Wednesday, May 23, 2012
11/25/11
We had some coupons and thought we would use them to get the kids some dinner. And Gordon a bit grumpy over not liking us buying tacos at Jack in the Box. Eden and Ella singing "Follow the prophet!" and she turns to Gordon and says, "Gordon, be happy. Sing! Follow the prophet!"---Then Sunday during the Primary Program Gordon was up singing and Eden was down in the row with me being a little sad and fussy. Gordon was motioning to get Eden and my attention. We look up at him and I noticed that the song they were singing was "Choose the Right Way...and be happy". So it was Gordon's turn to sing and cheer up Eden.
I went to the Dr. on Tuesday morning to find out what we are having. Taylor could not make it to the appointment and we thought it would be fun to be all together when we found out. So I had them put it in an evelope that we opened together as a family that night. The kids were so excited! Then when Taylor said, it is a BOY...Gordon was jumping up and down and running around the room saying YES, YES, YES! Ella was sitting in my lap and instantly started to cry...well more like bawl! She finally was about to say, "But I wanted to call her Rosa Lee". I was trying to console her while Gordon as having a little party to himself in the background. The way I got her to calm down was to tell her that maybe the baby would bring her something that she could call Rosa Lee. Instantly she stopped and got a big smile on her face and said, "Yes!". Then Gordon ran over to me and said, "Mom, the boys WIN!" I replied, "No, it is three to three we are tied." He quickly responded, "No, Riley is a boy so we WIN!!!" Smart cookie, does look like the girls are now out numbered :)
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving week. Seeing Eric and Anna-Lena's family was such a treat! All of those kids are little peas in a pod. They all stayed up till about midnight. So many fun memories made! And yesterday we were able to have a family over from our ward that had no place to go for Thanksgiving. They were more than grateful to have somewhere to spend the day. It was lovely.
Life has been packed and I glanced at the calendar and looks like it will be getting even busier. I love this time of year, packed with lots of fun things and service opportunities. I hope to be better at remembering/writing down each of these memories. We love you all and are so THANKFUL to be a part of your eternal family! So grateful for the gospel in our lives, the testimonies we have and are able to share with others and especially our children. We are blessed in so many ways and are glad for this time of year that we have to remember and reflect on them.
12/22/11
While we were eating lunch Ella said, "I had a dream with you in it, Laura. You were in a bathtub full of applesauce and trying to eat it all!" What an imagination she has.....
If you want to check out a picture of last weeks Bird that Gordon made check out our blog. www.earlfamilyblog.blogspot.
I remember my Mom telling me that she was able to get Christmas gifts for us while we were at the store with her. I could never understand how that was possible. Well I did it the last two days in a row...there are so many things for them to look at that they are pretty easily distracted. I think I am all done Christmas shopping!!! Yahoo :) And I didn't even need to find a babysitter!!
We were listening to the Christmas radio the other day and the song, "All I want for Christmas is You" came on. Ella looked at me and said, "Mom I don't like this song!" I asked why...she said, "she is talking about how she doesn't care about the presents or the tree...WE care about those things right!?!" I tried to explain to her that she was singing about how she loved people MORE than the presents or the tree. She thought about it for a min and then said, "Oh, okay. So she likes the tree and presents too".
Gordon and Taylor went to a charity dinner party while I was gone. And Taylor asked Gordon to go in his room and choose a few toys that he would like to give to other kids that don't have a lot of toys. And the first toy that he went to give away was his Star wars Storm trooper gun. We were both very impressed with that quick decision. We know he likes that toy and it is one that all of his friends when they come over love to play with. He then continued to choose a few other toys. I asked him the other day 'What is Christmas about'....he replied, "It is about baby Jesus and about giving to people". Feels good that he is starting to really grasp the true spirit of Christmas :)
When I was in Utah for the past few days I called to talk to the kids and when I was talking to Gordon I was asking him about his day and what he had been up to...then at the end of the conversation I said, "well I love you so much!" And he said, "HEY....is this MOM!?!" He thought I was Alison the whole time :)
Ella and Eden are really getting quite good at memorizing a lot of words to many of the Christmas songs. I would have to say the one chorus they sing during the day the most is 'Last Christmas I Gave you My heart...the very next day you gave it away. This year to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special'. Rodolph, Jingle Bells, and Silent Night are runners up. But I would have to say my favorite to listen to is Feliz Navidad. They have a very cute rendition.
We love you all! And are so excited to be able to see most of you at this most wonderful time of the year :)
Stay tuned for our 12 Days of Christmas Service activities.
