Great to be Eight!

Zac's birthday celebrations started a week early when Joseph took Zac to his first BYU football game. It was cold and rainy, but the cougars won. He loved it and can't wait to go again.

The Saturday before his birthday, we invited some friends for a pizza party. It was a little crazy; about what you would expect with six 8 year old boys and a few sisters running around. The energy level in our living room skyrocketed.

My favorite game was the cookie-0n-the-forehead game. Each boy got a vanilla wafer on his forehead. He had to manage to get the cookie in his mouth without using their hands. A few of them actually did it. It was hilarious to watch.

The boys really liked the unwrap-the-candy bar game. When they rolled doubles, they got a turn to unwrap the candy bar while wearing oven mitts. It was loud and wild and exactly what they wanted.

The day before his birthday, we had the family party. Grandpa, Grandma, Nicole, Emily and Chris all came to help us celebrate. Star Wars was the theme of the day. A little last minute coordination helped us all avoid duplicate gifts. He scored great Lego Star Wars stuff, including the Wii game he was hoping for. He campaigns to play it daily.

As you can tell, the Lego Star Wars shirt was a huge hit as well. Thanks, Aunt Nicole.

Zac wanted a chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting. And that is what he got. I love that his cake requests are getting simpler.

We wore Sam right out. Good thing Uncle Chris was there to snuggle. I think Chris was ready for a nap, too.


As luck would have it, November Pack Night was the day after Zac's birthday so he got to go. He looked way too grown up in his Cub Scout shirt. They gave him all kinds of things including some neckerchief slides and a board to hang them on, an actual neckerchief and a plaque with the Cub Scout promise. He also got flipped upside down to remind him to do a good "turn" daily. I am so grateful that we have amazing Cub leaders in our pack. Zac loves scouts and has already earned his Bobcat.




And, of course, the best part of turning eight was Zac's baptism. He was baptized on Dec. 4th, the same day I was baptized (a few years ago). It was a special day for our whole family. I am proud of Zac for deciding to be baptized. Thanks for setting a good example, Zac. We love you!

Trick or Treat

After months (literally) of planning what they would be, the kids finally got to dress up for Halloween. We spent many a mealtime conversation discussing options and making suggestions. This is what they finally came up with. They got to don their costumes three times: at school for the Halloween parade, for the ward party and for the actual trick or treating.

Brooklyn settled on Tinkerbell. Actually, she was the first one to make a final decision. She insisted on wearing her costume to the school parade. Two of her friends showed up in costume to watch their older siblings as well. The wings did not work too well, but she was thrilled nonetheless.

Ally wanted to be a cow. We have a great cow costume in our stash so it worked perfectly. It fit her and her personality. She is too fun.

Zac considered several Star Wars options and decided to be Anakin. I did my best to whip up a Star Warish tunic. It turned out OK. He was disappointed that the "no weapons rule" applied to lightsabers, but he understood. I was proud of him for choosing to follow the rule despite what the other kids might do. What a great kid.

Sariah wins the prize for changing her mind the most. We were getting her dressed for Activity Days (her first opportunity to dress up) when she changed her mind yet again. She had decided on a cheerleader, but when it came time to actually put on the outfit, she wasn't too sure. So, we quickly taped some Smarties to her jeans and sent her out the door as a "smarty pants." She loved it and stuck with it, you just can't see her pants in this picture.

Sam was not particularly impressed with his first Halloween. It could have had something to do with the fact that we stuffed him into a fleece pumpkin suit that was a little small for him. He sure looked cute, though. He humored us long enough for us to take a few pictures.

He much preferred his more casual Frankenstein bib.

He also rather enjoyed his Halloween card from Grandma Walker. He actually tried to eat it. Next year we will let you have some candy, little man.

Fall Fun

Fall 2010 was full of little events that kept us busy. This post is dedicated to a few of those moments. Sam was very patient as we hauled him everywhere we needed to be. Here is is hanging out on Aunt Emily's couch while Sariah had her piano lesson.

Sam decided to learn to sit up. He started with the help of his Boppy pillow. Now he is a pro. He has since learned to get down from a sitting position and roll/scoot himself to get what he wants. We are helping his siblings understand that their toys are no longer safe on the floor, especially all the little Polly Pocket sized stuff.

