Christmas

We had a great, and pretty simple Christmas this year. Alex got a shotgun, Ethan a Nintendo 3DS, and all Maya wanted was a pogo stick. She got it (along with some other things), and on Christmas morning it was sitting by her presents, unwrapped. She didn't even notice it. She would pick up a wrapped present, start unwrapping it and say, "Maybe this will be the pogo stick!" We let her do that 3 or 4 times before we pointed out the very large pogo stick right in front of her! We look forward to the holidays so much. There is nothing better than just being together, nowhere we need to be, wearing pajamas for days on end, and doing whatever we want to do!

Temple Square

This was the best night we have had in awhile. We decided to go to see the lights in the middle of the week, hoping that it wouldn't be very crowded. We made the right decision! There wasn't anyone around, and it was awesome wandering around looking at the lights, watching the Nativity, and just loving being together.

Maya's Christmas Program

Oh, this girl was born to be a performer! Tonight was the Kindergarten Christmas program, and it was so great! They had been practicing forever, and it all paid off. When we got to the school they put some Christmas tree hats on the students that they had made. They were at least 1 foot tall, and after about 2 songs Maya's slipped down over her eyes. She did not miss a beat, kept singing and doing all of the actions even though she couldn't see a thing! She kept trying to push it up between songs, but it kept falling down. Maya gave an inspiring performance, and if you want to hear the funniest song ever ask her to sing "Tony Chestnut" for you.

Lives Changed Forever

On September 12, 2011, our family had a life changing experience. Our Brandon was in an accident, and miraculously is still alive today. There were so many things that happened that day that should have taken his life, but they didn't. His story became famous all over the world. Everyone knew about the college student that was in a motorcycle accident, went under the car, and had heroes lift the burning car off of him. The media attention was unbelievable, and it lasted for a long time. It is hard to believe that seeing someone you love all over the newspapers, the Internet, in magazines, and on television became just an ordinary event. It IS an amazing story, it renews your hope in mankind. We will be forever grateful for the heroes there that day. Brandon has recovered amazingly well, and his attitude through it all has been inspiring. He is destined for great things. And once again, my sister has shown herself to be superhuman. In one of his interviews Brandon called her "Superwoman," and that is not an understatement. She has endured more than anyone should be asked to during this lifetime, she has some great blessings coming someday. I think we are all changed for the better because of this, and hopefully we will always remember the lessons we have learned.

Arrow of Light

Ethan is finished with Cub Scouts, and is now a Boy Scout. He did an awesome job in Cubs, and earned his Arrow of Light Award. This is the highest award that you can earn as a Cub Scout, and one of only two awards that can be worn on their Boy Scout uniform. The other award is the Religious Square Knot Award, which Ethan also earned a year or so ago. We are very proud of him.

Halloween

I think that every year I get a little more lazy where Halloween is concerned. I used to spend so much time creating costumes when Alex was little, and now I hope that we can just find something to throw on that resembles a costume. I guess all that matters is the kids had fun and got a little candy. They do not like to do the Trunk or Treat scene, and so we just visited Grandpa & Grandma Dahl, the Andrus family, and walked down two roads in our subdivision. The weather was perfect, and Maya is already making plans for next Halloween.

Ethan's Birthday!

11 in the year 2011! Actually, it is always easy to figure out how old Ethan is. An advantage to being born in the year 2000. The E-man wanted a s'mores cake, and so we set out to create one. It was so good! His birthday was pretty laid back. What Ethan wanted was to be able to play video games as long as he wanted, and have chicken rolls for dinner. Pretty easy wishes to grant!!

And She is Off!!

 

 Maya decided that it was time for the training wheels to come off. We thought she was probably ready, and it only took 5 minutes of a little help. Once she got her balance there was no stopping her. She would ride her bike up and down the road all day and night. She has found a freedom that she only dreamed about before!

First Day of School

5th Grade

Sophomore Year

Kindergarten

The dreaded day arrived. I think this Summer was the one that I hated to see end most of all. Everyone started new schools this year, and so there was a lot of nervousness going around. Alex started his Sophomore year at Sky View High, Ethan switched schools and is attending the 5th grade at Thomas Edison Charter School, and Maya is conquering Kindergarten, also at Thomas Edison.
Of course they will all be awesome, and I will look forward to afternoons now, when everyone is home. Those afternoons will be pretty hectic, and there will be more than a little bit of "Get your homework done!" being said, but I will sure be glad to have them there.

