4 : 1 :: Estrogen : Testosterone

Look at These Big Girls Sitting at the Table!

2009-11-03T11:18:00.000-08:00

Candy Corn

2009-10-29T13:40:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was the always a blast Cousins Bash. Somehow Brooklee and Dallyn escaped into the kitchen. I knew they were there but I was enjoying the conversation too much to go check on them. Next thing I know I see Brooklee and the stains in the front of her dress. It only took a second to realize that it was candy corn drool. That'll teach me to watch my kids better. (Sorry Dana! And yes, it all came out of her dress, and no, she wasn't crazy on the way home.)

These Bums

2009-10-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

The past couple of posts I have meant to share something monumental. As of about two weeks ago Adriel can tell these bums apart. In the past when she had something to complain about she would come running in to me and say "that baby {long pause while she thinks}". Then she'd leave and come back shortly, "that baby in the pink hit that baby in the purple."

So finally she can now tell them apart and has corrected me a time or too. She is proud to share with her cousins or friends that "Dallyn has a scarf on her forehead."

Also there have been a couple of occasions when I have misnamed a twin and they have corrected me. It's so cute to hear them say their own and each other's names!

Pumpkins!

2009-10-20T12:29:00.000-07:00

The tractor ride to the pumpkin patchNotice the sticker on Brooklee's hand? Adriel got those in the mail from Grandmama and insisted on bringing them to the pumpkin patch. She kept saying she was going to give one to the tractor driver, which she did, along with all the kids that were on the tractor with us.Brooklee finds her pumpkin. The rule was that the kids had to be able to carry their own pumpkin, mainly because we didn't want to pay for the huge ones :)We opted to paint, rather than carve, pumpkins this year. I was anticipating cute faces, but only Phillip went that route. (Well, the face he painted wasn't exactly cute...he wanted to have fangs and dripping blood.)It did start getting a little messy, especially when Brooklee got bored with the pumpkin and painted her feet instead.The painted pumpkins

Hogle Zoo

2009-10-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

We had a great time at the zoo. I was surprised to see that the gorilla thing had been updated!The highlight was going on the train, but no pictures from that because I was making sure no one fell out. Here is the whole group.And this one is even better because it was taken with Jenny's camera instead of my cell phone.

Two Year Old Portraits

2009-10-12T14:23:00.001-07:00

Brooklee
28 lbs. (73%)
35 in. (81%)Dallyn
31 lbs. (91%)
35 in. (81%)

First Day of Preschool

2009-10-11T22:15:00.001-07:00

Not surprisingly Adriel loves going to preschool. Sometimes when I ask her what she did or what she ate for snacks she responds with, "I don't want to tell you."And, of course, the silly picture.Also Tyler took this picture of Dallyn this morning and it is my new favorite of her :)

Recent Accomplishments by Tyler

2009-10-08T21:18:00.000-07:00

Chicken enchiladas. He not only took this picture but requested a blog post.Rainbow trout. Tyler loves to take the girls fishing. Sometimes he comes home with a fish and eats it for lunch. The girls just like to feed the ducks and play on the playground. He also had THREE job interviews today. It would be so nice to have a job lined up for after graduation in April. Way to go, Tyler!

Just because I don't drink wine doesn't mean that I can't catch fruitflies with it

2009-09-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Also since today was really cold and I can see snow on the mountains from my window, why do I still have to fight the battle against flies?

Dallyn & Brooklee's Birthday Celebration!

2009-09-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

The day started with a favorite: raspberries!"I TWO!"Adriel picked out two of her baby dolls to give to each of her sisters.Blankets from the parents and strollers from the grandparents completed the ensemble.Isabella looks so cute in her hat! We were happy to have Rebecca & Joel and Beau & Mackenzie join us.They have not stopped pushing around those strollers.This is Brooklee's plate. She took one bite of her cake then was off to play with her stroller. Dallyn was too busy playing and refused to get in her chair so she didn't eat any cake at all!

These Bathing Beauties are Two!

2009-09-16T06:55:00.000-07:00

Tan Lines

2009-09-06T08:46:00.000-07:00

Goodbye summer. This is all we have left to remember you...

Liberty Jail

2009-09-04T18:05:00.000-07:00

While driving cross country we took a lunchtime stop at Liberty Jail. I was glad to have taken these pictures because for the first Sunday back the Primary lesson was on the Prophet Joseph's trials during that incarceration. The students in our class really liked seeing the pictures to visualize what the jail was like.Those walls were really thick! I'm glad we could visit this historical site and feel the Spirit testify that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.

