Brody has been wrestling, in fact his season ended this week. He loves it and he is feisty so this seems to be right up his alley. He practices and has matches during the week and then on the weekends he has tournaments at different high schools. Back in November he took first place in his division, I was pretty proud of him.
At his tournament yesterday, we had been there a couple hours and Charlotte was getting restless and started to throw a fit. The lady by us reminded her that Santa can see her and then I told her she won't get a present when she cries like that. She did calm down. Later that day at the gas station, a car pulled up next to us and Santa was driving. Brody pointed it out and I rolled down Charlie's window. The first thing she said was "Hi Santa, I not crying!" They were so excited to randomly see Santa like that.

buddy

We started The Elf on The Shelf tradition this year. I read the kid the book under the tree and in the book it says that once you give him a name you can't touch him. So they each cradled him and kissed him before we gave him his name. We stuck him in the tree and named him "buddy" and then the kids started talking to him and telling him their wishes.

The tooth fairy and Buddy sometimes get lazy/forgotten. But it has been fun finding new places and the kids like looking for him and when they act up, I remind them that he is watching, but that is starting to lose it's effectiveness.

I can't help myself

A neighbor was doing a school fundraiser selling family portraits that would be taken by a professional photographer that she babysat for. It was cheap and we needed a family picture for Christmas cards. Well we showed up and she had a small camera, not a point and shoot but not what a professional photographer would use. Proof that just because you are a stay at home mom that likes to take pictures doesn't mean you can start a photography business. So Ryan thought he would be nice and offer her to use his camera which was about triple the size, maybe quadruple and he taught her what an ISO was. Here is our family picture.

I have wanted an apple orchard picture for quite a while now, she didn't quite capture what I had in mind. Are we standing in a forest of dead trees? Is that Ryan's lens bag in the bottom of the photo? But at least I could help my neighbor raise some funds for choir :)

Diabetes Association Breakfast with Santa

Before we left for the breakfast, Charlotte told me she wanted to give something to Santa which I thought was a penny. But realized it was a chocolate from her advent calander that was starting to melt in her hand. I got a zip loc bag for her to put it in and just planned on her forgetting about it. She didn't. When she got up on Santa's lap, she pulled out her baggy, opened it and told Santa to open his mouth and then popped it in. and he ate it!! It was hilarious and a classic. They loved seeing him and he gave them each a present. Later that night we went to the "lights on in Provo" parade. festive and fun but long. Long parades in the winter evenings are not a good combination.

Charlotte turns 3 (she thinks she is 4)

This time of year gave me mixed feelings. I thought back on Charlotte's birthday last year (BTW, reading comments from that post made me so grateful for loving and supportive friends and family) and I can't believe the difference a year makes. I had some sad feelings being reminded the diabetes diagnosis but also very happy and grateful feelings when I compare the pictures. She is happy and healthy and LOVING her Birthday.

We went with my family to Jumping Jacks to celebrate her and cousin Persayes' birthday. They loved it. Cloe wanted me to keep chasing her in, out, up and over all the slides and dang that was exhausting.

On Sunday, Grandpa and Grandma Brown came down for dinner and more celebrating.

Nonna's annual Halloween Party

Abbey the witch
Dracula
Mad Scientist

and a pink butterfly
Grandma served a yummy lunch then had some fun games for the kids to play. Donut on a string with these glasses on was the most entertaining.

Such a Happy Halloween

The weather could not have been more perfect, it was a perfect Fall evening after days of cold weather. The kids only needed gloves and long sleeve shirts under their costumes and the colors on the mountains were gorgeous from the sunset and Fall colors.

Our ward had a party on a dead end street that they blocked off and served hot dogs and chilli and people set up chairs up and down the street for the kids to trick-or-treat. Then we headed out through the neighborhood. After each house, Charlotte would say "now where we go?"

Cloe was a queen, Brody was Dracula, Abbey is a Bratz cheerleader and Charlotte was Sleeping Beauty. I refused to buy costumes this year and *gasp* my children survived ;)



I loved the set up at this house, it felt and smelled just like Fall. They pulled out all their tomato and chili plants from the garden and weaved them into the archway and they still had some fruit on them. I thought that was a clever idea and it looked really neat. I love the smell of candles in a pumpkin and then at the end of the walkway was a fire. slowly roasting pumpkin and a fire burning, mmmmm, loved it.

more Fall

I can't help it, the kids had 3 days of school off last week and the only photos I took were when we were among the beautiful fall leaves. We did some fun stuff, but clearly nothing photo worthy if it didn't contain fall colors.

Ryan had to drive to Scottsdale, AZ on Monday and didn't come home until late Friday. Of course the week the kids are on Fall break he is gone. Monday for family night, I took the kids up the canyon and we had hot chocolate and popcorn, played on the playground, in the leaves and then an intense game of kick ball. The intensity was my fault. Why come if your not going to win.

