4 Girls and a Guy

Halloween 2009

2009-10-31T21:13:00.000-07:00

We hope you all had a Happy Halloween. What a beautiful fall day! We had so much fun today with our little family, and are so thankful to be surrounded by such great neighbors, family(Justin and Michelle live 2 doors down)and friends. Enjoy the pictures. As you can see we had the Alice in Wonderland theme going on this year......

Update (We ARE Alive)

2009-10-14T09:04:00.000-07:00

It has been forever I know, and I have no excuses. I am just not great at the blogging thing. I can't seem to keep up. The problem is I just end up getting so far behind, and then I get so overwhelmed and don't know where to start. I am just going to do the best I can to give you a glimpse of our lives the past few months.
Addy started first grade, and she is loving it! She has grown up so much! She has been helping out so much around the house, and the best part about it is she does it without being asked. It makes me so happy! The first couple of days she talked about how long it was, but it only took a few days for her to get used to it. By the way she looks when she gets home I think she plays really hard at recess. She is starting to read so well! I can't believe she is in first grade and is gone all day, but it is also good to see her growing and learning! She is still working really hard on the violin, and is doing really well with it. We are so proud of her! She also played soccer this year and she loved it. She decided she did not want to dance this year, but wanted to try soccer. So of course I was okay with that(less running around for me). Gracie also decided she did not want to dance, and she was so broken hearted that she was not old enough to play soccer. Next year she will be good and ready after watching sis. Her and Faith played on the side lines every game.
Gracie started preschool, and she is feeling pretty big. It was really hard for her when Addy started and she expected to be doing the same thing. So when she started preschool she was upset that she was not there all day, and she didn't get to do school lunch. She is learning how to write her name, the letters, and the numbers, and much more. It is so fun to see her eyes light up when something just clicks! She is planning on starting violin in a month or so. She has been asking for a long time, so I decided I would get her going too.
Faith is doing pretty good now. She has been really sick for the past couple of weeks, but she is finally smiling again. She has always been our child that is always getting the sicknesses going around, and I have decided I am going to have to get a little paranoid. This has by far been the sickest she has been, and as always went to her lungs. It is so hard as a parent to watch your kids suffer with sickness and not know what to do for them. When they are young and can't tell you, you worry a lot more.
She is always finding any pen, pencil, crayon (you name it), and then she colors on anything and everything. She is our little terror. Mark my words she will be the one to cut her hair along with everyone elses. I have been pretty lucky up until this point(knock on wood)! She wants to be just like her sisters, and follows their every move. I love to just watch her try to imitate them! She is starting to talk a lot more and that is always fun when they start to try to say things!
I have been busy playing mom, and running kids here there and everywhere. Once school starts things get a lot crazier. I just ran the St. George marathon, and I couldn't have asked to have done better. I felt really good, and had a great day! It was so much fun! I really liked that course, and plan on doing it again in the near future. Boston is next! My goal was to qualify, and I reached my goal. So I will work towards that after a little break(or a long one). For now I am going to do a little more strength training and only run a couple of days a week.
As for Ryan he is busy working and supporting everyone else. He is such a great dad and husband. He works so hard for our family, and he is so supportive of the things that I enjoy doing. He is also very busy in his church calling. I kind of like when fall comes around because he doesn't work in the yard as much which means I see a lot more of him.
We recently took the two older girls to Disneyland for their birthdays and left Faith home with Grandma and Grandpa. We had such a great time, and I think it was good for the older two to get some one on one time with mom and dad. We also did not do much this summer so it was fun to get away.
Then the day we came back we needed a vacation from our vacation so we took of to Lake Powell for the anual Butler family trip. It is always so fun to go down there. Lake Powell is my favorite because it truly is a break from everything (well most everything) It is always so relaxing and it is fun to spend a week with the family. We always have some good laughs and fun times. I also have to mention that I finally figured out the wakeboard thing for the first time since I have had kids.It was a lot of fun, but I forgot how many crashes it takes before you figure out something. Ryan also did awesome on the wakeboard!
So here are some pictures of the girls first day of school, soccer, the marathon, and our trips. Hopefully I can do a little better at keeping up on the blogging.

