Snow in Vegas

It has snowed in Malibu a few times since we have lived in Southern California and it even hailed for about 45 seconds the other day at our house, but we found a lot of snow this weekend at Bart and Andria's house in Las Vegas - of all places. Owen figured that it was easier to pick up chunks of ice and throw them instead of hand-packing a snow ball.
A little early for Kirt and Bart, but we had to get a picture. The kids had a blast on our weekend trip. We did a little shopping, a little cooking and just hanging out. A nice little trip away from everyday life. Thanks to our generous hosts!
I've seen a few people post pictures of their Christmas trees and thought mine may be of interest for a different reason. Can you tell that we have little trouble makers at our house? Owen helped decorate it this year, so it never was "perfect" but even the ribbon wrapped around the top has been mangled by flying footballs and other random objects. I found an orange in the tree last week and Kirt pulled a sippy cup out of it a few days ago. Don't forget to notice the heap of lights on the floor that have come unraveled. I'm told someday I'll look back on these times with nostalgia. Okay, if you say so?
Cal's school had their annual Holiday program last week. Cal's grade sang The Reindeer Twist. Cal was down in front and got to pick someone from the audience to come out and dance with them. I was given specific instructions on where I should be seated so he could find me easily. Owen was not crazy about being in front of a large audience, but he's been singing and dancing ever since.
One last pic from the beach that I forgot to post last time. It's not often that we get a picture of the whole family together. Oh yeah, and we never get one where everyone is looking at the camera, let alone smiling.

Leo Carillo State Beach

We had heard of this beach, but reached it out of desperation a few weeks ago. We headed to the beach for Christmas card pictures and the entire coast was sooo foggy. We just kept heading North until the fog cleared out. We ended up at Leo Carillo Beach and it was awesome.
This picture was taken the next Sunday when we went back with some friends for more pictures. We didn't time it very well, it was high tide and all the tide pools were submerged, but it rained for a few minutes and this awesome rainbow appeared. I don't think I've ever seen the beginning and the end of a rainbow like this one. Pretty sure I even saw a leprechaun at one end.
This was the first week when the tide was out. Tons of tide pools with sea stars, urchins. There are also hundreds of sand crabs everywhere.
A few pics that didn't make the Christmas card.
One of my favorites. As documented previously, I have a soft spot for the crazy pictures.

Another must-see for our Los Angeles readers is Candy Cane Lane in Woodland Hills. We drive through at least once a week during December. It's an entire neighborhood that pulls out all the stops for Christmas lights and decorations. Heading south on Corbin, turn left on Oxnard and you'll find it. The traffic can get a little backed up, but it's pretty awesome. See you there.

Mommy and Tessa have been tagged.

I've been tagged once again, actually Tessa and I have both been tagged. Mine is first, then a few facts about her. Can I just say that I love keeping in touch with everyone through these blogs? I have blogged about my love of Christmas cards, and I find the same satisfaction whenever new posts appear on my Google Reader. This first tag is from my great-aunt Kathie whom I haven't seen in quite some time and it's great to catch up with her and her family whenever I have a second. Tessa's tag is from one of my oldest friends, Betsey (Kirt makes fun of me when I say Betsey - he says it's when my Utah accent comes out. think I say it with a hard "t"?) Anyway,, Betsey is just one of many dear friends that I've been able to re-connect with - and all in our spare time. I love it! Okay, on to the tags:

1: Two names you go by: Kade, Cal's mom

2. Two things you are wearing right now: 1. Fuzzy pink bath robe 2.My wedding ring.

3: Two things you want very badly at the moment: 1. Breakfast 2. A few more hours in my day.

4: Two people who will most likely respond to this tag: 1. Libby 2. Holly (consider yourself tagged!)

5: Two things you did last night: 1. Decorated for the ward Christmas Party. 2. Grocery Store (can you stand the excitement?)

6: Two things you ate today: Nothing yet, I still have my retainer in. tmi?

