October Student of the Month

Ethan got Student of the Month last week at flag deck. He was so excited! I know Ethan tries his very best at school (he's pretty competitive...wonder who he gets that from? Not me.). I got the chance to volunteer in his class a couple weeks ago and it was so fun to see what he does and meet his class. I have deep respect for his teacher and her hard work, thank you Mrs. Krabbe!

I don't usually stay for flag deck but after I dropped Luke off at preschool (they are at the same school, thankfully) I was walking out and saw a big presentation going on so I stayed to see and Ethan's name ended up being called. I was so glad I was there!

Ethan is wearing a red shirt and khaki shorts, standing to the right of the boy wearing a white shirt and khaki pants. All I had was my phone so I couldn't zoom in, sorry. Congrats, Ethan! Keep it up!

Sadie's 1st birthday!

Last Wednesday we celebrated Sadie's first birthday. She is a spectacular addition to our family. We love her little girl personality. She is growing big like her brothers further proving my theory that I will be the shortest member of our family pretty soon. She is 28 lbs. and 32.5 inches tall. She can already reach the countertops so we have to push things back that we don't want her pulling down. Steve had to add a child lock on our spice cabinet because that was her #1 destination. She LOVES her old burp cloths. If she sees one on the floor she has to pick it up and when you put her to bed you better have one for her to snuggle with. We love our Sadie Anne!

Pumpkin Patch

A couple weeks ago we headed over to Tanaka Farms pumpkin patch with my sister and her family. The boys loved riding the tractor around the farm, picking a pumpkin and going through the corn maze. It was such a hot day! We left and headed for the nearest place for some slurpees.

Sadie was not happy to be plunked down on some pumpkins but we actually managed to get a good shot of her.

Ethan, Luke and Steve went on a tractor ride around the farm. Luke shows us the gourd that will be accompanying us home. Jack-0-lantern fun!

List

1. I love reading these advice columns. Sometimes they are devastating (like the one I read a few years ago when a woman wrote in talking about how much she hated being a mom and couldn't bear the thought of being around her infant...I bawled and wanted to know where she was so I could go get the baby for myself) and sometimes they are funny or insightful. This one is good. We never know what we're in for until we're in it. No one can truly describe what having children is like to someone who hasn't had children. I think it would be fun to write columns like these...anyone hiring?

2. Sadie is finally getting off her belly and crawling. She is also standing and holding on to whatever she can. Her favorie places to stand are at my spice cabinet and our bookshelves/entertainment center. She will gladly sort through my spices for me or pull a magazine down for me. So helpful! She is becoming more and more attached to her dad. Sometimes he is the only one that can console her properly. Last Sunday he got up to say the closing prayer in Sacrament meeting and Sadie was not having it. She reached both her arms up and screamed! Luckily it was still during the last line of the closing hymn so the sound didn't reverberate throughout the enire building.

3. I LOVED Elder Holland's talk in General Conference. This may sound cliche to you but it grabbed me and held on. I really needed that kind of spiritual strength. It was a reminder of what I believe. It was a reminder of the importance of value. It was a reminder of truth. Ever since Prop. 8 I feel as though I have been surrounded by a plethora of lies. Sometimes I can't see straight because of all the deceit around me. Honestly, at times I question the purpose and value of continuing on. It just seems like such a big mountain to climb for nothing because we'll just lose in the end. But his testimony of the Book of Mormon gave me light where there was darkness. He reminded me that I DO NOT want to be one of those who in "the last days even those of the covenant, the very elect, could be deceived by the enemy of truth." (I'm not trying to say I'm one of the very elect.) My favorite part of his talk was this:

Now, I did not sail with the brother of Jared in crossing an ocean, settling in a new world. I did not hear King Benjamin speak his angelically delivered sermon. I did not proselyte with Alma and Amulek nor witness the fiery death of innocent believers. I was not among the Nephite crowd who touched the wounds of the resurrected Lord, nor did I weep with Mormon and Moroni over the destruction of an entire civilization. But my testimony of this record and the peace it brings to the human heart is as binding and unequivocal as was theirs. Like them, “[I] give [my name] unto the world, to witness unto the world that which [I] have seen.” And like them, “[I] lie not, God bearing witness of it.”

If you missed it, read it. I know these are words spoken by one of God's apostles.

4. I think I'll end on that note.

Heavy Conversation

My friend Tammy's son Maxwell is in Ethan's kinder class (and Primary class and soccer team). We decided we'd rotate Thursdays having each other's son over to play. Last week was Ethan's week to go home with Maxwell and they had a pretty funny conversation in the car. This is what was said (Tammy posted it on her blog and I'm copying it here).

Tammy: "Ethan are you going to make a pinewood derby car to race at the ward dinner tomorrow?"

Ethan: "Well, we have a block but we have to cut it and my mom doesn't want to cut it because she doesn't want to cut herself..... Hey one time my uncle was cutting something and he cut two of his fingers off and now his fingers are smaller, it was crazy."

Maxwell: "Did he die?"

Ethan: "No, he didn't die."

Maxwell: "Well, when you get cut you die."

Ethan: "No, you only die if you get cut on your body."

Maxwell: "Oh, you mean if you get your head cut off or you get stabbed here (pointing to his stomach) then you'll die?"

Ethan: "Yeah."

Maxwell: "Then you go to heaven for a long time and then you can come back to earth."

Ethan: "Yeah, you get resurrected and you will never die again."

Maxwell: "Yeah, when I get resurrected I'm going to go back to my house."

Boys' conversations about cuts and dying, heavy stuff. Looks like Uncle Brian is well remembered in our house and that I'm a wimp. Too funny....

