Christmas Memories!

So, December in our house was full of a whole lot of fun. We began the month with a fantastic trip to Disneyland. My parents were able to come again with us (couldn't have imagined doing it without them) and we had such a fun time together. We enjoyed spectacular warm weather, snow on Main Street, Christmas decorations like nothing else and most of all, 3 fun-filled days together as a family. The kids were such troopers. Olivia was all about the roller coasters (even California Screamin' at CA Adventure). We (Olivia, my mom, and I) enjoyed dancing and singing during the "High School Musical 3" concert. Nathan enjoyed "Star Tours", the "Playhouse Disney" show and even "Space Mountain" (that one surprised me). Matty really enjoyed "Buzz Lightyear" (again) and he really liked the new "Toy Story Mania" ride. He was even chosen to participate in the "Jedi Training Academy" show (don't worry, I filmed the entire thing). Derek couldn't have been a better baby throughout the 3 crazy days. He went on all the rides he could and liked looking at all the lights. He wasn't very crazy about the characters though. Our trip was full of laughter and smiles and that is what I will remember most. Even when Matty got a sliver in his hand while waiting for "Thunder Mountain", all he really cared about was the extra fast pass a Disneyland worker gave him because of it. I really can't believe all we were able to do and see in those 3 small days. It was amazing. (You can see some great photos from our trip below in an earlier blog entry.) We ended our Southern CA trip with an overnight visit with David's grandparents. I took some really great pictures of the kids with their great-grandparents. December was off to a great start.

Christmas Kindergarten Performance

The last week of school in December brought Mattingly's Kindergarten Christmas Performance. They sang some really cute songs and he did great. He knew the words and all the hand movements. He really liked singing, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". Here he is all dressed up for his big night. My parents, Lisa (my super great friend) and her girls were able to join us for the performance. We went back to our house afterwards for some hot chocolate and cookies.
He learned all the sign language for the song "Silent Night". Very cool.

"Park-a-Thon"

On our first Monday of Winter Break, David took our 3 older kids on a special outing while I took Derek to his 9 month check-up. He called it a "Park-A-Thon". They took a timer with them and set it for about 12 minutes. When the timer went off, they stopped playing at the park they were at and moved on to the next park. They did this 6 times...visiting most of the parks in Galt. They absolutely loved moving from park and to park and getting to play with their Daddy. It was a perfect sunny morning for such an adventure. I love that my husband is the type of father that thinks of these kinds of ideas for his kids. I also love that he gets to be home with them during their winter, spring, and some of their summer break. They really are blessed to have him for a dad.

Light Saber battles at the park.

Hi Matty!

Hi Livie!

Hi Nathan!

Below is a great video of Livie and Nathan laughing and enjoying their "Park-A-Thon" day with Daddy. I have no idea why it isn't showing in a vertical format. Sorry about that. Just tilt your head a bit. :)

Christmas Tree Lane

Monday night before Christmas, we had a great Family Home Evening together with our friends, Sean & Lisa and their girls. We drove up to a fancy neighborhood in Sacramento to check out an area I had read about in the paper. All the houses on a few streets have created a really neat display of Christmas lights, inflatables, nativity scenes, and more. We parked our cars and walked "Christmas Tree Lane" together.Most of the sidewalks were lined with archways lit up with Christmas lights. It felt like you were walking in a tunnel. Here is Matty, Livie, Sydney, Nathan & Hannah. (Kendall & Derek were being pushed in strollers)

Santa was there taking last minute Christmas wishes from kids. It was great. Derek was the only one afraid of the jolly old elf. Each of the kids took turns sitting on his knee long enough for me to snap a photo and for them to ask for something for Christmas. Livie asked for a vanity. Matty asked for a Wii and Nathan asked for "Star Wars Stuff". One out of three was pretty good, Santa. Nathan did get some "Star Wars Stuff".

After "Christmas Tree Lane", we headed over to the Sacramento Capital Building to see the Christmas tree. We had a few kids who needed a bathroom, so it was time for us to get going to our last stop...Cold Stone for ice cream.

