November 2013

Our first snowstorm.  It was a pretty good one, but it was just a one
day deal and afterwards we went about 3 weeks without snow.
Something about this snowman having 4 balls throws me off. Ha ha!!!

These two enjoyed this bath immensely!  Gracie was flapping her arms
the whole time, as Gracie does, and was whacking Malia and splashing
water all over.  The picture looks calm, but there was a lot of excitement!

We get lots of beautiful sunsets....just don't usually take pictures of them.

I can't believe we have a tree big enough to make an actual leaf pile!
This is the first year I've actually had to rake up leaves.  Yay poplar!!!

Modeling her new hat and mittens...and demonstrating
that she's tolerating the Bumbo seat much better now.

Malia made a little pilgrim hat at preschool, and it made
perfect sense to put it on the elephant.

Just realized I really don't have too many of the three kidlets together.
There are no words to describe how much they mean to me.  Yes
they cause me moments of insanity, many moments, all day every day.
BUT, they are worth every bit of insanity, and truth be told, I need
that insanity to keep me sane.  I know, makes no sense.  

She gets one of these pictures every month for her baby book.
What a cutie!

Malia looooooves her "sissy".  It really is so adorable.  

Nice pose babe!

This was the morning of Thanksgiving, hanging out in Moroni
target shooting.  Gracie and I gracefully declined.  Next year!

The tree is upstairs this year again, where it belongs.
The last two years we've had it downstairs, but we spend
way more time hanging out upstairs.  Christmas tree lights
help create the best feeling.  We have them on all the time.
And Gracie is at the age where she loves to lay under the
tree and swat at it, but she's not mobile enough to pull
ornaments off, like Malia was her first Christmas.

It's time to introduce rice cereal, but we thought we'd better start
with whip cream to help her get priorities straight.

Where's Waldo, I mean Ellie the Elf???  She came
back again this year, and she moves to a new location
each night.  I'm sure it's hard for her to remember to
do this each and EVERY night until Christmas.  I'm
sure sometimes she forgets until the middle of the night
and has to get out of bed and do it before the kids
get suspicious, but she does it, for the sake of the littles!

November 2013 Riley's Baptism

The morning of Riley's baptism, having a little chow, trying
to be funny as usual.

This picture somehow really distorts Ben's body...
buuuuut you get the point.  Probably the only time
they will ever wear exactly identical outfits!

Love this picture of Riley with Grandma and Grandpa Cook.

LOVE this picture too!  Riley and Grandma and Grandpa Hansen.

Loooooove this picture!  I know, I love all of them.  Grandma
Blacker with her little minions.  Notice the kids are goofy and my
mom is smiling nicely.  The kids don't know how to not be annoying
and goofy around my mom because she TEASES them relentlessly!

I know this picture is not about me, but I look way fat.  Okay,
got that out of the way.  More importantly, these two boys look
amazing.  It was an amazing/surreal experience watching Riley
get baptized.  I love him so much, and am so proud of him.  He
is a very special little guy.....very loved!

What a LOOKER!  

Brunch at IHOP with the family following the baptism.  We even
let Riley order off the adult menu....he indulged in a meal that was $8.99
and came with just about every breakfast item you can think of!

The soon to be parents getting a little practice.  The waitress
actually thought this was Kelsey's baby.

October 2013 part 3

Took my little sweetie to the park.  I love this little
four year old girl.  She cracks me up!  Sometimes
I wish I could freeze her at this age.  She likes to make
us laugh, but she also get offended VERY easily when
we laugh AT her.  It's a very delicate balance we have
yet to master :)

Love this face.  

It is fun to spend time with her, when I'm not trying so hard
to get all my "important" tasks done.  She's a great little pal!

She looks like she has something very insightful to say.  

Riley doesn't need a dog to pull him around!  He has a Malia!

A little Halloween activity we went to.  Kids loved the reptiles!

My little stretcher.  I can always count on her to do some good
stretching after a nap.  I just sit there and enjoy the show and laugh.

Done stretching...time to make a face.  I can't believe
I captured this face!  It is so funny....I've never seen this one!

