Jee-Joe

Poor Vivi.  With Trenton and Colson both being boys, and also being very close in age, they are just the best of buds.  They seriously only fight about twice a year and they are connected at the hip.  They have so much fun together, which is great!  Except when their little sister wants to join in the fun.  They haven't always been the best about including her.  They have gotten a lot better though the last little while.  I think it has to do with the fact that she has gotten older and doesn't get into their stuff so much anymore.

Well, I think to cope with not having a constant best bud like the boys had, Vivi came up with an imaginary friend a few years ago.  She named him Jee-Joe, and he is small enough to fit in the palm of her hand.  Vivi has always said that Jee-Joe came to live with us because his family died, and he needed a new family to take care of him.

Jee-Joe has had lots of adventures.  Jee-Joe always goes wherever we we go.  He has an imaginary buckle right next to Vivi in the car.  He has taken turns having sleepovers at the grandma's houses (My mom even found a tiny little house for him, and she and Vivi made a bed to put in the house), sometimes he has gotten left behind at a store or at home (I think we accidentally left him behind in Wyoming once.  He always manages to turn back up though!), other times he has made big, huge messes (thank heavens they weren't real messes!), and he has taken many different trips.  You name it, Jee-Joe has done it.  The last little while, we haven't heard as much about Jee-Joe.  I didn't even realize how little Vivi had talked about him until the other day when she said she couldn't find him anywhere.  I asked her if Jee-Joe was at one of the grandma's?  Or was he hiding in her room again?  "No." she said.  "I just can't find him anywhere!"  Does this mean that she is growing out of needing her imaginary friend?  In some ways it makes me sad because it means that she is growing up and getting older, but in other ways I am ecstatic because maybe it means that she isn't feeling as left out by the boys. ;) 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  We had a wonderful Christmas at our house.  We got to spend lots of time with family.

We had all the family and Nicole over for Christmas Eve dinner.  We spent the night sharing our testimonies of the Savior, playing some games together, singing carols, and just getting to be together.

Vivi is really into holding Preston lately.  He doesn't even seem to mind.

Little Buds crashed before the night was over.

Grandpa read us the nativity story.

The kids all got the traditional pajamas for their Christmas Eve present, complete with new robes and books this year.

The kids must have been pretty good this year because Santa ended up stopping by and leaving a few things under the tree.

Coming down the stairs Christmas morning.

Bakugans for Colson.

Bakugans for Trenton.

A Ruthie doll for Vivi.

It was a trucks and tractor Christmas for Preston this year.  Santa and everyone in the family either got him a book about trucks and tractors, or they got him a new truck or tractor.  We didn't hear a peep from him the whole day.  He was in tractor heaven I tell you.

 Ziggy even came and joined in the festivities.  We love that pup.  He is seriously the cutest dog on the planet.

Trent and I were even able to squeeze in a trip to the temple the day after Christmas.  I just had to take a picture of the Nativity they have set up outside.  So beautiful.  Thanks mom for watching the kids for us!  What a wonderful Christmas it was!

Dinner Schminner

My littlest angel fell asleep on my lap this afternoon.  After throwing a huge temper tantrum about... actually, I'm not even sure what it was about, he needed a snuggle afterward, so we cuddled up on the couch together.  A few minutes later he started to feel like dead weight, and I knew he was out.  And we are still sitting here, two hours later.  I should be fixing dinner right now, but I can't bring myself to put him down and get myself up.  He is such a busy bee that snuggling moments with him are rare.  On the menu for dinner tonight: most likely, cold cereal.  Oh well, there's always tomorrow night, but who knows when I'll get hours of cuddling with my baby again.

Christmas Vacation

Yay!  The kids are out of school for two weeks.  Hallelujah!  And Trenteroo has taken the rest of the year off.  I am looking so forward to spending some much needed quality time with my hubby and kiddos.  I see many days of wearing pajamas all day in our very near future.  I think there should be a national pajama day where everyone gets to wear their pajamas all day, out in public and everything, and it wouldn't be weird because it would be national pajama day!  And it should be once a month.  Or maybe even once a week.  I could totally go for that.  Wow, I think I just need to go to bed.  I've got pajamas on the brain.  But seriously, I would live in them if I could.  There's nothing cozier, especially in the winter, than a nice, comfy pair of jammies.  And that's all their is, there isn't anymore.

What Cute Kids!

Yesterday Vivi's Joy School class got to go to the hospital and sing to their teacher, Miss Julie, who has been in the hospital for over two weeks now.  They were so cute, and I think they helped to brighten Julie's day. 

There was still a bit of time left before the end of Joy School, so we ended up staying for a bit, and the kids did their little Christmas program in the waiting room of the ICU.  Several people came to watch.  They were so dang cute.

Today was Vivi's last day of school before Christmas break, so Trent, Preston and I were able to go and watch her in her Joy School Christmas program again.  She was one of the innkeepers this time.  (For the 4th time.)

