Oh, Lizzy! You did it again!

Lizzy had a little too much fun playing with a pair of scissors she found today.  The end result: lots of uneven strands of hair all around her face.  I decided to finish up the job and chopped off all her hair below her chin.  She didn't seem to mind it all at first.  It wasn't until we were all done that she realized that most of her beautiful long wavy hair was gone.  She was not at all happy with me at first.  She slowly warmed up to it over the next couple of hours.  That's when I got the good pictures.  She's so pretty!

This is what she looked like after she realized all her hair was gone.  Sad.

This is what she looked like after she warmed up to the idea of having short hair. CUTE!

30 Days of Gratitude-- The Highlight of My Day: November 2013

Papa and Mama on Thanksgiving Day 2013
Photo taken by Rachel Montgomery

There is something to be grateful for every day.  Here is what I was grateful for in November:

Fri 11/1/13:  Today I am grateful for the brief, sweet moments I get to spend alone with my husband.  It was nice sneaking off to our room tonight while the kids were occupied with their own entertainment.  My husband makes me very happy.

Sat 11/2/13:  Today I am grateful for unplanned visits with family and friends.  Brad and I went on a date to Carl's Jr. for lunch and ended up visiting with Brad's dad and the Polaks, who just happened to arrive there about two minutes after we ordered our food.  It was fun eating lunch with them and talking to them.  We also bumped into the Brusiks while we were shopping at Sam's Club.

Sun 11/3/13:  Today I am grateful for nice friends on Facebook that let me borrow DVDs so I can share some of my favorite '80s movies to the kids.  It was fun introducing the movie The Labyrinth to Scott, Emma, and Lizzy this afternoon.  Now I have all of David Bowie's songs in my head.  "You remind me of the babe..."

Mon 11/4/13:  Today I am grateful for snow.  It was nice watching Lizzy and David play in the snow in their new coats.  It kept them busy out of the house for at least half an hour, which was I was very grateful for.  David loves eating the snow, and Lizzy loves making footprints in the snow.  She calls them "foot-trams."

Tue 11/5/13:  Today I am grateful for our routine of going to the library every week.  I like that we are consistent about going, and that we get to check-out some amazing movies and books in the process.  Brad and I are on the fourth season of Alias, now.  We started watching it tonight.

Wed 11/6/13:  Today I am grateful for the little extra money I earn every week, babysitting Valeen.  In addition to the extra cash, Lizzy loves having a playmate every week.  It was fun watching them run around the house with David today.

Thu 11/7/13:  Today I am grateful for my developing cooking skills, and that my husband and kids love the food I make.  I made Parmesan chicken tonight-- a spur-of-the-moment decision, which turned out lovely, considering it was last minute.  I love cooking for my family!

Fri 11/8/13:  Today I am grateful for my older children, Scott and Emma, who helped me babysit David this afternoon when I went to Walmart and Sam's Club with Lizzy.  It's nice having them around every other Friday.  I love them.

Sat 11/9/13:  Today I am grateful for grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato bisque. It's everybody's favorite in our family.  It's nice having Scott and Emma two Saturdays in a row, too, and having lunch with them.

Sun 11/10/13:  Today I am grateful for Emma-hugs.  I was feeling pretty low tonight, with a lot of stress on my mind, then I noticed that Emma was struggling with her homework for the Health Fair. I forgot about my sorrows for a moment and began focusing on her. She and I tackled her homework head-on, and ended up making a fantastic-looking brochure for the fair.  She was so grateful for my help that she gave me a big, long hug and kiss, and expressed how thankful she was for me helping her.  That hug meant so much to me.  It made all my problems (and hormonal emotions) go away, and in return made me feel loved, useful, and appreciated.  I love my Emma-girl so much.  I am immensely grateful to have her in my life.

Mon 11/11/13:  Today I am grateful for Monday night Family Home Evenings with Scott and Emma.  We have only been able to have two so far this school year, and they have been a special treat both times.  Tonight we did our annual "I Am Thankful" artwork and watched Studio C together as a family.  It was so much fun!

Tue 11/12/13:  Today I am grateful for all the little joys and blessing that come from being a mother.  I love watching my children grow and learn new skills.  Today David said, "I love you," for the first time to me.  It was so precious!

Wed 11/13/13:  Today I am grateful for a kind and loving husband, who is willing to sacrifice for me, even when I ask him to do things he does not want to do.  My parents told me about a week ago that they were planning on selling their house in California and moving to Utah.  I, of course, want to go to California to say goodbye to the house and help my parents sort through things and get rid of things.  Brad has been very supportive, even though I know he does not want us to go to California again this year, due to finances and the time he would spend away from work.  I am grateful that he has agreed for us to go.  Today, I was excited to talk to my mom more about her moving up here to Utah.  I found an apartment building not to far from here that has an indoor pool.  She liked hearing that.

Thu 11/14/13:  Today I am grateful for all the people who have been purchasing and enjoying my minion hats.  I mailed off 5 to a friend in California today.  Fun!

Fri 11/15/13:  Today I am grateful for Jane Austen.  I loved watching "Pride and Prejudice" with Brad tonight.  I'm glad he's a Jane Austen fan, too.

Sat 11/16/13:  Today I am grateful for our home teacher, Brother Hyde.  He suggested we watch a movie together with our families at the dollar theater in Sugarhouse.  Lizzy loved seeing Valeen and watching "Despicable Me 2" sitting next to her.  We wore our hats to the theater, which a lot of people liked.  I had two people ask me where I got the hats from.  I told them I made them and they wanted my contact information.  So fun!

