My 3 year old terror!

As some of you may know Kellen is a rather challenging young man. He has a ton of energy and can be rather rough with others at times. He used to be so easy going...that is until he got to be about 3 years old. Someone flipped the switch, and BOOM, Kellen turned into a major stinker. Here are just some examples:

1) The other day in nursery Kellen was running around bothering the rest of the children (as usual) and then proceeded to lift his left leg in a karate position and knocked 3 children over like bowling pins. I cringe at the thought of 3 kids falling because of my son, but yes, it happened!

2) Exciting news...Kellen is now potty trained! YEAH!! The other day we were at an activity that did not have toilets available. Kellen really had to go to the bathroom. So, Tom took him behind a bush and taught him how to go "pee-pee" in the great outdoors. The other night Kellen announced that he had to go to the bathroom. I was doing the dishes, turned and looked over to see Kellen stripping down as fast as he can while running toward the backyard door. I didn't even have time to stop him from going outside. He now thinks that going potty outside is what we do all the time. Sigh....

3) Kellen is getting ready to go to primary. Bless his new sunbeam teacher!! She will have a million more blessings in heaven now that she is Kellen's new teacher!!! Anyhow, Kellen refused to put his shoes on after going potty (there must be some kind of trend here with potty and misbehaving?). He came into primary all dressed in his Sunday best and no shoes or socks. He looked precious and homeless all at the same time. Little weird!

4) He terrorizes his sister and her little friends. I always hear "Kellen, stop hitting me!!!" coming from Katie's room. I then get to try and seperate the kids the whole time Katie has a friend over. Such a pain.

5) Ever since Kellen was little he has loved to play with my hair. He loves to twist his little fingers in my hair. His latest thing is to twist the hair so hard that his finger gets stuck and starts turning purple. So, I get to either find a way to get his little finger lose OR cut the hair that is strangling his finger. I have tried many, many times to get Kellen to play with Tom's hair. It just isn't good enough. It was worth a try.

I just hope that someday my young hellion will be nice and loving to all. That he will not karate chop others, go potty in the toliet at ALL times, and wear his shoes during all church meetings, and just be kind!!! Kellen, I love you, but honestly son, you are a stinker!!!!

One of my favorite books is "Love You Forever." The best part is this...

The baby grew. He grew and he grew and he grew. He grew until he was two years old, and he ran all around the house. He pulled all the books off the shelves. He pulled all the food out of the refrigerator and he took his mother's watch and flushed it down the toilet. Sometimes his mother would say, "this kid is driving me CRAZY!"

But at night time, when that two-year-old was quiet, she opened the door to his room, crawled across the floor, looked up over the side of his bed; and if he was really asleep she picked him up and rocked him back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. While she rocked him she sang:
I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, As long as I'm living my baby you'll be.

I totally relate!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Farm

On Friday we went to lunch with the fam at The Farm. It was a great little restuarant that had tables outside for picnicking. The kids had a blast. We got to see chickens and a little farm. When you are there you would never know that it is in South Phoenix. It's so cute.
Tom and Kellen taking walk.

Katie striking a pose. She said that this pose was her "sassy pose".

Thanksgiving 2009

My poor family has to put up with my many, many antics. This year I told Katie that we should dress up like pilgrims and indians. Katie and I made hats for everyone to wear. They had no choice but to wear them. I am glad that they were all great sports about it.

This year we have witnessed some super miracles. We have a lot to be grateful for!!!

Katie was wearing her hat and indian make-up.

Scott and Shellie. This picture is sure funny!!

I dared my mom to play the part of Sacajuwea. She actually did it! Way to go mom!!! Here she is with my dad enjoying a yummy dinner.

Tom, Uncle Brent, Grandma Higgins, and Grandpa Higgins.

Di, "Chief" Scott, and Shellie.

Chief Scott!!!

Kellen and Katie. I just love to see them hug like this. Katie is wearing indian war paint for dinner.

Tom and I were trying to be super serious for this picture. It didn't work. I am trying not to laugh and Tom is making a face.

Grandpa Higgins and Di preparing dinner.

Shellie, Di, and Uncle Brent finishing the yummy stuffing.

Katie's Second Tooth

This past month Katie lost her second tooth!!!! The tooth fairy came to visit her again, and left her a note. Her top, front tooth is now loose.

Newest craft

As many of you know, I love to do crafts. I did this one for my friend Melissa who just had a cute, cute baby girl, Adeline.

Halloween 2009

This year Katie chose three different costumes. She was an angel for her school parade.

Here we are carving pumpkins. Katie did such a great job carving out her pumpkin. Also, notice her second costume, a cheetah. She went to a birthday/halloween party and she chose to wear a cheetah costume.

Kellen was so proud of his pumpkin. He drew the face and I helped him cut it out.

Here are the finished pumpkins in all their glory!!

Okay, what you ask?? This year Tom has been practicing with a band from our ward. He really enjoys the time out to play music and have fun. Their band was asked to perform at our ward's Fall Festival. Of course, they were in costume and posing for photos.

Katie and Kellen in their costumes for the Fall Festival. Here is Katie's third costume. This time she wanted to be a witch with vampire teeth. Katie couldn't get enough of dressing up whereas Kellen didn't even want to dress up. We had to convince him that dressing up for Halloween is fun. For the longest time he insisted on being Kellen! Finally, at his preschool Halloween party he changed his mind. He is such a strong willed child!!!!!!!

Apparently, all of Tom's friends and family are convinced that Arizona is much better then California. All of the people in this photo are from CA and live here now.

Here is Tom performing and playing bass guitar for the Fall Festival.

Katie and Kellen got to go Trick-or-Treating with their cousins Hailey, Tyler, and Jack.

Katie was invited to an after Halloween party. The costume is the same but she wanted a green face this time. I think she really needs to be in some type of play production so she can dress up all the time!!!

Halloween Party!!!!

For some reason it took me forever to post about our awesome Halloween party! It was so much fun. We had great food (thanks to Cherise, Jayme, and a little bit me). We had super fun people and kareoke!!! Thank you everyone for coming. Thank you Cherise and Jayme for planning and making this party so much fun!

Me being a dork!

Wade and Laura singing a duet. They were singing "Love shack". Laura had a great voice and Wade...well, he did a great job too.

Cherise doing some awesome karoeke.

Popeye and Olive Oil dancing to some beautiful music by Tom.

Here is Tom doing some awesome Karoeke. He sounds marvelous!!

Wade and Sarah Jespersen as "Pirates". They looked great!

John and Jayme Dosdall. Jayme was a fairy and John as a track star??

Brian and Mary McKleskey as "Pam and Jim" from the office. They it this costume nailed, even down to Pam's keds.

Natalie and Andy Whitcher as "witch and ER". (Get it witch-er, their last name!!)

Me and Tom as "Flapper Girl and Gangster". Although Tom would prefer to called a "boot legger". Is it really that much more manly??

Pablo and Amber Hernandez as Ricki and Lucy Ricardo. We even got Pablo to sing a little Labamba for us. He was pretty awesome at it!

Evan and Rachel Rae as "Surfer Dude and H1N1 Swine Flu".

John and Cherise Halliday as "Emmet and Rosalie" from Twilight.

Chris and Melissa Braegger as "Walmart Couple/white trash couple".

Just some of us eating the yummy soup.