Awesome Easter Craft

I wanted to quickly post a favorite activity that our family does at Easter time. It's really easy, but you need a collection of 100% silk ties. So it might be too late for this year, unless your husband has a bunch of old ties sitting around, or you're off to the DI sometime today. My kiddos are harrassing me for breakfast, so I'll just give you the link, and a pic of the ones we did last year. Enjoy! By the way, this is from a cooking website that I LOVE, and every single thing I've made from there has been phenomenal. So spend some time perusing!

LINK to Silk-Dyed Easter Eggs Tutorial

First Tears Over Moving

No, not from the kids. From me.

This morning we had someone come by to buy our water table (the kind kids splash around with outside). A no-brainer to sell, right? Big and bulky to move, and we can't use up precious storage space for a toy you can only use a few months out of the year. And easy to replace if we change our minds. But as the girl was on her way over, I started having second thoughts. My kids LOVE that water table. Maybe I should have waited until June, when we actually leave. Parker just got it for his birthday a year ago.... No, she was already on her way. I can't have her show up and be like, "Uh, I changed my mind."

As the girl was looking at it, I got a phone call and stepped inside. When I came back out, Parker and Kenley were standing at the edge of the sidewalk as James was across the street helping the girl load it into her car. Parker had this sad, forlorn face and watery eyes, so I scooped him up and headed back in the house. He burst into tears and just kept saying, "I want my water table! No! My water table!" I felt so BAD! What kind of a jerk mom sells off their kids' birthday presents? As soon as James came back in, I burst into tears, which, understandably, made him laugh at me.

Moving is the right thing for us. James being able to get his degree will give us so many more possibilities, and I honestly believe it will mean a better life for the kids. In the long run, it is really for them. But it makes me feel like a jerk when I see their little hearts break. I have promised that I won't purge their toys and books, but we really can't take all our outdoor play toys. Some of it had to go, I know that, in theory. But if I felt this bad over a water table, I can't even imagine trying to drag them away from their grandmas and grandpas to get on the airplane. I wish that doing the right thing for us didn't mean making everyone I love so sad.

And we've got a mover!

Within the past week, Claire has discovered that she can move. As soon as she realized this wonderful truth, she was a baby on a mission. This video was taken about three days after she first started trying to move, and now, a week later, she is even closer to crawling. I suspect we'll have a pretty proficient crawler pretty soon here. Now that she can move around more efficiently, Claire is now absolutely uninterested in baby toys, and obsessed with trying to eat paper, Polly Pocket shoes, Star Wars figurines, and other, more interesting objects around the house. Life is about to get a lot busier.

I Was So Mad!

This is Kenley "reading" the book "I Was So Mad," by Mercer Mayer. This is one of Parker's favorite books and he chooses it almost every night for his book before bed.

Happy Birthday, Parker!

Our little Parker turned three yesterday! He is growing up so fast, and is such a special part of our family. I really wish you all could know him. He is just the sweetest thing, and has a personality that we just treasure. Here's a glimpse into Parker's personality at age three, along with some random pictures of him that I just like:

*He is such a sweet, snuggly little boy. He loves to lay in our laps and get his back or his head scratched, and he's always trying to convince Kenley to let him sleep in her bed.

*His speech has gotten a lot better, but he still has some endearing mispronounciations. He can't say the letter "S" at all, leading to the entertaining "oopie" rather than oopsie, "Yanta" rather than Santa, and "Huper Target" rather than Super Target.

*He still loves cars and trains, but has really gotten interested in toys and activities that involve building and creating, especially Legos and Play-doh.

*He is a really restless sleeper, and we always find him sleeping in the funniest positions - half off the bed, snuggling toys on the floor, feet on his pillow. I think I take a picture of him sleeping at least twice a week.

*He loves books and reading. If I haven't seen him in a while, he is most likely sitting on the floor of his room
reading books.

*Like his dad and sister, Parker loves Star Wars. He loves to build lightsabers out of his legos and give one to me with explicit instructions of what Star Wars character I am. If I accidentally make the wrong sounds for the character or lightsaber, he will definitely let me know.

*He is still a picky eater, but he is growing more willing to try new foods. I have learned that I will never win a power struggle with him over food - he has to do it on his own terms and in his own time. Today I tried to convince him that he would like nachos since he loves chips and he loves cheese, but nothing I could do or say would make him try it. After that, I put one on his plate anyway, and when I turned my back, he tried it, and sure enough, liked it! He likes to try things and then say, "I tried it, and I liked it! I do like it, Mommy!" (thanks to the TV show Yo Gabba Gabba), then after like two bites he'll stop eating it. When I ask him about it, he invariably says with a regretful face, "I no like it. It yucky." Oh well. Slow and steady, right?

*He loves to wear church clothes, including ties, vests, and sportcoats. Whenever we come home from church the rest of us are changing as we walk in the door, and Parker likes to wear his church clothes all day. He also loves to wear hats, which are always so adorable on him!



