Rice Box

Our sand box broke this year, so we decided to try something different. We made a rice box, which requires a small plastic swimming pool, fifty pounds of rice and toy cars. 

We actually keep this in the house and let Austin play in it while we are working on other things.  Yesterday I thought it would be great for him to play with his construction toys and watch Bob the Builder.  There were two mistakes with this:
1. Austin does not like TV
2.  He hates the feeling of rice on his feet

It worked out well, because I was able to play in the rice with him for almost an hour.  By the end he was much more comfortable with the rice and would actually let me cover his feet (just for a second). 

The older two kids love playing in the rice box.  One of the best things about the rice box is that we can pack it up in a big bin and keep it out of the way when it is not being used.  Also, rice is so much easier to clean up then sand.

Austin's Big Bed

Lately Austin has been having a hard time going to sleep.  He wants me to lay down with him to go to sleep, which does not work with a crib.  Yesterday, Thad took down the crib and put up his big boy bed.  Taking down the crib was a little sad.  This is the first time in eight years we have not had a crib set up in the house.  My family is growing up too fast.

Austin was so excited to see his big beg.  He would stand next to it to make sure everyone knew it was all his.  He does not miss the crib at all.

Yesterday was a busy day so I thought he would fall asleep quickly.  Around 9 pm I laid down with him in his bed, turned on the lullaby's and tried to go to sleep.  Austin could not get comfortable.  He had pillows and blankets that I did not allow in the crib.  It was an exciting new adventure for him. He tried laying down in every different direction possible including ramming his head into my back and kicking the wall over and over again. 

I was determined not to get out of bed with him still awake.  I figured if I got out of bed, he would think that was allowed and it would be an uphill battle every night.  I almost lost the battle when Austin head butted me and cut my lip open.  I had a fat lip and blood on my hands, but soon after her decided to sleep on the pillows that I placed between the bed and the wall so he would not get stuck there.  Kids are crazy, they can be going a million miles per second to crashing in no time flat. 

Being such a worrier, I got up several times in the night to check on him.  He hardly moved the whole night.  Around 4:00 am I heard the click of a door shutting and see my little man running down the hall to our room.  He climbed in our bed, wanted a drink and went right back to sleep.  He was still asleep when I left for work this morning. 

Thad gets to put him to sleep tonight.

Multiplication Tables

I distinctly remember learning multiplication in third grade.  I had Mr. Little for math and we had to be tested every week to see if we could pass off a new set of multiplication numbers.

I was shocked when last month Aiden, who is in first grade, brings home is math homework and is flying through multiplication problems.  He does not need help at all, he knows them perfectly.  I am so amazed at how quickly he learns and how much more advanced his school is compared to when I went to school.  I would not be surprised if he surpasses my knowledge in the next few years and I loved math.

I love you Aiden and congratulations!

Taylor's Cheerleading

We have a friend who is the cheerleading coach for Highland High School.  She invited Taylor to attend a kids cheerleading camp.  Taylor was so excited!  She wanted to learn cheers and dance with other girls her age.  As soon as we got there she became very reserved and quiet. 

When Taylor gets nervous she wants mom.  I sat behind her during the cheers and keep my hand on her back the entire time, except for this short video I tried to get.  I don't blame her for being scared.  She did not know a single girl there.  The poor cheerleaders had no idea how to help Taylor feel more comfortable.  I stayed with her and we had a good time. 

She learned a couple of cheers and dances.  At the end she even got a t-shirt and pom-poms.  She was going to perform at a basketball game but it was the same night as her Princess Ball.

Aiden and Austin came with us and sat and watched the whole time.  Actually Austin tried to join in so he could get more treats.

My Little Reader

Taylor is growing up so quickly.  I can't believe she is starting kindergarten in the fall.  However, Taylor can't wait to go to Kindergarten and get her own lunch box.

