Emma's Kindergarten Graduation

I cannot believe how fast time flies. I am having problems posting more pictures on FB for some reason, not sure I even want to continue with it, at least I have blogging still right? We went and watched Em and her classmates put on a little graduation show for the parents. She was so cute and had so much fun. After I was able to get a few pictures of her and a few of her friends even though almost everyone in her class was pretty keen on her and her them. I was able to volunteer once a week and really got to know her little friends. It was amazing at the relationships each child had with eachother and how much everyone got along thru the whole year. Such a great group of kids and how sad it's going to be to move away from them next year as she will be starting at a completely new school.

This guy was actually the school's crossing guard. We would drive by him and the girls would roll their windows down and say hi to him every morning. It was so sweet. Alice went right to him and was happy just sitting in his lap thru the whole thing. I guess he ended up having a little great grandaughter in her class. Such a sweet man.

At the end of the "mini" ceremony I failed once again to get pictures with me or Nate. Isn't that always the case? I'll have to post more later.

Alice 1st "Cupcake" Bday Party...

Alice had her 1st "cupcake" theme birthday party over the weekend. She enjoyed seeing family and especially loved the food...of course, she will eat just about anything you put in front of her (yes, including garbage if we gave it to her). With sloppy joes and fruit salad, chips, veggies and dip, taking down the pinata, and cupcake eating fun; it was bound to be the best 1st bday party ever...Bday girl getting ready for the guests to arrive...

These scrumptious delights were part of the going away favors for the party guests. If you are interested in finding out how to make these EASY delights, go to www.bakerella.com; MMMM, so good and super cute!

Aunt Gretchen made these HAPPY BIRTHDAY blocks for Lucy's 1st bday party last year. We borrowed them... so cute! THANKS GRETCHIE!!

Food, MMMM so good! And the weather was willing to cooperate with us, allowed us to use the nice backyard... the kids loved it!

The kids decided that instead of pulling the string on the bottom of the pinata, they insisted we used the bat to break it apart; in the end it took 3 men to literally bust the thing apart...Lilly so focused and intent on busting it open...GO LU-LU!!
Party favor bags made easy with digital scrapbooking cupcakes (provided by Stephanie Fry (THANK YOU!)) printed out on photo paper, cut and pasted to goodie baggies....The Birthday Girl sets her gaze on her birthday cupcake, and didn't even give the candle enough time to be blown out before she was intent on gobbling it up. She was so funny, she started with the top but then decided to keep going with the bottom and finish with the top. That's my girl!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALICE!! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

(Loads of ideas for cupcake theme parties found on the internet, along with a special thanks to Steph for providing the digital scrapbooking CD for all the fun cutouts and the cute cupcake theme idea she threw for her own little one a few years ago. Your the best!!)

Alice is 1!!

Yesturday was Alice's 1st birthday (even though we arent celebrating until this weekend with family and friends)...

She has been an absolute joy and delight to watch as she grows from infant to this strong and curious toddler. She adores mommy and daddy, LOVES LOVES LOVES her sisters and is always interested in everything around her. I remember as she came into our lives hardly a peep was to be heard and as they lay her on my tummy her big eyes were wide as she immediately was taking in the world. Ever since then she most def. is the most patient little one I have ever come to see and know. She loves life, loves to be happy and is very rare to see a dissatisfied look on her face. We are so lucky to have her in our lives...

Blogging Creeps!!

We have been getting some real wierdos looking at our blog and commenting; mostly it seems from china or japan or somewhere over there thus I am resorting to private blogging these days. I haven't been on for a long LOOOOOOOng while I know, it's been a bit busy and I havent had a chance to keeping it up on blog, facebook is another story. I'm trying to do better, I promise! Thus, if you are a follower and would like to keep posted please get me your email so I can put it in our invite list so we can keep you up to date on how crazy life is about to get these next few months of summer... thanks!!

Emmas Oz Performance

One last hurrah for sledding season...

One of the last days of winter, I feel it in my bones. I have to admit, I am a little sad to see the snow go, considering we get loads of it up here on the mountain where we live. It's so beautiful at times, driving in it is another story of course, especially with how windy the road is on the way down to dropping Em off to school. Behind us is a golf course and with it covered in snow and the past few days of storms with snow and rain we got a load more of snow; so much that we decided to take one more trip up the hilly golf course for some sledding adventures. Brady, Gretchen and Lucy decided they would join us considering my loveable adorable little niece, Lucy, has not gotten to go sledding at all this winter... She was a blast in a half. Here were just a few pix to highlight our afternoon...
She is so funny, Brady just laid her down since she was so wobbly just sitting on the sled...Go Gretchie and Emma... Lilly likes sledding but is ok not doing it at times. This was one of those moments. She just enjoyed watching the rest of us go down the hill while she walked up and down it eating snow... we had to make sure she wasn't eating any yellow snow....

