Imaginary Friends

I don't recall ever having imaginary friends growing up. I don't think Sam ever did. But Natty does, and I love it! We first started hearing about Iedi. Iedi is a girl, but not a very nice girl. Sam and Natty sometimes scare each other that Iedi is coming (for which they might get the dreaded punishment of sitting on the porch alone for a time-out). Then last week we started hearing about Tretcher. It turns out Tretcher is Iedi's brother, but he's nice. So funny! Other favorite Natty sayings: "you're teasing me" (when I tell her in all honesty that I think the candy is all gone and then she finds out there is some) or "I was just teasing you" (when she tells us she put away the toys and then we look to find them still out), "that is SO yum", "they're making us go backwards!" (when we're on the freeway and a car passes us), adding an extra "-es" to plural words eg. "cowses."

Rolling!

Gabriella started rolling over about a month ago. She loves being able to get around a little. I'll try to lay her on a blanket, but pretty soon she's licking the dirt off the dirty floor instead.

Hiking

Nate took a few days off the week of Thanksgiving and we went for a little hike. It was so fun to have great weather and enjoy being out as a family! We went to the little cave up Farmington Canyon and the kids loved it. Sam and Natty both had fun collecting rocks. Natalie would tell me to close my eyes, then she would hide a rock and have me find it for her to read the "clue" on it for me, such as "go catch up with Daddy and Sammy."

Baby Food!

Gabriella was so excited to try baby food! Whenever I eat while holding her, she opens her mouth and leans towards the food as it goes in my mouth. Thus I decided it was time. Natalie was so excited to feed her. Sam was excited too until he smelled and looked at the baby food. I had him feed her for me while I was getting his sandwich ready, and he quickly asked if I could feed her again because it was "pretty disgusting."

Kids

4 1/2 month old Gabriella - November 5th

Random Recent Pictures

My cousin Celia took us to ride on her horse a couple weeks ago. The kids LOVED it, and Nate kept talking about when we'll get horses someday.

I had to put this one just 'cause it makes me laugh. Gabriella really looks like Sam and Natalie to me in the bathtub, probably because I don't notice her darker hair as much then.

Sammy and Natty have been such good playmates lately. They've been playing "ghostbusters" a lot lately. They make ghost zappers out of tinkertoys, and go around the house zapping ghosts. They're blasting off in their spaceship in this photo.

• Natalie's memory has always been really impressive to me. She'll help me remember where things are or when something happened. About a week ago, I went to the temple. However, when I got there I couldn't find my recomend. I had been looking all over for a week. I told Natalie the other day, "I need you to help me find my temple recomend today" and she said "It's behind the mirror." Sure enough when I unscrewed the mirror that's hanging on the wall, there it was! It's a good thing she remembers good or I would have never found it! The day before that she had about 20 books out on our bed and we found her drawing in one with a pencil. Out of the pile of 20 or so, she easily picked out the 5 she had drawn in.

• Sammy has started to sound out words a tiny bit. We've been playing "Guess Who" since Grandma gave it to him for his birthday. When he gets to the person, he sounds out the name. It's so fun to see his progress! He's such a good big brother - He really loves his little sisters! Sammy is our singer. When our primary was practicing for the program, the chorister told the kids to sing as good as Sam!

Gabriella learned to roll over about a week ago. She loves being able to move a little. She's been really interested in Sam and Natalie and gets really happy when she sees them in the morning. We all LOVE having this sweet little baby at our house. I gave her her first haircut yesterday!

Fall Leaf Fun! We have plenty of leaves with our big trees, and the kids love jumping in and hiding in the huge piles I make!

Logan & Jenn, I hope you're reading this because this one is for you. I put curlers in Natalie's hair for the first time on Halloween. When she looked in the mirror, she said "I look like Collin." She then explained that Collin had hair with curls like that without the curlers in it.

Happy Halloween!

5 years old!