Sun 11/17/13:  Today I am grateful for music.  Scott and Emma sang with the YM and YW in Sacrament meeting, and they did such an amazing job.  They sang the Janice Kapp melody of "As Sisters in Zion/To Bring the World His Truth," which is one of my favorite musical arrangements.  The spirit was so strong that it made all the people around me cry, including myself.  By coincidence, my lesson in my Sunbeam class was all about music today.  I loved talking about the power of music with my Sunbeams and why we sing in church.

Mon 11/18/13:  Today I am grateful for DVD sales at Target.  We found the perfect birthday present for Emma (Young Justice League DVD, Seasons 1-3), as well as a fun movie for Lizzy and David to watch on our road trip coming up (Megamind).  We got them both for excellent prices.

Tue 11/19/13:  Today I am grateful for our cute pets, Sushi (cat) and Haru (rat).  They make my kids so happy, which makes me happy.

Wed 11/20/13:  Today I am grateful for my beautiful stepdaughter, Emma.  She turned 13 years old today.  I am grateful for her sweetness and her humor; her honesty and her love.  We celebrated her birthday today with a big dinner of some of her favorite things: loaded mashed potatoes with bacon, sauteed mushrooms, corn, and pumpkin pie for dessert.  I love you, Emma!  You're wonderful!

Thu 11/21/13:  Today I am grateful for Lizzy's preschool.  She has been having so much fun going to school twice a week every week.  This morning we stopped at the store to grab some goldfish crackers for Lizzy's Thanksgiving "feast" at her preschool.  She had so much fun!

Fri 11/22/13:  Today I am grateful for the lasting friendships my children have with their cousins and friends from their old ward.  Tonight was Emma's birthday party.  We invited Emma's friend, Makenna, and Emma's cousins, Kaylie, Rachel, and Jessica to spend the night.  We had homemade chili and salsa for dinner (one of Emma's favorite).  I decorated her cake to look like the Nightwing symbol, which she loved. I could tell all of the girls had a great time together, giggling, singing, and talking late at night.

Sat 11/23/13:  Today I am grateful for little blessings and big blessings that occur in my life, sometimes without me knowing it.  I know my Heavenly Father blesses and watches over my family.  Tonight David had an accident at church that could have been a lot worse than it was.  I am grateful for the network of family and friends that Brad and I have, and the love they share for us.  It was nice seeing the Hill family at their annual pie night tonight.

Sun 11/24/13:  Today I am grateful for my Sunbeam class.  I love the fun moments I get to share with them every Sunday, and for their sweet spirits and enthusiasms for life.  They are such a cute and entertaining bunch of kids.  Today I made them Sacrament paper wheels, to help them remember about Jesus Christ during the Sacrament.  They loved that.

Mon 11/25/13:  Today I am grateful for easy-going kids.  We spent all day in the van driving to California, and Lizzy and David did so well!  They were happy and content watching their movies on the portable DVD players, and eating snacks and looking out the window.  It turned out to be a very good trip.

Tue 11/26/13:  Today I am grateful for spending time with my family in California.  Rachel, Brad, and I watched "Catching Fire" at the theater late in the morning, and Rachel and her family came over for dinner in the evening. Baby Claire is such a doll, and Lizzy and David loved playing with Eric.  Mom fried up some pupusas for dinner.  It was so yummy!  It's a Spanish dish from El Salvador, consisting of soft corn tortillas, beans, cheese, and meat.

Wed 11/27/13:  Today I am grateful for spending the morning at Cherry Park with my kids.  It was sweet seeing them play in the same park I spent so much of childhood playing at.  Full of memories.  It made my heart happy.

Thu 11/28/13:  Today I am grateful for the rare opportunity I had of spending Thanksgiving with all of my Southern California family.  We haven't done that in 8 years.  We had Thanksgiving dinner at Heather Montgomery's house, outside on the backyard patio (love the California weather!). I made Loralee's made-from-scratch Green Bean Casserole, and Mom made the turkey and candied yams.  Lizzy and David loved playing with their cousin, Eric, on the swing set.  I enjoyed pushing Eric on the swing and bonding with him.  He's such a cutie!  I also loved holding Baby Claire and spending time with her.  I love how pretty and chubby she is.  Such a darling!

Fri 11/29/13:  Today I am grateful for silly moments I get to spend with my sisters.  Rachel and I had a few hysterical laughing moments when we were cleaning up my parents garage.  I haven't laughed that hard in such a long time!  Both of us had tears in our eyes.  When Susie heard what was making us laugh so hard, she started laughing, too, which of course made Rachel and I laugh even more.  All of our husbands didn't quite get what was so funny.  Maybe it was just a Whitcomb-sister thing.  The subject of the humor: family heirlooms and teeth.

Sat 11/30/13:  Today I am grateful for my childhood home, and all of the wonderful memories I have gathered throughout the years living there.  I'm still in denial about it being sold.  A part of me hasn't accepted the fact that it was my last visit, and that my parents will no longer be living there.  Seems very strange to me.  I hated leaving it behind today, but I was also looking forward to returning to my home in Utah, too.  I love owning my home.

Emma's Thirteenth Birthday

Happy 13th Birthday to my sweet, beautiful, wonderful step-daughter, Emma!  I can't believe how fast time has gone!  Emma was only a little older than Lizzy when I first came into her life.  It makes me realize just how fast childhood goes.  That sweet little bubbly almost-5-year-old is now a teenager.  I am so grateful to have her in my life.  She is wonderful!

Emma's 13th Birthday Interview

What makes "13" such a special age?

You're finally a teenager!  No more "tween."

Who are your best friends?

