Sunday randomness...

Today the kids got new primary classes and teachers. Jacob wasn't feeling so good today, but had to go to church anyway. Both Mommy and Daddy had to be there...so he came along. But in the afternoon this is where you could find Jacob. He even went in and took a nap on his bed for a while. At least there's no school tomorrow so he can get better. Zach loves his new teachers, the Moores. They have a farm and he thought that was the greatest thing ever (since he wants to be a farmer when he grows up)...he's been talking about it all day long. The whole way home from church he was again pointing out all the empty fields that could be his farm someday. We'll have to take a visit out to the Moores' farm sometime. (As I'm writing this Zach & Dallin are having a conversation about how many chickens Zach will have on his farm...)

This is the favorite toy at our house right now...

This picture was actually taken last night...patty-cake with Mommy.

Thank heavens for little...boys?

Connor's favorite place to spend his time lately...Savannah's bedroom. Luckily she's been great about letting him play there almost whenever he wants to.Connor's favorite dress-up attire...pink sunglasses and "pretty shoes."

First Day of School!!!

Today was the first day of school!!! Zach started kindergarten and Jacob is in 2nd grade. Sorry these pictures are blurry...Zach kept trying to walk off the porch because he was so excited to go. Zach is wearing a tag that tells how he gets home after school...

First we dropped Jacob off to sit with his class...he seemed a little nervous.

Then I took Zach to his class. He waltzed right in, found a seat, and had his self-portrait drawn before I left.

I went back to check on Jacob and he was getting ready for the day...

After school they were both really happy. They both liked their teachers and had a "great first day" (in Jacob's words). Jacob was really excited because he got to go to P.E. He also gets to go on the "big" playground this year and they got out a bunch of balls. He played basketball with a couple of his friends from last year. Zach said his favorite thing was "centers" because he got to play with rubber animals. According to him though recess is much too short. He said it was only "like 13 seconds." He also informed me that a boy had a plum to eat at lunch...he thought it was really neat. The first thing Zach said when he got home was "Well Mommy, I made my new friends." I said "Oh, what are their names?" He said "I don't know...but they can still be my friends!" Overall, a great day!!!

This is what Connor, Savannah and I did today...

Connor has finally learned to help put marbles on instead of knock them all off or eat them...

Then we went with M and E to the splash park and had a picnic.

"Favorite Friends" in Savannah's words...

Daddy's Little Girl

Savannah dancing to music on the computer with Daddy...

Steven & Sarah

I recently did a post about my younger brother Justin and his family, so I thought I'd do one about my older brother too (hope you guys don't mind!). Steven is just 17 months older than me. His wife Sarah is so great and I wish we could see them more. They are due to have their first baby in February and we're really excited for them. They just went on a trip to Oregon to visit our friend Eun-Sook and her family. Steven sent some beautiful pictures of their trip. So much green everywhere!!!

Sarah with Tae-Wan & Eun-Sook in a rose garden in Portland

At the Newport Beach Lighthouse... (And by the way, Sarah is not 4' tall or something. She's my height. Steven is 6' 9". He used to call me "Midget" growing up. When we were on vacation in Guatemala a few years ago he was wearing a Phoenix Suns jacket and little kids were asking him for his autograph.)

Mt. Hood in the background...

In front of the Portland Temple

New Callings...

Last week they accidentally released Dallin from his calling as the Financial Clerk in our ward (at the big stake meeting we had). Today they re-sustained him and he has to get set apart again next week.

I got called to be the Young Women President. I have some awesome counselors and am very excited. It will be interesting though because we only have 4 girls...all age 14 and under. We will have more leaders than girls. But it will be nice to be able to really spend some individual time getting to know them. Fun stuff!

Pink Prayer

This was Savannah's prayer tonight when I put her to bed...

"Dear Heavenly Father, please bless grandmas and grandpas. Thankful for my pets that I love. Especially my pink doggie, and my pink bear, and my pink piggie. Thankful for my polar bear, but she's white. Thankful for my new pink brush and my pink jewel in my pink magic wand. Thankful for pink. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

The end of summer...

The kids and I have been having a fun week but I haven't brought my camera along. Sometimes it's nice to just enjoy it without thinking about taking pictures too.

Last Friday night was our annual ward swim party at Rockin' River Pool. It's a city pool, but is basically a little waterpark, with a couple of tall slides, a bigger pool zero-entry pool with stuff spraying all over the place, a toddler area, and a small lazy river. Jacob was the only one tall enough to do the slide but they all loved the lazy river. Connor has been super cranky the last week also, so Dallin was nice enough to let me take the 3 older kids to the swim party and he stayed home to put Connor to bed. The kids had a blast...next summer we'll have to go back as a family because I know Connor would be in heaven there.

