Catch up

So even though I have blogged nearly every day for the photo-a-day challenge, I feel like I haven't stayed caught up on all of the important stuff that is going on in our lives-which is not good considering this is the only family journal I keep. So I am going to do a monster sized blog of the things that have been keeping us busy.

And when I say that we have been busy, I am totally NOT exaggerating! Over the past few weeks I am positive we have spent more time away from home than actually there. Seems like we have only been there long enough to sleep. Oh well, such is life.



Photos are: (starting top left and moving right)

1.Koby wrestling at West high-he got 3rd place-this was the first tournament of the spring season and there weren't very many people there so Koby got to wrestle some older, experienced wrestlers that placed at state-but he did great and got some good experience! A coach from the another team came up to us and told us to not let him get discouraged because he has some really awesome skills and he should stick with it.

2. Morgan, Steve and Maylee at Trafalga waiting for their turn at mini golf. We went there to celebrate Morgan's 7th birthday! She doesn't remember ever going there before and she loved it!

3. Maylee walking with the help of Steve's fingers. She sure loves it-every time we let her hold onto a finger and walk around she has this huge grin on her face-that is, if she isn't laughing.

4. Morgan at her dance recital. I think she was trying hard to remember to keep her tongue in her mouth.

5. Our family at mini golf-we tried many pictures but Maylee kept looking down-I guess at least the top of her head proves that she was there.

6. Me & Maylee-she looks less enthusiastic about snuggling with me than I do but she is still a momma's girl.

7. Maylee has started doing this "cheese" look whenever I get the camera out. It is so adorable with her eyes squinting and her nose all scrunched up. (mom look she is wearing the vest! It took some distraction and a bit of whining but she still had it on when I dropped her at the babysitters!)

8. Morgan on her birthday-she loves all of the attention. I still can't believe that she is already seven. Even though her birthday was less than a week ago she is already talking about turning 8 next year and how she gets to be baptized.

9. Koby and his award from the wrestling banquet. We got to go to a very nice (and VERY yummy) dinner with all the parents and wrestlers. Koby got an award for the most improved 8th grade wrestler. Way to go Koby-we are so proud of you!

So we are back to wrestling practice 3x a week and a tournament every weekend. When Koby asked if he could do the spring season, he told me that it costs an additional $60 but he had already talked to his coach and he could wash mats to pay for it. So he is washing mats 2x a week after school, before practice. I guess that must mean that he really loves it.

Morgan just finished her dance class and she enjoyed it but she is now wanting to play soccer. She had a great birthday and got very spoiled. We are just going to do one more joint party for family-for both her and Maylee.

Maylee is learning so much and is so darn cute! She races up the stairs now-if I give her a 10 second head start she is already 3/4 of the way to the top. She hasn't been walking too much mostly just likes to hold onto someone or something but last night she stood up, walked about 4 steps and then sat down and laughed. We get so excited for her, so maybe she was just laughing at us!

Steve is doing great at work-he is learning a lot of new things so that he can be promoted. He seems to enjoy the guys that he works with and it's great to have him so close to home (it really helped when Koby locked himself out of the house and Steve could run home and let him in!)

Steve's dad will be getting remarried soon. It has been fun to meet all our new relations because not only do we get a new step-mom/MIL/grandma she also brings along her kids and grand kids. I really like Sharon and I am happy that Dan won't be so lonely anymore.

I am also doing well-trying hard to stay on top of everything that is going on and still keep my sanity-not sure how well that is working, you may want to ask Steve.

Days 28 & 29 pictures- Money & Something I listened to

Money:

What I have been listening to lately:
Morgan loves music, she gets it from her dad. For her birthday we gave her two new CD's-chipmunks and Tangled soundtrack, so that is what we have been listening to. I did put them onto her MP3 player so now she can listen to them with her headphones on and I can listen to something...
ummm...
better?

Picture 27-something I ate

On Saturday we had another dinner to meet Steve's future step sister and her family. Sharon (future mom-in-law)made this cake that was so so good and I normally don't like chocolate.

Day 26-Night

The other night we went out to dinner and then played mini golf to celebrate Morgan's birthday- a little late due to having a wrestling awards banquet on her actual birthday. We tried to take a family picture but no matter how many times we tried Maylee kept looking down-but atleast you can see the top of her head and know that she was there!

Days 24 and 25 photos

Day 24 bathroom cabinet

Day 25 Green

Days 22 (where I work) and 23 (my shoes) Photos

22 Where I work:
I do more work here than anywhere else:

But I get a pay check from here:
(Photo taken from UVU website-please don't sue me for theft of photographs!)

23-Shoes. Confession: I don't like to wear shoes-I would go barefoot if I could and it wasn't so gross. As soon as I walk in the door at home, off come the shoes. As soon as it is warm enough outside (sometimes not even warm enough) I start wearing flip flops and sandals. So even though I was pretty cold, on Saturday I wore my flip flops while I took Morgan and Peyton to the park.

Koby's post

Well I just blogged a post on both girls so I might as well do Koby's too. I haven't done much updating on him lately, mostly because he won't let me take pictures of him and when I talk about him-it is very embarrassing to him. I'd rather embarrass him in person!

About a month ago Koby got to meet with the school counselor about high school. I was pretty impressed. They gave him suggestions on what classes to take, gave him a paper with scholarship requirements for college, had him take a career interest test and told him his options for classes next year. I can't believe he is even old enough to be considering these things! Koby has some impressive goals and plans for the future. I know that he can accomplish anything he sets his mind to.

