Good Times

Snow

2010-01-03T22:32:00.003-05:00

My kids were begging to go play out in the snow on Saturday. They probably lasted about 10 minutes, which I knew would happen. I think they like to go out in the snow because they know that I will make them hot chocolate when they come in.

It has snowed a lot here lately. Church was canceled today because of snow and wind.

I had to put the picture of Noah in the sunglasses. He has been wearing them constantly (inside and outside) because he wants to have glasses like Gabe and Zoe. What a funny kid.

New Years

2010-01-03T22:15:00.004-05:00

We had a really fun New Year's holiday. We spent New Year's Eve with friends from church and school. We played games and ate lots of yummy food. All 5 of us made it until midnight and beyond!

New Year's Day was casual and relaxing at our house. We played a bunch of games together which is one of my favorite things to do.

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-03T21:53:00.003-05:00

My camera did not upload all of my pictures for some reason and when I finally got them all on the computer I thought that this one was too cute not to post on my blog

Merry Christmas!

2010-01-01T16:43:00.004-05:00

We have had a wonderful Holiday season with lots of fun activities and plenty of relaxing and family time. One thing that I have really enjoyed about this holiday season is that my kids are old enough to play some games with us. We hope you all had a Merry Christmas!

A Story by Gabe

2009-12-21T23:36:00.004-05:00

A Writers Workshop on the Five Senses

I like my mom.

Her hair is black.

I can hear her sing.

She smells good.

She tastes bad.

She feels warm.

I love my mom.

By Gabe Elton

Disney World

2009-11-10T23:39:00.003-05:00

One of the highlights of our trip was going to "Mickey's Not so Scary Halloween Party" at Disneyworld on Halloween night. It was awesome! Everyone in the park was dressed up. We got to ride all of the rides we wanted to with very little waiting. The kids got to trick or treat at different stations throughout the park. There was a great "villain-themed" fireworks show and parade. The kids also got to dance with some of the characters at a dance party. It is definitely a Halloween we will remember.

Fishing

2009-11-10T23:36:00.003-05:00

The guys went deep sea fishing one day. They had a really good time. The girls went shopping and to the spa that day. (I like being a girl!)

Universal Studios

2009-11-10T23:31:00.004-05:00

We went to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios while we were in Florida. It was hot! We tried to enjoy every second because we are well aware of the winter that Erie had in store for us.

Some of our best friends met us in Florida and vacationed with us. It was so much fun to hang out with them again.

One fun thing we did was go to "Halloween Horror Nights" at Universal Studios. Just the adults went. They had 8 haunted houses and they were VERY scary. They also had "scare zones" where you would walk down certain streets and people would come after you with chainsaws or Aliens would chase you down. I never knew whether to laugh or cry and Dan said I did damage to the skin on his arm from grabbing on to him so much.

Florida

2009-11-10T23:25:00.003-05:00

We went on a family vacation to Florida at the end of October. We stayed in a really nice vacation home with a pool. The kids loved it of course. There were these little tiny lizards running around and my kids harassed the poor lizards the whole time. There was also a pond behind the house that had an actual alligator in it.

Gabe gets a Bobcat

2009-10-22T02:03:00.004-04:00

Gabe had his first Pack Meeting tonight! He got two awards: his Bobcat Patch and a Wildlife Belt Loop. He loves, loves, loves, scouts. He was so excited about getting his awards and being part of the skit they did. He was giggling in anticipation of the skit because he thought it was so funny!

Boo at the Zoo

2009-10-20T00:38:00.003-04:00

Tonight we went to "Boo at the Zoo"

We have made it a tradition to go every year that we have lived in Erie. It was weird tonight to think that this is our last one.

We did all of the usual stuff: Trick or treating at the booths, face painting, dancing on the "Zoo Tube" stage, riding the train, the carousel and the carnival ride. It was a great night!

Doughnuts

2009-10-19T00:03:00.002-04:00

Yesterday I told Noah that we were going to make doughnuts today. He asked me all day long if it was time to make doughnuts. He was really excited to help.

Gabe's Baptism

2009-10-17T22:41:00.002-04:00

Gabriel was baptized and confirmed today. What a wonderful day for our family.

Soccer

2009-10-16T23:40:00.002-04:00

Gabe and Zoe started up soccer again today with their first practice of the season.

Gabe was happy to find that two friends from school are on his team. I was happy to see that he is a lot more comfortable with soccer now than he was at the beginning of last season. He likes to play offense and he is a good hustler.

Zoe likes to be the goalie (and pose for pictures). Today she told me that she wanted to move to Hollywood and she was wondering if I knew of any TV Schools for kids there. She cracks me up.

Good Night Babies

2009-10-15T22:02:00.004-04:00

There is nothing better than freshly bathed babies. I could just eat them!