Malia busy making....something.  And the curls!!!  Love foam rollers.

Now for the Halloween pics.  Pink Power Ranger
and Dorothy.  These two just keep growing!

Out little tough Rangers.

Fun Halloween.  Fourth year trick or treating in this amazing
neighborhood.  Love where we live, and these sweet kids.

October 2013 part 2

Malia absolutely loves her sister.  Makes me glad we had
another girl.  There is something special about sisters.

Miniature golf at Trafalga.  Always soooo exciting.  The kids
love it, and it's free with our passes, so it's a win.

Getting golf tips from a pro.

Miniature golf structures are pretty cute.  And these kids are cute.

Gracie was pushed around in style in her stroller, and she got
her hands on this package of cookies.  She is at the very beginning
stages of holding things, and bringing them to her mouth.  Pretty
soon everything will go in her mouth.

I think the Bumbo chair will be a much loved item someday.
But for now she is not a big fan.  I think it wears her out.

The yearly Red Barn Pumpkin patch trip!  We went last year
with these buddies, now this year, and might as well continue
Except it's getting more and more expensive each year.  Went
from free for the hayride (just pay for your pumpkin), to $2/person,
to $3/person, and this year $5/person!!!  

The hay ride.  Okay, so there's no hay.  The "bench" ride.

Riley and Malia had a ball on these pedaled bike contraption thingy's.

Had to capture this because this is pretty much how she spends
at least an hour of her day.  She's always drawing something new,
or practicing things she already knows how to draw.  I love her
concentration. For Christmas we are going to get her a nice set of
stencils.  She's always asking "Help me draw a cat." Or "Help me
draw a shark."  She will love the stencils!

Crazy hair day at school.  To be fair, Riley colored one
side green (my favorite color) and the other side red (Ben's
favorite color.)  He was really excited, but kept double
checking with me to make sure it really was crazy hair day.
That would be a bummer to be wrong on that one!

Second pumpkin carving experience.  And there's little Gracie,
with her bottle propped as usual (GUILT, GUILT, GUILT!).  Life
is busy, and we hold her all the time, but sometimes when she's
demanding her food, I just don't have enough hands!  Grandma
Blacker was here to help with the carving.

October 2013 part 1

October, one of my favorite months.  Except for the fact 

that it is followed by November, which is the beginning of

the end :(  I love three of the four season's.  Can you guess which?

We had the good fortune of being invited to attend a FREE
Imagine Dragon's concert, put on by Vivint (Kade and Ciara's
employer).  It was so amazing!  And included with each ticket
was an $8.50 credit for concessions.  We were definately up in
the nosebleeds, but it was fine because of the huge jumbo
screen.  I went and bought the Imagine Dragon's CD the next day!

Up in the nosebleeds!  We felt really cool going to a concert.

Rough night, Malia?

Malia got a pumpkin on a pre-school fieldtrip, so this was our
first pumpkin carving experience of the month.  Yes there
was more than one.  They were grossed out by the "guts".

Every month we take a picture for Gracie's baby book. Gracie
of course looks adorable, but look at Malia!!!  Georgeous!

This picture is funny for two reasons.  Riley and his theatrics, and
oh by the way, there's Gracie chillin' on the floor facedown :)
She's probably busy licking the carpet.

Bowling shoes!  Always in style.  Malia was
hoping she could keep hers.  We used our Pass
of All Passes to go to this rinky dink bowling alley
in Sandy.  It was actually a lot of fun.  Trashy, but fun.

Looking smug.  Did he get a strike?  Nope.
That's also his gutter ball look.  

Gracie was actively eating, and I decided it would
be fun to yank the bottle out.  Hee hee!  This was
her bowling alley experience. Warm bottle=Happy Baby.

Seriously, does it get any cuter???

Well I guess it does get cuter!  Or wierder.

Topic change:  Gracie's Blessing Day!  Gracie is
technically sitting on her cousin Logan.  Kelsey
makes a very cute pregnant gal!

And I love, love, love this picture!