7: People you just spoke with: 1. Cal 2. Tessa (kind of a one-sided conversation)

8: : Two things you're doing tomorrow: 1. Cooking a turkey for dinner 2. Game night

9: Two longest car rides: 1. Ogden to Phoenix 2. Ogden to San Francisco (just realized both of these trips were after visiting family for Christmas going to see the U play in bowl games. Kirt's still trying to figure out a way to get to the Sugar Bowl this year.)

10: Two favorite beverages: 1. Dr. Pepper 2. Water

11. What are your Two Favorite Things about Christmas: 1. Kids on Christmas morning 2. Christmas cards

Tessa's tag - A few months ago I did a little tag about all the kids, but Tess just had her 18 month dr. appointment, so it's a good time to post her stats:
34 inches tall, 23 lbs = 75th %tile for height, 25th%tile for weight
She's talking quite a bit. She says all of our names - my favorite thing is when she wanders around the house looking for Owen saying, "Owie, Owie." She also has her own versions of hi, banana, no, i want this, and even tries to count with us. She even tries to sing the alphabet song with me when I lay her down for bed. (She's sitting by me now playing with a bi-lingual toy and just said, "uno!"
She is officially a kid, no longer a baby for sure. She chases the older kids everywhere they go and does her best to imitate everything they do. She refuses to sit in her high chair and must sit at the table next to Owen to eat her meals.
It's funny how different girls are. When she was first born, we commented on how even her fingers were feminine, but even with trucks and dinosaurs all over the place here, she'll find her little kitties and babies and pull them out of the pile. We sure love having this little girl in our family.

New Additions

Taft and Lesha (my little bro and sil) welcomed a sweet little boy to their family last night. By all reports, despite being 2 weeks (!) overdue, Lesha did not look ready to deliver. She maintained about a 5 month baby bump until delivery. So we were all shocked when the baby weighed in at 9 pounds, 8 ounces! He's 23 inches long! I've never heard of a baby being that long at birth. We are so thrilled for them and can't wait to meet him in a few weeks. Babies are definitely the hardest thing about living away from family. (No offense to our moms.) Congrats guys!

And to our latest addition...
I can't get a decent picture of this because my good lens is in the shop (thanks again Owen). But this masterpiece was created by Kirt and his Dad on our roof this weekend. We had Kirt's parents and sister here for Thanksgiving. I managed to get a total of zero pictures of any of them, probably because we were too busy having an awesome visit. We got some Christmas shopping knocked out while Grandpa hung out with the little ones, another fab trip to Santa Barbara, and several other fun adventures while they were here. They didn't even mind heading to our friends' house for Thanksgiving dinner. (Thanks again Gay and Yosh.) The boys did some great work on the Christmas lights. I think this will be a traditional staple in our decor.

Where have I been?

Celebrating. That's where.
We enjoyed the Utah/BYU game at the Hansen's. It was a great game for the Utes, and a fabulous afternoon with friends (and foes.) If I could download the pics from my phone, I'd love to show you what we did to a Cougar-friend's car the night before. At 11:00 pm, Kirt and I headed over with all the kids asleep in the back seat of our car. We changed out his BYU license plate frame with a more fitting "U" one, and painted his windows to make sure he knew that Utah was BCS bound. I felt like I was in junior high again, toilet papering the neighbor's house and was about ready to pee my pants the whole time. I was sure we were going to get caught. Kirt still hasn't quit laughing at me - he keeps asking "what did you think was going to happen if we got caught?" I hadn't thought that far, I was just reveling in the feeling of rebellion.
The Cougars and Utes making peace after the game. Madagascar brings us all together. See Tessa's pony-tail on top of her head? It was her first, and she's had one every day since. She is finally growing some hair and doesn't mind having it combed once in a while.
Despite the overwhelming number of Cougars, there were only a few cookies left out of the 4 plates that I brought. Good cookies, not good picture.
And, as previously mentioned, Owen turned 3. This was the "big" cake that he requested and helped me make. We had a quiet family birthday, with dinner at Owen's choice: Chili's. Then cake and ice cream at home after unwrapping presents.
Owen got a bike from his aunts and uncles. He loves cruising around the neighborhood on this bad boy. Thanks guys! He loved the card too - stinkerpants sandwich.
And a scooter. He has always loved these scooters, and has figured out how to ride it pretty well, despite the age suggestion of 6 on the box.
Tessa enjoying the ice cream. As we were walking through the store, Owen spotted some ice cream cones. I told him to throw them in the cart. It was, after all, his birthday. What I didn't realize until we opened them that night was that they were so tiny. Tess has not even begun to eat the cone in this picture. I need a melon baller to scoop ice cream into them. Makes for a great bedtime snack.

