Lukeisms

With Luke there is never a dull moment. He is so entertaining and I am always shocked by the things that come out of that cute boy's mouth. Here are a few of the latest:

"Mom, can I say a prayer so that my cousins get here safely?"

(Jenna and the kids were coming over on a snowy day)

"Sure" I said.

He came back into my room and said:

"Mom, I said a prayer so that they will be safe and I also said eternal foundation!"

We were driving in the car the other day and Luke started his conversation with:

"By the way..."

He is so funny. He is very into the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland and spends many hours checking out sites online about the ride and drawing pics. He is begging me to go to the dollar store so that he can buy a top hat to look like the hitchhiking ghost.

What joy he brings into our family. I am always wondering what he might say next!

CHRISTMAS!!!

This has been the first year in a long time that I have really looked forward to Christmas. Even though it has been very busy with preparation, it has all been worth it. Joey asked me the other night if I was ready for all of it to be over. I told him that I was ready to be done with being busy but I could not wait for Christmas morning to see the kids react to Santa's gifts. That special time was my favorite part. So here is how the days played out:
Christmas Eve- We spent the day doing the last minute stuff. We passed out a few presents and took over the gifts to Jamie and Mindi. After stopping at Jimmy Johns for a sandwich we went home to get ready. We went down to my parent's house for a turkey dinner and gifts. It was so great to all be together. Joey was even a trooper through the traditions!! It was a great time. Then we brought the kids home to get ready for Santa. They each opened their new pjs and one other gift of their choice. Nash slept in his crib and Harlee and Luke slept together on Harlee's floor. They were super excited and did not fall asleep until after 10pm!
Christmas Day- The kids were sleeping in so Joey woke them up at 7am. Who is the excited one?? Joey escorted the down by holding their hands so they could close their eyes. They all were so excited about their gifts. This was the first year that we did not have the Childs breakfast, so we started on our tradition. It was really nice to not have to rush off this year. We worked on getting the house clean and food ready for Joey's family to come over at 3:30pm. We opened more presents and had a great dinner. After dinner we watched Joey's old family videos. It was so fun to see all them. After they left we relaxed and waited for Cory's call. Since he could not call until late, we did not think it would be safe to drive down. So he called for about 5 minutes but it was so good to hear from him.
What a great Christmas. I am truly grateful for the birth of our Savior and the opportunity we have to remember and celebrate Him.
*We asked Luke and Harlee what their favorite present was. Harlee said her favorite was her baby. Luke said "Technically, I would say my DS!" Oh the things out of his mouth. Never a dull moment!

Luke's First Sing-A-Long

For the past few weeks Luke had been telling me about his upcoming sing-a-long event. He has been practicing in front of the 6th graders and says they really like his song. He was asked to be one of the sleigh drivers as they sing "Sleigh Ride". His performance was on Tuesday and I was so excited that Joey was off work so he could come with me. We got there about 25 min early so we could get a seat, only to learn that the kindergarteners were last in the show. They sing one song and they are last?? Who puts this show together? Not so fun with two little ones trying to be patient as they wait for their brother. Luke did a great job. He was very into it!! Could we have a thespian on our hands?? We loved to watch him perform!

Nash's 1 year appointment

Nash had his 1 year appt on Monday. He is getting too smart and did not want to lie on the table. He must have sensed the 5 shots he was soon to be getting- poor little guy. Here are Nash's stats:

Weight- 24 lbs 5 ounces - 75%

Height - 31 1/2 inches long - 95%

He seems to be right on target for where he is suppose to be at this age. By his next about he should be able to say 3-5 words. He is on regular milk and loving it. He has not walked yet but attempts to stand by letting go of what he was balancing on. He has such a sweet temperment and loves to snuggle his face to yours. We just love Nash and feel truly blessed to have him in our family.

Visiting Santa

On Friday we took the kids to see Santa. Luke was so excited to see him which meant when we saw the HUGE line, there was no way out! Too say that Harlee was less than thrilled would be an understatement. She was really scared. Nash could care less! So basically the hour long waiting in line was for Luke. When we finally made it to the front, Luke made him self at home chillin in Santa's chair. Harlee hid behind my leg. You are no longer allowed to take your own pictures, so Joey went above and tried to get a few shots. Later when asked about the trip to see Santa Harlee said "Santa was not bery nice to me!" Maybe next year.

Cookies with Mimi

On Friday, my mom "Mimi", had all of the grandkids over to make Christmas cookies. It was so fun to watch the cookies the little ones would create. They had no rules and went a bit overboard with the decorating. They all had a ton of fun.

Our Baby Turns 1!!!

Yesterday we celebrated Nash's first birthday. I seriously don't know where the time went. It feels like he was just born. Nash has been such a blessing in our family. His sweet disposition reminds me of how I should be. We spent the day together as a family. Went to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch, went to visit Santa, made cookies at Mimi's, visited grandma and grandpa and then home for presents and a store-bought cupcake (poor third child!). Nash loved his presents and especially loved the cupcake. We love you so much Nash and look forward to many more birthday. I am making you a promise that as soon as you know your birthday is close to Christmas, I will do my best to make your day all about you!!

The Bathroom Band

I so cherish the moments that Luke and Harlee play well together. I also love when they use their imagination. Right now Luke is very into the Haunted Mansion ride from Disneyland. He watches youtube videos that take you through the ride. So most everything is centered around that theme. Today, I was getting ready to give the kids a bath, Luke a shower. They called me upstairs to listen to their band. Luke was on guitar and Harlee had her piano and drums set up on a make shift table. They played me the song from the Haunted Mansion. They did a terrific job. They are such perfect playmates. Luke runs the show and Harlee lets him. It is a great combination!!

P.S. Love the venue of choice. Don't all great bands start out in a bathroom??

Rudolph the Red- Faced Kiddos

So I know the title does not make too much sense but goes with the holiday season. On Friday, Joey was testing out our new snow blower and Luke and Harlee insisted on helping. They were outside for about 30 minutes and that 30 minutes left its mark. They both inherited my super sensitive skin and so their faces were as red as can be. They could have cared less and could have stayed out for hours. I am so glad that some people enjoy the snow!

Why is it so quiet?

Right after Luke goes to school each day, our early riser Nash is ready for his morning nap. Once he is asleep it is just me and Harlee. She has always been really good at playing by herself so I can always get a few things done- so nice. Well this morning I have been working on stuff for our big Relief Society activity tonight and I noticed it was really quiet. I went upstairs figuring she was in her room but she was not. I saw that Luke's door was closed so I quietly opened it to find this..... Harlee playing with a bed full of dolls. It was so cute. As long as she is not causing her quiet mischief , she is such a good girl!!

The Winter is Here

Break out the snow boots, gloves, coats and hats! Winter has arrived. It has been snowing like crazy and this is the first year that Luke goes to school every day and cannot just stay home in a warm house. So each day, we bundle him off and send him off into the bitter cold. He looks so cute and snuggly that I had to take a picture. Reminds me of the little guy in A Christmas Story! Boy do I miss California in months like this! Remind me why we are in Utah???