Makenna, Jessica, Brianna, Rachel, Kaylie, cousin Rachel, and cousin Jessica.

What do you like to do when you are with your friends?

Talk about books.  Hang out.  Annoy the daylights out of them.

What makes you laugh?

When people do "fails."  Having something in common to joke about.

What is your favorite classes in school?  Why?

SCIENCE.  Because Mr. Horscroft teaches it in an awesome way.  Each time I go in I learn something new.

What are your favorite books?

Warriors, Batman, Fabelhaven.

What are your favorite movies and TV shows?

Studio C, Young Justice, Batman the Animated Series, Studio Ghibli movies.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

Save some for college and mission!  Go on a trip to Japan.  Buy action figures.  More Young Justice stuff.

Describe your perfect day.

Able to sleep in with no worries.  Mess around all day.  No plans.  Go to Harry Potter Land!

What do you want to do when you grow up?

I want to be a writer.

What is your favorite family activity?

Hanging out.  Watching Studio C.

What is your favorite holiday?  Why?

My favorite holiday is SUMMER VACATION!!!!  Cause I can finally sleep in.

Random Facts About Me

·        I want to go skydiving.

·        I love cats.

·        I want to speak Japanese, that way I know the two most complicated languages to learn.  (I want to confuse my friends)

·        I am obsessed with Batman.

·        I'm a wing-ding.  (A wing-ding is Nightwing's Batarang)

·        I laugh when I'm in physical pain, sometimes.

·        I hate hiking.

Emma's Birthday Party
Emma had a friends birthday party on Friday, November 22nd.  Emma invited her friend Makenna and her cousins Kaylie, Rachel, and Jessica.  We had homemade chili and salsa for dinner (one of Emma's favorites).  I made Emma a cake with a Nightwing symbol on it, and Brad and I gave her the first series of Young Justice on DVD.  Emma was so thrilled with her birthday gift that she ran over to kiss Brad and me.  The girls had a fun night playing video games, singing songs, giggling, and laughing all night.

The Highlight of My Day: October 2013

Something good happens every day. Here's what happened in October 2013:

Tue 10/1/13:  David and I had a fun time harvesting tomatoes while Lizzy was at preschool this morning.  His favorite part was eating the tomatoes.  Mm mmm!  I can't blame him for that.  My garden-fresh tomatoes are really yummy.

Wed 10/2/13:  It's so nice having Scott and Emma home again!  The two of them joined Brad and I in watching the second episode of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D tonight.  It was fun!

Thu 10/3/13:  Lizzy and David have become very fond of Halloween songs and poems lately.  They love, "Five Little Pumpkins," "I'm a Mean Old Witch (with a Hat)," and the "Hoo-Hoo, Hee-Hee" pumpkin song from the book: The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin, by Margaret Wise Brown.

Fri 10/4/13:  My darling baby boy turned 2 years old today!  We had a small birthday celebration for him with Grandpa North and our immediate family.  Lizzy and I bought some orange and green balloons, which David loved.  We had chili for dinner, and angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries for dessert.  David loved blowing out his candles and eating his cake.  He loved his birthday present, too-- a VTech Little Apps Tablet.  He loves pushing the buttons.

Sat 10/5/13:  We drove downtown in between General Conference sessions to meet the 4 principal cast members of Studio C at Deseret Book Store.  Matt Meese signed Scott's Spencer doll, which was really cool!  The entire cast signed our new Season 1 and Season 2 DVD, too.  It was a lot of fun meeting Jason, Matt, Mallory, and Whitney.  It left our entire family happy and buzzing about it all afternoon.

Sun 10/6/13:  It was lovely watching General Conference today.  I think my two favorite talks were Jeffery R. Holland's talk on depression and emotional healing, as well as Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk on marriage and gender roles.  There was definitely a theme of womanhood and gender roles throughout all of the conference sessions this time.  I think it was much needed, and I am grateful for all that I heard.

Mon 10/7/13:  I watched the second episode of the third season of Once Upon a Time this morning while I was crocheting some more minion hats.  I've been making a bunch for the neighborhood Boo-tique next week.

Tue 10/8/13:  Lizzy went on her first field trip with her preschool today.  They went to the fire station and had ice cream afterwards.  She had fun talking to me about it.  I'm glad she's enjoying preschool so much.

Wed 10/9/13:  I have come to really love Wednesdays with Scott and Emma.  It's the only day of the week, other than Sunday, when we know we will see each other every week.  We have been creating new routines on Wednesday to help us bond during the short amount of time we have together.  I can tell that Scott and Emma love to be home with us.  It's nice being all together as a family.

Thu 10/10/13:  The rain has been nice.  Today, me and the little ones walked back and forth to Lizzy's preschool in the rain.  It made me think of the song "Heavenly Father Loves Me."  I've been trying to teach it to Lizzy and David lately.

Fri 10/11/13:  I made a playlist for Lizzy on iTunes a few weeks ago, so that she can have her favorite princess songs to listen to and dance to when she feels like it.  I put it on for her today, so she could dance with David.  She picked up all her toys and placed an office chair in the middle of the den.  Lizzy twirled David around in the chair while the music was playing.  David surprised me by how much of Lizzy's songs he knows.  He loves singing, "True Love's Kiss," from Enchanted, and "When Will My Life Begin," from Tangled.  He's such a cute boy.

Sat 10/12/13:  We went on our very first outing to a pumpkin patch as a family.  Boy, was it worth it!  We bought six pumpkins, went through two corn mazes, and went on a tractor hayride for only $10 total.  It was so much fun!  Definitely a tradition we need to continue.