Addys Lost Tooth

2009-07-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Well Addy lost her first tooth. She has been so excited ever since she found out it was loose. I thought for sure it was going to be a tramatic experience when it fell out. Well, it almost was. Gracie pulled something out of her mouth in one of their many fights, and Addy came running "my tooth, my tooth, Gracie hit my tooth" I told her to smile, and then it was gone. She then chewed out Gracie because it took us a while to find it, but now she keeps talking about how Gracie pulled her tooth out.
It is always so exciting when they get their first tooth, and also exciting when they lose their first tooth. I can't believe how fast she is growing up! She has been such a big helper. It just makes me realize how much we need to cherish these moments. I took some pictures, but our camera hookup is not working. As soon as I get it working I will post some pictures along with other updates.

Happy Fathers Day To All!

2009-06-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

I just want my wonderful husband to know how much I love him. He is such a wonderful daddy to the girls, and they just love him so much! He works so hard for our family, and I feel so blessed to have found someone so wonderful. This year the girls did some more meaningful gifts for him, and I think he really appreciated them. The girls and I had so much fun making them, and those are the kind of gifts that keep on giving year after year. Anyway Ry thanks for being the wonderful hubby you are, and for being such a great example to all of us. The girls are always going to be daddy's little girls, and I love to see the relationship you share with them. We love you! You are the best!
I also want my wonderful dad to know how much I love him. He and I have always had a special bond, and I look up to him in so many ways. He has always treated my mom like a queen and shown us the way a marriage should be. I am thankful for the relationship we share. We always have a good time, and we are always enjoying a good laugh. He is always willing to make any sacrifice for me and our family. Thanks for being such a great grandpa. The girls love you so much, and always have fun with you. Thanks dad for the dad you are and for always being there for me.
Thanks to Ryans dad for being such a great example, and for teaching him to be such a great husband and father. I have always known where he learned to be such a great man. Thanks for being the grandpa you are! Thanks again for all you do and for being a great example.
And to all the other dads in our life. Thanks for all you do, and for your great example to us.

Happy Mothers Day Mommy!

2009-05-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day Mom! We love you! Thanks for all you do for us and our family! You are the best!! Love, Dad, Addy, Gracie, and Faith

Addy and Gracie's Dance Competition

2009-05-03T07:18:00.000-07:00

Addy's Dance

Addy and Gracie's Dance Competition

2009-05-02T20:00:00.001-07:00

Today Addy and Gracie had their Utah Valley dance competition. Besides the fact that it makes for a really long day it was a lot of fun to go watch them. They both did so good!! Ryan came to the realization today that this is just one of many long dance events that he will be attending over the next 10 to 20 years.....with 3 girls in the house and possibly more in the future. He loves his girls and loved watching them perform. Sorry we didn't have the best of seats during Gracie's performance so the video isn't that great. Grace is in the back center court.

Our Dancing Queen

2009-04-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

Faith has always been our little dancing queen. For as long as I can remember Faith has danced to the beat of any music. Ever since the girls got the stage she has watched her older sisters and she will get on the stage every chance she gets. She absolutely loves the stage, and just lights up when she is on it. I have been trying to get her on video for a long time. This still wasn't her best performance, but I have to say it is pretty cute.

Last stop... Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos Islands

2009-04-29T18:20:00.000-07:00

Our last port of call was Grand Turk. Although very beautiful it was the most undeveloped island we stopped on. What a simple way of life and the people are so happy!! We could learn a lot from this. Ryan said it reminded him a lot of the Philippines. Hurricane Ike hit there about 6 months before, and you could still see the devastating affects of that. The cruise lines have dropped a lot of money on the port, there is a nice beach and pool area with a flowrider and then a lot shops and don't forget.... Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville! We took a taxi downtown looking for some shopping and when we got "downtown" we realized downtown was about 5 multi colored shops with cool native products. We looked around and then spent the rest of the day at the beach. More snorkeling for Ryan and Craig..... more sun for Amanda and I.