First day of school for a kindergartner and preschooler

First day of school came and went. Luke is going to preschool from 8-11am five days a week at Sonora. His teacher is Ms. Wanda. He has only had two days where he didn't want to be there and has been fine ever since. I took a picture from outside the class so he wouldn't know I was still there. I think the saddest part is that Luke doesn't see Ethan anymore. Last year they saw each other at recess but were in different classes. This year Ethan is on a different schedule. I think it will be good for Luke to develop his own personality a little bit and break the habit of being a shadow of his older brother. I feel for him though. Next year they will be back on the same schedule.

Ethan took to school without a hitch. His teacher's name is Mrs. Krabbe and he's in the same class as two boys from his Primary class; Hunter Windschitl and Maxwell Waldron. He is at the same school as Luke, which is two or three blocks away from our house. We've been walking to school as a family every morning. The school started enforcing uniforms. I see the good side of it but I feel bad for Ethan when he doesn't get to wear his "picture shirts" (as he calls them). I feel like I still don't know what I'm doing as a mom of school age children. Do I ask the teachers how my children behaved every day when I pick them up? Fundraisers, tardiness, absences, classroom sizes, volunteering, PTA, parent workshops.....sigh....whoa, I'm dizzy.

Happy 4 Luke

Luke recently turned 4!! I know I say this a LOT but I can't believe it. Happy Birthday Luke!

I thought I'd throw in a picture of Ethan riding his bike without training wheels! Go Ethan!

Steve and I gave Luke an electric four wheeler for his birthday.

Luke wanted to go to Pump It Up for his birthday so we headed over there with some friends and family (thanks for coming!). I didn't bother putting any pictures up because everyone is blurry from running around and jumping and sliding but I know all the kids had fun. My boys always walk out of there dripping in sweat! After the jumping we headed home and invited everyone over for BBQ and cake. Yesterday Luke had his well check exam and he weighs 56.5 lbs. and is 45.5 inches tall, Luke has always topped the charts. Luke definitely adds his own flair to our family and we love him for it.

Far and away in Los Angeles

(me the day we walked around Hollywood)

My sisters and I recently went on a mini getaway to L.A. We had a blast but none of us really wanted to act like tourists and take tons of pictures (and the websites don't allow copying) so this post will be aesthetically boring, sorry. We stayed in the beautiful Fairmont Miramar hotels. We ate delicious food. My favorites were Cafe Brasil, of course, and Joan's on Third, and the Grand Lux Cafe. Joan's was DELICIOUS and the first place we had never been to before. Its also where we got a glimpse at our first celebrity sightings. This is who we saw...

Alexandra Guarnaschelli from the Food Network

Cameron Diaz

We did lots of shopping at the Grove. We watched two movies, 'Julie and Julia' and 'The Time Traveler's Wife.' Unfortuneately, the tourist sites of Mann's Chinese theater and the star walk were kind of anti-climatic. All in all it was a fun trip. I definitely appreciated the time away and came home renewed in my purpose as a mother and wife. It was the first time I had been away from Sadie and that about did me in. I wanted to come home and smother her (and everyone else too) with hugs and kisses. Thank you Evelyn and Steve for making it all happen!

Flashback eight years

Grow old along with me

The best is yet to be

When our time has come

We will be as one

God bless our love

God bless our love

Grow old along with me

Two branches of one tree

Face the setting sun

When the day is done

God bless our love

God bless our love

Spending our lives together

Man and wife together

World without end

World without end

Grow old along with me

Whatever fate decrees

We will see it through

For our love is true

God bless our love

God bless our love

(song by John Lennon)

Cowboy took me away

I should be on my elliptical machine working up a sweat right now but I'm going to tell you about my weekend instead. Well, the interesting parts anyway. Steve surprised me Friday morning. "These are the plans" he said. My witty reply followed, "what plans?" He told me he had arranged for an overnite trip to Solvang and we were leaving that afternoon. I don't think he had planned on being sick with the common Rasmussen head cold that attacts his eyes and makes him look like this. But sick he was and here we go! Three hours later and too much traffic we arrived in Solvang, did you know we were famous? That's right. Famous enough to have an entire store named after us. I found this cute little toy store that had some groovy sunglasses. Very me, if I do say so myself.

Solvang is basically german for stuff-yourself-silly-with-pastries (just kidding) and thats what we did. We ate some abelskivers for breakfast and then bought one of these for second breakfast. I ate most of it and managed to pause momentarily to capture the last few bites for you. Then I proceeded to the next bakery for a homemade soft pretzel. I couldn't stop myself long to take a picture.

This is the restaurant we ate at on Friday night. It seemed like a happenin' little place and it was Italian food, what can go wrong right? Wrong. Steve and I were not impressed. And it was expensive too, so not worth it.

Before Steve got too sick to head back to the hotel we walked around and stopped inside a cute little bookstore. I didn't think I was that much of a bookworm but sometimes I walk inside bookstores and I just love the smell of books. Thats what happened here. I walked in and caught a wiff of comfort...books. I just wanted to grab one, a blanky and plop on the couch for the rest of the day.

I found the perfect book for Steve. He loves Ender. He's read all about 'im. I think he would have wanted to name one of our children Ender but that's not how I roll (haha...). I showed it to him and he just said he would check it out of the library. That's my Stevo, so practical. Now it was time for a potty break. I walk into the loo and upon inspection I found this. Blehck. Seriously. Who leaves these things for plain view to all the customers? Nasty. Maybe this is what small town is all about? They don't mind the nasties out for display because then at least you know they are cleaning the stalls right? So we don't end of that nasty note here is the final picture. While everyone around me was taking pictures of the town windmills and danish artifacts I decided I would prefer to capture this clock for all to see. It kind of reminds me of teletubbies, do you see it? I have to say, though, its much cooler.

Thanks, hubs, for the weekend getaway! You rock for planning and executing. Now we can check Solvang off the list.