Christmas lights

a house down the street set their lights to music

to Paka!

I had to record this just in case they do get married!!!

Happy Birthday

It has been a while since I've made a cake.....Calvin's birthday was yesterday, so I made him this cake! It sure was YUMMMY!

Little Star

Still a little unsure of some of the words, but still cute!

Just like Dad

Charley has found a love of reading....just like dad. The last few weeks, she has been sleeping with the light on. When we asked her why, she said, "so I can read my books." She has a Tinkerbell tent that we have been putting over her bed, and she'll stay up an hour or so after we put her to bed and read. She loves reading in bed, in her tent. This particular night we caught her with her book open but eyes closed.....sleeping!

***Charley still can't read....she is getting close. She can recognize some words, and is constantly with her nose in a book.....we've read each of her books tons of times, and she has most of them memorized. She'll just tell the story to herself as close as she remembers it from when we read to her. Her favorite activity is going to the library, and we can spend a few hours a week there looking at books. Which is great for me in this cold weather!

We had our ward Christmas party a week or so ago, and Santa came. When she sat on Santa's lap he asked what she wanted for Christmas, and she said "I want babies and books!" I promise I didn't tell her to say that. She loves her baby dolls, and loves books. She's a girl that knows what she wants!

4 month check up

Here are the stats: (4 months 18 days old)
weight: 14 lbs (44 %-tile)
lenght: 25 inches (64 %-tile)

Here's a funny story: While the doctor had Gabby, she tooted! The doctor looked at me and asked, "Was that her?!" Yep! He said her toots smelled worse than any baby he'd met. They smelled more like a grown-ups than a babies! That's my girl!

Cute fact about Gabby: Most babies will attach onto something to comfort them. Charley has this pink blanket she has to sleep with. Gabby has also found something to attach to.....hands. If she is ever fussy, give her your hand to hold, and you'll be amazed on how fast she'll calm down. The only down side is at nights. Most nights I am dangling my hand over the crib for her to hold, and I have to stay there until she is pretty much out and I can replace my hand with a little bunch of a blanket for her to hold!

The pictures above were taken when we were out in Omaha last month. My aunt started a little photography business, and has this cool studio set up in her house! I love the pictures!!!!! She is amazing! Thank you Aunt Chrissy!

*the "red dress" in the top picture is the dress all 5 of us girls wore when we were younger for pictures, and now the grand-babies are wearing it . It is our little tradition, and the dress is only to be worn for pictures.

Temple Square Lights

This past weekend we went up to SLC to meet some of Ben's cousins and Char and Jared, to see the lights at Temple Square! Charley thought it was pretty cool. Seeing baby Jesus was her favorite part!

The Christmas Tree

In years past, we've had a small little fake tree as our Christmas tree. We never thought it was a big deal because Charley wouldn't really care. But now that Charley is beginning to understand a lot more, we thought it would be fun! Since we are still renting, we had to get a fake tree (real trees are fire hazards)....which I kinda like better....it is a lot cleaner....and it totally just folds out into a tree....brilliant!

We had fun decorating our tree. Ben put the little hooks on the bulb, and Charley put them on the tree, and then I would re-put them on the tree! Charley put all of the bulbs on the same branch, we tried to have her spread them out, but she liked them all in one spot!

Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving at our house this year! I had so much fun setting the table. We were a little ghetto and used all paper products (courtesy of Char & Jareds Wedding.....we got the left over plates/cups/and forks!), but I think it looked cute....plus we didn't have lots of dishes! I made little paper place mats and pilgram hat and turkey cookies!

Early Christmas

Ben and I decided to get Gabby a Bumbo chair for Christmas this year. I was all about saving it for Christmas, but Ben reminded me that she could be enjoying it now, and she wouldn't even remember or care if I just rewrapped it for Christmas! So Here is Gabby enjoying her Bumbo, and Charley too....her little bum is so small she can fit in the chair too!

BYU Game!

Our friend Mark called Saturday and told us he had 4 tickets to that days game if we wanted them! Of Course we did! The weather wasn't too bad, so we bundled the girls up and went to our first home game of the season. We had AMAZING seats! 2nd row 40-yard line!

*Gabby is all bundled up in that pink pile of her coat and blankets that is on Ben's lap
*Max Hall is featured in the 2nd pic (he broke a record for all time passing in this game, he is second only to Ty Detmer)
*Harvey Unga is in the 3rd (he also broke a record in this game for rushing yards)
*Denis Pita & Andrew George are in the 3rd pic
.....we should have got autographs!

Go Cougars!

Cereal

Gabby turned 4 months this past week, and so I decided to start to introduce baby cereal. We are going to slowly introduce her....she just had a little spoonful the other day. She is still getting used to the spoon, but maybe in a few months she'll be able to eat like a pro!

I love to see the temple

While we were at home, we took the girls to the Winter Quarters Temple. We walked around the temple grounds and cemetary, and toured the visitors center.

