Merry Christmas!

Personalize your own free greeting

A new haircut!

Today, Naomi got her second haircut ever. She cried in protest since she is not used to haircuts like Emelia and Alex. But, she loves how she looks and she really likes the functionality of bangs. (Let's hope Ben likes bangs too, since I forgot to tell him that I was completely restyling our child's hair today.) I forgot how much Naomi's hair stretches when it is wet, so it is a little shorter than I intended to go. Good thing hair grows.

She looks so much older!

I was afraid all her curl would be cut off, but it looks like her hair still has some wave in it. Yea!

And the Christmas tradition lives on...

My family watched Claymation Christmas every year. This is my favorite part! I hope you like it as much as me and the kids!

Dad Life!

This is Ben's new theme song. We thought it was funny enough to share with the world. Happy watching! www.funnyordie.com/videos/371ba76ba5/dad-life

Pillow exchange

I have decided that we will be converting the girls' cribs to toddler beds over Christmas break. This means that I have to prepare them for sleeping in beds by giving them pillows. (The idea is they quit moving around in their sleep so much because they want to stay on the pillow.) So, last night I got out two of my guest pillows, put flowery pillowcases on each and gave one to Emelia and one to Naomi. They were very excited and happily went to sleep. Alex started feeling left out. He wanted a pillow and pillowcase. He has a pillow, by the way. It has Winnie the Pooh and Tigger on it. I told him this. He still wanted a new pillow and pillowcase. Ben showed him how cool his current pillowcase was and he happily went to sleep. Or so we thought. While we were in the basement watching episodes of Arrested Development, trying to find a clip for Ben to use in his family therapy presentation, Alex was trying to figure out how to get a new pillow and pillowcase. When we came upstairs to get ready for bed, I immediately noticed something missing from our bed. I peeked into Alex's room. Sure enough, Alex was sound asleep with his head on his own pillow and his legs on Ben's pillow. It was then I decided to relent. While Ben tried to retrieve his pillow without waking Alex, I got yet another guest pillow and the only masculine pillowcase I own and put them on Alex's bed. He was very excited this morning when he woke up and has decided to keep both of his pillows. Now the only thing I need to do is buy more guest pillows.

I need to sit down!

The past ten days have been one crazy whirlwind of fun. I've pretty much been running from one fun-filled event to the next with three kids in tow! Anyway, I thought that you all might want to see documentation of the good times rollin' here in Denver. So, here it goes.

Three weeks ago I decided to meet my parents in Utah, stay with them at my sister's house where my brother lives and go to the BYU homecoming game. Ben couldn't come. (He, as usual, had homework.) So, last Friday, I loaded up the kids and the suitcases and the portable DVD player and drove across uneventful Wyoming to Utah. The next day, we loaded up myself, the kids, my mom, my dad, my brother and my sister-in-law and went to see some football. (We won, amazingly enough!) The kids ate their weight in candy, but we got to stay for the whole game. Here is a little proof the kids are cuter when on sugar highs:

(Note the half-eaten peanut M&M in Emelia's hand. Also note that I forgot to pack her pink BYU shirt and we had to go buy her something to wear from the bookstore.)

That fun event over, we had a blast hanging out with Brett and Sariah and discussed how weird it is to have Brynna living in China but still go to her house (where she isn't living). On Monday, my mom and I took the kids to Temple Square. Due to misinformed/ distracted drivers, my dad couldn't get a shuttle to Temple Square and wasn't able to join us. (So sad!) But, the kids had a good time seeing the sights and my mom and I got several darn cute pictures.

(I still haven't figured out how to get three kids to look into the camera and smile all at once. But, they're cute no matter where they're looking!)

