Glenn Family

Christmas Morning

2012-01-19T21:20:00.000-08:00

Smiling children before the presents.

Tim received a toothbrush and was ecstatic. . . and . . .

Mary received a dollhouse! (Did I mention tim's toothbrush is electric with Spiderman climbing up the side?) :)

Lovin' those curtains.

Ryan's first "real" woodworking experiment. Didn't he do GREAT!

Upon seeing the dollhouse, Mary literally turned around and fell on the stairs in a heap and buried her face. I thought, Oh no, is she upset??? What on earth?

She got up a few moments later with the biggest grin on her face and moved toward the dollhouse. I think she was shocked!

btw, Really, we did take good care of Tim too. And of course, Luke doesn't compare presents yet. He was happy just to have something to put in his mouth.

Family Christmas Traditions

2012-01-19T21:03:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Nativity

Christmas Eve Talent (Lia, Bryn, Chayson, and Kendon rocking out to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer)

Christmas Eve PJs (Spencer, Tim holding Luke, Sam hidden behing Simon, Chayson holding Shad, Kendon and Seth)

Girls modeling their PJs (Mary, Leah, Bryn, and Lia)

Sidenote: That bear and the love sack are my parents' "golden" possesions. The grandkids seriously can't get in enough wrestling with the bear and love sack.

Kids Make Christmas

2012-01-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, so maybe kids don't make Christmas, but aren't so many occasions just that much more fun because of kids? Obviously the complete reverse can be true too. :) But really, their excitement is contagious.
So, Ryan's family had a tradition growing up that one night during the Christmas season the boys slept under the tree. We are keeping the tradition alive. Tim and Mary were so excited. We let them open an early present (from the Wildes) that night. Mary's new Barbie pool is displayed behind her and Tim's new legos are next to him. We played together with the new toys, ate treats, sang and then the kids nestled themselves underneath the Christmas tree. I miss the tree. boohoo.

Buddies!

2012-01-08T14:09:00.000-08:00

Simon and Luke (cousins) are just three months apart and I am thinking they are already buddies. If not, hopefully sometime in the near future. :) Maybe next time they will show a little more enthusiasm for our photo op. But aren't they cute and so dashing in their Sunday Best?

Must Be Santa

2012-01-08T14:02:00.000-08:00

Tim learned Must Be Santa at school and we heard it multiple times over the season. I had that song in my head many times over the Holidays. Hence, the first thing that came to my head when naming the post. :)

The above two photos were taken at Mary's preschool. Her preschool puts on the most amazing Christmas celebration, complete with Santa. It is a little crazy with lots of people, but a great way to bring the holiday mood. And the food was absolutely amazing this year which makes the event even more grand in our book. :) Mary sang some cute Christmas songs, but I did not get a good position to even see her to take photos so sadly, that is not posted.

Santa and Mrs. Claus even came to our Gale Family Christmas party. My kids were a bit nervous, but it is really a very special treat to have Santa show up! Luke didn't even cry, which was completely surprising. :) Best Santa and Mrs. Santa duo in my book...even an authentic beard on Santa #2.

New Cousin

2012-01-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

Mary loves babies. Here she is with her new cousin Shad. He was born at the beginning of December. He is so tiny and precious!

Who will Barbie Marry?

2011-12-08T20:45:00.001-08:00

Mary: "Mom, Sophie and I were playing Barbie princesses."

Me: "Oh yeah. That sounds fun."

Mary: "Sophie's Barbie married Justin 'Beaver' and my Barbie married Tim McGraw."

Really??? I love that girl.

My newborn...not such a newborn anymore!

2011-12-01T20:25:00.001-08:00

Luke absolutely ADORES his jumpster. When he is not in his jumpster, he pretends like he is.

Luke loves sitting at the piano.

Look at him! I awkwardly trudge along when I carry this big guy around in his car seat. Not too much longer and my muscles will be maxed out!

Luke will often suck on his mouth or his tongue. No binky for him...which has its pluses and minuses.

He is starting to sit up. Doesn't it seem like somehow they leave the newborn phase a bit when they can sit up? Wipe a tear.

I foolishly thought before now that if you followed the books and their sleeping-through-the-night regimens that all would work out. It simply took persistence and patience and within a few nights of sleep training (like many books say)...voila! A full night sleep. Well, I am yet to get a full night's sleep. And I have done what I think the "books" say over and over again. This kid has proved all the books wrong. Or I don't know what I am doing (probably a combination of both) And I will never be so quick to judge when someone has a 3-month, 6-month, 9-month, 1 year old not sleeping through the night. Mary and Tim slept through the night within a couple months, but not this guy. Last night I told Ryan I want to hire SuperNanny to come for a week and get him sleeping through the night. I am sure there are some other tactics to try. Ryan keeps suggesting wearing earplugs, closing the doors and getting a good full-night's rest. But, trust me, I have not tried that yet. He has tried it a few times though and wishes I would let him do it more often.

Anyway, this kid has been humbling in the sleeping area. But I still love him and every morning after he has caused us such grief in the night he looks so sweet with his rosy, chubby cheeks and wide-eyes looking at us. And my memories of the night before are wiped clean. It's all worth it. We love our little guy.

My Super GIRL!!!

2011-11-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

I took a few minutes in my last post to talk about Tim and I loved just being able to take a few moments to think about him and appreciate who he is. I thought I would do the same for Mary, and Luke too...when I get around to it again. Which will probably be in a month or so. :)

1. I love the picture of Mary (above) because it is a part of Mary that you don't always see initially. I think people sometimes look at Mary as sweet and timid. And yes, she definitely is sweet and can be very timid. But inside she is bursting with flare. She can be stubborn, mischievous, and determined. She has a very big heart, a beautiful smile, and an infectious laugh. This picture captures Mary in one of her more determined moments. (This was her Halloween costume by the way).

2. Mary is the ultimate nurturer. That has become more and more apparent as I watch her with Luke. She loves to do anything and everything for Luke. If I can't get her to do something, if I pull Luke into the equation it definitely helps. i.e. "Mary, don't you think Luke would love it if he had a place where he could lay in your room without all your toys in the way? And don't you think we need to set a good example for him so one day he will know how to clean his room just like he learned from watching you?" wink, wink. Once in a while I will help watch another baby, as well as Luke. Mary is the ultimate helper. She will drop everything else to hand the babies toys, coo at them and keep them happy. Mary doesn't like to see anyone sad and she will do whatever she can to remedy things if a friend is sad.Tim is the one exception to the rule-sometimes. ha.

3. Mary is positive. I love to ask Mary for something like a french fry or an M&M and see her smile and say "sure!" I don't know why, but it is the cutest thing the way she says it. Maybe it just warms my heart to ask for something and not have whining and moaning follow the request.

4. Mary melts my heart. I used to watch her through the little window as she entered nursery at church as a 18-month old. She didn't put up a fight about going. But she would walk in and then just stand there and watch everything. She often didn't go to the toys or a teacher. She just watched. I would watch and just pull for her, wanting her to pick up a toy and play or interact with the kids. I could come back 5-10 minutes later and she could still be in the same place if one of her teachers didn't coax her into an activity. Oftentimes, by the end she ended up playing with the kitchen or ended up on the teacher's lap. This happened for most of the time she was in nursery.
Sometimes I find myself just pulling for her and wanting her to come out of her little shell and just blossom. At church a couple weeks ago we had our primary program. Mary was going to sing a song in a small group. The night before the program, I asked Ryan what he thought she would do in front of the whole congregation. We figured based upon past experience she might hide her head and barely move her mouth. She really did know and love the song, but we just thought that was the Mary that would show up. When her group stood up to sing, she shined! Her voice rang out MUCH louder than everyone-granted a bit off beat-but seriously Ryan and I's shoulders were shaking we were trying not to laugh too hard. I was almost brought to tears as I pulled for her in that instance. I knew she was so scared, but she was trying so very hard to be brave.

Mary started ballet. Here she is doing some moves.

I love getting to know my kids and I love watching them grow. Each time I have held my newborns in the hospital I have wondered, "Who are you? What will you be like?" and I can't wait to start see their personality's blossom. It's just fun to see it unfold. I am scared and excited for what is to come with Mary.

A Shout out to the Birthday Boy!

2011-10-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

Bloody nose during a soccer game this Fall. He got hammered by the ball right in the nose. He actually gets nose-bleeds semi-frequently.

