Krellnk

Nope, I did not miss spell anything on the title of this post. Kellen told me this morning that he didn't like being named K-E-L-L-E-N. He spelled out the name that he wanted. K-R-E-L-L-N-K. I told him that his name would be Krellnk instead. I thought he would think it was funny. Nope, he liked it! Funny guy!

A sweet whisper

Today was the annual ward Christmas program. Our ward has several talented people in it and the Christmas program was excellent. Tom was asked to narrate the first portion of the program. He read a poem written by a member in the ward that was a different version of The Night Before Christmas. It was such a nice poem BUT Tom accidentally started out with "T'was the nightmare before Christmas. OOPS! Everybody got a good laugh. Tom was slightly embarrassed but I thought it was funny.

During the program the kids and I sat in the overflow because Tom was on the stand. The kids love music so they sat on my lap and actually listened instead of drawing. It was the sweetest thing! Our kids are getting so big and it's nice to know that they can both still fit on my lap. Then Kellen whispered the sweetest thing in my ear, "Mom, I love church." Be still my heart. For months we have been fighting with him to even put church clothes on, let alone sit still and listen. Lately, his greatest goal is to be like Jesus. I said a thank you prayer in my heart. The spirit can truly touch our hearts, especially hearts as pure and wonderful as Kellens. Then Katie pulled out a picture of the Savior and drew one just like it. I teared up. I am so grateful that I have two little wonderful spirits with me each day. I am very blessed~

Reflections

This afternoon I have been reflecting heavily on the past year or so. Yesterday Tom came home after 700 people were laid off at University of Phoenix and memories of unemployment came quickly flooding into my mind. Luckily, he was not laid off. Really, I cannot imagine going through unemployment for the third time in two years. I am so grateful that we were safe. However, some people were not so lucky. I was talking to a friend today who's husband was unfortunately let go. We had a brief chat about how the trial itself really stinks. As I was talking to her a flood of emotions came over me because I was reminded how much we were watched over during the hard times. I told my friend that while the trial itself stinks, that she and her family will experience miracles, and lots of them. They will see just how selfless people can be and they will see just how loving our Father in Heaven truly is. Like us, they will say that after it is all said and done, they are extremely grateful for the experience. Tom also reminded me that we are in a better position now than we were before. We are in a great position to sometime soon to buy a new house because our credit stayed in tact (one miracle). We have met a ton of people through out our moves and have friends all over the place. Our savings is once again in tact. We are good at being prepared and are learning what we can and cannot live without. We have learned to be really creative with what we have. We have been taught to be more humble. It has been a marvelous, hard, trying, humbling experience! How grateful for what we have learned over the past year.

Kellen's latest crazy!

Last night we were sitting at dinner eating and talking with one another. Of course, Katie and Kellen are messing around and laughing-not eating! I glanced down to get some more pasta and take another bite-as soon as I looked up I saw Kellen, pants down, mooning his sister!! What the heck! I don't know where it came from BUT it stopped there. We had to explain to both Kellen and Katie that mooning is not allowed, ESPECIALLY at the table!! Sometimes, I don't know where Kellen came from. I guess he is just a typical silly little boy. Katie is so sweet and just laughs at her little brother.

Halloween 2010

After getting the gum out of Kellen's eyelashes (see lower post for explanation) we went to a Fall Festival and then Trunk-or-treating in the church parking lot. The Festival was fantastic! They had the best bounce house ever. I really didn't see the kids the during the Festival because they were in the bounce house the whole time. This year Kellen dressed up as Batman and Katie was Minnie Mouse. It just so happens that Katie's costume is her old dance costume from 2007. Yep, still fits!

Katie's eyelashes are all real. We did not put any false eyelashes on this girl. Not fair!

A blog post would not be complete without me putting some type of hair picture. We put Katie's hair up but after the bounce house it was down.

Kellen did not feel like taking a picture. He wanted to sit and pout on the floor.