We needed one last photo together. We had to make it a silly one. Not hard to do with this group. We had a great night celebrating not only the Christmas season, but friendship too.

Christmas Day 2008

Christmas morning brought lots of excitement to our house. The kids were happy with the gifts they got and were very excited to give their gifts too. Both Olivia and Matty got to shop alone this year for their family members. There was a Santa's Shop at their school. I can remember doing the same thing when I was in elementary school. They each brought $5 to school and got to buy 5 gifts (I love the Dollar Store). They picked out great gifts for their siblings and parents. Good job guys! This year Olivia was very excited about the pink Razor Scooter Santa brought her. She also liked her pink and white polka dot basketball from Grammy and Papa. And of course she loved all the doll clothes for her American Girl doll sewn by Grandma Lynnie. Matty was excited about his remote control Hummer from Santa and loved his new Webkinz from his Grammy and Papa. Grandma and Grandpa spoiled him with a great Legos Speed Racer set and a new Indiana Jones whip that plays the theme music with every crack of the whip (gotta love that!). Nathan was thrilled with his new Clone Wars dress up Clonetrooper outfit from Santa. He shoots Nerf darts all around these days thanks to his very own Nerf gun from Grammy and Papa. And yes, Nathan has an Indiana whip, too. He and Matty have fun playing "Indi" as they call it. Derek was happy playing with all the wrapping paper and his new stuffed dog. He got to wear his red "Baby's First Christmas" pajamas and we chased him away from the Christmas tree over and over and over.

Christmas evening at my mom and dad's house. I finally got a Christmas photo of all 4 of them under a tree.

Derek's First Christmas 2008

Christmas Disneyland Trip

Minnie & Olivia

Toontown

Olivia was really excited to get her face painted on our last day at Disneyland.
It turned out so pretty.

We really only needed to bundle up on our last night.
We felt so lucky enjoying the almost 80 degree weather in December.

David, Derek & Matty catching a ride on Dumbo. Love that sunshine!


We were thrilled when Matty was selected from the crowd to participate in the Jedi Training Academy. He dressed up in his Anakin Skywalker costume (thank you Rachel for that tip) and waved his hand around...and sure enough, he got picked. After his training, he was the first kid to fight Darth Maul. He did so great. It was so much fun to watch.

Tea Cups with Mommy.


It snowed (soap suds) on Mainstreet while we were there. Disneyland was beautiful with all the decorations and the lights. Wait till you see the picture below of the castle.

Our first ride, of course.

Is this a happy baby or what? Grandpa looks pretty happy at Disneyland, too!

Grandma and the kids on the Jungle Cruise


See what I mean about the castle...it was amazing.
Matty, me and Derek














You can now tour the inside of Sleeping Beauty's castle.

Sophie

After spending Thanksgiving Day with my parents, we returned home to a very sad situation. We couldn't find our 8 year old dog Sophie. She somehow got out of the backyard while we were away and she was missing. There was no indication as to how she got out. She loved to chase any animal that walked along the top of our fence...so maybe this time she managed to jump it? David immediately went to look for her with the car. It was dark and after searching for over an hour and a half he returned home without her. We hung signs, made phone calls and searched for her again the days following. Yesterday afternoon we got a call from a lady in town who saw her running on the highway Thanksgiving night near the exit closest to our house. She told us how she turned around and tried to find her but couldn't. I knew I needed to go look for her in the area this lady told me about. I found her lying in the center divide of the highway. My heart broke and I couldn't believe this was happening. We told the kids last night and Olivia was just crushed. Our friend Sean went and picked up Sophie for us and then took her to the animal shelter today. Olivia is doing better today, but she misses Sophie. The boys I don't think really understand what has happened. Matty has been working to cheer up Olivia as best as he can. Nathan asked again today, "When will Sophie come home?" Sophie was a fun and energetic dog who absolutely loved to chase a ball and that is what I will remember most about her. She was a pain at times (like a lot of pets), but that really doesn't seem to matter to me. I will miss watching her play with my kids and just being the crazy dog that she was. I really wish this hadn't happened. Losing a pet is tough on us grown-ups too. Rest in peace Sophie.