Birthday Breakfast. Tim reminded me a couple times the day before his birthday that I should make sure that on the morning of his Birthday I wouldn't let him out of his room until all the decorations were up. Really? I didn't realize that was the expectation for decorations at the crack of dawn. I am glad he laid it out there for me!

He had some friends over for a birthday party. Here they are doing the limbo.

Birthday shirt from Grandma Shellie.

Tim got a lego set from both Grandmas and one from Ryan and I. This kid loves Legos! And I think he has his Lego-fill for a while!

Tim's Terrific Top Ten

1.Tim is Mr. Obedient.

"Mom, one time I was at Spencer's house and Spencer said, 'Hey Timmy, let's go and sneak some candy.' I told him that is something we do not do at our house and we shouldn't do it. He said he does it all the time. So, he decided not to do it."

I am pretty sure Tim is yet to sneak candy from our candy jar. Mary, on the other hand, has tried it a time or two. :) He is Mr. No Nonsense. No mischief from Mr. Tim.

2.He is a ball of energy. I set him lose to run laps around the house or command him to do 50 jumping jacks so he will stop unleashing his energy on anything and everything! I don't know what will happen this winter!

3. He is a superstar at reading.

4. The other day I asked Tim what he wants to be when he grows up. I said, "You know, like what you want to do for a job." Tim replied. "I want to go to work like Dad." I replied, "Yes, but what kind of work." Again he responded, with the same answer, but added, "You know when you go to an office and you make money." So we settled on the fact that he wants to be an accountant like Dad. He is actually really good with numbers and does really well with addition. Tonight he came down and told me (he was supposed to be in bed) that he had counted to 401. I tell you, that math brain didn't come from me!

5. He is empathetic. The other day he told us he was trying to find someone to play with and saw a girl in our ward who looked lonely and sad without anyone to play with. He said he asked her to play and it seemed like she got happier. He said they had alot of fun.

6. He is a scaredy-cat. He is scared to go under the house to play on his own or enter a dark room. But, he keeps begging to watch Ghostbusters or anything creepy.

7. He is in it to win it. He hates to lose!

8. Loves Kindergarten. His favorite part of school is recess, gym and computers. He can't wait until 1st Grade when lunchtime will be added to his list.

9. Has a winning smile.

10. He can be insanely talkative or really, really quiet. Which Tim do you know? Or should I say Timothy? He has told everyone in his kindergarten class he wants to be called Timothy. :)

And let the schooling begin

2011-09-09T16:11:00.000-07:00

So, shortly after Tim was born I remember thinking, just five more years and he will be off to kindergarten and I can have my hands free and more time to get things done. (Didn't really think about the fact that I might be cuddling with another baby in five years and might not have too much free time). Well, when Tim was a couple years old I began to realize that time was flying by and he would be in kindergarten sooner than I thought! I began to somewhat dread losing my little buddy to the "real world". A few tears were shed this summer thinking of my little guy starting kindergarten. But, I think he is where he wants to be. He doesn't seem too excited, does he?

Mary showing off her butterfly tattoo. It was her first day of tater tots at Kid's Village preschool. She has the same teacher again this year, Miss Farrah. We love her!

Let's see if they are this excited to start high school. I need to take a comparison picture in 10 years. :)

Crazy Good Times

2011-09-09T15:53:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate to be able to travel to the Oregon Coast a couple weeks ago to spend some time with Ryan's family.

It didn't take Kaleb long to feel comfortable with his new cousin.

Grandpa soaking up a few minutes with Luke.

Ryan and Luke enjoying the sunshine.

These kids could literally spend all day at the beach.

(Mary, Tim, Kaleb, Adelle, Florence and Kiera)

Ethan

Cute twirly skirts and matching hats grandma Shellie made for the girls.

The fine attire Grandma Shellie made for the boys.

(Below) Storytime was a hit each night Grandpa and the kids.

Ethan

Roasting hot diggities around the fire.

Kiera and Luke

Mary (4), Kiera (5), Tim (5), and Florence (6)

Kaleb getting a smile.

Mary and the coolest bubbles ever!

Ryan's bubble demo.

Love the sunsets. We stayed at Rockaway Beach near Tillamook. The Twin Rocks are behind Ryan.

(Below) Will miss those cute nieces (and nephews).

And just for my Mom and Dad...yes, the sun did shine while we were there...this time. :)

There's a hole in your smile!

2011-09-07T21:10:00.000-07:00

Tim was so excited when he found out he had a loose tooth and the excitement was topped off when he actually lost it. He did a happy dance all around the kitchen and repeated over and over again, "Oh yeah, Oh yeah!"

Bad Hair Day?

2011-09-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

Even some of the cutest ones have them. July '11

Brotherly Love

2011-09-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

The other day I walked by and heard Tim chattering in Luke's room. I looked in and he was putting on a puppet show. I snapped this picture.

Most of the time it is really fun how much he loves his brother. Other times, not so fun. We have a new phrase at our house "space in the face!" For some reason, Tim and Mary think they have to be half an inch from his face for him to notice them...or they just think it is fun to be so close that they can share the same air. I am not sure. Tim also loves to surprise Luke. He thinks it is the funniest thing when he startles him (the bigger Luke's jump, the better). Really, it is out of love, but one day there will be payback. Tim better hide his lego creations!

No Longer "Fwee"

2011-09-04T20:57:00.000-07:00

Mary celebrated her birthday just over a month ago and we had a "Pinkalicious" Party to celebrate. All of her friends came in their most favorite pink outfits and we played games and read pinkalicious and had pink cupcakes and pink lemonade to top it off. You can see that Tim was included in the fun. He got pretty frustrated with the girls because they were not necessarily playing the games the right way and he was bound and determined to WIN!

Mary, Jaydie, Aldana and the "pinkalicious" cupcakes.

Adam and Jenn's family came over for more celebrating.

Mary and her birthday breakfast. She got to open one gift early. Barbie Mermadia!!! Really, can life get any better?

And school starts in just over a week . . .

2011-08-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

WAHHHH!!!

Where has summer gone???

Take a look

2011-08-12T22:22:00.000-07:00

He's peering through the corn!

So, the other day it rained...

2011-08-12T22:09:00.001-07:00

And my kids went outside toPARTY!!!

A lot can change in a month!

2011-07-16T21:05:00.000-07:00

Swimmin' Kids

2011-07-11T21:08:00.001-07:00

Tim and Mary loved their swimming lessons. So much, that when Luke was born at 4:30 in the morning, just hours later Ryan had Tim and Mary at their final lesson. They were SO excited for their last class because they would be able to go down the slide and play lots.

New life in the Glenn home

2011-07-11T20:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome home Luke!

Mary is all smiles. And after 3 and a 1/2 weeks she is still all smiles. The excitement hasn't worn off yet.

A welcome home Happy birthday celebration for Luke. Complete with carrot cake (yum!) and decorations.

Grandma Shellie was a HUGE support. We loved having her around.

Thank you, but I am so happy to be done!

2011-07-11T20:48:00.000-07:00

It's such a relief to have some time to recover in the hospital, but it doesn't take long for me to be itching to get home to see my kids and Ryan and start on the adventure. I cried to Ryan when the nurse gave us the impression I had to stay one more day at the hospital. Luckily, we didn't have to stay that extra day.

Life's Little Miracles

2011-07-03T11:52:00.000-07:00

The picture above shows the "true knot".9 pounds 3 ounces and 20 inches long.We made it!Too many times in my life I let the small miracles pass by. Luke was born just two weeks ago and he is another little miracle in my life. Every time I go through pregnancy and childbirth I am reminded of what a miracle it is. There is so much that comes together to bring Heavenly Father's children to our familes. I feel so blessed that everything came together for my three little miracles.

To me, I saw becoming pregnant with Luke as a miracle. I didn't know if we would be blessed with another baby. Shortly after my ectopic pregnancy, and ever since then, I have felt a new appreciation and love for the kids I already had. I wondered how long it would take to get pregnant after the surgery, or if it would even happen. I was overcome with so much peace and gratitude for my two precious kids, my loving husband and every other blessing, I almost wondered if that was the answer---that I was so blessed and could get by without. But that is not the case, we got pregnant and I just prayed that if the Lord would have it, we could have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. When we had the ultrasound, I was so happy to see a little baby moving everywhere. It didn't matter boy or girl.