Sun 10/13/13:  Today was the Primary Program at church.  I was so proud of my Sunbeam class, who were all excited about getting up to do their parts.  Lizzy has definitely got a knack for performing in front of people.  She has no fear at all.  In the evening, Loralee made a big Thanksgiving dinner at Grandpa North's house for Jason before he leaves on his mission.  As always, she did a wonderful job and the food was delicious.  David was obsessed with the olives.  He ate more olives than anything else.

Mon 10/14/13:  I just love hearing David say, "Thank you very much."  It sounds more like "tank-u ma-much" when he says it.  He's such a darling sweetheart.

Tue 10/15/13:  Brad and I are on the third season of "Alias."  I like watching the show while crocheting my minion hats.  Looks like I'm up to 6 now.  They are going to be so cute!

Wed 10/16/13:  Brad and I had a late night hanging out with Scott and Emma.  I think Wednesdays have officially become the hang-out night.  We had fun talking together and watching more "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Thu 10/17/13:  I got done some last minute shopping done this afternoon in preparation for getting our pictures taken tomorrow.  I bought some nice looking clothes for the boys.  We're going for a red, black, and white color scheme this year.

Fri 10/18/13:  We got our pictures taken at Fotofly today.  They turned out lovely!  Our photographer was very patient with us and managed to get some great photos of everyone, including David, who wouldn't stop putting his hand in his mouth.   We love Fotofly.

Sat 10/19/13:  I crocheted like mad this morning in preparation for our Neighborhood Boo-tique.  I made a bunch of minion hats.  I sold three hats at the boutique and bought some jewelry from Emily McLean and a Curious George apron from Sally Richardson.  After getting back from the boutique, Brad and I took the kids to Wheeler Farm to walk around and look at the animals and the fall leaves.

Sun 10/20/13:  It was nice just hanging out with the Bruce-Clan tonight at their house.  We haven't done that in a while.  Jason will be leaving for his mission in less than two weeks.  Time is sure going by fast!

Mon 10/21/13:  We headed off to the library tonight to get some more books and movies.  I've been introducing some of my favorite '80s movies to Lizzy.  She has only watched The Neverending Story so far.  She loves it, especially the part when Artax comes back to life at the end.  I admit it-- I cried when Artax died in the Swamps of Sadness when I watched it with Lizzy.  It reminds me of when I watched it as a child.

Tue 10/22/13:  I had fun organizing family photos throughout the years and putting some on my blog and desktop.  The kids have changed so much during the last 7 years!  I am so grateful that we take yearly family photos, just so we can see how much they've changed.  I love my family.

Wed 10/23/13:  I loved hanging out with Scott and Emma today.  We looked at family pictures together and talked about homework assignments.  We did manage to watch more "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" later on in the evening.  It's fun hanging out with them.

Thu 10/24/13:  Tricky and Rosie showed up this morning.  I hung out with them for a couple of hours while Lizzy was in school.  We went for a walk to the park and then walked over to Lizzy's preschool to pick up Lizzy.  Everybody's eyes were on Rosie.  She's such a pretty dog!  Lizzy was very happy to see Rosie, too.  We are going to have fun taking care of her this weekend!  Another fun thing that happened today:  David came up to me tonight, and in a very cute little voice successfully pointed out the letters on my shirt, verbalizing them correctly:  "S-T-U-D-I-O-C."  I was not expecting him to do that!  David has been pointing at letters and trying to sound them out for a while now, but this was his first time saying them correctly.  I was so proud!  He's such a smart boy!

Fri 10/25/13:  I bought my family a cute little white black-eyed rat from a breeder in Magna today.  I've been wanting to get a rat for a while now.  The rat came with her own cage, a hammock, and some food.  She has a nice little personality.  I like that she has curly fur.  Very cute!

Sat 10/26/13:  I decided to take a picture of all my minion hats and put them on Facebook this morning.  I didn't expect too many people to want to buy them, but I was hopeful that I would sell some.  Brad and I took the kids and Rosie to Grandpa's house to rake leaves with Grandpa, Amanda, Charlotte, and Aksel.  It was a lot of fun, and I took many pictures.  When we got home, I was surprised to see that not only did most of my hats had potential buyers, but I was getting orders for more.  By the end of the day I had over a dozen order for hats!

Sun 10/27/13:  Jason gave his farewell talk in Sacrament Meeting today.  I can't believe he's already going on a mission!  After Sacrament Meeting, we all ended up going to the cousins' house for lunch.  I was going to leave church early anyway, since Lizzy and David have colds, but we all ended up going.  It was nice visiting with family.  We're going to miss Jason, but we know he's going to be a great missionary.

Mon 10/28/13:  I finished most of David's Halloween costume today!  He's going to look so cute as Flynn Rider.  I got a surprise package in the mail today from my parents.  They sent me over a dozen homegrown, delicious, ripe avocados.  I was so happy!  I made sure we had taco salad for dinner tonight, just so I could eat some avocados.  YUM!

Tue 10/29/13:  Lizzy had her preschool Halloween party at the Hunter Library today.  I dropped her off at the library all dressed up as Rapunzel, then I took David home and dressed him up as Flynn Rider.  Oh, he looked so CUTE!  I took some photos of him and Lizzy together at the library.  Lizzy had lots of fun at the party.

Wed 10/30/13:  Scott, Emma, and I enjoyed watching Studio C's Halloween special together.  They missed seeing it on Monday.  I loved seeing Scott's and Emma's reactions to some of the sketches! Our favorites were definitely "The Usual Suspects," starring Jason Gray as Batman, "Darth Mortgage," "Spidey Senseless," "Ann Gets Goosebumps," and "Blame it on the Butler."  Definitely my favorite episode this season!

