really

If you have a sister nice enough to massage and exfoliate your feet, even an almost 2-year-old is smart enough to seize that offer.  Plus the foot bath has bubbles. 

Personality

Personality is NOT one of the things our kids lack.  I love these pictures because they really capture something about each one. 

SAMMY is always happy.  Really, almost always.  It's awesome.  And he also loves protien like a real man should.  Thus an ALL protien smiley face breakfast. Even a just-woke-up Sammy is a happy Sammy.  This morning the first thing he said was, "Mom, I have some good news...*pause* "
 and I said, "What's the bad news?"  And he said, "There's no bad news. Just good news!"  NICE.

Miniman loves looking at kid songs on youtube with his grandma or aunt SO much that VOILA...he fell asleep in the office chair.  He was either dreaming of "Go Away Big Green Monster" or "The Wheels on the Bus"...or "Dance like you've got ants in your pants."  All good dreams.  

Miranda in a pre-halloween halloween costume.  She designed the face.  She knew what she wanted from the hair.  She's got style.  

And yes, Xiao Yu, those are your heels. 

Who knows what the next one will be like?!?!?!? Only a few weeks before he shows himself!!!!

Halloween

We are ALL into Star Wars this year so it was an easy choice for costumes.  Luckily my belly lent itself to the death star.  And doesn't Fermando look awesome?!!! He is the secret here! How does the dark side produce such powerful Jedis?  Who knows. 

Luke Skywalker

Lightsaber stopped working the day before Halloween. Sad.  Also, he did NOT enjoy having his hair done this way.  But Jedi power comes with certain style requirements, you know

 Princess Leia

G-ma whipped up the dress in like a half an hour. Impressive.  But of course when she does that we just continue to take her amazing talents for granted.  Sorry ma.

Also, the secred of the hair was rollers made of men's dress socks. Thanks YouTube.

Master Yoda



He can't say Yoda so he says Woda.  So he'll come up to you and ask for "Woda eaws?"  "Woda hands?" Pretty cutey little guy.   

Battling the dark side takes courage... 

...and finely harnessed power. CONCENTRATE...  

Pumpkins!  This is also what Woda thinks smiling is.  

It was a FUN Halloween.  We had lots of occasions to wear our costumes this year!  Our family really enjoys this holiday, but it will be NICE not to have to dress up for awhile.  I wish I could just capture these memories like Dumbledore does and stick my head back into them whenever I want...    

The other day I heard my children laughing SO hard with each other.  I said to my mom and sister, "There is no children's sound better than that!"  And my sister said, "Maybe besides them sleeping."  Which I loved.  And I did have to weigh the two out.  I still choose the laughing but watching our children peacefully slumber is one of my favorite things and always gives me a warm, glittering feeling I wish I could capture and keep forever. 

PLUS I'm hugely pregnant at the moment and not sleeping well at all so maybe that's why I'm posting pictures of the kiddos sleeping lately. 

I LOVE this picture because it looks like Cairo the lion's hair (Daddy's hand me down stuffed animal and thus treasured by Sammy) is actually a goatee.  HA HA HA.  So funny to think of.  Makes Sam look like a troll or mountain elf or something.  This is Cairo's preferred sleeping position.  

I have to limit the number of things Mims is allowed to sleep with.  She would honestly sleep with 50 different animals and toys, even hard uncomfortable ones. 



Maybe I'm too halloweenish right now but don't the baby and Woody look like they come alive at night and plot against us in our sleep?

Sweaty snuggly sleeping guy. LOVE IT. 

Important parenting rule: If your kids fall asleep in an uncomfortable/torturous position, do NOT move them. They might wake up (enough said) AND you won't be able to take pictures of said position. 

Brotherly love.

one way to utilize the scriptures

For real.  Righteousness can be exhausting.

Jeremiah 31:26

26 Upon this I awaked, and beheld; and my sleep was sweet unto me.

a picture is worth a thousand words

Learning to ride without training wheels.

REALLY fun.

We went to Park City to spend some time with my Aunt Vicki for her birthday. It was lovely.  We ate a yummy breakfast at what used to be Mt. Air Cafe and is now Red Rock Brewery.  I was happy Miranda didn't know the word Brewery because she was absolutely flabbergasted, offended, and deeply concerned when we went to family event at a restaurant called Salsa y Beer in California. So pure. I'm hoping we can keep that spirit alive.  Today she told me she doesn't plan to date until she's 18. NICE!!!

After breakfast we went to the alpine slide, of course!  I'm sure a prego mom could have ridden but I would have cost 12 dolla and Miniman did NOT want to go so I stayed below with my mom and Gma Howell. 

These guys went sliding!

And the Birthday Girl!  

And Pa!

I stayed behind and tortued Mateo.  HONESTLY he asked to go on the up'n'down...what he calls the merry-go-round, even though it looks here like I force him to be entertained.  I usually wait until their 2 to do that...

Everybody riding up to the slide:

By the way we could have won $10,000 on AFV if we would have captured Sammy climbing up this thing below and losing his pants.  So funny.  I was glad to see he just laughed about it too.  Good sense of humor that one.