The kids prayed throughout the pregnancy that the baby would survive when it came out. Over and over again that phrase was repeated. They were coming to love their new baby brother before he ever made it here.

Well, I was scheduled to be induced on the 17th of June. The day before was my grandma Mary's birthday. That is a special day to me. We wanted to celebrate her special day by going to her favorite restaurant that evening (Chuck-a-Rama), but we were in the hospital instead. Luke arrived on a day that is special in my heart already. Now the significance is just multiplied!

My water broke the evening of the 15th and we made it to the hospital about 11 or 12. Four and a half hours later he was here.

He came out and they immediately announced, "it's a boy!" I was thrilled, as much as I love girlie things---shopping, barbies, and She-ra---I have come to love the thought of another boy in the family as well.

I then heard the doctor say, he has a knot in his cord. It's a true knot. I handed Ryan the camera to take a picture of Luke. The doctor then said the cord had been around his neck. The doctor said, "No Dad, we need you to cut the cord." So, the camera was passed to the nurse. After what felt like 5 minutes, Ryan finally cut the cord and Lukes crying finally entered the room. Fortunately, the true knot wasn't tight enough to cause a miscarriage early on and our big boy is here.

The funny thing was, I was very cautious before Luke was born, hoping and praying we would have a healthy baby and asking myself if I would be willing to take on a baby that wasn't healthy. I knew in my heart I was willing. I would take whatever Heavenly Father gave me. But as soon as Luke was born, all fear left, and I knew he would be okay. And he was okay. Who knows what the future will bring, but right now my little Luke is sleeping in his car seat soundly and our family loves him. I always wonder when I have a new baby if I have enough room in my heart to love another. Well, it didn't take long to find out that I not only have enough room, but so do Ryan, Mary and Tim. We love him to pieces. I think Mary actually loves him too much. Poor guy! :)

Our trip down south (Not quite Mexico, but we will definitely take St. George!)

2011-05-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks back we were able to make it to St. George with Ryan's parents. Adam and Jenn let us stay at their lovely condo. We even got to introduce Ryan's parents to shuffleboard, racquetball and Zion's National Park. And thankfully, we got a break from the snow!
(Above) Mary seems to enjoy the pool from the outside more than the inside.

Tim working on his moves.

We stopped by the St. George temple to check out the grounds. Their visitor's center is really cool too with a great movie about families (short). I would recommend it to anyone who is going to be in the area.

There is something wonderful about the combo of rocks and water. Tim at the narrows. Way to much water to walk through this time.

Mary looking for the perfect rock.

Getting drizzled on by the weeping rock. (Wanted to show off my camera skills-yeah, it is off-center)!

We had tons of fun at Zion's but had to avoid the zillions of blue fuzzy caterpillars falling from trees and making homes anywhere and everywhere at the main entrance. The first one we saw was cute, from then on I did everything I could to avoid them!

Happy Easter

2011-05-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Love this place!!!

2011-05-11T12:42:00.000-07:00

And love being with some of our favorite people. Thanks for coming Grandma Shellie and Grandpa Bob!

A weekly tradition

2011-04-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

It takes only 7 minutes to drive to Ryan's work. We are fortunate to be able to meet up with him once in a while for lunch. And fortunately, one particularly AMAZING day in March we got to enjoy the sunshine and eat outside with him. It is such a blessing to have him work so close! Here we are at a field/park near Ryan's work for a picnic. We ate lunch, played a little soccer, and then rode bikes around the track before Ryan returned to work.

Happenings in March-and even a little sunshine!

2011-04-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

My kids love drawing with chalk. Mary has been making such huge strides in writing her letters just by making it a little more fun and writing them on the sidewalk. She LOVES for Ryan and I to draw pictures of both her and Ariel. By the way, they always must have a crown. Sometimes she wants to be wearing rollerskates in the pictures, but not always. So, if you ever get involved, expect Mary to ask you over and over again to draw both her and ariel. Tim drew this picture (below) of camping at the beach in Oregon with his cousins and Grandma and Grandpa. He is very excited for that trip. The other day he drew a picture of me coming out of the shower. It was so adorable. Really. When he told me he wanted me to see the picture he had drawn of me coming out of the shower I was quite mortified. But then I saw the picture and just laughed inside. Nothing inappropriate for the neighbors luckily. Just a picture of me with my head and right below a ginormous belly with a belly button and long, long legs. And of course the bath was behind me. I am sorry if that image was a bit frightening. it was the cutest thing, really. A creation from the Home Depot kid's workshop. The sun is out...get out the bikes and make sure you have your princess crown on! At Disney on Ice. The kids loved it. They went the previous year and have talked about it since then. We decided they had so much fun we should try it again.

Mary getting some love from Uncle Jeff and Aunt Brittany.

By request

2011-04-12T09:46:00.001-07:00

Here my belly is-29 weeks pregnant. My sis-in-law, Brittany, in WA requested I post a picture of my pregnant belly after she posted hers a few weeks ago. Well, I have finally done it. I wanted to show her the dress I was excited about that I got at Downeast too. I thought my mom might enjoy the pictures while she is in Portugal. It is a weekly request on skype for her to check up on my tummy. Can it really get any bigger? Well, if I remember right from my previous pregnancies, I think it will! Woah!

From 4 to 5

2011-04-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

So, I have been extremely slow in posting these. My mom and mother-in-law wanted me to post these photos of our coming baby and almost ten weeks later...it has finally happened! I tried last week, but was having issues and gave up. Anyway, Ryan and I are extremely grateful, excited and nervous to have another baby coming in a couple months. We decided not to find out the gender of the baby. We decided to leave it for a surprise until he OR she arrives. For the last few years, I thought it would be fun if we had a boy and a girl first to let the next one be a surprise. And honestly, despite many people thinking we are crazy, :) it has worked out-so far. Although, I have to admit I have seen some cute dresses and adorable little boy outfits and wished I could buy some, but this makes me hold off. I also have the desire to work on the baby's room, but the purple walls will stay or go depending on if it's a boy or a girl and I need to wait to find out. So, yes, it has taken some patience.Ryan and I were just so excited to see a living, moving baby during our ultrasound...it really made absolutely no difference if we found out if it was a boy or a girl. At this point we will be completely happy with either one. Unfortunately, it will probably be hardest on Tim and Mary. Tim wants a boy and Mary wants a girl. If Mary gets her girl I can just hear Tim saying, "Mary always gets what she wants!" Oh, the poor kid. I am hoping that transition ends up going semi-smoothly. But, yes, our little one was moving all over, and even sucked his OR her thumb at one point.

We feel so incredibly blessed to have a baby coming this June. After trying to get pregnant for almost a year, we were wondering if we would be able to have another after what happened with my ectopic pregnancy. This baby has helped us to further realize that every child we bring into this world really is a miracle.

Shortcut to Mom's heart

2011-01-30T14:31:00.000-08:00

So, a few days ago it was a typical dinner at our home as we sat and enjoyed one of my marvelous feasts... ha :) Anyway, after the main course I introduced the next course by opening the pot and letting the kids know we were having cauliflower. You wouldn't believe the excitement that crossed Tim's face as he exclaimed,

"Yeah!!! Mom, this is the best dinner ever!"

Thank you Tim, you made my day and made me smile. Dad just had to bite his tongue... He has his own feelings about cauliflower.

What could be better than time with grandparents and cousins and pillow pets?

2011-01-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

A few days after Christmas, we enjoyed a second Christmas at Ryan's parents' house in OR. We were also happy to spend some time With Ryan's brother Steve and his family (they came down from WA). Tim's pillow pet from Grandma and Grandpa.
My new book all about canning...so hopefully we won't have to ring Shellie everytime we are trying something new or can't remember what we did in the past!
Tim, Florence, and Kaleb being entertained by the zhu-zhu's.

Steve and Ryan playing "knock your socks off." My pep talk apparently didn't work with Ryan. He lost both socks, but he put up a good fight.

One, two three, Go!

2011-01-20T11:49:00.000-08:00

Waiting patiently atop the stairs . . . it's almost time! Wohoo! As Tim and Mary were waiting on the stairs they talked excitedly about their stockings. They were so excited to see what lay in their stockings. They stepped over their large gifts and went "crazy" over the candy and little gifts in their stockings. We had to point them in the direction of the scooters they had stepped over.

Mary eventually noticed her beloved Belle doll.

Tim was thrilled to get his book of mazes!

