So I finally updated (Yay!!) I really have been working on it, but for some reason the videos seriously took from morning to night to "process" and then upload. I don't know why, but this did incite a little complaining from me (o.k. maybe a lot of loud complaining) which led to the "don't be such a woman, mom" comment from Landen. It is now the favorite saying to anyone complaining in our household.

Snowboarding

We took the kids snowboarding up Huntington Canyon. They surprised us with how well they did. I thought there would be lots of crashing, whining, and tears, but they were amazing!

Pat and I had a chance to go down the hill a couple of times, but mostly the kids did the riding.

Alyssa learned that walking up the hill really makes you tired!

She went about 10 times and then had enough.

Landen didn't have to worry about walking back up. It was much easier to carry him with his board and all than trying to get him strapped in over and over. I think he about 50 times. It is much easier when everyone else is doing the work for you. Poor Pat, he did most of it!

These videos were taken the next weekend in Joe's Valley, at the Cabin. Pat and Grandpa took Landen up and made him a hill. He can't get enough.

Landen had a pretty good face plant on this one. It didn't stop him at all!

He gets really mad when he doesn't make it all the way to the end as you can see in this next video. He decides to take it out on the snow.

This one is of Alyssa up Huntington Canyon. Just tilt your head to watch. For some reason I can't get the video to stay flipped when I upload it, and ignore the excited mom commentary. I really was not expecting them to do so well, so I was really excited when she made it down the hill.

Gymnastics Competition Feb. 27, 2010

This was Alyssa's First tumbling pass. She did so well, straight legs, pointed toes, cute smile. She is such a performer. I have never seen her do it this well. When we try to practice she gets really mad at me, but when it comes time to perform she is great!

Her second pass was just as good. I am so proud of her.

Cheyanne took first, Alyssa took second, and Maya took third. All from flips -N- Tricks gym. We are so proud of them!

Alyssa (2nd) and Cheyanne (1st) with their medals. It is so much fun for Alyssa to have a cousin to do all of this with. They both did great.

A day in the life of a mom

 Child: Mom, mom, mom, mom 

 mom: What?

 Child: Can you get me a drink?

 Child:  mom, mom, mom, mom

 mom: What?

Child: I am hungry

 Child: mom, mom, mom, mom

 mom: What?

 Child: my shoe is untied

Child: mom, mom, mom, mom

mom: What?

Child: can I watch t.v.

Child; mom, mom, mom, mom

mom: what?

Child: can I play at my friends?

Child: mom, mom, mom, mom

Mom: What?

Child: will you read me a story?

Child: mom, mom, mom, mom

mom: What!?!

Child: I love you

Mom: I love you too!

And it is all worth it!!!

I am so glad I get to be their mom!!!

Freedom!!

Landen got his cast off yesterday.  When we were in the room waiting this was the conversation:

Landen: I am not scared as last time, but I am just a little bit scared.

Me: It's o.k to be a little scared, but you know it won't hurt right?

Landen: Just as long as they don't cut me it will be fine.

He was so cute and trying so hard to be brave.  While they were cutting it off he just kept saying it's not so bad.  When she pulled everything off though and he looked at his arm, he started to panic and said it looks so awful!   It was scaly and he told me just wash it and made me hold it.  They took some more X-rays and said everything looks really good.  It didn't take him long to start using it and then he kept saying look what I can do as he preceded to pick up everything in the office, run in circles so that he could fall down and use his arm and he was especially excited that he could hold onto the sucker that they gave him.

He is back to his old self and has me terrified that he will just break it again, but the doc assures me that it is solid.

Hopefully this is the last broken bone we have, but somehow that doesn't seem likely!

The cast!

A bout a week after Landen broke his arm, we went in to have a cast put on.  Apparently you have to wait that long for all the swelling to go down.

He was actually doing really well with everything.  He wasn't freaked out at all and just kept telling the doctor about motorcycles and what Santa was going to bring him for Christmas.

He was fine until they got the cast on and the doctor had to squeeze it a little to make sure everything was tight and set just right.

He started to tear up a little and the doc said he was all done.  I am not sure that Landen liked it so much and he didn't want to talk to the doctor anymore after that.

Jan. 13.  

After 4 weeks in the full arm cast, we went back in for the half arm cast.  Landen was a little nervous when they pulled out the saw to cut off the old cast.  He kept telling the nurse "make sure you don't cut me".  He was very careful with his arm and wouldn't use it at all or even put it down.  He made me hold it up the whole time.  He was pretty excited about getting a new cast, but he made sure to ask the doctor if he was going to squeeze it again.  He was fine once the doc assured him that he would not squeeze it.  He wanted a red "fire" cast this time.

Ryan came that night and sprayed cool flames on it.  He loves showing it off to everyone and "burning" them with his fire.  I think he might be sad in 2 weeks when he doesn't have his cast anymore.  It has been a great shield against all kinds of weapons and of course he won't be like the real ghost rider when he is not on fire anymore.

Christmas!!!!

The obligatory opening of pajamas on Christmas Eve.  We all got some, but the kids were definitely the cutest.

This was before the kids woke up to see what Santa had brought.  Alyssa woke up at 5:00 and I told her she had to wait at least an hour, but then we heard Camden so we decided it was o.k. to get up.  Landen was a little harder to wake up.

The lovely morning pictures.

Alyssa loves anything to do with animals.  This is not a doll stroller, but a dog stroller complete with dog carrier and doggie bed and a dog (stuffed, even as much as she tried for a real one).  

Of course anything that has wheels and can be driven makes Landen excited, so this 4-wheeler was great.  He spent all day outside in the driveway riding around.

Camden was so cute.  I don't know if she was as excited about being up in the morning as my kids were though.

Every year I wonder who has more fun, the parents or the kids.  We love seeing their faces when they see what Santa brought and as they open their gifts.  And of course if we get to play a little too that makes it even better!

Caroling

Keenan, Brittani, and Camden were with us for Christmas this year.  They wanted to go caroling so dad hooked up the trailer, found some hay and we were off.

They even hooked up a small generator so that Brittani would have a keyboard to play while we all sang.

My kids loved it, even though it was freezing!

I am not sure that this will become a tradition (those of you that heard us may be glad of this), but at least we had a lot of fun doing it.