Tilly's Dream Come True!

Tilly has been asking to go ice skating for about two years. We always say we will take her when we are at Katie's in the winter time, but something always seems to get in the way. We finally went over Christmas break. I was afraid she would fall down as soon as she got on the ice, but we found these cones and she figured out her own system. She fell down a lot, but she had a blast and is now saying that she wants to have an ice skating birthday. All the girls actually did quite well. Asha created her own technique that was actually more like ice-running-really-fast that was pretty cool to watch. Sage won the award for most tears shed, not because she fell down but because she wanted to be able to do tricks without actually being able to ice skate. All the kids had a ball. Dewy loved being pushed around the ice by Jon. Every time I would ask the kids about it, he would say "I ice skate." I wish we would have taken them sooner.

Fun in The Snow?

Jon decided to take the older girls sledding while we were at Katie's (yes I do believe that he just wanted to go himself). Katie and I were happy to let him volunteer for such an activity and gladly took Dewy and Zaya shopping and out to lunch. About an hour into there excursion, he called me with a hysterical Cricket screaming in the back ground. Apparently shortly after this video was taken, Jon took Sage down the hill and as he was coming back up he heard a ruckus. Cricket had gotten bossy and was yelling at Asha who decided that rather than take her crap she would punch her in the face. Cricket's reaction was of course to punch her back (later telling Jon, "What was I supposed to do just let her punch me? I had to give it back to her." What a peacemaker!) Another nearby sledding father had to jump in and break up the fist fight that ensued. It's a good thing that ski gloves are so puffy.

Before and After

Okay so it turns out my new hobby as of late is making graham cracker houses. Who knew? I made them for Tilly's class a couple months ago and then again for activity days last week and then again yesterday for the girls to invite friends over. The last one is actually something we do every year and it seeems to become more of a production everytime we do it. I had thirteen girls making graham cracker houses in my kitchen today and let me tell you there was no shortage of drama this afternoon. "She is playing with my friends." "They won't let me play." "I don't want to play that." "I'm in charge here." "No you're not missy sit your butt down." (Can you guess which one belonged to Cricket?) I guess it is better that it was crazy than for them to not have any friends, but here is a word to the wise who have yet to reach this stage with their daughters: The more girls you have in one place the more feeling there are to hurt.

How could you?

Yes that is a Mountain Dew in his hands. I am trying to potty train him and the only bribe that seems to works is Mountain Dew. He calls it "a daddy". Can you guess what Jon drinks. I spend my entire day telling him he cannot drink "a daddy" but if he sits on the potty he can have one. Yes I have tried an M &M like a normal mother. In fact, he is watching me post this and upon seeing the picture is telling me he would like "a daddy" At last, here is visual proof of what a horrible mother I am.

Weekend at Katies

We went to Katie's last weekend for Ryan's blessing sans Jon (he was refereeing). The girls will tell you that the best part of the trip was going over to Aunt Lynelle's house and getting to hold her pet chickens. (It is pretty cool. I am almost 30 and I have never held a chicken. I am afraid it is too late for me. It may be too late for Cricket as well. She was the only one that was too chicken to hold a chicken.) Don't worry Ilah we all made it out alive.

The blessing was really nice. Katie's Bishop came over to her house and presided over the blessing so that we could just do it in her home. Shelly's family got stuck in the blizzard and weren't able to make it, so it was very small and cozy. I really enjoyed it. JP gave a lovely blessing. That is how all baby blessings should be. It was peaceful and relaxed and that baby was surrounded by people who loved him though some were there in spirit only. When JP said Ryan's name I got choked up. His name will serve as a reminder of a beloved uncle he never got the chance to know on this earth, though I am convinced that their paths crossed before baby Ryan was born. He was actually the last one to see Ryan. If baby Ryan could only speak, I'm sure he carries words of love for Katie and their girls.

