Sunshine

Well we got home from Los Angeles yesterday and arrived to snow and ice on the freeway. It sounds like it is going to be cold for awhile. They said last night that we are getting Alaska's weather, poor Alaska! Miya started school two hours late today and I walked her to school and told her all about growing up in Driggs and the snow we got. It was great to pick-up the kids from Phil's parents and they were pretty happy on the ferry home telling us all about their favorite things at Aunt Jenny's and Nana's.

Miya's: going to school, playing with Gideon, sleeping in the boat bed, then getting to play with Emma.

Cannon's: playing with Gideon, playing with Zach, helping with dinner, fun class at church

It was great to see Ashlee and it made it a little easier to not be going to my mom and dad's for Christmas because I got in a little sister time. We took her girls swimming, watched movies, laughed, ate a lot, walked around the shopping centers and enjoyed the company. Phil had to work three of the days and we had his Christmas party on Friday night, but we spent as much time as we could with Ashlee and Michael. We ate breakfast on Saturday in San Pedro at this waffle shop from when we went on the cruise three years ago and I have been dreaming of this place since that day. It was still really good!

This is what Arliegh thought of me the whole time. She would talk to me if I asked her questions, but it was often through a hand or an arm that I got the answers. Emery liked me until Phil came around and then she wanted him.

We spent all of Saturday together and had a hard time saying good-bye. My Smashy is so pretty, kind, funny, easy-going and sweet. I loved all the effort she took to come down and see me with the girls.

We tried really hard just before we left to get pictures with Ashlee and Michael with all of our eyes open, but it just got harder as the pictures went on because we started to laugh. Thanks, for the great time.

California

So I am sitting in the hotel room without kids or husband waiting for Ashlee to get here to spend the day with her and her girls. It is going to be a beautiful day with the temperature reaching 80. We will take lots of pictures of all the fun and post them later.

Someone Turned Six

Miya turned six today and with that she received a little dose of reality when not one single person showed up for her birthday party. She stopped sucking her thumb a few days ago so she could have a party. First she wanted to invite two friends to go bowling, but then changed her mind on Monday because she wanted more kids from school to be able to come.
First mistake: I had Miya take the invitations to school to give to the kids to take to their parents (I don't have any contact information for any of the kids at school)
Second mistake: Only giving them two days notice.
Miya sat at the window for about 30 minutes and kept asking how late they were and if there was any chance that she would have kids show up. Finally I heard her say, "please, just let someone come." She then said, "well I guess we should just do everything without them and have a good time." She has always been my kid that knows 'life is not fair' or somethings in life just don't turn out the way you wanted.
We did paint the Christmas tree ornaments and had cupcakes with frosting. Phil is coming home early and we will take her to dinner. We also decided to try another party on Saturday with the friends from church that had already told us they couldn't make it today because they didn't have a half-day like we did.


On the positive side, each kid got to frost about 9 cupcakes and they will be eating them for the next few days.

Instead of quiet-time today I rocked Miya in the rocking chair I got when I was pregnant with her and told her all the things I love about her. She kept asking, "and what else?" when I paused. Her are a few things off the long list of things I love about my Miya.
1. She is very positive
2. She is a great big sister (as in always helps Lyla and tries really hard to make everyone happy)
3. She loves to be tickled and has such a great laugh
4. She tries hard at everything she does
5. She is just so stinkin' cute
6. She is a deep thinker

Things Miya loves right now:
1. Learning to read and write words
2. Her teacher, Mrs. Jones, everything she makes or draws she wants to give to her.
3. peanut butter and banana sandwiches
4. running
5. singing
6. Having people over for dinner so she can have dessert

Lyla

Lyla was loving watching the squirel eat the apples from our bucket. She is always found carrying a baby around the house.

Weekend Update

We had a great Thanksgiving...except we are still eating the turkey. We were up late both Friday and Saturday night so the kids were asleep last night at 6:30 and Phil and I lasted until 9:00 and then gave up and went to bed.

Friday the kids made gingerbread houses over at Nana's...Cannon's survived the trip home and Miya's did not.

The kids didn't mind so much that one got destroyed because it meant they could eat all the candy off the house before it got old and nasty.We got to spend some two-on-one time with Lyla and she loved laying by Phil with her blanket and fingers watching football.

We did a ton of yard clean-up on Saturday and the weather was so nice and warm for us. I was just in a t-shirt and worked up a sweat raking leaves and loading the truck with all the pruning branches and bushes.

Sunday morning we managed to find all the Christmas tree decorations and get it up before we went to church.