Halloween Party Pictures

My cute girls all dressed up for Halloween. Kylie wanted to be a purple fairy princesses. You can't tell in this picture, but she is wearing wings. Sadie got to wear the snow princess dress that Kylie wore when she was two.

Kylie-Halloween 2006

Sadie-Halloween 2008

Kylie and Jordan and...Sadie?

Kylie saw our neighbors, The Pieroni's, leaving for a family walk on Sunday. She insisted on forcing Sadie and I to get our shoes on and try to catch up with them. This was a bit tricky since I am a paranoid mother and wouldn't let her cross the street on her own. She would run ahead of Sadie and I and then have to wait for us to catch up to her at each intersection. Finally, at the last intersection, the Pieronis noticed us and I let her cross on her own because Kevin was right there.
We had a nice visit with them at the Tripps' home. But had to head home all too soon. Kylie and Jordan held hands the entire way. I had to get a picture. I borrowed Kimberli's camera and was taking this first shot and then in the corner I noticed a little girl across the street. It was Sadie! While I was distracted by the cute little couple, Sadie had decided that she was big enough to cross the street by herself just like I had let Kylie. I threw the camera at Kimberli, all the while cursing myself under my breath, and ran to Sadie, who then started running from me. Has this ever happened to you before? I know it has. This is every two-year old's favorite game.
Kimberli must have taken this next shot as I was busy collecting my rebel child. I love how Kylie and Jordan are looking on as I discipline someone other than them.

Kylie's One and Only Soccer Game

Kylie had her soccer game on Wednesday, the 22nd. It was supposed to be on Monday, but the coach was sick. So we worked it out that she did her make up game on the same night with her friend Gage Atwood.
Here is a picture of her with her certificate and medal.
And also a cute picture of her with her buddy, Gage. We were so glad that he was able to play soccer with her this year because it made her less shy and timid.
As you can see in the videos, they just ran and ran and ran. Kylie got two goals. I couldn't get the video of her second goal to show properly. Sorry. But this other video is where she almost made a third goal. I apologize for my loud voice (you may want to turn down your volume) and terrible camera skills. Miki wasn't there and I had Sadie to juggle. It was also a cold and windy day. Okay, enough excuses. Really, I just wasn't paying attention to the camera during the most important moments of the game.

Kylie's Soccer

Kylie is enjoying soccer again this year. The only thing is that she isn't really playing soccer. They have a soccer program on base called First Steps and they teach the kids the basics. They learn to kick, trap the ball, throw the ball in, head bump the ball, and run and kick the ball in the goal. The entire time dad (and maybe mom if dad isn't available) is right there doing it with her. She enjoys having something that she does with her dad and has especially loved it this year since her friend Gage is in her class with her.
It just bothers me that they don't really ever get to play. The last practice is supposed to be a game and that was supposed to be today. But the coach got sick and they cancelled class. Now she has to make it up with a different class and kids that she doesn't even know. Kylie is a good kicker and will stay with the ball and run it down the field, but if she is around a lot of kids that she doesn't know, she freezes up. Luckily, we are able to go to the same make up class with her friend Gage and I think that will help. If she is interested in soccer again next year, we will be looking for a league where she actually gets the experience of playing.



What a cute face. What is she thinking right now?

Who is the hottie guarding the goal? Can I get his number? (Okay, cheesy I know, but Miki is in Fort Hood for 4 weeks so just deal with it!)

Great dribbling and look at the expression of pure joy! Too bad I was never any good at sports. Hopefully the kids will take after their father, at least if he has anything to do with it they will be dunking baskets not chassing and grapevining.

Listening to the coach at the end of the game. Here is Kylie standing next to her great friend Gage. We are glad that they have had so much fun in the same class this year.

A Little About The BUG!

