Fun with cousins

We spent some time at the park with the cousins. 

Skye was singing for us and Emory was her sidekick. 

Happy Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving at my aunt Corrine's new house in Gilbert. My cousin, Ashton and his family were there from TX in addition to my aunt Valerie, my mom's cousin and plenty more! 

These swinging chairs were a big hit of the evening. 

Ashton skyping with my brother Deric. 

I also decided to make a "thankful tree" this year. I usually just cut out the leaves and we'll put them around the fireplace. Now we had an actual tree to hang them on. The kids really enjoyed it. 

McKelle goes to nursery

My big 18 month old!! She's 30 3/4 inches and 20.7 pounds.

McKelle went to nursery at church today!  She gave me a kiss and didn't look back! It was good timing too. I just got a new calling in Young Womens and Jeremy is now the 12-13 year old sunday school teacher. 

McKelle had her big studly brother in nursery with her. I'm not sure that he was any help but I'm sure seeing him there comforted her, as if she even needed it. Well, if nothing else, they were really cute together and I was sure excited to send them both into nursery! 

I found this picture of little Emory on his first day of nursery too. I think they look alot alike. I love these little babies! 

Popcorn and a movie after church. 

I just had to get a picture with my big girl :)

*Bonus, McKelle pee peed on the potty again today!*

Time out for women

I enjoyed a fun get a way weekend with Jeremy's mom and sister at Time Out For Women. It was a nice break filled with good music and motivational speakers.

FHE on ears

I quickly threw together a FHE for the kids since Jeremy had to work late.  I just randomly started singing this song, "one little ear said ew, ew, we. Two little ears said ah, ah, ah." I'd cup my hand behind my ear or both ears. It was so random but for whatever reason, the kids loved it. They'd sing it quietly then loudly but just giggling through it. We found a paper plate and would cup that around our ears or cover our ears or whatever. It was fun and really cute.

McKelle the chatterbox

McKelle has really started "talking" a lot lately. She'll poke out her lips and intensely say, "ah, ah ooo," or whatever. I might not understand what she's saying but she sure does and she's passionate about it. It's the cutest little thing. I just wanna kiss all over those little lips! 

She's also doing a lot better at repeating words when we tell her to. It's starting to get more recognizable. 

Emory the bug guy

The other day, I was upstairs decorating some storage cupboards and Emory and McKelle started self entertaining, which is a miracle, for Emory anyways. Emory had a long white extension cord and a wooden basket. He would stick one end of the cord into the carpet and put the other end into the basket. He told me he was getting all the bugs out and that the bugs went through the cord and into the basket. He'd go into every room and get all the bugs out. Then, he'd go down the stairs and say, "ok, I'm all done. Bye." He even mentioned something about his shoes which impressed me because our bug guy puts a cover over his shoes to keep our carpet clean. He's got a great memory! But, it was really cute and just fun to see him using his imagination, not to mention finally entertain himself. 

A flower from Emory

Emory picked some flowers from a plant at the gym and said, "It's for you Momma."  He's never done that before so I thought it was pretty special. He thought it was cool that I put it in my hair. McKelle got one too. Sweet boy.

McKelle went pee pee on the potty!

When Emory was younger, we'd sit him on the potty right before bath time. Since he was already naked it was easy to just sit him on there. 90 percent of the time, nothing happened. But, every once in awhile he'd surprise us and go pee and he even pooped one time on the potty as well.

We've done this same thing with Mckelle as well and last night she pee peed on the potty! Usually she gets bored quickly after sitting on the potty but this time she just sat looking around for a good 30 seconds. Then, it just came!! I'm not really sure how much she understood what just happened but she clapped when I did lol. Emory said, "She's big now momma?"

