 words and reciprocated them quickly.
18. What is his favorite type of music? Rock music, old and new, although he listens to talk radio much more than he does music.
19. What do you admire most about him? There is just something about him that makes me a better person, and I enjoy everything more when he is a part of it.
20. Do you think he will read this? Of course...I will make him ;)

I'll tag anyone who reads this and is married!!!!

Ssssnnnooowwww!

So this post is a bit late, but I had to put some of the pics of snow last weekend up because Oliver is just so cute! It even hard for me to believe it was cold enough just 7 days ago to be snowing, since today it was absolutely gorgeous. But I guess that is how it goes in Utah. Anyway, we got about a foot of snow (yes, 12" of snow) at Sharma's house. Jed and Ollie made a snowman that was absolutely huge, and then they slid down the big hill in the backyard. It was too much fun. Avery loves to eat cold things like ice, so when se felt the snow, she thought she was in heaven. It was so funny. Oliver was so excited about the snow, that when he first saw the rain turning to snow on Saturday, he put on his snow pants, gloves, hat, and coat to go out and play in it. A little disappointing since there are only so many things you can do with a skiff of snow on the ground, but by Sunday there was enough for all the activities he had in mind. He exclaimed when he saw the ground covered in white, "It looks like Christmas!" And he was right.

Fun with Bubba

For those of you who don't know, Bubba is uncle Ryan. It is a nickname that he gave Oliver at a very young age, and then Oliver started calling him Bubba too. Anyway, Bubba brought the hugest pumpkin over to Ollie last night - one that he grew in his garden by the way - and played with the kiddos for a while. What a green thumb he has! He also brought the littlest pumpkin from the patch over for baby sister. She must have really liked it, because she cuddled right up to him for a minute. There are some pictures of it, since anyone who knows the little stinker might not believe that she allowed someone else to hold her without actual proof!

6 Quirky Things About Me...

I have been tagged by my good friend Stace, so everyone will now know me a little better because I have to share some of my quirks with you.

1. I eat weird breakfasts - not all the time, but sometimes. Sandwiches tend to be my favorite weird breakfast item, but I have been known to eat pizza, corn dogs, and cheese quesadillas too. Jed is always quick to point out the weirdness of these foods at 9:00 in the morning.

2. I feel the need to tell anyone who compliments me on my clothing the price I got it for. This is because I am a HUGE bargain shopper, and the cheaper something is, the cuter it is to me. Therefor, I think that other people will find the clothing even better when they hear about its cheapness! Not everyone appreciates this like I do....

3. I LOVE wrapping presents. Christmas is so fun to me in part because I get to wrap so many things. There is nothing better than a gift with perfectly folded edges and a big, beautiful bow on it. I have even been known to wrap other people's gifts (that they are giving, not keeping).

4. I always wildly under estimate the size of bowl needed for making something, and invariably whatever I am making ends up sloshing over the side onto the counter. The same goes for mixing spoons - I will fight tooth and nail to avoid extra dirty dishes, so I end up mixing up a big bowl of something with the spoon I scooped one of the small ingredients out of its container with. I end up with batter or whatever all over my hand, and it usually takes forever to mix...but I didn't dirty another spoon!

5. I got really addicted to the "Tori & Dean" show on the Oxygen network for a while. It was unbelievably dramatic, and every time I watched it I made fun of it, but I kept on watching. Good thing the season ended, I may never have been able to stop!

6. I have never been stung by a bee (knock on wood). This one is boring and amazing all at the same time.

There you have it - the good, the bad, and the ugly!

Next I tag Brooklin (friend from my good old DWS days), Caitlin and Paige (great cousins from the VanDyke side of the family).

Gettin' in the Halloween Spirit

We got out the old Halloween costumes today, and the kids had a great time with them. Ollie was a great sport and let me snap some pics of him in the costumes. Avery thought it was hilarious that everyone had wigs, masks, and hats on, and even wore the monkey suit for a while and was happy about it. If these pictures don't get you in the mood for Halloween, nothing will!

Happy Birthday Grandma Sharma!!!

Ryan had a birthday BBQ at his house for Sharma's birthday. It was such a good time - his backyard is awesome for entertaining. We had tin foil dinners, dutch oven peach cobbler, and smores - all cooked in his fire pit. Aunt Wendy made Oliver a very special, very LARGE smore, and his belly had to be churning after that! It was nice to spend one of the last warm nights of this fall together as a family. There's nothing so fun as watching the cousins run around together, getting into mischief as boys always do. We hope Sharma enjoyed her day because she deserves it. She is such a special mom-in-law to me, wonderful Grandma to our kids, and she must also be a wonderful mom because her kids all turned out so great - especially my husband!

Girls' Night Out, All-You-Can-Eat Pasta

Saturday night was girls' night at Olive Garden with Wendy, Carrera, Stacy, and Erin. We had a great time, laughed until our stomachs hurt (that could also be because we ate too much!) We had a great waitress who gave us about 5 times our shair of romano cheese, extra breadsticks to-go, took our picture, plus shared insider information with us about the Tirimisu dessert! Good Times! All the girls sent their chocolate mints home with me to give Oliver as they were concerned he never gets sweets. As you can see, he enjoyed them!