Best Buds

We went home last week to visit family, and Charley and Gabby got to spend time with their cousin Bella! Bella & Charley had so much fun! Charley kept telling every one that they were best friends. I am so glad they get a long, and love each other so much!

Gabby is 4 months!

Disclaimer: You may want to cover your ears!


Gabby has two volume levels.....off or very loud! Believe it or not, this is Gabby's happy squeals! She just wants to be heard! But we love our little Gabbers!

"Faith, Trust, Pixie Dust!"

If Halloween with the girls was this much fun, I can't wait until Christmas!!!!

I love having kids at holidays. They make everything 10 times better! This year I made the girls costumes...they were Tinkerbell & Rosetta! (Rosetta is the Garden Fairy in the movie.) We did a trunk or treat with the ward last week, and then last night I took the girls to the houses in our neighborhood. We went early, and made it home before it got too dark, we were only out for an hour. My sister, Jordan, came over to see the girls dressed up, and ended up coming with us trick or treating, and Ben stayed home to pass out candy, he hasn't been feeling good, so it actually worked out. I am so proud of Charley, she totally said "trick or treat" at every house and even said "Thank You!". I didn't even have to prompt her. After every house she would giggle, and tell me, "this is fun!", and then run to the next house. She loved telling everyone she was Tinkerbell, and at one house there was a little vampire boy at the doorstep with us, and the lady said, "Wow, your scary" (referring to the little boy). Then Charley said, "I'm not scary, I'm Tinkerbell!" She was pretty much the cutest little fairy out there! We took Gabby along with us, but she stayed in the stroller most of the night.

We took the girls pictures earlier in the day. I'm so grateful Ben is so good with a camera! I think they turned out Amazing! But you really can't go wrong when the girls are so dang cute!

p.s. the heading is a line from the new Tinkerbell movie!

Rolling Over!

Gabbers started rolling over today!

In rememberance of....

Billy.....Billy was a 1980's something ugly brown car that I had a total of 2 months. It was my sisters old car I got when she went off to college, and it was my older brothers car before that.....and we got it used. That poor thing was in like 5 accidents (none were mine) and I remember it would only go like 25 miles an hour going up the hill to school. It died on me the week before Thanksgiving. I was dropping my friend Analisa off at her house, and on the way home (during rush hour traffic on about 42nd and Center in Omaha). A cop had to stop traffic so it could push me over to the side until I could get it towed. There were many drivers who were mad at me that day!

Betty was my next car.....Betty was a 1992 Chevy Cavalier I bought from my Aunt Carmella. I loved that thing! It had a lot of miles on it so Mom and Dad wouldn't let me take it out to BYU. But while my mom was driving home one day, she saw my grandma driving the opposite direction. Since it was only a block or so away from home, and hardly anyone drove on that street, she stopped and reversed to talk to grandma. Only that day someone decided to drive on our street, and she rammed Betty into the other car. Betty was all smashed in....The car still ran fine, but she wasn't very pretty....I think my parents sold her for a $1 to someone they knew that needed a car.

Netty was the next car.....Netty was a 2000 Ford Escort. I had her for a few years while I was in college. She was a good car. But toward the end she started struggling. I decided to sell her before she cost more to upkeep than she was worth. I put in a new battery and gave her some new tires. She sold after a few weeks of advertising. I promise she ran perfect up until the day I sold her. The girl that bought the car came by, signed the papers, and gave me the money, and went out to start the car and NOTHING!!!....the car wouldn't start. I had no idea what to do. So I just stayed in the house (I know I am a loser!.....) After a few minutes she left, and I was actually dating Ben at the time, and just left to go meet him. When I came back later that night the car was gone. I don't really know what happened with that. She never came back to the house to ask for her money back, and I assume she either got it started or had it towed. I still feel really bad about that......

BB (Black Beauty was my latest car) was a 2004 Chevy Cavalier. She was great. I bought her new from my cousin. He worked at a dealership and got me a great deal! ....the family discount. So I got her pretty cheap. She worked great, and had really low miles on her. Since we bought our new car, we needed to sell her. She just wasn't big enough to fit us anymore. We cleaned her up, and tooks some pics and posted her on ksl classifieds.....literally 15 minutes after we put her up, we got calls. And almost exactly 12 hours after we posted her, we sold her. She will be missed!

Which brings us to our current car....the newest member of our family. Our Honda Pilot....we got her used, but she is in great shape and we already love her! We are still thinking of a name for her. Ben likes the names dirt or mud. .....she is a brown/tan color car. But we plan on having her for a long time. She is an eight seater, so she'll be able to grow with us! But for now we have the 3rd row down and I have a spacious trunk!

I have loved all my cars.....may they be in better places!

Bilingual....

Thank you Dora the Explorer!....

Say Hello...