On a different note. I was leaving the church tonight, I walk outside and it is SNOWING! What?!? I immediately got sick to my stomach and my eyes started tearing up! I am so not ready for Erie winter.

I tried to be positive and think hot chocolate, white twinkly lights, Christmas music and cute winter scarves but it was just not working for me! I still want pumpkins and hay rides and red and orange leaves!

Someone please make it stop!

Gabe is a Cub Scout

2009-10-14T19:26:00.004-04:00

So I am driving away from the Scout store after purchasing all of the items Gabe needs to start Cub Scouts and I am sobbing. Not because I just had to shell out $60 for all of that stuff but because I cannot believe my baby Gabe is a Cub Scout. Why? Why? Why does he have to grow up?

Tonight was his first Den Meeting. He was sooooo excited! Before the meeting we worked on some of his Bobcat Requirements (memorize the Cub Scout Promise, Show Me the Cub Scout handshake, etc.) and the look on his face when I signed things off in his book was priceless. The look on his face when he thumbed through the book and saw all of the fun things he was going to get to do was even better.

At Cub Scouts they got to make a bird feeder and talk about the food chain. He can't wait until his first Pack Meeting next week where he will hopefully get his Bobcat Badge!

Noah's Check Up

2009-10-13T22:12:00.003-04:00

Noah had his 3 year checkup today.

He weighs 34 1/4 pounds and is 38 1/2 inches tall. He is in the 75th percentile for both.

Overall he is a healthy happy kid but we did find out today that he has bronchitis! Apparently it is not bothering him because he is as active and silly as always.

A Day off of School

2009-10-12T19:33:00.001-04:00

The kids had the day off of school today. Gabe and Zoe went to a class at the Zoo and learned about Native Americans ("It's not very polite to call them Indians mom, they are not from India!"). Zoe made sure to show me each and every piece of paper they worked on at the Zoo. Gabe put his bag down somewhere and will probably never think about it again.

Sunday Drive

2009-10-11T22:57:00.002-04:00

Today we went for a Sunday Drive after church. We headed to a nearby town called Northeast that is known for their grapes which are in season right now. We saw lots of vineyards and fall leaves. We also ran into a new frog that we hadn't seen before.

Zoe and Mom

2009-10-10T23:09:00.005-04:00

I had such a great time with Zoe at the Outlet Mall today that I wanted to write about it.

The drive to the Outlets is about an hour and the views were AMAZING. Trees are everywhere and they were gold, green, red, yellow and orange. Occasionally the trees would open up to reveal an awesome farmhouse with a barn, a windmill and/or a pond. Zoe and I sang and talked and pointed out the beautiful things. On the way back home the sun was setting which made the trees look even more amazing. Zoe and I ate kettle corn and it got just cold enough to turn the heater on in the car. It was perfect.

While we were shopping, I was walking with Zoe, holding her little hand, listening to her talk, and I could have just cried with happiness. I realized that it would be one of the moments I remember and long for when she is 16 and doesn't want to be caught dead with me for one reason or another.

I am so lucky to have my Zoe.

*Tomorrow I am going to take a picture of her and I together and add it to this post. I am not very good at getting myself in pictures but I think it is important for us to have one together.

Doctors Office and Patriotism

2009-10-09T22:37:00.002-04:00

Zoe and Gabe had the day off of school today. They both had "well child" appointments with their doctor. Turns out that Zoe has bronchitis (we didn't even know she was sick?!?) and they both need to go to the eye doctor and possibly get glasses.

They kept asking if they had to get shots and the doctor told them the only shot they were due for was the flu shot and they had to ask their mom if they were going to get that. Well, me, being the mean mom that I am said yes they had to get them. Zoe had a fall apart and I basically had to bribe her to stop crying. In the end, Zoe didn't have to get the Flu Shot because she was diagnosed with bronchitis. She was jumping around, smiling, singing "I'm Sick!, I'm Sick!"

I've never seen anyone so happy to be sick!

For the record: Gabe was very brave for his flu shot and it was decided that he is not obese as his school reported him to be (?!?)

Zoe had been saying the pledge of allegiance and singing "Your a Grand Old Flag" over and over all morning so I decided to record her while we waited in the Doctors Office.

Halloween Costumes

2009-10-08T23:52:00.003-04:00

Tonight we got out our box of Halloween costumes to see if any of them would work for this year. The kids had fun trying them all on. I made Noah try on this Snow White dress to see if it might fit my friends little girl who is 3 years old also. He was not too pleased with me making him wear a dress.

Special Delivery

2009-10-08T01:07:00.002-04:00

Every night when we get Noah out of the bathtub we have to wrap him up in a towel and say "Special Delivery! Special Delivery!" Then we have to deliver him to somebody and he POPS out of the towel and laughs and laughs.

Pumpkin

2009-10-07T00:27:00.005-04:00

I made this pumpkin.

Yeah, I'm pretty much bragging. But only because on a craftiness scale of 1 to 10 I am a definite one. So, Go Me!

