Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Merry (late) Christmas and a Happy New Year! I really cannot believe the year is over already. It seems like yesterday that I was celebrating last year, counting down to Connor's arrival. And now here we are again and he is about to be one. Time is going by way too fast.

This has not been the easiest year for our family. However, I am truly grateful for all the wonderful blessings in our lives. I am so grateful for my family, for my three sweet children and husband. And while Glen losing his job has been a struggle for me, I'm very thankful that he already had a part time job and they've given him as many hours as possible while we look for new employment. I'm so grateful for wonderful doctors that have helped us with Connor and Rachel's constant health problems this year. It is humbling to me to think that 100 years ago I could have lost two of my children.

I am so grateful for my knowledge of the atonement, for the plan of salvation and the love of a kind Heavenly Father. We are all so blessed.

I wish you all a very happy and healthy new year!

Nostalgia

I don't think I'm very old. I certainly don't feel very old. But tonight I felt old. Tonight in the car, the girls were asking me questions about my childhood. Kate cannot believe I didn't have a Wii as a kid (I didn't want to explain the Atari to her), a home computer, or cell phones. Then all the questions came...did you have cars back then? did you have electricity? how did you ever talk to people without email? how come the phones had to be plugged into the wall?

I told her we had the important things, a car, a tv and electricity. Trying to explain 35mm cameras to them though didn't work. Kate can't understand how you couldn't see your pictures on the back of the camera and have to wait until they are printed to see them.

It was a very funny conversation and made me grateful for all the advancements that have occurred in my short lifetime. I only wonder what they will get to explain to their kids!

Big Trip to NYC

Outside of Macys

Connor and Grammy at McD

Kate and Rach outside of the Today Show

Connor passed out at the deli (notice his bare foot propped up)

Glen and the girls with a policeman

Big Trip to NYC

The Ferris Wheel at Toys R Us

Glen and Rach at M&M World

Radio City


Times Square

So much has happened in a month and I've been a total blog slacker. If I could have a super power, it would be to pause time so I could get everything done on my to do list. Yes, I'm a huge fan of my to do list.

Last Monday our family had a huge adventure. I made my maiden voyage to New York City (or if you live in the NE, we just call it "The City"). We've lived here for 5 years this month and I'm sad to say this is my first real trip to the city. We all had a blast. I even drove! I figure I've driven all around Chicago and DC, why not NY? My good friends gave me excellent directions to a cheap parking garage and off we went. We parked right near Times Square and got to see all the lights and excitement of the city. Kate and I wanted to see Rockefeller Plaza where the Today Show is filmed. Sadly we were stuck in morning rush hour traffic and got there just as everyone was going back into the building for the last time. Bummer. Next we saw the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. It was amazing! I want to be a rockette. I'm so glad we went. Connor was an angel; he fell asleep just before the show and slept the entire 90 minutes. It was extremely loud so I'm not sure how he did it, but thankfully he did. The girls and I were in awe. Santa was in the show too. Very cool.


When we came out of the theater, it was pouring down rain, really pouring. Glen, sweet Glen, hunched over the stroller with an umbrella trying to shelter Connor from the rain. I couldn't believe that instantly, every corner had a street vendor selling umbrellas. It was fun to see. Fortunately we brought our own and didn't have to pay an arm and a leg for one.

The rest of the afternoon we spent in Times Square. Glen, not surprisingly was enthralled with M&M World. He could live there and be a happy camper. We spent so much time in M&M World that we didn't get to go to the Hershey store. Next was Toys R Us. I found it funny that we came to the city just to go to Toys R Us. The girls kept telling me it was a special store though, not like what we have here. It did have a huge ferris wheel in the center that they got to ride. One of the cars on the ferris wheel was Buzz Lightyear themed. I was so hoping that they'd get to ride in that one since Kate is such a huge Buzz fan. They were one off. They got to ride in one of the Little Tikes toddler cars (the kind I wanted so much as a kid).

All in all it was great. I was thinking of food, as usual, and really wanted to eat at a NY deli (yumm, deli sandwiches). We found a great deli by Macys and had sandwiches on the way home. It was one of the best sandwiches of my life! Oh the turkey was shaved so thin and was moist. I'm sure I'll be thinking of that sandwich for many days to come. I'll just have to plan another trip!

Happy Halloween!!!

Happy Halloween everyone! We had a lot of fun tonight. We had three superheros in our family: Batman, Spider Girl and Super Girl. We had a princess, Snow White and one blue monster. The superheros are rescuing the princess from the monster. I love the excitement the kids have for dressing up and going trick or treating. I think it may be even more exciting for me now to watch my children than it was doing it myself as a kid.

School Halloween Party

I love going to help with school parties! It is so fun to see the kids so excited. Here are a few pics of the parade and then Kate's class party.