St. Thomas

2009-04-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Next stop was St. Thomas, part of the US Virgin Islands. You could definitely tell this island was territory of the Good olde U.S. of A. We were able to get Subway.. my favorite!! While on St. Thomas we booked an excursion and went on the BOSS underwater scooters. It was awesome! They were little scooters that you rode on about 10-15 feet under the surface that had big bubbles(that make your head look tiny..enjoy the pics lol) that your head went up in and you just breathed normally. They took us out to an island off of St. Thomas to a place called Turtle Cove. The name Turtle Cove comes from all the Sea Turtles(obviously). According to our guide there was a certain type of grass that grew in that cove that the turtles eat. The under water scooters made it possible to get up close and personal to sea life. After our scooter tour Ryan was able to snorkel in the cove for about and hour. He saw some huge sea turtles, stingrays, and even a barracuda. The Turtles were not at all afraid of humans. A few of them surfaced right by Ryan while he was out snorkeling. Definitely one of our favorite stops!

Formal Dinner Night #2

2009-04-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

As mentioned on an earlier post there were 2 formal dinner nights on the cruise. Here are some pictures from that night. Dinner was always fun! Ryan especially enjoyed it... not only because of all the great food, but many of the workers on the ship were from the Philippines, and our waitress (Jovy) each night at dinner was from the Philippines and even more exciting then that, she was from an area that Ryan served in on his mission. He really enjoyed the opportunity to speak the language again. It was funny to watch their eyes light up as he would begin to speak as Cebuano is not a very common language... especially not from a big American guy. (Cruise Tip from Jenny and Ryan.... If you go on a cruise be sure to book one with "anytime dinning" that way you can eat your schedule, not theirs.) It made it much more convenient.

St. Maarten/St. Martin

2009-04-19T08:25:00.000-07:00

This was the second Island we stopped at on our Cruise. St. Martin is the smallest Island in the world to be controlled by two powers. Half of the Island is owned by the Dutch and the other half is owned by the French. It was cool to be able to see the 2 different cultures on one Island. When we got to the island we decided to rent a Jeep so we could travel around the island at our own pace. Ryan loved driving the Jeep... I think he misses his Jeep. We drove around to the French side of the island and spent most of the day at Orient Beach. It was BEAUTIFUL! We love white sandy beaches and the water was so clear and blue. We had to be careful what parts of the beach we frequented as you know the French.... clothing optional beaches are common. This island was one of our favorite stops as we were able to para sail. It was awesome to be floating that high over the ocean and take it all in. The water was so clear that from up there we were able to a sea turtle swimming below us. Para sailing is a definite must do if you ever get the chance. Later that day we did some shopping downtown before boarding the ship. What a day!

"Will Walk for CHOCOLATE"

2009-04-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

Faith finally started walking on her own tonight. She has been walking against things or holding on to something, but tonight we pulled out some M&M's to bribe her. She is like her mother.... she will do almost anything for chocolate. Especially M&M's!(Notice her tounge going in and out at the first) Good job Faith we are proud of you! Let the fun begin!

Formal Dinner Night #1

2009-04-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

There were two formal dinner nights on the cruise ship. It was actually really fun to get all dressed up for dinner and eat fancy food. Amanda and I were turning heads everywhere we went on the ship. At first we thought it was because we looked so good (lol) and then we realized that it was because our dresses were so modest. :) I actually wore shade t-shirts under my dresses because they were sleeveless. "Were not in Utah anymore Toto" I guess you probably don't see shirts under Spaghetti straps/sleeveless dresses very often elsewhere? Later that night on the ship they had another Dance party. Ryan was asked to be in a Hula Hoop contest....He thought that since he could do it on the Wii at home with 5 hoops that he could "represent" on the ship....not so much. Practice makes perfect babe!

Princess Cays, Bahamas

2009-04-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

Princess Cays is off the Southern most tip of the Island of Eleuthera. It is an island owned by Princess so we had the island all to ourselves (and the other 3492 passengers on the ship) It was a really chill day. They had a bunch of beach activities and a big BBQ. We spent most of the day lounging in the sun listening to the live music played by a few of the locals. Craig and Ryan did some snorkeling while Amanda and I worked on our tans. They were serving drinks in coconut shells carved like monkey heads. I just had to have one! What a fun day!

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T20:19:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter Sunday today! We woke up and had a great breakfast with the girls. Dad got to hang out with us all morning because his Sunday meetings were cancelled today. We had a great day at Church. There were some great talks given today about the Atonement and the Resurrection. What a blessing each is in our lives. Tonight we had a BBQ with Justin and Michelle's family and Clay, after which we took a nice walk over to the park and enjoyed the beautiful weather.....I hear it is supposed to snow this week. Yikes! Here are some pictures of the girls in their Easter Dresses. As you can see they are pretty camera shy...? :) We hope you had a great Easter Sunday!