If you want to check out a picture of last weeks Bird that Gordon made check out our blog. www.earlfamilyblog.blogspot.
I remember my Mom telling me that she was able to get Christmas gifts for us while we were at the store with her. I could never understand how that was possible. Well I did it the last two days in a row...there are so many things for them to look at that they are pretty easily distracted. I think I am all done Christmas shopping!!! Yahoo :) And I didn't even need to find a babysitter!!
We were listening to the Christmas radio the other day and the song, "All I want for Christmas is You" came on. Ella looked at me and said, "Mom I don't like this song!" I asked why...she said, "she is talking about how she doesn't care about the presents or the tree...WE care about those things right!?!" I tried to explain to her that she was singing about how she loved people MORE than the presents or the tree. She thought about it for a min and then said, "Oh, okay. So she likes the tree and presents too".
Gordon and Taylor went to a charity dinner party while I was gone. And Taylor asked Gordon to go in his room and choose a few toys that he would like to give to other kids that don't have a lot of toys. And the first toy that he went to give away was his Star wars Storm trooper gun. We were both very impressed with that quick decision. We know he likes that toy and it is one that all of his friends when they come over love to play with. He then continued to choose a few other toys. I asked him the other day 'What is Christmas about'....he replied, "It is about baby Jesus and about giving to people". Feels good that he is starting to really grasp the true spirit of Christmas :)
When I was in Utah for the past few days I called to talk to the kids and when I was talking to Gordon I was asking him about his day and what he had been up to...then at the end of the conversation I said, "well I love you so much!" And he said, "HEY....is this MOM!?!" He thought I was Alison the whole time :)
Ella and Eden are really getting quite good at memorizing a lot of words to many of the Christmas songs. I would have to say the one chorus they sing during the day the most is 'Last Christmas I Gave you My heart...the very next day you gave it away. This year to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special'. Rodolph, Jingle Bells, and Silent Night are runners up. But I would have to say my favorite to listen to is Feliz Navidad. They have a very cute rendition.
We love you all! And are so excited to be able to see most of you at this most wonderful time of the year :)
Stay tuned for our 12 Days of Christmas Service activities.
12/10/11
I was able to go to Gordon's school to help wrap up their wood and paper
unit. We were to help our child make something with various wood and
paper items. Each child was asked to go to the two different supply
stations and choose the items they wanted to construct something. Most
kids were choose various shapes of wooden blocks, Popsicle sticks, and
other things of that nature. And many of them had the idea to build a
castle, house or a boat. (which is what I was thinking we would be
constructing too) Then Gordon came back from the wood table holding two
pieces of wood. One was somewhat like a misshapen triangle and the other
looked like it was ripped off of a branch from a tree, very jagged and
curved. I thought to myself 'why would he choose these what on earth are
we going to make'. He dropped the wood off at his desk and ran to the
other station and came back with yarn, paper, Popsicle sticks, and a
paper cone cup. He had a giant smile on his face. I was still cramming
my brain trying to figure out what we were going to make with these
things that would not seem disappointing when we were done. And then
Gordon announced, "Mom we are going to make a BIRD!" And that is what we
did. Gordon had the whole thing mapped out in his mind. He was telling
me what to do and how to construct it. And the finished product looked
great. I was so proud of him! For his quick idea and knowing what he
wanted to do and ran with it. He changed and modified a few things as we
went along but at the end most of the kids had come over to check out
"THE BIRD". Such a fun treat to be there with him at school today in his
environment and watch him at work. He made his Mom feel like a million
bucks today. At recess he just wanted to sit with me on the bench and
talk instead of playing out on the playground. Melted my heart. An
afternoon I will always remember :)
The girls and I were in the car and I hoped out real quick to drop something off and came back to the car and looked back and saw Ella's head on Eden's lap and Eden was playing with Ella's hair and singing her a song very softly. Eden looked up at me and whispered, "Shh, Mom Ella is sleeping". (she wasn't really but she could have fooled me....it was adorable!)
Eden's little finger nail is as loose as a tooth these days...but has not fallen off yet. The bottom of the nail it still totally attached and the rest is flapping back and forth. How am I going to help keep a little two year old from pulling/picking if off until it is ready...could be an interesting story (stay tuned :) )
Christmas time is so fun with the kids. I feel like every house decorated with lights they see it as if it is the first house with lights they have every seen. Every single one brings such excitement and joy, I love it!