Bear Lake

Oh, the fun at beautiful Bear Lake! It took us all Summer to make it there, at least all together. The kids and I did attend a family reunion earlier, but we didn't actually go to the lake. This day turned out to be perfect! There was hardly anyone at the beach, the weather was perfect, we were all in full relaxation mode, and no one came home with a sunburn.

Junie B. Jones

Maya LOVES to read! Right now her favorite books are the "Junie B. Jones" series. The books really are funny, but I think they give her some mischievous ideas.

Alex's Birthday

Wow, where did that time go? Alex turned 15! We couldn't have asked for a more easy going child to try out all of our parenting ideas on! No, really, Alex is so patient with us. He has such a big heart and loves everyone. He makes us proud!

The Mountains

We finally made it "up to the mountains," as Maya would say. This is definitely one of their favorite places in the world, and we do not go often enough. From our home to this canyon is only a few minutes away, and yet we seem to get too busy to make it there. Such great memories are made in the mountains, and they are so simple. I think some of the greatest times we have had are when we just throw some hot dogs, chips, and the makings for s'mores together and hop into the truck.

Best Friends

Amigos, Two Peas in a Pod, Buddies. These two are truly soul mates. Hyrum and Ethan can spend hours together, and come up with some pretty cool stuff to do. Their minds work alike, and they are great together.

Youth Conference

Alex left bright and early on Friday morning to attend Youth Conference at Utah State. He was a little nervous before leaving because he did not know who he would be rooming with, and worried it would be someone he didn't know. Things worked out well, though, and he had a great time. He came home so dirty and tired, but he was glad he went. One of his favorite parts was when they had blindfolded them and walked them through a sort of obstacle course. After feeling frustrated and probably a little scared, they told them they could take their blindfolds off. When they did the first thing they saw was the Logan Temple, lit up beautifully.

Again?!?

This is beginning to be a recurring thing around here. Maya plays so hard each day, that she just can't stay awake to eat. She is having such a great time, though. This is really the first summer that she has been able to run around the neighborhood and play with all of her friends. They are so cute together, and she just can't get enough of it.

Father's Day

Oh, how lucky my kids are to have the dad they do. He always has them first on his mind, doing anything he can for them. So many sacrifices are made on their behalf, but I know that Troy wouldn't have it any other way.
This picture is Troy modeling the tie that Maya made for him in Primary. She brought it to Sacrament and put it on Troy, who wore it throughout the entire meeting, proudly.

One Worn Out Girl

Maya spent the day and night with Grandma and Grandpa Dahl. That night she was SO tired she fell asleep eating her dinner. I don't think she has done that since she was a baby in her high chair. She had a lot of fun going out to eat for almost every meal, driving in Grandpa's race car, going shopping, and probably doing a little bit of bossing everyone around.

This Is What We Do For Fun

Since we have had nothing but cold and rain, everyone is going stir crazy! Alex has been really working hard at getting in shape, and has had a lot of success. Today when he was doing push-ups he had Maya get on his back, for a little challenge. Maya loved it! Ethan was the counter, but he has been working on his push-ups also, doing a few more every day.

Changes

I know that it has been a very long time since I have updated our blog. It got to the point that I really didn't know where to begin, I was so far behind. I decided today that I will just start with the here and now and try not to let things slip by.

Today has been a very bittersweet day for me. When I was taking Maya to storytime at the library this morning, I realized that we only have one more week of going to storytime and that is it for us. She will be moving on into the big world of Kindergarten! Then I started realizing that it will just be a few weeks of our days at home alone, and then things change forever. I love coming home after we have gotten the boys off to school, sitting on the couch with her and reading, listening to her play with her animals. I love having her help me in the kitchen, and listening to all of the things she has to say. I cry everytime I think about the changes coming up. But I also am excited for her. She has so many exciting things ahead of her, and she is going to be great! I came across this quote today that I thought was very fitting:
"This is the best moment to be a parent, when you see that your child is going to surpass you, that her curiosity will take her places and teach her things you never even thought about." -Adriana Trigiani