The Love Boat 2009!

2009-04-11T18:26:00.000-07:00

On March 29th it was our 7th wedding anniversary! To celebrate we went on a cruise with our great friends the Philipps. We went on the Crown Princess and sailed the eastern Caribbean. We left from Fort Lauderdale Florida on Sunday and spent the first day on the ship heading to the Bahamas. We loved the ship! Cruise liners are massive. It it just amazed us that it could even float. There was tons of fun things to do always and not to mention FOOD.... FOOD..... and more FOOD!!!(Right up Ryan's alley) While on the ship they have all types of dance lessons, live music, magic shows, illusionists, comedians, movies, musicals, etc. In the middle on the top Deck of the ship they had a huge Movie screen(movies under the stars) that they showed movies and concerts on. We watched some good movies and the Tina Turner Concert.... man can she shake it for her age!!! We spent a lot of our time during the day on the ship soaking up the sun and sipping on Pina Coladas and Strawberry Daiquiris. Then at night went to a nice sit down dinner (did I mention there was a lot of food?) and then did some dancing. There was a club called Skywalkers on the top deck and we pretty much ended every night up there dancing until 1 in the morning or so. Good times were had by all. Thanks to our Parents for making it possible for us to do this as they took great care of our girls while we were away. It was so nice to get away and celebrate our marriage that started 7 short years ago. It was awesome for us to be on a 10 day date and give each other our undivided attention 24/7 as it is easy to forget what it was like before kids. Stay tuned we plan to blog more on each one of our Island stops real soon. Next stop Princess Cays, Bahamas!

Oh golly "Miss Molly"

2009-04-11T11:36:00.000-07:00

Introducing "Molly" the newest member of our family. She is a teacup Maltese. She is 10 weeks old and weighing in at a whopping 2 pounds. Both her Mom and Dad are only 4 pounds so we don't expect her to get too much bigger. The girls absolutely love her, but why wouldn't you? Faith just sits there and grunts at her and trys to rub her face on hers. Tish(our pug) is making it known who is boss, but for the most part has been really patient. Here are some pictures....she is tiny!

St. Patricks Day Fun

2009-03-18T16:07:00.000-07:00

We had the annual green pancakes, eggs, and sausage for St. Patricks Day. Last year was not a hit for Gracie. The green eggs and pancakes just threw her over the edge! This year they enjoyed it! I guess Addy is getting too big for the dress up?? We could not talk her in to it, but the other two really enjoyed it. Gracie kept saying all day when are we going to the St. Patricks, and I am not really sure what she meant, but we had a fun day. We all dressed up in our green, and I am so bummed because I got a picture of the morning dress up and breakfast, but forgot to get it of all of us in our green. Here are the pictures of the girls dressing up.

No Cavities ( THANK HEAVENS)

2009-03-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

The girls had their usual six month check up the other day, and we all know what a traumatizing experience that is for Addy. Gracie does okay, but Addy no. We figured out the hard way after the first visit that we can't mention anything about going until we are on our way there. The poor girl just gets so nervous. She has not had a cavity yet, but we pray every time that she will not have one, because if the checkups are this bad I can't imagine feeling a cavity or something. I took the camera to get some pictures of the experience, but my hands get pretty full with Addy freaking out, Gracie wanting me by her, and Faith needing to be held. I did manage to get a few at a good time, and of course after the visit is over and the dentist has mentioned no cavities a smile.

I love to see the Temple.

2009-03-18T15:36:00.000-07:00

We took the girls to the Draper Temple open house last week. It was such a neat feeling to have our whole family in the temple together! What a blessing that Families can be together Forever! The girls thought it was pretty neat, and had plenty of questions. They both mentioned the celestial room and the brides rooms were their favorites. Afterwards we went to eat and get desert. I love my little family so much and always love those fun memorable family times.

Girls Weekend

2009-03-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

I have had the opportunity twice in the last month and a half to go down to St. George to run races, and have a girls weekend. We had such a great time! It was really nice to get away, and get a break! I think that is only the second or third time I have ever been a way over night with out any of my kids. I love them to death, but we all now how much an occasional break is needed. Anyway the one this last weekend was a like a small Wasatch Back. Instead of 178 miles from Logan to Park City, it was only 50 miles. There were 5 of us, and we each ran two legs ranging from 4-6 miles. We ended up taking third, and doing a lot better then we thought we would. It was there first year doing this race, so they definitely need to make some improvements like better signs showing directions (I ended up taking a little detour on one of my runs, and getting a little lost), but all in all it was fun and I would consider doing it again! Here are a few pictures of the trip.