You Say it's Your Birthday...

Kirt and I agree this is one of our favorite photos ever of Owen. When I didn't post it last week with our Santa Barbara pics he thought I was crazy. Until I assured him that I was just saving it for Owie's B-day post. It just captures Owen. He is such a fun kid, but always on the lookout for trouble. Hard to believe that he's 3 years old today. We all say this, but it really is wierd to imagine a time where we didn't have little "O" in our family. When I asked him what kind of cake he wanted he said, "a big one!" Not chocolate, not a dinosaur, no special requests other than BIG. I better start frosting. He's already seen most of his presents - I guess my hiding places better step it up. He brought me his Razor scooter in the box last week and said, "This my bir-day." Happy Birthday Owen! We love having you around.

Tessa's Big Week

Tessa started nursery this week. Our ward has the best nursery leaders. Not only do they insist on taking the kids at 17 months, but they always send home the cutest hand outs and crafts, and plan the most thoughtful lessons. (Background on the photo: We had just gotten home from church - Tessa is ready for a nap and Owen was sweating to death in his sweater. Neither were particularly interested in being photogenic. See their cute name tags from nursery?)
By all reports she did great. I stayed with her until she was occupied and then sneaked out. Once she realized I was gone, she was a little perplexed, but her teacher handed her a cookie and it was all good. Owen was a very protective brother: saving a seat next to him at story time for "my baby girl" and whenever he'd see her checking out a toy that another kid had, Owen would snatch it for her. Good looking out big bro.
In not so exciting news - we think she dislocated her elbow last week. Kirt tried to stop her from running into a parking lot and grabbed her arm. She started crying and wouldn't move her arm at all, but there was no swelling. About and hour and a half later, she was still upset and not moving it, so I packed her up and headed for the pediatric urgent care. She was still sad in the car and on the way up to the office. Once inside, she wanted to get down and walk around. She ended up falling on the injured arm and after a little hug, she was fine and happy, waving her arm all about. Apparently she popped it back herself when she fell. The doctor called it a "nurse-maids elbow" which I decided is about the stupidest name I've ever heard, but whatev, my baby's healthy. We made a trip to Santa Barbara last weekend which is always a favorite. If you haven't been, I highly suggest it. We found an awesome beach that we hadn't been to before and shot about 150 pictures - I couldn't resist the awesome sunset.
These boys are dang good friends and they've got battle scars from each other to prove it.
Daddy with the little ones. Kirt's been pretty busy at work lately, so when he's around these two won't let him go. (And Cal won't quit talking about what Bowl Game the Utes are going to play in.)
Last week Kirt told me that he likes my blog. Sometimes he'll tease me about spending so much time keeping up with friends (or stalking acquaintances) on the blogosphere. But he said that he likes mine because the pictures aren't perfect and life seems to be portrayed as it really is. I guess that means he's been doing a little blog-stalking of his own. : ) These really are my favorite pictures. Where we're just - us.

Cal has the cutest teacher this year. She's been doing a lot leading up to Veteran's Day. A few Veterans came to speak to the kids and she had them each do a project. Cal went with his cub scout troop to put flags in all the graves at the LA Veterans Cemetery on Memorial Day weekend, so he wrote a paper about that and made this poster. We had a lot of fun working on it together. My favorite part: "Thank You Veterans! Love, Cal"
And finally, we've all been tagged, so I guess it's time to catch up. First the kids - 5 things about each of them:

Cal: He's pretty sure he's the 3rd parent in the house and I remind him daily to, "let me be the mom." He loves adult conversation - sports and politics are his current topics of choice. He loves to go out to eat, but is a horribly picky eater. He isn't a big fan of chores, but for some reason never gives me a hard time about taking dirty diapers to the outside trash - he just jumps up and does it. He's realizing that Owen copies everything he does and tries to be a good example.

