Kindergarten Fun...

The jump from preschool to Kindergarten has seemed like quite a big one... probably more for me than for Shaelyn! It still seems a bit strange to have her gone for 1/2 of a day 5x a week! We have homework, book orders, magazine sales, field trips, parent teacher conferences ... is she really this old... am I really this OLD? :) I guess I'm still adjusting to the fact that I only have a few weeks left in my 20's :). It still amazes me that we're already into this next phase of life and this is our routine for MANY years to come!!

Shaelyn is loving it and doing great! I've been impressed by the academic side and all she has already been learning this fall. It seems to come pretty easily for her. She's very excited to now know how to spell and read some words! She and Sophia are doing great being together! This month they've been sitting together at the same table and their teacher said they do an awesome job :). A fun report to hear! There is definitely a lot of security in having each other!

Earlier this month we had a field trip to a local orchard. We picked apples, a pumpkin and had donuts and cider. It was fun to get to know some of the kids and parents!

Shaelyn and Sophia... (yes, Shaelyn is still the tallest in her class... Sophia is actually one of the taller kids too! :))

I adore these two...

They were good pickers




The clouds made it a picture perfect day!
This month Shaelyn also like having "Duffy the Dog" for the night and writing in the journal about their time together, "We played outside. We colored and we went to my Nanny and Poppy's house. We had fun."

Cousin Weekend...

All the cousins!

Lauren (8), Jurrien (6), Sophia (5), Shaelyn (5), Meagan (4), Monreau (3), Patrice (3), James (1), Jacob (1), Darren (1), McLleyton (1), Elena (2 months)

Monreau told me this morning that she missed her cousin Patrice! This past weekend my sisters Jenn and Belen and my brother Jared and all their kidos came into town. For the most part it was a beautiful fall weekend and the kids had a blast. We finally got to meet our sweet, new neice Elena and she is beautiful! Such a good, happy baby and it was great to finally hold her and love her! We loved getting to have Patrice sleep over and it's so great for Monreau to have a buddy her own age! Meagan was so sweet and Jurrien does great being the only "big" boy cousin! The four 1 year olds were busy and entertaining! How blessed we are to have such a big, fun family to enjoy the chaos of raising kids with! (Just look at the picture that shows one dinner time :))

A fall must...donuts at Robinettes...

Playing in the HUGE leaf pile at the Lake!

The 4 one year olds :)

McLleyton
Monreau loved it
Sweet Jacob looking so cute!

Shaelyn and Lauren having fun
This is meal time :)
Stories with Nanny...
Loving on Elena...
Shaelyn couldn't get enough of her!
Playing outside with Patrice

Fun to be with the girls!

Loved having you all here!!

16 Months...

Shaelyn mentioned the other day that it's hard to remember how many months McLleyton is because it keeps changing too quickly. I feel the same way! At 16 months McLleyton is enjoying all the same things he did at 14 and 15 months, just at a little faster speed. He can now climb onto the kitchen table in about 2 seconds and in 5 can climb the bar stools onto our island. There is no longer a "safe spot" for the girls to do crafts, McLleyton has successfully invaded all areas! He is constantly exploring the house. Going through cupboards, closets, drawers ... not necessarily to be destructive, but more because he has a genuine curiosity! He loves to find things that belong to me and bring them to me (my shoes, watch, makeup :)...it's so helpful :).

His loves for books continues to be a gift as I feel like it's a great way to focus his energy! He loves to learn and in this way reminds me so much of Shaelyn as a baby. He is picking up a lot of words and as I've been working on Monreau's letters he is learning them too :). When you ask him what letters he knows he'll say "S" and "M" ... he'll also repeat "L" and "O". When ever he sees letters written down he'll say "momma S".

After books, he's definitely into sports and learning the different types of balls. He says "golf ball" , "football," and tries to say soccer, but it's not very clear! He loves it when football's on the TV and he'll ask to wear his jersey! He'll take his golf clubs that Uncle Trey gave him and hit a ball all around the garage. He also likes to hit tennis balls with a racquet in the play room.

Monreau and McLleyton continue to be best buddies! He adores her :) I feel like when the younger child is around 18 months, the age gap begins to close a little and it's fun to see that starting with the two of them!

I love these pictures of them. Monreau had slept in and McLleyton was so excited to see her. He climbed up on her chair as she was eating breakfast and snuggled right in.

