Christmas tree decorating and Christmas dances

We have a family tree. I like to call it the throw up tree. The kids have all collected so many ornaments over the years and they all must go on the tree in no particular order. And the amount of giant paper ornaments with their darling faces in the middle is growing each year also. They all know which ones are theirs and love hanging their own ornaments up. And the STAR at the top! We can never remember who did it the year before so it is always an argument over who gets to do it each year. Clint did a great job of getting everyone's picture this year.

Eliza also likes to pull a few off each day. We tried to put no glass ones within her reach.

And...it was time for Christmas shows at dance again. Eliza got in on the fun this year. She just started 6 weeks ago and I think between the three dances they did, she managed to do a little of each. She also picked the sticker off the floor, pouted, turned in circles, but was darn cute doing it all. She loves to dance non stop now and loves seeing all of her friends at dance.

Jolly Old St. Nicholas.

Clara's class did a dance to Santa caught a cold on Christmas Eve so they all wore their Christmas jammies. She did a great job and is really starting to love dance more and more. She loves being with all of her friends and trying to do the tricks Susanna does.

She is definitely my biggest ham.

AND...I couldn't resist this picture. She actually asked me to take this picture of her "picking her nose" and really, could she be happier? HHHMMMMM...

Halloween, Nathan's birthday, and Grandma Garner

We had our annual pumpkin carving and pizza party and Grandma and Grandpa Fillmores house. Susanna even got into carving her own pumpkin this year. Those dracula teeth were all the rage.

Our true pumpkin carver and hero who saves mom from doing all the work. I should say any of the work.

Grandpa rigs up this display and all the kids get around their pumpkin creations. Retro basketball player Nathan is on the far side. Look now because he was so busy with friends we didn't get another picture of Halloween of him.

Clara was Alice in Wonderland, darling. Here she is with Zoe and their dracula teeth.

Susanna was Pippi Longstocking this year. We had so much fun making these braids stick out straight.

Eliza was a little 50s girl and loved the whole trick or treat, be cute, and get candy thing. she didn't last long but was happy with her haul.

Nathan turned 11 and had a great birthday with a family party. Grandma Garner came to town and visited for almost 2 weeks. We loved it. She and Aunt Kim gave him a ripstick which is what he really wanted.

He had a huge ice cream cake and had lots of cousins come over to help him eat it. What a great day. He is already planning his party for next year.

Eliza and Grandma Garner were inseperable. She just wanted Grandma to read to her all the time and she did. They loved each other and we were so glad she could come play. We wish she could come more often.

Now you see them, Now you don't

Braces... Justin wore them for a little over a year and was very excited to be done with them. I just hope his teeth stay straight and he doesn't have to be another adult that has to "re-get" braces. Seriously shouldn't you get a discount if you paid when you were a teenager and they all moved back. Makes you wonder why we put them on our kids so young? Anyway, cute boy huh?

To nap or not to Nap, that is the question?

My sweet little Eliza. I have to say I love every second of her even though she is now making messes everywhere she goes. She loves to draw on herself and tell me how pretty she is. I need to chronicle one solid week and I'm sure I can come up with at least 5 masterpieces. When she finds the sharpies, it is the best. Anyway, I love her nap times and she sleeps for a good 2 and half hours when I get her down. But, when she naps she is up until at least 11 at night (way past my bedtime) so...there are times we decide to do the no nap thing. She does not get crabby at all but we do get this at dinner time every once in awhile. So sweet. The kids thought it was hilarious.

The beach with friends

Okay, first of all I know I am not the smartest cookie but why do my postings all go backwards. I have to try and add my last picture first or they are all out of order. Let me tell you thinking backwards is very difficult for me. End of rant...

We went to the beach in October and took our good friends the Hironakas with us. We love them and our kids match up well with ages. Our youngest dollys are in love with eachother and have so much fun. Eliza says that Hallie is "my Hallie" and wants to be with her all the time. It was so much fun.

Eliza swinging at the park

Her sweet Hallie
Chloe, Susanna, and Clara on the pier. They are protecting their ladybugs they caught. They were all over the pier and let me tell you the mating of ladybugs can be quite fascinating. My friend even took a picture, which i will not post for you. The girls had fun catching ladybugs all over the pier and seeing they fly away.

I never take pictures on vacation because it always gets in the way. I am not a photographer and always feel bad that I don't capture more memories. Susan took one of our family. We weren't looking too fancy but it was fun on the pier.

Eliza getting ready for a day of playing on the beach. She loved the sand and the water. But her favorite is still the birds. She would chase them all day if she could and she had a blast feeding them.

Clara had her first big attempt at boogie boarding and she loved it. She is light enough that she can get just about any wave. She got up on the surfboard once and that was enough for her. Way to go Clara.

Nathan and Tyler were buddies and had fun exploring the beach and playing in the water. T is super coordinated and can do just about anything so even though he is three years younger he can do anything the big kids can do and usually better.

Cool teenagers Eric and Justin. Wish they could hang out more.

Eliza took her turn getting buried in the sand this year. She thought it was pretty cool.

And of course Big brother Justin who she adores did all the work.

Clint loves to search for sea life during low tide. It seems like it is always in the middle of the night. Nathan was the only one still awake but he caught a big crab.

Random happenings

Little miss Eliza has her first dance class this week. Let me tell you, she can freestyle with the best of them. She can do a mean somersault, and bounces like there is no tomorrow.

but when it comes to listening to mom and not swinging on the bars like a monkey and crying when you see the sucker bucket for one right now...she needs a few more months.

Most the kids needed a few more months so if you want to join one of the funnest dance classes around we will try again in January. Until then, keep dancing.

AND...

Our new bathtub has jets. When you add a little soap and turn them on, they go a little crazy. I let the girls have a bubble bath the other day and they had the time of their lives. It was so fun to see them playing in the bubbles although Eliza kept getting a little over excited and forgetting that bubbles don't taste so good. On a side note, it takes a really long time to get bubbles to finally wash down the drain.

AND...

Dress up is always a big activity at our house. We have costumes that go back 30 years and when the girls have friends over they can get quite creative. But with our move the "boy" dressups have been added and wow they sure got creative.

Grandma

I am not one for getting real serious on this blog seeing how it can be read by anyone and everyone. Although pretty open, the idea of opening up everything is a little much but...my grandma passed away on Thursday night. My mom called me on my cell phone while I was driving to pick up Susanna from dance. She had lung cancer and had up until then been in relatively little pain. It was her first bad day...what a blessing. I cried a little on the way to dance and was a subdued and a little distracted when I walked in. Two of the ladies walked out to talk to me and noticed I seemed a little spacey I dare say. They asked what was wrong and I said oh my grandma died. They seemed a little horrified and didn't quite know how to respond. I quickly reassured them I was okay and they hurried away not wanting to bother me. It made me think about the fact that really I was okay. I was so happy for her to not go through the suffering that her disease could have brought her. She had a great life, was the best grandma, had been without my grandpa for five years and missed him. I was suddenly so glad that I have the knowledge I have that it was okay, she was okay, she was happy and reunited and I would be too. I think I shocked those two kind women who couldn't believe that I would say it's okay...but it is. I also have some pretty spectacular memories of my grandma...thanksgiving dinners at her house, gingerbread cookies, boston creams, and pizza hut, colored pencils and sleepovers. Grandmas flowers, rolling down the hill and the best lemonade. Early morning walks and "oh my lands" plus lots and lots of crossword puzzles. She was a brilliant woman and sent the best birthday presents. I am so lucky to have her be my grandma.