After Tim got over the excitement of his maze book in his stocking, he made his way over to his new scooter.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

2011-01-20T11:31:00.000-08:00

This Christmas Eve was a new adventure for us. We usually get to enjoy the festivities from my parent's house. Since they were way to far away to spend Christmas with, we had to improvise and do as best as we could to make it somewhat close to the fun we usually have there. Some of my siblings were out of town too. So, we hosted a cozy Christmas Eve at our house and Adam's family came and we had a great time. We weren't sure how singing Christmas carols would go, but they REALLY sang! We also weren't sure how the little talent part would go, but that went over well too. I guess i just wasn't sure about having a small crowd. But hey, we had fun! A highlight of the night was the PJ's from Grandma Leen. Adam reading The Night Before Christmas.
Sam in his brand new PJs.

Tim and Spencer are just a little excited.

Make room for one more . . .

2011-01-19T14:32:00.000-08:00

Ryan and I went in to check on Mary before we went to bed one night and found this . . . Apparently there was some arranging going on after lights went out!

A little Holiday fun

2011-01-19T14:25:00.001-08:00

Ryan insisted I get a photo by the Twilight tree at the festival of Trees. I think he thinks I am a fanatic. Really, I'm not! I think Ryan is just shocked that I read 4 books, each over 600 pages in length. That really is saying something for me!
Mary and Tim amongst the hundreds of trees.

Our Christmas train. Buying a kit is the only way to go now.

Anxious for the Thanksgiving Goodness!

2011-01-19T14:22:00.000-08:00

Better late than never!

2011-01-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

I know this isn't the Mary everyone sees, but this is the Mary we often see at home! We love having some of our cousins nearby. Jenn made us her yummy yearly chili dinner and we went trick-or-treating for a while. The kids really tired out before I wanted them too. I really thought they needed more candy, but they were completely satisfied!
Before Ryan's Halloween luncheon at work. Doesn't he make a cute Waldo???

Mary posing after her singing Halloween performance at her preschool. She didn't really sing, but she sure looked lovely.

Tim was just a little excited to be Robin and for Halloween.

One last hiking memory to savor for the next year and a half-when we can do it again!

2010-10-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have been able to spend some time with my parents during their P-day while they were in the MTC. I picked them up, they did a little laundry and we were able to enjoy an awesome Fall day with a hike to Timpanogos Falls. The Fall scenery was absolutely beautiful. We have loved hiking with my parents and the kiddos these last few years. They are good sports to take our crew along. We will savor this memory until we get to do it all together again!

Jeff even joined in on the fun. (Notice Dad's tag on his pocket)

Emily's kids were even with us for the weekend so they got to join in. Here we are after returning from a scrumptious dinner at Brick Oven. I have to mention the highlight of the Brick Oven. The kids absolutely loved it when the balloon man came. He fortunately, finally made it to our table. The boys all got Spiderman balloons and Mary got an Ariel. Here they are at the end of the day reading Pinkalicious with Grandma.

Here they are while Grandpa is reading a spooky ghost story. Notice Mary is holding her Ariel. :)

"Look Mom, her fingernails are purple!"

2010-10-24T12:03:00.000-07:00

We went to Gardner Village to see the Witches with some friends and this was one of the favorite witches. Mary, as observant as she is, said "Look mom, her fingernails are purple!" They were. Although I'm not sure I would have ever noticed!

A girl needs girlfriends

2010-10-21T13:08:00.001-07:00

Mary loved having her cousin Rachel around. Mary finds the all the boy cousins that usually surround her rather CRAZY! She loves it when she can find someone who appreciates her feminine qualities a little more.

Newly set apart Missionaries

2010-10-21T12:53:00.001-07:00

Family photo:

Adam, Jeff, Emily, Dad, Mom, Wendi, Shelly and Bruce
Leah, Lia, Bryn, Chayson, Rachel, Ryan, Nathan, Tim & Mary with Grandma and Grandpa
(a few missing grandkids were running around somewhere)

Sister Gale and Elder Gale
Portugal-here they come!
They went to the MTC the next day where they received their official tags.

The wisdom of our newly-turned 5 year old

2010-10-21T12:46:00.000-07:00

Last night at dinner I was very scientific with Tim as I explained that milk helps our bones grow strong and water helps clean us out and helps keep our blood clean and healthy. Tim responded, "No Mom, the kidneys clean out our blood." Happy Birthday to the boy who keeps us laughing and reminds reminds us that we need to keep up on our studies!

Might I say, "A beautiful day for a parade!"

2010-10-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

We love the homecoming parade at BYU. Tons of candy and school spirit! Look who joined us!

Superheroes Unite!

2010-10-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Tim wanted a superhero birthday this year with all of his cousins his age. All the ones around here happen to be boys . . .Mary was the lone girl. Here she is sprinting in the relay in her moonboots and fairy costume.
Tim's special request Superman cake. Actually, it was probably his 5th request. This one was actually doable.
Pollywog even dressed up for the occasion.

What's a party without gifts??? :)

The Superhero Crew: Seth, Spencer, Chayson, Ryan, Paul, Mary and Tim.

Oregon Coast Camping Top 10

2010-08-22T12:47:00.000-07:00

. . .In no particular order:

1. Hide and go seek in WWII batteries. 2. Ryan and Mary got to work on their tans.
3. The adults even had a moment here and there to relax.

4. Storytime with Grandpa complete with Dinosuars Love Underpants.

5. Watching the sunset with my Honey.

2010-08-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

6. It was even warm enough to splash around in the lake our last day. It was the first day our jackets came off. 7. What can be better than cousin time?
8. Getting comfortable in the sand.

9. Bike riding heaven!

10. The treasure hunts. A girl can never have enough accessories.

More Partying for sweet Mary

2010-07-28T13:28:00.000-07:00

Mary's new kitchen. When she discovered it under the house she let out the cutest little "woot!" shouts. Actually, for Mary, they were kind of loud!
The Birthday sleepover in Tim's room. It lasted an hour and a half. Till Tim and I sent her to her own room. Tim said he couldn't sleep because she was making him giggle too much. The hour and a half was well worth it though. They had a lot of fun.

Birthday pool party with Michelle's Family.

Some of the wild happenings from the party. Grandpa Kent and Sam.

All wet and ready for cake!

Princess Partying

2010-07-28T13:16:00.001-07:00

Mary's friend Aldana across the street was invited to her Princess bday party and for Mary's gift, Aldana let Mary use her family's bouncy castle for her party. Woohoo! Mary thought it was cool, but not nearly as cool as Timmy thought it was. :)

Magic Carpet game.

"No Mom, I can't see a thing! I think I will just hold my head up like this."

Princess trivia.

Mary's princess crown cupcakes.

Lack of sleep, grumpy kids, s'mores, dutch oven cooking, excited kids, flat air mattress, hot diggities, and beautiful surroundings-Camping!

2010-07-18T13:07:00.000-07:00

Just over a week ago we went camping with Jeff and Brittany. They stretched us a bit as we truly roughed it by not going to a state park. We had to live without potties. But for just one night, we survived. And Mary actually brought her magic potty. Jeff and Brittany informed us the magical potty music went off multiple times during the night in the rain. :) Luckily, they are used to rough conditions. Don't they make for great company???
Ryan was a bit frustrated with the fact that our air mattress went flat shortly after going to bed and informed me camping was out of the question for a while. Well, one week later, here we are with some friends at Jordanelle camping.

Mary and Brennan chillin' at the creek.

Our sleeping palace. Isn't Michelle such a good sport? :)

Tim and Alise (as well as the other kids) loved being in the creek. Ryan didn't anticipate the kids drifting as far as they did and right off was in the creek with the kids. Jeans and all. But really, that was one of his favorite parts of the trip.

Let Freedom Ring!

2010-07-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July in Utah County. We always look forward to going to the parade in Provo, which my sister-in-law Jenn, seems to be good about hooking us up with good seats. We also have been to the Balloon Fest a couple times. And, we actually made it on time to the Balloon fest this year, it is at 6:30am, and found out because of winds the balloons would not be going up. It's okay, to Tim the best part is eating breakfast at McDonalds afterward. Ryan and I have even been to Stadium of Fire a couple times, but missed out this year.

And, the 4th of July isn't complete without a BBQ and waterfight at my parent's house. As you can see, Tim thought the slip-and-slide was the hit of the party, while Mary much preferred sitting with Grandma.

