November

November was full of all sorts of things, most of which I didn't take pictures of.

We got our first playable amount of snow.  Austin and Lauren were so excited to go out and play.  They went out before school, and its a good thing they did because it was pretty much gone by the time they got home.

Look, my kitchen is clean!  It takes so much work to get it looking like this, that one day I took a picture to document it.  In November I got it looking this way so many days, only to have it fall apart within minutes of the kids coming home.  I wish I could get them to understand how hard it is to get it like this, and if they would each clean up after themselves, it would be so much easier!

The tress finally finished losing their leaves, so we had a nice Saturday afternoon clean up.

Jayden had a follow-up MRI with Dr. Kestle.  Everything looked pretty good, though there is one spot that has always been there since they started looking that they don't know what it is, but don't seem super concerned because it doesn't appear to be changing. He did say something about it probably just being some fluid, though they don't know why it would be there. At the site where he had his tumor removed, the scar tissue continues to shrink, which is good.  Scar tissue, tumors, and other watery type things show up similarly in the MRI.  If what appears white on the scan continues to shrink, they assume it is just scar tissue, but if it were growing it would be the tumor growing back.

Jayden also had Priesthood Preview.  I can't believe that in 2016 we will have two deacons. I'm excited for when that happens.

Austin started Jr. Jazz. and he loved it!  At his first game/practice I realized I had never taken the time to help teach him how to dribble, shoot, or pass.  He was quite confused of how the game worked, but he did a great job learning as he went.  It was so fun to watch him guard.  He would get confused as to when it was the right time to guard, and when to watch for the ball and get open. He was an intense guarder, and it was funny to see how some of the kids got annoyed with him.  All season he was so excited to play and knew which day of the week he had a game.  He also used his own money to buy himself a basketball so he could practice at home.

I had fun going with the elementary aged boys (Jayden, Ethan, and Austin) to the Mother and Son Movie, which was The Peanuts Movie.

The realtor we used had a night at Provo Beach for his clients.  We had never been there before.  What a fun place!  Dylan and Jayden tried to body board.  It was pretty funny watching them try to get up on the their board, only to be washed away.  Luckily everything was padded pretty good from what I could see. Devon, Jayden, and Ethan did the ropes course.  Dylan, Austin, Lauren, and I did the mini croquet, which is kind of like mini golf with a croquet ball and mallet, and crocquet hoops to go through on a mini golf course.  The kids also had a blast playing on the play structure.  Ashlyn loved it when her big brothers took her through it.  She went again, and again, and again, and again... I think the majority of our time was spent playing there.

At Pack Meeting Ethan received his Bobcat.  He was also so excited to do the flag ceremony, and that he would get to carry the United States flag. It was Jayden's last Pack Meeting, so they "bridged" him to Boy Scouts.








Thanksgiving was wonderful.  We spent it at the Gibson's.  As always, there was lots of good food.  The boys had their traditional pie making night a few nights before.

Grandma and Grandpa gave us the tree from the cabin.  It is huge, and took a lot of work to get it up, but it looks beautiful!  Its been a multiple day process to get it up, lights working, and decorating it.  The kids were so excited when we finally said we could put ornaments on!

Kids pictures

Ashlyn is Two!

I can't believe this sweet girl is already two!

Ashlyn at 2 years old:

Loves to eat yogurt (yo-yo)
Other favorite foods: oatmeal, oranges, bananas, blueberries, raspberries, meat,
Also loves sweets
Is munchy a lot of the day.  I have to be careful of what gets left out.  She has been known to scavenge anything left out on the counters or table.
If she's hungry she will get out the container of oats from the pantry and ask me to take her oatmeal.
Loves to wave goodbye to anyone leaving the house.  As soon as she can tell anyone is leaving, she starts saying "Bye! Bye! Bye!" If she is buckled in her booster, or in her crib in her room, she freaks out and cries if no one gets her out to wave goodbye. She started the tradition when school started in the fall.  She loves to wave goodbye to her brothers as they leave for school.  We decided to try it as we left on a date and had the babysitter stand with her on the porch to wave goodbye.  She was totally happy to wave goodbye to us and stay with the sitter.  Normally we would try to sneak out without her knowing, otherwise she would be tearful.  The tears never lasted long, only a few seconds, but it was fun to see the difference waving goodbye made for her.
Loves dolls.  She carries them around the house all the time, rocking them, bouncing them.
Favorite TV shows: Baby Einstein's: Mozart, Daniel Tiger, Wiggle's Big Red Boat, Little Einsteins.
Loves baths and sitting on the potty (though we haven't started  potty training yet).
Loves Lauren!  Copies everything she does and is always concerned with where Lauren is, or if she is sad.
Gets concerned if anyone is sad.
Gets excited when anyone comes home.  She exclaims their name in a happy voice.
Really loves Jayden and lets him help her with things.
Loves to nursery.  She just walks right in and doesn't look back.
Started to make baby cry noises as she pretends to play house or when she sees a baby cry.
Puts 2-3 words together.
Oopsie, is a word she says a lot.
Loves to read books in her bed.
Is the easiest child to put to bed.  Sometimes all she wants is to simply be put in her bed with her binky, blanket, and some books.  Then I shut the door and walk out.  Other times she will let me read her books, and rock her while I sing a few songs.  She likes Devon to just rub her back while she lays in bed.
Loves to see new things.  She got so excited looking at the costumes at halloween or seeing pumpkins at the kids school.
Loves animals and is not afraid of them.
Loves Minnie Mouse and Hello Kitty (she picked the theme for her party)