Yay! Kellen is smiling. Although, our dog is looking at Kellen as if she is not sure about him.

Ah yes, all posts must have a funny photo. Here's ours!!!

P.S. In case you were all wondering, Tom and I did not dress up this year. Tom does not like dress up like me or match costumes in anyway. I really wanted him to be Nacho Libre and I would be Sister. Tom said he didn't feel like wearing stretchy pants. Party pooper!

There is gum in my eyelashes!

Wow! Just before we were about to leave to take the kids to a Fall Festival put on by my parent's ward, Kellen took his gum and rubbed it into his eyelashes. We aren't sure why. He didn't even have an answer as to why he did it. Curious perhaps? His eyelashes are so long that we had to rub peanut butter and then comb the gum out.

Katie's First Piano Recital

This Friday, October 22, 2010, Katie played in her first piano recital. She has only had four lessons, and yet she did really well. She memorized her little songs too. She played Yummy Popcorn and The King of France. She was shy and a little nervouse, but did SO well! I am so proud of her. She is going to be such a great pianist!

Katie with her teacher, Marenan Dolivier. She is such a great teacher!

Katie also received a certificate for playing so well.

Couldn't Resist

We read scriptures every night. However, on this night, Katie was helping Kellen read the scriptures. Normally, we are asking them every minute to be quiet and listen to what Tom is reading. It was so cute, my heart melted, I did not cry, but I did take a picture.

Onsie Cookies

I was able to throw my friend Sarah Jespersen a Diaper Shower and had a lot of fun making some cookies for the shower. My friend Jenica came over and she showed me how to frost cookies with royal icing. What a great teacher! We had a lot of fun and they turned out really nice!

Step 1: The cookies all ready to be frosted.

Step 2: Outline the cookies and then fill them in with frosting.

Jenica frosting the white cookies.

I frosted and decorated the blue cookies.

Step 3: Decorate! It was so fun. We did different decorations on each cookie.

Step 4: wrap them up cute. Ta-da! Our lovely creation. Onsie Cookies!

Kellen Turned 4!!

I cannot believe it but my baby is now 4 years old! I am not sure where time went but it flew! He turned 4 on 10-10-10.

He got a lot of presents from the family.
Kellen wanted a Woody & Thomas the Train cake. I was not sure how to do this and it was Sunday so we couldn't go buy anything. So, Katie drew pictures of Woody and Thomas and we put them on popsicle sticks and into the cake.

Yummy, yummy cake!

This Could Not Be Comfortable

Katie woke me up one morning and told me that I needed to take a picture of Kellen. She brought me into their room to show me that Kellen was sleeping like this...

Our latest hobby.

Tom called me at work one day and told me to come right home because he had a surprise for me. He also told me that we were going to go on an adventure. I went and got Katie from a friends house and came home to this...



The bike trailer was fixed!! That night we biked over to Taco Bell and had dinner. The kids had a blast. I had a blast! Thanks Tom for making out life so adventurous.

Erica & Jake's Wedding

This past September 7, 2010, Erica and Jake got married!! I am finally getting around to posting pictures that I took. I am slightly behind! We had a great day. They got married at the Mesa Arizona Temple and then had their reception at the Val Vista Lakes Clubhouse. It was a lot of fun. Erica let me plan a lot of the reception which was really fun for me because in my past life I was a wedding planner. Just kidding!


This is Erica and Jake leaving to go on their honeymoon. Woo-woo!

Katie had so much fun dancing the night away. She was all over the floor laughing and twirling in her fancy dress.

Erica and Katie having a little dance together.

Katie is getting down to the music!

Kellen loves to dance with Katie. She and Kellen had so much fun jumping all around and dancing together during the slow songs. It was basically Katie telling Kellen what to do. She's a great instructor!

Our family friend, Jenica Callahan, made this cake for Erica. It was even nicer in person.