At preschool she has been working hard at learning all of her sounds and starting to read. Last week she progressed to bringing home books.  So far she has read six full books.  She does amazing!  After we read each word she gets a high five, and a great big hug and kiss. 

Yesterday was her Parent Teacher Conference.  Taylor has progressed so quickly the last few months.  She knows all the sounds for each letter.  She acutally calls the letters by their sounds then the acutal name.  She can count to well over 100.  She is playing violin so well at school and at home.  Taylor has always been a little more reserved.  At school she is opening up more and participating.

I love my Missy Moo, Princess, Baby Girl, Sweet Pea Taylor!

Week One a Success

The first week of my 29 day challenge has been a success.  I love my spinach smoothies every morning and I have some amazing snacks.  The kids and Thad have been eating them with me.  Lunch and dinner have been a little harder.  We have found a number of items that I can eat but full meals took a couple of days to figure out.

Here are some of my favorite snacks:
Larabars - I love the apple pie and the chocolate coconut
Funky Monkey - Freeze dried fruit
Beanitos - black bean chips, delicious with fresh salsa

Since I had melanoma a couple years ago and since then I had basal cell twice, I am really concerned about how my diet affects cancer growth.  I have never been a huge meat eater. I actually stopped eating all beef for about 10 years.  My reason was not as an animal activist.  I lived in England during the Mad Cow scare.  Ever since then I have not enjoyed beef.  I still ate chicken, turkey and fish.  After Aiden was born, I realized how my diet affected him.  He refused to eat meat.  This made me worried so I started eating beef again when I became pregnant with Taylor.

My downfall is dairy products.  I love milk and cheese.  I have missed these the most on my diet along with breads.  However, last night at my weekly 29 day challenge meeting we had a vegan mac and cheese.  It was really good.  They used nutritional yeast instead of cheese.  I am going to try and make it for my family this weekend.  I am not having the kids or Thad follow the diet as strictly as I am.  They both have daily products and occasionally chicken.

Last night I watched the movie "Forks over Knives".  It was very interesting.  It promoted a vegan diet to help prevent and treat a lot of diseases including heart disease and cancer.  FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. If you are interested the movie is streaming on Netflix. 

Week 1 Stats:
Lost 2 1/2 pounds
Lost a total of 2 inches

29 Day Challenge

I love Pilate's!  I feel so relaxed and refreshed after working out.  Thad has been so kind to let me go to a Pilate's studio three times a week.  He watches the kids for the hour I am gone and helps them finish their homework and even gets them ready for bed. 

Last week when I was finishing my class, they had a 29 Day Challenge planning meeting.  Without telling Thad that I was going to be late, I stayed for the meeting. Unfortunately, Thad became really worried as I was over an hour late returning home with no phone call.  I am usually really good at calling if I am late so this made him concerned. However, I am glad I stayed. 

For the month of February, I have committed to improving my overall health by changing my diet and exercising more.  I will continue to go to the Pilate's studio three times a week and run at least three times a week.  In addition to my exercise routine I am changing my diet completely. 

The challenge consists of changing to a plant-based diet.  This is a completely vegan diet.  I am not very well informed on vegan diets, but with this diet I avoid all meat, dairy, soy and gluten. This has been challenging.  I have lots of smoothies with pea protein mixed with fruit and veggies. Surprisingly, the kids really enjoy the smoothies.  They ask me to add spinach to every smoothie and they want it for breakfast and a snack after school.

The purpose of the 29 day challenge is not to lose weight, but to learn how to eat better.  The process should help me lose the belly I gained from having three kids. Two days in and I am down 2.5 pounds.  Thad is doing this as well and he is down almost 5 pounds.

After the 29 days I can start adding lean proteins and dairy back into my diet.