Precious Moments

2009-03-02T20:44:00.001-08:00

Today was one of those days! Along with every little thing going wrong that could have the girls had been fighting constantly, and Faith had been crying the majority of the day due to double ear infections. Well anyway I had had it, and was telling the girls it was time for bed. They proceeded to throw fits and say "we have a surprise, we have a surprise" I decided to just see what exactly they had, and lets just say I melted!
They had set up a dinner for two right in front of the stage. We were getting dinner for two and a show. The plates were made out of type paper. They had pretend food set out, the table was the dress up box, and they had rounded up some flowers for the center. What a date! Sometimes kids just know what we need don't they? I am thankful for my girls and for the opportunity I have to be a mom. Here are some pictures of the dinner and some videos of the show (and I love their music selection, if only it could stay this way through the teenage years).

Day With The Girls

2009-02-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

Today I took the girls to the spa to get their toes done. It was their Christmas present to me. We had a lot of fun! It was nice to spend some quality time with them, and I think they really enjoyed it! I was bummed that I forgot my cameras because I could have gotten some funny pictures. Gracie was really relaxed and enjoying herself. At one point she turned to me and said "isn't this the greatest mom?" She was making me laugh the whole time. Then there was Addy who was eating it up. That is just right up her alley. She was just smiling from ear to ear the whole time, but didn't say much. It is so fun to be able to do things like this with my girls. Hopefully we will do it again soon, and i can get some pictures.

Big Day For Addy

2009-02-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day for Addy. She graduated from the first stage of her violin book. She did so good! There was a lot of people there, and it was her first time up on stage in a big auditorium. I think she got some of her moms nerves, but I think if she does it enough she will get over it. We are so proud of her! She has worked so hard the past six months, and she has accomplished a lot. We love you Addy! Keep up the good work.

This is REALLY FUNNY!

2009-02-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

Melanie had this on her blog and I got a good laugh at it. I know some people in my family would get a kick out of it to.....so here it is.

THIS PICTURE WAS TURNED IN AS A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT.(Here's the reply the teacher received the following day from the mother of the child)Dear Mrs. Jones,I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told my daughter how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had, and then I found one more in the back room, and that several people were fighting over who would get it. Her picture doesn't show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot.From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.Sincerely,Mrs. Smith

Jesus wants me for Sunbeam.............

2009-02-10T19:41:00.000-08:00

I like many others have had a hard time keeping up with this whole blogging thing, but wanted to post some of the recent happenings in our home. Gracie was so excited because the new year meant that she was finally old enough to go to Primary. Good bye Nursery hello......Primary! Gracie is our child that says whatever is on her mind and makes us laugh constantly! The other day I had been running around crazy getting ready for Faith's Birthday Party and I sat down on the couch next to Gracie and said "I am pooped"..... she sniffed for a second and said....."I can't smell it?" Oh of the Mouth of babes.......Here is a picture of her first day in Sunbeams!!! We love you Grace!

Our Baby Girl Is One

2009-02-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how fast time flies! It seems like yesterday we were in the hospital welcoming our little Faith Olivia into this world, and now she is one. She brings us so much joy and happiness! She is always happy and bringing smiles to everyones faces. She is always watching her older sisters and trying to follow their every move(that could be scary). They love her so much, and are always helping me with her. You could definately say she has three moms. She is going to be one tough cookie from all the beating she takes from them thinking they are being great helpers, but yet they don't quite understand that she is a little too heavy for them to be carrying around....... but hey that's what big sisters are for right? Faith we love you so much, and are so glad you are part of our family! Thanks for being such a great little girl, and bringing such a sweet spirit into our home.
Here are some pictures of her party. She has always been our little "love bug" so we decided to have her party themed as a love bug. It turned out cute, and she was so happy at her party. Grandma Lund made her a lady bug cake that was so cute! (and delicious as usual) Thanks for all the nice gifts everyone gave Faith. We appreciate your support! We love you all!

WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON NEW YEARS EVE?

2008-12-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

We want to invite all of our Freinds, Family, and Neighbors to our annual NEW YEARS EVE PARTY. Get your babysitters now......come for a few hours or stay till midnight!

Wednesday December 31st

7:30 till we ring in the New Year!

Location: Our Home (email ryan@inwesttitle.com if you need directions)

FOOD, MOVIES, GAMES, ROCKBAND, Wii SPORTS, FIREWORKS AT MIDNIGHT

We hope to see you all New Years Eve!!!!

Keisel Family Christmas

2008-12-28T16:30:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had this year. Christmas Eve we had dinner at Justin and Michelle's home and had a great time singing karaoke! Later that night we came over to our home and watched Christmas Vacation (a long time Keisel Family tradition) Jared and Leslie and the girls came by to visit as well. It was fun to have family in our home on Christmas eve. Later that night we opened our new pajamas and got ready for bed. Before going to bed the girls went out and sprinkled the "Magic Reindeer Dust" that Santa had sent them. It consists of of oats and glitter that you sprinkle on your lawn. The smell of the oats will guide the reindeer right to your house. The glitter will sparkle and shine in the moonlight to help Santa find a safe spot to land. As you sprinkle the magic dust you think about the very first Christmas. Oats were used to feed the animals that surrounded Baby Jesus in the manger and the sparkle of the glitter reminds us of the bright star that appeared in the heavens on that special, sacred night.

Christmas morning we waited and waited for our kids to get up. Addy finally got up at about 8:30am and went and woke up Gracie. There is nothing like the magic kids bring Christmas morning. It was so fun to watch our girls open their gifts from Santa and the appreciation they showed for them. Faith was a blast this year too. It was her first Christmas and I think she could get used to the idea of it all, except for sitting on Santa's lap.

Later that day we faced the roads and made our way out to Grantsville. It was so great to be able to spend Christmas Day with our families. We love you all very much and hope that you had a very Merry Christmas!

Addy's School Program

2008-12-28T15:11:00.000-08:00

It has been a crazy month so I am just getting around to posting some of the happenings in December. Addy had her Kindergarten Christmas Program. The children sang Christmas songs and did a live nativity scene. Addy's teacher asked her to play Jingle Bells on the violin. It was her first Solo performance and she did a great job! (Especially since there were probably 75-100 people there) I have posted the video for you to enjoy! We are SO proud of you Addy! Keep up the hard work! (Be sure to pause my playlist on the right side of the screen before starting the video)

Christmas Dance Recitals

2008-12-28T14:50:00.000-08:00

This year both Addy and Gracie took Dance from "Mrs. Pam" They worked really hard to perfect their moves before the big recital. Both Addy and Gracie did a great job! It took Gracie a minute to get warmed up, but by the time they got to Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, she was cut'n up the stage. Look out Dancing with the Stars here comes the Keisel Sisters!!

Here comes Santa Claus......

2008-12-24T13:16:00.001-08:00

Christmas Eve 2008

2008-12-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

Happy Christmas Eve! Today we took the kids out and built snowmen. It has been a tradition of ours each year to build funny snowmen in our yard. After we finished we came inside and had a nice mug of Hot Chocolate with whipcream and dip toast....delicious! The kids are really wound up for Santa to come. We are a little bit excited too! Christmas is so much fun with kids. We love our girls so much. They bring so much joy to us and our home. Merry Christmas from our home to yours! May the TRUE Spirit of Christmas bless you today and always!

2008-11-15T17:27:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2008

This year was one of the nicest Halloween nights I can
remember in a long time! We took the girls Tick or Treating
around the neighborhood and because it was so warm we were able to stay
out longer and they got way too much candy!!
Our neighborhood is so fun! We feel so blessed to be surrounded by
such great families and friends! On Halloween night Ryan made homemade
Root Beer and put it out for everyone to enjoy. Some homes have Hot
Chocolate out, another home makes delicious homemade donuts every year.
What a fun night!

