Trey is turning 7

Trey is turning 7! He is getting so tall and becoming smarter with each year that goes by. School comes naturally to him and even though he is working a grade ahead he has maintained all A's this year with not a lot of effort on anyone's part (someday I will have to post about the poem he was asked to work on and recite from memory - not my finest parenting hour - but he pulled that one off for all of us:)) He is currently OBSESSED with all things sports - honestly, I have never seen anything like it. Each morning he wakes up, comes into our room and turns on Sportscenter. This last year he has cried during many football games vowing to never watch football again only to return to it two days later (the Boise State Nevada game was heartbreaking for him - he cried himself to sleep that night). He plays soccor in the fall and spring and basketball in the winter. He reads non stop, his best friends at school are Saad and Patrick. He loves being with the Campbells down the street and if he could be anywhere it would still be with cousins!

Even though we have decided to only do friend parties when our kids turn 5, 8, 12, and 16 - we always celebrate on a weekend and on their actual Birthday in any way they want. Trey chose to go to Birmingham to the childrens museum and IMAX there. Here are some of the shots I was able to get with our flip camera.

The weather reporters:



Everyone's favorite, petting the sharks:
The water center was fun - JK and Toby especially liked it.
The distortion room:
The kids built an arch but couldn't wait to destroy it


Trey loves all things science:


Each kid taking a turn trying to see who was the strongest:



Trey has everyone beat!





Happy Birthday Trey - you changed our life 7 year ago and I have said it so many times, but I will say it again - because of you I know what true joy feels like! We Love YOU!

Giving Thanks

This year we started a new tradition - A Thankful Tree - during the month of November there was a tree in our kitchen (a lovely not so martha paper tree but you get the idea). During Family Home Evening we added to our Thankful Tree by writing what we were thankful for on colorful leaves and then attaching them to our tree. I am learning as a mom that some attributes come naturally to some and not for others. Gratitude is a 'non-negotiable must learn' attribute in my book and so November is a great month to remind us all of the importance of always being thankful.
Doesn't JK look especially grateful here?
Toby's preschool did their feast and I am forever grateful for our preschool and his teachers. They all dressed as Pilgrims for one picture and Indians for another.

For our actual Thanksgiving break we headed to Atlanta and had a great time eating, shopping, eating and shopping some more! Kim is my day after Thanksgiving shopping buddy and we did really well this year. I really don't know what I like better Thanksgiving day or Black Friday.

When the kids were done playing in these leaves Lars set up a pillow pit at the bottom of the stairs at Pa's house. He told the kids that if they cleared their first jump they could move up a stair - ultimately making it so that the below kids were jumping from the top of the stairs all the way to the bottom. I am grateful for no broken bones!

Julia Karen turns 2

JK turned 2! We celebrated with presents and donuts first thing in the AM. She LOVES donuts and isn't too interested in cake or cupcakes yet just like her older brothers (not her mom). We kept trying to get her to open her presents but all she wanted was to stare and eventually lick all the donuts. She is starting to communicate (demand) more and loves to play with her older brothers. She is my little attachment and happily goes everywhere with me - just not the nursery at church (those happy people, snacks and toys terrify her). We are excited for this next year to watch her grow!

A visit and Halloween

a bathtub

a shark costume

pumpkin bars

carved pumpkins

a ceiling fan

another bathtub

homemade caramel

electrical outlets

more pumpkin bars

14 family boards

and homemade truffles

What do all of these things have in common? All of the above were either fixed or made when my parents came for a visit! I am convinced that if we lived closer to them I would no longer live in a fixer-upper and my life would be roses all the time - I have lived across the country from them for 8 years now - so I am allowed to believe what I want.

And life really is great when they are around. My kids were so excited for Halloween because it meant Grandma and Papa would be here - seriously, they were more excited for their grandparents to get here than for the festivities of our Halloween week. But, of course, most or our pictures were taken because of Halloween so here are some of our favorites from the week even if Grandma and Papa are missing from some of the shots

A Sprinkle

A few years ago 6 of my friends moved away in a six month time period. The last one that left made things especially lonely for me (hi Nicole:)) I began to pray for friendships - I believe in the power of girlfriends. About a month later my friend Kathleen introduced me to a girl named Cindy and thus my prayers were answered. Seriously.

So when her third baby boy came into the world we celebrated with a "sprinkle" to show our love and excitement for her family.
Cindy and her mom.

I believe in two things at a shower: good friends and good food - I think we accomplished that!

Drinks (lemonade bar) were served on the screened in porch and the weather was perfect for it.
Thanks ladies for helping throw a great shower/'sprinkle' for such a lucky baby and his awesome mommy!

For Julia

A few weeks ago my mom called to remind me that Julia's birthday was coming up. She wanted to know what we would be doing this year to honor her. We decided to participate in a walk and it happened that on the same day as Julia's birthday there was a walk for breast cancer - so we signed up. We didn't run, we just walked as a family. Before we left our house for the walk that day, the kids layed in bed with us and we told stories about their "munner". Mostly we told them about how much she loved them, what a great woman she was and that we should never forget her or the things she felt strongly for while she was living.

The next day, our cousins came for a short trip and together we had a dinner celebrating all things Munner. Each grandchild shared memories of her and Lars and Kim told stories about their mother. It was a wonderful weekend and although the loss of Julia is always painful, I love this new tradition of celebrating her each year on her birthday.

This tradition has sparked in me, probably for the very first time, (- gasp how am I a good mormon girl? -) the interest in teaching my children about geneology and their ancestors. As hard as it is, Lars has suggested a family night where we talk about my own dad - the life he lived and even the hardships that he faced before dying almost 7 years ago. I want my children to know and feel connected to those who have come before them. Family really is everything - and I hope I can teach my kids this.

What we are up to...

Lots and lots of this.
Trey's coach is especially good lookin if I do say so myself - and I can since I'm married to him.

And most of my time is spent chasing this little thing off of the field.