I want to make 2 more to go with it. So that should only take me about 6 more hours.

My Big Boy

2009-10-05T22:33:00.003-04:00

Gabe mowed the front lawn almost all by himself today! It was so cute I couldn't stand it. He was so serious and concerned about. I just love him.

Dan and Noah chillin and watching Gabe

Conference Picnic

2009-10-04T18:07:00.002-04:00

Dan had the idea to have a "Conference Picnic" in the living room while we watched the Saturday afternoon session of General Conference. The kids thought it was pretty cool. It is amazing how easy it is to make them happy sometimes.

Today we went to some friends to watch the Sunday sessions of General Conference and eat together. It is nice to have good friends here in Erie. It helps me not miss being with family for conference so much.

Children's Museum

2009-10-03T17:24:00.002-04:00

Today Dan was at something for school all day so I decided to take the kids to the Children's Museum to get out of the house. They were celebrating Hispanic Heritage and they had lots of fun things for the kids to do like decorate pinatas, make bracelets and flowers, get their faces painted and breaking open a pinata. It was a good way to kill a few hours.

Handsome Gabe

2009-10-02T23:23:00.001-04:00

Gabe (and Noah) before his baptism interview.

Gabe's Birthday Party

2009-10-02T23:07:00.003-04:00

Gabe had a birthday party with some friends from school and church today. We were supposed to have it at Port Farms but it rained ALL DAY LONG so we ended up at good old Chuck E Cheese.

A Big Day for the Eltons

2009-10-01T22:05:00.003-04:00

Today is our 10th wedding anniversary and Gabe's 8th Birthday. My brother also left for his mission in Ghana, Africa today.

To celebrate we went to The Olive Garden for a family dinner. Gabe's favorite restaurant is The Olive Garden because he loves the Zuppa Tuscano soup. After the Olive Garden we stopped by Dairy Queen for some ice cream and then came home to eat it and open Gabe's presents.

There is just something about your child turning 8. I get tears in my eyes just saying it. Okay, well to tell the truth I get teary eyed on all my kids birthdays. I just hate that I am never going to experience them at that age again. I keep telling them to stop growing but I guess they just can't help it.

Gabe is the absolute sweetest, most tender hearted, kindest kid you have ever met. He is so thoughtful and always says the nicest things. He went to be interviewed for baptism yesterday. He is excited to be baptized and to start cub scouts. Tomorrow Gabe is going to have a party with some of his friends and then he will be baptized next weekend.

As for Dan and I being married for 10 years. I love it! It doesn't make me feel old, it makes me feel so lucky and happy and excited to double, triple and quadruple that time together. I love him more today then I ever have. Seriously, I am not a sappy person but that is how I feel.

We are going on a family trip at the end of the month and that is kind of going to be our celebration for our 10 year anniversary.

We love you Bryce and hope you made it safe to Africa. We are praying for you and can't wait to get your updates.

Real Mom Kitchen

2009-09-29T23:44:00.003-04:00

I love the recipe blog Real Mom Kitchen. I wanted to put her button on my sidebar but I don't think she has a button so I thought I would do a post on it.

Her recipes are really simple and I have liked every one that I have tried so far. I have been making something from her blog almost every day lately. She has been posting a bunch of Fall recipes with apples, pumpkin, peaches, cranberries, etc. They have been so yummy and it is fun to cook stuff that goes along with the season. Anway, if you like to cook you should check it out.

My Baby is 3

2009-09-28T23:58:00.004-04:00

Noah turned 3 today! It goes too fast.

We had a birthday party tonight with some friends. We ate dinner, had a treasure hunt, opened presents and had cake and ice cream.

His favorite present that he got was some new things for his Geo Trax Train Set. He loves it and plays with it every day.

I love you Noah!

Underwear

2009-09-01T14:38:00.003-04:00

There is just something about a toddler bum in underwear. So cute and pinchable!

I have been struggling to get Noah to even put a pair of underwear on. He was just fine with diapers or pull ups. Today was the day that he finally agreed to wear them.

Normally I don't start potty training my kids until they are BEGGING to use the "Big Kid" Potty but Noah's preschool has a strict "no diapers or pullups" rule. Hopefully we get the hang of this quickly!

Preschool

2009-08-31T14:00:00.004-04:00

Noah wanted a picture "by the garage like Gabe and Zoe"

Doing his "work"

Feeding "Helen" (the class Guinea Pig) a cucumber slice

Noah had his first day of Preschool today! His preschool does a "phase-in" so today he only went for 1/2 hour and I stayed with him. He was shy at first but warmed up to his teachers a little as we found his cubby, explored the room and drew a picture. He was very meticulous with his picture using each and every marker in the order they were placed on the tray. He was also really cute about pushing his chair in when he was done and putting his work materials back where he got them. I am sad because my baby is growing up but I am also so excited for him because I think he will absolutely love preschool.

