Ducks!

After a preschool visit to Wasatch Mtn Park with Kate's little neighborhood preschool, I decided to take the kids one night while Steve was gone.  It was a great evening:  picnic dinner, lots of ducks all to ourselves, a little "hike," and decent fall weather.

Toothless

Thank heavens that stubborn little tooth finally is out!  After a couple weeks of bothering Isaac, some attempts from Uncle PD to pull it, and a couple of yanks from Isaac it is out.   So glad, because that kind of thing made me slightly queasy to think about (seriously not in love with pulling teeth). Toothfairy... please don't forget this boy tonight. :)

One Day More!

Okay, so really it is One WEEK more until the show has had it's run, but I am really excited that it is here so I can go see how it all came together.  I know Steve will be relieved when it has been pulled off after all summer and the last 2 months of work with students.  We are sure proud of the cast, but even more proud of our director daddy-husband.

Family Pics

Cute little family that I love.  Such fun to see little bits of your personality coming through each shot.  Thanks Marja!

I Slack @ Blogging

So... it has been a while since I recorded any of our goings on.  I feel like our little family is in constant motion, but it is sometimes hard to put down.  I keep waiting for the right time to sit and blog, but frankly I don't feel like I always have interesting things to say so I put it off until I do.

Our summer groove hasn't ever really sunk in, so we've kind of drifted from thing to thing.  Kind of nice, really.  But I do like to have a routine.  I guess that is what fall is for.

Steve has been hard at it in our basement.  He expects to have the framing done this week.  I have even used the nailer a bit myself.  Not that I would claim to be the straightest shot, but it worked.  I find it cool to see the spaces starting to take shape and imagine the finished product.  Hello Pinterest :)

Independence day was awesome!  It really is one of my favorite holidays of the year for a number of reasons.  I love parades.  I love patriotism.  I love family time.  I love summer.   My goal since last Thanksgiving was to run the 5k on the 4th.  I enjoyed checking that off my list and perhaps even beat my time on the Memorial Day run, but I would feel good about just having done it regardless of the time.

The kids had such a great day!  Andrew was so tired that he even sat in his little chair with the other two kids and watched the fireworks - for him that says something.   Since he started walking 2 months ago he has been trying to keep up with everyone and everything.  Aren't they getting big?

Steve and I were able to go to St. George to see Aladdin at Tuacahn.  The tickets were a gift from Steve's choir kids.  Steve is always embarrassed when they do anything as a thanks, but it was definitely appreciated.  Something we wouldn't probably have done for ourselves, but will do again someday.  The great thing about being outdoors, even with the temp. gauge on the car reading 116, is the things they were able to do onstage like the live animals, fireworks as part of Genie's role, and amazing projections on the water behind the scenery.  It was very entertaining!  Totally loved it.

We can also claim some victories in the world of potty training.  I wouldn't say Kate is there since she still tries to hide or avoid pooping all together, but she earned her first big prize this week and we'll keep working on it.  It is so nice to be at this point!

New Blog

Lily, Marja, and I at Let's Play Music Symposium in Mesa, AZ.

Hey Guys,  I wanted to show you what I've been up to the last couple weeks.  And this new blog is a big part of it.  Take a peek and see :) .   This blog was just one of my "to do" list for my LPM classes and I am so excited for how my classes are filling up and the materials and such are coming together.  YAY!

May Photo Update

 We celebrated Andrew's 15 month mark with his Dr. appointment and  happy meals afterward.  He is our "biggest" yet, but only in about the 16th percentile for weight, closer to average on height.

 Isaac's cute little soccer team.  What a great little combination of speed, coordination, heart, and sweetness on this little team.  Anytime I do something like this it reaffirms in my heart why I chose to be a teacher and mommy.

Happy Birthday to our Lego loving six year old!

 While in the area playing with family, we visited the new City Creek Center.  The kids were in love with all the water - fountains, waterfalls, water features, and especially the creek with the trout in it.

Did my first "race" on Memorial Day.  I was so worried about it, no sleep the night before.  It feels good to do something you've been meaning to do, even if slower than slow.  Moving feels good.  My sweet hubby and kids cheered me on at the end, and that meant a lot more than I thought it would to see them there.  Like I said before, I don't consider myself a runner, but it was fun. 

Happy Birthday!

Isaac at 2 years old

Happy Birthday to my oldest "baby!"  He's gotten so big and is such a great helper and has a heart of gold.  WE LOVE YOU ISAAC!