I had Sadie in a little rotating play date every Tuesday for a couple of hours. This was a picture that I took of the girls in our playroom kitchen. Sadie with her friends Kelsey and Cambria. I thought it would be good for Sadie to have some time to play with kids her own age (there aren't that many around here) and for me to have some time without either of my girls. I thought I could do a lot of things this fall, but I was wrong. I have learned that I get more and more stressed the more things I take on. I was just so overwhelmed with all of the things that I had committed to that I felt like I was going to burst and who was going to take the fallout from that? My family of course. So, to save them all from much misery, I cancelled almost everything that I had been doing, including Sadie's play date. Really, on the scale of things, how important is a play date for my daughter that is 2? Right, not that important. Besides, I think that we can have these girls over to play sometimes, but I just couldn't have it always scheduled. Too much commitment, no room for spur of the moment fun!

Here is a cute picture of Sadie wearing her belated birthday present from her Aunt Leah. Of course it would be a pretty princess hat. Can't have enough princess stuff in our house! Thanks Leah. We love it! Hope you are loving Chicago!

My Last Post Was All About The #4. How About the #5 Now?

My friend Kristen tagged me, and here is how it goes:

List 5 joys, 5 fears, 5 obsessions/collections, and 5 surprising facts, and tag 5 people.


5 Joys
1. The laughter of my beautiful girls
2. The way I feel every time I am at the temple
3. Singing
4. Seeing or talking to old friends.
5. A hike, walk along the beach, basically anything out in nature.


5 Fears
1. Something terrible, painful or sad happening to my girls or husband.
2. Falling into the Grand Canyon.
3. Spiders
4. Swimming in the ocean. Having to dive down into deep water where I would have to hold my breath.
5. Not being able to help someone when my help is needed.


5 Obsessions/ Collections
1. Rules. I know the rules and I enforce the rules. My girls know our rules and Miki is slowly understanding the rules.
2. Reading. I am obsessed with reading. I would love to have a magnificent book collection someday.
3. Cleanliness and organization.
4. I can’t have too much stuff. It stresses me out. If I haven’t used it in a year, I would rather get rid of it than have to worry about storing it, cleaning it, packing it, putting it away, or fixing it. I just don’t hold on to things.
5. I have a collection of cards, letters, notes and emails from high school until the present. I love reading them every now and then and seeing how much family and friends have supported, helped, and experienced life with me. (This is the only collection that I can think of, well besides the toothpick holder collection I have from when I was 12 and traveling across the US with my family.)


5 Surprising Facts
1. I have run down the very steep uneven steps of the Great Wall of China.
2. I have eaten cow tongue on an airplane flight. Air Mongolia considers that appropriate food to serve while flying.
3. I have a horrible memory and even when I see a video of myself have a difficult time remembering that I actually did the things that I am watching. I only remember things in great detail when they are tied to strong emotions.
4. My grandparents served a mission for our church in Tahiti about 40 years ago. My mom got to go with them for about 3 months. I always dreamed about the exotic island of Tahiti while I was growing up because of the stories and souvenirs that they brought back with them. When I was at BYU, I hung a picture of Tahiti and Bora Bora on my wall to help me envision my goal of going their someday. I ended up marrying this extremely handsome Tahitian! After we were married and our families got talking, we realized that Miki’s grandfather, Mata Anihia, and his family were some of the people that my grandparents and mother knew well in Tahiti so long ago.
5. I have had horse milk, fresh from the horse.

I tag Farrah Albright, Karyn Tripp, Cami Giacchino, Jen Allen, and Christine Cain.

4th File, 4th Picture

Go to your picture files, pick the 4th file, and the fourth picture in it and then tell a little bit about the picture.

I saw this on a friends blog and thought I would check my own picture files.

Here is my 4th picture from my 4th file! What a great story this is too! This picture was taken on May 31, 2004. We lived in Kirksville, MO for two years and this was the only time that a tornado came anywhere near us. Of course, being poor students, we lived in basically a double wide trailer type duplex. No protection from the elements. When the sky got green, dark, and spooky, we decided that we should not head to church for our Sunday meetings, but instead turn on the tv and hunker down. We padded up some of our posessions, including Kylie and I. We had nowhere to go but the bathtub. Miki put pillows around us and even thought it would be funny/beneficial for me to wear his anatomy goggles. Miki was enjoying the view as he was standing right next to the window. Kylie was only three weeks old and very hungry at the time of this picture. The tornado did touched down in our town, but we were left unschathed.

Now, I tag Leah Bangert, Leah Young, Danae, and Megan. I want to see your old memories!