Swimming

2009-08-30T18:27:00.002-04:00

Another fun thing we did on our visit to Utah was going swimming at a new pool near my mom's house. The kids had a blast playing with their cousins. The pool was perfect for kids. It has a wading pool, slide and lazy river. We stayed pretty much all day. Wish Erie had a pool like this!

Lagoon

2009-08-29T21:37:00.003-04:00

Oaklee (Cousin) and Noah (He thinks he is on a roller coaster?)

While we were visiting Utah in August we went to Lagoon with some of my family. I love Lagoon! I have so many memories there from early childhood on up. We used to have family reunions there. Also, I guess they used to have big dances at Lagoon and my Grandma and Grandpa Rupp used to date there!

Noah would not go on most of the kiddie rides at Lagoon (I think we traumatized him earlier this year at Waldameer) but he really liked the "bumpy cars" and the boats.

The Movies

2009-08-29T21:31:00.002-04:00

(Bear with me...I am in a picture taking/blogging phase I guess!)

Tonight we went to see the movie "UP". The kids thought it was "good, but sad"

After we went to see the movie we stopped at Rita's for a Gelati. Rita's is another thing Erie has going for it. It is only open in the Spring/Summer so we wanted to make sure and get there at least one more time.

Dinner at the Beach

2009-08-28T21:03:00.003-04:00

One of the best things about Erie is Presque Isle.

We brought our dinner and ate there tonight. The kids starting feeding the birds french fries. All of the sudden we were surrounded by squawking birds. They thought it was fun. It kind of made me panic!

This is our last Summer in Erie. Hopefully we can get to the beach a few more times before it gets too cold.

Bubble Bath

2009-08-28T14:24:00.004-04:00

"We promise we only put a little bit in!"

This is Zoe and her cousins Oaklee and Belle taking a bath in Honey's bathtub.

Zoe later let me know that she had "the best time of her life" in that bathtub.

Back to School Dinner

2009-08-28T14:16:00.004-04:00

We had a "Back to School" Family Celebration last night. We went out to eat at TGI Friday's and talked about the first couple of days at school. Then we came home and Dan gave the kids Father's Blessings.

This is what Zoe said she liked about going back to school:

1. She got to see Miss Janie again (her preschool and kindergarten teacher)

2. She got to swing on the swings a lot

3. She likes her new teachers Jill and Jill (Her teacher and teacher's assistant are both Jill)

This is what Gabe said he liked about going back to school:

1. He got to play with Garrett

2. He got to do some challenging work

3. In Health he made a picture with a balloon on it

Back to School

2009-08-26T10:00:00.002-04:00

Zoe is starting first grade today

Gabe is starting Second Grade today

They are excited because they will have the same recess time and they will get to play together this year

Noah had his "pack pack" all ready to go. He was a little sad that he didn't get to go to school yet but he starts preschool next week.

Zoe's new teacher is Miss Jill. I am excited to hear what Zoe thinks about her new teacher and if she has any friends from last year in her class. She was very excited to start school and was already giving out hugs (to the carpool helper) as soon as she jumped out of the car.

Gabe has the same teacher as last year (Miss Kim). He is really excited to be reunited with his best friend Garrett. We didn't get to see him this Summer so it should be a joyous reunion.

Presque Isle

2009-06-28T00:34:00.002-04:00

Today we had a BBQ and hit the beach with our friends Mark and Karen (who will be moving soon *sob*). We have been loving that it is finally warm and all of the activities that come with it.

Noah

2009-06-27T23:54:00.005-04:00

*Thanks Suzi!

Spring Break Fun

2009-04-19T00:54:00.005-04:00

The kids had Spring break the week of Easter so we tried to do a lot to keep them busy and get them out of the house. We went to a bouncy place, decorated easter sugar cookies and dyed easter eggs. These are some pictures of our trips to the Children's Museum and the Zoo for their special Easter activities:

Asbury Woods Maple Festival

2009-04-19T00:39:00.004-04:00

Asbury woods is a nature center in our community. We went there for the Maple Syrup festival. We did crafts and face painting, ate some pancakes with delicious real maple syrup and took a tour where we learned all about maple syrup. Did you know that it takes 40 gallons of maple sap from a maple tree to make one gallon of maple syrup?

Zoe's Dance Class

2009-03-13T22:14:00.003-04:00

Zoe has been taking a dance class on Saturdays. Last Saturday was her last week for this session so they did a special performance for the parents. It is so fun for me to have a little girl in dance lessons.

Teeth

2009-02-22T20:51:00.003-05:00

Gabe lost both of his front teeth in the same day! They were both REALLY loose and his dad convinced him to let him pull them out with the help of some ice. They came out really easy and Gabe was very brave. Now he is very rich! Thanks tooth fairy.

