Grace's Birthday

I have not been able to add pictures to my blog since I had to get a new computer, I keep getting an error message, anyone know why? Today I tried adding them one at a time - and I could do that, but if I tried any more than 2 I'd get the error message again, so it was a slow process, but I really needed to get Grace's birthday posted (it was over a month ago...) Shameful sheepish look.

Grace turned 5 on January 18th, I've said before I don't care about my birthday's, but this one for Grace got me a little panic - y. She'll be going to school next year, how did this happen? (Yes you can tell she's my first, and that's just fine by me!)

We had a birthday party for Grace in the evening, she waited patiently all day. She HAD to pick her special outfit, which consisted of a plain long sleeve white shirt, her new levi's and a long white coat. Not what I would have picked, but she's got her own opinions! And I can't forget the shiny bright red sparkly shoes, they make the whole outfit!
Grace posing on the fireplace with her gifts.

I love this picture, she has no idea what was in it, but the smile is so sweet.

Daisy and Max helping.

Grace's Aunt Caitlin gave her 3 pairs of costume glasses, Grace loved them, she wears a pair every single day!

Grace wanted a horse birthday party - and she thought that we wouldn't want to eat hay or grass, so she wanted a carrot cake with grass on top. OK- I appreciate not having to eat a hay cake, and the grass was just green sprinkly things from the baking isle.

Grace got a puppy dog that walks and barks from Grandma Kate, an outfit and a new jacket from me and Mike, art supplies from the Hymas's, a DVD player and coat and a couple outfits from her Tyler Grandparents, and other stuff that I can't remember - she had a great birthday!

I also got to spotlight Grace in preschool for her birthday - here were the answers to the questions in her spotlight.

Favorite food - Mac'n'cheese and broccoli

Favorite TV show - Anything with puppies

Favorite Movie - Scooby Doo

Favorite Book - Green Egg's and Ham

Favorite Toy - Puppies, My little Ponies (she also loves littlest Pet Shop)

Favorite Song - I love to see the Temple

Favorite Scripture Story (I added this one, because she wanted it for the Favorite Book question.) - The Book of Mormon

Favorite Color - Black

Pets? - Diva the Sharpei

Favorite things to do with Mom and Dad - go to the zoo, get ice cream.

In January the preschool set a goal that the older kids learned their phone number of the next month, Grace learned it in one day and passed it off the next day. Her teachers Mrs. Palmer and Ms. Tia were so impressed! They told me the next goal was to learn her address and I said she already knows that - after that they are working on tieing shoes, and that's going to be a tough one. Grace doesn't even own a pair of tie shoes, so we went out and got some this weekend to start learning. I have no idea how to teach her...lol.

Grace is putting sounds together and reading small words. She can write all the capital letters, but has a hard time writing the lower case letters, she has the ability to do it, but doesn't like to.

Grace is smart, and funny. She says things that make me laugh all the time. I'm so glad I get to be her mom!

Christmas Day

Christmas morning my kids got up later than usual, I waited for the for almost 2 hours, I was so excited!

Grace got her purple, pink and white big girl bike, and obviously she's so happy!Max got a bike too, although he hasn't enjoyed it very much.

He loved the Star Wars candy canes that Santa left- man he did a good job this year ;)

Grace got the big Princess Celestia my little pony that she's wanted for a while.

Max got tons of Star Wars stuff, including the Millenial Falcon and the camel thing, and several figures.

Grace got an Ipod, and a Strawberry Shortcake doll, a barbie and several other My Little Ponies.

We went to Mike's moms for breakfast - where Grandpa Todd helped Grace ride her bike. Ruth's neighborhood is really hilly so it was hard, but she loved it.

Then we headed up to my moms house for lunch and presents with my family. It's crazy and we all squish into a little living room, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

My brother Jordan, Cassie's fiance Josh and Cassie.

Mike, Nicole, Patch, bracken, Grace and Emery-

Ryan teasing Emery-

Grace and the figit, the "noisy" gift Grandma gave this year, they are pretty cute, after the sound ;)

Grandma gave Max a blue light sabor and it came with a Jedi training DVD, he loved it!

