2 pink lines

We are excited to announce that We are going to be having baby #4 next year. I am due August 8, and we are all thrilled about it. It was a surprise, since we weren't planning on trying for a few more months. The kids are so excited! Cayden really wants a baby brother, but Emma and Gracie would like a girl. I feel like it's a girl, but we'll have to see, I've definatelly been wrong before. I can't believe we will have a family of 6. Crazy and Fun!

Potty Training!

I am so excited to say that Gracie is officially potty trained. She has had 3 full days without an accident. I am so proud of her. I am so glad I get a break from Diapers for a while!

Christmas Outfits!!!

The kids looked so cute in their Christmas outfits this year. I remember my mom would make us beautiful Christmas dresses every year. I always loved to get my dress and I wanted to wear it every Sunday. I can't sew so I can't say mine are homemade, but it's still a tradition we all love.

Choir concert

The day after their recitals the kids had their choir concert. It was a music packed weekend. They have been in the Indiana University Childrens choir. It is one of the best childrens choirs in the nation, and I have been so impressed with how much they have learned this year. They have really enjoyed singing in it. They both did a great job in thier concert. I was so impressed with how well all the children did, they sounded like little angels. Cayden learned a song in Hebrew and Emma learned one in French.

Violin Solo Recital

Emma had her first violin solo recital on the same day as Cayden's piano recital. She did amazing. I have never been prouder of her. The first day of group class she was too scared to go up to the front of the room cause she thought all the parents were watching her. And now just a couple months later she was performing a solo in front of over 100 people. She has really blossomed and come out of her shell over the past couple months. I think she has done so well that it has really helped her self confidence. Emma played Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and it sounded so beautiful. Her teacher said that of all her students (over 100) that Emma is learning the fastest. She really is picking it up so quickly and is really good at it. Daddy gave her roses after her performance and she was so thrilled to get them from him. We all had so much fun watching her.

Our First Piano Recital

Cayden had his first piano recital this month. He played Jingle Bells, Electric Base, and Indian Dance. He did such a great job. I am so proud of him for how hard he has worked and how much he has learned in just a few short months. He has practiced everyday. He has even started writing his own songs, I love it. We were all proud of how well he did at his recital.

Thanksgiving

We had such a great Thanksgiving this year. It was my first time making an entire Thanksgiving meal all by myself and I was so happy with how it turned out. Everything was delicious and even the turkey was perfect, thanks to my amazing recipe I got. It was so nice to have time to spend with just our family and get lots of time together for laughing, games, and movies. We had a blast, and loved having daddy home with us for a couple of days. The week before thanksgiving me and the kids did a gratitude bucket and added things everyday to the bucket that we were grateful for, then we read every ones gratitude strips over dinner. We also did a unit about the first thanksgiving and learned about the pilgrims and Indians and Squanto. The day after Thanksgiving we were able to go to the temple, which is always our favorite day of the month! I am so grateful for all of the wonderful amazing blessings in my life. I don't think I deserve to be this happy. I am grateful for an amazing husband who loves and supports me and still writes me love letters. I am grateful for 3 happy healthy amazing children. And most of all I am grateful to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life and to have the help and love of the Lord everyday.

Our Family on Thanksgiving Day!


My greatest blessings




She is so silly, she is always the comedian making everyone laugh!


Cayden and Emma each ate and entire turkey leg.



The table



Chuck had already started carving it and I realized I never got a picture, But I had to document my first turkey.


This sweet potato casserole was AMAZING. I got the recipe from my friend Kari, we all LOVED it!

Family Pictures 2011

I'm really happy with how they turned out this year considering I had a friend help me with our family picture, and I did the rest of them. Someday I will be able to afford to pay someone to do our pictures! How could they not look great with how adorable these kids are. Love them!


Love this, they were all laughing at Chuck!


She is so beautiful, I adore this little girl!


Beautiful Emma, she is getting way to grown up.



He is so hansome!







My little man!


They sure do love their daddy!

Happy Halloween

We had a great time on Halloween this year. we had our Halloween orange and black chili for dinner(sweet potato and black bean chili, SO GOOD!) Daddy didn't get out of class until 7:00 so we ate dinner and got ready in our costumes, took pictures and then went to pick him up at school. Then we hurried home to get some trick or treating in before bedtime. Gracie loved getting all the candy and was so excited. We made a deal with the kids in the summer that if they would go off of sugar with us for 1 year that we would take them to disneyland next summer so none of us could have any of our candy so we put it all in a big pot and gave it away. They were sad to part with it but Mommy and Daddy had a special toy to give each of them to help parting with their candy not be so bad. I wanted my kids to match this year but they all had plans of their own on costumes. So sad, I couldn't influence them at all this year they all knew what they wanted to be and didn't want any of my ideas.



My transformer! I tried to get him to be something more original but he really wanted to be bumblebee!


Emma begged me to be a vampire, not sure where she got the idea but she wanted to be an old school vampire, I think her costume turned out beautifully.


Gracie saw this costume at TJ Maxx and freaked out. She loves it and had to have it. She still wears it all the time for dress up, even though she must be sweating the entire time. She is an adorable little puppy!


All the candy we had to give away, SO SAD!

Violin Concert

Emma had her first Violin concert this fall. They had a Halloween concert a couple of days before Halloween and all the kids got to wear their Halloween costumes. She did amazing and I am so proud of her. This is the biggest thing that has helped her self confidence this year. She has really come out of her shell and has overcome her horrible stage fright. I was so proud of her for going up on the stage and performing in front of a packed auditorium. She is learning so fast and is loving violin. Her teacher told me that she has over 100 student and of all of them Emma is learning the fastest. Emma got into the stings program they have at the university and it is an amazing program, but intense. 1 group practice a week and 2 private lessons weekly. She has worked really hard and practiced every day and I am so proud of how far she has come. I hope that this will become a great talent for her someday.


Up on stage

Emma with her student helper Derek, she loves him!


We didn't get a family picture because we were rushing out the door to go to our ward trunk or treat which we were late for.