Grand"Mummies" Halloween Party 2008

2008-10-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

We had Grand"Mummies" Halloween Party this last weekend at our home. It was a lot of fun! We had everything from Swamp Water to Pumpkin Pizza and "Dragon Claws" with "Dracula's Blood Dip" (Chips and Salsa). We all played bingo, pin the nose on the pumpkin, eat the ghost, and rat race. The losers had to do the MONSTER MASH! That was funny! We ended the night by letting the kids trick or treat by knocking on the doors of the rooms in our home. Grandpa Guy stumped them at his door when he said he wanted to see a trick before they could get the treat......We have some training to do before Halloween night. Thanks Grammie Judy for the fun night! We look forward to next year!

2008-10-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

The blonde and the beautiful!
Doesn't she look like a little cabbage patch doll?
I just love her little kissy cheeks!

2008-10-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

Some friends in our neighborhood had an 80's Halloween party last night. We new that the majority of people were going to be wearing the leg warmers, bananna clips, stretch pants, mullets, and MC Hammer pants. We wanted to be different (shocker) so we pulled out the smurf card. We had a smurfin good time! Thanks for the great time Melissa T and Mellissa O!

Centerpieces

2008-10-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

The other day we were having some friends over for breakfast. While we were busy in the kitchen the girls really wanted to help. We told them we had everything under control and that is when Addy said we will just take care of the centerpieces. This is what they came up with. Gracie is on the left, and Addy's on the right. Kids always find a way to brighten up your day.

Disneyland 2008

2008-10-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

Earlier this month we took the family to California on vacation. We were lucky to have Grandpa and Grandma Butler be part of the experience. It was an exciting trip that we thought would never get here. We booked the vacation earlier this year and somehow word got out to the girls months in advance that we were going, so every day when Gracie would wake up she would say "Are we going to Disneyland today?" As our departure date got closer Jen put a countdown calendar on our fridge made out Mickey Mouse ears that said...."Were going to Disneyland" Each day the girls got to take a letter off until we departed on our trip. Unfortunately, little Gracie was really sick the first few days were were there, but got better mid week. The girls had a great time in Toon Town and loved anything that had Princesses involved. Addy's favorite ride was Alice in Wonderland. Gracie loved the tea cups. (As you can see in the pictures we all enjoyed them) Addy was so glad that she finally got to meet Jasmine and get here autograph. She is hands down her favorite princess. Gracie loved it when she was able to talk to Cinderella and have her sign her autograph book at the Princess Fantasyfaire. Faith was awarded the "Best Traveler" award. She did not make a peep the entire trip. I think she was not trying to draw any attention to herself as she was not to sure about the characters walking around. Grandpa and Grandma were troopers as well! We shut down the parks every night and enjoyed having them experience Disneyland with our girls. Grandpa and Grandma went on every ride. Grandma especially liked the California Screamin Roller Coaster and the Tower of Terror! Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for making memories with us! We look forward to the next trip. It was fun to have the girls experience their first Airplane flight, Disneyland, Sea World and the beautiful Ocean, but most of all it was great to be together as a family!

Addy's 5th Birthday!

2008-10-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

Wow! She is 5! Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday we were in the hospital having our first baby girl, and now she is five. We went to the primrose retreat spa for Addy's party, and I think the girls had a fun time! They were able to do a fashion show, get their nails and toes done , and then have a tea party. It was right up Addy's alley! This year ended up being a extra long celebration for both girls birthdays because we flew out to Disneyland the next morning, and celebrated their birthdays along with Grandpa Garys BIG 50th for another week. Disneyland pictures coming soon!

Gracie's 3rd Birthday

2008-10-22T20:38:00.002-07:00

As most of you know both Addy and Gracie's birthdays are in September, which makes September a busy month for us, and now that I am finally getting to posting I thought I would post some pictures of the girls birthdays. Gracie wanted a princess (cinderella) party. We decorated princess mirrors, and it was fun to see the girls being so creative. Gracie did all of her decorating on the inside on the top of the mirror. She is always making us laugh! She is are tender hearted, but yet goofy child. I can't believe she is 3! We love you Gracie!

2008-10-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

Well I finally created a blog for our family, but now I have to figure out all the secrets. Hopefully I can keep up with it, things get pretty crazy around here with the young ones.
We just got back from Disneyland with the girls and grandma and grandpa. We had a great time although our little Gracie who had been excited for months about the trip ended up getting sick, and spending the majority of the trip in the stroller asleep. We still tried to make the best of it and we had a great time! Faith gets the best traveler award! She did not make a peep the entire trip, and that made things a lot easier! We look forward to going again in the future, but we got our disney fix for a while.