Behind in Blogging

I have about three really good posts that I need to update but I have a two year old. Everyone knows what that means right? A couple of weeks ago I was trying to print something on my husbands computer and had my laptop open behind me on the floor (hooked up to our other printer). All of a sudden my daughter says mom Eliza broke your computer. I look over and sure enough, she figured out the magical combination of buttons to push in order to make a computer completely unusable. When it turns on, it tells me that Windows has a fatal error. I jump on Clint's now to check my email but without my own computer never have a chance to actually blog about anything.

My mom and dad had their farewell today. . . I am starting to get way too emotional already. They leave on Wednesday and I am not ready for them to go. They are going to Guatamala to run a dental clinic in an orphanage. I have this fear they will like it so much they will keep going like my Grandpa and Grandma Ray did and I will never get to see them. Some may think it would be so much fun to visit but I am not adventurous enough. I wish I was but I really am quite the homebody. Anyway, had a fun family luncheon at my house after. Thanks to everyone that brough yummy salads and treats, could not have managed alone. I hope that we will keep getting together when they are gone. It was fun to see Parker and his cute family. I think Paul's hair is redder than Susanna's now, it has been a process for him to get that red hair. My kids are all in heaven playing with their cousins...and I am tired. And I am glad that I have a husband that doesn't stop helping till all the clean up is done. He just keeps doing little things to help it be easy to clean up after--such a blessing.

And one more makes Six...

Well, the girls are over the moon and Nathan is a little (or should I say a lot) bitter. He was promised a dog if he didn't get a little brother and I am hoping to hold off on that for as long as possible. Uncle Jim, can you just find him a good tortoise? Anyway...we are adding another girl to our already growing group of ballerinas. I may teach until I am 80 to pay for it all but we love the bows. This will make six and feels like a pretty darn good number. She will make her arrival someime mid-June. Any good name ideas? We think we have it but would love some suggestions. Looking for a not overused traditional name that ends in an A, I know pretty picky huh?

Temple Lights

One of our family traditions is to go see the temple lights on Christmas Eve. This year my sister Emily and her family came along. It was cold for our Arizona blood but we had a good time.

Christmas Eve 2009

Nathan and Isaac

Christmas Programs

I love kindergarten Christmas programs. They are always short, all the kids are so excited to show off their skills and the words they hear in their heads and repeat in their songs are priceless. The class sang about 4 songs and Rudolph loves to play games like ponopoly.

Clara with two of her friends Avery and Camille

She was very serious before they started singing.

Have you ever seen a cuter Rudolph?

After the program, each child got to have one parent stay and help them create these amazing masterpieces. We had fun together deciding what to put on her house and laughing about how Eliza was going to sneak all the candy off when we got home. (which she did)

Then, the Monday before Christmas we get together with all the Fillmore cousins and Grandma and Grandpas house for a great "picnic" dinner, a nativity program, and other surprises from Grandma and Grandpa. How will we survive the next two years without them? We have a lot of fun but it definitely is a little bit of motley crew. I didn't get great pictures this year.

The little angels. We lost a few crowns this year.

Susanna loves being the star every year and there are lots of kings, even Burger King ones.

Then, Grandma read a Christmas story about the missing baby Jesus and gave each family the book and their own little baby Jesus. Eliza thought it was great. I don't know what her part was but she was happy to have that little scrap of material tied around her shoulders.

Grandma and Grandpa have given the grandkids an ornament each year for many years. I know it is a stressful endeavor espescially when there are no cute ones to be found. This year she gave everyone little birds in honor of their Great Grandma who loves birds.

Dad leading us in Silent night. He worked hard and getting us all singing.

We have had a lot of fun with some of our fun Christmas activities.

Christmas pictures

The Sunday before Christmas we got all dressed up in our fancy Christmas outfits for church. It was very anticlimactic because of the whole provident living thing. I decided since they only wore their outfits once last year, we would wear them again this year. It will be fun to line the pictures up together and see how they have changed but since this is new for me, this will be the first time they will be on this computer.

Nathan--age 11--needs a haircut badly

Justin--age 13--always needs a haircut, is trying to figure out the "cool" way to smile.

Susanna Belle-age 8 sweet as ever (most of the time)

Clara Jane-age 5 still trying to grow out that darn hair. Her 2 year old sister passed her up long ago. Looks darling when curled and is still a firecracker.

AND then there is Eliza and her evolution of the smile. As a baby I could never get a very good picture of her, not so photogenic. Now that she is getting older, we are trying to teach her to smile for the camera and she is having a hard time figuring it out. These are all taken with various forms of prompting.

AND finally this.
But this is the one that we seem to get a lot of. The posessed smile look. It is very intense to smile on command.

We still think they are cute no matter what they do (except cry)

Merry Christmas to all!

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.