Lukes Birthday Pictures

These are only a few of my favorites. Casey always does such a great job. This place we went to was so fun. They had all kinds of old antiques that you were allowed to use as props in your pictures. Plus there was a barn and a waterfall and a road lined with trees plus an 2 old trucks. Luke had a great time deciding what he wanted to use in his pictures.

Luke turns 4!

This year for Lukes 4th birthday he wanted only to get Bak-U-Gones (I have no idea how to spell that). And that is what he got. We didn't have a big party, only my family came over for small cakes that were frosted and decorated by the kids. They had fun putting way to many sprinkles on the cakes.

Also, every year Brads work has a party somewhere pretty cool. This year the party was at the Olympic Park and was on Lukes birthday. We told him we were going somewhere really cool. Turns out the girls had fun, but Luke was too small and I was too pregnant to go on most the the cool rides except for the ski lift. While dad took the girls on the zip line, Luke and I rode the ski lift which was okay because Luke had fun.

We also got to watch the skiiers do a show, complete with fireworks.

First Day of School

The kids were so excited for the first day of school. New clothes, New backpacks, and a new school which means new friends.

Cute kids, Brooke 4th grade, Kennedi 3rd grade, and Trista 1st grade. I thought having them gone all day I would get a lot done, not so. Luke has no one but me to play with, and although I love that he wants me to play with him, it's very hard to get stuff done. So I try to get lots of stuff done while he is at preschool on Tues. and Thursdays, at least for the next 7 weeks.

Lukes first day of preschool with his head freshly shaven, his new light-up G.I. Joe backpack on and wearing his "school" shoes he was very excited to finally get to go to school.

What's This??

Braces on eight and nine year old kids, what will they think of next?



This last weekend our family got to hike to the "Y" with the cub scouts. Here is the family sitting at the top of the "Y."

So, it's been awhile, but here I am once again. Just a quick update on what's been going on in our busy lives.

We had our school science fair in January. Brooke and her friend Elsie did their project on Evaporation.



And Kennedi did hers on Electic Motors. In the lower elementary the kids are encouraged to do a project, but everyone receives an award. Only starting in the 4th grade do the kids start to get judged for placement.

Trista's birthday came and went. She wanted Kangaroo Zoo and The Training Table. She got Pretzel Time and the playground at University Mall. This year Trista shared her birthday with Kennedi's company showcase. We spent the evening watching the companies from Center Stage perform their dances.

Kennedi and her friends, Kennedee and Paige in their Hip Hop costumes.

Brooke and Kennedi got to participate in the school spelling bee. There were kids from 1-6th grade. Brooke tried really hard, but got out pretty quick, while Kennedi took 5th place. Good job girls, were proud of both of you for doing your best.

Just this past weekend Brad and I went to the Vanilla Ice/MC Hammer concert at the McKay Events Center. We had so much fun. The concert itself was a bit disappointing, but seeing 18-20 yr olds wear 80's clothing was funny. Seeing as how they probably were in diapers when those 2 were popular.

And then, on Saturday, I went with Kennedi and spent five hours at Thanksgiving Point for her first dance competition. They performed three dances: Hip Hop, Lyrical and Jazz, and they took 1st place for all of them. Their team also took the all around for their age group, and Center Stage took the Studio all around award. They did so good, their next performance will be an overnight trip to Logan in March. Can't wait!

These are the girls on her team, minus two that left before the awards.

Anyways, that's only part one, so watch for the other part coming soon, or maybe not. We'll see.

Brad released another app for the iphone, very cool. Luke likes to take pictures of everyone and blow on the phone to burn it up. Check it out on itunes.

A Busy, but Fun Week

I wrote this post many weeks ago, the news is so old, but I decided to post it anyways.

So in the last week we have had many things to be thankful for. First of which Kennedi became the newest member of our ward. She was baptized on January 31st at 3:30pm. She was smiling so big all day and she kept asking me "what time is it," or "how much longer." I love that she was so excited. Earlier in the month when we were talking about getting baptized Brad challenged Kennedi to pray about whether or not Heavenly Father wanted her to get baptized. So she did. She came back with a positive answer that nothing would make Him happier. After her baptism we invited all of our family back to our house for Hawaiian Haystacks and Cinnimon Rolls. It's always fun to get together with family.

