Priceful Memories

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Weekend in Geneva

We packed up and went to Geneva for the weekend. We met the Bergs at the Bern temple on Saturday and Jessi took the FOUR kids while Jacob, Tally & I got to do a session (Bergs went early & Jessi did a session before us - they are definitely more of an early bird family than we are ;)) Thank you Jessi! It was great to be able to go.

It was rainy and cold so we went back to their place and let the kids play. The girls:

The boys: Abram is sharing his cheese and crackers with Aiden.

Jessi pointed out that our kids start out with the same letter/sound: Abram & Aiden, Kelsey & Chloé. Guess we'll wait for them to have the next one. ;)

Tal and Jacob hiked in the rain in preparation for their Kilimanjaro hike in February. They were soaked. And the kids were so excited when they got home.

To our surprise, Jessi had prepared Thanksgiving dinner the night before. It was SO yummy and yes, I really think she is super woman. Among everything else, she made this sour cream and corn dish - I've never had anything like it! It's fun to have Thanksgiving dinner more than once a year.

A little TV so we could have some adult conversation

The kids helped make brownies

Jessi let them lick the beaters - YUM!

On Sunday, their church didn't start until 2pm so we went to Morges and walked around the cute town. (Roberta, we loved your old town and can see why you miss it!)

I took family pictures of them at a gorgeous lakeside park, but I don't want to spoil the Christmas card surprise ;). Here they are getting set up. It was really cold but the kids did great. It took all of about 7 minutes. New record for me.

Then we went to Geneva for church and drove past the United Nations, WHO, UNESCO, and Broken Chair (all shot from inside the car).

Here is the LDS church in Geneva

Thanks for a great weekend you guys, can't wait to do it again in the spring!

Friday, November 06, 2009

This Inspired Me Today...

Lately the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been producing these mini videos to uplift, inspire, and teach good principles. I clicked on this one, and while watching it, my eyes got all teary. I thought about photography and reflected on my ups and downs, the pros and cons of continuing. I felt strengthened to keep on trying, creating, and learning. It made me want to be better and confirmed that I can call upon my Heavenly Father for help in this process.

For more videos like this, click HERE.

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Fall Leaves

I love fall leaves for pictures. It's really too bad they aren't around for longer. Here we are at the park that Kelsey wanted to go to. Kelsey liked it when I helped her climb the tree and Aiden liked eating the leaves.

On Halloween day we had such nice weather so we went on a hike. It's amazing how in Switzerland you can be so close to a big-ish city, but so close to nature at the same time. Tally is preparing for Kilimanjaro.

Kelsey gathered sticks, pinecones, rocks and anything else she liked along the way. Then she wouldn't let go of them or let us carry them.

We made it to the TOP (of the little hill)

On the way down, we passed through the Swiss gartenplatz. I think it is so great how they all live in apartments and RENT or BUY a plot of land to garden on.

She was kind enough to pose for me.

Monday, November 02, 2009

New Outfits

The kids got these outfits in the mail from my Aunt Mimi & Uncle Wes. They're so cute! The teddy bears from my grandma & grandpa Lang, which they give to each great grandbaby when he/she is born.

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Halloween

Halloween Carnival - September 24th

My Halloween kids, thanks Grandma!

This might be her first lollipop. She's been wanting more ever since.

Mariah, Anna, Kelsey & Chloe

I love Chloe's little hands clasped!

My friend Julienna with the kids.

Even though she's prego, she took Aiden off my hands for a bit while I was running the booth. We did fingerprint creatures - which Jessi started 3 years ago!

Lexi & Mia

David & Kelsey

Trick or Treating to the different rooms in the church

Our friend Melanie passing out candy

Afterwards, we went to Vapianos with the Bergs (and saw lots of our other friends from the party there too!). Abram & Kelsey had a lot of fun running around together. It was cold outside!

Julie & Josie with me & Aiden. Josie & Aiden are only a month apart.

She's older, he's bigger. I love her little pumpkin outfit!

Halloween Day - October 31st

Carving pumpkins with Kelsey. Her job was to get all the seeds out, Tal baked the seeds.

Kelsey colored the Happy Halloween sign on our door and we made a few lollipop ghosts. She made the face of the ghost on the left all by herself and it looks pretty scary!

Our little Dora the Explorer. She loved being Dora. I'm just sad I didn't get one of her in the daylight in her costume!

I had wanted Aiden to be Boots and I even bought a mask and blue fabric to be Swipper (Tal as The Map?) but I couldn't find an infant monkey costume in time! Maybe next year...

I was lucky to find this wig...it was an Indian wig. Tal and I gave it a hair cut.

We needed lessons from Allison at Austin Kade...

The Trick or Treating Crew - that was too fast for Kelsey

Ah dad, you're so embarrassing!

Since we are in Switzerland, a country that doesn't traditionally celebrate Halloween, we went to our friends' neighborhood where a lot of expats live. My friend sent out notes to all the neighbors explaining Halloween and gave them a paper ghost to hang on their doors if they wanted trick or treaters. Some of the Swiss kids caught on quick and came by saying with heavy accents, "Happy Halloween!" We had to teach them that you say "trick or treat." We had apple cider and pumpkin cookies at Roberta's - both were SO good. Thanks for a fun night you guys!

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.