BYU Cougar Fans

We are Cougar fans here at our house. Today Austin put his sweatshirt on. Independent from that Ashlyn picked out a BYU shirt. Then Lauren picked one out too. I had no influence on the matter. Lauren was sad she didn't have a BYU sweatshirt and Austin said he had one that didn't fit him. I'm pretty sure it does, but I had him bring it up for Lauren to try. Ashlyn was quick and claimed it for herself, and then said "cute!"  Yep, we are BYU fans at our house, and as Ashlyn's shirt says (you can't see it because it's under the sweatshirt): "Start them young, raise them right!" 

October

October was a lot calmer than it usually is.  All of fall really was much slower.  With only two boys playing sports, our weeks went by with much less craziness.  Jayden had a few lacrosse games, and Dylan had flag football games (somehow I have no pictures of it).

Jayden and Ethan took golf classes from the school.  They were a little disappointed at how slow the class went, but hopefully they learned some good stuff still.

Our good friends the Stephens came to visit us while they were in town for Scott's work conference.  It was so fun to see them.  It always makes us wish they lived nearby us!  Its one of those really comfortable friendships that feels like we haven't had years pass by since we last saw each other.

 Lauren's preschool class had a field trip to a nearby apple orchard.

Devon's work had a night at Cornbelly's.  Our kids love to go there, so it was great to go together as a family.  Last year I went without Devon, and with Zane, so the numbers were a little more manageable this time around.  The kids had so much fun playing on the playgrounds, taking a tractor ride, walking through the mazes, doing the rat maze, riding the giant slide on potato sacks, playing giant chess... the list goes on and on.  What a fun night!  Oh, and Austin got a whole dollar from the candy cannon!

Here is a random picture of Lauren's hair before church one day.  I think I took the picture so she could see how it looked.


Silly faces!


We love decorating sugar cookies!








October was BYU football month.  There were four home games in October, and at least two of us went to all of them.  I missed one to watch Jayden's last lacrosse game, but Ethan went in my place. Dylan and Jayden got to go to one or two other games, so it was a fun football season for our little family.  Not to mention, we won all those home games, which always makes it more fun to watch.

Jayden and Ethan had their Pinewood Derby.  They both had been so excited for it and worked really hard to make their cars awesome.  They designed and pretty much did everything to make their carts, except for Devon cut the original block of wood in the way they designed.  He also helped a little here and there to  help things work out, but really, the boys did it themselves. The cars turned out pretty awesome if you ask me.  At pack meeting there was a little drama and sadness when their cars didn't go quite as fast as they hoped, but it was fun to watch.















I bought a quilt to go on the spare bed that is in Ashlyn's room.  She must have understood enough of the conversations to decide the bed was hers.  She insisted on trying to sleep on it for a nap that afternoon.  She layed right down, but looked a little unsure (though extremely cute) as I walked out of the room.  Then she just started to cry when I shut the door.  It was the saddest cry!  I went back in and picked her up.  I rocked her for the longest time.  It took her a while to calm down.  I rocked her until she was nearly asleep and then laid her in her crib, which she seemed so much happier about.  That night she wanted Devon to put her to bed in the big bed again.  That time she actually did it really easy.  I went in and took a few pictures when she was asleep.  The next day at nap time she wanted to try it again, but again got sad.  After that she didn't want the big bed and was happy to sleep in her crib. She has been so easy in her crib, I don't mind at all her staying in it.  I actually hadn't intended for her to stop sleeping in her crib for many months from now, but she was the one who wanted to try the big bed.  Right now when she goes to bed she is so easy.  Often we read her a book, sing her a song, give her a kiss and she is happy to lay down and go to sleep in her crib.  We just put her in and walk out.  There are even days where she doesn't want to read a book with us, she just wants us to put her in her crib.  Sometimes she will read books in her bed and go to sleep, but other times she just lays right down and falls asleep.  What a sweetheart she is!  I love her to pieces!



The Gibson's had their second annual Halloween FHE Party.  It was so much fun again.  Tiffany does a great job making a party fun.  They brought jello shots (syringes full of red  jello- it makes it look like blood), festive cookies, and ran the Bring the House Down game.  I'm so sad we didn't get a group picture this time, but luckily a few took some pictures.











Austin is doing a playgroup with some neighborhood boys this year.  Here they are at one of Tommy's house.

The kids had their various Halloween parties at school. I wasn't sure if I could work out helping at a party, but I ended up stopping by their parties to see how things were going, and take a few pictures.  Jayden's party ended before I got there, but I caught Ethan and Austin's.  Grandma came to see the kids parade at school.  Ashlyn loved seeing all the kids costumes and would chatter away and was so excited to see everything.  It was so fun to watch her.