Girls' Night at Oliver Garden

Lunch with Aunt Jean

Today we got to have lunch with Lisa's great-aunt Jean (her mom's mom's sister) and her friend Nancy. She was in town for a 2 week tour of everything cool in Utah. We were so glad to see her - it was the first time she'd met Oliver and Avery. Nancy was also such a cutie and was really great at getting on Oliver's level. We had lunch at Biaggi's, then went to Discovery Gateway where Oliver showed them all the "real" attractions that Utah has to offer!

BBQ @ the Petersen's

We went to a BBQ at Preston and Nicole's house Sunday night, along with Courtney and Lainie and their darling baby Andi. Oliver had been looking forward to seeing his friends all week, and they all told "Guess what, chicken butt" jokes at the kid table and giggled their guts out. It was hilarious! We had wonderful steaks and all kinds of other food and caught up on the summer since we had not seen each other in months. Sorry there are no pics of the adults, but I figure the kids are what everyone wants to see, right?

Fun with Cousins

Oliver, Avery, and I got to spend the afternoon with Corbyn, one of my little nephews (he's not really that little anymore) today. We went to the park, went bug hunting in Grandma's backyard, and played all sorts of toys. Oliver loved it, and mimicked Corbyn all afternoon. I also was so lucky to have two big helpers for the day! It was great!

Framing the House

Our house is coming right along, with the main level framed out for the most part, and the second level starting to go on. It's so exciting to see all the wood out there - for the first time it actually resembles a house (sort of). The other day they used a crane to lift up the extra tall back wall. That part was very cool to watch! For any of you that go out to see it, be very careful - there are lots of places to fall, e.i. the stairwell.

Avery loves her Grandma!!

So we knew we had to get a picture of this or no one would believe us - Avery let Grandma Sharma hold her for about 15 minutes, and didn't even wimper! They played with the magnets on the fridge together, which is one of Avery's favorite past times. We are so proud of this little girl for being brave and starting friendships with people other than Mom!

Second 1st day of preschool

Ollie started his second year of preschool today, and this year his teacher is Miss Viki. Oliver's friend Ty is in his class, which he is really happy about. When Mom and Avery dropped Ollie off for preschool this morning, Avery got a pouty lip and started to cry a little upon leaving the preschool. I don't know if it was because she felt disincluded and wanted to stay herself, or if she was sad to leave her brother, or maybe both, but it was dang cute! Oliver did great! He colored a picture of a guy using his red and blue crayon, and happily announced that the red was "hot sauce," and the blue was "water." The picture of Oliver in this post is after preschool (he's holding up the magic mirror he made) because he was sad and didn't want Mom to take his picture while at preschool; what was he sad about you ask? That Mom didn't bring him something from the errands she ran during preschool...sometimes Moms can be so mean!

The kids hit big milestones!

This last week was a big one for Ollie and Ave, both of whom hit big developmental milestones. Ollie is now fully potty trained (Mom says "woohoo!!"), and Avery said her first word, mum-mum (which we're sure means "Mommy"). It's always great to be a parent, but this week was even better than most!

Happy Birthday Mom!!

We celebrated Lisa's mom's birthday today (her birthday is Sept. 1st), and because she is such a great grandma, she chose to go to the splash pad and playground for a birthday picnic. She and Grandpa Curt helped Oliver use his magic "hotdog making machine" that he found on the playground to turn wood chips into hotdogs and babbled with Avery. Grandpa Curt was such a good playmate for Oliver on the water toys, and Oliver actually said after seeing Grandpa run through one of the sprinklers, "Wow, he's having fun!" Check out the slideshows to the right for pics of our fun outing.

Marathon Sunday

We had Grandpa Scott's birthday party at the farm yesterday, as well as a picnic at Forest Green park after with my family. Both were great. Jed tried pushing sister in the farm swing and found that she LOVED it! He was so proud of himself! Jed also got to show off his Yellow Bee flying skills to my family for the first time. We were tired by the end of the day, but the kids didn't have any tantrums, and it was great to see so much of our family in one day.

We took our little monkeys to the zoo

We went to the zoo on Friday with Wendy, Kade, Carrera, Stacy, Blake, Parker, and Austin. It was a great time - not too hot, a lot of the animals were active (much more exciting than when they are sleeping), and the kids were great! I love how the giraffe is posing in this picture with the kids! Thanks to Carrera for the zoo pics - I stole them from her blog!

Our House!

It doesn't look like much, but we're so excited! We go out everyday to see what is happening - we just can't stay away.

The whole bunch

Here is my wonderful husband being a great dad to our two children - Oliver (3 1/2 years) and Avery (8 months). The reason it looks like all our stuff is behind them is because it is - we are living in my mother-in-law's basement while we build our new house. It actually looks a lot more cramped in this picture than it really is - we are pleasantly surprised to find we actually like living with family! My mom-in-law (Sharma) is incredibly sweet and Oliver has a great time with her - I think he will remember living with Grandma fondly for the rest of his life.