We love you.

Sophie

July 16, 2000 - November 27, 2008

"Shake It!"

On Veterans Day, David needed to unlock the school for the crazy teachers who like to work on their days off... so he took Nathan and Olivia along for the ride. He took them into the cafeteria to play around for a while. Olivia and Nathan got on stage with some microphones and music. Here is some video of our little "Rock Stars"! Check out Nathan's hip action!

This video below is a flashback for me. When I was about Olivia's age, I starred in a home video that my family has never let me live down. I shook my groove thang to "Mickey". Here is Olivia shaking her body to "Shake It". The apple really doesn't fall far from the tree.

Girls' Night at the Movies!

Olivia and I had the chance to go and see "High School Musical 3" tonight. We have been looking forward to this for a couple of weeks. Tomorrow is a day off from school, so we planned a date. We got to go with some pretty great friends too! Sean & Lisa and two of their girls (Hannah & Sydney) picked us up and we all headed to the Lodi theater. The boys in my family went together in August to see "The Clone Wars" (Star Wars movie), so tonight was the girls' turn. Sean is the daddy of 3 super cute girls, and he was great about coming with us to this movie. Olivia and I enjoy getting to spend time together doing "girl things". I really like it when I get to spend one on one time with my kids. I know they really like it too. We were moving our feet to the music tonight and predicting what would happen to the different characters throughout the movie. We enjoyed it and had a fun time being girls! When the movie was over, Olivia, Hannah & Sydney danced around to the music underneath the giant movie screen...it was really cute. I am thankful Livie has these surrogate sisters to do fun and crazy things with. Good times!

Cheerios!

Yep, that's a Cheerio, Derek!

"I got it, but how do I get it in my mouth?"

Proud Brothers
Nathan with his mouth open (a phase for him right now with photos...it's driving me nuts!), Derek a little overwhelmed by his excited big brothers, & Matty ready with the bowl of Cheerios.

Derek has reached the "Cheerios" milestone. He tried them yesterday with the help of his two older brothers. I had to convince Matty and Nathan that the highchair tray did not need to be entirely covered with cheerios. They thought this was a very exciting moment (I love that they get so into the new things Derek experiences). Derek played with the cereal for a bit and then he figured out he could put them in his mouth. From that point on, there really was no stopping him. He is getting big entirely too fast for me. I can't believe he is days away from being 8 months old. And yes, I know his hair is a little long (I get asked what "her" name is even when he is wearing blue). I can't bring myself to give him a real big boy haircut yet. I'll get there... some day.

A Great Night with Grandma!

Last Saturday night, the kids (Livie, Matty, Nathan) and I were treated to a very special evening with my mom. My sister and her oldest boy (Jacob) were able to join in on the fun as well. David was "Super Daddy", staying home with a sick baby Derek (I love you David!). We started the night with dinner at Chili's Restaurant near Arco Arena. My kids enjoyed their favorites (Olivia loves corn dogs, Matty really enjoys quesedillas lately, and Nathan is all about the macaroni & cheese). After they inhaled their food, we all piled into my van and drove through the rain to Disney on Ice. The kids were so excited and so cute. Nathan and my nephew Jacob were dressed in their Buzz Lightyear costumes from last Halloween and Olivia wore a beautiful princess dress. Matty resisted dressing up, but he did settle on wearing his Buzz Lightyear t-shirt. Nathan and Jacob are at the age (3 1/2) where they were waving to all of the characters and asking millions of questions. Olivia liked the music and the princesses. Matty was into the fight scenes with "Gaston" and the "Beast" and the battle scene from "Mulan" (typical for Matty). The show really did have lots for all the kids to enjoy. It was fun to be out with the "older" kids, but the first thing Olivia said in the car on our drive home was, "I wish Daddy and Derek could have been there with us." I am so thankful she loves her daddy and her brothers as much as she does. I am also thankful for my mom for planning this fun night out for all of us. I really needed to get out and have fun with my kids that week. GRANDMAS TRULY ARE THE BEST!!