The snow was so packed it wasnt too fast of rides for any of us, until we found this more steep hill... then it got crazy!

Cute little Lucy Lu..

We love this face she pulls... little pouter!!

Me and my girls, so glad they love the outdoors... Even Alice got a little taste of the snow that day. She mostly sat in her stroller and watched the rest of us, but she got her chance...

Little poser, meow... lol

Emma is totally our snow princess. She loves carrying her sled up and sledding down. But with the snow so packed it was still even hard for her to go down by herself, so Auntie Gretchie had to help her a little. It was so cute.

Go Brady and Lucy Lu!!!

Farewell snow, until next year... It's been getting a little warmer here and there. We do get some storm flurrys that pass thru but we're looking forward to spring. Until our next set of adventures.... Ta ta for now.

New Year Beginnings... I'm back to blogging!!

We went to California as we always do for Christmas Break. All of us were able to come and enjoy fun games, LOADS AND LOADS of food (still workin' that off btw...) and some fun family pix (sort of an ode to Jordan before he prepares to leave for his Mission this next year). Our family has grown quite a bit as you can tell since the last we had fam pix done and is still consistenly growing. We had a great time seeing family and friends and always enjoy getting together. Here were just a few of my favorites. I promise to do better blogging people. Its been so crazy busy around here keeping up with the girls and activities. I have been getting complaints that I haven't been posting as much so here's just a small taste....

I love this pix because my girls are actually ALL 3 looking at the camera and actually ALL 3 smiling, including that wee one in my arms. She is growing leaps and bounds and we are just loving it... more to come on her!!
Me and my boys... gotta love em!!

What is that MISCHIEVIOUS little girl on the left thinking? Keep your eye on that one, she is TROUBLE!!

7 Girls and 1 boy. Poor Morgon!!

Don't ask...

We have had a wonderful New Year beginning. We are all healthy, loved and blessed. We are so greatful for our family and friends and would not be who we are today if it weren't for them. Emma is busy with Kindergarten and Theatre group. She loves having friends over and is such a social butterfly (much like her mommy I guess). She is such a HUGE helper with her 2 younger sisters and is always so postitive (much like her daddy). She loves life and loves getting out and stay active with snow sledding and swimming. We just love her zest for life.

Lilly is much the same. She is quite the character and loves doing EVERYTHING her sister does. They enjoy a little healthy competition at times (sometimes that worries me), but they ultimately are the bestest of friends (makes my heart smile seeing how much they adore one another and makes eachother laugh.) She loves playing with Emma and her friends but also loves to help with her younger sister. She my mischievious one, thus keeping me on my toes... never a dull moment with this one. She can tend to make mommy so mad yet make me just love her all that much more. She is very loveable and has no fear of showing those around her how much she loves them (babysitter came over for the first time and she ran and hugged her, SO SWEET!!). She constantly melts our hearts with how much she loves life. Along with her sister she is busy with gymnastics, snow sledding and swimming.

Alice is such a FABULOUS baby!! We just adore her! At 8 months, pro-crawler, pulling herself up to everything and anything she gets her scrawny little hands on, and showing off the 5 teeth she has thus far; she is the life of the party. The girls can't get enough of her, mommy and daddy can't get enough of those cheekies, and SUCH an amazing sleeper, we could not ask for more. She loves sleeping in her car seat, loves laughing and giggling esp when her sisters come and play with her in her crib. She is loved, no doubt about that.

Didn't get cards sent out this last year as I always do, went by WAY too fast. Got to enjoy a little bit of it at Christmas break at least and hope that the rest of you are enjoying your new year beginnings. All our love, The Dials!!

Family Vacation to Southern Cali... (FINALLY!!)

I know, I know, I know... It's been almost a month and a half since I've posted anything new... It has been busy not only since school started for Emma, but getting ready for our major family vacation to Southern California this year. It was SO much fun getting together with everyone that I really am aching for more. It went by so fast I sometimes wake up wondering what we did.

It all started with a promise 2 years ago to our then 3 year old Emma; We'll go to Disneyland when you turn 5. Ever since then, she has NOT let us forget. So, we figured we HAD to live up to our promise and take her. Well, what started out as just a fun mini family vacation ended up being a HUGE extended family vacation. Everyone in my family was able to come and it was better than I had hoped. My mom, Brett, Bonnie and their 4 kids as well as Brady and Gretchen and their little 10 month old girl, Lucy came for the full week. Nate, my dad, Kaleb and Jordan showed up Thursday night to enjoy Disneyland together. We decided since we were going to be there for a week we would rent a house. It was ok, not what I expected, but would def. do a house again (just a little more room than we thought we were getting). Just a few highlights shots I got in between travels (it did have a beautiful pool; the weather just didn't allow us to swim at ALL as it rained a majority of the time. It did brighten up at the end of the week and so made it nice and HOT at D-Land.) The kids enjoyed the pool (throwing their toys in it)... The boys couldn't resist bringing the WII and at night relax a little to some games..