Owen: He loves to wrestle with Cal and Dad, unfortunately, he takes it a bit too far with his other little friends. He is very independent and loves to do everything himself - always reminding me, "I do myself." He has the cutest stutter right now: when I'm talking, he'll interrupt and say, "No, no, no, no, no, I want chockit miwk (chocolate milk)." He's already talking about going to school and doing homework like Cal. (Is it ridiculous to bribe him with school if he'll go potty in the toilet?) He always wants to be involved: If we're working in the yard, he wants gloves on and the big shovel.

Tessa: She's a diva - serious attitude already. She comes un-glued if anyone else has my attention - even the phone ringing has become a signal for her to throw a fit. She loves babies - if she sees a baby carrier anywhere, she has to go inspect to see if there's anything of interest inside. She is still such a snuggly girl and loves to cuddle and sing with me before bedtime. She's pretty sure she can keep up with the big kids already and follows them everywhere. She only speaks when it suits her - she won't repeat much, but she says "cheese" when I pull out the camera.

(Thanks Stacie - it was fun to just reflect on my kids individually for a few minutes!)

And now for a tag about Kirt:

What is your husbands name? Kirt (newsflash)
How long have you guys been married? 11 years
How long did you date? not sure - from first date to marriage: 3 1/2 years, but 2 year mission in the middle
How old is he? older than me - that's all that counts!
Who is taller? Kirt
Who can sing best? Is that proper grammar? Am I avoiding the question?
Who is smarter? Book smart - Kirt. Commonsense - I may have the edge there.
Who does laundry? Me. (I was surprised when I went out of town that Kirt did his own laundry without calling to ask how to work the washing machine.)
Who pays the bills? Kirt brings home the bacon and I spend it.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? At night - Kirt. By morning - Owen.
Who mows the lawn? Kirt loves to when he gets a chance, but I usually beat him to it.
Who cooks dinner? Usually me - however Kirt did make his Grandma Peterson's famous cheese sandwiches and hot chocolate on Sunday.
Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Kirt has this funny way of not actually saying that he's wrong, but acknowledges it in his own way and tries to fix whatever was bugging me.
Who kissed who first? Kirt - what kind of girl do you think I am?
Who wears the pants? Depends on the decision and who feels more passionately about the subject. Both of us are pretty good to back down if we know it's important to the other. It may surprise some to know that Kirt wears the decorating pants. We still have a queen size quilt on our king size bed because Kirt can't find the perfect bedding (unless I was willing to spend $700).

(Thanks Ali - Kirt will be so excited to read all about himself!)

Not done yet... McKenna tagged me with the "8 things about me". Click here to read what I had to say about that. Although, I will say that Grey's Anatomy was getting out of control and I was considering a boycott, but they fired one of the characters in the storyline, so I may be back. If not, in its place, our family is super excited about the return of The Amazing Race - it's our Sunday night wind-down show.

Crazy Hair Day

Cal's school has crazy hair day today. We spent plenty of time, gel, hairspray and even busted out the blow dryer until Cal felt that his hair was more "mad scientist" than girly. Just as we got done, Owen woke up. I thought it was hilarious that their hair was almost identical and all Owen's took was a few hours on a pillow.
Our kids are very fortunate to have many grandparents. They got a few cards in the mail and some money to buy a special treat. I had other plans for Tessa's money, but she just about flew out of the cart to grab this teddy bear as we passed it in the aisle. I also loved this picture because you can tell that it's the Saturday after Halloween. Saturday - all in Ute shirts. Day after Halloween - everyone's got sucker slobber running down their chins.
Cal used his money (and a little of Owen's) to get this Nerf gun set. It came with safety goggles and felt vests that the darts are supposed to stick to. They have already provided hours of entertainment. Thanks Grandmas.
Oh yeah, and I've been tagged... a lot. Stay tuned. If I can get both the little ones down after I vote, I'll do some catching up.