Thu 10/31/13:  We had a great Halloween!  We first went to the distribution center at Brad's work for a Halloween party.  Brad looked great dressed as Snape, from Harry Potter.  Scott and Emma dressed up as Dipper Pines and Mabel Pines from the TV show, Gravity Falls.  Lizzy and David dressed up as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider.  The kids loved playing with balloons and "scary" fingers in Brad's office.  Then we went to Bruce and Loralee's house to have dinner and go trick-or-treating in our neighborhood.  Tricky, Rosie, Marilyn, and Grandpa North were all at the dinner, too, which was really nice.  Loralee made her usual snake sandwich, witches brew punch, and delicious deviled eggs.  I made some homemade creamy guacamole, which was really yummy!  The kids had a fantastic time trick-or-treating.  We cheated part of the time and drove to some people's houses so we wouldn't have to lug David around.  It was fun!

Family Photos 2013

I absolutely LOVE how our family photos turned out this year.  Thank you, Fotofly!

David Turns 2!

My baby boy has now officially become a toddler.  There are times when I can't believe how fast he is growing.

David's Stats:

Weight: 29 lbs., 57% for his age
Height: 36 inches, 77% for his age

Little Quirks

• He is obsessed with letters!  He loves finding letters on random objects and trying to say what they are (he doesn't usually get them right).
• He loves flushing the toilet and turning off lights.  It can get pretty annoying at times.
• He has developed a new love for drawing.  He loves finding pen and pencils and drawing on random pieces of paper he finds lying around.  Sometimes he draws on the walls, too.  I do not approve of that.
• He calls all fuzzy animals "Sushi."
• He loves dancing and singing to music.  He mumbles the consonants and vowels from the words of the lyrics he hears.
• He calls bananas "cee-all" (cereal).  I'm not sure why he does that.
• He is very polite and always says please and thank you at the right times.
• He is very social.  He likes to greet everyone he meets.  He is not shy or scared of people.
• He has a fantastic memory for words and music.
• He growls at pumpkins.
• He is calm and easy-going about EVERYTHING.
• Lizzy is his entertainment, hero, and best friend.  Anything Lizzy likes he likes, too, including Barbies, princess movies, girly songs, and girly dress-up clothes. He looks really cute wearing Lizzy's pink sunhat and princess slippers.
• He LOVES to eat!  He's not picky about foods and likes to eat everything.  He is particularly fond of tomatoes and bananas.
• He likes to babble. He likes to say whatever letter sounds he wants to articulate at the time, along with the overall feeling or emotion he wants to convey.  He likes asking questions best.  Example:  "Ah, was? Wha-waa et is a-wadee sheee?  Oy-yoy oh-oh."  It's pretty cute.
• He stands right in front of me and wiggles his tongue back and forth quickly when he wants to taste whatever I am eating.  It's pretty funny.

Favorite (Real) Words and Phrases

• "Tank-u ma-much" (thank you very much)
• "Bye!  See-youuu!"
• "Izzy"  (Lizzy)
• "Sushi"
• "Cee-all" (cereal)
• "Yo gel-com" (you're welcome)
• "Eh-are-you?" (where are you?)
• "O you okay?"  (are you okay?)

Favorite Books

• He loves all of the Charlie and Lola books.
• The Fierce Yellow Pumpkin, by Margaret Wise Brown.
• Any version of The Three Little Pigs.
• Henry and the Buccaneer Bunnies, by Carolyn Crimi.

Favorite Movies and TV Shows

• Super Why
• Curious George
• The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That
• Tangled
• Brave
• All of the Toy Story movies.

Favorite Songs and Poems

• Batman
• This Little Piggy
• A Dream is Wish Your Heart Makes
• Baby Mine
• Five Yellow Pumpkins
• I'm a Mean Old Witch (With a Hat)
• A Whole New World
• Once Upon a Dream
• When Will My Life Begin
• True Love's Kiss
• Alphabet Song
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Open Shut Them

David's Birthday

We had a small birthday party for David with our immediate family and Grandpa North.  Lizzy and I bought some orange and green balloons, which David loved.  We had homemade chili for dinner, and angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries for dessert.  David loved blowing out his candles and eating his cake.  He was in such a big hurry to blow out his candles that Brad was afraid he was going to get burned, but he didn't.  He loved his birthday present, too-- a VTech Little Apps Tablet.  His favorite part was pushing the buttons on the tablet and sounding out the letters.  He's such a smart boy!  

Happy Birthday, my darling boy!  I love you, Davy!

Highlight of My Day: September 2013

Celebrating Hobbit Day on September 22nd

Something good happens every day. Here's what happened in September 2013:

Sun 9/1/13: Today was a nice, quiet Sunday. I enjoyed having two helpers in my Sunbeam's class today. The lesson was on homes. I think the kids enjoyed seeing pictures of different homes from around the world. The lesson went very well.

Mon 9/2/13: We labored on Labor Day. Brad and I got done a bunch of chores that we had put off for a long time, like calking the windows, and weather proofing our door. Not exciting, by any means, but there's relief in knowing that it got done. Plus, it's nice spending the day together. I love hanging out with him.

Tue 9/3/13: Lizzy started her first day of preschool today. I had convinced myself prior to this day that I wouldn't be one of those mom's that cries on the first day of preschool. Boy, was I wrong! I cried all the way home. Lizzy walked right up the steps to Miss Nicole's house and didn't every turn around to wave at me. A part of me felt the pang of "oh no, my baby is growing up," to, "I'm so proud of her for not needing me," to, "oh no, she doesn't need me anymore!" Overall, I am happy that she's becoming more independent and loving her new school. She was so excited when she came home. Seeing her excitement made my heart swell with happiness. I love being a mom. It's the greatest job in the world.