After our sightseeing, we all piled into the car (my mom included) and drove back across Wyoming to Denver. My mom stayed for four and a half days. She took me shopping for her birthday (well, it was really for my birthday, but since our special days are only a week apart, the shopping trip fell on her birthday). We had birthday apple crisp. She cleaned my house. We took the kids to the zoo. She bought us really cute pumpkin decorations so the I wouldn't have to carve pumpkins. And, in general, we had a grand time. She left on Friday after the zoo trip. Alex was really sad about it. He's finally old enough to realize that Grandma makes everything better. Only decorating pumpkins with Dad could make him feel better.

Aren't those pumpkin decorations to cutest thing ever? You can buy them at Target, by the way!

Here's Alex with his pirate pumpkin. He's going to be a pirate for Halloween, so this was his favorite.

I couldn't resist. My Emelia is just about the sweetest thing ever.

And now to the final event: Ben's 30th birthday! Ben was pretty sure that the sky was falling; he did not want to be 30. He even threatened to go bungee jumping. I think I convinced him that now his age more accurately reflects his life's accomplishments: one BS degree, one MS degree, half of a PhD., three kids, two homes purchased, seven years of marriage, three elder's quorum presidency callings, one happy wife, and a wealth of spiritual and intellectual depth. (I've just scratched the surface, but I'll stop bragging now.) All of this plus the Brian Regan tickets I got him made him feel a lot better. Happy birthday, honey!

Phew! I'm ready to sit down for a while. I probably won't, though. While I was out of town, I got a new calling. I'm the 2nd counselor in the YW presidency. I'm sad that I won't be teaching anymore, but really glad that I get to stay with my Beehives. I hope I can be what they need. I'm going to relax while I can (which means I'm going to work on Christmas gifts). Happy fall!

Happy Birthday Naomi and Emelia!

Today is Naomi and Emelia's 2nd birthday! Yea hooray! They had a great time wearing their new shirts, opening their presents (see below), eating cupcakes (see below) and playing with their new toys (also, see below). Naomi loves the dollhouse we got for the girls and Emelia loves the playdough set her brother gave to her and Naomi! Alex also loves both of these toys. It only took him five minutes to figure out how to make Cinderella Barbie fall off the top balcony and plummet to a violent death. Boys will be boys. So far, this has not bothered Naomi (who is already very attached to her Cinderella Barbie).

Happy birthday to my sweet angels!

Emelia did not want her picture taken, but Ben couldn't resist!

Yum! (You can almost see that her shirts says: Blame it on my sister, I'm innocent!)

Check out the fab new dollhouse. Naomi loves it, but was a little disappointed that her Learn to Dress Me dolly wouldn't fit in the dining room.

The girls have been learning to say "up" with their speech therapist, Jill. They used this new word as they played, saying "up, up, up" while they made their Barbies walk up the stairs. So cute!

Alex's gift is a hit! All three of them made play dough cakes and cupcakes for over half an hour before bedtime!

Peach Pie!

Yea for August peaches! We have lived in Denver for two years and this week is the first time I have found good peaches. They still don't compare to Utah peaches, but they were good enough for peach pie! So, for all of you who may want the recipe, here it is:

How to Make Really Good Peach Pie that Will Make Your Husband Love You

Recipe:

6 cups peeled, sliced peaches (about 12 small peaches)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice

3 T. cornstarch

2 T. lemon juice

1 baked pie shell

1- Prepare pie crust. And here's a link to the recipe I use. Bake at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

2- Peel and slice enough peaches to make 6 cups.

3- Mash about 1 1/2 cups of your sliced peaches to make 1 cup mashed peaches. It should still be a bit chunky.

4- Combine mashed peaches, sugar, cornstarch, and juice in a sauce pan. Cook and stir over medium heat until boiling. Cook and stir until thick and shiny (about 1 to 2 minutes).

5- Stir sliced peaches into peach sauce. Pour into prepared crust. Doesn't it look delicious?

6- Cover and refrigerate at least three hours! Distract yourself. It will be runny (but still taste divine) if you skip this step. Enjoy!

Preschool!