McKelle the climber

McKelle climbed out of her crib this week. AHH! She's not even a year and a half yet. She did it three different times in a few days. One day during her nap time, she climbed out and I looked at her and firmly said, "no McKelle. You stay in your bed." And she did! She has not climbed out since. Cross your fingers it sticks. She's pretty obedient so I hope we'll be okay for a few more months anyways. We can always put her mattress on the ground still to lower it but I like to think that she'll just be obedient. :)

Today was the last time she'll be in our sunday school class and Relief Society class with me before she goes off to nursery. We have a regional stake conference next Sunday but she'll go to nursery after that.

In Relief Society today she was the only kid in there. She kept doing a routine of putting trash in the garbage can, up in the front of class, then walking back to me, in the back of class, then retrieving the trash out of the can and bringing it back to me. She repeated this several times throughout class. Every time she'd walk back towards me, she'd have the biggest grin on her face. After class, all the sisters kept telling me how cute she is. One lady said her smile is a little ray of sunshine. Despite not taking a nap before church, she still maintained her easy demeanor. I enjoyed snuggling with her one last time in Relief Society.

Emory the story teller

When Jeremy puts Emory to bed, sometimes he'll make up a story to tell him. When Emory sees me or Jeremy laying down, he'll come over to us and tell us a story to help us go to bed. This morning when he woke up I was still in bed. He told me a story about a tree that was really high then fell down and how it was loaded onto a logging truck. I guess this is the same story Jeremy has been retelling him per his request.

He's too cute. His stories are always about construction trucks but they're beginning to have more emotion and action in them.

Happy Halloween

I feel our Halloween season was very complete. We filled it with lots of fun pumpkin adventures. We walked around a pumpkin garden in Cave Creek with amazingly carved pumpkins not to mention huge pumpkins. I thought these pumpkins might inspire us as we carved our own. 

I thought Emory would be really into pumpkin carving since he'd be asking to do it for days.  But, he only lasted a few minutes before he said, "I don't like pumpkin guts," then ran off to play in the dirt with his trucks. He was a little bit more excited to use the knife to carve his ghost but still needed daddy's help.

McKelle was very into gutting and cleaning her little pumpkin. She loved putting the spoons in and out of the pumpkin. In the end she was very happy with her "da da" or doggy momma carved for her. 

These kiddos were, however, very into trick or treating!  Emory rode on his balance bike from house to house. He didn't even get off to knock on the door or collect the candy, no matter how little space there was (we had McKelle in a stroller!). Everyone kept commenting on what a great idea it was to have him burn off some energy. Plus, he can really cruise on that bike so he became a little too efficient with going from house to house. Most of the night was spent trying to slow him down or getting him to come back after wondering off too far. By the end of the night, he had to walk the last block because he said his bum hurt. McKelle enjoyed staying in her stroller and putting each piece of candy into her pumpkin by herself.

Our neighborhood was awesome too. They really got into it with their decorations and involvement. We only went on three streets, which took us around an hour and a half, but Emory's pumpkin was about an inch from the top of being full. It was quite heavy.

The night before Halloween, our ward had a truck or treat. It was perfectly balanced between food, activities and trunk or treating. The kids played a few games, I painted McKelle's face, she painted my toe nails, and we took pictures before trunk or treating started. Jeremy passed out candy while I went around with the kids.

Jeremy and I watched all the Harry Potter movies, in addition to other Halloween movies, for the first time this October. So, I thought it was very fitting that I pay tribute to Hermione Grager for my costume.  Jeremy had a pirate character assigned to him for a dinner mystery date we went to so that pretty much chose his costume for him. 

McKelle was adorable to watch walking up to each car saying some kind of gibberish resembling "trick or treat,"  then handing her hand out to wait for the candy. She'd then gingerly place it in her pumpkin before turning back to them for another piece with her out stretched hand. Everyone commented on how stinking cute she was, I agree :) 

This hipper active Buzz Lightyear was very into candy and was found hiding under the table eating a sucker.  He has also done this with a container of breath mints (as if this kid needs any sugar!). But it's Halloween, right? I guess.