Jon Saves The Day

I am sometimes refered to as "SmartyPants" at home. I always check up on Jenny's posts to make sure she is not embarrasing me. In checking the blog today I realized I had to spend a few minutes and add a link to the news spot that Jenny mentioned in the previous post about Cricket. I am sure I will get a "SmartyPants" at home tonight. Jenny is so Great to put up with me! The older I get I realize just how crazy I am and how lucky I am to have such a Sweet Wife! She deserves more credit than she ever gets.

Click on "School of the Week" to see Cricket.

School of the Week

CRICKET'S 15 SECONDS OF FAME!

Okay so she isn't really famous, but she was on TV. On Monday Dec 8th Arrowhead Elementary was featured on KCSG TV as the School of the Week. They talked about the Storytelling Festival so the librarian came and got Cricket and had them interview her. I was told the video clip would be on kcsg.com but I can't find it so good luck. It only showed her saying about two sentences, but she was so excited.

The next day I saw the Principal at school and she told me that the reporter and her crew were very impressed with Cricket. She said she had interviewed about a hundred kids from 2 to 18 and Cricket did the best out of any of them. She answered questions clearly and was very quick witted. She told Cricket she gave a very good interview and that she should think about becoming a news reporter someday because she was so good at it. (Am I being a bragger mom? Totally, wouldn't you?)

Who knows where Cricket will end up someday. I just hope she can do something that makes her happy and that doesn't require neat hand writing.

6 Random things

Katie tagged me so here goes.

1) I took six years of Spanish and I can't really speak it. I am reminded of this every couple of months because I get mistaken for a Hispanic person and People start speaking to me in Spanish. I usually kind of understand what they are saying but I pretend I have no idea.

2) I secretly want to be a writer when I grow up. (This tag is probably as far as my writing career will ever go and that's okay because a few year ago I wanted to be a PA and after that a communicative disorders specialist.) Check back with me in about 16 years to see what I am actually doing for my second career. (My first career is being a mom.)

3) I am the secretary of the PTA.

4)I like Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. My favorite part is crying at the end just like I am supposed to, no matter how stupid the movie actually was.

5)I love love love driving a mini-van. I know it is not the cool thing to do, but it is really comfortable and super easy to get the kids out of. If I had a million dollars I probably wouldn't get a new car.

6) I have a hard time spending money on myself. The last time I got a hair cut was in April and Katie kind of made me do it. The only time I get my hair colored is when Katie does it out of boredom. I have had the same bottle of mascara for a year and a half and most of my shirts have holes in the front where they rub on the sharp edge of my tile counter tops when I am cooking and cleaning.

There. Now everyone knows more about me than ever wanted to. I tag Dana, Alena, and Aubrey.

Cricket at The Story Telling Festival

Cricket has mastered the art of story telling! She won the Arrowhead Elementary competition and moved onto the district level competing with other schools.

Go Tilly!

I just wanted to let you all know that Tilly won an Award of Merit in the Reflections Competition in the area of Dance. She was very proud to go up and get her white ribbon and coupon for Golden Coral. Not bad for just dancing around the living room while I filmed her.

Jubilee of Trees

We go to the Jubilee of Trees every year. I love to walk around and pretend I am rich and can spend lots of money on ridiculously over priced holiday decorations.

This was at the very end and Ryan was done. It really isn't a very fare picture to post because he really is a good baby, but could this be a cuter sad face?

When I asked Dewy, he said his favorite part was the dancing. He and Tilly were totally engrossed in the Jettettes.

Here are Jack, Dewy, Tilly, and Cricket sitting with Santa.

Look how cute this boy is!

Tilly and her Tippity Tappity Toes

It was parent watch week in dance this week. This is a video of Tilly getting warmed up in tap class.

A Singing Cricket

Cricket has been going to school and hour and fifteen minutes early twice a week for the last couple months so that she can participate in the Arrowhead Elementary School Choir. This is a video of them singing at Lin's.

Crickt the Story Teller!

Cricket entered the story telling competition at school and won! She is so excited. She will compete next week on the district level. I am going to try to get the video downloaded. Look for that coming soon.

Welcome to my life!

So here is some insight into my exciting night life. What do you do on a Thursday night?

I make 21 little grahm cracker houses.