At the church right before the baptism.



These two pictures were taken by my friend Casey, great job my friend.





The next Wednesday was Brads birthday. We didn't celebrate to much because I had a parents meeting that same night for Kennedi's dance company, but the kids had fun choosing gifts to give to him and we sang and had chocolate cupcakes later that night.

The Friday following that Wednesday was Trista's birthday. The kids had early out that day, but Kennedi's dance showcase was that day also so we had to find something that we could do that would be but also not to time consuming because we had to be at the Red Barn @ Thanksgiving Point by 2:00. So we went to the mall and got pretzels and cheese dip and played on the new playground for awhile. The kids had a ton of fun.

Like I said before, Kennedi's showcase was that night and her company was so good and their costumes were really cute. They danced big and had smiles on their faces the whole time and really got the crowd going with their dances, expecially with their Hip Hop dance. If I knew how to put video on here I would but until then I only have this one picture.

After they were done dancing we went out to eat at JCW's (Trista's pick) for her birthday with Grandma and Grandpa Childs, who also came and watched Kennedi dance.

What A week! Sometimes I complain about how busy we are, but I kind of like it. Someone told me that it's better to be busy than to be board. I quite agree. Plus I am giving my kids skills that they could potentially use later in their lives.

It's Your Birthday Baby!!!

Happy birthday Brad, I love you.

Through the Holidays

We had a great Christmas. On Christmas Eve grandma and grandpa Childs came over. We made ginger bread houses, and opened presents from grandma and grandpa. They also got new P.J's. Christmas morning at our house was exciting for the everyone. The girls all had really long lists, but in the end they were the happiest with their Peak-A- Barbies, Cupcake Maker, and the Easy Bake Oven. In case you don't know what Peek-A-Boo Barbie are, they are tiny barbies that come in a cases that are shaped like Flowers, Ballet Slippers, Ice Cream Cones, Rubies (or different stones), and many other things. After Christmas we even found one that was shaped like Hello Kitty. I have to admit, sometimes I buy these toys because I think they are cute which sometimes turns out to be a waste because the girls don't like them. But these Barbies are cute.

Present from grandparents: Water babies and blankets for the babies. And Luke got Spider Web with little balls to shoot across the room.



New P.J.'s



Brooke with her Peek-A-Boo Barbie house.



For New Years Eve we had my family over. We ate a lot of food, and played some games, while the cousins played together, enjoying the chance to stay up later that usual (8:00).

Just shortly after the holidays, we celebrated Kennedi's eighth birthday. We went rollar-skating, and had dinner at Burger King (her pick, not mine) and she also got her ears pierced with small shiny flowers. She looks so grown up.





We had a combined Birthday party for the ladies that all had birthday's the same weekend in Brad's family. Starting with Linda (on the 10th), then Kennedi (on the 11th (turning 8)), and Morgan (on the 12th (turning 9)). Kennedi told me that she liked being the same age as Morgan, even if it was for only one day.



Kennedi is a very sweet girl that tries hard to do what is right, and make others happy. She dances on a dance company for Center Stage, and is very good. She has perfected her splits and is getting better at her leaps. She has an infectious smile and laugh that our family loves. She gets a lot of comments on the color of her beautiful red hair, and the glasses she started wearing the beginning of the summer. She loves to make up games with her sisters, and is a great help with Luke when we need to hurry. She always wants to help me cook dinner and is willing to do almost anything around the house. Kennedi is really excited to get baptized, and loves her new white dress, rhine-stoned to perfection. I love Kennedi and her sweet spirit and am glad she is in my family.

In between all of these activities we had the chance to visit the dentist where everyone was declared cavity free. This was also Luke's first visit to the dentist where he cried when he couldn't be first in the chair, and screamed at the hygienist until she let him clean his own teeth with the "spinny brush." The hygienist said he was the first kid she had ever had that wanted to clean his own teeth, so she let him do it.