Happy Halloween Again!

Here are our trick-or-treaters in action. They had a blast last night. We took the little ones out early, then Cal went out with some friends for a while. Our neighborhood has turned out to be a good trick or treat spot with lots of kids - and adults. We had a full grown woman come to our door with a cape on, holding out her backpack for treats. I kept looking around her for a kid, but nope, she just wanted some chocolate for herself. Can you blame her?
This was Owen's year. He knew what was coming and could hardly wait. He was the kid standing at the door yelling "Trick or Treat" until someone came to the door. When we headed for home he was totally irritated. He kept saying, "We are NOT going home. We are NOT done." over and over. I wish I could freeze this age sometimes.
Tessa did not grasp the concept as well. She kept pulling her candy out of the bag and giving it to the people at the door. She was more than willing to share, which works out well for me. I already had a Butterfinger and a Laffy Taffy for breakfast.
The little ones and a few of their friends. Apparently we only hang out with people with cute kids. We're snobby that way.
Tell me you didn't do this when you were 9. This was Cal's bedroom after the older ones had been out on their 3rd trip. The room was clean when the night started, but this is in the middle of the "candy negotiations." I forgot to give Cal pointers before this went down. Let's hope he didn't give away all his Reese's for Smarties or Jolly Ranchers.

Just for Holly: Cal was Manny Ramirez from the Dodgers. His dreads were the source of much controversy this baseball season. He even trimmed them toward the end of the season, but Cal insisted on being "Manny being Manny." We saw a few more Man Ram's around the neighborhood, but a few people told Cal that his dreads were the best. Thanks Anneli for hooking us up with the perfect yarn. Also, thanks to Mariah for Tessa's headband. It looked adorable and these seem to be the only things she'll keep on her head.

Happy Halloween!

I promised some pics for the Grandmas. I don't have much time, and the pictures aren't fabulous, but here they are in their costumes. We'll get some better ones tonight before we head out trick-or-treating. Happy Halloween everyone!

Finally, some pics for the Grammas

Kirt took a day off last week (well deserved, if I do say so myself) and we met some friends at Sea World. Thanks to Corey and Rachel who let us crash their vacation. The above pic is Tessa waiting for the Sea Lion and Otter show to begin. She's already too cool to sit with the rest of the family. How's she going to be when she's 14?
Owen and his new friend Ryann. They walked around the park holding hands for most of the day, not sure why I don't have photographic evidence of that.
This is for you Kalia. Our little friend Kalia loves her some Sea World and when she heard we were there without her, we promised to get her a picture of the dolphins. During this visit, we saw some new tricks from the dolphins. So when are the trainers going to get some new material? Nevermind, I'll never get sick of seeing "fake mom" fall in the water while trying to get a picture of "her kid" feeding a dolphin.
Cal waiting for a show to begin. I realize that his eyes are closed, but this is the only picture that I was granted permission to take. He's even cooler than Tessa, in case you were wondering.
This was at the zoo a few weeks ago. Owen loved this little gorilla. They sat there and looked at each other for the glass for a while. Then Owen told us that the monkey was sad. Sorry Owen, we are at our monkey limit at our house right now. (Note to Emily: the zoning approval came through.) Maybe next time we'll take him home.
Our own little wild critter. She was gobbling up some yummy Dodger cupcakes. We were celebrating the Dodgers moving to the second round of the playoffs. We'll miss you Dodgers, at least until April.
While I'm blogging, I have a little note for Manny Ramirez: Please come back. Cal's already feeling betrayed that you're talking with other teams. I'm afraid that he'll never recover if you actually leave. He heard you say that you want to end your career in LA and has been banking on it ever since. He has Manny Dreads to prove it.