Dance and Hip Hop Classes

Last week Taylor and Isabella started tumbling and dance classes. I love the studio and the teachers are former Jazz dancers. It is so cute to see these little girls dancing around the studio.  Taylor loves the class because the room is pink and there are mirrors.  After every walk on the beam, dance across the floor or any move at all she checks herself out in the mirror and fixes her hair.  She is my little four year old diva. I can't wait to see her perform at her recital in June.

Since Taylor and Isabella loved the classes so much we decided to let the boys try hip hop.  Aiden, Alexander and Jaxson all went to an hour long hip hop class.  They focused really hard and started to learn a new routine.  The girls sat in the waiting area and talked and played. 

Family Activity - Relax at Home

This weekend we decided to spend our family activity relaxing at home.  I realized we don't need to plan extravagant activities for our activities. The most important thing is the quality time we spend together.  We are a family and it is so important that we love and respect each other.
We are extremely lucky to have a family that loves to spend time together.  Aiden and Dad played Lego Universe, which is shutting off today.  Aiden and Taylor played Halo with little figurines, not the video game. We all played cars with Austin and built castles out of blocks. We curled up on the bed watching movies and ate popcorn.

We will do anything for each other.  As a family we have good times and bad times, happy and sad moments, but no matter what we love each other.  There are times when life seems difficult and as long as we stick together and support one another we will all get through it.

"I Need My Own Computer"

This week Aiden told me he absolutely needed his own computer.  We have a family computer that Aiden can use pretty much whenever he wants.  I could not figure out why he would need his very own computer, so I asked why. Here is our conversation.

Aiden: Mom, I need my own computer
Mom: Why do you need your own computer?
Aiden: Because I want my very own computer.
Mom:  We have a computer that you can use whenever you want.
Aiden:  Well, actually both Taylor and I each need our own computer.
Mom: Why?
Aiden: If I am mean to Taylor and don't want to talk to her, I could send a message saying sorry over the computer.
Mom: Wait, you want a computer to tell you sister SORRY?
Aiden: We could both get phones instead.

Two seconds later Aiden made Taylor upset. 

Aiden: See mom, if I had a computer I could tell Taylor I'm Sorry.

Austin 18 Month Stats

Yesterday Austin had is 18 month check-up at the doctor.  I loved this check-up since there were no shots!!!  Austin had a great time playing with the toys and looking at the fish.  The worst part was getting his weight.  He did not like sitting on the little scale.  I think he might have done better on the regular scale. 

Weight: 27 lbs (60th percentile)
Height: 34 inches (40th percentile)

I love this age.  Here are a couple fun things about Austin:

• Austin is so active and always exploring. 
• His favorite toys are cars and blocks.  He loves to sit in his big hot wheels car.
• He loves to carry around bags.  It does not matter what kind of bag, but he wants something on his shoulder.  Last week he was carrying the changing pad cover.  It was still in its package that had handles.
• His favorite food is definitely bananas. 
• I am a little ashamed to say this, but I still give him a bottle at night.  I know I need to stop that immediately.
• His favorite word is Dog-Dog
• He is extremely ticklish
• He loves his big brother and sister.  If he wakes up before them he is instantly in their rooms trying to wake them up to play.  Surprisingly, both Aiden and Taylor wake up happy if Austin wakes them up.  They are not happy when anyone else wakes them up.
• He can not be left out.  If Aiden and Taylor get something at the store, he makes a fuss until he gets something too. 
• He is jealous when another kid sits on his daycare teachers lap. However it is usually okay if mom holds a baby.
• He likes to have treats in both hands and will not eat or play until both hands are full.
• He looks exactly like his big brother and sister and his Dad too.
• He has so many people that love him.  He is so spoiled with all the attention he gets from us.  We love him so much and are so happy he is apart of our family.

Facebook Updates

I am transferring all my facebook posts to the blog and inactivating my facebook account.

November 29, 2011 : Austin was happy going to daycare today. Yay!

November 28, 2011 : Austin is going to his first day of daycare today. I hope everything goes well.