After my moms we went back to Mike's moms, I didn't take a single picture. Way to go me! Grace got a Barbie wig, some cute clothes and a really nice blanket, I want to steal it! Max got new Star Wars bedding, some clothes and we all got Lagoon season passes for next year! I'm so excited to use them!

We had a great Christmas, always a bit sad when it's over, but we packed a lot into the month before hand, hopefully balanced the Savior and the commercial part and spent a great deal of time with family.

Christmas Eve

I have got to finish Christmas posts, one more left after this one!

Mike's family's annual Christmas Eve Party at the gym. Aunt Liz and Max leading a Christmas carol-

Grace listening intently-

All the littler kids anxiously awaiting the sound of bells. They think they hear something -

Yep - he's here!

Santa talking to the kids, telling them that this year he'd like four cookies and if we have any chocolate pretzels, he really likes those, and carrots for the reindeer.

Grace got so excited, she ran over and asked if we could leave him some of our pretzels.

Max telling Santa he'd like a lego Luke Skywalker, the one and only thing the boy asked for for months.

Max showing off his candy cane- cute boy. Grace telling Santa she wants a big girl bike.

Grace's Great Grandma gave her play dough, she was excited (mom doesn't buy that stuff), and she's loved it!

Grace thought Aunt Caitlin needed a helper to see Santa.Max loved his dinosaur!

And Grace took this last picture, after she got everything Santa wanted, 4 cookies, chocolate covered pretzels, milk and carrots. I wonder how Santa liked drinking out of a pink sippy cup.

Just a little funny, we let the dog out after this, and she licked all the frosting off the cookies...don't worry we got Santa some new ones.

Hogle Zoo & Temple Square #2

With our zoo membership we got one free entry to see zoo lights, well we packed so much into December it seemed we only had one free night, so on December 23rd, the coldest night in December we headed up Hogle Zoo.

I could pretty much some up the night by saying IT WAS COLD.

The person taking our picture couldn't figure out how to use my flash, and I've never tried to use it on purpose, so by her third attempt I felt stupid and just said thanks. So here's our family picture - just slightly dark.

Me and my sweet boy, he did have a hat on but didn't wear it on the carousel.

Mike and Grace. On the 21st my brother in law flew in to Salt Lake and we went with the to temple square. We ate at Crown Burger first, which everyone else loves but it's not my favorite. Then went to Temple square, the JSM lot was full so we parked under the mall - it took us awhile to figure out how to get up to the surface.... and when we got there it was wall to wall people. I made Max hold my hand and he sat and screamed "You're breaking my knuckles!" I have never seen it so busy.

Shaun and Emery - love the hat!

My mom with Grace and Adi.

And Max - I think we'll stick with the first week in December from now on - way less people!

The Dicken's Festival

My nephew Travis was Oliver in Oliver Twist at the Dicken's Festival this year. I took the kids with my mother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece, and Mike and his dad met us for the show later in the day.

Ruth has a picture of Mike and his sisters with this exact "Father Christmas" from when they were kids, the best picture of course Santa had his eyes closed, but they still turned out pretty cute.

Grace telling Santa she wants a purple, pink and white bike. He was so cute with the kids. When Max told him he wanted lego's he had me come up and told me that I needed to get a sheet and put the lego's on the sheet for easy clean up.

The kids got to go on a carriage ride, which they all thought was so cool!

Aunt Beth bought some long potato curls, Grace enjoyed them thoroughly!

They had a little wax station the kids could dip their own candles, Grace picked a dog (imagine) and Max and Daisy picked stripped candles. Max wanted an army candle. Grace thought it was the coolest thing ever.

Daisy was proud of her finished candle.

When we were walking around the shops we bumped into my nephew Travis, he played a very good little English boy! It was fun to see him act and sing and I'm glad we got to go.

One of the shops was selling these two little owl hats, the kids look so cute in them! Another lady was selling finger puppet mice, Grace's picked a little white one and it looks so real that more than one person's had to do a double take! And for a mama who has a severe aversion to the little pests, they give me the creeps!