Celebration at Chuck E. Cheese

Tonight we celebrated the finishing of reading the Book of Mormon as a family. We promised our kids that if we read the Book of Mormon, we would take them to Chuck E. Cheese. Unfortunately that was when Kaitlyn and Hollie were the age that the would actually be excited about that...yes, it has taken us about 5 years to finish the Book of Mormon!!!!
Luckily, life is a journey and not a race, because we would be in serious trouble! The girls did not want to go and gave me a little grief about it. I finally had to tell them to suck it up and think of Chasie and Maren who have never been to Chuck E Cheese. (I am sure glad that good parenting doesn't really have to do with how many visits to places like Disneyland and Chuck E Cheese-we would be in serious trouble there too)
So, for FHE that is where we went and Kaitlyn and Hollie were still whining and I told them to go help Maren and Chase have fun. So, they did and after we walked out with cheap tiaras, a whoppy cushion and pop rocks, everyone agreed it was a great time! Steve and I especially had a good time because the older girls were with the younger kids and McKay had a great time playing some submarine video game and Steve and I got to sit there and talk...hold a coversation and occasionally hands-yes, a great time had by all!

Pictures from Kaitlyn's 16th birthday family party!

Shirts from Auntie Keri and Auntie Ally

Can you tell her favorite color is purple?

1st day of December...

Maren woke up this morning and asked, "is it winter yet? It is the first day of December!" SOOO CUTE!

Thanksgiving=Movies

I don't know why, but when I get together with family...sisters actually, we go out and watch movies. I hardly ever go to a movie when they are not there. So, the movies I saw this past week...
New Moon-Twice...and I am done. Kaitlyn and Hollie were sooooo excited for this one. We corraled a group of girls/women and Kaitlyn stood in line from 4:00 pm to save us a place. We had about 20 of us. By the time, it was time to go to the movie-I really didn't want to go! Taught seminary that morning, took Kaitlyn to get her braces off, took Steve to get his knee surgery, took Kaitlyn to the movies....and went to a band concert! I wanted to crawl in bed and I felt guilty for leaving my husband who was hurting! He supported us going and it was fun to be with the girls...
Anywhoo, if you are not a Jacob fan by the time that movie is over, nothing will turn you! Did have a good talk with the girls on the way home...Any man that makes you do extreme and stupid stuff...not good! And if he leaves you because he thinks it is best thing for you but doesn't include you in that conversation...not good! I don't think they will be going to a movie again with me soon.

Blind Side-LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!!! So not just a football movie! Husband's first outing since surgery. Went with my brother and sister and their spouses. Great movie and Sandra Bullock rocks! I think the thing that I loved the best is that she was a strong woman and her husband just loved and supported her. Good to see in a movie.

Julie and Julia-$3.00 movie, went with sister and sister in law...LOVED IT!!!! This movie has stayed with me because Meryl Streep is so totally awesome. Seriously, is there nothing this woman can't do! You did not believe she wasn't Julia Child. A portrayal husbands loving and supporting their wives to go after their dreams. I seriously loved it and I think I will buy it.

North and South-BBC productions-watched with sisters huddled in my bedroom because the men were watching football in the lfamily room and the kids were sleeping in the bonus room! LOVED IT!!!! Ok, this is NOT a civil war movie-it is about the Industrial Revolution in England...soooo cute accents! Kind of a Pride and Prejudice where there and judgements made and misunderstandings but at least there is a kiss at the end of it-a good one too!!!!!!!

It was a great Thanksgiving break! So grateful for movies! :)

I am now a parent of a 16 year old!!!!!

Happy 16th Birthday Kaitlyn!!!!!!! Today is Kaitlyn's birthday and it has been an interesting one for the girl! We celebrated it yesterday while we still had family in town (we had over 29 people here for the week of Thanksgiving-it was great!) So, we had the family celebration last night but I got sick shopping for while shopping for the ingredients for her cake. Luckily, her Auntie Amy stepped in and made it. She got lots of cute clothes and we made her do a fashion show afterwards. Of course, my camera died-but her Auntie Ally took lots of pictures so we will get them from her.

We always tell the kids "birth" story on their birthday. Kaitlyn's is very memorable because she was a week late! I went with my mom and sister, Stephanie to go and see the movie "remains of the day" (kind of depressing)! I was so frustrated, uncomfortable and hormonal that I begged Steve to give me a Priesthood blessing so I would go into labor!!!! I remember Steve rubbing my back and saying, "I just don't think that is what it is for, honey!"

So, on a Sunday my mom took us to Temple Square (we were starving college students at the University of Utah) and she "walked" me into labor. The poor sister missionaries would come up and ask questions and my mom would say, "we are trying to get her to go into labor, so unless you can help us with that, we don't have any questions" You should have seen their faces!

But it worked, we went to the hospital at like 2:00 AM and had her at 8:30 AM with the help of forceps (nothing like looking down and seeing salad tongs in you!). She was so beautiful and I am forever grateful to her for making me a mother! She is still so beautiful and I am excited for her and the experiences that awaits her and love to see her blossom and grow. She is telling me now to head down for family council, so I better get going....

Happy Birthday my sweet Kaitlyn, I love you so!!!!!

Halloween 2009

Here are the pictures from our Halloween this year. It was a different Halloween for us, only Chase and Maren went trick or treating which means my kids are really growing up!

Hollie and Kaitlyn went to a party at their seminary teacher's house and McKay stayed home and passed out candy.

I told McKay he really should do something. So, he called a few friends over and they watched, Batthumb, Frankenthumb and the Blair thumb. Movies only twelve year old boys could love.

So, I felt like our Halloween was in shifts...

6:30-girls leave for party; 6:30-8:00 Trick or Treating (Chase got tired); 8:30-put the younger kids to bed; 9:00-teenage boys come over and I get to stay up and pick up the girls and wait until the teenage boys get picked up and....eat candy! :)

The woes of scouting!

Many of you know that I struggle with scouting-the overwhelmingness of it all. But I have been around enough to see good things come from scouting BUT my beef is now with the uniform!

Who knew that you could put all the merit badges on the sash backwards?!?!?!??! McKay went to a scout masters meeting and the new scout master is in the military and ripped his (my) scout shirt apart!
I asked McKay, "does it really matter, I mean will anyone else notice it besides Brother Hollingsworth?" He said, "mom, when I am standing up there with the other boys and all their sashes go one way, and mine goes the other, I think they will notice!"

UGH!!! SO, because I glued on all the merit badges, I need to go and buy a new one because the glue will not come off. Off to the scout store today...!O(#@&*($&#@(*^&(#&%$(*&!!!!!