Mom, she's my BFF

Cricket came home a few weeks ago and informed me that Chloe was moving. I asked her if she was sad and she said, "Yes, she's by BFF." We had a little going away party for her last night. It was crazy. Jon did himself and Dewy a favor and they went to the battle of the bands at Dixie (marching bands No he did not take a baby to a rock concert). It was a real eye opener for me. Did I like boys and talk about boys and tease about boys in the third grade? No way is my baby old enough for all that. Does this mean that I have another fifteen years of boys and drama? Woe is me.

What a Thursday

This Thursday was Crazy Hair Day as a part of Red Ribbon Week. This is what we did to Cricket's hair. Tilly had a field trip and was not allowed to wear crazy hair, but she insisted I spray her hair pink as soon as she got home. I got to go with her as a parent helper.We went to the fire station and then to Albertsons. What could be funner than 60 kindergartners walking around Albertsons trying not to touch while being lectured about the food pyramid? NOTHING!

I love this baby

Okay so these pictures are kind of old, but I just got them off my camera. This is a cute picture of Katie smiling at Zaya. I have to tell you that everyone in my family is obsessed with baby Zaya. The only time Jon ever says he wants another baby is after we spend the weekend around baby Zaya. Every time Dewy hears the name Zaya or sees a picture or the actually baby. He says he wants to kiss her. (I like to tease him and say that I am going to give her all the kisses. It makes him really mad.) She is so fun. We love you baby Zaya.

Thriller

Okay so I am not very good about updating my blog, but it is only because my life is super boring to other people.

This is a really bad picture (taken with my phone) but that is me and the girls and a couple Zombies. We went up north last weekend and Katie and I took our girls to lunch and to Thriller. I had a lot of fun. I wish I got to spend more time like that with my daughters and my sister and my nieces (some my most favorite people in the world). The girls favorite part was having the Zombies scare me and Katie. I have to admit they got me more often than they did Katie. They only got her once but it was better than all the times they scared me put together. I thought the usher was going to pee her pants,she was laughing so hard. She laughed almost as hard as me. Thanks Katie. I love you especially when Zombies growl in your face.

Jon got to spend some quality time with Dewy hanging out at his parents. I think they had as much fun as we did.

On a totally unrelated topic, my sweet daughter Tilly, has become totally obsessed with how old I am. She asks me all day long how old I am and how old I will turn on my next birthday. For those of you who don't know, yes I am turning thirty in Dec. and Tilly is doing her best to make sure it traumatizes me. Yesterday she said, "Mom you are 29 and on your birthday you will be 50" Thanks, Tilly.

The Huntsman Senior World Games

It has been a busy week. Jon got out of the hospital on Monday and Cricket absolutely had her heart set on performing in the opening ceremony of the Huntsman Senior World Games. (Her dance studio organized part of it this year.) We went to practice on Monday and the Ceremony was on Tuesday. I was down on the field pretending to help, but mostly I just stood there with a microphone in my ear like a total poser. Anyway I watched as they were split into groups. Gymnastics: Cricket jumping and raising her hand frantically. "I take gymnastics." Jumprope: Becoming more frantic, "I'm in the jumprope club." Hoola Hoops: Even more frantic still, "I know how to hoola hoop." So you might be asking where did she end up. I was distracted for a moment and I found her sitting in a group with all the smallest kids there. I said, "Did you get put in ring-around- the-rosies?" She rolled her eyes and said, "Don't ask." It turns out they needed someone who looked little, but was older and could be in charge and show them where to go and what to do. This is of course right up her alley she is quite bossy. Tilly was too scared at practice and went home with Daddy, but when she found out she could wear make-up, she changed her mind and came with Cricket. It turned out being cool, because they got the spotlight right on them, when the singer came over to their group and they ring-around-the-rosied around him. Jon surprised me and brought Dewy to watch for a little while. Here is a picture of Jon grooming his son to be a band nerd, just like his daddy. (Just kidding Jon. We all know you were only part nerd.)