We have definitely started an adventure this week. Alex started preschool! His first day was Wednesday. He loves it. His favorite things are the toys and the "messy table." (I don't know what that is, but it is right up Alex's alley.) He goes 4 afternoons a week! It's great! I'm still getting used to incorporating someone else's schedule into my routine. But, I have already measured the basement and picked out paint colors. Project Paint-the-basement will commence shortly. Here are a few pics of Alex's first day! Yea!

Alex with his bear lunch box. He gets to take a snack to school every day in his own lunch box!

My big preschooler!

Alex with his sisters. He was disappointed that they didn't get to go to preschool with him. Maybe in a few years...

A funny story

So, I realize that I don't post much about Ben. But, I just couldn't resist putting this story up for all of you to see. Now you will have documented proof of how much Ben makes me laugh. The other night, I decided (finally) to go see Eclipse. I hit a $5 weeknight showing and had a pretty good time. It's a decent film. Anywho, when I got home, Ben and I started discussing the film and the Twilight books in general. This soon led to our favorite pasttime: making fun of the Twilight books and films. So, I brought up that Edward and Bella gave their child the stupidest name ever by combining their mothers' names into one. Renee + Esme = Renesme. D-U-M, dumb. Ben realized that if we ever pulled a stunt like that, we would have some pretty funny names for our kids.

LaRae + Judy = LaRudy Brian + Cosme = Brosme

I'm still laughing. If my kids ever complain about their names, I'll show them this alternative.

Vacations!

July was vacation month at our house! Here is a run down of what we did and how far we traveled. I am throwing in a few pics to prove that no one died and we even had some fun along the way.

Trip #1:

Cielle and Emelia

Denver to Reno to Salem, OR

Miles flown- 2000

Miles driven- 974

What we did- Harris Family reunion! For a peek at how much fun we had, check out these videos. These are my cousins, all married men with real jobs, lipsync-ing a love song to my brother and his fiancee. We laughed 'til we cried. I hope you do, too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIiB34eIghk

Trip #2:

Ben, Cielle, Alex, Emelia and Naomi

Denver to Steamboat Springs, CO

Miles driven- 350

What we did- Salazar Family Reunion! Check out these cute pics of our family "hike."

Trip #3:

Ben, Cielle, Alex, Emelia and Naomi

Denver to Draper, UT

Miles driven- 558

What we did- Attended my brother's wedding! No more weddings in my family!

Trip #4

Ben, Cielle, Alex, Emelia and Naomi

Salt Lake City to San Diego to Denver

Miles Driven- 1,854 What we did- Wilson Family Reunion! We went to Sea World, the beach, and the Mormon battalion museum! So fun!

The whales at Sea World!

Lunch in the car at Sea World. Not as fun as the whales.

Alex and Emelia going to catch some waves.

Alex on the beach

Our family on the trail with the Mormon Battalion!

Alex with Grandpa Wilson at the museum

Date Night

Last night, Ben and I had date night at home. We do this on a regular basis and usually just watch a movie together after the kids go to bed. So, we were trying to watch Valentine's Day, but, Alex kept interupting. He wouldn't go to bed because he had taken a nap earlier. Needless to say, we had to put him back to bed several times, each time saying, "Mommy and Daddy are having date night." Tonight, Ben had a stake meeting, so I took the kids downstairs to watch Pete's Dragon before bed. Alex caught on really quick to what we were doing. He told me, "We are having a Mommy and kids date night!" I think it goes without saying that I thoroughly enjoyed both dates.

Why baking and blogging don't mix...

I baked some bread today. After putting the bread in the oven to rise, I decided to catch up on all of your wonderful blogs. I promptly forgot about the rising bread, completely engrossed in other people's lives. The result is huge loaves of bread, stuck together at the sides and barely able to fit in the oven. (The loaf on the right is the only loaf of "usual size.") Lesson learned: don't bake and blog!

Our new pool!