Gale Family Reunion 2010 Duck Creek, UT

2010-07-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

My nephew Sam (7) is completely into fishing. They even caught at least a couple fish at the nearby lake. I think this is the reason Tim begged me for a fishing pole the other day at Wal-Mart. Here are Lia, Bruce, Bryn and I after making it to the pond on our hike. We had to maneuver through some snow to get here. In June? Yep.
Tim, My Dad and I (and Mom in the background) at the lookout at Cedar Breaks National Monument. Isn't Utah breathtaking?

Wendi and Rachel. Mary loved having a girl around amongst all her male cousins.

Snoqualmie Falls

2010-06-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

Absolutely beautiful waterfall. It makes Bridal Veil Falls look like a trickle.LaDean and Adelle
Mary

Kaleb

Mary, Ryan, Michelle and Florence

Nothing like Family Time

2010-06-15T09:39:00.001-07:00

We had the opportunity to spend time with Ryan's brothers and their families during our trip. They live in Marysville, WA. We had so much fun. I loved seeing the kids and their personalities and just seeing their homes and catching up.Kaleb, Adelle, Tim, Ethan, Kiera, Flo, and Mary playing with their bubbles.
We went to a beautiful park near their homes. Kiera and Mary are trying to catch a fish.

Brittany taking some photos.

Kaleb is the oldest of the Glenn cousins. He has so much energy and reminds me a lot of how my younger brother was at that age. Anyone who remembers Jeff at 9 years old will remember. :)

Lake Union and Fish and Chips with the Birds

2010-06-14T21:43:00.000-07:00

We stayed at a hotel next to Lake Union downtown Seattle. The kids loved seeing the boats and it was relaxing just to walk around the lake and soak in the surroundings.

p.s. Tim's favorite breakfast now: Breakfast at the hotel in Seattle. He has reminded us of that multiple times.
We went to Pike's Place market downtown and stopped for lunch at the pier. Ryan and I are so sad when it comes to seafood. The fish and chips is all we could-somewhat-handle. The seagulls also joined us and frightened Tim and I a few times.

Grandpa Bob wasn't quite as jumpy around the birds as Tim and I were so we made sure he sat extra close to them. :)

A day downtown Seattle

2010-06-14T21:37:00.000-07:00

A highlight of our time in Seattle was the Duck Tour. It was on both land and water. The bus transformed into a boat when it entered the water. I think our guide made the ride though. She was soooo funny. You know how some tend to be kind of cheesy? She was actually really funny. I still laugh thinking about her. We even got to see the "Sleepless in Seattle" house on the lake. But my picture didn't turn out so well, so I didn't post it. Tim and grandma Shellie ready for the Duck tour.

Atop the Space Needle.

Beautiful, beautiful city! I think the all the water and high rises make for an amazing sight!

So long friends!!!

2010-06-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

We will miss you Beth, Lincoln & Family. Good luck in Yakima. Come back and visit soon friends!

Special Visitors!!!

2010-06-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

We always love it when Grandma Shelle and Grandpa Bob come to visit. We had a great time and look forward to another visit. That is assuming we didn't work them too hard!
Mmmm....dinner at the Mayan. The kids had never been there and it had been forever since Ryan and I had been there. We had amazing seats-I think the cliff divers were diving at least half the time we were there.

Mary got a special princess dress from Grandma-an early bday gift. She also got some accessories to go with it. She has been wearing her pink headband almost everyday since she got it. She even holds it while she sleeps!

Taking a break at Liberty Park.

Checking out the sites downtown.

Happy Six Years!

2010-05-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

Ryan and I took a special trip to St. George for our anniversary... Without the kids. Woah! I have never been away from the kids for more than a night and this was two nights, so this was big time! My parents graciously watched the kids and my brother let us rent his fabulous condo. Here we are before our the treacherous journey to Angel's Landing at Zion's.
Taking a breather!

I am not one who likes heights. So, I am a little puzzled as to why I chose to encourage Ryan to do the hike. I must have also forgotten my first experience back in college. Actually, I think I was much braver when I was a young lass. And I wasn't excited about it back then! But this time it seemed more traumatic. And halfway, up the chains, I was reminded of my kids back at home and decided to call it quits. We headed back. I know it was a bit wimpy, but I couldn't take it anymore. It didn't seem worth it. :) Anyway, Angel's Landing is a 5 mile hike. Four miles hiking with .5 miles of chains to the top summit. And .5 miles back.

My handsome Hubby.

So, we even took a little time to lay out by the pool, which never happens anymore. But without kids, we thought it would be a great opportunity. Unfortunately, it was an unseasonably cool weekend in St. George. But we thought we could manage 65 degrees at the poolside. The breeze was killer though. We didn't last too long reading. Ryan dared me to jump in the frigid diving pool. And I did, and decided to do a flip in the process, just to add a little bit to the impressive factor. I got out of the pool and asked Ryan what he thought, and he said it was great. I asked him what he thought of my flip and he didn't even realize I had done a flip. Apparently, he couldn't tell through the camera. But here is a our proof. We decided to go with the indoor pool from then on.

Gifts from the Heart

2010-05-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

Tonight at dinner Ryan asked me what I would like for Mother's Day.

Tim chimed in with, "Mom, I know what you could get. You can get some lotion. It is a special lotion you rub all over your face and it will make your freckles go away. You can just rub it all over your face, like this. Do you think you would want that?"

Playing at the park, shuffle board, swimming . . . this is the life!

2010-04-16T14:30:00.000-07:00

My brother and his wife graciously let us stay in their fabulous condo in St. George a couple weeks ago. Jeff and Brittany even joined us for the fun. Wendi and Rachel came up from Las Vegas (Aaron had to work) and we had some good laughs. I still chuckle when I think of "John Wayne Newton."Mary soaking in the sun and sand.
Brittany and Wendi shuffling it up

Tim was a superstar swimmer. Usually, he always has to have one of us touching him (as if we are holding him up), just for comfort. This time he swam all over the place--it didn't matter where we were, with his life jacket, but it was a HUGE improvement! What a cautious little guy he is. :)

Wendi, Mary and Rachel

Wendi, Rachel, Mary and Jeff

Just being a little Fancy

2010-04-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Fancy Nancy Party at Thanksgiving Point (sadly, I didn't get a picture of everyone!)Mary, Grandma Leen and Rachel
Mary and Rachel

Mary insisted she didn't want to take the hot pink feather boa to the party. I guess it seemed a little odd to wear something like that out and about.

After the party she kept saying, "but Mom, we forgot to take my feather boa." Apparently when she saw the rest of the crew and their feather boas she realized she would have fit in just fine. Too bad we didn't get a picture of Lia in her shiny gold pants and furry flourescent hat. That topped it all! But it was fun and a little embarassing (i have to admit) to see everybody so fancy!

Families are Forever

2010-04-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

My grandma Heaton passed away a couple weeks ago. As I was able to attend the funeral and activities surrounding, I couldn't help but feel an appreciation and deep love for my family. What an amazing tie that pulled this large family together from all directions--we may not all be at the same stage in life, going on the same path, and we may not even see each other all that often any more, but we share a common bond through my grandma, we are family and we love each other. No matter how nutty we may be! Thanks Grandma for the generations you have touched. We love you. Aunt Linda, Marsha & Nelson, Lori & Randy
Tim and Mary

Rachel and Mary

Elise, Torrie and Mason

Jessie & Allie

Exquisite eggs

2010-04-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, that's talent . . .

2010-04-15T21:01:00.000-07:00

But really, don't Timmy and Ryan look more alike now that they are both wearing green, both wearing glasses, and both standing upside down? And we'll give Mary credit for trying (and Ryan for that matter). :)

Presenting . . .

2010-04-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

The Bunny Cake!!!
Watch out Martha Stewart . . .Michelle attempted to do something "crafty".

More like Dad

2010-04-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, Tim got glasses. For him, the best part was the cool yellow Nickelodeon case they came in.

As he took his first few steps at Costco after getting his glasses, he stepped very tentatively. He said he couldn't tell if there were stairs or not. He also said, "It seems like there is a wave below me and it is getting higher and higher." Apparently the ground seemed a lot closer!

