October in a Nutshell

We have a general rule in our house that when you turn five, you are too big to ride in the stroller.  On occasion, we let that rule slide (tantrums trump to save my sanity!).  So, we improvise, and, Carson climbs in the bottom of the stroller.  

So, are we playing basketball, baseball, or dress up??

"My Chew-yo!"  (I'm regretting ever sharing my Costco treat with this cute boy.)

When the only TV is in mommy and daddy's room, and, there's a HUGE cabinet in the living room, where you normally play...you spend a lot of time on mommy and daddy's bed watching Disney Channel.

Papa Dale and Grammy Tammy BBQ'd in Dana Point, so we went down and camped overnight.  Complete with a tent, sleeping bags, and s'mores!

Carson is always looking for an opportunity to build something!

On the first, cold, rainy day of fall, this is how I found Carson napping.  (Hey, he was asleep!)

Just doing homework.

 I've been promising the kids we can get an ice cream if we make it back to Main Street without tantrums.  After 6 months of Disney passes, I finally paid up.  And, boy, was I glad! (The trick is to leave without squeezing in one.more.ride.)

We love it when the Hursts come to town!  Disneyland fun!

Sadie has been watching a particular movie lately.

I went to a bridal shower for my cousin and had the wonderful opportunity of seeing my great-aunts! I love Aunt Barbara and Aunt Joy!

Carson decided he was too big for diapers.  So, he started potty training.  It went well for a few days, but, now, it's a struggle.  And, just for the record, I learned my lesson with the first two about potty training young.  I did NOT initiate this one!

Morgan cracks me up!  She's always curious about what it was like "way back in the nineteens!"  So, she asked her dad a few questions and wrote a little report about it.

This guy could do Thomas puzzles all day long. (And, some days, he does!)

Another Disney trip.  We will sure miss our passes!

 I just love his smile in this picture.  Love my Carson Dude!

For Halloween, we were in Arizona.  We went trick-or-treating with the Hursts.  Such a fun time!  (More on Daddy's work party, the Halloween Fairy and the ward trunk-or-treat later.)

A Few Takeaways from General Conference

I know these are getting posted way late, as Conference was almost 2 months ago.  But, I had made note of these and snapped a picture with my phone so I wouldn't forget the following thoughts:


"It is our duty to try to be perfect,...to improve each day, and look upon our course last week and do things better this week; do things better today than we did them yesterday." President Lorenzo Snow, quoted by Elder Ulisses Soares in his talk, Be Meek and Lowly of Heart  
click for full talk

*This thought really spoke to me, as I'm trying to find a balance between forcing Morgan to practice the piano, and encouraging her to have a desire.  She always comes home from her lesson frustrated because she can't play her new material.  And, I've started breaking the pieces down into manageable sections so she doesn't feel overwhelmed.  
*I've also been giving a lot of thought to our family motto.  And, given our personalities, I think this one seems to suit us all pretty well.  We don't need to be perfect today, just better than we were yesterday.

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"Parents today wonder if there is a safe place to raise children.  There is a safe place.  It is in a gospel-centered home.  We focus on the family in the Church, and we counsel parents everywhere to raise their children in righteousness."  President Boyd K. Packer, The Key to Spiritual Protection
click for full talk

*This one caught my attention, because, at the time, Sadie was struggling to find her place--both at school and at home.  For those of you that are the middle child, you can very well relate to the Middle Child Syndrome.  We had considered pulling her out of school and homeschooling for Kindergarten, hoping that would give her a little bit more confidence and attention that she was so desperately screaming for.  Ultimately, we decided to keep her at school, but, have created a modified homework schedule with her, so she gets daily, one-on-one attention from just mom.  And, that has helped tremendously!

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"Make scripture reading a part of your regular routine, and the blessings will follow.  There is in the scriptures a voice of warning, but there is also great nourishment....Children taught an understanding of the scriptures early in life will come to know the path they should walk and will be more inclined to remain on that path." President Boyd K. Packer, The Key to Spiritual Protection
click for full talk

*I have noticed a big difference in my life when I read my scriptures regularly and when I don't.  I'm not perfect, so, unfortunately, I have a comparison.  But, one thing Brian and I, as parents, are working really hard on is reading the scriptures with our kids every night (once again, not perfect).  I love it when we read from the scriptures and my kids then tell me the story because they are familiar with it.  It's one of those "Proud Mommy" moments.  

Happy, Happy, Birthday to (almost) Everyone!

A major reason why the blog gets neglected all summer long is because it's Birthday Season!  In a short 6 weeks, we celebrate 4 birthdays!  Then, just 2 weeks later, Brian and I celebrate our wedding anniversary, so I get tired of eating cake, thinking about parties (so far, I've succeeded in the kids trading in parties for bigger things, like Disneyland passes), and buying gifts.  In fact, this year, I didn't bake a single birthday cake all summer long.  We took the kids out for each of their birthdays and let the restaurant treat count as the cake.  (I'm sure I'll feel guilty about that later, but, for now, it's great!)

