Dance Recital and a SNOW DAY!!

Last night was Rylee and Audree's dance recital...they were so adorable in their costumes!! Isn't Rylee's hip hop outfit so "Rylee"?? I loved it...and Audree looked like a tinkerbeel ballerina! We got there in time to have a front row seat and we were so excited that Grandma and Grandpa Clark could come to watch with us! They both danced perfectly and I couldn't be prouder of their great work!


Also, a huge storm is passing through Utah right now and today is the first "snow day" (school is cancelled!) that I have ever heard of while living here! We have had over 18 inches in the last 24 hours at our house...I usually don't appreciate the snow...but during the week of Christmas I think it's quite festive...so I am actually enjoying this beautiful Christmasy weather! The kids are very excited that their Christmas break just increased by one day...except Karlee...her class was supposed to perform a Christmas play that she wrote with her best friend. The class chose their play to perform and today was the big day...oh well, we'll just have to play in the snow instead!

Spencer is 4 years old!

I am so sad...my baby turned 4...I LOVE 3 year olds and that part of being a mommy is over...lucky for me, these kids are still great even as they grow up! Anyways, we did the usual celebration for Spencer's big day and it was such a fun night! All the Clarks came over for a soup and chili dinner (I love that dinner on winter nights!). Spencer opened his presents...which he loved! Let's just say there were lots of cars, trucks and trains involved...his idea of perfect!


There was cake and ice cream and then we headed out to the lights!

I don't know how we did it...but somehow we managed to squeeze all the people in this photo into one truck! We had a great time driving thru the lights! It was actually a warm evening...so a bit more enjoyable than in years past! What a great evening...thanks for coming everyone...and Happy Birthday, Bubba!

Christmas Festivities!

Well, we have been so busy having fun that I haven't had a chance to sit down and blog about it! Here's some of the stuff we've been up to...this is the short list let me assure you!
We decorated some cookies ( I would like to say that we "made" them...but honestly, I bought the dough at the store...we just decorated them!).

We had Spencer's preschool party here at our house!! We had fun with a book gift exchange, playing Christmas Bingo, reading some Christmas books, decorating penguin masks and eating cookies! The kids were so cute...it was a good time...later in the day Spencer said to me..."The kids at preschool thought you were the teacher today...but you are just my Mom!"...so funny!

It's been snowing...a sure sign that December is upon us! The kids don't care if it's snowing...the swings are still fun!

We made it to the mall to see Santa...everytime we find the chance to do this it seems to be at the end of a long and busy day...hence, my kids look like orphans...I always feel bad because some of the kids in line are all dressed adorable with hair done perfectly and we look like we dragged the kids out of bed...oh well! I guess the kids don't care, and neither does Santa!

Karlee's First Cheer Competition!!

What a busy day we had yesterday! Karlee had her first cheer competition and, of course, we all had to be there! We packed up and left by 9:30 in the morning...she didn't compete until 12:15 and then the awards weren't done until 2:00! She did amazing and I couldn't be a prouder mommy...she makes my cheerleading exploits look like a joke...it's so fun to watch her!
I put a video of Karlee's routine on You Tube...If you want to watch her in action!!When you watch this clip you will have to watch carefully to keep your eye on Karlee. She starts the routine in the middle, tumbling toward the front. She is at the front center during the jumps and the front center for the basket-toss stunts. Hope that helps! Just copy and paste this address to watch! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X1lF6YGo5M

After the competition we decided to head up to Salt Lake and enjoy the lights at Temple Square! We had an early dinner at Applebees and shopped the Gateway for awhile (the lights on the tree there are amazing...they change to the music). We rode Trax (Spencer LOVES the train!) over the Temple Square and enjoyed the choirs and lights. Besides having to find bathrooms about 7 times during the evening (seriously!) it was fabulous! We also witnessed literally 4 engagements happen at the lights within minutes of eachother...apparently not a very unique place to get engaged...so funny!

Thanksgiving Festivities!

Before we headed out for our usual Thanksgiving trip to California...we headed to the bowling alley with the Clarks! Luckily, we had a chance to see Casey and Dave's family before we left! We all had a great time and it was fun to be together and watch the kids bowl like pros!


Just a couple hours after the bowling was done...the car was packed, a bed made on the floor of the van and we started the drive to California. I have to say that taking the kids on these trips has gotten SO much easier the past year!
Our Thanksgiving Day started with our newest tradition...running a Turkey Trot...we did the run in Long Beach this year. The only bummer is that I never get to run it...I have the kids, but everyone that ran had a great time and me and the kids cheered them on at the finish line!


Thanksgiving dinner was delicious, as usual, and we all enjoyed hanging out at Nancy and Bob's house...Spencer and Bristol especially loved dancing with the singing decorations (except when Bristol touched Spencer's singing turkey and he yelled, "Bristol...stop touching my chicken!"). Uncle Bob took Jake and Spencer for a sweet ride in his hot rod too...Spencer could not have been more stoked! Unfortunately, the evening ended with a 911 call to the ambulance. Grandpa Nemrow had to be taken to the hospital with a congestive heart failure episode...he is doing much better now.




The trip was FULL of photography sessions for the family, Brooke's bridal photo shoot, Brooke's bridal shower and family activities...never a dull moment. Jake even took the kids to Scandia (their favorite!!) with Travis and Bristol while I attended the shower. The kids were even great helpers when we did Brooke's pictures at the beach...they loved to hold the flowers inbetween shots! It was a great trip!