Wed 9/4/13: It's nice having Scott home tonight. I am so proud of the man he is becoming. I love that he loves going to seminary, that he has a testimony of the gospel, and that he wants to serve a mission someday. It's great talking to him. That boy inspires me constantly. Gosh, I love him!

Thu 9/5/13: Brad and I left Scott and Emma in charge of the little ones tonight while we went shopping at Walmart and Sam's Club. It was nice getting out of the house without little ones. Later in the evening, after bedtime, Brad and I watched more Alias. It's a fun show! I'm hooked.

Fri 9/6/13: We had a fun night with the Moons! We had taco salad for dinner and played Forbidden Desert while the little ones played in the backyard. It was our first time playing Forbidden Desert. The desert won this time, but that's okay. I'm sure we'll get the hang of it the more we play it.

Sat 9/7/13: Today was our last pool party of the season! My favorite part of the day was chatting with Bruce, Loralee, Marian, Brad, and James. We had interesting conversations about religion, human behavior, family, and marriage. I like hearing insights from Brad's side of the family. Everyone is so smart and eloquent.

Sun 9/8/13: I am so grateful for my wonderful kids. Scott, Emma, Lizzy, and David bring so much joy to my life. It was nice having Family Home Evening with them tonight. Scott gave a lesson on reading the scriptures. I am so happy that he is gaining a testimony of scripture reading.

Mon 9/9/13: We started the second season of "Alias" tonight. I was glad to see that Agent Vaughn did not die.

Tue 9/10/13: I made my delicious homemade lentil soup tonight. I added fresh lettuce and tomatoes from my garden to add more flavor. It was so yummy!

Wed 9/11/13: I enjoyed watching the show, "Extreme Weight Loss" on Hulu. It's such an inspirational show. I like seeing people change their lives around and work hard to overcome the challenges they face when they make such drastic life-style changes. The transformations are amazing!

Thu 9/12/13: Brad and I took the little ones for a walk around our neighborhood tonight, since they were so full of energy. We stopped at the park for Lizzy and David to play. They were having so much fun they didn't want to leave.

Fri 9/13/13: Tonight was our ward's annual Soup Cook-off and Cake Auction. I loved seeing all of the cute cakes on display. There are some very talented people in our ward. We ended up bidding on Christine Westerns yummy guava cake and won. MMM! It was soooo good! The soups were yummy, too. My soup won "The Heartiest Soup Golden Spoon Award." I made my delicious creamy chicken and mushroom soup.

Sat 9/14/13: I loved shopping at the DI today! I bought 4 pairs of shoes and 9 cute outfits for Lizzy and David, and spent less than $50 on everything total. It was a great deal! Lizzy was very happy with the shoes and play-dresses I got her.

Sun 9/15/13: It's amazing how good an ordinary frozen pizza can taste after being covered with fresh toppings and extra cheese. My family loves it when I do that. I added some mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, red onions, Parmesan cheese, and cheddar cheese. It was so good! Lizzy and Scott were, of course, the picky ones and requested only bell peppers and cheese for Scott, and olives and cheese for Lizzy. Crazy ones!

Mon 9/16/13: Brad and I stayed up late watching the Season Finale of the first season of Downton Abbey. Gosh, I forget how much that show makes me cry. So good!

Tue 9/17/13: I was surprised to see that my Alias holds were ready to be picked up from the library today. Brad and I watched some more tonight. Still on Season 2.

Wed 9/18/13: I've been enjoying babysitting Valenne on Wednesdays. This was her third week at our house. They played outside, watched movies, played with toys, and ate noodles, blueberries, and cheese sticks. For some reason, those were the hit today.

Thu 9/19/13: My husband was my highlight. I loved watching the BYU Women's Soccer game with him tonight. BYU played against Oklahoma University. OU scored 2 goals within the first half of the game, and stayed ahead for most of the next half. Their winning streak died when BYU scored 3 goals within the last eight minutes of the game. The winning kick happened right at the very end. It was so exciting! I haven't cheered like that in a long time.

Fri 9/20/13: Emma and I went for a walk to the cousins house with Lizzy and David tonight. Lindsey made some yummy garlic and pepper popcorn. It was very yummy!

Sat 9/21/13: Scott had a Minecraft-themed birthday party with his friends today. I used Pinterest to give me ideas of how to decorate and prepare the snacks and cake. It meant a lot to hear Scott say how much he appreciated my hard work. That made me happy.

Sun 9/22/13: We seemed to have a long afternoon together, since it was Stake Conference today. I prepared a large feast of hobbit food tonight, since today is Hobbit Day. We had roast chicken, sauteed mushrooms, greens, homemade Artisan bread, and berry cake with homemade whipped cream. Mmmm! It was YUM! To end the night, we watched "Concerning Hobbits," and "Bilbo's Birthday" on The Fellowship of the Ring special edition disc. It was so much fun!

Mon 9/23/13: Lizzy and Brad had a funny conversation tonight at dinner time. Lizzy came to the dinner table and said, very dramatically, "Oooh, my tummy is hurt." Brad responded by saying, "Why does your tummy hurt?" Lizzy's very serious response was, "Because I have a baby inside. OH!"

Tue 9/24/13: This morning Lizzy and David had fun watching home video clips of themselves when they were babies. We watched clip after clip accompanied by lots of giggles and laughter. I love my babies so much! Can't believe they've grown so much in such a short amount of time.