Last week we had parent teacher conference with his teachers and they all had glowing reports. He is doing very well and his habits have really gotten better. One teacher commented on how he has really improved at turning his work in on time. One said that he is way smarter than he gives himself credit for. Even though he really doesn't like English his teacher said that he has a lot of talent in it. She wanted him to take honors English next year-not sure I can talk him into it. She said that on the assessment tests getting a 5 means being at grade level and he got a 7. So even though he thinks its his worst subject he is even excelling there.

Last night he started the second half of wrestling season. He is so excited for it!

I hope by now that Koby has stopped reading...he also recently started shaving his mustache. He will probably kill me if he reads this but hey this is our family journal and our posterity needs to know these things! Part of me really hates how grown up he is. But the smart part of me is also proud of how well he is growing up!

Morgan's dance recital

This was her first time of trying ballet-I think it was a little slow and a bit too graceful for her taste. But she still did well and learned a lot! The teacher did keep telling her to keep her tongue in her mouth and to smile-she was concentrating a bit too much!

Maylee's big weekend

Maylee is so thoughtful and considerate of her poor working mommy! For all of her "big moments" she has done them for the first time at home, rather than at the babysitter. I feel so lucky! It is so heartbreaking to have the babysitter tell you that your child did anything for the first time while you weren't around.

Last weekend Maylee got her first tooth, started walking and started singing in church all in the same weekend! She is so adorable while she is walking-she laughs the whole time! She still likes to hold on tight to your fingers but sometimes she will break free for a few steps before she plops down on her soft padded bottom. She also tries to move as fast as she can rather than taking it slow and easy.

During sacrament meeting while we were singing the opening song, Maylee just started "singing" along. Now whenever Morgan tells her to sing she does it again. Could she be any cuter? She can now say these words: mom, dad, hi and uh-oh!

Here are a few photos of her walking with help-don't you just love that huge grin?



She also loves to talk on the phone. Here she is with Steve's cell-she just keeps saying hi!

Day 21 picture-myself

I love to take pictures, I just don't really enjoy being in the picture. So I spent far too much time looking through all of my digital pictures trying to find a picture of me that I actually like-I would have to say it's pretty impossible. First I am usually the one taking the pictures and so I am in very few of them. Then when I am in front of the camera I am very critical of myself. So I guess this will have to be a picture of me that I don't hate.

Day 20 photo-Handwriting

So I skipped yesterday I couldn't think of anything that I hate to do. There are several things that I dislike doing but nothing I really hate. Like I hate when the alarm goes off and I have to get up, but on the otherhand, I am glad that I am able to get up everyday. I don't like folding clothes but I like have clean clothes in my drawers and closet. So anyway, I am skipping 19.

I am such a list person, so here is one of my many...

Day 18 photo-Drink

This is my all time favorite drink.

Day 17 photo Time

Day 16 photo- something new

Thank you babe! Just arrived in the mail today!

The family that___________ together...

Since we are in between wrestling seasons, we have been lucky enough to get to spend more time together as a family. Here is the photographic evidence.

The family that does homework together...


The family that wrestles Koby/dog piles on top of Koby together... (this is about the only way I can get a picture of Koby-pretend I am taking a picture of Maylee and get Koby in the background!)

The family that has FHE/draws the armor of God depiction together...


The family that goes to dance class together...




I am hoping that we are the family that does it all together and that means that we stick through everything together.

Day 15 picture-Phone

my "faux smart phone"

Day 14- Heart

I took the picture, just never got around to posting it yesterday.



This adorable Valentine from Maylee was created by her awesome babysitter! We also got some sugar cookies the same way. I am so glad we are blessed to have wonderful people taking care of our children while we work.

Day 13 photo- Blue

Little baby BLUE jeans

Day 12-my closet

*Notice the empty hangers? Steve had been suggesting for weeks that I should clean out my closet so I finally did-I have 3 garbage bags ready to be donated to DI.

Day 11-Makes me happy

Books!

Day 10-Self Portrait

This is a self portrait that Morgan drew.

Day 9 Front door

Inside, lookin' out

The other night while dinner was cooking, Morgan talked Steve into playing soccer with her in the back yard. Poor poor Maylee had to stay inside with me. She left her toys and crawled to the sliding glass door and stood there for so long just watching them play outside.


This is a shot from the outside...
Looks like she already wants to be like the big kids.

Day 8 Sun

I love sunset! I love how the sky lights up with so many different colors-when I see this it is easy to remember who created such beauty.

Day 7-button

This is the cutest button I could find...

Day 6-Dinner

It isn't the "gourmet" food that is prepared, or the china (Or in our case-mismatched plates/cups/bowls) that it is served on that makes dinner my favorite time of day-its the people that sit around the table with me.

Day 5 10 am

Today I am feeling quite yucky. I think I caught some type of flu bug-at 10 am today I was still laying in bed-thank you Steve for getting up with the girls. So even though this is a very weak interpretation of 10 am-here it is...

Day 4 picture-stranger

Spent half of the day with several hundred strangers at Koby's wrestling tournament. I told Steve and Morgan to help me find the strangest looking stranger that we could. There were lots of options but we thought this kid had made an interesting choice of socks-especially for a boy.

Day 3 picture-Hands

You know how most babies, when you put a finger in the middle of their hand, they automatically curl their fingers around it and hold on tight? Sometimes so tightly that you have to pry their fingers away to escape?

I love that!

Maylee does not. She hates to have people touch her hands-and even when she was tiny she would pull her hands away when someone would try to hold her hand. Occasionally she will hold onto my fingers if she is nursing or if she is trying to stand up and there is nothing else to hold onto.

Anyway I love little baby hands so I took about 2 dozen picture of Maylee's hands-or at least I tried to.

Maylee has very busy hands!

Day 2 picture-words

Morg's spelling words