Chipping Away at Some Goals: Run and "Play"

This post has been forming in my brain for a while.  I am not a New Year's Resolution kind of person, but I do try to set goals for myself.  I have some goals that have been in the works for a while.

First, is my goal to be a runner.  Not in the sense that I, at this point, am aiming for marathons or Ragnar or anything, but starting small.  I have always been a slow runner.  In Jr. High I "speed walked" the mile "run" faster than I had "run" it the day before.  To an experienced runner, this probably says lots about my technique and a whole host of other things.  My goal is to do a small race this summer, probably a 5k, and not stop.  I have been doing the "Couch to 5K" method indoors.  I am super slow outdoors, but can say that I am proud of myself for running a mile more than I ever had before.  So, if you are in the area and see me out, just know that I am slowly improving and hopefully will be able to do the 5k in a respectable time.  Lately I haven't been as diligent about this since Andrew's teething and earlier sunrise have cut into my morning, but I haven't given up.  I would love to lose weight as a result, but I decided that can't be the motivation with this so that isn't the focus.  If that happens, it will be a bonus.

My second goal didn't really start out as a goal, but more as a family goal or want.  My sister-in-law became a teacher for Let's Play Music and has told me so much about this fabulous program.  In exploring our options, the closest teacher would be in Park City, but she wasn't going to be teaching first year classes when I wanted to start Isaac.  So the next option was for me to become a teacher, which I have been in the process of.  I have filled 2 first-year classes to start in August.  I was also allowed to start their new toddler music classes (Sound Beginnings) so Kate and Andrew will have something comparable to be involved in.  I *LOVE* these programs.  I adore that my children are singing and thinking about music in a different way, even after only minimal exposure to Let's Play Music.  I also think it will be a good link to what Steve does.  So excited for this!

My Afternoon Buddies

Since Isaac is at school in the afternoons I have a lot of time with these two,  particularly since teething is cutting naps a little shorter for Andrew.  Now that the weather is warming up, Kate's favorite activity is picking dandelions.  She could do this for hours, singing the whole time.  Since Andrew is teething, he is quick to want to gnaw on something, like this apple, even though it is almost as big as his head.

We are staring down a busy, but awesome May.  We have a birthday, soccer (I am "coaching" Isaac's team.  Which really means running around on the field being a cheerleader.), family fun time with Sarah and Jon visiting, and all the end of year stuff going on.  It looks like it will go by fast!  I am not anxious for Isaac to go into First Grade, but am anxious for a little more time that isn't dictated by trying to get him off to school.  It feels like I have lots to do, but can't really go anywhere or do anything to accomplish those to do's.

Kindergarten has been a great experience for him.  I love seeing him so excited by all he learns.  It is fun to be on the parent end of the school experience.

Hooray for Spring!

 Andrew loves our front flower beds and digging his little fingers in the dirt.  Surprisingly he does pretty well at not eating stuff, he just likes to dig.  The daffodils shudder a little at his approach, since he likes to touch them and feel them *mash them*.  Of all the things that made my month in March after getting home from our trip, it was our beautiful cheery flowers.

 Isaac came home from school one day with a certificate and treat from the principal for being student of the month.  We are proud of him doing his best and being a good friend.  He is doing well in school and loves to read to an audience (his parents).  We definitely know there are lots of good kids out there, so we don't brag, but we are grateful for him and the little man he is.  Way to go buddy!

Easter for our family was a great in so many ways.  We had great Easter Egg hunts with both families.  The picture above is the only one from Easter with all three kids, even though Andrew is reluctant to stay put.  Those kids are getting so big!!  I have to add, for the benefit of my pride, that even though I lost again at the adult Easter egg hunt with my family, I found the last two eggs (Hershey's chocolate eggs) the next day in the kids' book basket.  A little honor for me.  I should add that I didn't even have to resort to "shoving" like some did (you know who you are :)).

Steve did a musical number in sacrament meeting on Easter and the messages during church all combined for a touching church experience, even with filling in to teach 2 sunbeam classes.  I really had a good day at church.

Portland

Can I just say, for the record, that I am having a hard time being back from Portland?  I know it was a choir tour, but it was still wonderful.  I really enjoyed spending time getting to know my husband in the role that most defines him when he is away from us.  I think he's pretty good at it, and despite his antics, the kids even seem to like him.  I got a kick out of the kids getting his opinion on all things about our trip.