On Friday we met Grandma Brown at the mouth of Provo Canyon and went for a bike ride. So gorgeous and chilly in some areas where the sun hadn't yet come over the mountain.

riding in style.
we stopped at Vivian Park for snacks and playing around/throwing stuff in the river.
Cloe and Grandma.

I love seeing my kids step out of their comfort zone and try something new. Today it was Abbey's first basketball practice and Brody's first wrestling practice. I get excited when I think of their potential with each new experience.

I still remember Cloe and Brody's first piano practice, they were so gitty and proud to be old enough to start. Abbey was so nervous to attend her new school with the French immersion program and the thought of her gaining so much knowledge in one year of school makes me so happy for her. It's just a fun part of being a mom, watching your kids realize their talents, interests and just all around being proud of themselves. And I know it means more than we realize when they know we are sitting on the "sidelines" supporting them.

help a sista out

Hi. How are you? Will you please go vote for me? Click on the link and "like" the picture of me on my bike on facebook. I want to win. I have some cycling stuff I need (fine, want). Thanks, appreciate cha.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150308229071846&set=o.113319315362142&type=1&theater

and one more thing, I am helping a friend out with her business. Honestly, I think I will end up getting sucked in (by my choice) and helping her do far more than she has asked. But that's okay because it is something that I happen to be passionate about and love. running.

https://www.facebook.com/runlikeagirlretreat?ref=ts

but we like it when a lot of people like our facebook page so I'm just asking for one more "like". Plus you can see all my tips I post about running. I really try hard to keep them appropriate and so far so good. Running tips aren't always appropriate if you aren't a runner and don't "get it". you know, chaffing, that kind of stuff.

It's (was) Fall Ya'll

Oh how I love Fall. It's beautiful colors and perfect temperatures and those lovely smells. I love hiking in the Fall, running, biking and just being outside to savor it before the dreaded cold of winter comes along. On Saturday the 1st, Ryan and I went to a wedding in the Provo Canyon with a beautiful Fall backdrop, it was gorgeous.

Then on Sunday the 2nd we went for a family hike on my favorite trail to run. It was amazing.
my kids usually collect rocks but this time it was leaves. handfuls and handfuls of leaves. I prefer the leaves.

but then on the 5th, something awful started to happen. Actually it wasn't quite awful yet, it was Fall-ish. The dark clouds moved in at it was cold and rainy. But that always makes the colors more vibrant. It was Thursday. It very slowly started to snow! And then heavily. Our roof and yard was COVERED in a blanket of snow that lasted until Friday evening. It was depressing. I have to gradually ease my way into winter, Fall helps prepare me for that, I just wasn't ready.
But now, the snow is melting and I can still see tons of Fall colors and plenty of green, which means those trees still need to change, up on the mountains. "can I do my mean face with the pumpkins?" Those are some beauties from the garden.
Fall just might come back, I am so happy.

The plan worked

When we first moved in to our house and were organizing the pantry, Ryan decided to put anything sweet or baking ingredients would go on the very bottom shelf. Why? His reasoning was because we would have to bend over to get it and then felling our fat stomachs roll over our pants would make us change our mind. Well fast forward 10 months. I decided to sneak a handful of chocolate chips. By the way, I only buy chocolate chips when I know I will make cookies otherwise I handful the crap out of them and lo and behold, they are gone. Ryan bought these choc chips so that I will make cookies. As I bent down to get my handful, the button popped OFF my pants! No, they were not jeans, a far less sturdy button, but still. You bet I did not take the chips after that. Way to go fattie.

my garden loves me

I had an awesome garden this year. I think I owe that to adequate sunlight and chicken poop. It makes me so happy when I go out to the garden to pick stuff for dinner, next year I will grow more onions. Maybe even a box of just onions and garlic. Here are just a few of my highlights

I couldn't believe how many tomato's I had. They are all roma's except for the few on top.

I made 16 bottles of salsa with my tomato's, onions and jalepenos and the rest came from the store of course. I even had half a bucket left over that I ended up giving to my neighbor because my back spazed out on me the next day and I couldn't stand up long enough to can. darn, cause I really wanted to do some plain tomato's.

A popular dish from the garden, bruschetta.

There was no way I would use all this basil before it got too cold so

I dehydrated it and made some look a like mary jane. I love knowing this is from my garden. It is very fulfilling to grow a garden and make it stretch so far.

and I can't forget my favorite crop, pumpkins. I like to grow my squash outside of the garden because it takes up so much room. I front of our house their is an "island" that was planted with flowers. They never grew back in the Spring so it ended up being a big black cloth so I planted my zucchini, spaghetti squash and pumpkins here. We have another pumpkin plant in the backyard so we ended up with 6 pumpkins. Hopefully next year I can be successful in growing mini pumpkins....

I am sad that gardening season is over, I hope to still have some herbs growing in my kitchen.