Priceful Memories: Utah

Showing posts with label Utah. Show all posts

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Attempting to Settle - One Year in the SLC

A year ago yesterday the kids and I moved into our house in SLC. Tally was still in Switzerland wrapping things up and luckily the company paid for us to have movers. I remember feeling overwhelmed but excited to figure out where to put all our things and to SEE them again (okay, maybe there were a few things I wished had gotten lost along the way)! We could NEVER fill all the space...or so I thought. At the rate we're going, we'll be full-blown hoarders by 2015.

It's finally time we learn how to be settled. We are SLOWLY figuring it out and you'll know when it finally happens when you see pictures hung on our walls.

The tulips are just about to bloom and things are coming full circle. Our little family is a whole YEAR older, we have a whole year's worth of memories, traditions and pictures in this house. Our routines are in full swing, and we are excited for spring to REALLY spring.

Welcome year TWO in our little brick sugar palace.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Tour of Great Harvest

April 2010
While living in the Holladay 28th again, the mom's group kindly invited us to tour Great Harvest. It was really fun, and Kelsey seemed to enjoy it. Especially the eating yummy bread part of it.

Each kid got to roll out their own piece of bread.

Isn't that a HUGE oven!?

Quite the mixer

The kids were told not to touch anything and to keep their arms folded. Kelsey kept hers folded until WELL after the demonstration - good girl!

Peekaboo mommy!

The let us bring one home for free!

Also this month, I got to go to the SLC temple several times - once with my best friend from high school, Emily Brown! And I got to celebrate her birthday with her this year too ;)

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Easter back in the US

As I typed in the title, two possible choices came up for me: Easter in Italy or Easter in Germany. Easter back in the US. It's times like that when I feel pangs in my heart. Yes, some days I miss it dearly. However, this Easter we were able to spend with FAMILY and that was wonderful.

Here are pics of my kids finding their Easter eggs. Love these cute babies!

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Tal's Triathlon

Tal competed in the Jordanelle Triathlon in the Olympic distance on August 21, 2010. He did great, only he was wishing he'd signed up for the sprint while on the last leg, the run. It was a HOT day and he did not have time to train much for the run.

Kelsey LOVED the bus ride from the parking lot to the finish line

We got to cheer him on about 30 minutes before he finished, he says he was dying but he looked great!

We got some good people-watching in while we waited

There he is, coming down the home stretch

He picked up Kelsey and carried her through the finish. It was a definite crowd-pleaser and little girl pleaser. She was so happy, even if she didn't fully understand what was going on. I'm surprised he could carry her after all that!

Here's the guy I thought was Tally - TWICE - when he passed by us. I had thought Tal was wearing red shorts with a black top but figured I was mistaken because of course I know what my husband looks like - HA! He doesn't look like Tal in the face but similar body type...Tal was pretty proud that I thought that was him, that guy is ripped!

Tal with his buddy Dan, who also competed.

The whole crew - we're so proud of you!

Kelsey got some of daddy's treat at dinner - Loco Lizard, mom's favorite!

Though the triathlon days are over for awhile with Tal in school AND working, it was fun while it lasted. Any girls up for triathlon training with me? I'm toying with the idea for next year.

Monday, August 30, 2010

Walking in on the Kids at Play

Here are some moments - good and bad - of when I've walked in on the kids with the camera.

Kelsey was using Aiden as her baby doll, put him in the stroller and even buckled him. I'm just glad she didn't try to take him for a walk down the street (gate was closed, no worries).

Reading quietly together! I love it! What a dream this was to happen upon.

Funny, but not to daddy...

They emptied his drink refrigerator into their toy bin. They thought it was hilarious.

Tally found them first and his first reaction was, "Jess, come look at this, you may want your camera."

Aiden was the only one who listened and tried to put them back.

This is a constant battle right now until the harness comes. We didn't need a harness for Kelsey.

Technically I was helping brush their teeth and didn't walk in on them.

This is how they brush their teeth every night, sitting on the counter.

I get to brush them first and then they get a turn.

Literally walked in on this one. My heart melted.

This is what you'd see if you walked into a photo shoot of me with Aiden.

And here's from the most recent one...

I don't love any of them enough to hang on his wall and that's my goal right now...wall - worthy photos.

What if I give you my sultry look?

Mom, what's going on here?

Love his face, not the composition

Little feet!

Mom, leave me alone!