For Memorial Day, I got the kids a wading pool (15% at Kohl's!). It's about the size of a bathtub, but they love it. Plus, we max out the kid-to-adult ratio at the city pool, so this is our only option this summer. Here are a few pics of the fun in the sun! (Aren't their bathing suits cute?)

Naomi really was having a good time until Mom showed up with the camera.

The pool couldn't compete with the camera, so Emelia decided to get out.

Emelia's Mother's Day gift

Emelia gave me a great gift for Mother's Day- she decided to walk! Here is the video to prove it. (The video also proves why it took so long for her to learn: things are just a bit crazy with three mobile children.)

Fashion sense

Naomi has definitely inherited her namesake's fashion sense. Recently, I bought a couple of new dresses for her and Emelia. When I got home from the store, I told her to come try on her new clothes and she speed-crawled upstairs, completely excited. I held up both dresses and asked which one she wanted to try on first. One was a darling pink floral and the other a darling hot pink plaid. She wanted to try on the floral one. It looked great and she loved it. Time to try on the other dress, right? Wrong. She flat refused to try it on. She crossed her arms over her chest and stick out chin. She didn't even want Emelia to try on her plaid dress. I tried to talk her into it the next day, but she still wouldn't have any of it. So, I kept the floral dresses and returned the plaid dresses to the store. When the clerk asked me if anything was wrong with the items, I replied, "No, my daughter just wouldn't wear it, so I need to return it." The clerk eyes nearly popped out her head when she saw that my daughter is a sweet-looking 18 month old baby.

Then, yesterday, Grandma sent new dresses in the mail. Naomi was, once again, thrilled. She tried to try on her dress over her clothes (see pictures). And, she liked it so much that she slept with it like a blanket during nap time. So cute!

Thanks, Aunt Janelle, for instilling Naomi with your love of clothes, shoes, purses and hair accessories. I'm sure she'll always look as great as you!

Pictures!

I haven't posted pics in way too long. So, here are a few for all you Grandmas out there.

Picture Day: attempt number one Picture Day: attempt number two

The first popsicles of the season!

Musical Titles

Some of you may have noticed that I've been changing my blog title quite a bit. It all started when I got this fab new background for my blog. My title no longer worked with the new layout. So, I have been racking my brain trying to come up with something decent. In the meantime, I was trying to figure out how to write about the great phrase that Alex often uses when playing with his sisters. Finally, it hit me. Combine the two! Rather than make a little post about Alex's phrase, I decided to use it as the new title. So, here it is in all its glory: "Come on, let's have an adventure!" Frankly, I think it's pretty accurate. Most days are an adventure!

Mommy's little helpers

We've had a busy couple of weeks filled with fun and funny things to share. First, we survived a round of Easter pictures at Penney's. It took two tries, but I got an individual shot of each kid and one of all three of them. I'll post the pics next week when they come in. Ben also got a new job this week that means I won't have to work anymore. Yea hooray! He'll be doing counseling over the phone in Spanish and I think there might be a research project involved. He also filled in for a friend doing testing yesterday and really enjoyed it. So, there are the fun things, now on to the funny things. I recently bought Alex a digital alarm clock. Why would a four-year-old need an alarm clock, you are asking. Because he started getting up at the crack of dawn, that's why. He definitely inherited my Grandpa Harris's point of view: The sun's up, it's almost noon. We were having a very hard time convincing him to stay in bed. Hence, the alarm clock. I bought one with different colored numbers so that he can tell what time it is. When there is a green seven, he can get out of bed. He likes the independence and I like the sleep. Most mornings I can tell that he is waiting impatiently for a green seven to appear. This morning, however, was classic. At exactly 7 o'clock, I heard him yell, "Yes!" He came running into my room, saying, "Mom, Mom, it's a green seven!" (I think he might be a morning person!) In other cute-things-my-kids-do news, my girls are turning into fabulous helpers. Today, Emelia helped me fold the socks. She took one sock at a time and folded it in half, then handed it to me. So cute! Naomi likes to help me wash her and Emelia's hair. Again, so cute! And, yesterday, Alex told me that he would help me out and "make all of my dreams come true." Oh my goodness, so cute!