Wed 9/25/13: It was nice having Scott and Emma home tonight. I could tell that Emma missed being here and that she was happy to be back. We had German Pancakes, watermelon, and bacon for dinner. Scott and Emma went to their YM/YW activity as usual, and when they got back, we all gathered around the computer monitor and watched the new Marvel show, "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."

Thu 9/26/13: It was nice having time to myself to go shopping tonight. I bought some more yarn to make some minion hats.

Fri 9/27/13: Lizzy blew soap suds in my face today while I was washing her hair. Apparently, that was a really funny thing to do to Mama. She couldn't stop laughing about it.

Sat 9/28/13: We had grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato bisque for lunch today. David was a huge fan of the bisque. He ate all of his and most of Lizzy's, too.

Sun 9/29/13:  Lizzy was very enthusiastic to practice her part for the Primary Program rehearsal today.  She asked me to help her memorize it before church, while we were driving to church, and right before sacrament meeting.  Her line was: "Jesus Christ taught us how to serve others."

Mon 9/30/13:  My husband is so wonderful.  He cleaned up the bathroom tonight and made it look so nice.  I love being married to someone who notices things that need to get done around the house and does it without being told to.  I admit that it makes me lazy at times, but it also inspires me to do my part and get things done, too.  I love being married to Brad.

First Day of School Photos

Scott and Emma started school a few weeks ago on Wednesday, August 21st.  I can't believe Scott's already in High School.  He's getting so grown up!  Emma officially started her first year of Junior High, too.

 Lizzy started her first week of preschool on Tuesday, September 3rd.  That was an emotional day for me.  I had convinced myself prior to that day that I wouldn't be one of those moms that cry on the first day of preschool.  Boy, was I wrong!  I cried all the way home after dropping her off.

I am so proud of my children for turning into such wonderful "bigger" people.  They amaze me every day.  I love them very much.

Scott's 16-Year-Old Interview

What makes "16" such a special age?

 I get to drive, date, and I get fun jobs!  I hope...

Who are your best friends?

 Jordan, Brett, Patrick, Kyler, and my cousins.

What do you like to do when you are with your friends?

 Play/design video games, or just games in general.

What makes you laugh?

 Just being with friends and family (or watching Studio C).

What is your favorite classes in school?  Why?

Art.  I have the freedom to do anything.

Seminary.  I get to meet friends and make friends.

What are your favorite books?

 Any mystery books like Encyclopedia Brown or the Haunted Bookshop series.

What are your favorite movies?

 Castle in the Sky, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar movies, and Studio Ghibli movies.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?

 Pay tithing, buy a computer, save for mission, take trips to England or Japan, go to Southern California and Seattle.

Describe your perfect day.

 Sleep in, get amazing ideas to draw, have lots of people.

What do you want to do when you grow up?

 Be a graphic designer, Police Detective, or attorney.

What is your favorite family activity?

 Watching Studio C, visiting extended family, FHE, baking.

What is your favorite holiday?  Why?

Halloween.  Similar to art there are no boundaries.

Random Facts About Me

My nickname is Sissel.

I'm a stage designer for a musical project.

I'm ambidextrous.

My teacher thought I was a girl from seeing my handwriting.

Minecraft and Portal 2 are my favorite games.  I also like Half-Life, the Phoenix Wright series, and Ghost Trick.

Scott's Minecraft-Themed Party

The Highlight of my Day: August 2013

Something good happens every day. Here's what happened in August 2013:

Thu 8/1/13: Brad and I got called back to see a member of the Stake Presidency again tonight. Looks like Brad is being called to be the first counselor in the Elders Quorum presidency with Brad Moon as president. It's a big calling, but I know my husband is qualified to do it. He'll do great.

Fri 8/2/13: We had a great drive to St. George this afternoon. The kids had a blast playing in the splash pad at Town Square Park and swimming at the hotel pool. We had Papa John's pizza for dinner and watched Gravity Falls in our hotel room.  David loved all the water play and learned a new trick: jumping in the pool. He's fearless in the water, which I both love and hate. He's just like me when I was little-- a little water fish.

Sat 8/3/13: We made it to Long Beach by 4:00 pm! I loved seeing my family, especially my new little niece, Claire. It was sweet holding her for the first time. The kids loved playing in the backyard together and getting presents from Aunt Rachel. It was cute seeing Lizzy and David playing with Eric. I loved seeing Susie & Chris, too. Chris showed us his boomerangs and Scott became very good at throwing them.

Sun 8/4/13: Today was little Claire's baby blessing. It was nice seeing all of the Montgomery family and getting our pictures taken. I love being with my family in California.

Mon 8/5/13: Today was Disney Day! Shauna got us into the park for a great price, and we had a blast going on rides, watching the Rapunzel show, meeting princesses, and walking around the park. Lizzy's favorite ride was Star Tours: The Adventure Continues. I was very impressed with the new improvements to the ride. It was awesome riding it twice and seeing a new story the second time. FUN!

Tue 8/6/13: We went to Bolivar Park with Rachel, Eric, and Claire this morning. The kids had fun playing together. We had lunch at Costco and went to a new bookstore called Bookoff, where we bought some new DVDS and Blu-Rays.

Wed 8/7/13: Walking round the El Dorado Nature center today was both fun and nostalgic. Being in Long Beach in general reminds me so much of my childhood and young adulthood. I loved going to the nature center and taking photos of my family there. It was cute seeing Lizzy and David drink out the same drinking fountain that my sisters and I used to fight over as children. Some things really haven't changed much at all.

Thu 8/8/13: Miniature golfing with Rachel & Craig was so much fun! We went to Camelot Golfland, in Anaheim. Brad and Rachel tied for 1st with Craig coming in 2nd and me in 3rd. I managed to get a hole in one, too!