We boarded a charter bus and drove through the night.  Not sure if there was sleep intermingled with bus riding or bus riding mingled with sleep, but there you go.  We drove and drove and arrived, 2 hours ahead of schedule, at Multnomah Falls where it was pitch black and raining.  So we went and stopped for breakfast, then went to Voodoo Donuts for a second breakfast.

It was a pretty irreverent atmosphere, but kindof fun.  I have to admit that we couldn't stomach the idea of the famous maple bacon donut.  I think if the bacon had been crumbled on there, I maybe could have, but just the slices of bacon plopped on the frosting was a little much for that point in the morning.  I opted for this amazingly moist blueberry donut.  Steve opted for a lemon chiffon crueller.  Then we got a peach fritter to share, and ended up sharing it with half of the bus' occupants because it was HUGE. Yum-O!

Afterwards we unloaded at a mall and shopped until it was time to gather the troops for our viewing of "Wicked."  I actually should post that in all caps and multiple exclamation points.  I was so excited to see this musical.  What an awesome experience, even though I pretty much knew the story and the music.  Still.  So.  Awesome.

(Not sure what this look is, but it is kind of the "touring a new city with a bunch of kids i'm in charge of" look that one would expect.  Ha ha.)

We walked to the symphony and enjoyed dinner (and no sales tax, yay!).  The symphony portion of the concert was fine, but the Irish tenor was boring and it was honestly too late and too "easy listening" for the group of us who hadn't slept really well on the bus.  Steve and I just laughed as we could see heads from our group bobbing all around us.  Oh, well.

On Sunday the kids sang at "The Grotto" as part of their mass and were able to enjoy the acoustics and setting of this amazing church.  Then we drove out to Seaside for a relaxing day.  So nice.

Monday was the real "choir heavy" day with 3 workshops at local universities and an exchange at a high school in Beaverton.  I learned a lot, and Steve learned that he really knows his stuff because the professors kept recommending that the kids do things he had already told them to do.  So he came home convinced that he needs to just stick to his guns and insist that they do what he says.

I was impressed by the abundance of green and moisture.  The moss that is everywhere is fascinating and totally foreign  to this desert native. It was actually a bit chilly while there, but I enjoyed the change of scenery.

The kids were well taken care of by our fabulous parents plus my sister.  I don't think our kids really even missed us.  Today they were lamenting that it was only 4 days that we were gone.  I guess we'll have to go for longer next time :)  No problem.

I know Steve didn't probably enjoy it as much as I did, but it turned out really well.  He put a lot of thought and effort into it.  I appreciated the chance to be with him and not just hear about another choir event after the fact.

Time for Something New to Read

Time for an update?  When I looked today at that sweet little baby birthday boy I could hardly believe it has been 3 weeks since our last update.  It has been a really busy month for me with a class to keep my teaching certification current and all the work towards my new music venture (more on that another post).

My baby boy wasn't too happy with life because of shots the day before his birthday, but he definitely loved his cake.  I thought I would try a 4 layer cake with each layer a different color.  It looked super cool as we cut into it, but next time I would fill the layers a little differently (not with frosting) cause this almost made it too sweet to eat. 

 We celebrated Valentines here with a red and white dinner (pizza rolls that were an epic failure, jello, salad, strawberries, and treats) and some valentines.  Isaac chose a cute little valentines monster for his box to take to school and thought it was pretty cool.  I think it is worth posting a picture.

 Andrew got his first haircut, courtesy of moi. His hair on top of his head was a little out of control. I got almost 1.5 inches in a couple places cuz it was growing so fast. It makes him look a little older, so that makes me a little sad, always.



Before the haircut...  Can you believe that hair?





After.  So much more tame :)

 We had an amusing day at church yesterday, courtesy of Kate.  Our tricky church-at-lunchtime schedule got the best of her as the bread and water came around.  After telling us that she only should take one piece she literally grabbed a huge handful as those around us tried to stifle laughs.  Guess what we'll be talking about again for FHE tonight?  Then in Primary they were sharing ways that they could make good choices.  Isaac shared about listening at school.  Kate got up and I was so impressed that she would even do that.  In her soft little voice into the microphone she said:  "  I cleaned my room 'cause Mommy got mad."  Pride turned to mortification.  I can laugh though.  It is what it is...

These next few weeks promise to be nonstop motion, so we'll see if I get anything posted. 

Happy Happy Birthday!

