"I" TWO

Eliza turned two and she learning how to put her two little fingers up and say I two.



Clara worked hard to teach her how to tell people how old she is.

Her brothers and sisters woke her bright and early because they were so excited for this special day. Eliza really likes her beauty sleep and is not an early riser so she was not so excited. Every time they started to sing happy birthday, she would cry and try to hit one of them. Once they pulled out a few presents to open she was a little happier and had fun ripping into the paper.

Her cousin Joshua came over to play in the afternoon and she loves him and anyone that she can give loves to and run around with. They are really into emptying out the pantry and piling food into other rooms. They are such opposites in coloring it is funny to see them side by side.

Eliza's grandma and grandpa Fillmore gave her this cute little table and chairs for her birthday. It has kittys painted allover them and are perfect for her cooking and tea parties. Thanks Gramma.

That night we opened the last of the presents and had a little cake with the kids. They were definitely more excited than her. She didn't like the cake but loves ice-cream so she may have to start being the ice cream sundae birthday kid instead of cake.

Eliza is so much fun and almost always happy and excited about anything and everything. I love every minute with her. I know now that she is two I should be worried about those terrible twos but so far she is so fun all the time. We love you little Eliza.

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AT THE GARNER HOUSE...

Here is Eliza as she lines up outside and poses for her picture on the first day of school.

This is Eliza when she realized that everyone was going to school EXCEPT her. It was a very sad moment for her.

Clara Jane lining up for her first day of kindergarten. She is very excited to be going to school and meeting so many new friends. She is in her aunt Jill's cousin's class which is kind of fun.

Showing off her first day of school clothes and walking badge. The kids can walk home from school this year, which they love to do. They seem to bring lots of friends home with them, which is fun too.

Little miss third grader Susanna got braces just 3 days before school started. I think they make her look so much older (Sad). She only has them on four teeth but will definitely need the rest in the future. She is at the age that she thinks they are kind of cool.

Nathan is in fifth grade and just wants to have friends over 24/7. He loves school and really likes his teacher. He is excited to play violin in school since his mom has been lame about keeping up with lessons. He has some really good friends so far this year.

Last but not least Justin is starting 8th grade. He saved money for about a year to buy this bike with his own money. He is proud of it and is already trying to figure out how he can trick it out more.

Home Sweet Home

Nathan took this picture. After a three year challenge of selling out house and searching for home, we finally found it and we are staying put. The boxes are unpacked and the pictures are hung (thanks so much mom and dad for everything you did). We are so happy to stay in the same schools and be in a great ward (even with sisters and cousins--double bonus). We feel really blessed and thankful we survived the journey. So...come over for a visit, we would love to see you. The following pictures are a request from Cousins in Missouri and Kansas who wanted to see the place.

I know this is the most important feature for the Nicholson Family. Come on over, hopefully one day we will be able to afford some patio furniture. Clint has even almost figured out how to clean the darn thing.

Front Room. We still have a big empty space back there but it is perfect for gymnastic tricks.

Kitchen/Dining room. Yes we have already had a scorpion over for dinner. Our friends BULWARK pest control has been over two times in two weeks. I'm a little nervous but the kids are great at scouting them out.

Family room. We got this sectional at the model home furniture sale. Clint raced through the house to snag them. We felt pretty lucky, they worked out perfectly.

Yeah...Clint has his own office now. It is so nice for him to have a place to work.

The kids toy room, game room, and main tv room. It has been so nice getting tv out of the main family room. Although, my kids seem to disappear a little too much.

My very favorite room besides the pantry. There are even a couple of empty shelves still. Probably not for long though.

How excited is Clara to have bunkbeds. She is over the moon. Eliza is hiding on the lower bunk and has even slept there twice. Although she still prefers mom and dads. Their room is big for playing. Their walls used to be bright orange and we quickly switched to this light pink. We love it.

Susanna's room. She got a new darling desk but we still need to paint her chair. She loves her room, hopefully she can keep this one clean (right Ryleigh?)

Nathan got to have his uncle's old bedroom furniture. He has lots of places for all of his nicknacks and he even has his very own bathroom.

Justin's room...He has the only bedroom downstairs which he thinks is pretty cool, especially so close to the game room...

So...thats our house and we are really happy. I need to post first day of school pictures but his thing is so complicated and I can't seem to put pictures in the right order so I always have to erase and think backwards. Maybe I will figure this out someday.

Potty training...

So, Clara potty trained a couple weeks before she turned two so I decided to get a little crazy and go for it with Eliza. She is really quite good and going on the potty and can stay dry for a long time. BUT...consistency is not something she has mastered. When she goes potty in her diaper she takes it off and it is sometimes a while before we find her. This is what we find...

Wildwood Fun

We just got back from our one and only family vacation this summer. The cabin in Wildwood was so much fun. Clint's very favorite place (besides Hawaii) is probably Utah. He loves the hiking, he loves the fishing, and he loves the weather. We stayed with two other siblings so we had 16 kids and 6 adults sleeping there plus Emily's family came up to play adding another 5 to the mix. The kids loved every minute of it. Hiking Timp, tubing down the Provo River, visiting BYU, seeing Grandma Fillmore and cousins, tennis matches, three bears hikes, Stewart Falls, and so much more. Plus, mom got to go on a few little runs my first after 10 weeks of lazing around. Clint also took most of the kids fishing at different times and most of them caught, cleaned, cooked, and ate fish. We came back in good spirits and well rested. AND hopefully with fantastic news in the very near future. The kids spent a lot of time fishing with their dad. Most of them caught some.

Except this poor kid. He kept trying but the fish didn't like him. (But that's okay because he doesn't like fish either.)

Susanna was a real outdoorsman. She really takes after her dad. She caught the most fish, and hiked all over Utah.

Climbing across the rope bridge behind the cabin. So much fun to see the kids creating some of the same memories I had.

Emily's little boy Luke and Eliza sure hit it off. Luke let her tag along everywhere and they had a blast with screeching contests.

Nathan loved tubing but thought the river was a little too cold.

The last day Clint took Nathan and Susanna on a hike up Stewart Falls. They loved it and get a long so good lately. I love seeing them together just talking and laughing.

The first fish caught. Nathan caught one also but Blake was holding his so he just showed us how much fun he had.

All the little fishies. Clint cleaned and cooked them all up. Allie loved them the best.

After playing with cousins and second cousins at the park with Great Grandma Fillmore, we stole cute cousin Abby and took her with us to the church museum. What a cute personality. She and Susanna sure hit it off great. I think she is looking forward to her little sister Lucy getting a little older so they can play.

Lisa went to see Grandma before us but this was three of us with our wonderful Grandma. She has been such an amazing woman and great Grandma for us.

Eating on the deck at the cabin. Isaac, Luke and Eliza

The boys table.

The girls table.

Even Clara tried her hand at tubing and loved it. She is quite a daredevil.

Eliza loved loved loved every minute of the mountains. She loved the park and all the bike rides she got. She was super dirty most of the week and is just learning to pose and make cute faces for the camera.

Annie and Clara posing for the camera.

Susanna playing tennis at the park. (In a swimsuit?)

Nathan went on his first timp hike. Lame mom forgot to send up his inhaler and the poor kid got altitude sickness and could hardly breathe. Way to go mom. I was so proud of him for sticking with it and having fun.

The three boys.

Justin sliding down the glacier.