Kids Photos

Today I took our family pictures so that I could put together a Christmas card...I decided to use the button on my camera that will let me run into the pictures. I wasn't sure if that would work...but I actually like how they turned out. I don't want to post the pictures I am using on the Christmas card...I want everyone to be surprised...but here are some of the individual photos of the kids...I love these guys! Oh...and I put one of Jake and I on here too...enjoy!

Singer Extraordinaire!

Today was the ward Primary Program during sacrament meeting. Rylee was assigned to sing a solo during one of the songs. She had practiced quite a bit. Daddy was nervous that she would try to sing opera-style (she has a tendency to do that at home) and Mom was just nervous that she would be too nervous. But Rylee rose to the occasion. She sang like an angel, it was sweet and beautiful...I cried like a baby and could hardly contain my tears for the rest of church. I am so proud of her. I don't know why I ever worry about my kids in these situations...so far, they have always fought the nerves and done great! Of course, once we got home and I told her I wanted a picture of her singing...it was back to good old crazy Rylee...got to love her!

Spooky Halloween Weather!

This Halloween we had a great time dressing up...the kids each picked their own costumes...Spencer was very excited to be a monkey (so appropriate, don't you think?), Audree wanted to be a beautiful fairy with wings, Rylee (I am sure you couldn't guess...) wanted to be a witch and Karlee wanted to be Cinderella (the Cinderella wedding dress was on sale, so that's what we went with and she was very excited about wearing Mommy's veil). Jake and I decided to go with a Nacho Libre theme...and Jake's mustache was probably my favorite thing about the whole night!




About 30 seconds after we took these pictures (literally!) a crazy, tornado-like, hail storm came tearing through the city! We had to wait awhile to start the trick-or-treating. Jake took the kids out in the van for the first little while until the storm calmed down, then they finished trick-or-treating in the traditional manner...freezing cold walking! They all enjoyed a fresh batch of hot cocoa when they arrived back home!


I think it's pretty cool that here in good old Utah when Halloween falls on a Sunday...everyone just automatically celebrates (including trick-or-treating) on Saturday. It was great not to feel like we had to choose between keeping the Sabbath and celebrating! Even thought the weather would have been a LOT better, everyone just did the Saturday thing, no questions asked, I love it!

What is Bubba up to??

Spencer is my favorite age right now...3 years old! I think they are SO funny and sweet at this age! This morning he ran into our bedroom excitedly yelling, "It's my birthday!"...here's the story. A few months ago he asked when his birthday was and I told him it would be when there was snow. Last night we got our first dusting of snow and this morning the lawn was covered. He woke up, saw snow outside, and figured out it was his birthday. He was pretty bummed when we told him it wasn't his birthday...although, we're thinking maybe we should just celebrate his birthday at the first snowfall every year since his Dec. 18th birthday is such a bummer. Hmmm..I'll have to let you know about that!


Yesterday Spencer drew his first self-portrait. He was very proud of himself! He came in to show it to me and with tons of enthusiasm explained,"Here is my eyes, this is my bellybutton, and these are some rocks!" pointing to the circles within the circle. I couldn't help but be very excited for him and give him a huge hug! I simply love this guy!


OH, Rylee actually did this self-portrait first (the one that inspired Spencer's). She is so funny too...my favorite thing she said this week was..."Hey Mom, the mountains look like a pile of muddy buddies". Muddy Buddies are those chex cereal treats you make with chocolate and peanut butter and then coat with powdered sugar...the mountains were dusted with snow that day. Only my Rylee would make that observation...food is such an important part of her life...especially food covered in powdered sugar!

Pumpkin Patch!

It's a family tradition to head out to the local pumpkin patch and pick out our pumpkins every year...the kids watch the pumpkins grow all summer (as we drive down the road) and get really excited when the patch opens up! We have been SO busy lately, but found an evening to head out between dinner and cheer class. The kids love to pick pumpkins, but they also love the hay piles, maze and corn kernal pit. It's beginning to feel like Fall around here!

Ahhh...Ahhhh....Ahhhh (said in your best Tarzan impersonation!)

So, we just got back from a fabulously relaxing weekend in St. George! The kids had a fall break on Thursday and Friday...so we headed out Wednesday night with a big surprise. We didn't tell the kids where we were going, but we had tickets to see "Tarzan" at the Tuachan theater. The kids were so excited when they figured it out and we had amazing seats for the performance. It was the best production we have seen down there yet...really, the show was so entertaining (lots of flying around and monkeys!)...the kids were enthralled the entire show! After the show we met up with Sam and Holly and their kids who happend to have tickets to the very same show!! The kids loved meeting all of the performers afterwards!




While we were down there we did a LOT of swimming (hooray for warm weather!) and bit of shopping (mostly because Jake forgot his work clothes hanging up by the door back at home...so he needed clothes to work in!) and too much eating! Before we headed home Sam and Holly invited us to go to a "rock climbing park" with them in town. We had never been there before and thought it sounded fun...and it was! The kids had a blast climbing and exploring and besides twisting my ankle we all had a great time(actually the ankle didn't even start to hurt until after we left...so we all had a great time while we were there!)



Then we were so hot and sweaty that we had to go for one last swim before heading home! As we were about to head out of town we realized our car was over-heating...so a quick stop at a car repair place (just a bit of water in the radiator did the trick) and we were off to home! What a great little escape...just what we needed!