Sisters...

I grew up sharing a room with both of my sisters for my whole life. Looking back I can recall a few fights, but mainly I have very fond memories of it. My sisters are 4 and 6 years older than me. I think it's safe to say that the two of them have very different personalities. In some ways, I was a mix of both of them. I often think that if it wasn't for sharing a room I probably would not have been as close to them as I was, since there was a bit of an age difference. I am so thankful my parents had us share a room!

As Matt and I talked about having kids we always said that they would share a room. However, when God gave us two very different little girls we weren't so sure how that was going to work out :). But, since our house only has 3 bedrooms, we were basically forced to put them together when McLleyton finally graduated from our closet to his own room, and I am SO thankful we did! It seemed (and is at certain moments) like it was going to be so much more work. Shaelyn needs her sleep, some how Monreau seems to operate on the bare minimum! Shaelyn likes order, Monreau likes fun! Shaelyn follows the rules, Monreau tends to break them! We've definitely handed out a fair amount of consequences and spankings over the past year... but the conversations, giggles, snuggles and prayers have been priceless! There have been several nights when Matt was working late and I've felt so tired, but when I laid down next to them and listened to them pray together my soul is re energized. Tonight, they were tired... I was tired... but as they giggled together I couldn't help but smile. There is nothing like a sleep over with your best friend, how blessed they are that they get one every night!

Shaelyn and Monreau it is my prayer that you'll always work on loving each other and laughing together! You have both been blessed with so many gifts... celebrate in each others accomplishments, embrace being different, encourage each other, work things out, keep praying together, dream, giggle, tell stories ... be sisters ... there is nothing better!!

I love you girls!

Artprize winner...

This past Thursday they announced the winner of Artprize and our favorite piece won! In my mind Artprize was a HUGE success, because it totally captured my kids and peaked their overall interest in art. Shaelyn loved it! She would think about it, talk about it and wonder what she could make to enter into the competition someday! It was fun to see!

The piece that won was a sketch all done with a #2 pencil. This fascinated Shaelyn, she was amazed by all the different shades the artist could create! She wanted this piece to win so badly! We were downtown on the night the announcement was being made, they were showing the announcement on tv's/projectors all around town, but it was getting late and the kids were tired. Shaelyn was so eager to find out who won that she was begging us to stay, but McLleyton was ready for his bed, so I told her we'd check online as soon as we got home. The whole way home she was going through different art pieces explaining to me what place she thought the would get and why. There is nothing like learning hands on!

The DeVos family (who puts on Artprize) have done SO much for our city, this has definitely become one of my favorites :)!

The Winner was: Cavalry, American Officers, 1921 by Chris LaPorte

Shaelyn really wanted me to take her picture in front of it, since she was sure it was going to win... too bad she blinked :)
Monreau liked this one :)
This piece was also really cool...placed in the top 10...
Uncle John & Aunt Kelly came with us :)

California getaway...

It's always refreshing to get a break from the kids and have time with just Matt, but it's a rare treat to have four full days together! We left early on Thursday morning and didn't get home until late Sunday night. It was an great trip filled with lots of beautiful CA sun, amazing friends, great meals out, a fun football game and more!

Growing up my mom and dad always told us that the greatest gift they could give us was an inheritance of friends. I always valued the relationships they brought into our lives, but it's been amazing to see what a gift it has become in the past few years! We loved getting this weekend with the Parton family! We are so thankful for these friendships!!

We were so spoiled :)....

The amazing beach @ the beach house...
Stenn and Matt out on paddle boards...

We drove down Highway 1 back to L.A...

We are so excited for Betsy and Stenn ... I loved getting time with Betsy...Stenn is a lucky man!

We had two fun meals at an awesome L.A resturant Wurskuche (owned by Stenn's good friend Tyler!) 

Loved getting time with Shae...
Off to the USC football game... SO much fun! 
Our seats were amazing...
Stenn & Betsy...

Group shot- it was fun seeing Sarah Sherman too :)...
Night @ the Ritz (did I mention we were so spoiled!)

Dinner out at L.A. Live...


Papa Linds and Mama Lo... we love you guys!! 

Thank you to my sweet in-laws, parents, John & Kelly and Jill & Darren for helping with our kids while we were gone! These getaways our always so great and important ... and knowing our kids are having just as much fun makes them that much better! Thanks for loving them!