Our New Pets

two frogs. . . some crickets. . .

and one fascinated boy.

Kurt and Drave's Gingerbread House

Kurt is such a cute daddy. Today after he dropped Draven at preschool he went to the grocery store and got an assortment of frosting and candy so that they could make a gingerbread house. This is their creation. . .

Enjoying the Holiday Season

Last Friday we had a Christmas Party with some of our neighborhood friends. It was so great to have a night out with no kids. We ate super yummy food and had a great time hanging out. I didn't take my camera so go check out the Woodstock's blog.

Saturday we went sledding on Old Main hill with some of the families in our neighborhood. It was so fun to watch all the kids playing together.

Audrik had fun until I sprayed him with snow when sledding down the hill.


Jeremey attacking Katie :)


Draven with his friends: Kaden, Ander and Toren

Katie Willson and I

Abbie - so cute!

Audrik, Abbie and Kai

Funny Boy

Draven and I's conversation a couple nights ago as he picked up his toys.

Mom: Draven you need to stand up and get the rest of the cars.
Draven: I don't want to
Mom: Well you get to.
Draven: You don't love me.
Mom: I love you.
Draven: Why are you mad at me
Mom: I am not mad at you. I am just trying to motivate you.
Draven: Mom, I am motivated - I'm just slow.
***I am continually amazed by Draven. He has so much energy but is sooooo slow!


The other day. . . when Draven was mad at Kurt.

Draven: I don't love anyone.
Mom: Draven that isn't true. Just because you are upset doesn't mean that you don't love anyone.
Draven: Fine, I love daddy but I don't love you.
Mom: (thinking - hold on I am not even the one that upset you) That isn't nice Draven. How would you like it if I told you I loved Audrik but I didn't love you. (I know, I know - probably not the best thing to say)
Draven: Fine, I love you too, but I love Grandma first!
*** The very next day he told Kurt that Grandma was older than Jesus and that she was broken and rusty :). Good thing he loves her first!


Draven has hit the nonstop talking stage. Tonight in the car while driving around looking at Christmas lights.

Kurt: I have a great idea. Lets play the quiet game.
Draven: Noooo.
Kurt: (enthusiastically) Yeah, lets see who can be the quietest.
Draven: (after a short pause) I'm not the quietest.
And then he continued talking nonstop . . . smart little stinker!

8 Years

On November 17th, Kurt and I celebrated our anniversary. It has been 8 years of adventure and there is no one else that I would rather enjoy this journey with!

8 Years of Adventure on PhotoPeach

Halloween

Halloween this year was so much fun! Draven was so excited he could barely stand it, but Audrik was definitely the trick-or-treating champion. He outlasted Draven and thought it was the greatest thing that people were giving him yummy treats. Here is a glimpse at our Halloween festivities. . .

Draven had a preschool program that was super cute. Kurt wasn't able to come with me because of his recent knee surgery so my mom came along. It was hilarious!

We had our annual family Halloween party which I love. I think it is one of my favorite traditions we have. Each year we get together and eat a "creepy" dinner and carve pumpkins.

Family Halloween Party on PhotoPeach

We also had a neighborhood Halloween party that my awesome neighbor took Draven to since I had to work. The kids had so much fun and it gave them the chance to wear their costumes more than once.

Halloween afternoon we went to the ward trunk-or-treat and then over to Chris and Janet's for trick-or-treating. Draven was so excited, but when it came down to it he only lasted 30 minutes. Audrik, on the other hand, would whine and complain if we didn't take him to the door with us.

Our group at the trunk-or-treat. We love our neighbors, the Willsons!

Annie, Draven, Abbie and Audrik.

Maddie and Draven

Audrik in his super cute Tiger costume.
Draven with his jack-o-lantern.

American West Heritage Center

We have awesome neighbors and about a week ago we were able to go with some of them to the American West Heritage Center for the Fall Festival. It was a blast. I think Draven could of stayed there all day! They had so much fun stuff and we love spending time with our neighbors.

We got to ride in a covered wagon pulled by two mules, jump into straw, drink hot chocolate, go on a super slide (which was my favorite), and lots of other fun stuff.

Draven loved the Pirate Ship. He loved it so much that we had to play on it twice.

