Wait for it.....Christmas 2010!

Oh, can you believe it.....I had to throw on some of the latter part of December. I really had to do this before it was February. I'm sure all 2 of you who read my blog really care, but I do.

cookies at Grandma

Christmas Eve...they loved their new friends

After the other kids went to bed, Macy ate all the cookies to Santa. Luckily, she didn't drink Santa's coke. That would have REALLY ticked off Santa. Santa was up a long time. (See what I mean about Macy and her inability to keep her eyes open for a picture.) Not her best pic, but she does look pretty pleased with herself.

Parker

Emi

Macy

Quinn

Santa doesn't wrap at our house. I realize that is a big debate for some families. I give Santa the green light to do as he sees fit. He's got enough on his plate in December.

Look alike American Girl doll for Emi. She has to get her summer tan to really look like her. That's o.k., Emi is usually tan from March to November.

This scary creature is now part of our lives.....it was left in our milkbox after our Christmas party (people leave their unwanted white elephants at the host's house. I should have been more aware). Scared Parker to death one night. We then stuck it in the offending people's master bath window on Christmas Eve. This is how it was returned. They have 4 boys...this is a battle I don't see us winning.

We got to reunite with old friends. Sean (Parley) has moved into our ward. Jimmy is our long lost bachelor friend from L.A. They were my friends first at BYU, then Bill's, then they made sure we met. AWWWWWWWW. Would someone please marry Jimmy? He's the greatest.

New Year's Eve brought some "Just Dance" fun. Love Bill in this pic. I love a video game that I can actually win. The kids actually stayed up until midnight to see that it wasn't that great.

But they had fun anyway!

Merry Christmas!

Sweet 16 and always kissed

(She is not, however, the most photogenic child...most pics she is closing her eyes.)

Macy is a sweet sixteen months (yesterday). Can't believe it. She's so full of personality right now.

Here are some of her qualities I want to remember:

1- She loves to get everyone ready for school. She follows Emi around holding her lunchbox every morning. She doesn't want anyone to forget anything. She brings out boots, coats, everything.

2- She pretends like she is cleaning. She gets a napkins and will wipe down her little kitchen. She's pretty thorough....I don't think she learned this from watching me.

3- Macy isn't into rocking her baby dolls. She throws them out of the doll crib and prefers to rock herself crazy! She's a super, duper dancer though. Pom poms and everything.

4- For the life of her, she will not keep on her shoes and socks.

5- She keeps up with the boys.

6- She is happiest when pushing trucks around the dance studio. Seriously.

7- She's got a massive sweet tooth. If you leave the pantry door open, she's all over the oreos.

8- Feeding herself is turning into an issue between us.

9- Macy can dump stuff out of a drawer in a minute flat. She does this CONSTANTLY. It's making me a little crazy.

10- Her blonde hair is so fluffy (when there's not bananas in it) that we like to blow it like a dandelion. I'm seeing a future nickname.

She is a dream baby and we all can't get enough of her. Love you, Macy!

Happy Belated Birthday, Mr. Quinn

It's so typical. Middle child is getting the shaft. Quinn turned 4 on 1/11/11, and have not given him a birthday tribute as I did the rest of my family. He's the last in our string of b-days, and I have burned out. There will hardly be a picture or an interesting thing to say. I'm BURNED, BURNED, BURNED out on birthdays, birthday parties, cooped up children, taxes, and recital planning.

But he deserves the love:

1. Quinn has a constant soundtrack going on. He's always singing something, being someone, or just chatting to no one in his cute, high-pitched, Mickey Mouse voice.

2. He has watched his 30 min "Mater's Tall Tales" everyday since he got it at Christmas. He still laughs like it's the first time.

3. He is the ultimate little boy. I'm not sure if it's because he's our last little boy, or if it's because our little boy experience was vastly different with Parker and his disability, but Bill and I thoroughly enjoy his little antics and games. However.......

4. ....with all the extreme cuteness, he his highly emotional and cries at the drop of a hat. He's a little tender. We've resorted to "toughen up". It's heartless, but we don't want him crying at scout camp one day.

5. Li-Li is a huge part of his life, as he has been for 3 full years now. But he's not weird about it. He doesn't drag it everywhere, but he's just around. Li-Li waits for him to come home from pre-school, eats meals with him, sleeps with him, and watches movies with him. It's rare he takes him anywhere, which is good because the world would end if we lost him. Again, the scout camp thing worries me a little. We might have to have an intervention one day. I can't imagine a day where Li-Li doesn't exist in his world. I will be heartbroken.