Deer

2009-02-22T20:45:00.003-05:00

I was looking out the window while I was loading my dishwasher the other day and there were these two deer just chillin' in my backyard. Pretty cool!

Cookies

2009-02-16T16:34:00.003-05:00

The kids had 4 days off of school for Winter Break. I had my hands full keeping them busy and entertained so one thing that we did to pass the time is make Valentine sugar cookies. As you can see, equal amounts of frosting went into the mouths and on the cookies. They even took some of the cookies to their friends for a Valentines Day treat. (Don't worry if you were the recipient of one of these plates, we monitored the frosting licking on the ones we gave away).

A Blog Entry for Rachel

2009-02-09T14:50:00.005-05:00

My sister has been giving me a hard time about not blogging so I snapped a couple of pictures of the kids before church on Sunday.

Even though I didn't blog about Christmas we did celebrate it. (Can you believe that? Life really keeps going on even if you don't blog about it?) We spent two weeks in Utah with friends and family. We celebrated both Christmas and New Years there, saw lots of movies, played lots of games, went tubing and to birthday parties. It was great and we can't wait to go and visit again.

Since then we've just been busy with life as usual. The kids are involved in dance, soccer, basketball, art, zoo classes and gym classes. They love school and are doing so well there. Gabe and Zoe are both reading!

We have had over 100 inches of snow so far this winter in Erie. It is craziness! We are finally having a little bit of a thaw which we are enjoying immensely.

Chick Fil A

2009-02-09T14:45:00.003-05:00

We have been going to Chick Fil A on Tuesday nights for family night. They have a playplace and a clown that makes balloon animals and things. They usually have a craft too. My kids love it. Some of their friends come and join us sometimes. A few weeks ago the clown did face painting instead of balloons. I was cracking up when I saw that Gabe requested a handlebar mustache of all things. Zoe wanted to be a clown just like "Chucklez" the Chick Fil A Clown.

Noah didn't want his face painted so he opted for a balloon instead.

Zoe's Dance Recital

2008-12-15T20:18:00.003-05:00

Zoe had a dance recital today. She has been taking a dance class after school every Monday. They learn tap and ballet. I love the picture at the top. She was smiling so big waiting for the music to start and I could tell how excited and proud she was to dance on the stage for everyone. At the end they did the hokey pokey, so the picture at the bottom is Zoe "shaking it all about"

Gingerbread Houses

2008-12-14T21:07:00.004-05:00

Saturday night we had some friends over for Pizza and Gingerbread houses. The kids (especially Noah) ate about as much candy as they put on their houses and then ran around like wild animals way past their bedtimes.

Noah Meets Santa

2008-12-10T14:57:00.002-05:00

I must be the meanest mom ever but this seriously cracks me up!

Christmas is Here!

2008-12-03T11:22:00.005-05:00

The kids were really excited to get the tree, ornaments and christmas decorations out. It took me an hour to "fluff" the dang thing out during which the kids broke a few ornaments, made a mess and asked me "Is it ready yet?" about a thousand times. Dan set the mood by putting on Christmas music and making hot chocolate for us all. It was really fun and made me think of the good memories that I have of decorating the tree (or trees because sometimes my mom had 3) when I was little. I am so happy I get to have that experience with my kids now. They were getting really into the Christmas thing and started talking like Santa Claus was going to come tomorrow! I had to remind them how many days it was until Christmas. Then Gabe wanted to make sure that I wrote a note to Santa to let him know that we would be in Utah for Christmas and could he please bring our gifts there. He wanted to make sure that the note said "I am Jennifer Vanchiere Elton, could you please bring our family's gifts to my mom Rhonda Vanchiere's house in Utah" That way Santa would know exactly who we were. Kids are so stinking cute! The next day they spent all day playing with my Christmas Caroler statues and Decorative Christmas Boxes...dang...I should have wrapped those up and saved them for Christmas. Who knew they would find them to be so much fun?

Decorating the Tree:

8 things...Tagged by Jen W.

