TIME TO PLAY CATCH UP:

SEPTEMBER 2009:
Elaine’s 3rd Birthday!!!! She is growing up so fast. Her party was fun and full of family. She loves princesses and ponies. Good thing because that is what she got. At her party we did pizza and cupcakes, lots of games like pin the crown on the princess, princess bingo, find the glass slipper, and of course had a princess piñata then did some dancing at the ball with our disco ball. I hope she appreciates all the time I put into this. I loved doing it for her either way. Awe my little princess.
Nancy begins to walk. Okay stumble. Wow I can’t believe we have already hit this mile stone. Oh my cute little baby Nancy. We have several nick names for her including duzzer, and babah. Such a little cutie pie.

Matthew started Kindergarten!!!!!!! Now I really feel like my children are growing up too fast. Matthew is in Ms Stefani’s morning kindergarten class with his neighbor friends Marlow, and Ferrid. He loves going and recess is his favorite part. He struggles with sitting and holding still, but is doing great with his academics. On Wednesday’s school starts late for teacher meeting, so Matthew takes a Spanish class while he waits for school to start. He attends Creekside Elementary in Boulder, Colorado about 1 or 2 miles or so from the house. GO Cougars. In the mornings he takes the bus to school on route #536. I had him in KCARE for a while twice a week, but it became too difficult to keep up. Oh well. I go by car, foot, or bike to pick him up and then its lunch and nap time! Yeah.
Nathan and I are also both in school this year. I am taking College Algebra and Spanish I. Nathan is finishing up credit to graduate in the Spring. Horray. I can’t wait to be done with this stage. Nathan took the LSAT for law school entrance applications. He is still not sure if he wants to do law or Spanish Masters, so he is doing his applications for both. We should start to get answers back early next year.
OCTOBER 2009:

Stephanie's 23rd birthday!!!! Nathan took me for a great night out to the Adam’s Mystery Dinner Theater in Denver. I laughed, danced, and ate yummy food. They gave me a birthday shout out and called me on stage to do the monster mash. The crowed there was great and the acting was well done. Nathan gave me some great shoes and a CU sweater. We did cake at Julia’s house (she babysat so we could go out). Thanks Julia! While we were out there we went for a hike and babysat so Julia and Jim could go out. Lots of fun!!! So glad we have family nearby. ;-)

Free day at the Denver Zoo!!!! I took the kids down to the zoo for their 100th birthday party. They gave out cupcakes and had lots of fun activities and crafts going on. Julia and her kids came too. My cousin Natalie made it for a short while with her new baby and son, but had to leave early to get her other one from school. We spent the whole day there almost.
COUSINS!! On the way out I let the kids get some souvenirs at the gift shop. They got these cute zoo cups and snow globe pencil sharpeners.

Nancy continues to improve her walking, while Elaine and Matthew work on their biking skills.
Matthew has NO TRAINING WHEELS! Good job kids. Just keep trying.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! HALLOWEEN FESTIVITIES included trick or treating around the complex, a party at the church, and a family housing event. The church party was fun to make cupcakes, pumkins, go through a hunted house, play games, and did a parade.

Matthew also had a great pajama fall party at school and we all went. They played games, and made pancakes and cookies.

Elaine was a fairy care bear, Matthew a scary shark, and Nancy changed between an angel, tiger, and dress up doll (Matthew and Elaine fought over what she should wear so we put it all on her). All in all there was a lot of sugar and fun.

NOVEMBER 2009:
NANCY TURNED 1!!!!!! Such a sweet moment. We got her a little cake from King Soopers with little ballons on top. She didn’t know what to do with it. She started by rubbing her nose on the balloons like little nose kisses. It was so adorable. Finally daddy had to help her taste it and then it was all over. She loved it. We got her some baby fabric books with Sesame Street on them. She has this thing she does where she likes to walk around the house with books in her mouth, so we thought these would at least not get wrecked when she did it. Sniff sniff my little baby just keeps growing and growing.

I pulled out the Christmas tree and decorations. Yes, I know Thanksgiving hasn’t even happened yet, but we won’t be here for Christmas and I want to enjoy it. We hung lights all around the living room and the kids wanted them on all the time.
Thanksgiving was fun. The kids did a Turkey trout with the other children in family housing. I work on Resident Council and was in charge of the ribbon to run through at the end. It was fun and the kids did great. Later we went down to Phillip’s house to visit for a couple days before all heading back up to Julia’s house for Thanksgiving dinner. We had all the fixings and Nathan got me the LION HOUSE BAKERY cook book. We made a ton of Lion House dinner rolls. They were so YUUUMMMMMMMMYYYYYY!!!!! We went for a walk to burn off some of the calories afterwards.

Caught by the leg! Thank you David!!!!!!

I know it has been a while ( I got distracted by the Twilight Saga...I am almost finished...just one more book). I promise to bring you up to date on the last two months of fun. For now I thought I would gabber out the latest stuff from the holiday weekend.

Well we went down to Canon City, Colorado to visit Nathan's Brother Phillip and their family. While most of it was uneventful just hanging out and having fun, we did go to the Lake Monday Morning to fish. There is a small dock there with just some long wood blocks bordering it, maybe 6 inches high. We had spread out around the lake fishing all over. There was our family, Phillip and Denise's Family and David and Ashley's Family (Phillip's brother in law)there. Denise and I where at the cars hanging out with the smaller babies and Hannah (no more than a few yards from the dock and lake). David, his son Jay and Elaine were on the dock fishing. Elaine had this kids fishing pole with a stink and bobber attached, just long enough that it would not trip her when walking. Well she was on the dock trying to get the bobber to the water when she learned to far over...........all I heard was her scream. I immediate jumped up and went running to the dock ready to jump in after her. Within seconds, before I ever hit the dock I saw David lifting Elaine back up onto the dock....BY THE LEG just barely above her anckle. Talk about fast reflekes!!! THANK YOU DAVID!!!! He caught her before she could ever hit the water (which was only three feet or so below). She scratched her hand and that was all. Nathan watched in horror directly across the lake from the dock and said that where she fell there was only large ocks below her covered by water. I hate to think of what might of happend if David had not been so quick. Thank you, thank you, thank you DAVID!!!!

OUR EASTER WEEKEND 2009

For our Easter weekend we went to the Family Housing egg hunt, the ward brunch and then to Anut Julia's and spent the night and had Easter with her and her family. Lots of Fun.

Family Housing's Eggs Hunt with the CU Police. Tons of eggs everywhere. Scruffy was there and the Easter Bunny. The kids came home with lots of candy....more than they were able to finish.

We went to the ward soup brunch and they kids played games like running with an egg on a spoon and egg toss and rolling the egg across with their noses. They had lots of fun.

The kids loved coloring the eggs and being together, but of course they started mixing up who did how many and the adults had to step in. Elaine wanted all her eggs to be pink and purple. She is so funny, when she gets like that.