This is a couple weeks late in coming, but happy birthday to my Sammy boy! 5 years old sounds so big - school age! Sam had a lot of big firsts this past year: First swimming lessons, first preschool class, first soccer team, learned to ride without training wheels and to rollerblade. I love that Sam loves his little sisters so much. Lately when mom is not very available and Natalie is feeling needy, she'll ask Sam to hold her, which he does. It's pretty cute to see how they help each other (not that they don't fight plenty too.) Sam's favorite thing lately is fishing! He LOVES to go fishing, and he likes to eat it too. Nate took Sam to the pond several times this summer where they would often meet up with my little brothers to fish. Something funny about Sam lately is that he's been really liking to use strong expressive language. For example; instead of saying that food is really good, he'll say that food is freakin' flippin' good. Not sure where he picked up all his new words. Nate told him he could keep saying flippin', but not freakin'. Sammy is my little athlete, my sensitive kiddo, my creative little engineer, my 'too tired to do it' stinker, and my favorite little 5 year old!

On Sammy's birthday, he and Natalie played together in the morning (the picture of Natalie pulling Sam on her scooter), he went to school where he got the little birthday cake in front of him, then we went to Thanksgiving Point Farm Country where he milked the cow. Last, we came home and opened presents and had cake with Caitie who stopped by. We later celebrated Sam and my brother Shawn's birthdays together with more cake, presents, and a pinata.

Gabriella at 3 months

She's changing so fast and getting so big. She's loving being able to grab toys now. I walked in the room to see her holding onto the toy hanging from her bouncer with a big smile on her face when she first figured it out. She's also started to talk a lot (make baby noises) which I love!

Soccer Star

Sammy had his last soccer game of the season last night and was so sad to be done, but thrilled that he got a medal! He couldn't stop talking about how cool it was that he had a medal. He loved playing and did really well. He's a little natural - takes after his dad, not his mom! However, I'm not quite sure how you teach humility while still congratulating and encouraging. We told him his coach was going to try to get him on his team next year and he said "Maybe he could try to find other kids who are really good like me."

Happy Birthday Natalie Anne

Natalie, Nattty, Na-na, Nads turned 3! I love this spunky, funny little girl! We had fun going to the Dinosaur Park with Lisa, Emma, TJ, and Rees in the morning, then had my parents and siblings and Nate's parents over for a pinata, cake and ice cream, and presents that evening. She was so excited to get a bike so she could be big like Sammy, and is doing really well getting the hang of it. She also has been loving playing the games she got - "Let's Go Fishing" and "Zingo." A couple funny Natty things lately.

• She told me a couple weeks ago "When I'm a cow, put this container under me and squeeze me to get milk." Sorry Natty, I don't think you'll ever be a cow.


• She keeps noticing funny things, like after I say something she'll tell me "you said it fast."


• She's been looking like a little orphan the majority of the time lately since she really doesn't like to have her hair done, pulls it out a lot after I do it, and is so active that it gets messed up on it's own.


• I love how Natalie is so expressive. When she's happy about something she'll say over and over "thanks so much Mommy" in a really genuine voice. When she's surprised, she'll say "Oh, my gosh!" in a valley girl surprised voice. She also has plenty of screaming, angry voices that can be pretty funny.
  

Memories

I feel kind of bad I've never followed up on the tag things, thinking I didn't want to take the time to do it and nobody would want to take the time to read it. So I feel a little sheepish starting now, but I so enjoyed reminiscing on Bek, Tara, and Sarah's blogs that I had to do my own. So here it is...

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you have of Nate, me, or our family. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

The cutest 2 month old baby...in Sam's opinion, and mine

Gabriella was 2 months on the 22nd and is doing so good. I have loved having a sweet little newborn to snuggle again, especially since I escaped colic this time. Of course she has days that she's fussy and nights that she doesn't sleep as good as usual, but overall Gabriella has been such a good baby; I am so grateful. I think this is the first good smile I've caught on camera. I could spend hours smiling back and forth with her. Love it! She was 12 lb 2 oz (65 percentile) and 23 inches long (55 percentile) at her check-up.

My Sam Sam

Sam holding the Tarantula at the fair!