2008-11-11T16:50:00.002-05:00

8 Things I'm Passionate About:

1. My Husband

2. My Kids

3. My Family and Friends

4. My Testimony

5. Family History

6. Coupons/Deals

7. Reading

8. Traveling

8 Words or Phrases That I Use All the Time:

1. Stop Please

2. Are you ready for a nap?

3. Just a minute.

4. Oh...cool!

5. What?!?!

6. Please Hurry!

7. Seriously?!?

8. I love you

8 Things I Want to Do Before I Die:

1. Be good enough to make it to the Celestial Kingdom!

2. Travel as many places as possible

3. Get a Masters Degreee

4. Read as many books as possible

5. Go on a mission with Dan

6. Go to my kids and my grandkids weddings

7. Keep learning new things

8. Learn how to enjoy myself in any situation

8 Things I currently want or need:

1. To Live in Utah by my family

2. A Maid

3. A Dyson

4. A Roomba

5. A Small Digital Camera

6. A vacation somewhere warm!

7. The ability to not have to sleep

8. A Personal Chef

8 Places I want to Visit:

1. Greece

2. Italy

3. England

4. Germany

5. Denmark

6. Disneyworld

7. Anywhere Tropical Resort

8. Utah

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1. Cafe Rio

2. Olive Garden

3. TGI Fridays

4. Burger King

5. Subway

6. PF Changs

7. Aoyama

8. Wendy's

8 TV Shows I watch:

1. Football (especially BYU)

2. The Office

3. The New Adventures of Old Christine

4. Grey's Anatomy

5. So You Think You Can Dance

6. American Idol

7. Big Brother

8. Friday Night Lights

I tag Jolyn, Cicely, Chelsey, and Jennie

Snow Already!

2008-11-10T19:41:00.002-05:00

The kids were so excited to take their snow pants, boots and gloves to school today. The first thing they wanted to do when they got home was play outside in the snow!

Louisiana

2008-11-08T23:12:00.004-05:00

I went to Lousiana this week to attend my Grandma Myrna's funeral. While it was a sad event it was really great to be surrounded by family:

Me and My sister Amy at Myrtle's Plantation. It is a

haunted plantation house. We were hoping a ghost would

show up in this picture.

Me, My Mom and Dad and all of my siblings. It was really

fun to be together with nothing else to do but visit.

We laughed a lot.

Me and my siblings with some of our cousins and their spouses

Halloween Night

2008-11-01T22:12:00.004-04:00

The long anticipated day finally arrived! We went trick or treating and stopped at some friends house for donuts and cider.

We Just Can't Get Enough Halloween!

2008-10-31T12:18:00.003-04:00

Decorating Sugar Cookies:

At the Ward Trunk or Treat:

We have done so many halloween activities I was starting to get scared that my kids wouldn't even want to go trick or treating tonight. They still seem excited though! The ward trunk or treat was really fun except that we had to trick or treat inside because of the snow!!!

More Halloween Activites

2008-10-26T17:34:00.003-04:00

We went trick or treating the mall this Thursday with Marty, Michelle, Jordan, Katie and Luke. This one picture of Noah below pretty much sums up the experience...

On Saturday we went to the Hulaballoo at the Children's Museum. They had lots of crafts, some treats and a train ride. We went with Michelle and Jordan.

Port Farms

2008-10-21T09:03:00.004-04:00

Port Farms was another great Fall activity for us this year. There were slides, corn mazes, a corn sandbox, a hayride, tricycle riding and plenty of wide open spaces. We went with our friends Marty, Michelle and Jordan. It was a highly enjoyable evening.

Things I Can't Live Without

2008-10-18T13:33:00.002-04:00

I was tagged by Jen Westmoreland. I am supposed to list things I can't live without.

1. The Gospel

2. My Family (Husband, Kids, Mom, Dad, Siblings, In-laws, Cousins, etc.)

3. My Friends (phone calls, dates, play dates, girls nights, etc.)

4. The Internet (e-mail, facebook, blogs, etc.)

5. Vacations

6. Holidays

7. Camera/Pictures

8. A Husband who cooks for me.

I tag Ashley Guercio, Ashley Aguirre, Alesha Olsen, Alicia McCartney, and Amy Easley, Adrienne McCartney, and Amanda Elton. (Ha Ha, all of my "A" friends).

Boo at the Zoo

2008-10-18T12:27:00.003-04:00

I think that if you live in Erie and you have kids, it is pretty much a requirement to go to Boo at the Zoo in October. It was really cold but we enjoyed it anyway. The kids get to trick or treat around the zoo and it is all decorated for halloween.

Pumpkins

2008-10-13T20:57:00.004-04:00

We had some friends over for dinner and pumpkin painting/carving. The weather was so great today (almost 80 degrees) that we got to sit outside on the back patio and work on our pumpkins. My pumpkin is the white one. It was supposed to be a ghost but it turned out looking like a freaky clown. Needless to say, there was quite a mess to clean up but it was worth the fun!

Fall is Here!

2008-10-12T22:38:00.002-04:00

This week was sadly lacking in pictures but nonetheless, a lot happened, so I wanted to blog it for journaling purposes:

Monday: The kids had the day off of school so we went to the Zoo and had lunch at Burger King to keep them entertained.

Tuesday: Zoe got her tonsils out. Everything went really well and hopefully she will be able to sleep better at night now that she can breathe. She stayed out of school for the rest of the week. Also on Tuesday Gabe went to his Cross Country running class after school.

Wednesday: I got to go to dinner with some girlfriends. I had a YW activity at my house where we painted pumpkins.

Thursday: Zoe, Noah and I went to the Children's Museum for a playdate. Gabe had Art class after school. I went to a girls night with a bunch of girls from the ward. We ate and talked all night.