The girls and I were in the car and I hoped out real quick to drop something off and came back to the car and looked back and saw Ella's head on Eden's lap and Eden was playing with Ella's hair and singing her a song very softly. Eden looked up at me and whispered, "Shh, Mom Ella is sleeping". (she wasn't really but she could have fooled me....it was adorable!)
Eden's little finger nail is as loose as a tooth these days...but has not fallen off yet. The bottom of the nail it still totally attached and the rest is flapping back and forth. How am I going to help keep a little two year old from pulling/picking if off until it is ready...could be an interesting story (stay tuned :) )
Christmas time is so fun with the kids. I feel like every house decorated with lights they see it as if it is the first house with lights they have every seen. Every single one brings such excitement and joy, I love it!
12/5/11
Stockings in our house are often called "sockings" --close enough right?
Ella and Eden now have a bunk-bed and the crib is moved into Gordon's room. It has been a challenge to convince Ella to sleep in the top bunk. (I never thought it would be possible to have to talk a child into sleeping on the top...I thought all kids wanted to be on the top???) Well we have gone with 'it is like sleeping in Rapunzel's tower' and that has worked a bit. I found the kids in there this morning with Ella on top and Gordon down below yelling up... "Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair". Hopefully this will end our nightly debates.
We delivered some Christmas goodies to some friends the other night and Ella went up to the door with Taylor on one house. She came back to the car and said ,"Mom she called me darling". Taylor added, "And she called me dear." Ella chimed in with, "....like a REIN--DEER!"
After we put up the tree last night Eden climbed up on our four step- step stool and belted out, "And at last I see the light...". Gordon also took his turn on top and was leading the Christmas music we were listening to with a slinky. It was entertaining to watch :)
We love this time of year for so many reasons! It really is magical...and after all these years it still is for me and in a whole new way, kids make everything better!
We love you all!
Ella and Eden now have a bunk-bed and the crib is moved into Gordon's room. It has been a challenge to convince Ella to sleep in the top bunk. (I never thought it would be possible to have to talk a child into sleeping on the top...I thought all kids wanted to be on the top???) Well we have gone with 'it is like sleeping in Rapunzel's tower' and that has worked a bit. I found the kids in there this morning with Ella on top and Gordon down below yelling up... "Rapunzel, Rapunzel let down your hair". Hopefully this will end our nightly debates.
We delivered some Christmas goodies to some friends the other night and Ella went up to the door with Taylor on one house. She came back to the car and said ,"Mom she called me darling". Taylor added, "And she called me dear." Ella chimed in with, "....like a REIN--DEER!"
After we put up the tree last night Eden climbed up on our four step- step stool and belted out, "And at last I see the light...". Gordon also took his turn on top and was leading the Christmas music we were listening to with a slinky. It was entertaining to watch :)
We love this time of year for so many reasons! It really is magical...and after all these years it still is for me and in a whole new way, kids make everything better!
We love you all!
11/12/11
Sorry I missed a week :)
Julie and the boys came down to play this week and we were over at the park. Ella was getting right up in Alexander's face talking to him and giving him love. I said to her, "Don't pop Alexander's bubble". (we are working on personal space) She said back, "Mom, HE doesn't have a bubble." I said, "Everyone has a bubble". She looked up at me and said, "Well I don't have a bubble!"
One of the kids new phrases that they say all the time now is "That is easy peasy lemon squeezy" :) When Eden says it it always makes me smile!
The kids like to play "house" except they call it 'honey and sweetie'. Then this morning after Taylor left for work Ella looked over at me and said, "Mom, is Dad your really real honey?" "Yes he is!!" was my reply. :)
I was getting Eden ready for bed tonight, first I took off the Rapunzel dress, then an apron, then her jumper, then a shirt, then a green tutu and then a pink tutu. I had no idea she had all of that on. I thought the dress looked a little more poofy than normal :)
Eden was laying in my lap and she looked up at me and said, "There is a baby in my belly" I asked her what she was going to name her baby. She then informed me that the babies name was 'Doggie'.
Lots of Eden stories but here is one more. Whenever ANYTHING is hard for her to do she looks at me and says, "Mom it is too heavy". Most times it is not the phrase you should say but she says it anyway with confidence. :)
We sure love you all!!!
Julie and the boys came down to play this week and we were over at the park. Ella was getting right up in Alexander's face talking to him and giving him love. I said to her, "Don't pop Alexander's bubble". (we are working on personal space) She said back, "Mom, HE doesn't have a bubble." I said, "Everyone has a bubble". She looked up at me and said, "Well I don't have a bubble!"
One of the kids new phrases that they say all the time now is "That is easy peasy lemon squeezy" :) When Eden says it it always makes me smile!