Gabby Gabbing!

the ongoing debate

Ben and I are in need of new cars....for various reasons:
1. With a growing family, our little sedan is getting too cramped
2. My little car is automatic nothing!....I have to unlock my door then reach back and unlock the the back doors...all with a toddler running around and a car seat in hand.
3. Now that we live by Thanksgiving Point....it is SOOOOOOOOO windy up here. My car is so light the wind plus ice factor will throw my car all over. (there is a reason why all the paragliding people are jumping off the point of the mountain!) And from what our neighbors have told us. Lehi is a small spread out town....and their road clearing organization is not very good....and our roads aren't cleared very well. Cars get stuck going out of our subdivision.
4. I have 2 babies I need to tote around and want something safer!....

And that is just my car....Ben's car is falling apart little by little. Eventually we'll replace our cars, but right now we are going to replace mine first.

We are deciding between a Honda Pilot, and a Honda Odessy. They are both similar in price, and reliability....The pilot has 4 wheel drive and looks cool! and the odessy is a mini van...probably more practical but is only a 2 wheel drive. I think it is a pride issue with me where I really don't want to drive a mini van, but I decided to be open minded and test drive one. It really wasn't that bad, it drove great, but it is hard to get past the fact that it is a mini van! However, driving up the hill tonight to our house, I can see how the pilot would be more reliable. What to do, what to do.....really...????? We are wanting to get a new one before we go out of town this weekend. (we are driving down to Vegas for the football game!!! Go BYU!!!)

P.S......does anyone or know anyone who would want a cute 2004 black Chevy Cavalier.....she's been so good to me....her name is BB (black beauty) if you want to adopt her!

Gabby Girl

This may be kinda boring for some, but I think it's cute. I'm mainly putting this up for the grandparents....the video was too big to email. Now anyone who wants to can enjoy my chubbers! As of last monday, she is two months old....so I guess she is 2 months and 1 week!

Hannah Montana dance

So we rented the "Hannah Montana" movie from redbox, and Charley fell in love with the line dance song they do....you'll have to watch the movie. But this is what Charley has been doing all day! It isn't really what they do, this is just her interpretation of it. And she calls it her "Hannah Montana Song".

The Results are IN.....

.....Ben Passed!!!!!.....Last Thursday the girls and I were already planning on taking Ben out to lunch. On the way out to meet Ben I decided to check the mail. In our mail box was a letter from the Utah State Bar. We hurried to meet Ben to give him the letter....we knew the results were supposed to arrive any day. It was really exciting to open the letter, and for it to tell us that he passed! So our lunch turned into us Celebrating! The letter enclosed his score....and for the amount of hours he actually put in studying, he did really well! We were a little scared because the month he took off of work to study was filled with moving, the new baby and family in town. We know the Lord really has blessed us! Congrats Ben! I always knew you could do it!

Ben says that you can now call him Esquire!!....He even got his business cards made....so official!

Halloween Preview

I asked Charley what she wanted to be for Halloween this year, and even though she has been Tinkerbell for the last 2 years....she said she wanted to be Tinkerbell again. Her old Tinkerbell costume is a tad small, so I am going to make her a new one....and since Charley wanted to be Tinkerbell, we are going to make Gabby a Rosetta outfit (the Spring Time fairy in the movie)...and I am going to be Silver Mist, the water fairy.....don't even ask....Ben is not dressing up this year.....Ben dressed up as Peter Pan Charley's first halloween...and I was Wendy....but I had to pull out all my favors on that one.

I still have to finish making the shirt and wings....but here is the skirts/tutus that the girls will be wearing! I think they turned out cute!

All Smiles!

Gabby is about 7 weeks, and she has started smiling! It is so cute. And each day she smiles more and more! She is such a happy baby!

Cougaretts!

Football season is HERE!!...and we LOVE IT!....
Go Cougars!!!!

First Haircut!

So Charley is about 2 1/2, and a few weeks ago we finally trimmed her hair. Ben wanted a lot more cut, off...and he almost gave me a heart attack when he was teasing me that he was going to cut more. We only cut an inch or so to even out some of the awkward strands. Ben had to cut it, I couldn't bare.

Before

After

She is getting so Big!!

I love my beautiful girls! They have been such a blessing! They are growing up so fast, it's hard to keep up!....Charley needed new tennis shoes, and she has been wearing a size 7, but when we went to the store, the size 8's just looked too big. We didn't believe that she actually wore that big of a shoe. So we bought a size 7 & 8 just to be sure, and sure enough, we have to take the 7's back. Gabby is getting to be a little chunk!....I just want to squeeze her all the time!

Gabby Blessing

I didn't get a picture of everyone that was at the blessing/lunch....but here are the Schramm's. Atuaia's, and Zendejas'. My parents have more pictures on their blog of the blessing and of Charley and Gabby on Temple Square during the Sealing, while they were watching them. Their link is off to the side under Grandpa & Nana Z....if you were interested.

wedding part 2