Tim is also excited to be more like his dad. I think it helps a ton knowing his dad wears them too. The glasses don't really slow him down at all. Although, it did take a couple

days for him to want to wear them all the time. When we tell people about Tim's new glasses, Mary also reminds us that she also has glasses, sunglasses. I think she likes her glasses even more than Tim likes his. We picked out her $3 glasses at Walmart. When she found out Tim was getting glasses and she couldn't get the Hannah Montana glasses she had grown so fond of at Costco, I told her that maybe she could get her own sunglasses so she could be like Timmy-kind of.

Excitement of a 4 year old

2010-03-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

While I was up in my room before stepping down for breakfast, I heard Timmy exclaim

"What the heck?!!!!"

(long pause)

"You got my favorite cereal!!!!"

You would not believe the sheer excitement that comes when Lucky Charms is served for breakfast. Happy St. Patty's Day!

A little bit of the Spring Fever

2010-03-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

So, in typical March fashion, we enjoyed some beautful days at the park and 6 inches of snow a couple days later. It adds variety though, doesn't it?

Yes Sir!

2010-03-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

Here is Tim displaying some of his new karate moves. I am not sure what "moves" he really learned in karate, but he did learn we don't fight with people and a Ma'm is a girl and a sir is a boy. He had fun in the process though and he got to do the class with two of his cousins, Sam and Spencer. I think he may even have a little more confidence in fighting now (defending himself), but I am not sure if that is karate-related.

Clop, clop, clop . . .what could that sound be?

2010-03-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

The past two mornings at 6:40am Ryan and I lay asleep until we hear clop, clop, clop and Mary stands beside us and asks, "Can I get in your bed." Ryan and I respond, "no" as it isn't morning yet and she clop, clop, clops back to her room.

Mary puts on her heels early in the morning before she comes to our room to hop in bed with us. She loves her heels, although she might still get a little more excitement out of wearing my heels, I am not sure! :)

Gotta check out this site!

2010-02-25T08:29:00.000-08:00

As we drove home Tim exclaimed in excitement (after hearing an ad on the radio), "Dad! Dad! We gotta check out Toyota.com!"
Anything with a .com sounds exciting to Tim these days. He is loving pbskids.org and nickjr.com. He is skipping out on his TV shows for the day and is going for the computer instead.

From a small sprinkle...

2010-02-25T08:24:00.001-08:00

After eating a donut covered in sprinkles last night, Tim asked, "Maybe if we put this sprinkle in the ground, do you think a donut tree would be planted?"

Sounds good to me!

Dinnertime Conversation

2010-02-14T18:22:00.000-08:00

So, tonight at dinner Mary told us she wants to marry Megan. Tim says (as I am thinking he is about to state the obvious), "but," (pause) "Megan is older than you."

Going on a Tiger Hunt

2010-02-03T14:47:00.001-08:00

Today it is so beautiful outside. It is in the 40s here! Actually, it has been mild the last couple weeks and generally very sunny. (40s compared to the 20s in December seems so pleasant, trust me!) The snow is melting and almost gone at our house and the walks are totally cleared. So, I wanted to take advantage of the sunshine, but Timmy was not at all excited. It generally takes some coaxing to get him out of the house and face the world where dogs occassionally roam the streets. :) Desperate to enjoy the sunshine with happy kids, I told him we would go on a tiger hunt. Mary, who usually doesn't want to walk more than a few steps on a walk, walked the whole time and kept up with us. We had so much fun that by the end, every few feet they would see a tiger that they had to shoot with sleeping darts, cover with snow or sneak past. By that point, my creativity was drained and I let them come up with the scenarios. My creativity is a little limited at times with "kiddie fun" but when I push myself it can be really fun and they usually pick up on the creativity where I leave off.Here is another picture my cousin Elise took of Tim.

Color Coordination is essential!

2010-02-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

So, I put on Mary's coat yesterday and Mary said "But my coat don't match my pants." She is too funny. I got a new shirt for my birthday and Mary said, "Mom, your shirt matches my shirt, it's pink!" Anyway, Mary has a couple pairs of pants that clearly only match a couple things. And she always wants the most random combinations. So, I always tell her that they don't match and show her what does match. Now, I thought that was simply appeasing her, but she really is getting the hang of it and understands.

In the last few days Mary has said some random things, not just about matching, and I just laugh inside and think..."Did she really just say that? Does she really get that? I guess she does! She is taking in more than I think!"

(Btw, the photo comes from my cousin Elise. She took the most adorable pics. I will post later)

Around the town with the kiddos

2010-01-21T20:43:00.001-08:00

I think this is the absolute best part of the Children's Museum. Although, it isn't quite as exciting to me as it used to be, since I actually get to go grocery shopping every week. Filling your basket with fake food is just exciting and scanning it at the register is too. But I guess now I can get that excitement when I go to Walmart and go through the self-check out though. Anyway, the kids loved it though! My good friend Cleo. :)

We also had fun at one of those "Jumpy places". Mary was quite reluctant, but did manage to enjoy riding this toy. Tim had tons of fun and still talks about it.

Happy Holidays Again!

2010-01-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

Christmas wouldn't be complete without doing the Hula with Grandma Shellie. I wish she was in the picture. . . she had fun teaching them her hula skills.

We even got to play with one of Kiera and Ethan's presents. Uno Moo!

We got to Oregon to celebrate the holidays with Ryan's parents on New Year's Eve. We got to have a second Christmas and open some fun presents there. Ryan's brother Dan's family was there from WA and it was fun to spend time together again. (Below) Mary awaiting her next present.

Tim and Mary had tons of fun playing with Kiera and Ethan. They definitely had their moments . . . mostly moments that involved sharing toys, but overall they loved seeing them. In fact, just the other day at the grocery store, out of nowhere, Mary said she wanted to get a gift for Kiera.
Cheese! Ethan (1-almost 2), Tim (4), Kiera (3), Mary (2)

Pajamas with a tutu, a cement mixer, and a vist from Santa=FUN!

2010-01-07T20:21:00.001-08:00

Isn't Christmas the best? Timmy's face (below) says it all. We loved Christmas. I love just about everything leading up to it, as well as the day itself. I was pretty bummed when all was said and done and Christmas was another year away! But we had fun making goodies, eating goodies, doing a little more good here and there for others, shopping for the perfect present, receiving Christmas cards in the mail, seeing all the lights, reading Christmas stories, singing Christmas carols all through the house, enjoying parties with friends and especially enjoying the wonderful season with family...anyway, we had fun.Tim and his cousins Spencer and Chayson and their matching PJs at Grandma's house on Christmas Eve. Mary and Rachel having a good moment together. :)

Leah, Bryn, Lia, Seth, Mary and Rachel modeling their pj's.

All the Gale cousins on Christmas Eve. (Except I don't see Paul and Tim is kinda hidden)

Christmas morning Tim was so excited, not for the huge dump truck from Santa, but for the small cement mixer sitting inside the truck. Should have known the $5 toy from Santa would satisfy! I am hoping the dump truck will see some action this spring when it can be in the sandbox.

All gathered to sing carols on Christmas Eve and enjoy talents. Tim Displayed some of his cool dance moves and Mary sang "Santa Clause is coming to Town"

Christmas morning-right before opening presents.

At the Gale family Christmas party, guess who showed up. Well, since you just saw the picture, I am guessing you guessed it! Santa did! Tim seemed to warm up to meeting Santa after watching a few of his cousins. He told Santa he wanted a cement mixer. The day after seeing Santa Tim asked if there were two Santas. I asked why he was asking that question and he said because the Mrs. clause on the polar express train ride we went on looked different than the one from the previous night. He said the one on the polar express was alot bigger. He honestly caught me off guard and I responded poorly saying, "Yeah, maybe there are two Santas". That satisfied his question though. :)

Mary was so cute with Santa. She was very quiet, but she told him she wanted a Tinkerbell toy.

Basketball again, time to blog!

2009-12-10T20:56:00.000-08:00

So, Ryan is off playing basketball again and I have a couple minutes before he gets home to talk about one of my other loves...Mary! Mary absolutely adores Tim. She has so much fun playing with him. Today I heard Mary and Timmy tiptoeing downstairs and I could hear Tim whisper, "Be quiet, we don't want her to hear us." Mary quietly walked in the room and sweetly asked if quiet time was over and if she could play with Timmy. I asked Timmy if he could come out from behind the corner (I could hear him breathing) and I told them I would love for them to play together for the rest of quiet time as long as they didn't bother me.