The kids like to play "house" except they call it 'honey and sweetie'. Then this morning after Taylor left for work Ella looked over at me and said, "Mom, is Dad your really real honey?" "Yes he is!!" was my reply. :)
I was getting Eden ready for bed tonight, first I took off the Rapunzel dress, then an apron, then her jumper, then a shirt, then a green tutu and then a pink tutu. I had no idea she had all of that on. I thought the dress looked a little more poofy than normal :)
Eden was laying in my lap and she looked up at me and said, "There is a baby in my belly" I asked her what she was going to name her baby. She then informed me that the babies name was 'Doggie'.
Lots of Eden stories but here is one more. Whenever ANYTHING is hard for her to do she looks at me and says, "Mom it is too heavy". Most times it is not the phrase you should say but she says it anyway with confidence. :)
We sure love you all!!!
11/7/11
WOW I have been horrible the last couple of weeks. I think I forgot at
least one week and this week I have been saying to myself A LOT that
"that has to go in the grandparents journal" and I have not written notes to myself and with my prego brain have not remembered them. :(
We sure love you all! And have been thinking about it more and more especially around this time of year. We are so grateful and blessed to have each of you in our lives and the examples you have given us! So glad that we have you all for eternity :)
Just have...
I made the girls a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch today. And Ella asked, "Is it called a girl-ed cheese sandwich?"
Gordon is doing so well in school! We call him our 100% boy. Every Friday he comes home with his test sheet to show us he got them all right again :) Life is good.
We sure love you all! And have been thinking about it more and more especially around this time of year. We are so grateful and blessed to have each of you in our lives and the examples you have given us! So glad that we have you all for eternity :)
Just have...
I made the girls a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch today. And Ella asked, "Is it called a girl-ed cheese sandwich?"
Gordon is doing so well in school! We call him our 100% boy. Every Friday he comes home with his test sheet to show us he got them all right again :) Life is good.
10/22/11
I was reading through some old grandparents
journals the other day and it was fun to remember different things. I
hope someday the kids will get a kick out of all of these. I sure love
these kids of mine! And love all of you :) Thanks for helping me to stay
committed to doing this somewhat consistently.
On the way to get the kids from school the last few days the girls have been beat-boxing: (Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. ) It is really cute to listen to and watch.
Taylor and I went to Gordon's parent teacher conference this morning and Mr. Wray had nothing but kind things to say about Gordon. He told us that Gordon is just a joy to have in class and that he is always trying his best and obeys the rules. He also told us that Gordon is a great leader. He doesn't boss kids around, he leads them by example. And Mr. Wray said he was very impressed with Gordon's handwriting. :) Gordon got all A+'s with one A. And in every other area he received "E" for Excellent (which is the highest mark). He is doing wonderfully and loving it, we couldn't be happier :)
I was talking on my cell phone to my Mom and the call was dropped so I said to myself out loud, "Oh, I lost Mom". Ella quickly turned her head and said, "Where is Grandma? We need to find her!"
Grandma Nielsen is coming for a visit next week and I was telling the kids that she was going to be coming. They were all getting excited and then Eden looked at me and said, "And Grandpa come too!" I explained he couldn't come this time. And she was trying to talk me into the the idea that no he is coming. We are going to miss having you here too Grandpa :)
Can't wait to see Grandma Nielsen in two days!!! :) Woot Woot!
On the way to get the kids from school the last few days the girls have been beat-boxing: (Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. ) It is really cute to listen to and watch.
Taylor and I went to Gordon's parent teacher conference this morning and Mr. Wray had nothing but kind things to say about Gordon. He told us that Gordon is just a joy to have in class and that he is always trying his best and obeys the rules. He also told us that Gordon is a great leader. He doesn't boss kids around, he leads them by example. And Mr. Wray said he was very impressed with Gordon's handwriting. :) Gordon got all A+'s with one A. And in every other area he received "E" for Excellent (which is the highest mark). He is doing wonderfully and loving it, we couldn't be happier :)
I was talking on my cell phone to my Mom and the call was dropped so I said to myself out loud, "Oh, I lost Mom". Ella quickly turned her head and said, "Where is Grandma? We need to find her!"
Grandma Nielsen is coming for a visit next week and I was telling the kids that she was going to be coming. They were all getting excited and then Eden looked at me and said, "And Grandpa come too!" I explained he couldn't come this time. And she was trying to talk me into the the idea that no he is coming. We are going to miss having you here too Grandpa :)
Can't wait to see Grandma Nielsen in two days!!! :) Woot Woot!
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