Sammy is such a sweet, tender-hearted little boy. Gabriella had her 2 month check-up the other day and had to get immunizations. All morning before we left for the appointment, Sam and Natalie kept telling Gabriella sorry she was going to get shots. So after she got the shots and I was holding her, I looked over at Sam and he had tears streaming down his cheeks. Then later that day I had laid Gabriella down after she fell asleep in my arms and went to help Natty go down for her nap. As soon as I left Ella, she woke up and started screaming, but soon stopped. When I went back in, I saw that she had stopped because Sam was laying next to her kissing her cheek and talking softly to her. Her eyes were closed, but she kept turning her head more towards his kiss, then fell right back asleep. It was way cute. Sam can definitely be too much, but he can also be the sweetest big brother!

kiddo update

NATALIE

• she was running the other day and said "when me run, my cheeks chubby." I thought it was funny that I could totally relate to that feeling, but had never put it in words before.
• she has a little keychain notebook she's been carrying around and reading her own stories out of, or having us read her a story out of it (the pages are blank, so you create the story as you go). One time after Nate had been playing and giving all of us 'Indan burns', she read in her notebook "Daddy likes to play with us and be grouchy to us."
• Natalie ALWAYS wants to watch "Natty movies" (home videos). I have to try to limit or else we would be watching the same 3 home videos every day.
• she says "me guys" for us
• A while ago, Sam coined the term "Book of Mormon one" when two 'life' cereal squares were stuck together, now Natalie uses that term for any 2 things stuck together, or she says "two da two" or "double doubles."
• She's been taking tupperware lids out of the drawer and using them for phones. She'll put them up to her ear and carry on a pretty good one ended conversation, that sounds just like she's on the phone with Caity or Grandma or whoever.
• We've been loving our garden. Our peas are now gone, but the best part of the garden was picking the peas and singing our "pickin' peas" song that we got from a library book. Natty was an avid pea picker and singer for a while there, and even Sam who had stopped liking peas got into it.
• Natalie and Sam both talk about the "bad cat" (a stray that eats Licorice's food) all the time and like to set up traps for it - a pile of rocks in front of the door, a bungee cord tied from the door handle to the stoller, etc.
• Natalie told me recently "If you die and Daddy dies and Sammy dies, then I sit in the baby swing" (since she's not allowed to sit in there). Then she said "so die Mommy." Oh thanks Natty!
• Lately, Natalie has been putting her hands over her eyes when she's doing something naughty. For example, Gabriella will be laying in her bouncer and Natalie will sneakily go over to her with her hands over her eyes - obviously that makes it so I can't see that she's about to pick up the baby without help or something similar. Or, she'll come out of the bedroom after she's been put to bed with her hands over her eyes, take some candy (the little stinker has taken candy from the checkout isle 3 times now!), etc.
• I playfully told Natalie I was going to bite her ears off and she replied "you can't bite 'em all the way off because them plastic."

SAM

• Samuel is obsessed with fishing. He wants to fish every day, and could stay for forever when Nate takes him. It's pretty cute to me, maybe because I'm such a boring person that has never really been passionate about any sport or activity.
• It's so fun to watch his progress towards learning to read and write. He still has a long way to go, but is doing really well. The other day our home teacher was telling us the name of a band his brother was in was muk, M-U-K. Sam left the room and a few minutes letter came back with MUK written on a paper.
• Samuel could watch tv all day long if I let him. One day he had already used up all his tv time, and I was listing off things he could do. After listening to my ideas, he said "you forgot one thing. It's a box....that you watch stuff on." Clever little kid!
• Sam still goes through phases when he's really scared to go into the bathroom himself. Now instead of Natalie accompanying him, we shout Marco and Polo back and forth to eat other so he knows we're still in the kitchen or wherever. It gets kind of old yelling Polo back to him 20 times before he's done going potty, but it works and is pretty funny.
• Neither Sam or Natalie like to be told they are grouchy. So, often they will get in fights telling the other they are grouchy and insisting they are not grouchy themselves.
• When Emmy came home from Taiwan, she commented on what good reasoning skills Sam has after watching him be told 'no' by me or Natalie a couple of times and then bargaining a solution. He really does, and I think it's so fun to see his little mind working.
• In order to go jogging during the weekdays at all, I have Sam ride his bike while I push the girls. The other day, instead of riding his bike, he jogged with me. He was such a trooper and kept going for quite a while.
• When the Sunmaid raisin commercial came on, Sam flipped off the tv and finished the commercial word for word, then turned the tv back on to watch his show.