All of the neighborhood kids (except Audrik) all got to ride in the little train. It was a lawnmower with landscape carts behind it.

There were also pony rides - both Draven and Audrik took a turn.


There was a larger train that the parents were able to ride with the kiddos. Draven loved it, although he was bummed that the caboose wasn't open so he could ride in it.




And of course there was the corn maze. It was a lot of fun. Luckily, our neighbor used the map and navigated us through - otherwise, I think we would have been in there forever!

Kurt, Draven and Audrik

Draven with his friends, Kaden and Maddie.

Draven was lucky enough to get his very own ride on our way to the car.

Football

My nephews, Wes and Dusty, played football this season. We had so much fun going to their games and watching them. They were awesome and really did do a great job. I didn't get any pictures of Wes because my camera died right when the game started but I got some of Dusty's game.

Look how big that football is when Audrik holds it.

Dusty

Drave and Wes wrestling. Draven loves his cousins!

Draven, Maddie and Audrik all fell asleep on the ride home. They were holding hands - so cute!

One Crazy Fun Week

We have had so much fun this week. It has been crazy but lots of fun. Last Friday, I took the kids and went and picked apples at my parents house. Our neighbors, the Woodstocks, came along and I am so glad. It was nice to have the company - thanks guys for letting me tag along to dinner. Kurt was at a Halloween Party for some of the other grad students that were leaving to go back to China. I have great plans for these apples and hopefully will get to them this weekend.

Audrik found the apple stash. He was in Heaven.

On Saturday morning we went to the USU homecoming parade with our friends, the Woodstocks. It was Draven and Audrik's first parade and so much fun! Kurt rode on the Logan Stampede float and had one of the other players run a frisbee chuck full of candy to Drave - he thought it was great.

The Logan Stampede Float

Kurt - the only picture I got was blurry. Bummer.

Saturday evening, I had the opportunity to attend the Relief Society General Meeting at the Conference Center in Salt Lake with a bunch of my family. My cousin, Steph, was invited to sing in the choir. It was such an amazing experience to be able to listen to the speakers and choir. After the meeting we went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. It was Jen's birthday, and Becky's birthday was in a few days so we celebrated both. They gave the last piece of chocolate coconut cheesecake to Jen. I am still trying to recover. Good thing I love you Jen :).

The whole gang: Top - Kim, Jen, Janet, Steph and Wendy. Bottom - Britanie, Nicole, Pat, Me and Beck.

Me, my cousins, Beck and Wendy, and my sister, Janet
Sister-in-laws, Britanie and Nicole, Me, and my super cute mom.

My cousin, Steph, cousin-in-law, Jen and her sister, Kim

I have the best family ever!

The rest of the week consisted of:

• Canning tomato soup - for 10 hours, it was crazy.
• Canning stewed tomatoes, salsa, and bbq sauce. Thanks mom and Jan!
• Work for Deb
• Preschool for Draven
• School for Kurt
• Helping Janet make a scrapbook page for Maddie's spotlight at preschool
• Two birthday parties for Draven - he had so much fun! Fun fact: both were for Madison's and both turned 5 :).
• Soccer for Draven
• Gymnastics for Draven
• Guys night for Kurt
• Girls night for Deb!

We have had so much fun! We live in a great neighborhood. I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many wonderful family members and friends. It will make moving bitter-sweet.

Draven always is stopping to give us thumbs up during soccer.

So Cute!

Kurt and I do not have any baby/childhood pictures of him. In fact, I have seen very few ever so I asked Kurt's mom if we could get some. She gave us an envelope of negatives so I hauled them to Inkleys and asked them if they could put them on a disk. Unfortunately, the negatives were a different size than what their standard processes handle so we had to have them sent out and we could only get actual prints (no disk). We got them back today. I am so excited and Kurt is even more excited, which is a good thing since I was worried he wouldn't be happy with how much I spent to have them reprinted. It was a small fortune but I really wanted my kids to have pictures of their daddy growing up - so I justified it as money well spent :). Here are a few of the pics that I had a chance to scan in. It is so fun to see his little personality and facial expressions and how much they remind me of Draven and Audrik.

Teresa and Kurt
They look like pure trouble!

Kurt, his sister - Teresa, and his mom - Carol

Teresa and Kurt

Kurt and his Dad - Richard