(Li-Li)

6. He refers to several things as boring. Not sure why. He always loves them afterwards.

7. You can practically see through his skin. So very albino. I stress our Coronado week every year, though he has yet to totally burn.

8. There are times I think he looks like a Precious Moments kid. I don't even like those, but I still think he's cute like them.

9. He was my fastest potty trainer. Maybe this won't mean anything to him in the future, but I will be eternally grateful to him for this. It's always my worst parenting moment.

10. He is the sweetest little boy. Cute, adorable, loves to be outside, loves to drink chocolate milk, loves snow, loves leaves, loves his cars and trains, loves his Grandparents.....he is sweetness personified and I love him dearly. Happy Birthday, Quinn-quinn-quinners.

P.s. I added a new pic to my header....this is the view from my favorite restaurant in Coronado. I need a little tropical view right about now.

I could not ask for more....yet I always do

Yesterday was Emi's baptism day....it was wonderful. She looked like an angel and we had a lot of support from family and friends.

(this pic was taken on Christmas Eve....her lips are blue. I've cured her of ever getting married in December like I did)

It was sweet, simple, and spiritual...just as it should be. Her BFF Jade was also baptized yesterday.

So fun. So great to have a husband that can perform these ordinances and sustains his priesthood.

About 5 days ago, I was listening to a song on the radio called "I Could Not Ask for More" or something like that. It truly echoed my feelings. I'm blessed like crazy.

I didn't really do a Thanksgiving post, so this is in place of that:

1- Awesome husband...well...I won't mention his desire to go to the bike shop yesterday while I was trying to get ready for the baptism "after party", but other than that, he's stellar. I often fall into blessings without knowing it. He appeared in my life when I was otherwise engaged. After a series of me not committing to guys and guys not committing to me in various drama-filled episodes, he just appeared. I'm blessed. I wouldn't have said it was easy at the time, but in the eternal scheme of things, it was easy.

2- 4 great kids They got here without major drama that accompanies so many of my friend's lives. Yeah, pregnancy was not easy for me, I miscarried once, but it worked. The older I get, I recognize this blessing. I'm extremely lucky.

3- They are healthy So far (knock on wood). Sure, Asperger's was not my first choice as a mother, but I'll take it. He's pretty great. My kids really love each other.

4- My super house Yet again, another thing I fell into. First house we toured, I knew the owner, it was in my close friend's neighborhood, and oh yeah......IT HAD A DANCE STUDIO BUILT IN! Could I be more watched over? Love my floor plan, love the neighborhood to pieces, and I will love the changes I'm dying to make to my kitchen.

5- My career.....crazy. I own a business?!?!? Never my aspiration really, but so happy about it. My first year of college, I wanted nothing to do with dance. I had burned out from my dedication to it in my younger years. It took that year to realize how much I missed it and that frankly, I was pretty good at it. That's when I tried out for BYU cheer which is one of the greatest experiences of my life. It was a year later that I finally could commit to it as a major (I had a few committal issues I've decided), and never turned back. My job is so good. So, so hard at times while juggling it with my family, but I'm my own boss. I set the terms. I teach how I see fit. What? B-L-E-S-S-E-D!

6-Parents....O.K. , my mom has a reputation in all of my sibling's neighborhoods as being ultra supportive. She's famous. I could on and on about this one (buying my kids awesome clothes, babysitting my kids and loving the job, super meals at the ready, etc, etc, etc), but let's just say she takes care of me. Mommies of young kids need this. Husbands do a pretty good job of it, but moms always know how to do it up right. My dad's super too!

7-Trips to California I get to go a lot. California (Coronado, mainly) feels like a second home to me. I love that I can live near skiing and mountains, but get to be a beach bum on a fairly regular basis. Love that aspect of my life.

8- My membership in the Gospel Born into it, lived in the worldwide headquarters of it, went to the university, get to bask in the knowledge of it's leaders often.....wow.

9- And lastly.....awesome friends. The kind you dream of. The kind you have silly traditions with and can count on for anything. The kind that won't judge you when your crying because your kids have taken you to the edge. Love to you all!

Count your blessings, name them one by one.

I will post about Christmas....probably in July.