Grandma Lynnie with 4 of her "Little Sweeties"

Buzz Lightyear Buddies
Jacob & Nathan

We had a blast together!

Love these guys!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN !

"Dorothy"

"Rhino Power Ranger"

" Luke Skywalker "

Halloween 2008

This is how Derek picks out a pumpkin!

Pumpkin Heads !

Do you think Nathan should lay off the candy?

Big Morning for Nathan!

Nathan was very proud of himself!

This is a picture of the actual note Nathan made for Matty.

Working hard on the envelope.

On Monday morning, Nathan asked if he could make Matty a card. Matty and Livie were at school and Derek was taking his morning nap. It was a perfect time for Nate and I to make something together...only he did NOT want my help. First, he wanted to use some fun stamps on the paper. Then he asked for a pen to write Matty's name. I got Nate the pen and the next thing I realize, he has written Matty's name on the top of the paper. He needed a little help with the "y". I was impressed he remembered how to spell Matty's name and with how well he wrote it. He said he needed to write "Nathan" at the bottom of the note. I just sat and watched with my mouth wide open as he proceeded to write the letters in his name. He couldn't remember what an "h" looked like, so I wrote one on a separate paper and he copied it onto his note. He then finished the other letters in his name. It was a very exciting moment in our morning. I cherish experiences like this with my kids. I absolutely enjoy observing them learn and accomplish something new...but I do have to admit, it is a little sad for me too. They are growing up so fast.

Nathan put his special note in an envelope and wrote Matty's name on the front of it. He brought it with him when we left to go pick Matty up from school. He instantly gave the note to Matty and this became a big moment for Matty. He took the note and said, "Thank you Nathan. DID YOU WRITE MY NAME?" Nathan replied, "Yep. All by myself." Matty opened the note and said, "Nathan I am so proud of you. I am going to keep this forever...even when I am all growned up." How great was that? Matty could have blown him off (like he sometimes does)but he really celebrated Nathan's accomplishment and that meant the world to Nathan (and especially to me). Nathan and his mommy bragged about the note all day. I am proud of you Nathan!

The End of a Great Soccer Season!

Livie defending the goal.

"Shooting Stars" 2008

Go "Stormtroopers"! 2008

(Matty's in the white jersey)

We wrapped up a fun and exciting soccer season yesterday, as Olivia and Mattingly each played in their last games. David, Nathan, Derek, my parents, David's dad, and I cheered the kids on during each game. Olivia worked her little buns off trying to score a goal. She played in the Under-8 division this season and she did remarkably well. She learned to be very agressive and to not be afraid to take the ball away from the opposing team. I was very proud of how determined she was in every one of her games. Her coach said, "Olivia bleeds soccer!" She makes me want to get out there and play. It was a blast watching her improve every game! Way to go, Livie!!

Mattingly played in the Under-6 division again. He really came alive towards the end of the season. Last week he was dribbling the ball up the field and taking it right to the goal. He scored his second goal during that game. His face lit up with excitement as his ball rolled into the net. It was incredible as a parent watching from the sidelines. He had worked hard all season to improve as a soccer player... and he did it. During yesterday's game, Matty was a rock star goalie. He jumped on the ball and used his body to stop the other team from scoring. (Funny story... earlier in the season, David was standing behind the goal to help Matty as goalie. The other team had taken a shot at Matty's goal and David yelled, "Jump on it, Matty!" And literally, Matty tried to jump on the ball with both feet. It was hilarious. Just a kid, trying to do what his daddy told him to do.) We enjoyed watching our kids learn to love playing the game of soccer. Their little bodies had big desires to get out on the field each week and play some serious soccer. Can't wait for next season!