Sam and Brook are getting to be good friends while the big kids are at school.

Sam also celebrated his half birthday. Following family tradition, he got half a birthday cake. Well, he got to look at it and we ate it. Sorry, dude. You can have your cake and it too next time.

We broke out the saucer for Sam to play in. He loves it and so do the rest of the kids. The first few days it was out, each time someone walked by it, they turned on some sort of music or played with a toy. It about drove me bonkers, but it is great for him to have a place to play while I make dinner or grade papers.

We took our monkeys to the zoo during fall break. Our family loves the zoo, especially Sariah. She is particularly fond of the camels.

In October, we hit a pumpkin patch with our good friends. It has become an annual tradition that kids won't let us forget. It's OK because the adults look forward to it, too. Between the two families we now have 9 kids, with number 10 about to make her debut, tomorrow in fact. Wow! Who would have thought our little families would grow so quickly. My favorite part of this picture is Brook's self imposed bunny ears.

A not so fun part of fall is the annual flu shot. We bribe the kids by taking them out to dinner after we are done. Here we are sporting our band aids. Maybe someday we'll be able to get our shots without all the drama we are privileged with now. I'll spare you the details.




This fall the kids made a great discovery . . . LEGOS! Uncle Chris and Aunt Emily came to babysit one morning and Chris brought his collection. One time was all it took; they were hooked. Joseph was pretty excited to join the fun when we got home. Legos made it onto each of their Christmas lists and we now have some of our own. Once again we are thankful for our super cool uncle.

Family Pics

My amazing brother-in-law has done a little photography work on the side and wanted to try family pictures. We immediately volunteered to be his guinea pigs. We are thrilled with the results. Thanks, Chris!

Back to School

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to school. We all mourned the easy going summer days. I love having my kids home and there is an actual ache in my heart when it is time to send them back. I was a little lost those first few days. I missed my kids. It does make it easier knowing that they like school and that we go to an amazing elementary school.

Zac is in second grade and hit the jackpot this year. His three best friends are in his class, along with other friends he enjoys. His teacher is great, too. He still comes home filthy from his recess adventures. He is learning and gaining confidence. He made a goal to read 8,000 minutes this year. He is on track and will make it as long as we can keep finding Star Wars books to read.

Third grade has been a bit of an adjustment for Sariah. Her best friend moved and her other favorite friend is in another class. She is making new friends and is still as social as ever. I get regular phone calls from Sariah just to let me know how her day is going. The secretary recently called with a "message" from Sariah. I guess Sariah had tried to call, the phone was busy and the secretary promised to keep trying. Sariah needed me to know that she was in charge of the treat for family night and she wanted chocolate chip cookies and if she waited until after school to tell me, I would not have time to make them. Dad stopped for cookies on his way home and we had a little chat about appropriate uses of the phone at school. I love that girl. And I love the secretaries and teachers at school who love her, too.



My sweet Ally started Kindergarten! Can I really have three kids in school? Yikes. She was beyond ready. Ally LOVES school and her teacher. She has the same teacher Zac and Sariah had; she's amazing. Ally is a great reader. Her favorite books are Dr. Seuss and Magic Treehouse. Just the other day she was whipping through a new book and she looked at me and said, "You just can't stop this great reader!" I love that confidence. She got to decorate a paper doll Ally to bring on her first day. She thoroughly enjoyed that project and all others that have come home since. I have learned to let her do it. Any suggestion I make is immediately rejected, even when she asks for it. She'll say, "Mom, what color should I color the house?" I'll say, "How about blue?" Ally: "Naw. I want to color it red." She definitely has a mind of her own. She is a social butterfly and probably needs a calendar to keep track of all her play date invitations. What will Jr. High be like? You are right; I don't want to know.

And Brook? She was just as excited as the big kids. She keeps me company and helps take care of Sam. She loves to help me run errands while the kids are at school. But her favorite thing is when she can have a friend come over and play. Before I even know it she'll be off to school herself. Time goes too fast. I just have to soak in these days when the world is still full of wonder for them. It will be gone in the blink of an eye.