On another note, we have SQUIRRELS in our front and back yards that keep us entertained almost all day long. While we have breakfast, we watch the squirrels. When we go out for a walk or to do yard work, we get visits from the squirrels. When we clean up all the walnuts they drop, they TRY to drop them on our heads. Seriously.

It's so fun to watch them chase each other, fight, yell at us (one got really close to Kelsey while they were "yelling" back and forth at each other. Tal and I watched, wondering what we would do if the squirrel attacked her).

Speaking of outdoors... a note TO MY KIDS

Aiden, you LOVE to be outdoors and will often BOLT for the middle of the street, laughing as mommy runs to catch-up with you. Right after breakfast, you go to the back door, begging to go out. Now you'll even go get your shoes or whine until I get them for you and put them on. We have a million "Box Elder" bugs and you are constantly chasing them trying to catch them. Kelsey then comes along and just splats them with one stomp.

Kelsey, you are always picking the flowers and unripe tomatoes despite our constant warnings.

You both love helping me in the yard as I weed, clean out the rock bed (a 20 min. task that took over an hour with my little elves).

KELSEY has been talking up a storm and can carry on a pretty good conversation. People tell us she speaks really well for an almost 3-year-old. She's pretty bossy, definitely and OLDEST.

I LOVE when I walk into her room and she's doing THIS:

What a sweet angel! She hates taking naps and prolongs/fights bedtime and her little body needs more rest than it is getting. We are trying to improve the routine. It's time to crack down now that Summer is over.

Kelsey Speaks

April 14: Advertising works, even for kids. Kels just came up to me with my iPhone and the app "Team Umizoomi" ready to purchase. I asked her how she knew about it and she said, "this mom put team umizoomi on for her kids and it teached her kids and he did it all by himself!" I've seen that commercial too, but never realized how much she soaked in! I'm a sucker, I downloaded it.

March 14:

We were having a new babysitter come and Kelsey wanted her to play a game but wasn't sure she'd know how. "What language does she speak?" I said, "English." Kels said, "Oh no!" I said, "Kelsey, did you know that YOU speak English?" She looked surprised, "I do!?"

October 17:

We had our carpet pad replaced today and the carpet guy was using a heavy duty iron that smelled like burning. Kelsey came in and said, "Mom, is that dinner I smell?" Thanks Kels, thanks. Says a lot about my cooking!

October 11:

So I'm on the phone and the Kelsey does soemthing that makes Aiden cry. I tell Kelsey, PLEASE make it better, say your sorry and make him stop crying. She starts singing, "Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine, make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine..." I started cracking up. I think she's a little too obsessed with Tangled.

February 19:
Family prayer
"Thank you that Aiden is incredible and that he could watch Incredibles with me. And thank you that mommy can change things."

February 9:
Family prayer tonight by Kelsey: "Thank you that mommy could be a good listener (?), thank you that mommy can be so stretchable...in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." I laughed and asked her what stretchable meant. She said it meant that I can read Aiden books and change his diaper, put us to bed, play with us, and wiggle us and throw us, stuff like that. Does that mean she's grateful I can do mommy stuff?

January 5:
While at my mom's house in California, she said, "I want to stay at Mimi's forever!" I asked, what about your toys and our home in Utah?" She replied, "I like Mimi's toys downstairs." "But what about your friends back in Utah?" She replied, "they can get in the car and drive really, really far and come see me!" She has it all figured out.

January 4, 2011:
Tally read aloud a sign as we passed a church, "Jesus is making a list." She said, "No, Santa is making a list, and checking it twice."

December 20:
She was sad after I scolded her for taking her brother's food. I asked her why she was sad and she said, "My life hurts right now."
"With Christmas just a few days away?" I said. She perked right up.

December 13:
Tal was going to bed early and we all jumped in bed to give him hugs and say goodnight. Kelsey said, "I like it when our whole family is in bed together. Dad, you're hot. But I like it hot. You're the hottest."

December 9:
I had made a big effort to go to the gym and literally had 30 minutes to work out and then be back before everyone came over for play group. I get Kelsey out of the car and walk around to get Aiden. Kelsey says, "Mom, you can't wear THOSE shoes to the gym!" I looked down and sure enough, I was wearing my Crocs. I'm so glad she saw it before I'd gotten Aiden out of his car seat, gotten the kids checked into day care, and stepped on the treadmill. 10 points for trying, right?