Connor's dashing new suit

Thank you Aunt Emilee for the handsome suit for Connor. You can tell he really enjoyed looking so handsome for church. I bought a little red sweater for him to wear with it for Christmas. It will be so cute!

The trinket box

My kids constantly amaze me. For Kate's 6th birthday, Grammy took her to a ceramics class. Each student got to pick out something on the shelf to paint. From what Grammy told me, Kate wasn't a big fan of the selection and found what she was looking for elsewhere. The store owner was kind enough to let do something different.

When Kate got home I was eager to find out if she had fun and hear about what she made. She told me that she and Grammy had a great time but wouldn't tell me what she made. She made something for me. I've been feeling terrible that she was giving me her birthday present.

We went Thursday night to pick it up her project. First of all, Glen left the directions at home. It was in a part of town we hadn't been to before, but Kate directed us. She knew exactly where to go. I was impressed. Then when we arrived at the store she only wanted Daddy to go in with her. She came out holding this blue heart shaped trinket box. She handed it to me and told me it was my present. She painted it blue, my favorite color. I told her again I felt badly keeping her present. Kate said, "just going to the class with Grammy was my present and I wanted to make something for you." I was so touched my sweet Kate. I hope I can learn from her good example. What a wonderful little girl she is.

Connor's swimming lessons

Connor started swimming lessons at the Y last week. He is such a water baby. It has been so much fun for us. He is the youngest in the class. Yesterday the skill to learn was paddling. He did a great job as long as he had a toy to catch. He didn't like it as much when I kept putting the toy out of his reach though. How can he have an opinion already?

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth

This morning was momentous! Kate lost both of her front teeth this morning. The first one came out just as we were leaving for school. The second one came out when we got to school. Isn't this toothless grin so cute!!!

Happy Birthday Rachel

Rachel turned 5 on Tuesday! Happy Birthday! She had a wonderful celebration. Glen and I went to her kindergarten class to help for a while and she was wearing a birthday crown. That could not have been more perfect for Rachel. She is our little princess. We had fun opening presents and then celebrating at Chuck E. Cheese. I think I am Chuck E. Cheesed out! Two trips in two weeks is enough to last me a long while.

Who does Connor look like?

Connor

Rachel

Kate

Everyone asks me who Connor looks like the most. That is a hard question for me. I think it changes all the time. I've been looking at the girls pictures at the same age. Oh, they grow to quickly! Here is all three of their 6 month pictures. I don't have ones of Glen and I at that age. I should find one and see if I see any resemblance.

Kate turns 6

I can't believe my baby is 6 years old! She had a great birthday, celebrating at Chuck E. Cheese with her cousins. What a wonderful little girl she is!

The first day of school

They left this morning! It has only been an hour and a half and I miss them so much already. Today is Kate's birthday too so I'm actually going to the school in a few minutes with cupcakes. Both Kate and Rachel are so excited to start school. I'm in shock that I have a first grader and a kindergartner! They are so grown up.

I'll have more pictures of Kate's birthday later. We're celebrating at Chuck E Cheese tonight.

What? We are half way through August?

How did it get to be August 13 already? I am just not ready for summer to end. I'm dreading Kate being a first grader and Rachel starting kindergarten. They are excited to go to school, especially Rachel. I however am not. School starts on Kate's birthday. She is thrilled to start on her birthday. Yesterday we went shopping and they each got a new outfit from school. All three of us have become terrible Gymbo addicts over the years. I blame this all on you Stacey. It all started with the present you gave me from Gymbo when Kate was born. I've been hooked ever since!

Connor has had quite the month. He has his first two teeth, turned 6 months old on Tuesday and had his first rice cereal yesterday. I've been procrastinating giving him solids. He really wasn't a big fan of the cereal either. Having a little baby is so wonderful and I don't want to admit that he is getting so big. At his check up yesterday he weighed 17 lb 4 oz and was 27.5 inches long. That is the 50% and 75% respectively. Just for perspective, Kate weighed 17 lb something at her 4 month check up. He is just an absolutely wonderful baby. We are so very blessed to have him. I'm posting his newest pictures. The one of him trying to sit up I took today. It is the cutest picture, but the flash didn't go off and is so dark!!! I am so disappointed. If anyone knows how to fix it let me know. I'd love to frame it.

Quick Trip to Palmyra

Glen had a night off from Outback so we made a really quick trip to Palmyra. I really wanted Glen and the girls to see the Pageant and all the wonderful places we learn about. Just before the pageant started Connor had a major blow out diaper. Luckily we hadn't checked into our hotel yet so Glen ran to the car to get more clothes for him. I had to stand him up to my legs to clean him all off. It will be one of those funny memories from our trip that we can harass him about later!

Gillette Castle

Glen's Mom came for a fun visit and we took a day trip to Gillette Castle, one of my favorite places in Connecticut. It is just amazingly beautiful. We brought a picnic and ate by a picturesque pond. My favorite pictures were of the kids, especially of Glen and Connor.