Sunday, September 13, 2009

Weekly Review Sept. 6-12

Sunday, September 6 - We played at my house, we played outside, we went to church. Then after the kids were gone to bed there was a huge spider. Don't worry, Marla got rid of it with the use of my swiffer.

Monday, September 7 - No School! Happy Labor Day. We went to my parent's house for a BBQ. The kids took care of schucking the corn.

Tuesday, September 8 - Kaylee has been showing interest in learning to play the piano lately. I pulled out one of my very old piano books from when I was little and she had fun figuring out some songs. Time for piano lessons?

Wednesday, September 9 - Gabby and I ran a few errands while Kaylee was at school.

Thursday, September 10 - The hard thing about days when I just clean my house...I don't get out my camera at all. Kaylee had a frustrating day at school. She didn't want to do her work because she didn't understand it. I cleaned, and did laundry. Gabby helped me get things done around the house.

Friday, September 11 - After getting kids from school we went over to my parent's house. Kaylee and Gabby built a fortress at the top of my parent's stairs so no one could come up to/or leave the family room.

Saturday, September 12 - We helped my mom's neighbor with a ton of handmade cards for festival of trees, then we spent the afternoon at the Utah State Fair. We had fun fishing, playing, pony rides, and more.

Utah State Fair 2009

As I was growing up my family always went to the state fair. It's something that I still look forward to going to, and enjoy. Marla, Kaylee, Gabby, and I went to the fair yesterday afternoon. We met up with Wendy, Spencer, and Roman for a bit. We were there for 4-1/2 hours and didn't even do everything.

We started out at the Fishing Pond, where it was catch and release fishing. The kids listened to a little presentation about fishing and then got fishing poles The very first time we threw out Gabby's line a fish caught her hook. As we reeled it in though the fish got away with her worm. The fishes got 2 more of her worms without actually getting caught. Kaylee didn't have any better luck. Those fish were pretty smart on getting the worm off the hook without getting caught.

After we were done in the fishing area we went over the animal barns. We walked through all the different animal areas. The kids "talked" to the animals in their own language.

One of the things my kids were looking forward to at the fair was pony rides.


Another fun thing my kids enjoy at the fair is "Helping Hands on the Farm" where the kids get to go through an area and pretend to help with several different farm chores. Everything is fake/pretend but they don't mind. They get corn, feed and milk a cow, brush a sheep, pick apples, plant a garden, harvest, deliver hay, drop off their goods at the farmers market, and get paid for their hard work. Then they get to go to the store and spend their play money on real treats.

by this time my kids were very vocal about the fast that they were starving...especially Gabby. So, we went and found something for dinner. Gabby and Kaylee enjoyed a cheese quesadilla, while Marla and I had BBQ turkey sandwiches.

One more favorite at the fair is the BIG yellow slide. Kaylee and Marla went down at the same time. Somehow when they got the the bottom of the slide Kaylee lost her shoe and burlap sack and just kept sliding. It was pretty funny. Gabby and I went down together and Gabby was laughing the whole way down the slide.

This year they had an area that was "The Lego Experience". There were several booths set up with legos that you could build whatever you felt like. They had a whole bunch of lego structure diplays that were amazing. After the girls had been building for a few minutes the guy told them they had 2 minutes to build their favorite food. Gabby built pancakes and Kaylee built some very colorful string cheese.

Last years trip to the fair (click here)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Gabby's 4-year-old attitude

I had the funniest conversation with Gabby today at lunch time. Just imagine her attitude voice...nice and sweet at the begining, but her attitude kept growing.)

Gabby: I'm hungry

Me: What do you want for lunch?

Gabby: I don't know.

(A few minutes later)

Me: Gabby, What do you want for lunch?

Gabby: I don't know, I don't want to decide. It's your turn to decide.

Me: Gabby...

Gabby: What?

Me: I love you.

Gabby: I love you too

Me: Gabby...

Gabby: WHAT?!?

Me: You're so cute.

Gabby: I KNOW!!! Now Stop talking to me!!!

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Weekly Review - Aug. 30-Sept. 5

Sunday, August 30 - Since my parent's were out of town we had family dinner at Wendy's house. The kids were downstairs playing and we sent Jaren (my 6-year-old nephew) down with my camera to take some pictures.

Monday, August 31 - I didn't get any pictures for the day. I took kids to school, and ran a few errands.

Tuesday, September 1 - While Kaylee was at school Gabby got out her dry erase board book and practiced her shapes, letters, and numbers.

Wednesday, September 2 - Kaylee has been reading Pippi Longstocking at school so she wanted to read it more. We went to the library and found some books, and Kaylee got her very own library card. She is so excited that she can check out her own books now.

Thursday, September 3 - After picking Kaylee up from school we went to my parent's house and slept over. Kaylee was sleeping across the 2 beds. I can't imagine that being very comfortable.

Friday, September 4 - Lisa (Paul's sister) and her family were sealed together in the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. Kaylee lost her first baby tooth.

Saturday, September 5 - I don't have a picture for the day. Marla came to my house for the weekend. We helped my next-door neighbor move, weeded my back yard, went shopping for a dress for Marla, and made Scones for dinner.

Kaylee's first lost tooth

Kaylee lost her first baby tooth on Friday morning. She wiggled it like crazy for a little more than a week and it finally came out. She was so excited about losing her tooth and will show anyone that will look. She got a gold dollar coin from the tooth fairy, but it didn't last long. She spent her gold dollar on a chocolate covered strawberry at the mall.

Remodeling, and other random things

Last weekend my parents went out of town and I went to stay at their house with Marla for the weekend. While they were gone we did a little bit of re-modeling. We got some new TV stands and storage (funded by my parent's of course) and got rid of the old ones. So, here's some quick before and after shots that we took.

Family room:
Before:

and After: (there is blue painters tape on the TV because we forgot to get the flat screen TV anchors. Don't worry, we weren't planning on leaving it that way, we just wanted it a little more secure until we got a flat screen anchor.) Also, notice the nice DVD storage shelves that we got. My mom went and got one more so now there are 3 shelves.

Living Room:
Before: (actually there was a different really wobbly TV stand and smaller TV in this room but I forgot to get a picture of those before sending them out to the garage.)

and After: There are now some silver legs on the bottom of this TV stand to make it a little higher of the ground. It looks really nice.

While we were at my parent's house I let Gabby go to sleep on my parent's bed. There is a reason you shouldn't share even a queen size bed with her. She manages to take up the entire bed.

Last Saturday we went over to my friends house to help her move. I got really distracted by Bella. My dog that moved to Idaho was there. She lives with my friend's bro and sis-in-law and they brought her with them to help my friend move. Bella still remembers me and came right to me, she listens to my commands, and wanted me to take her home. She has gotten a lot bigger, but is still a nice small dog.

We went to the library, my kids favorite thing to do while I look at books is to sit in the reading room and read until it's time to go.

Oquirrh Mountain Temple Sealing

On Friday my Sister-in-Law Lisa (Paul's older sister) and her family were sealed together is the new Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It was so nice to be able to go and see them be sealed together as an eternal family.
Here are a few of the people that were there to be with Lisa and her family:

Paul's Grandparents: Grandma Betty and Grandpa Jack

My wonderful BIL & SIL: Chris (Paul's Bro.) & Jessica

Paul's parents and oldest bro. John