Yesterday after playing together for a while at the end of quiet time, Tim came down and said they needed help putting the bed back together. I was confused and questioned further and he explained Mary's bed was a trampoline, to which I immediately expressed frustration over. He said they weren't actually jumping on the bed, they were jumping OFF the bed. He explained that they were jumping off the bed onto the trampoline. They had removed the mattress, blankets, crib skirt and were jumping from the crib onto the mattress. Yes, they have fun together.
Mary also LOVES Dora and Princesses and pink. She is truly a girlie girl. And I love it.

It appears from these pictures that Mary and Tim get along amazingly well. That happens about about 75% of the time. The other 25%of the time they love to tease each other. Mary can do the slightest things and get an immediate reaction from Tim that just makes her smile. Sometimes I can tell that she thinks the misbehavior is worth going to time out for. I think this because she will smile as I ask her to go to time out... It's as if she fully anticipated it coming.

Why I love this kid!

2009-12-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

So, the kids are in bed, Ryan is at basketball and all is quiet. I just finished some digital scrapbooking and of course scrapbooking gets me thinking of fond memories, times I miss, and times that I am glad are far gone. But it made me think of some of the everyday things that happen in our home that I love so much! So, I am taking a moment to update my blog. Yes, to update my blog. 1. I love Tim's desire to be involved. Timmy was so excited to help me find one of the missing characters from a decoration, who happened to be named Tiny Tim, that he emptied all the packing peanuts and packing junk from a HUGE box. I love how when he is really serious about something he lays on his tummy (but that is beside the point). This was one mess that I thought was "cute" because I loved that he wanted to help out and was sooooo excited just to be involved!

2. I love our little worrier! Kay, so I don't always love his cautious side. But I love how much he thinks about things and cares. For example, today I told him that on Monday we are going on a train ride that will be just like "The Polar Express". I could tell he liked the idea, but was also so concerned. He kept asking if the train would go on mountains and how fast it would go. Then I remembered that the last train we went on was "Thunder Mountain Railroad", which scared him to death! Anyway, I told him it would not be anything like that ride...and he seemed to take some comfort. Another example: I could tell he was nervous about seeing Santa. Finally I asked him what was making him nervous and he said, "but Santa will ask me what I want for Christmas and I don't know what I want."

Tim got a new bike for his birthday. He got the hang of things quickly and seems to love riding his bike, but he has issues with helmets. I am afraid he has some irrational fear of helmets now. I won't let him ride his bike without his helmet and the other day I was about to put it on his head and he went sprinting down the driveway. Really, he was soooo scared of me. Anyway, his concern...he doesn't like it how the helmet pulls on his hair when we take it off. We will have to try it again now that he has a buzz cut. First, I have to convince him that his hair won't be an issue anymore, now that he has a new haircut. And should hair getting stuck in a helmet really be an issue anyway? Well, it is to Timmy, and he is scared to death of that helmet!

3. Tim is an absolutely amazing hiker. So, his size may not make him out to be an athlete, but his stamina completely amazes me sometimes. Mostly, when he decides to put his mind to it. We went on some hikes this last summer and just when I was sure he would give out...he would push himself that much further (Oh no, that sounded way too much like The Biggest Loser). He pushed himself so hard on some of these hikes that he took a monster nap afterwards...which if you know Timmy a nap is a very, very rare thing! This last weekend Tim and I were doing some running in the midst of a walk we were on. We kept having races basically. He sat on the ground at one point and I wondered if I would be pushing him home in the stroller and walking with Mary and out of nowhere he jumps up and wants to race again. The funny thing is, sometimes he can barely pick up his feet when he is walking, but when a race is involved he will really put it in gear!4. Tim wanted to be a bunny for Halloween. Can you believe that? I just love this kid! In the midst of all the kids that wanted to be Transformers and Spiderman, he was excited about the bunny costume our neighbor gave us. I guess part of this might be because he doesn't have older siblings to harrass him, but I love his innocence. I wonder if a few years from now when he looks back at being a bunny if he will blame me for my cruel submission to his request. But for now, I am enjoying some of the things that are making my boy that is growing up so fast a little boy in at least some small ways. By the way, before the we ever got the bunny costume from the neighbor I asked Tim what he wanted to be for Halloween at one point and he said a Hippo. Wow, where do you even get a hippo costume? That is a really great idea though!

So, this blogging has me worn out now. My brain is fried so I will have to come back to writing about Mary. Maybe I can come up with some crazy things to say about Ryan too and maybe myself. Come back in a few months and maybe I will have posted again!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

2009-10-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of our trip to CA was our trip to Disneyland. I was so excited to be able to go there. It had been years. Tim and Mary had so much fun too! Tim was so excited it was hard to contain his energy. He seemed to get more and more energy as the day wore on. His arms were flailing in big circles as he ran (I tried to help control his excitement a little so he didn't keep whacking people). Mary on the other hand, even wore out later in the day and got a nap in Ryan's arms and managed to sleep through a couple rides. It was so fun to have Ryan's parents there too. Hopefully they had fun like we did. I had to get a picure of Jack from the Nightmare before Christmas. Actually, Ryan chased them down and took it for me. The haunted house was Nightmare Before Christmas themed. I thought it was kind of cool, but Grandma and Timmy thought it was a bit too creepy.
Yay! The Happiest place on earth!

Mary and Timmy at Toon Town.

Meeting Minnie Mouse.

Timmy and Ryan. A couple of Timmy's favorite rides were Buzz Lightyear, Winnie the Pooh (Mary's absolute favorite-we rode it multiple times...so did Grandma and Grandpa!), and the Dumbo Ride. He even managed to go on Thunder Mountain Railroad, but that wasn't his favorite!

Getting up close and personal with dolphins and whales

2009-10-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

I don't recall ever going to Sea World, so it was another first for me and the kids. We even got to meet Elmo and Abby Cadabby! Mary even mentioned yesterday at breakfast that she got to meet Abby Cadabby. Apparently, it was quite an unforgettable experience!

Legos. Can't get enough of them at home. Had to see more in CA.

2009-10-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

None of us had ever been to LegoLand before. It's great for kids. Tons to see and the rides are little more kid friendly. Less crowds too. We did manage to scare Tim enough at Disneyland and Sea World that he was a bit reluctant to go on some of the rides. Good work Ryan at scaring him...now you'll never be trusted! :) As thrilling as the rides are at LegoLand, I think one of the adults favorite parts was Miniland. Here is the inauguration. Isn't it cute? It's like we were right there with Pres Obama!
Having fun on the train. Toot! Toot!
There were lots of cool characters like this all over the park.
Mary and Tim

Grandpa taking a snooze...with his hand on the older gentleman's knee...awkward??? :)

Muddy shoes & tents and the beach!

2009-10-15T20:10:00.001-07:00

In August we drove to Oregon for our annual family reunion with Ryan's family. It was a long drive, but THANK GOODNESS for portable DVD players. We survived! We spent about a week camping at the Oregon coast. I haven't camped for a whole week since girl's camp and if you know me...the camping part of girl's camp wasn't exactly my favorite part. But we survived and had a great time. And by the way, it dumped rain for the first few days while we were there. But the sun managed to dry things out by the end of the week. Grandpa made some cute boats for the grandkids. The balloons served as the "engines."
Tim seemed to really get a kick out of his cousin Kaleb. There wasn't much eating during mealtimes, mostly laughing with his cousin.

Kiera and Mary with their "treasures". We had a treasure hunt each evening that the kids loved. The parents even got a treasure hunt too! Notice the mud pit behind Mary and Kiera-we started the week not minding that our tent was on the sand. The kids loved the area and went crazy playing in the sand the first few hours. After that is was mostly a mud pit.

Kaleb, Florence, Tim and Mary standing guard at the Fort.

It was fun to be so close to the beach. I miss being near the beach.

At least we can look forward to the family reunions each year. Thanks Grandma Shellie and Grandpa Bob!

They say it's your Birthday!

2009-07-28T14:27:00.000-07:00

I think Timmy was more excited for Mary's birthday than she even was. He had so much fun being her sidekick and helper. He was there every step of the way.
"Let me show you what this is Mary."

Mary was so excited to wear a new dress.

I went to pick up Mary from nursery and she was wearing this cute birthday cake hat (that she gets to keep) and she even got fruit snacks and bubbles for her birthday. I could tell she was just tickled pink. The nursery leader told us she was anxious for Mary's bday to come so she would be able to wear the hat. Apparently Mary would get very envious when the other kids wore the hat for their birthday. Who wouldn't be envious of that hat?