This picture does not do the flower arrangements justice. They were so, so pretty. They had colorful flowers and then peacock feather sticking out the top. They were awesome!

James Bond, oops I mean Scott, all dressed up.

Flowers again. They were so pretty in person!

The clubhouse looked so pretty when it was all decorated. Her colors were navy blue and purple. It turned out really nice.

I was honored to do Erica's hair for the wedding. This is how it turned out. It looked better in the morning. This picture was taken well into the night. I just had to have proof of how cute it was that night.

More proof of cute hair. Erica was also brave because she died her hair the night before her wedding. It turned out so pretty. Good thing! It could have been a major disaster. I made her promise before I did it that if she hated it, it was NOT my fault!

Our family photo attempt. Nice try.

My two little monkeys.

My Grandpa Lyle flew from Vancouver, Washington to be at Erica's wedding. It so fun to have him there. He is such a sweet man! He's also 94 years old!!

This is Diana, Shellie and myself, trying to say "I Love You."

As always, Katie looks beautiful!

Posing for the camera.

Katie is waiting for Erica to come out of the temple.

It was so hot the day they got married. Tom was really sweet and got something for me to drink. Somehow Kellen managed to take over and he got to drink my sprite. Stinker! He looked to so cute though. I couldn't take it away.

I have no pinky.

Lately, before the kids go to bed, Tom makes them pinky promise that they will be quiet and not keep each other awake. Just FYI-they share a room right now. If they are loud, one of them is escorted to our room to start off and then we transfer them once they are sound asleep.

The other night it was my turn to make them swear to be good. I had Katie's pinky and I needed to get Kellen's pinky. Here is the conversation that took place.

Me: Kellen, come over here please. I need your pinky to start our pinky promise.

Kellen: Nope, I don't have a pinky.

Me: You do too! Come here, I need your pinky.

Kellen: Nope, I no longer have a pinky. I cannot promise to be good.

This kid is good! Well, tough cookies! I grabbed his pinky and made him swear to be quiet. Believe it or not, they were good and went right to sleep that night.

Kellen's new allergy (NOT!)

Kellen has a friend, Paige, who is allergic to peanut butter. He plays with Paige every Friday at her house and preschool while I am at work. Kellen insists now, and tells everyone he can, that he is now allergic to peanut butter. Oh, and he also insists that he is all grown up and is now four years old. He has been saying this for weeks now and doesn't really turn four for another 11 days. He is such a funny guy!

One Proud Mama!

Today, Katie and Kellen performed in their primary program. Katie recited Luke 1:70 & Kellen said "I can have faith in Jesus Christ". I was a little worried, okay A LOT worried, that Kellen would not get up and say his line. Normally, he cries and throws a large fit during primary, however not today! He didn't sing BUT he did get up and recite his line in front of the entire congregation. I am very proud of my two little friends. Also in attendance for their special day was Grandma Lyle, Grandpa Lyle, Uncle Scott, Aunt Shellie & Uncle Mark.

This could not be comfortable.

Last night I went to Erica's bachelorette party. When I got home I went and checked up on the kids. I found the kids sharing a bed, and Kellen literally sleeping and standing at the same time. I thought it was so funny that I had to take a picture.

Hurry, the mean witch is coming....

In order to get my kids to help me weed the backyard I play games with them. We pretend that a mean witch is going to come if we don't pick all the weeds. The kids took it a step further and decided to dawn some lovely costumes to fight the mean witch.

Here is Katie in her fighting stance.

Katie helped Kellen get ready. He is sporting some long hair. The hair is suppose to protect him from the witch.

Chef Girl-R-De and Sculptor Kellen

The other night Katie and I made cookies for some friends. She put on her chef hat and apron. She was ready to go! Katie helped make some yummy cookies. I love cooking with my little friend.

Also, Kellen and I made homemade play dough. He made a snow man. Here is a picture of his marvelous creation.



The master sculptor and his creation, the snowman!