Swan Valley Idaho Trip

We had lots of fun spending a week in Idaho with all of Nate's family. Camping (just Nate and Sam - the Hulses were so kind to let me stay in their house so I didn't have to stay in a tent with my 7 week old baby), fishing, rafting, boating, swimming, eating, playing. So good to spend time with the extended family. Thanks everybody, especially Jared and Lisa and Terry and Diane. All loaded up, finally, and ready for the big drive. It looks like these two are scowling at each other, but they were actually smiling a second before I snapped the photo.

Natalie got in the little pool in her clothes probably once a day, this time right after we had put her tennis shoes on as well. I told her I wasn't going to take them right back off since she chose to get them wet, so she asked TJ for help :)

Gabriella put Daddy to sleep in the hammock

The kids LOVED the zipline!

The Birthday spanking line for uncle Mike

Gabriella's Baby Blessing

Sweet little sleepy baby. She slept right through the blessing and almost the whole time family and friends were over afterwards for lunch. Nate gave her a wonderful blessing, and it was a great day. I loved having a summer baby blessing this time so we could be outside, and I love our shade trees!
Sammy the photographer took this one.

Homecomings

Nate's parents came home from their year and a half mission to Johanesburg, South Africa, AND my sister Emily came home from Taiwan after teaching English there for over a year. It's been so fun to see all of them!Aunt Emmy meeting her new little niece Gabriella!

Sammy and the cousins holding the Welcome Home sign for Grandma and Grandpa at the airport.

Baby Love

The kids have been loving their new little sister... a little too much it seems at times. Sam was being so cute with her when I took this video, and I love that they're excited about her. But it's also hard not to get irritated with all the smothering, especially when I'm trying to nurse her and I have kids climbing all over me trying to kiss her and I feel like my personal space and privacy are nonexistent.

Zack & Wheezie

Sam and Natty came in my room the other day like this and announced that they were Zack and Wheezie (the two headed dragon on Dragon Tales). I thought it was pretty funny.

Natty Mommy

Natalie has been so cute taking care of her baby doll. She bounces her when she cries, puts her down for a nap, fights me for the boppy so she can feed her, and makes sure to take her with wherever she goes so she won't be sad alone. Here she is dancing with her.

More Wheels

I'm embarassed to say my 4 year old is more comfortable 0n rollerblades than me, but I think it's pretty cute.

Independence Day Weekend Celebrations with the Millers and Prisbreys

Goodbye Training Wheels

Nate's been working with Sam on riding his bike, and he is doing so good. He's lucky to have a dad who's a good teacher and who cares so much about spending the time to teach and be with him. This video was about 3 weeks ago - the day before Gabriella was born. Nate had a week off after Gabriella was born, and it was fun to see Sam loving to spend lots of time with Dad riding bikes, rollerblading, llama hiking, working/playing in the yard, etc.

One Week Old

9 months + 3 days = June 22nd

Headed to the hospital Sunday morning after being up all night with contractions

Headed home with our little Gabriella (not so little as her siblings though at 8 lbs and 21 inches)

Gabriella

Lagoon

Sammy was SOOO excited to go on the rides at Lagoon for the first time a couple of weeks ago. He couldn't stop talking about it when I told him Grandma and Grandpa had invited us along for their stake lagoon day. We had a lot of fun, and I survived walking around lagoon and waiting in lines all day while 8 1/2 months pregnant. I like the picture of Sam, Chari and my mom getting on the sky ride because they barely made it on. Neither of the kids jumped up, so my mom was trying to hold on to each with one arm and drag them on - it was pretty funny to watch. The kids loved riding the rides with Grandma and Grandpa and aunts and uncles, which was good since I couldn't do much riding.