Tim was my special helper in making the cake. It was a special pool party cake. It was a cake with a blue jello swimming pool in the inside. There were little bears (teddy grahams) swimming in it with life preservers (gummy savers) and fun fishy candies. Anyway, it was fun to put together.

Go Mary, Go Mary. It's your Birthday!

2009-07-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

Mary was able to share some fun with her cousins and aunts and uncles too. They came to share in the cake and ice cream. The cousins liked eating all the accessories on the cake more than the cake itself (although they didn't really seem to have much of a problem with that either). I promised all the adults that when Ryan or I have our bday parties the cake would be more on the delicious side and less on the fun side. Mary was really cute trying to blow out the candles. She did try. She just needed lots more power!

Mary loves her new Dora doll. She takes her everywhere. Lately her hands and arms are filling with all her "loves". It's getting a little difficult to carry everything around and get around at times. While opening gifts she was usually holding her previous present as she tried to open her current present.

Sleeping with a couple of her new loves after a fun day of partying.

Hotel or a Tent? This time a tent...

2009-07-16T20:37:00.000-07:00

We have had a couple fun camping trips this summer. We went on one up Hobble Creek Canyon with my brother and his wife and on another camping trip with some friends (Beth and Lincoln and Family) at Wasatch State Park. I think I am saving the rest of my camping energy for our week-long camping trip at the coast in another month, but who knows...maybe I will get a hankering to go again. :)

A rousing game of "Pooh Sticks" at the creek. It actually was fun.
We even threw the football around in the midst of juggling kids on our walk. Notice: this is a new football (we had to give the one up that Ryan so romantically gave me on my Bday when we were dating).

Taking a breather on a table.

Party time in the tent. You can't see Madee, but she is behind Tim loving every minute she gets to play DS.

Family Photo Op.

Hotel or a Tent? This time a tent... (cont.)

2009-07-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

It's the glove! (in honor of MJ) and Brittany is doing the "Thriller Dance". (Just in case you were wondering)
Mary loved her belated birthday present. Triple Chocolate Delight!Mmmmm...

Good stuff guys!

Testing out our dutch oven for the first time. We made chicken dutchiladas. They've gotta be great with a name like that.

We encountered a little rain while setting up camp. Timmy and Mary didn't mind at all though.

Cake Batter to Sidewalk Chalk!

2009-07-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

Timmy has been having fun writing his name lately. I seem to find his name or the letters of his name scribbled everywhere. He will ask me what a word starts with and has actually been taking an interest in lettters. I tried working with him on letters before, which I think some of it sunk in, but now that he cares a little more it makes all the difference.

Tim has also been a super helper. He has been a great helper to Mary (most of the time) and a great friend to her. He will excitedly tell her when we are having juice for dinner because he knows Mary loves juice. I think he is more excited for Mary's birthday than she is! He helped me to make a german chocolate cake for Ryan the other day and he could not get enough of the cake batter (as you can see). He told me after he finished he needed a bath because he had the cake in his hair.

Ayuda me Timmy!

2009-07-12T08:32:00.000-07:00

So Mary has been giving us some laughs lately. She has been saying alot more and the past few days we caught her saying "Help Timmy, Ayuda me Timmy!" when she wants Timmy's assistance. I guess she is really soaking something in when she watches Dora. Which she loves Dora and Diego.

She also loves shoes. She seems to constantly be in my closet trying on my heels. Usually every morning when she wakes up that is the first place she will go and she will say "Come on Timmy!"

Mary also loves to sing. This morning she was singing "I'm a VIP in my family!" Timmy isn't so much into singing, so it is fun to hear Mary singing multiple times a day.

No Pictures...Just a Game!

2009-06-30T13:10:00.000-07:00

So, here it is. My friend and sis-in-law Brittany tagged me and I had too much fun reading what she wrote to skip this little game.

The game goes as follows:
* List Six Unimportant Things That Make You Happy
* Mention and link to the person who tagged you
* Tag six of your favorite bloggers to play along

So, I tag Emily, Jenn, Wendi, Lalani, Tammy and whoever else wants to play.

1. I love hearing the Cougar Fight Song. It gets me excited for those BYU football games and I think of all the memories associated. Fun times with family and friends...from the time I was little and my parents would take me because my older sisters didn't want to go, to the times in college with roommates and friends to the fun times when Ryan and I can go, with or without the kids.

2. I love enjoying the sunshine while cruising around on a boat on the water. For some reason I just love being in the warmth of the sun and having the cool breeze rush by at the same time while enjoying nature and the thrill of a ride.

3. Cinnabuns are the best. It reminds me of fun shopping trips at the mall, and pastries just can't be beat.

4. I love roller coasters that make your stomach do a flip.

5. I love hearing my kids talk. It makes me smile to hear Mary say words like "Hallelulah" or her big grin when she says "sorry". I love the funny questions Timmy asks. Lately there have been lots of questions about me getting married again and having another baby.

6. I love staying in hotels. It doesn't really even matter where. There is something especially fun about taking an elevator up to your room.

A little extra attention is always nice!

2009-05-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

Grandma Shellie came to visit this last week and we loved having her. She did everything from spraying for ants to bathing the kids so Ryan and I could go on a bike ride. Besides her helping out :) their were other pluses. We loved chatting with her and the kids loved the extra attention. I am grateful for my family and my wonderful family that came with marrying Ryan too! Below are some of the fun things we did together. We went to dinner at the Garden restaurant across from the Salt Lake Temple. Mmmmm!

We went atop the church office builing (I had never been). What a great view of Salt Lake. Unfortunately, we didn't see any general authorities. Ryan and Shellie saw some before and I think they might have expected to see them again, not really a common occurance!

In front of the fountain at the church office builing.

We even got a little wet. So wild! Actually, it was the wind.

We went to the barn at Thanksgiving Point and we were lucky enough to have my mom come along too. Timmy enjoyed the pony ride...Mary didn't to join in the fun. We went on the wagon ride at the end. I barely had to lift my finger with two grandmother's there. Timmy and Mary got lots of attention.

Another temple visit and more good times

2009-05-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

We even stopped by the recently dedicated Draper temple. Another beautiful day. View of the valley from the temple.
I wish our grass looked this good.

Ryan and I were able to go to the open house with the kids and enjoyed the temple dedication broadcast too.

Mary and Ryan at the Memorial Day breakfast at my parent's house.

Shellie was the official water balloon filler-upper for the kids. She didn't manage to stay dry (as you can imagine).

To Zion's we Go!

2009-05-05T12:35:00.000-07:00

We had tons of fun this weekend getting away as a family and heading to St. George. The weather was perfect and a little cooler than normal, which was nice. We went on a few easy hikes and had a fun picnic at Zions. Timmy and Mary were real troopers and loved the adventure. I think the variety of walking, riding, playing in the water, riding on the shuttle bus, and eating seemed to help. Timmy and I before on our way to hike to Emerald Pools.
Beautiful scenery and weather.

Either we are getting weak or our kids are getting big, but carrying Mary was pretty tough. :)

Hikers are we...

2009-05-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

Timmy taking a breather on rock that is just his size.

Mary was such a good sport. She was willing to go in the back pack or stroller, but she was especially happy when she was in neither and had free reign of the national park.

Ryan and the kids at Weeping Rock. Water seeped out of the rock, which made for a fun sight. We get excited when we see even a little bit of water here in Utah (esp. in Southern UT).

We made it to the top. It was a very short hike, but quite an uphill climb. Timmy made it all the way up and so did Ryan (he was pushing Mary in the stroller). Go us!

Throwing Rocks and Water

2009-05-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Mary and Timmy enjoying a calmer section of the Narrows. We couldn't actually hike in the river because it is running too fast right now and is probably pretty cold too.

A New Box...of Sand!

2009-05-05T10:50:00.000-07:00

The favorite new attraction at the Glenn home is a sandbox. Ryan and I made it and have even added a couple benches since these pictures were taken.

Timmy seems to like getting down and dirty a little more than Mary at this point.

Snow to Jazz up Spring

2009-05-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

We thought the snow was gone for the year, but it returned a few times. Mary and Timmy didn't mind the return at all. Mary had to have her Dora jacket with her. She loves her Dora jacket.Timmy making his igloo.