Now that the Nutcracker is over, Brooke has gotten back into ballet at Center Stage in the level 3 class which meets twice a week. Trista is talking a Jazz class once a week, Luke continues to ask when he gets to start his class, and through the month of January Kennedi is dancing 4 times a week and then it will be back to two times. Kennedi is going to be in the Company Showcase Recital at The Thanksgiving Point Barn on February 6. If anyone is interest in attending, let me know for tickets.

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

My kids were talking just the other day about how they really wanted to have a white Christmas. In their opinion it would be a better Christmas with snow. Well, I think that their wish came true.

Brad and I shoveled the driveway four different times today while Luke and Trista played in the piles that were slowing getting larger along the edges of the driveway and Brooke and Kennedi made their first, very own "dirty" snowman. They called it "dirty" because they dug into the flower beds and rubbed dirt all over the front of their snowman.



Luke, sitting in his snow chair, I think it's great that he loves snow so much. He is always begging someone to please come outside and watch him play in the snow.



Brooke and Kennedi with their "dirty " snowman.

I am not a huge snow lover, but I do love the way Christmas lights shine from under the snow, and everything looks so peaceful. On the way to a party someone in the car commented how the neighborhoods looked like a fairy tale, I couldn't have agreed more.

Dancing In December

So this December has been full of fun dancing oppertunities for all of my girls. Let's start with the Nutcracker. Brooke and Trista had the chance to perform at Thanksgiving Point last Monday and Tuesday. Although it was a ton of work for them to learn the dances, they really enjoyed the end product. Brooke had two parts, that of a Bon Bon, and also a soldier. Trista got to play the part of a mouse which was not a part that she would care to have again. The Saturday before the Thanksgiving Point performances parts of the Nutcracker were shown at BYU in the ballroom.

Brooke and Zoe backstage getting ready to perform at BYU. Isn't she just the cutest? She loves to wear her hair in ringlets. Brooke is such a beatiful girl, I love it when she is doing something that she loves because her eyes sparkle and her smile shines.



This is Brooke dancing the part of the Bon Bon at BYU.



Brooke and Trista in their soldier and mouse costumes. I never thought I would say this about a mouse, but I think that this is the cutest one that I have ever seen.



Kennedi's Ballet class had a cute performance in the studio at Center Stage,



And just last night she performed her Jazz number for the parents and friends and family. She was supposed to perform at the Covey Art Center a few weeks ago, but that got canceled due to unsafe dancing conditions.

Kennedi is the one in the front of the picture, not wearing her glasses. Maybe we are just proud parents, but Brad and I both agreed that Kennedi was the best in the group.



We are proud of all of our girls, and their love of dancing. Way to go girls, we love you.

And I had to throw in that we saw Santa at our ward Christmas Party. Brooke is getting to old to sit on Santa's lap. or so she says. HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!!

I have to tell you that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Christmas. Brad would say it's because I have an excuse to go shopping, but I would say that's not the only reason. I love the lights, the music, the trees, I even love wrapping paper. Something about red and green and silver and sometimes, depending on how it is used, blue.

In our family I am the one dragging out the Christmas tree and setting it up the day after Thanksgiving. For the last two or three years I have been bugging Brad about getting a newer, bigger tree. One that has lots a bushy branches. I got the okay this year but when got to looking there wasn't anything out there that I really liked. I have in my head the picture of a perfect tree and nothing out there matched. Brad suggested that we try a real tree instead, and for some reason I got really excited. I went looking with the kids at a place called North Pole Trees. They found one, and I agreed that it was a great looking tree. We brought it home and set it up, and I am hoping that it will last until Christmas with some green branches left. But I have to say, I LOVE the smell!

Brooke's Photos

Brooke got her pictures taken (also by Casey J.) on her birthday. We haven't had to much luck with school pictures so we usually get them taken by someone else. She looks so grown up in these pictures. Love you Brooke!!