The boys having a little TOO much fun...
Day 1: The beach. What is Southern Cali known for other than their most GORGEOUS CLEAN beaches? Even though their first beach visit was to Santa Cruz boardwalk a few years ago, the girls didn't skip a beat running after the waves.... as well as AWAY from them. They were so giddy and so hilarious!! I took advantage of my new lens and totally wanted to get some fun family shots as well. Here were just a few of my favorites...

This family came walking by us with their rather large dog (I thought it was a pony) and Mae Mae just had to pet him...Claire couldn't resist a little snuggle either...

Claire and Lilly were SOAKED at the end of our visit. We should have brought their swimsuits, but we weren't expecting to get in that day... oh well, they had fun.

We then spent a day at the San Diego Zoo where we really enjoyed seeing a ton more animals than I had ever seen at any other zoo. We, did not plan well and so didnt get enough time to see all that we wanted to; which actually worked out best because by the time we were done the kids were dropping like flies.. they were so tired!!

Em and cousin Mae Mae find a bug... uh, girls, there's animals you won't see anywhere else, drop the bug. You can see those anywhere..

Lucy (my niece), got a stuffed Koala; we'll just say she was in love. At 10 months, she was such a trooper what with being completely off schedule and hardly any naps during the days. She was so great and LOVED everything we did that week!!

Lilly did ok at the zoo. She loved the monkeys (her being one herself), as long as they were a STATUE. She had to make sure it wasn't real.

Here she's getting attitude with the mommy monkey telling her what to do... bossy little thing; wonder where she gets it?

As you can see, the kids were just dropping like flies.

Besides the SLC Temple, the San Diego Temple has GOT to be my next most favorite temple in the whole wide world. We got to stop off for a little bit on our way back from the Zoo and take in some beautiful shots of this magnificent temple. I love how you can see it from the freeway. It is just so breathtaking...

Universal Studios was very interesting. It rained, it closed earlier than we had anticipated thus we only got about 4 hours of fun in. We enjoyed going on the Universal Studios Tour which is really what they are known for. The girls enjoyed Shrek. Couldn't even get Lilly on any other ride for that matter, and Em did NOT like the Simpsons; even though she was yelling pure joy the whole time she was on it. Funny little thing.

We were on the tour and we got to the Jaws scene where it comes popping out of the water right next to the tram, and Emma happened to be on the side it pops out of the water... Enough said. (Wish I would have gotten a picture of her face; she traded me spots immediately after.)

We did spend a day at Sea World, my camera's battery died thus I had to wait to get my charger when Nate came that Thursday night. It was fun to see Shamu (Lilly, Claire, Bonnie and I sat in the soak zone; we didn't get soaked as I had hoped but did get wet. It was so much fun. We got to pet the dolphins (they are so SILKY SMOOTH!!).

We had a great 3 days at Disneyland. Emma had a wonderful time having lunch with the princesses at Ariels' Grotto (great place to get a TON of princesses' autographs btw..). Lilly did ok on some rides, but other than the princesses didn't like any of the Disney characters. She flipped out when Goofy surprised her by poking his head over the stroller and saw him pearing down at her (flipped out is not even the best way to describe how she reacted). The girls first visit to Disneyland went well and Em is now telling her friends, "We went to Disneyland and saw Ariel for my birthday."

Sucha little poser!!

Emma said, "Mommy, that's the letter 'A', just like the a in my name!!" I had to get a pix.

Emma and Morgan had such a great time going on rides together.

Lilly did NOT like toon town very much. So this was the only spot in Toon Town we could get her to be comfortable enough to get herself OUT of the stroller. The last day we were there, however, she saw from across the park she saw Goofy and Donald running and bouncing into eachother (putting on a show for the kiddies that were watching and surrounding them). Lilly started FREAKING out and ran into Nate's arms. (Poor thing is scarred for life).

Em and Lu and a couple of their cousins...

Emma was SO enchanted by each princess. She would ask them questions (have no idea what she was asking them; she was too quiet about it). She was so star struck!! It was so much fun to watch her and Lilly as they got their books autographed.

Lilly LOVED the princesses as well, but did not take to any of the other Disney characters.

Lilly, Em and their cuz Lucy.. they were so cute with her.

Daddy and Emma had to persuade her to get on Dumbo with them..

One of the VERY few rides Lilly would actually go on.

Can we spell T-R-O-U-B-L-E?

Alice was such a great baby... She was so happy and content sleeping in the stroller.

Me and my girls... Poor Nate is so outnumbered.