Today we did our annual "before school starts" trip to Chuck E. Cheese. We met a couple of friends there for playgroup and the kids had great fun. Savannah is great at hitting the jackpot and scored 150 tickets on one game alone. The boys found a game where they could both play and they are in the jungle shooting gigantic spider-like things. They were in there for quite a while, blasting bugs to bits. Then we went to McDonalds for lunch (my kids don't really love pizza and it's way too expensive at Chuck E. Cheese). We had to go there because Jacob found out there were Star Wars Clone War toys in the Happy Meals. So we ate and played and Dallin even met us for lunch since it was right by his work. We had to leave when Connor threw a big fit, which is becoming more common these days.

Ward Split

Well tonight we went to a meeting at the Stake Center (a church building different from the one we go to) for some boundary realignments. Our ward was basically cut in half. So it will be small for a while but the area is growing quickly. It's sad to be separated from friends but we'll still get to see them at school and to hang out with. I do feel bad for my kids that all of their best friends pretty much will be in the other ward...but that's life I guess. It was kind of funny to me when they were showing the new boundary lines because so many of them follow train tracks or creeks. That's something you never see in Arizona, that's for sure!

Welcome Ana Paula & Joshua!!!

My brother Justin was reunited with his family this past Tuesday night, August 12th. Ana Paula's visa finally went through. Justin left Brazil in December and Joshua was born March 6. This was Justin's first time seeing his son, so it was a pretty exciting moment.Grandma LeSueur was SO excited to see her grandson and finally hold him.

Justin & Joshua in the hotel. They flew in to L.A. because it was cheaper and went to Six Flags the next day.

Joshua & Justin at Six Flags

Grandma having fun with Joshua...

Back in Arizona they went out to eat with Grandma & Grandpa, Steven & Sarah, and my Aunt Marilee, Uncle Todd & cousin Shae. Here is Shae, Joshua, and Grandpa...

Happy family together at last...

Joshua & Ana Paula...

Olympians in the making...

Savannah has loved watching the Olympics, especially the gymnastics. She dances all around while they do their routines. I showed her a clip on YouTube of the ribbon dancing on rhythmic gymnastics. She has been begging me to make her a "ribbon dance" ever since. This morning her friend M is here to play and we made "ribbon dances." They're having a great time...Cute little girls...

Nursery Boy!

Well my baby's growing up. Today Connor is 18 months old and officially started nursery at church. No more rearranging the clerks' office, no more banging on chairs during Elder's Quorum, no more roaming the halls for 3 hours...you get the idea. They said he did pretty good...some crying off and on but overall pretty good. I didn't dare go in there at all during church, but took some pictures of my little man before we left for church this morning.

This picture is a little blurry, but I think he looks so old now...not a baby anymore. Especially without the fluff. I managed to slick it down and it stayed for 20 minutes or so.Excited for church! (The water on his shirt is from brushing his teeth a minute before)

Seriously Mom! Enough with the pictures. Let's leave already!

He's a fun little guy...

Happy days...

Today Connor found these lovely sunglasses and wore them proudly all over the house. It was too cute...Connor in his "happy place" with his little friends...

This picture is random, but it cracks me up how my boys "sit" to play the computer. If they don't need the keyboard both Jacob and Zach assume this position. I guess it gives them a better position for the mouse and puts their face about 1/2 an inch away from the monitor...perfect, right?

The Girl Party!

This past Saturday Savannah and I went to a little mommy & daughter Girl's Night at my friend E's house. Savannah looked forward to the "girl party" all week and even voluntarily took a nap on Saturday so she wouldn't be tired later. It included E & Savannah's best friend M, M's Grandma, and M's Aunt & cousin. These little girls had a blast.

Savannah and I making a bracelet. Savannah strung the whole thing herself (with little tiny beads)...I was very impressed.
E & M

Figuring out our bracelets...it was my first time (without the help of my sis-in-law Melinda) and we had a couple of snags, but overall it was fun.

Then we did the girls' hair up fancy for dinner. We let them choose whatever they wanted and Savannah chose a huge flower from M's hair stuff.

Having a great time...

Then they got their fingernails and toenails painted with princess polish...

Letting the polish dry...

We went to Logan's Roadhouse for dinner. Savannah thought it was awesome that they brought a big bucket of peanuts and you just wipe your shells onto the floor. She kept asking me if it was really okay every time she dumped some on the floor.

When we got back the girls got to shake up their own homeade ice cream in a bag (wrapped in towels because it was so cold)...

Loving the finished product...

Thanks for a totally fun and girly evening E & M! We had a great time!!!