My sweet little guy is turning *ONE* and I can hardly believe it.  They grow so fast and throw your whole world into a new dimension of busyness and fun and sleep deprivation, so I guess that's how he got to be one so fast.  Funny.  It just doesn't seem possible that he has gone from this chubby little baby (3 days old) to this bigger skinnier little guy up there.  Happy Birthday little guy!!

Scintillating Dinner Conversation

Isaac:  Why is tomorrow special?
Steve:  Because it is Andrew's birthday?
I:  Why is Valentines Day special?
S:  Because we tell people that we love them.
Kate:  I don't love doggies.
    (Sorry Lily)
Me:  Kate, eat your dinner.
K:  Yes, your majesteve.

("These mashed potatoes are so creamy... Caesar Romero was tall... "  Name that movie. )

First Tooth

We had a loss yesterday.  But in a good way.  And what a surprise!  Isaac was playing with his legos and was trying to get two apart and out popped one of his bottom teeth.  Isaac didn't quite know what to expect, and I don't think it was totally ready to come out since we didn't even know it was loose, so there were a few surprised tears.  Once I convinced him it was something that happens when you are getting so big, it was great.  Isaac kept saying that his guts were showing now.  Then I realized he was talking about his gums :)  He was quite happy about things... very excited for the tooth fairy.  I bet, *wink*wink*, that tooth fairy had to literally pull his bag with his tooth in it out of his hands.  A very tricky, but successful, operation.

Like Father, Like Son?

My neighbor passed on this little laugh from a conversation with Isaac.  Made me smile how kids minds work and the things they observe.
Neighbor:  You sure are a handsome boy.  I think you look like your daddy.
Isaac:  Yeah, except for the black dots on his face.  (Whiskers)

New Year's Resolutions?

"There is no one perfect way to be a good mother... Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children... What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." Elder M. Russell Ballard-

Yet another week.  I love starting out the new year with some new ideas and resolve, even though I don't necessarily make resolutions for the new year.  I feel like I am trying to constantly evaluate and resolve to do better.  I have had some fun looking through other people's resolutions, though.  Found this woman's resolutions for herself (and particularly husband) to be a good laugh and reality check.  It made me feel good about my showering habits for one :)  As a side note, she has a hilarious post about how to prepare for motherhood.  Literal laugh out loud.

My goals are always focused on home and family.  A friend posted this quote from Elder Ballard on Pinterest and I loved it.  What would we/I do without that kind of perspective?  Love it!

Highlights of our week:  fabulous family time with Tammy at her baby shower (such a cute pregnant lady!); bowling with the Newbold side of the family at our "family reunion."  My bowling score was the best ever, especially with the bumpers and someone else doing it for me while I was holding baby.  That's the way to go, right there :)

Happy New Year!

To sum up our 2011, I feel so blessed for everything (and yes, I really do mean everything in it's own way) that we've experienced and done and been blessed with.  I scrolled through some older posts and it definitely has been a full year.  This post is a long-ish post, but good to get recorded.

December was a super busy month for us, as it always is at this house.  We've also had our share of the winter "bugs" going around, too.  Thus: my lack of posting.  We have done some fun things:  concerts, I hosted a cookie exchange, playdates, shopping and playing "Santa", family get-togethers, Kate's Third Birthday, our 8th anniversary, a New Year's dinner with neighbors who also wanted to stay close to home, etc.

Blowing out the candles on her "Princess Doll" Cake

 Really can't believe that my girl is three.  She is in Primary now.  (Missed today though, due to an ear infection.)  She is such fun and a whirlwind to keep up with at times.  Currently LOVING watching her play pretend with her dolls.  Who says you can't buy friends?  They could play for hours!

Christmas Eve tradition at Grandma and Grandpa N's :  new jammies.

Waiting patiently on Christmas morning for Andrew to get changed so we could all see if Santa remembered to come to our little house.  Isaac had some real nerves about Santa forgetting us.  I remember feeling that same way.  Smile...

Cute baby enjoying his first Christmas.  The picture is a little blurry, but I love that little look on his face.

 Christmas was wonderful for our little family.  We had early church so we all got dressed up before opening presents.  Being all dressed up made for better pictures, but I also was personally reminded of Sundays, and therefore our Savior.  I think Christmas on Sunday makes for the most meaningful celebration and remembrance.

Love this guy!

A Christmas miracle:  a good picture of both of us.  I think I could easily come up with 2 or 3 favorites of me with my other 2 babies, but haven't loved any of Andrew and I until this one.  Andrew looks like he is gonna say something, but I think he actually is about to click his tongue at Steve to get Steve to talk to him or make faces at him.