Friday: Noah had a Zoo class about Wild Dogs. My friend Jenn had her baby boy!

Saturday: We attended two birthday parties. Zoe went to dance class. We had a get together to watch the BYU Game at our house.

Sunday: Church and two sick kids! Gabe was throwing up Saturday and Sunday and I think that we might have overdid it with Zoe yesterday.

So that was our busy week! We have really enjoyed the leaves changing, the air getting a little crisp and all of the fun festive things that come with fall.

Gabe's Birthday Bash

2008-10-04T20:38:00.002-04:00

Gabe had a Star Wars themed party this year. Here is how it went down:

Watching Star Wars Clone Wars

Becoming young Padouin Learners

Dan sewed these costumes. Isn't he awesome?

A Battle Ensues

The Quest to Become a Jedi

They followed clues to find their light sabers and other

Jedi paraphernalia. Here they are searching for a clue

hidden on the trampoline.

Jedi at Last

We asked Gabe what his favorite part of his birthday party was and he said, "Blowing out my candle because my friends and family were around me" Seriously, who is this kid? He is perfect!

Mason Farms Pumpkin Town

2008-10-03T23:12:00.005-04:00

Dan was working tonight and I was sitting around wondering what I was going to do to entertain the kids when our friends called and invited us to go to Mason Farms with them. Perfect! Mason Farms is kind of a farmers market/nursery/craft place I guess? Every Fall they have Pumpkin Town. It has lots of blow up slides and bouncy things, goats and sheep to pet, a couple of non scary haunted houses, and of course pumpkins. We had a great time.

Gabe Gets a Word Search Book

2008-10-02T14:16:00.004-04:00

Yesterday to celebrate Gabe's birthday as a family we went out to his favorite restaurant, The Olive Garden. Then we came home and opened some presents. He got some pretty cool things but as you can see from the reactions in the pictures below, nothing compared to the word search books that the Guercio's sent him for his birthday:

This was his honest reaction. He wasn't even hamming it up for the camera. One day he told me "Mom, when I see a word search puzzle, I just can't even help it, I HAVE to do it!"

(P.S. Sorry about the no shirt...It was right before bedtime...)

Gabe Turns Seven

2008-10-01T13:48:00.002-04:00

My sweet Gabe turns seven today. I thought I would post some pictures of him this past year:

Lost a Tooth

October 2007

Universal Studios

December 2007

Christmas

December 2007

Backyard Party

(Gabe is ALWAYS doing silly poses, he cannot pose normally)

March 2008

Lake Powell

June 2008

Family Reunion

July 2008

First Day of School

August 2008

Philadelphia

September 2008

This kid is the absolute sweetest kid that you will ever meet. He is so kind and has such a tender heart. He is always trying to make sure that his mom is happy and doesn't have to do too much work. He is always letting Zoe or Noah have what they want even if he has to give up something. Gabe is also a thinker. He is always coming up with plans and ideas or explaining some complicated concept to us. He learns about something and then he is able to apply it to everything else.

A quick story: Gabe's cousin told him he had "monkey ears". Gabe said, "Well the kids at school say I have elf ears and I think they are right, they look more like elf ears." We asked Gabe if he liked his ears and he said, "Uh...yeah...I couldn't hear without them! In fact I think I hear better than most people because of the way my ears are shaped, they catch the sound." It never even crossed his mind that the kids might be making fun of him. He just doesn't think that way. I hope he can always be so sweet.

Smooth Operator

2008-09-30T20:10:00.004-04:00

Noah's little buddy Jordan came over to play today.

We caught him trying to put the moves on her.

Noah's Favorite Birthday Present

2008-09-30T19:03:00.003-04:00

This is definitely Noah's favorite birthday present.

I think he might already be to big for it but he wanted

it so much when he saw it at the store that I couldn't

resist getting it for him. I was surprised because he

doesn't really even know who Thomas the Train is.

He scoots around saying "choo choo!" Very cute!

He is also quite fond of the airplane he is holding in this picture.

Noah's Birthday Party

2008-09-28T16:40:00.003-04:00

We had a party to celebrate Noah's second birthday. We had some friends over, ate pizza, and let the kids run wild. It was a great day with perfect weather.

Noah and Dora

2008-09-23T18:30:00.003-04:00

Noah loves Dora! Every day after we drop the kids off

at school, as soon as we walk in the door he says

"I want Dora Dora" When he found these slippers at

Jen and Blaine's house he put them on and has been

wearing them night and day since!

Since I am talking about Noah, I had to post this

picture. I just love when he does his eyes like this.

It makes me laugh every time.

Craft Time

2008-09-23T14:37:00.003-04:00

My sis-in-law Jen is in charge of Enrichment in her ward so while I was there we did a Christmas craft that she is going to use for their super Saturday. This is actually an idea that my other sis-in-law Sarah came up with. I am so in love with these. Hopefully I get it under control or my house is going to be decorated in nothing but stars.