November 28, 2011:  Austin cried for 45 minutes after Thad left. However, he is happy playing with the other kids.


November 26, 2011 : Are real Christmas trees suppose to hurt every time I touch it? I am wearing leather gloves to put the lights on.

November 24, 2011 : I am at my first black Friday at Walmart. I must be crazy.

November 19, 2011: Just left Aiden at a birthday party. This is the first time I have not stayed for the party. I am so nervous.

November 19, 2011: Austin refuses to sit in the high chair. He is turning into a big boy.

November 17, 2011: I know we have talked about it for years, but finally put our house up for sale.


November 8, 2011: Jas Sy super cute! say hi to her. :) i miss taylor so much ♥

November 2, 2011: Austin likes orange cupcakes. The car seat is orange too.

October 31, 2011: Perfect Trick or Treating weather. :)

October 26, 2011: Just dropped Jas Sy at the airport. It is so hard to say goodbye. We will miss her so much! The last year has been amazing. The kids always told me everyday was the best day ever with her :)

October 24, 2011: We all got our flu shots today. I have never seen Aiden and Taylor freak out so bad. Aiden actually ran out of the room he was so scared.

October 24, 2011: Austin is 24 lbs and 30 inches at his 15 month check up.

 October 21, 2011: I love going to Gardner Village this time of year!

October 11, 2011: Austin took three steps this weekend! don't know what I am going to do when he starts running around. He is already so fast at crawling.

October 4, 2011: Austin loves slides!

September 30, 2011: Austin is wide awake and I am so tired. However, I do love spending time alone with each of the kids even at 3 am.

September 28, 2011: I have really enjoyed the last three days being home with the kids, even if i was working most of the time. Tomorrow I get to go back to work and Victoria takes over. The kids will have a lot of fun.

September 23, 2011: today is my last day as an aupair.... thanks to Rebecca, Thad and "my" 3 sweethearts for that amazing year. thank you for all the love, kisses, hugs and wonderful memories. I will miss you so much!

September 21, 2011: Taylor had her first violin lesson yesterday. She absolutely loved it and even loves to practice at home too :)

September 16, 2011: Happy Birthday Aiden! It will be an amazing year!

September 15, 2011: Aiden turns 7 tomorrow. How is it possible that kids grow up so fast? I remember holding him for the first time, it feels like yesterday. I love you Baby Boo! Aiden is very embarrassed that everyone on facebook can see that I called him Baby Boo.

September 13, 2011: Taylor is starting dance lessons again. I am so excited for her and hope she like it!

September 5, 2011: Austin took his first two steps today! He will be running around the house in no time.

August 29, 2011: Just dropped Aiden off for his first day of FIRST GRADE.

August 18, 2011: First day of preschool is tomorrow. Taylor is so excited to see her friends and teacher again!

August 16, 2011: Austin has has started the phase of taking his diaper off in his crib. :(

July 27, 2011: There is hole in my one year old son's window from a bb gun. I am so frustrated and concerned that it could have hit my kids.

July 24, 2011: Austin had an amazing first birthday party. Thanks to everyone for making it such a great success. It is always fun to spend time with great friends and family.

July 22, 2011: Two super hero capes done. Only 21 more to go. It is going to be a long night, but worth it for my baby boy's birthday.

July 22, 2011: My amazing little kids. I love you!

July 21, 2011: Happy First Birthday Austin! Life is so amazing with you apart of our family.

July 17, 2011: Taylor and I have been working on her sounds and reading. She just read "see me eat." all by herself! I am so proud of her. :)
Melissa : I miss Taylor. Tell her I am proud of her.

July 16, 2011: Draper Days fireworks were a lot of fun. It was worth keeping the kids awake for it!


July 10, 2011: The kids are jumping on the trampoline in the rain. I loved that as a kid.

July 10, 2011: Austin said "Hi Dada" today!

July 9, 2011: We will miss you Grandma! You had a wonderful 93 years.