 

 

 

You gotta love all of the singing shots.

The whole group.

What cuties, if I do say so myself.

Tattle Turtle

My older boys LOVE the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.  They've probably read all four books 3-4 times each now.  I have had parts of the books recited to me several times.  The part I remember most though involves a tattle turtle.  The mom in the book was so sick of the kids tattling all the time, she got a (stuffed? I can't remember.) turtle for her boys to tattle to.  I think this is a lovely idea.  After the kids have tattled for the bazillionth time today, I have decided I need a tattle turtle.  Especially for Preston.  He has even taken to tattling on himself lately.  I found him in the bathroom the other day, making mean faces and sticking his tongue out at himself in the mirror.  He turned around and in a very hurt feelings kind of voice said, "Mom, Preston being mean at me!"  Then he turned back to the mirror and started all over again with the mean faces.  The funny thing is that by the time he was done, I think his feelings were really truly hurt.  He looked like he was about to cry.  Sometimes I really wonder what goes on in that head of his.  Okay, actually I wonder that a lot. ;)

Jury Duty

You guessed it.  Trent sat on a jury panel.  For the last week and a half.  Truth be told, he was not looking forward to being a juror.  After the first day though, he was truly excited to have been called for jury duty.  He ended up learning a lot.  One of the many things I love about Trent, he gets so excited when he has an opportunity to learn something new.  He loved learning more about how our judicial system works, which in turn means that we also learned a lot.  Any time he is learning something new, we get to learn about it too.  There are many times I think he should have been a teacher.  Trent would have made such an amazing teacher.  I could just see him at the front of a class, getting all excited and giddy about the subject he would be teaching.  Trent loved his time on the jury panel so much, he asked if he could keep not one, but two JUROR pins.  Not sure what he'll end up doing with them later, but whatever, right?  Thanks for doing your civic duty babe!

After Piano Lessons...

This is what it is typically like at our house. 

Mr. K almost always stays after about 15 minutes to play Wii with the boys.  No wonder they like piano lesson days so much.  ;)

Happy Monday

Love this kid.  To pieces.  So when I have to take him into the ER for head injuries, it kind of ties my stomach all up in knots, leaving me felling a little sick inside.  He's going to be fine, but I made him swear not to climb on the counters any more.  After all, isn't that what the stepladder, sitting a mere five feet away, is for?

Heart Stopper

A couple of weeks ago, I walked in to the kitchen to find this...

And my heart stopped for just a moment until I realized that the oven wasn't on.  Thank heavens!  Preston and Vivi had been playing Play-Doh, and decided they wanted to "bake" the cookies they had made.

Needless to say, we had a little chat about only using the oven if they have mommy's permission.

At least Preston put the oven mitts on before trying to get things in and out of the oven. ;)

On This, Most Thankful of Days...

I have so much to be grateful for.

First and foremost, I am thankful for a kind and loving Heavenly Father, without whom I would have nothing.  I can't imagine not knowing of His role and hand in all things in my life.  I am thankful for a Savior, who, through the atonement, made it possible to return to live with our Heavenly Father.

I am thankful for my hubby.

He is a wonderful and amazing man, and I am forever grateful that he is my eternal companion.  We have so much fun together.  I am so grateful that he chose me to spend eternity with.  I am thankful for how hard he works to take care of his family. I am also very grateful for the wonderful father that he is.

I am grateful for these four little yayhoos.

  While being a mom is definitely not easy, it is one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me.  It is thrilling to bring a tiny little bundle into this world, then be able to watch every day as they grow and learn.  I wouldn't trade the experience of being a mother for anything.

I am grateful for parents.

Trent and I have both been blessed with truly phenomenal parents.  I am so grateful for loving and kind parents and parents-in-law who have always been there for me, at the best of times, and the most difficult of times.  It is so nice to know that I can always turn to them, and they will always be there for me.

I am thankful for good friends.  I have been so blessed to have such wonderful friends, and I can't imagine going through this life without them.  There have been many times in my life where a friend has shown up or called right when I needed them most.  Thank you dear friends... you mean so much to me.

I am so grateful for laughter.  We love to laugh in our home (who doesn't, right?).  Trent and I were recently looking through some of our older photos and having a good laugh.  Here are a few that we got a kick out of.

I know life is not always a basket of roses, but it is so much better when you can find things to laugh about.  With four kiddos running around our house, we find a lot to laugh about in a day.  It truly is the best medicine.

I am very, very grateful for the blessings of the temple in my life.

I love knowing that my time with my family doesn't end here on this earth, and that we can be together forever.

I feel so blessed and privileged to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I don't know where I would be without it.

I am thankful for my home.  Not only for the fact that my family and I have a place to live to keep us warm in the winters and cool in the summers, but also because it is a safe haven for us in many ways.

I am also thankful for:
A good job, modern appliances (can you say 15-20 loads of laundry a week?), indoor plumbing, bubble baths, my sewing machine, a car, clean sheets, egg nog being in season again, pajamas (I would live in them if I could), Colorado (I love it here), good books to read, opportunities for education and growth, and for all of the freedoms I enjoy (and too often take for granted).