Weekend visitors

My mom and brother Logan came to visit last weekend. We did plenty of eating, shopping and my mom got me hooked on a few new obsessions. Just what I needed. I was wondering what to do with those 4 extra hours I have everyday. (The above picture is Cal and Logan on the beach. I know some of you were wondering how we knew Justin-Bobby from The Hills)
Snuggles from Dad are the best! We all agree.
My mom had taken Tess for a walk and Cal went with Justin-Bobby to the water. A girl walked by and said, "Do you want me to take your picture? I hate when I don't get a picture of my whole family." Not wanting to explain, I just said that we'd love for her to snap a picture. Any time of day, the beach is seriously the best place for pictures.
The boys on the boardwalk in Santa Monica.
And the new obsession I mentioned before. Grandma Leslie is making these adorable hats. Seriously, DARLING! If you'd like one, I think she left about 75 here. Also, she made sure that I got my own loom and knew how to do it before she left. At this point she's looking for people to make them for because she can't stop, so if anyone would like to place an order, I'll get it to her. Name your colors and any specifications. I wonder where I get my obsessive-compulsive tendencies?
Cal and Owen. Owen's hat has been named his "Utah Utes Hat." Not to be confused with the sack-full of red and white striped hats she sent down with Abby and Libby a few weeks ago. (And of course I didn't get any pictures of my mom, I'm sure she's disappointed to not be featured on the blog.)

Rise and Shout, the Cougars are out (of the BCS)

I have a million things that I should be posting, but Kirt and I have been laughing at this video and had to share it. Sorry Cougs, Go UTES!

(Pause the Playlist at the bottom before you watch the clip, for full effect.)

Tales of a Housewife

My life has been changed forever. From the moment we decided to buy our house, I knew the shower doors in our master bathroom would make me crazy, and they have. They are just clear glass that I knew would show horrible water spots. I have bought countless cleaning products, squeegeed like crazy, scrubbed till my fingers hurt and still, the glass would not let go of the ugly spots. Until last week. My mom called and said that she'd just read something about vinegar, maybe that was my answer? I felt like singing as I cleaned my shower. I didn't even have to scrub, just wiped it down with a rag soaked in vinegar and water and the shower doors were sparkling! I was so excited to show Kirt, I dragged him into the bathroom and presented the shower doors with my very best Vanna White impression. I told him my secret ingredient, expecting him to be blown away. Instead he said, "Didn't I tell you about vinegar?" BTW- no he did not - whatever. My apologies if this dramatic tale of my shower doors was not interesting to you. As much as I don't revel in the title, I am a housewife and clean shower doors bring sunshine to my day. Anybody else have any helpful hints?


2 posts in 1: One useful and one, well, not so much, but I've been tagged...
8 tv shows I love to watch:
The Hills, The Office, Project Runway, Flipping Out, Top Design, Million Dollar Listing, Real Housewives, Grey's Anatomy

8 favorite restaurants:
The Old Spaghetti Factory, The Habit, Maggiano's, Pei Wei, Stonefire, Outback, Burger Bar, Ogden Pizzaria

8 things that happened yesterday:
Seriously boring day, but did lots of laundry and "Yes on Proposition 8" stuff

8 things I'm looking forward to:
Saturday, Halloween, Owen's Birthday, Grandma, Grandpa and Joni's visit, a haircut, Christmas Vacation, the election being over, Tessa being able to ask for what she wants

8 things on my wish list:
Gold shoes, something to wear to Kirt's Christmas party (I know it's early, but it tortures me ever year), new dishes, pedicure, a reflector, a few more hours in the day

Stay tuned: I've just downloaded some great pictures from our recent adventures, more posting to come soon!

Birthday Boy

I'm sure Kirt will appreciate me reminding everyone that he celebrated another birthday. He may be the oldest member of our family, but I think he keeps all of us young. He doesn't ever stop "going". He helps remind me that we need to take advantage of all the wonderful things life has to offer. He has such an infectious laugh and I don't think there have been too many days when I didn't hear him giggle about something. He reminds me to keep things light and avoid unnecessary drama. Our kids are the light of his life and they absolutely know it. Happy Birthday Kirt!
P.S. Stacie and Stacy: I do realize that I've been tagged and I swear I will make it happen, eventually! Thanks for thinking of us!