July 6, 2011: Happy Birthday Dad! I miss you!

July 4, 2011: All three kids are sound asleep in their car seats. They had an exciting day!

July 4, 2011: On our way to an early morning hike to Timp Caves.

July 3, 2011: Our air conditioning died today and it is going to be in the high 90s. Wish we had a pool to cool down in.

June 28, 2011: Hanging out at the driving range with Thad and the kids! Having a great time :)

June 21, 2011: Austin is 11 months old today! He is growing up so quickly.
Alexandra: he looks exactly like Thad!!!!

June 19, 2011: Happy Father's Day Dad! I miss you!!!

June 13, 2011: Just got back from Music at the Park with Jasmin and the kids. The kids had a great time dancing and running around with friends.

June 12, 2011: Yesterday was a big day for Austin. He said Mama, Ba-Ba and climbed the entire flight of stairs by himself.

June 10, 2011: My daughter is in love with Justin Beiber. She pretends to talk to him on the phone all day long. I am not ready for her to act like a teenager, especially since she is only four.

June 6, 2011: I love rocking my little Austin to sleep. Nothing is sweeter then a sleeping baby :)
June 3, 2011: Watching Kung Fu Panda with the kids :)

May 24, 2011: U2 tonight :)

May 15, 2011: I was really hoping that Austin would say Mama first. However after a few weeks of dada, I finally gave in that he is talking about Dad and not just making noises.
May 15, 2011: Thad just made healthy homemade chicken nuggets. The kids loved them!

May 14, 2011: Aiden did an amazing job at his piano recital today!

May 14, 2011: It is such a nice morning. Austin and Taylor are still asleep, so I got to sleep in too!

May 10, 2011: Austin had his first two teeth come in today!

May 8, 2011: I have an amazing husband. He made a wonderful mothers day dinner and let me play with the kids.

May 8, 2011: Happy Mother's Day to all the moms!

May 2, 2011: I think it is an Airborne night.
April 30, 2011: The house is ready for tomorrow. I am so excited, my baby girl is 4 years old!

April 24, 2011: Happy Easter!

April 19, 2011: So long Disneyland. We spent 28 hours in the park, went on 30+ rides, met a Ton of characters, walked over 17 miles and now have three sleeping kids. I am exhausted!

April 17, 2011: Another great day! We went to the beach and built sand castles then came home and took a nap. Now we are watching Tron.

April 16, 2011: It has been a great day! Just got back from swimming.

April 16, 2011: Hanging out at hard rock Hollywood. It is 90+ degrees here :)

April 5, 2011: Jasmin gets back today! We are so excited to see her!

April 1, 2011: Shasta December 9, 1999 - April 1, 2011 We love you Shasta!
Lorena ‎"The dog is a gentleman, I hope to go to his heaven, not man's" -Mark Twain
To all those who loved and played with Shasta, thank you. We love you sweet puppy dog! You will always be in our hearts!
Jamie: Oh no..she finally left. Such a cute, sweet baby.
Kristine: Oh no poor Shasta. She was a good dog.
Chris: Give Tahoe my condolence's for losing her best friend! And of course you, Thad, and your family as well! Shasta was one cute puppy!

March 31, 2011: I took the kids to music class today. It is so much fun! They loved dancing and singing:)

March 28, 2011: At Airborne with the kids. They are having a lot of fun!

Martch 3, 2011: Just got back from the ER. Austin has RSV. He should be okay, we just go back to the hospital everyday for a week for treatment.
Kristine: Poor guy. Hope he gets better soon.
Elizabeth: Oh no, I'm so sorry! I hope he feels better soon!

February 26, 2011: Just started to make cake pops! So yummy!!!

February 24, 2011: What is a good bedtime snack? Taylor likes olives and peanut butter mixed together. Yuck!!! She can't have taste buds with a mixture like that.