October 22:
"Mom, I don't wanna have a baby in my tummy. I don't want to have a baby doggy come out."

October 3:
"Mom, you shut up and I'll shut down." (playing around with the word shut up to get a reaction from me).

September 30:
"Aiden, you have pretty eyebrows."
August 15
While sitting in our master bathroom, Kelsey said, "You guys have two sinks."
Us: "Yes, we have two sinks, isn't that nice?"
K: "No, I don't like it, you need to take one out. I need more room to sit."
Tal: "When you get married, you can have one sink in your bathroom."
K: "When I marry Aiden?" (who she said she wanted to marry when we were talking about weddings the day before).
Tal: "You can't marry Aiden, he's your brother."
K: "I want to marry DADDY!"
Jess: "He's mine, darlin. Daddy is already married to mommy."
K: "My cousins?"
Us: (Laugh, gave up...we'll have this talk one day when she's ready) She is constantly playing with my bouquet of silk flowers in my room and saying, "I'm getting married mom." I guess she picked that up on her own...I don't think I've ever talked about the flowers with her!

August 11:
As I'm putting her to bed I said, "Kelsey, your little body is so tired because you didn't take a nap today and little bodies need naps."
"And sometimes big bodies do too?" she said.
After the gym today, we caught her doing her hand clasp thing. Tally said, "Don't do that, you're doing it so hard you're getting sweaty."
She replied, firmly, "Well I just back from the gym." (which is true, but she was at the play place at the gym)
May
(While shutting herself inside the kitchen pantry)
K: Alright Aiden, I'm going bye-bye to Lily's house, 2 seconds, and when I come back, I'm going to Zoe's house. Okay? Okay, see ya later.
(about 2 seconds later, she opens the door)
K: Oh, hi Zoe's house!
She has been cracking me up (mixed with a little worry) with her imagination. If you ask her what she did today, she'll say she played with her cousins. We don't play with cousins everyday, but she does, in her imaginary play. She'll tell Libby and Zoe to come downstairs to the playroom or come outside with her. Then I'll hear her telling one of them to go hide or that this doll is for them or that they are nice. She will also throw in Lily and Edie, and an occasional Colton, Carter or Spencer. But that's more rare. Maybe because she sees them the most? Or because they are boys.
She also loves to pretend she's mommy and I'm Kelsey. She'll ask me, "is your pee-pees coming, mommy?" (No, is yours?) She'll also say, "you want a treat Kelsey? Okay. " Or my favorite, "You go in time out mommy, no-no." When I ask what I did wrong she'll say it's because I hit Aiden. Shocking.
She is also such a good sister. When I was reading my friend Mary's blog today who just lost her baby girl and bawling, she came over and gave me a big hug and said, "it's okay mommy." Then, because I wasn't paying attention to the fact that Aiden had run out of Cheerios and was "asking" for more, she fed him her Cheerios. Then she came up to me and said, "mommy, Aiden wants more Cheerios." She's a great little mommy.
5/?- (while Tal is at work)
K: Mom, I want to tell dad I had fun at the doctor today - daddy, I had fun at the doctor today - oh you did - yeah, dr. M was really nice. Yeah? Yeah.
She has little conversations with herself as she imagines the conversation she had or will have. These crack me up. She does it all the time, I just need to remember to write them down.
5/29 -
K: Mom, don't let Swiper come swipe our new house, okay?
M: Okay, I will. I'll tell him, Swiper no swiping, okay?
K: Yeah!
She's on this kick where she says "everytime" or "everday" with almost every sentence. I guess she's learning how to tell time/days?
She also sings all the time, usually "I am a Child of God." How can I ever get mad at that sweet little thing?
February 1, 2010
J: "Kelsey, get up on the stool so we can wash your hands."
K: "Mommy, you need to pull my pants up first."
J: "Okay, sorry"
K: "You don't need to say sorry mami."
She's been saying sorry to EVERYTHING and so I think she's heard that a lot lately from me. It's funny to hear your own words come from the mouths of your little ones.
January 28, 2010
K: "I want to be baptized."
J: "You do? How old are you?"
K: "TWO! Aiden wants to be baptized too."
J: "You have to be 8 to be baptized."
K: "Oh, I EIGHT!"
A little boy was baptized last Sunday and she started noticing it more in her books about Jesus and we talked about it a few times this week. But the subject hadn't come up this day - she said it out of the blue.