Where's My Slice?

No words necessary on this one. She entertains herself with cheese! Who wouldn't??

Walk Right In, Sit Right Down, Baby, Let Your Hair Hang Down!

We love it when other people spend the money and we get to reap the benefits! Who doesn't? Several years ago, Mom and Dad purchased vacation weeks through Marriott resorts. Over the years, we have been blessed by them allowing us to stay in Marriott resorts all over the world on vacation (my favorite being the resort in London perched on the Thames!) For the last couple of years, Mom has scheduled work conferences in the resort in Park City and invited us to come play for a few of the extra days when the conference was over. This year, we had a blast hanging out with Mom and Dad, Kathy and Kyle's family and Nathan, Lindsay and Hyrum! The grandparents treated everyone to meals, tickets on the Alpine Slide and Coaster (can you say, "Yee-Haw!!" So fun!), and arcade games in the lounge. We checked out the "Scarecrow Walk" and I made everyone pose for the camera despite the wind whipping around our picturesque path. The kids loved the craft they provided at the resort and hanging out in steaming hot tubs during freezing weather. We even managed to squeeze in a little shopping and some caramel apples from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. It was a great weekend--thanks Grammy and Grandpa for inviting us to come and play!

Twist And Shout!

Months ago, I showed my friend, Jessica, how to french braid her daughter, Portia's, hair. I felt like I was passing on some "Code of the Sisterhood" as I showed her what my Grandma P. had taught me when I was very young and only had my Mandy doll to practice on. I couldn't wait 'till I had little girls with long, thick hair to fashion every day. I demonstrated to Jessica my best teaching efforts...and I was SO jealous! You see, Portia is 2 1/2 months older than Fynnley. And Porta's hair was also 2 1/2 times longer than Fynnley's! I quickly realized that I had been spoiled with Natasha whose hair grew very fast and I was able to twist and turn it into various hairstyles at a very young age (and much to my delight!) Fynnley's hair, on the other hand, turned out to be a completely different story. For three years, her wispy baby hair just hasn't grown very quickly. And while the back continues to get longer, the sides just seem to never catch up. So, it was with great giddyness that I finally managed to french braid Fynnley's hair for the first time! Granted, within the hour, it was falling out; and by day's end, it was back to it's usual scraggly, rat's nest. But for 60 sweet minutes, I loved her hair. Now, maybe I can bear to cut it...

Just Dance!

"Daddy, when I get to be a bigger girl, I'll get married!" she proclaimed.

"That's right, you will!" he replied.

"And will you dance with me when I'm married?" she quietly asked.

"I'll dance with you right now!" he exclaimed.

So in love with these two together...

You're My Pumpee-Yumpee-Umpkin, You're My Sweetie-Pie

It's just my favorite thing in the world when teachers come up with homework assignments that turn into homework assignments for the parents (read: sarcasm...)! Natasha came home all excited from school with grandiose plans for her pumpkin contribution to Legacy Elementary's annual Pumpkin Walk. Natasha's class theme was "Life is a Highway" and the pumpkins were to resemble cars. She was spouting off words like "chicken wire," "paper-mache," "glitter," and I'm trying hard not to show in my expression the cringing I felt inside. Her incredible creativity knows no bounds, so I should hardly be the one to provide the boundaries, right? Sheesh. Shayne and I attempted to funnel the creativity into something do-able (and, I'm hoping, easy!) But, she was not going to be swayed. She was willing to give up the chicken wire, but not her concept in whole. So, Shayne, being the dad he is, offered to help her as much as he could. Out to the "shop" they went to construct the body of the VW bug her pumpkin was destined to be since a little seed!
For two nights, we all worked on fabricating the bug and Tasha spent several hours painting the face she had pre-drawn while bored at school that day (hmpf....I won't elaborate on that!) She was so happy with the final product, and I was so proud of her for her creation. And, not that I'm biased, it was the best pumpkin of her entire class! Connor and Dane also made pumpkins to go with their class themes, but, thankfully, did not require parents to get involved. Connor's was a piece of colorful candy, and Dane's was a moose. Of course, I didn't take the camera with us the night we attended the Pumpkin Walk (as it was pitch black and freezing). But we were proud of their creations as well! Love you guys and your enthusiasm for pumpkin art...