So, here are our birthday stars!

Morgan turned SEVEN on June 18th.  

Favorites:

Nickname: Morgan Rae

Color: "I don't really care what color, but, I do like Blue and Caramel."

Animal: every animal, especially humans

Book: Laura Ingalls Wilder Series

Movie: Pirates of the Caribbean

Song: When I am Baptized (she learned to play it on the piano)

Food: fruits

Drink: ice cold water

Outfit: "I don't care, as long as it's beautiful!" (for a 7 year old, this pretty much encapsulates the   entirety of her wardrobe.)

Game/Toy: playing with stuffed animals (which, due to her mean mother, she only has 2--a dolphin and a bunny)

Friend: myself

Activity: reading

Restaurant:  not a big restaurant fan

Dream Vacation: Denver (this was talked about A LOT this summer, as we prepared to and sold our house there!)

What do you want to be when you grow up? "I still haven't decided!"

On July 16, Carson turned TWO!

Favorites:
Nickname: Carson Dude or Little Buddy
Color:
Animal:
Book: The Napping House
Movie: The Little Mermaid or Annie (he definitely has a thing for redheads these days!)
Song: Pirates of the Caribbean (Yo Ho!  Yo Ho!)
Food: Bananas
Drink:
Outfit:  Mickey Mouse Shirt
Game/Toy: drill set
Best Friend: Morgan
Activity:
Restaurant:
Dream Vacation:
What do you want to be when you grow up?

(Obviously, many of these are still blank, because he can't quite speak for himself.  I just filled in the ones that I know almost definitely!)

All day, he walked around with his balloon, saying, "Monster!  Boon!  Birthday!  Me!"

On July 27th, our sweet Sadie turned FIVE!!

Favorites:

Nickname: Sadie Bug or Sadie Pearl

Color: yellow and blue and purple

Animal:  Hippo (she may just be partial to Lulu, though)

Book:  The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss

Movie: Horton Hears a Who

Song: I am a Child of God

Food: Bean Burrito (preferably from Los Cabos, but, Taco Bell will do in a pinch!)

Drink: Lemonade

Outfit: pink dress

Game/Toy: Candyland

Best Friend: Morgan

Activity: build a tower with blocks

Restaurant: Chipotle (not really, she hates their bean burritos, because they're not mashed up)

Dream Vacation: the Statue of Liberty or Hawaii (she has it stuck in her mind that when Daddy finishes his tests--finished this summer!--he's taking all of us to Hawaii to celebrate)

What do you want to be when you grow up? a police officer

And, finally, on August 2nd, I turned 30.

Brian and the kids made me breakfast in bed, and, per tradition, woke me up with an annoying (but cute!) YouTube video of a Happy Birthday song.  (Last year, it was a mariachi band, this year, the Disney version.)  The kids picked out flowers for me and Brian was sure to bring home a balloon to rub in my age!  Then, I spent the evening with a dear childhood friend, Jennie Taylor, who was getting ready to move to Utah the following week.

And, don't worry.  I'll eventually get around to Brian's November birthday, complete with a cake that I baked and decorated AND a surprise!

Family Photos 2013 (March)

My friend, Aubrey Antis (http://www.antisphotography.com), who is an amazing real estate photographer, wanted to try out family photo shoots.  So, she took a few shots for us.  Unfortunately, the only pics with the entire family also have the letter N in them, courtesy of a Mother's Day gift for my mom. (I've included Mom's gift at the bottom--my maiden name is GINOS, pronounced Guinness.)

Morgan, 6 3/4 years

Carson, 20 months

Sadie, 4 3/4 years

The Ginos Family--these are each mounted to canvas and hanging on my mom's wall.  The best alternative to a family picture when we live in 3 states.

The Next Few Disneyland Trips

Terrible picture, I know.  But, the tram from the parking garage to the park is one of Carson's favorite rides.  I don't know if it's the anticipation for what's ahead, or the fact that he can get in and out all by himself.  Nonetheless, this "ride" tops Carson's list!

Just hanging out by Flo's V8 Cafe!

As we were walking along Paradise Pier, there were a bunch of street games laid out for the kids to play!  So, we stopped and the girls unscrambled a few Disney words and hula hooped!

Carson is exactly 32 inches right now.  So, he's just tall enough for a handful of rides.  Here he is on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree.  He really does enjoy this ride, despite the look on his face!

Auntie Logan, Carson, and Mommy (Mackenzie) on Mater's Junkyard Jamboree!

Of course, we couldn't be lucky enough for everyone to be looking at the camera, but, here were on Main Street with Auntie Logan!  We are so glad you came down for a visit!  We can't wait for you to come back!

The following week, Daddy's exam was FINALLY over!  So, we celebrated with a trip to Disneyland!  We happened upon Pooh Corner at the right time for a picture!

This was Carson's first trip on Autopia.  And, just because he's tall enough (exactly 32 inches!), it doesn't mean he can see over the steering wheel!  What a wild ride!