Fun Family Times

So this is not so much a fun family moment but I think Tanner might finally be potty trained.  He has been completely capable of using the toilet for some time but he has chosen not to.  In fact, he had used the toilet more times than any of the other kids before actually regularly using the toilet.  There were several times he purposely peed and pooped in the the tub or shower because he didn't want to use the toilet.  He enjoyed the convenience of diapers.  Some days he would want to be a big boy and then the next day when I tried to get him to use the toilet he would tell me "no, I just want to be a little boy."  There was one day when he would run screaming from me because he didn't want to use the toilet.  So as you can see this is a big, exciting moment.  I had nightmares that he would be in kindergarten still wearing diapers.  I don't fully trust him yet so he is my only child that will use pull-ups regularly.

In other fun moments, last night we took the kids out for ice cream for reaching a goal.  The goal was to pay attention and not be wild during scripture study for 5 nights out of 6.  We went to Cold Stone and Kelsey had white chocolate chips as a mix-in.  She began pulling some out because she said there were too many.  Brian scooped up one chocolate chip on his spoon asking her if she was going to eat them.  Her response was that she wasn't so Brian popped it into his mouth.  As soon as he swallowed it she starts laughing and says "you know those were in my mouth, don't you."  He is a little grossed out and asked why she didn't say anything before.  "Because I wanted to see you eat one."  Kelsey!  She is quite the tease.  She is quick-witted and likes to get a laugh.  There are times when she tries our patience and we try not to laugh as she does it.  Other times she tries our patience and we have a hard time controlling the anger that simmers from her comments. Sigh.

 At Cold Stone

In other good news, I beat Macy and Brian in monopoly tonight.  Macy didn't listen to her dad's strong advice because she had her own plan and then they were in a negotiations stand-off.  This allowed me to slip in for the win.  It was a sweet feeling since Macy beat me the other night when I played her and Brian has a tendency to win most of the games we play.  Sequence and Rummicube are the only ones I can consistently win at.  I think I might have finally gotten the upper hand at Ticket to Ride but it has been awhile.

December was a Great Month

Some of the highlights are:

• After Brian was released from the bishopric he thought he might have a little break and breath a little, especially because he is starting to get a grip on work, but the very afternoon he was released the new bishop came by and asked him to be young mens president.  For the time being and as long as it works for our family, I will stay in as young womens secretary.  So far Brian says young mens president is more work than being in the bishopric.
• This year my siblings decided not to give gifts to one another this year.  Instead we went to the nickelcade with the kids and then after left them with Macy and Kelsey to babysit while we went to the new Star Wars movie.

Basketball started for Kelsey and Braden.  She has great coaches and a fun team.

 The kids and I went to see the candy windows at the South Jordan City Center.  They were pretty cool.  Macy went too but wouldn't be in the picture

 Above is Braden's Christmas List.  It says:
To Santa from Braden this is what I want
$160 (he wants to buy his own mini ipad because we won't get him one but said he could save up and buy it himself)
wii U
Minecraft
hatchimal
a big photo booth
a soccer field
a medium size tramp (a friend has a smaller tramp in their basement)
I want more legos
I want the movie BFG it stands for big friendly giant
and I want beanie boos
and I want football gear
and I want a football game on the xbox it is a football game
and I want a hamster
and I want a remote control helicopter
and I want a nerf zombie strike gun
and I want spray for a football field (he explained to me that he wanted to spray his own field on the side of our house)

 Tanner rearranged my nativity one day.  I call it "Oh come let us adore Him"

 I made gingerbread houses from scratch and the kids decorated them.  Tanner was a maniac and had to most of it buy himself.

 Macy's

 Kelsey's

 Tanner's

 Braden's

 Tanner went to the Dicken's Festival with grandma, grandpa and Stefanie while I went shopping

 Tanner was given bath fizzes that colored the water.  He had to use all 4 colors at once even thought I told him it would make it brown.  He said he wanted it brown.

Brian really enjoyed playing with the kids new remote control helicopters after they were in bed.  He also spent some time playing one of their new video games after they were asleep.

2015 re-cap

I guess this is a 2015 re-cap.

February
Macy made it to the regional science fair at BYU.  The regional science fair was in April.