That was a close one

Jon gave us quite a scare this weekend. He woke up early Sunday with extreme pain in his shoulder and chest. Then he almost passed out. We took him to the ER. They were afraid it might be angina, so they admitted him. He had to spend the night in the hospital running tests. His heart looked great, thank goodness and he was released into the care of our family doctor who is now treating him for a pinched nerve. It is still giving him some trouble, but he is back at it. We are glad he is okay and we are all thankful for his continued health. We love you, Daddy.

Oh Tilly!

Tilly has already lost her first tooth! She told us it was hurting about a week ago. When Jon told her it was loose she burst into tears. Then she wiggled it constantly and popped it out all by herself yesterday at Primary (and yes burst into tears again).

She has quite the little personality of her very own. It's a good thing I love her so much or she would have driven me completely crazy today. She spelled the word Mississippi about 15o times. I guess it's good though because I think she can finally spell it correctly.

DEWY TURNS 2!

It was Dewy's 2nd birthday on Monday. We celebrated on Sunday with a little family party with just us and the DeWitts. Dewy had so much fun. He didn't want anyone to touch any of his new toys. I can't believe he is already two. Where did my baby go?

Ace of Cakes, here I come!

Here are some of his fun birthday presents.

I spent two hours making his cake and he had about four bites of cake and ice cream. He then handed me his plate and told me it was "ca ca" That is why I am all for buying cakes at the grocery store.

Goodbye SandHollow

Today was probably the last boating trip of the season and it was one to remember.

I wish we had video footage of what happened right after this picture was taken. We could have ended up on AFV. (Keep in mind as I tell you this story, that JP was driving the boat literally as slow as it would go but she kept signing for him to slow down.) She grabbed the handle off the kneeboard and promptly popped right off the front, but she didn't let go of the rope. As she was being dragged she was screaming for help and to stop. I was screaming for her to let go of the rope. Jon was screaming for JP to stop the boat. After being dragged for about about 15 seconds, she let go of the rope about the time that JP figured out was going on through all the screaming and stopped the boat. She started having a slight panic attack in the water being nowhere near either the boat or the kneeboard. When she got back on the boat she said it was because JP was going way too fast. JP offered to tie the rope to his waist and pull her on the kneeboard because that was the only way he could have gone any slower. Hopefully she isn't too freaked out to try it again. (She is not much of a thrill seeker. She is more inquisitive. See previous post.)


I wanted to take a picture of Daniel with blood streaming down his face. He ate it and his nose was bleeding like crazy, but he just got right back up. The next time he fell I got out my camera, but his nose had already stopped. I guess years of DeWitt nose bleeds have helped his nose create a superhuman nose-bleed-clotting power. Maybe I will be able to catch the blood and gore on film next time.

This is Jon in all his glory.

This is a picture of Dewy post boating trip. If you look closely you will see evidence of two important skin cancer facts.

1) It is important to use sunscreen. You can now compare the difference between sunscreen use and no sunscreen.
2) If your going to use sunscreen, put it all over your face. Not just in certain spots.
(If you can't tell, his face is totally splotchy owing to the horrible job I did putting sunscreen on him.)

This is Cricket and her kneeboarding tricks. We are hoping one day she will be brave enough to try the wakeboard again, but if not at least she thinks this is just about the most fun a person could have.

What's that you say?

Last night, after Tilly's bath, I was cleaning out her ears. When I looked in one I saw some weird looking wax. It kind of looked like a piece of paper. Well after asking a few questions and her totally bursting into tears, Tilly finally admitted to putting a piece of paper in her ear. It was really tiny but there was no way I could get it out without hurting her so we went to the doctor today. Our Pediatrician is awesome and had it out in no time, but it really wasn't all that little. It had to have taken up her entire ear hole. Afterwards I asked her if she could hear better and she informed me that she really couldn't hear anything with it in there. (By the way I am not sure how long it was actually in her ear. I do know it was at least a couple days.)

The moral of the story is: The next time it seems like your kids don't listen to a thing that you say, you might just want to check their ears. Who knows what they have shoved inside there.

Jon's NEW Job!