We May Finally Have a Stylist in the Family

2009-08-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

Many times my sisters and I have mentioned that with all of our cousins it's really a shame that no one went to beauty school. I am always looking for that perfect stylist. Well, the night before we left for the road trip home we found Adriel in the bathroom with scissors and a pile of hair.She was smiling because we were taking a picture so I was trying to convey the gravity of the situation and told her to make a frowny face.The thing is, though, (that we're trying NOT to let her know), that the swoop bangs look pretty cute! Maybe she'll be my perfect stylist!And, speaking of that road trip, yes we are back at home and happy to be here. These are the only pics I have from the trip, Dallyn and Brooklee enjoying their applesauce. I LOVE that straw trick!

And While the Parents Were Gone...

2009-08-29T20:26:00.000-07:00

...the kids got to see the horses at Mackenzie's barn!

NYC!

2009-08-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

Thanks to some GREAT babysitters on the homefront, Tyler and I were able to enjoy a weekend in the city! It was his first time there so we had to do all the fun touristy things...
...like going to Times Square,riding the subway,seeing a show,and getting a birds eye view of Central Park from Top of the Rock.Ryan and Katrina moved there just in time to host us, thanks guys!

Beach: Phase III

2009-08-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love Duck, Duck, Goose on the beach?The girls LOVED the boogieboard. Pappy would carry one out on the board drop her in a wave and she would ride in!Auntie Ashley is always a favorite.Adriel told me that she and Ryder would kick the wave and then run away and scream. Sounds like a fun game. She also told me this morning that Ryder doesn't suck his thumb and that she misses him.Series of group shots:Our attempt to get all five grandkids.Gram's great-grandchildren--we missed you, Hunter, Porter and Dallin!

Beach: Phase II

2009-08-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

Reading on the beach (I didn't get a ton of time to do this, but enjoyed the time that I did get.)Dallyn swimming with Pappy.Brooklee's turn--why is she wearing a shoe in the pool?Adriel loved her bed in the closet. Ashley loved snuggling with her.

Beach: Phase I

2009-08-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

Stories from Auntie Ashley,playing in the tide pools with Pappy,football on the beach,and all because we are lucky enough to be in Gram's family!

Romans' Numeral

2009-07-29T05:47:00.000-07:00

I watch CNN every morning at the gym and I really like Christine Roman and her Romans' Numeral. BTW: You know it's going to be a hot day when you need to use the AC in the car at 5:45.

Today's Romans' Numeral is 24.

Brooklee and Pappy were out in the garden before dinner yesterday and 24 is the number of cherry tomatoes that Brooklee ate.

Fun Saturday!

2009-07-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

It was so fun to play all day Saturday! First stop was Frying Pan Park. We are becoming regulars at that place!To obey or not to obey...(she didn't).Then to the pool which is so much better with Daddy.

Cousin Grace

2009-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

See this girl? That's Grace...aka "my friend". As in, Adriel would say, "mom, where's my friend?" I guess sometimes she couldn't remember Grace's name. Or the small detail that Grace is her cousin. Either way we are so happy that we got to have Grace at our house for a whole week!See these babies? Grace was so helpful to put bibs on them and give them sippy cups.See these cookies? If you're going to the beach with us next week you'll get to eat these cookies that Grace, Marcy, and Adriel made.Brooklee and Dallyn helped too.See this crowd? This was the gang the whole week. We all went to the park, the free movie, the pool. Our neighbor joined in for a lot of the fun. I felt like I didn't see Adriel the whole week because she was so busy doing whatever the big girls were doing.See this fancy box?This is what Grace made to keep the not one.....but two turtles that were in our yard.We miss you, Grace!

Watch Out For This Girl!

2009-07-22T17:36:00.000-07:00

And thank you, Page, for the great idea of sipping yogurt!

Playing in the Kitchen

2009-07-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

Fourth of July

2009-07-15T11:33:00.000-07:00

This was one of the first holidays that Adriel actually understood...kind of. She had been in the gym daycare the day before and got stars painted on the back of her hand and she kept saying, "it's a holiday, red, white, and blue!" Anyways, and if you are ever in Northern Virginia for the Fourth of July it is definitely worth it to hit up Claude Moore Park. We started out at the Heritage Farm Museum. The babies loved playing in the old-time store.Adriel planted a "victory garden", rode horses, watched a reptile show, made crafts, etc. Here is the fam on the tractor ride (for which Tyler stood in line for 40 minutes). Adriel and Carson as George and Martha.The night was complete with a BBQ with the Taggs!