February 9, 2011: Taylor asked if we can change her name to Cinderella. Aiden wants his name to be Hawk, like Tony Hawk.

February 9, 2011: Aiden addressed all his valentines from Hawk. What do I do? These are for kids at school.

January 31, 2011: I lost 3 1/2 inches off my waist since starting with a trainer 3 weeks ago. I am so excited!!

February 6, 2011: Thanks Megan for taking such beautiful photos!

January 22, 2011: According to Aiden "today is the best day he could ever have in his whole life!". Thanks Jasmin and Nina!!
Jas Sy:  it was an awesome day! :-)

January 21, 2011: Aiden had school, then he went to the zoo and gymnastics.

July 19, 2011: Just got Aiden's report card. I am so proud of him!

April 25, 2009: Happy #2 Taylor!!!

November 28, 2011: HI Becca,

How are you? And how are Thad, Aiden and Taylor?

I had a peak at the pictures you posted and they are lovely! I made me realise how much I miss you all. So many good memories! I've no idea how ever to thank you enough for my time with you guys. It looks like live is treaten you all very good.

... Well, I got married on the 8th to Jared. (I hope to post some pictures soon.) And yes, I'm very happy to be married to him. Never thought I would ever get married again, but after meeting Jed and getting to know him better...I really married my best friend! And that is such an awesome feeling. This Friday we are going on our honeymoom. We are going to the Netherlands, visit some family and sucking in the culture I sometimes miss. I haven't been back in the NL's since I got back from the US. It's a bit weird...I sometimes forget I am Dutch. :)

I love you all and hope to hear from you again!

Lots of love,
Fem

This is my facebook page.

Family Activity - Build a Bear

We had a very busy Saturday this weekend.  My niece, Isabella, turned 3 this weekend.  She had a fantastic birthday party at Build A Bear and California Pizza Kitchen.  The kids were so excited.  They have been wanting to go to Build A Bear for a long, long time.

Aiden picked out a bunny and named him "Tony" like Tony Hawk.  Taylor picked out a pink bear and named her "Cinderella".  Austin surprised me and really wanted to participate.  He is usually not a fan of stuffed animals but he loves his dog "Ferb".  Thad picked the name from Phineas and Ferb, one of our favorite kids shows.  Austin's new favorite word is "Dog Dog".

Family Activity - Natural History Museum

This week we decided to go to the new Natural History Museum.  Thad's parents purchased us a membership when it first opened.  We have tried to go a couple of times but it closes early and we have not managed to get the kids ready and out of the house in time.

  

We planned ahead this week and were able to spend a couple hours at the museum.  The kids loved it!  I think their favorite part was the dinosaurs. 

They played in the kid archaeological dig site

Put a dinosaur bone puzzle together

Dug up dinosaur bones and

Sat in a dinosaur footprint

At the end of the day we all had a great time and plan to go back another day when it is not quite as busy.

Beauty and the Beast

When I was little my three favorite Disney movies were Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin.  I was probably in junior high when these came out, but I loved them.  I had all the songs memorized and learned to play them on the piano.

 

Taylor has been asking for a yellow Belle dress for months.  I knew I had to take Taylor to see Beauty and the Beast in the theatre and we would have a mommy/daughter date.  Friday we went shopping and picked out a yellow Belle dress and shoes.  It was perfect.  We met all the boys for dinner at Sweet Tomatoes

before the movie.

This was the first 3D movie Taylor and I had seen.  Taylor put on the 3D glasses as soon as we walked into the theatre.  It was so cute!  She loved the movie and was giggling throughout the whole thing.  It was so much fun to share some of my childhood with my daughter.  It was a great evening. 

Family Activity - Snow Day

Another one of my goals this year is to have a fun family activity every week. 

Last Saturday we were planning on going to the Home Depot Kids project.  When we were getting ready to go, the neighbors came over to build snowmen with Aiden and Taylor.  This was the first major snowstorm of the year.  It is crazy we had to wait until January to get any decent snow.