Jon started his new job at Dixie State College yesterday. He is the new Director of Facility Planning. He had a great day and is excited for this change. It will be a lot different than the other jobs he has had since he graduated (his boss told him she doesn't want him to work more than forty hours a week). Go Rebels!

Tilly starts school

Tilly has her first day of Kindergarten today. She is so excited, except for the fact that she has to wait until afternoon to go. She has been asking all morning when she gets to leave. (Cricket also started third grade on Tuesday! She is very excited and looking forward to this new year too. Although she did try to convince me on the second day that she was sick. Here we go again.)

Tilly is so funny. Her prayers have been particularly lengthy lately. She always remembers people she loves and is thinking about. This is end of her dinner prayer the other night and I just had to share it with everyone:

"Bless JP and Shelly that they will have love so that their hearts will keep beeping and they will be able to live. And bless Uncle Ryan up there with Grandma Sue that they can have a good time and talk nice to each other."

Sand Hollow

We are finally back home after three weeks at Katie's. Before we said goodbye to get ready for school (it starts next week!), Katie brought the girls down and we went out on the lake. We had a good time. It was kind of overcast and the water wasn't that great, but it wasn't too hot.

Katie went home on Sunday. We miss them a lot. Quite honestly, I think Dewy is wondering when his other sisters are coming back.

Gym Camp and Summer School.

Tilly and Sage went to a summer camp at Kid's Village and Cricket and Asha went to BYU Cubs Gymnastics Camp.

What a Week!

Monday: We went to Sophia's 2nd Birthday. She is super cute. She and Dewy would have a ton of fun together, if they could just figure out who was really in charge and stop beating one another up. (Dewy- girls are always right, it's not worth fighting about.)

Tuesday: We hiked up to Timp Cave where Grandma Cox works giving tours. Word to the wise, do not go on this hike if you are fat and out of shape (me) and do not try to carry your almost two year old in a backpack (also me).

Wednesday: We went to Wall E and then out to eat at the Mayan. I forgot my camera. The kids loved the show, even the crappy fire dancer who kept burning himself. They can't wait to go back, even though the food is not very good.

Thursday: Pioneer Day: We went to a barbecue at the Shorts' house and then over to Grandma and Grandpa Gibb's for the best fireworks show my kids have ever seen (seriously).

Friday: We went over to the Warners' to play on the Bonsai Slide. Katie's friends are always nice to let us tag along.

Saturday: We went bowling. I haven't been since Jon and I were dating. After three or four frames of gutter balls I got my grove back and beat everyone. No child can defeat me!

Sunday: Katie had a family Birthday for Asha.

Sage, It's not your birthday!

Happy Birthday 6 year old Asha!

Need boots or Spanish CDs?

Ryan's foreman Sergio just opened a store in American Fork called Guatalupe's. It is located behind the old Blockbuster/Burger King, just down the street from Albertson's. I know Ryan would want you to go there for all your boot/Mexican CD needs.

Camp and Camping

Tilly, Asha, and Cricket with two of the BYU cheerleaders that coached their camp.

Cricket and Tilly showing off their moves and t-shirts at the family reunion.

Cricket and Tilly spent the week at BYU Cubs Cheerleading Camp with Asha. They had a great time. It was fun to listen to some of their interpretations of what they were learning. They both won MVP awards in their age groups. Tilly's name was called first and she was a little surprised and confused. Later Cricket told me that she was sitting there saying "say my name, say my name" over and over in her head. No she is not competitive at all (to be read with extreme sarcasm).

As soon as camp was over, we headed to Palisades for Jon's family reunion. We only spent one night, but the kids had so much fun, especially Dewy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!

When we were growing up I always felt like Katie was the cool one, even though she was my little sister. I didn't finally admit to myself that I was right until many years later. I feel so blessed to have her as my sister and best friend. I got to share my childhood with her and I get her have her in my life for as long as God will let me. It breaks my heart for her to go through the hardship of losing Ryan, but she has shown me through her steady strength that once again she is much cooler than I am. Katie, I hope you know that I will be there for you no matter where, no matter when, and no matter what. I love you. Happy Birthday and don't worry about getting old. Like you enjoy telling me at least I will always be older than you.