We took a trip to St. George to visit grandma and grandpa.

Braden played basketball.

Celebrated my birthday with chocolate cake.

Macy froze while skiing.

Tanner throwing one of his monstrous tantrums in the hallway of the school.

March
Brian and I took a trip back to Kauai.  The kids were upset that we didn't take them.

 Me eating a hot dog and liking it.  It helped that it was more of a polish dog and had pineapple mustards and mango somethings, etc on the dog.

 Hike on the southern side.

 Our ATV tour to see beautiful surroundings and movie back drops.

 The rope swing from Indiana Jones.

 Secret cave on the south side where native royalty would go to hide.

 View from our balcony.

 Hanalei Bay

 A point where we hiked to.

 Stopped by a restaurant we went to on our honeymoon.  We almost had to to dishes to pay for our meal because they didn't except Amex and we left the visa at the condo.  Luckily I had thrown cash into the glove compartment.

 Met up with friends from home (Clint and Kelli Hansen) who happened to be vacationing there the same time we were.  We went on a hike with them through a mahogany farm and came to a pretty pond.  We saw these signs along the trail.

 Exotic foods from the farmers market.

 Surfing the last day.

 April
Tanner helped me with yard clean up.

 Then he got himself stuck/lost in a window well.  I could hear this faint "mom, mom" because he was stuck.

 We dyed Easter eggs.

 The kids made their fort for conference.

 Chased baby chicks.

 Braden started baseball.

 May
Tanner thought the dryer was a good place to hang out.

 Then he wanted to see so he solved this problem by dumping out the dirty rags and using the basket as a step stool.

 Probably not the best idea.

 Parent night at rock climbing.

 Macy's violin recital.  After 1 year in the school orchestra and then 1 year with a private teacher she switched to voice.

Took a trip with the our friends, the Kirchens and Hodlmairs, to my uncle's home in St. George.

Backyard remodel started.

June
Taylor's wedding

 Tanner enjoying some root beer.

 Brian and I were a "ma and pa" for our ward youth conference pioneer trek.

July
Trip to Island Park with Grandma Carol and the rest of the family.

 Walking with their buddy Nelson.

 Strolling with grandpa.

After Island Park I went river rafting in Moab for our ward girl's camp.  Macy was really bummed she couldn't go but all of her friends in the neighborhood were able to attend because they are a year older.

Tanner's birthday

Trip to St. George with Grandma Wendy and the rest of the family.

In July our backyard was completed.

August
School begins.
Kelsey is in 4th grade.

 Macy is in 6th grade.

 Braden is in 1st grade.

 Tanner wants to go to school too.

 When I won't let him this is how he decided to spend his time, playing the wii.  He wasn't very good.

 We went on a hike to Lake Mary.

 And we visited the Jordan River Temple for FHE.

September
Macy turned in her soccer cleats for cheer shoes.
Morgan, our niece, was married.
Braden played soccer and started piano.

 Kelsey played volleyball and is still taking piano.

At the kids jog-a-thon Braden ran 2 miles. Braden was mad because a friend beat him by 1 lap.  Last year he ran the most laps in kindergarten and wanted the same spot.

 Kelsey ran 1.8 miles.

 

We were given lots of tickets to a suite at Rio Tinto stadium to see the Monarchs play.  The kids were able to take a friend.  I don't anyone watched the game.  They only ate the free food.

I guilted Brian into helping me remodel the front flower bed.  I added a drip, laid a pathway, tore out old plants and planted new.  We will see how it turned out next year.

October
 Tanner playing chef.

Kelsey and Braden being goofy.

 Macy made some demands.

We went to Temple Square.

Halloween

 Tanner's pumpkin has the binky.  We weren't going to carve one for him until he demanded it.

 Kelsey did the cat and cut most of it herself.

 Braden was the gnome and did it all by himself.

 Macy was the bat and I did most of it for her.

November
Tanner found swim goggles and they gave him super powers.  He could run "super fast" and would run around the house with this arms out stretched behind him.  He had to wear his goggles to parent teacher conferences.  There were a few giggles as he walked by.  Macy was embarrassed and made him take them off.

 Kelsey got glasses in November and looks super cute in them.

Kelsey had her 10th birthday party at Discovery Gateway with all her friends.