Better luck next year (or I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight!)

Happy Easter everyone! Yesterday was an interesting day at our house. Instead of getting up and giving the kids their Easter baskets, I got up and puked. That's right- I gave myself food poisoning in my first attempt at homemade granola bars. But that's not all: I gave Naomi food poisoning, too. So, while I puked, Ben fed the kids breakfast. Naomi, of course, threw hers up immediately. Good times. Good thing we could just stay home and watch Conference. After throwing up a few more times and laying on the couch all day, we both feel a lot better today. So, I had some grand plans of fun Easter things to do, some very important errands to run and an Easter meal to make today. (No, I did not a ham yesterday.) Unfortunately, Naomi was also feeling better and even felt well enough to wrestle with Alex this morning. So, while I did Emelia's hair, Alex pushed her into my metal bedframe. She got a bloody nose and a huge cut on her nose and a black eye. I called the doctor, who wanted us to come in immediately. (Remember, I was sick yesterday and hadn't showered in 48 hours.) So, we sped over to the doctor's office in varying states of readiness. Naomi- looking great, but covered in blood. Emelia- looking good, but no bow in her hair. Alex- dressed, but wearing snow boots instead of shoes because snow boots are the only shoes he can put on himself. Me- dressed, greasy hair pulled into ponytail in the car. At the doctor's office, we found out that Naomi would need stitches for the gash on her face. But, they don't do stitches at my pediatrician's office; we needed to go the ER. Great, another public place. At the hospital, they took great care of us. The nurse brought snacks for the kids and got Naomi's nose numbed and we turned on PBS. Alex asked why it smelled weird and I had to explain about the cleaners they use to get rid of germs. The smell nearly sent me into a panic attack, since the only times I've been in a hospital I've had a baby (or two). Luckily, I did not have a panic attack or a baby and Naomi did not need stitches. The ER doc determined that the cut was not deep enough. So, they cleaned her up and told me to watch for infection. On the way home, both girls fell asleep from all the excitement and I went to McDonald's for a little McFlurry and Happy Meal therapy. There's always next year, right?

Happy Birthday

Alex is 4! I can't believe it! We had a great extend-0-birthday, with a party (complete with pinata) on Saturday and a family trip to Chuck E. Cheese's on Tuesday. Alex had a blast at both, but since we forgot to take the camera to Chuck E. Cheese's, you'll just have to take my word for it. Here are a few pictures of the whirlwind party. (With five boys under five, what do you expect?)

Bam!

Last night, we were hit by the craziest snow storm ever. The forecast said a storm was moving in and called for a rain/ snow mix in the afternoon and evening. However, at 5 pm we hadn't seen a bit of either, though it was quite windy all day. By 5:30, it had started to snow. By 6 (when I left for a young women's activity), it was snowing like crazy. When I left the church at 8 pm, I drove home through nearly 6 inches of snow. Thank goodness for the young men and bishopric members who helped dig everyone out of the parking lot. It is a miracle that my car and I got home in one piece. There was so much snow on my tires that I couldn't get up the driveway into the garage, so I left the car in the driveway. They closed I-25 at the 470 (yes, that is exactly where we live) and this morning Ben found out that school was cancelled. So, we made coffee cake for breakfast and Alex and Emelia played in the snow for an hour. Naomi absolutely refused to put on her snow suit, so she missed out on eating snow. We probably won't bother digging out today, since the high is in the 50's tomorrow and Friday. Happy Spring!

Snow Pics

Alex and Emelia took a break from eating snow for this pic.Emelia looking cute in her snow suit.

A view of our backyard this morning. Welcome to Spring in Denver!