Fri 8/9/13: My mom rented a water bouncer today and Lizzy LOVED it. David was feeling a little too sick and overwhelmed to play in the bouncer, but he liked splashing in the water on the side. I played five rounds of chess with Brad this afternoon, because I couldn't stop until I won a game. I'm glad I was more careful on the last round and beat him good. YAY!

Sat 8/10/13: Today was beach day! We headed over to Cabrillo Beach in San Pedro and went to the museum first before playing in the water. The museum let us hatch some baby grunions while we were there, which was fun to do. All we had to do was shake little jars with sand, water, and eggs for the grunions to hatch and swim around. They were cute. In the evening we joined the Montgomerys again and had fun playing at Heritage Park. I love seeing Lizzy and David have so much fun with Eric.

Sun 8/11/13: We went to Long Beach First Ward for Sacrament today, which was nice. Kristen and Kathy Ward were there with their families, too. We picked up Anissa after church and visited with her for a while. The Montgomerys joined us for dinner and afterward we all went up to Signal Hill and went for a nice long walk.

Mon 8/12/13: It was sad leaving Long Beach this morning, but I had fun driving from Baker, CA to Mesquite, NV while Brad rested his head. It was my first time driving on the I-15 for so long. Cruise control is awesome.

Tue 8/13/13: We made it home today. Gosh, it's so nice to be back! Sushi was so happy to see me that she wouldn't leave me alone all night. She kept rubbing me and meowing. It was as if she was saying, "Don't ever leave me again!" Cute kitty.

Wed 8/14/13: The sunset tonight made the sun appear bright red due to fires in the Tooele area. When Lizzy saw the bright red sun through the octagonal window in the living room, she ran up to me yelling, "Mommy, Mommy, the sun is sick! Come see!" Made me laugh.

Thu 8/15/13: Lizzy decided that her Rapunzel doll needed a hair cut this morning, since her hair was all tangled and didn't look so pretty. I wasn't too happy when I found out, but thought it was funny later when I observed it. Lizzy sliced it the same way it looked in the movie when Flynn Rider cut off Rapunzel's hair. Oh well! Guess that could still work. Maybe we should dye it brown.

Fri 8/16/13: I spent the whole day uploading, organizing, editing, and posting photos from our vacation last week. Wow, I sure did take a lot of photos on our trip!

Sat 8/17/13: Today was Brad's 20-year high school reunion. We walked three miles along the Jordan River Parkway with other alumni. We had lunch at the park where Lizzy and David had fun eating popcorn and snow cones. In the evening, Brad and I went to the Hilton Hotel for dinner. My favorite part was getting our photos taken in the photo booth. That was fun!

Sun 8/18/13: It was fun visiting with Brad's family tonight for dinner at Brad's dad house. I loved Loralee's clam chowder and Amanda's delicious bread salad. I like all the good chefs in Brad's family.

Mon 8/19/13: Brad and I watched a little big of Shogun tonight. Brad loves the story. I'm not very familiar with it, but I'm enjoying the TV mini-series so far. The Japanese culture is interesting.

Tue 8/20/13: I took Scott to his High School orientation this morning. We toured the building together, mapping out his classes on his map as we went along. A lot of girls were observing him. Can't believe how fast he's growing!

Wed 8/21/13: First day of school! I took photos of Scott and Emma before they left this morning. They looked pretty neat wearing their lab coats together. Emma was so happy to begin another year of school.

Thu 8/22/13: I was reading "The Three Little Pigs" to Lizzy and David tonight. When we got to the part when I used my Big Bad Wolf voice the most enormous lightning bolt lit up the whole sky and shook the house. I cried out in alarm when the lights when out. Scared the crap out of me! The electrical storm was amazing, though. It gave us quite a show.

Fri 8/23/13: Scott went to a tailgating party at his school tonight for the first time. It's nice that he lives so close to the school that he just walk on over whenever a special even occurs.

Sat 8/24/13: We celebrated Grandma North's birthday by having a family get-together at Marian's house. We were afraid it would be too cold since it was so overcast, but it ended up not being too bad. About a half hour after we got out of the pool for dinner a huge storm came in and began dumping buckets of water and hail into the pool. Took us by surprise.

Sun 8/25/13: I liked seeing my Sunbeam class today! I went three weeks without seeing them. Our lesson was on forgiveness.

Mon 8/26/13: Family Home Evening to the library was fun! We did sweets and sours on the way back. I like that Scott and Emma are happy to be back in school again.

Tue 8/27/13: It was nice having a late night outing to Dee's Restaurant with Bruce and Loralee tonight. Brad and I ordered cheese fries and a giant hot fudge sundae. It was yum.

Wed 8/28/13: I harvested a bunch of garden-grown tomatoes this evening and made a yummy homemade salsa with them. It was a nice day for chili, chips, and salsa.

Thu 8/29/13: My little ones are so cute. Today they made up a game where Lizzy was the "mommy" and David was the "daddy." Lizzy would run around the house saying, "Daddy... Daddy!" David would then reply, "Yes?" It was so cute. Kept them busy for awhile.

Fri 8/30/13: I had a bountiful harvest from my garden tonight! I picked some orange squash and some tomatoes and sweet peas. Lizzy and David helped me. I love having my own garden!

Sat 8/31/13: Brad and I took the little ones to Liberty Park in the afternoon. They had so much fun playing in the Canyon Lands water-feature. They loved all of the granite rocks and the little waterfalls and streams they could play in. I wish I had something like that to play in as a kid! I would have been in heaven.