Instructions:

Materials:
Barn Star
Mod Podge
Scrapbook Paper
Scissors
Ink (optional)

1. Trace one point of the star on a scrap piece of paper (it will be a diamond shape). Cut the top of the diamond out exactly. On the bottom of the diamond cut about an extra inch on each side so that you will be able to fold it under the star.

2. Using your template cut out the five sections of your star from the scrapbook paper of your choice.

3. Spread Mod Podge on one section of your star and apply your scrapbook paper for that section. Smooth it out and press it down for a minute until it is secure.

4. Turn your star over and fold the edges of your paper under. You will have to cut a little of the extra paper at the point to make a nice point. Use a little mod podge to glue down the folded paper.

5. Repeat for the other 4 sections.

6. At this point you can add some ink to your star if you prefer.

7. Cover the whole thing with a thin layer of mod podge and let dry.

Thanks again to my sis-in-law Sarah for this great idea!

Lancaster

2008-09-23T14:21:00.002-04:00

On the way home from Hershey we stopped in Lancaster, PA. Lots of Amish people live in Lancaster. We saw them everywhere riding in buggies, working in their fields and in their yards. It seems like such a peaceful life. We also found a petting zoo for the kids to enjoy.

Hershey's Chocolate World

2008-09-23T14:01:00.005-04:00

My sis in law Jen lives right near Philly so we hung out with them the whole time we were down there. We took all of the kids to Hershey's Chocolate World. We went on a ride showing us how a chocolate factory worked and bought some delicious treats.

My kids and their cousins.

They got to work in a factory, packaging Hershey kisses.

Posing with their factory worker hats.

Noah wanted to keep his Hershey Kisses (which we didn't buy)

so he tore up his factory worker hat in a fit of fury and collapsed to the floor.

Valley Forge

2008-09-23T13:46:00.003-04:00

We stayed right near Valley Forge and decided to

drive through it. It was beautiful of course.

This is a replica of a hut that the soldiers would have used.

A monument to the soldiers who fought and died at Valley Forge.

Philly

2008-09-23T13:04:00.004-04:00

Dan had a review course near Philadelphia so we decided to make a trip of it. We spent a day in the city.

Gabe and me in front of Independence Hall.

This is where they read the Declaration of Independence

to the public for the first time.

We took a short tour of Independence Hall and found

out that the Declaration of Independence was signed

here and the constitution was written here.

The liberty bell. It cracked the first time they rang it!

I never knew that. I thought it got cracked in war or something. Ha Ha.

The whole family.

We went on a "Duck Tour" of the city. The vehicle

takes you around the city and then on the water.

You can guess how fun the duck noises were.

Gabe got to drive the Duck!

We went on a carriage ride around the city.

Zoe really wanted to. Our driver told us some

philadelphia ghost stories.

The Week in Review

2008-09-14T22:59:00.004-04:00

I thought it would be a good idea to get a picture of the kids in their Sunday best to post on our blog. I think it is obvious by the pictures, the kids did not think much of my idea.

So this week was pretty much the norm, which was nice for a change. Dan worked, Gabe and Zoe went to school, and Noah and I had all of the fun. Here are some highlights:

*Noah and I went to a "1, 2 and You" class at the YMCA. (running around, playing with balls, etc.)

*All of the kids came with me to the Young Women's activity as Dan was working. It was...chaotic.

*Noah and I went to the Children's Museum to hang out with some friends.

* I went to the outlets with my friend Ashley. (Thanks to Casey and Dan for making that happen).

*We had a bunch of friends over to watch BYU anniahlate UCLA. Go Cougars!

Cuteness with an Ipod

2008-09-12T22:23:00.003-04:00

Why are little kids so cute? Noah's favorite song on the ipod is "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis. He can also sing the chorus of "Shorty Got Low" Yes...I am very proud of my parenting skills. Check out his shirt though...Go Cougars!

My Other Blog

2008-09-12T21:59:00.002-04:00

I started a new blog all about my coupon and shopping obsessions. It is a place for me to talk about all of the deals and free stuff that I get so that Dan doesn't have to hear about it in so much detail. Check it out and maybe I'll share my secrets with you:

http://myshoppingaddiction.blogspot.com

Disney Princess

2008-09-12T21:47:00.003-04:00

You can't be a mormon mommy with a blog and not take the Disney Princess quiz. Here are my results:

You Are Belle!

Intelligent and kind. Your beauty goes much further than your apperance. Also, you make judgements of people based on their personality and not their looks. Attaining all the knowledge that you can is one of your major goals in life, but you are also a person who can make things happen.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

A New Blog

2008-09-12T21:16:00.002-04:00

Apparently blogspot is the place to be. So I ditched our wordpress blog for the land of cute backgrounds and fun playlists. Add us to your blogroll if you like:

http://eltongoodtimes.blogspot.com