Heard in the Home

We've been talking about gratitude at our home lately.  I taught the lesson in RS on Pres. Monson's talk "The Divine Gift of Gratitude" from conference so it's been on my mind.  Caleb was exclaiming to me today about how his nose was no longer stuffy and runny.  I suggested maybe we should thank Heavenly Father for that great blessing.  He said a short and to-the-point thank you prayer and then opened his eyes and said, "I think He heard that one."

We've been talking a lot about animals too-- since Annie's dearest wish is a puppy for Christmas.  I was telling the kids at breakfast one morning how I liked them better than any animal and Katie asked, "even Jesus?"  "But Jesus isn't an animal," I explained.  "Yes, he is," Katie insisted.  "The Lamb of God!  Dad told me."

First snow

I think this was back in November.  We haven't had a lot of snow yet this winter, but after the first substantial snow, the kids insisted on immediately getting out of their church clothes and suiting up to relish in it.

Twas a dark and stormy night. . .

It really 'twas.

I wanted not to like Halloween because of all the candy, but my kids are so skippy and so happy and so devastatingly darling when they get to dress up and people shower them with handfuls of candy. It's kind of hard to resist. I ended up enjoying myself quite a bit. Who'd a thought.

So, I explained to them that after Halloween night, if they would leave out the rest of the candy they hadn't eaten, the Great Pumpkin would trade their candy for a present! "No, Mom. That's okay. I'll keep my candy," they each told me.





This is her mean face. Watch out!

We love Brad. . .happy birthday!

The kids kept putting stick-it love notes on Brad all evening.  



I made a lovely chocolate beet cake. Don't you just want the recipe.

I love. . .

. . .that Katie modestly colored in the bare stomach of her hula girl picture from her class Luau. . .rainbow dress colored.
. . .how Caleb mimics Brad while they shave together in the morning. He stands by his dad using one of Brad's old electric razors and looks up and does the same actions, makes the same faces as his Dad does.

Soccer Season

You can tell I've been playing catch up with pictures and blogging lately but now we come to my favorite really. . . SOCCER. We've got two very athletic and tenacious girls out there on the field. It's fun to see them find something they are so good at. Although, Katie says she'd like to move on to ballet now and give up her future as the next Mia Ham. We'll see.











Seriously, a lot of goals for Kate. But, no victory dance. She'd just smile and maybe give a shy shrug of the shoulders at the attention and cheering.



Watch out though. She's tough.





Annie's league is much more competitive this year and they keep score. I'm proud of how Annie's handled it. She is a gamer on the field but she doesn't push or gloat. She cheers for her teammates and is just as happy about their goals as her own. She is even nice to the other team after the games where her team lost and yells to them good job. She must be Brad's child.







She'd just made a goal in this next picture. 







Caleb made up his own fun during his sisters four games a week and then really enjoyed it when Grandpa came.







Seriously, such a nice and happy boy.

Labor Day bike ride

We had a fun family bike ride around Mapleton this year. We stopped at a few parks to play and had a picnic lunch on the grass. I love bike riding as a family. If only my bottom felt the same way.

School girls and the one who got left behind

When I saw this picture of Annie, I was shocked. She looks so old. This is actually her second day of school picture. She was so giddy and excited her first day I couldn't catch her before she ran out to the bus. I snapped a rather wilted one when she came home, but she does look like my little girl in it again.





Kindergarten Kate. Oh, how she's waited for this day. I'm surprised at how de-jeweled she is. She was quite decked out when she went in to have her pre-test and meet her teacher. Here's her outfit that day. Lots of color and accessories.





Don't feel too bad for him. He's still got me.

Bikers and Bladers

Summer

It came, and it went, and we loved it.  At the beginning of the summer, I remember wondering what I was going to do with the kids all day.  So, we signed up for some community sports- kickball for Katie and coachpitch for Annie, did two sessions of swimming lessons in Provo for all three bambinos, bought some rollerblades for Ann and Kate- which turned into their summertime passion, went on a few family reunion vactions (Park City and Zions), and all was busy and fun.  I took absolutely no pictures.  Fortunately, Brad pulled out his iphone at opportune moments and I have some documentation of the summer.

Here's Caleb at the Father/Son campout.  I don't think he'll ever get over how much he loved it.  

I don't think I'll ever get over what a little pixie Annie was out there playing the rough and tough softball game.  Here she is taking a turn at catcher. 

 Me and Kate at the Anderson family reunion up in Park City.  Katie was a little nervous about the slide.

Dad and Caleb getting ready to slide.

Ann was absolutely fearless on the slide.


So, we had the Wilkins family reunion at Zion's this year.  I got to plan it.  This picture of Caleb and Addie at dinner about sums it up.  We played hard and stayed up late and squeezed out every minute with each other.  

Hiking the Narrows in Zion.

Swimming at the end of the Narrows hike.

Minute to win it games. . .everyone was a good sport about it all.  Even the vaseline on the nose boys.

 Tickle test with Grandpa.

 We tried a new hike at the end of the summer in Payson canyon.