Here's a little video of him the night before his birthday. I love the way he says "girl" so I was trying hard to get him to say that word specifically. Enjoy our little Parker B. Bug!

North to Alaska!

As most of you already know, we are preparing our family for a BIG move this summer! We are heading to Alaska! I know, it seems super random. It really isn't though.

Because you are all dying for the whole story (judging by the numerous phone and Facebook messages received by me and my family members), I will now answer some of the most frequently asked questions, in order of how often I hear them. I've added in some pictures so you can see what we're in for (excuse the weird coloring, that was a crappy camera). Can't wait? I knew it.

1. Why?

Well, first of all, I was born in Alaska and lived there until I was 7, and both my parents grew up there. So all of my grandparents, aunts, and uncles live there, and almost all of my cousins. We have about 50 family members that live within an hour of each other. It's really only my immediate family that lives here. So it's an option that's come up a few times, just for a change, but hasn't really been viable until now. We are going up for a few years so that James can go to school (don't ask yet, that's question 5). My aunt and uncle are very kindly letting us rent an apartment that adjoins their home, and James will be watching the kids and going to school and I will be working.

My dad's side of the family at my aunt and uncle's cabin

2. Did you know it's cold there?

I actually have heard that little-known fact about Alaska. But thanks for your expertise. No, I don't know how cold it gets, and I don't want to. Yes, I will hate that part.

The view from my grandma's cabin.

3. Won't your family miss you?

Desperately. But they understand that we need to do this for our family right now. They are being amazingly wonderful and supportive, although we will be on the webcam weekly so that they can still watch the kiddos grow up before their very eyes.

At my aunt and uncle's cabin. The white behind us is a lake, not snow.

4. Are your kids excited/Do your kids understand?
Kenley gets it, and she's "kind of excited and kind of sad." She is greatly concerned about the fact that they do not have Panda Express, Souplantation, or Disneyland in Alaska. However, she is optimistic about getting to go sledding in her own backyard, and going to the cabin in the summer. I'm coming to realize that Parker is picking up more of this than we're giving him credit for. He pointed out a snow-covered moutain and asked if it was Alaska, and told me today he wanted to move right now, and go build snowmen, and take his McQueen cars. Claire.... it's almost like she doesn't understand at all. Either that or she's REALLY happy about the move, because she just smiles all day long.

Hiking on a cold mountain.

5. Is James still going to be a Pastry Chef? What is he going to major in?
Please pray for us that the answer to that question is NO. He's over it, I'm over it. He has missed virtually every single Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Easter, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, etc., which is sad for our whole family. He is gone over 15 hours a day and we are both DONE. Seriously. No more. I have loved being a stay-at-home-mom, but I also love teaching, and I am happy to go back to work so that James can make a career change and get his degree. We are both sooooo ready for a change. His exact career path isn't for sure yet, but it will most likely be something in the healthcare field. He will be starting with his generals and has some time to decide.

Standing on the dock at my grandma's cabin, taken at about midnight.

6. Where in Alaska are you going? Are you going to live in the wilderness? Or an igloo?
I'd prefer not to say our exact location on this public blog, but it will be in a town with a Target, so that I can survive. No on the wildnerness, no on the igloo.

7. When are you coming back? Do you think you might just stay there?
After two years, we will be done living in the apartment and James will hopefully be done with his GE's, and we'll make a decision at that point whether to stay in Alaska to finish his undergrad, or come home and do it here. While I guess it's technically a possibility we could stay there forever, I would say the chances of that are very, very slim. I actually quite love the sun. And Panda Express.

8. Are you sad?
Sort of, but not as much as you would think, which is how I know this is the right thing for our family. I'm really not one for change. With the exception of the seven years in Alaska, and a pesky three year stint at BYU, I have always lived within an hour of my current home. I love California, and I love my life. But we are ready for bigger and better. And if we hate it, we'll just come on home, kick out our renters, and get our old life back! So the way I see it, it can only be a good thing.

9. My husband is so jealous!
That's not a question, I know, but I hear it a LOT.

10. Can we come visit?
Sure! Come on up! We won't have room for you in our place, but we can find you a place to hang out while we show you Alaska!

Did I get all your questions? If not, comment away!

Six months old

I get a lot of questions about who Claire looks like, so I thought just for fun I'd post a picture of each of the kids at six months old:

Kenley:


Parker:


Claire:


People mostly tell me that Claire looks like Parker, but I think she looks more like Kenley. They both had such cute, round faces! Looking at the pictures all in a row, I can see how Claire's features are sort of similar to Parker's, but I think a lot of my friends now never knew Kenley at this age, so they don't know that she looked a lot like Claire, because she certainly doesn't now.

What do you think? Who does Claire look more like, Parker or Kenley?