We decided that a Snow Day was a perfect activity.  The kids built a snowman, which is still partially standing.  They made snow angels and had a blast spending the entire afternoon outside playing.  It was the best activity. 

This weekend we are planning on going to the new Natural History Museum.  The kids really enjoyed the old one, so this should be fun.

Hair Cuts - Long Over Due

Yesterday I took all three kids in for haircuts.  Aiden and Taylor love it because they sit in toy cars, Aiden had a police car and Taylor sat in the pick princess car.  They watched Phineas and Ferb and barely even noticed someone was cutting their hair.  Austin did not like it so much as it is only his second haircut.

This hair cut was long overdue.  Aiden's hair was so long and shaggy.  They cut off probably 2-3 inches off.  He looks so much better.  Austin probably had 1-2 inches cut off as well.  Taylor saw the pink feather's that girls are putting in their hair now.  She had to have one!!  They did a really good job. It is hidden under some hair so it is not completely obvious, but still fun.

Austin had more fun on the play set they have inside their store.  This video is him going down the slide by himself for the first time.

Taylor's Violin Lesson

Taylor has been taking violin lessons for about four months.  She attends a group lesson with three other kids from her preschool.  We go to her preschool twice a week just for violin lessons.  They have been learning to read notes, hold the violin and bow as well as playing.  This is a video of her at her lesson earlier this week.  She is starting to play twinkle twinkle.  She is learning the Suzuki method, but with reading notes instead of all based on sound and memorization.

I am so proud of my sweet little girl.  We have been practicing at home every day as well.  She knows her notes really well.  She can play the open strings very well.  We are working on putting her fingers on the correct strings which is coming really fast. 

I played violin for years.  I started in 4th grade at my grade school.  I would walk to school with my violin to play with our school orchestra before school started.  I played in school all the way through 9th grade.  In high school I played with the Granite Youth Symphony but unfortunately stopped after that.  I can still play the basics, but I have lost a lot of the technical aspects of violin.  I am excited to be able to play again. 

My intent was not to start Taylor on the violin so young.  It just fell into our laps as her preschool teaches violin as a part of her preschool program.  This year we added on to have group lessons.  She enjoys playing, sometimes.  I hope she will love it and continue to play her whole life.

Family Home Evening

One of my goals for this year is to have family home evening every week.  Last year our attempt at fhe was having movie night as a family every week.  Now that the kids are getting older and Aiden will be baptized this year I would like to have a more traditional fhe. 

Last Monday we created a family time capsule.  We wrote letters to ourselves with goals we want to complete during the year.  We have family goals and individual goals.  All the letters were put into a box and wrapped like a present.  We had a lot of fun with this.

Yesterday we created our family home evening chart with everyone's names.  I had no idea fhe had so many parts.  I thought all we needed was a quick lesson, fun activity and a treat.  I want this to be fun and something we look forward to as a family, so if we miss some parts, oh well. 

 We made prayer charts.  This should help remind the kids we should say individual and family prayers every day.  The kids are having a lot of fun with this.  Next week will be interesting as we randomly chose who should be in charge of each part.  Taylor is in charge of the lesson and the treat.

 

 Monday nights are so busy.  Aiden and Taylor have French, Piano and Minimusic.  They do not get home until 7:00 pm, which is Austin's bedtime.  He missed last weeks FHE, but he decided to stay up late and join us this time.  He had a lot of fun throwing food across the table while we tried to talk. 

I love my family so much!

Austin learning to run

Austin has definitely taken his time learning to walk.  He enjoys being held and had no interest in exploring the world around him unless Mom, Dad or Jasmin was carrying him.  Of course we did not help by always taking him where ever he pointed. 

He has been walking for a couple of months now.  This video is probably the longest he has walked and he is now figuring out that he can run.  The next few weeks/months are going to be so much fun with him.