I love this time of year, and the many opportunities I have to reflect on all that I have been given.  I have so much to be grateful for.

Still Got It

The other night, the boys were showing us some of the moves that they have been learning in their hip hop class.  I'm not quite sure how it happened, but it ended up turning into a handstand contest.

I totally won.  (I love how Vivi is trying her hardest to keep Colson up.)

For the Love of All Things Fancy

In this house full of boys and testonsterone, I am so grateful that I got my one girl.  If I didn't have her, I would have to go to Fancy Nancy parties at Borders Bookstore all by myself.

Vivi loves all things Fancy Nancy.  We read at least one of the Fancy Nancy books just about every night before bed.  She had been waiting on pins and needles for this Fancy Nancy party all last week.

My darling and oh so fancy mom (who works at Borders) was in charge of the party, so that made it even more fun for Viv.  (Just FYI, there is a Polar Express pajama party at 11:00 this Saturday at Borders.)  Mom read the new Fancy Nancy: Splediferous Christmas to an audience of Fancy Nancy's.  All the little girls were looking very glamorous.

My little Fancy Nancy.

Parade time!  They walked all through Borders, dressed to kill, and singing all the way.  I think I heard Jingle Bells, ABC's, and Twinkle Twinkle, to name a few.

Vivi had a blast, and yes, we came home with some new Fancy Nancy books.

Super Stars

Our boys did great for the first trimester of school.

They both came home with stellar report cards, and they both received awards for being "Leaders of the Herd".

Trenton did super excellent and came home with straight A's, which he has been working very hard to get.  We are so proud of him for all of his hard work.  Way to go boys!

You Know You're Tired When...

You fall asleep on the hard wood floors.

 

I guess his day at the zoo with grandma tuckered him right out!

Just a Few Things...

We had 2 major occurrences happen in the last couple of days.  Strike that, 3 major occurrences.  First off, it was Janet's birthday this last weekend.  And can I just say, I could not have asked for a more wonderful mother-in-law.  I can't even begin to tell you how much she does for our family, and how much we love, adore, and appreciate her.

 We had a birthday dinner for mom at Sherril and Roger's house, which is invariably a treat because Sherril always makes super yummy food.

The kids always have to help with blowing out the candles.  Thank goodness grandma is such a good sport to let them.  I mean, those are her birthday wishes after all. ;)  We are so grateful to live near family so that we can spend these special days with them.

Second, you'll never guess who my family and I got to meet last night... The Pioneer Woman!  We went to her cookbook signing at the Tattered Cover.  We got there right on the dot at 7:30 (which was when the book signing began), thinking we would only be there an hour, tops.  I guess a lot more people had shown up than they had anticipated.  I was talking to one of the ladies that works there and she said that for 90% of the book signings that they do (and they do a lot), usually only 30-40 people will show up.  They estimated that there were 400-500 people there last night.  Whoa!  Way to go Pioneer Woman!  So we ended up waiting in line for 4.5 HOURS!  With children in tow.  Like I said, we hadn't expected to be there that long, or I would have gone by myself, but after already waiting so much time, we figured we might as well stick it out for the long haul.

Trent was an incredibly good sport.

He must love me an awful lot to endure a 4.5 hour wait. ;)

Can you tell the boys were starting to get tired?  The kids were remarkably well behaved.  Luckily the book signing was right next to the kids section of the bookstore, and my kids literally read all night long, book after book.  They actually enjoyed themselves quite a bit.  If you've never been to the Tattered Cover, it is an amazing book store.  There are never ending walls and walls of books, so my kids were quite content to sit and read the night away.  I don't think we even had any melt downs.

It also helped that we met this fabulous lady here.  Liz was so kind to help us entertain our kids, and she was even willing to share her snacks.  She also had countless pictures of tractors on her camera that Preston looked at with her for quite some time.  Hopefully we didn't wear her out too much.  Thanks Liz for all of your help!

We finally made it up to see and chat with PW.  What a beautiful and incredibly nice woman.

And here it is, my signed cookbook.  It says: "To Kiffon: Thanks for bringing your cute family!  Ree/PW".  I can't wait to start trying the recipes from it!  I got quite a bit of time to peruse it while waiting in line, and my mouth was just a watering.

So was it worth it?  Definitely!  It was pretty exciting to meet Ree/PW.  As you can see, Preston totally crashed.

Not even two minutes into our drive home, this is how things were in the car.  Complete silence... except for the occasional snore here and there.  Thank you my darling family for being such good sports!

Third, and possibly best of all, these two do actually love one another.  I was starting to wonder for a few days there.  They have been at each other like cats and dogs, but after church on Sunday, I found them snuggling on the couch together.

I just love these two.  I especially love when they are getting along.  Two weeks of fall break was starting to put a damper in their relationship. ;)

Life is good.