Cute Valentines Day pics

I was taking some pictures of the kids in their red and pink church clothes on Valentines Day, and I LOVE this series of pictures of Parker and Kenley. These are taken directly off the camera in this order:









And here are some of the kids individually. I took several of Kenley trying to get her to not look so old, but it wasn't working out. I guess she's getting big. *sniff*





Here's the best one I got of all three kids together. I don't know why I bother!

Some funny stuff about Kenley

Kenley has been so hilarious lately. It's funny when kids who are just starting to talk make errors, but it's almost funnier when they have a pretty good grasp on their language and their mistakes come out of nowhere. One that makes me laugh is that she thinks that litter is called "glitter." So she always tells me, really seriously, "Mom, I am not going to glitter. That's not good."

I also explained to her how a "jinx" works, when you say the same thing at the same time. Then the other night we did say something in unison, and she goes, "Oh, we did a jingle!"

She is also very into fashion and style. If you tell Kenley she looks "stylish," that is the highest compliment she can receive. She is learning the rules of what she can wear together and what she can't, and she's determined to learn to do her own "piggytails." The picture in this post is an outfit she created on her own, and you can tell by her face that she's very proud.

Another funny thing about Kenley. She is very shy, and doesn't like to talk to strangers or grown-ups. But last week we were playing at an indoor playland, and a little boy bit Parker's finger pretty hard. And Kenley is leaning out the top window of this playhouse just shouting at this boy's mom: "Hey! Your kid BIT my brother! He BIT my brother! Hey!" I went over there to see what was going on, and she goes, "Not you. I'm not talkin' to you. Where'd that lady go? Hey! HEY! Your kid BIT my brother!" It was a sad day for Parker, but I admit I was proud of Kenley yelling at this lady so she'd come discipline her kid. It made me laugh.

She continues to be a great helper around the house and an absolute joy to have in our family. We love this girlie.

Little Scotty gets married!

On February 5th, my little brother Scotty got married to Brianne, a good friend of mine who was actually my roommate when James and I met. It was an amazing day! The wedding itself was so neat, and I just kept crying each time I saw how happy they both looked. The reception was also perfect, despite some last-minute changes in food and weather. It was so fun to visit with all the friends and family who joined us for the special day. We did their wedding cake for them, and I thought it turned out really cute!

The kids were all in the wedding party, and the girls wore some cute little tu-tus, and Parker was in a little bowtie. They did great with so many pictures, but it was definitely a LONG day wrangling the three little monkeys!

Sorry about the picture overload!

The bride and groom leaving the temple!


Parker jumping the gun on picture-taking. He just ran right up there and started doing his cheesy picture-taking grin!

Andrea waiting to give Brianne her bouquet
My stepsister Hollie with Parker.
Kenley holding her pinwheel.
Me and my momma.
My aunt Gail with Claire.
This is my favorite picture from the whole day. I think it is such a tender moment between Scott and Kenley. I love that he took time out from his busy day to chat with my little girl.

I love this one because Parker wasn't smiling so Kenley was trying to make him smile by holding up the corners of his mouth. Needless to say, it did not work.
The Kenley side of the family (that's my mom's side, Kenley is her maiden name).
The Cartwrights
The sibs sharing a totally genuine laugh.
Sweet one of Parker and James.

Love Parker and Kenley holding hands behind Scotty's legs in this pic.

The cake - I know it's blurry, but I didn't really get any good ones on my camera.
I couldn't believe how much my shy little Kenley was dancing with her little friend Sydney!
Claire got a nap in the car on the way to the temple, and another one on the way to my dad's after pictures, but that's it. Poor little thing. She was a trooper, but finally conked out during the reception.
Me, Tara, and Annie
Scotty and Brianne cutting the cake. I think this is a better shot of the cake, actually, but it doesn't have the ribbon on the bottom layer.
And that's it! Unless I come back with more when I get the pictures from my Aunt Kay.... Mwah hah hah!

Little Claire Bear

Claire is almost six months old, and just getting sweeter every day. She has become a better napper, and has kept her good-natured personality. She is almost always happy, and gives us lots of cute smiles. She is the chubbiest baby we have ever had, with endless rolls of chub all over her little body, and no neck anywhere to be found. She took a while to roll over (my theory was that she was having trouble hefting her booty over) but now she likes to do it whenever I turn my back. I have literally never seen her roll over, I just find her on her stomach with a devious look on her face.

And, she recently got her first tooth! Last weekend she was super fussy and I thought she was sick (even took her into the pediatrician). It crossed my mind she might be teething, but neither of my other kids got teeth until like 9 months, so I figured we were still a ways off. Luckily my pedi didn't stick his finger in her mouth, I would have felt pretty stupid to have not checked that. Anyway, today at church she chomped my finger and OUCH! She has her first little tooth poking through! I can't believe she is getting so big so fast!