The Loos

The past few days...

2012-01-18T08:49:00.000-08:00

have been eventful. We have had some lows, but mostly highs, I can't even believe it!

Low--I got THE worst food poisoning of my life on Friday night--I was up every half hour between 12:30 and 4:30. Wow, it was wicked (in a bad way)

High--I just found a new tv series--Downton Abbey, thanks to my grandma and mom. I'm not sure why I'm such a sucker for these old English types, but I love them!

Highest High--we are well on our way to having two potty trained buddies! We started last Thursday and both are doing great. Both are now going on the regular potty (cleaning out those little ones is ten times worse then changing a diaper!) and are having few accidents. Scott stayed dry one night and they are sometimes staying dry during nap time. I am not one to try and do underwear during sleep time, I figure that will come :) (This is Scott. When he goes, it is at least a 30-45 minute ordeal)

It was a blissful weekend--I think Kate stayed in her pajamas all day a couple of the days (I think I might have every day!) (Austin, Kate, Scott)

Scott left, Austin right

My new best friend

2012-01-17T10:35:00.000-08:00

This just made my winter SO much better. I always get cracks in my cuticles that make me dread this dry part of the year. I have so much love for this stuff, it deserved a post.

A visit to Idaho

2012-01-15T16:02:00.000-08:00

I didn’t realize I was so homesick for Idaho. I was. It was SUCH a fun visit. I wish it could have lasted a week longer. We started by going bowling with a bunch of my extended family. I’m sad I didn’t get pictures of everybody! The kids got a kick out of it. This is Scott bowling.

They all loved to give each other moral support (A, K, S)

Grandpa Durtschi helping Austin bowl

After bowling lost its luster, the kids went back to the small rides. (Addie, Austin, Olivia, Ethan behind)

After bowling, we went to Aunt Heidi’s and it was so fun to visit with everyone! No pics though!

We went to Brian’s house a few times and Kate fell in love with this little chair.

This might look dangerous… (Austin)

No one got hurt though and the kids were happy, so we couldn’t complain!

S, A

For New Year’s Eve, we went to Gma and Gpa Durtschi’s house. Grandpa went down and watched “Babies” with all the kids—all the kids were entranced for a good 20 minutes! (Scott on the left)

We stayed a bit longer then everyone and played games, (S, A)

I should have gotten more, but man it was a great trip. Thanks ZM for letting me stay for a week, we loved it!

Other Random Decembers

2012-01-14T15:52:00.000-08:00

We started (and quit again) potty training. It went much better this time though. I think we’re getting closer (Scott left, Austin right)

Picture taken out, sorry Scotty :)

Had a visit with Whitney and Joe (favorites in the kids’ eyes)

Caught some sweet moments—these two love getting in bed together. Oh, I love it! Austin left, Scott right

Austin left, Scott right

Do boxes ever lose their fun? I don’t think so!

Watching my pretty girl grow up

Catching the kids playing ALL THE TIME in here. It is under the coffee table between the couches. I just hope there are no spiders down there! (Austin, Scott)

Scott, Austin

Scott front, then Kate, Austin back

The kids are growing up. Austin recently started saying prayers all by himself. It is so sweet. He talks so much and also talks in this funny voice when he is being serious, it makes me smile every time.

Kate is loving school so much and is tolerating dance. I think we will try sports next year :)

Scott is still our jolly happy boy. He makes everything light and silly.

All love reading books. They’ll sit and have me read for 45 minutes if I will! I hope they continue to be book lovers like their mama. All three also ADORE babies. Any time there is a baby around, they want to be holding, talking, etc. They also have been just loving each other. They always are hanging out, running downstairs and sneakily trying to start a movie to watch together, or just playing in boxes (best free entertainment ever). It makes me so happy. I just hope it lasts!

Christmas Day

2012-01-13T15:41:00.000-08:00

This was my favorite Christmas Day I can remember. I loved it. I loved that Christmas was on Sunday. The kids woke up around 7 or 7:30 (I was up before them—typical me though, I always was the first one up in my family growing up). We went and looked at stockings, then had a nice breakfast, then went to church.

I LOVED having church on Christmas. We had some songs, a couple brief talks, then more songs. I wish Christmas was on Sunday every year!

I can see the question in your mind—which present was the favorite? It was the $1 Walmart flashlight each got in their stocking. (Austin)

Scott

Austin

Scott, I love that starburst made him so happy!

What can I say, I have a weakness for silly putty!

The boys LOVED these Wedgit blocks, they played with them ALL DAY!! (Scott)

Austin

After church, we came home and opened a couple more. This is Austin playing with his lego tractor.

Scott, Kate, Austin

Kate was SO excited about this Rapunzel doll.

Scott

Austin (gift from neighbors that spoil my kids rotten)

Scott

Christmas was so great. I am so grateful for that time of the year to reflect on the Savior, his life, and his Atonement for us. I loved teaching the kids about it and I love the constant reminders all around!

Christmas Eve

2012-01-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

Guess who took pictures this year!

These two are such pals

We did Christmas Eve with the Lewis family and it was so fun! The food was delish and the company was better! We were in charge of doing the nativity story. Jeff read. Kate was Mary…

Scott was Joseph, and Ash was the donkey (we didn’t assign the parts )

Austin decided to sit this one out!

Then we came home and did our own thing—the kids each opened a couple New Years Eve presents, then put out cookies for Santa, reindeer food for the reindeer (Kate made it in her preschool) Kate was hoping that Santa would leave her a cookie like she did last year

And they actually fell asleep…

Austin

Scott

It was so nice to be around family and then come home to our own beds. I love Christmas!

Christmas with Graham Cracker

2012-01-11T15:14:00.000-08:00

…otherwise known as Grandma Packer. She did these fun balls this year—you can’t always count on Grandma Packer to make Christmas a party! The balls were made of crepe paper and with each layer you would unwrap little goodies—the idea was kind of like what you would get in a stocking.

She also got the kids these little backpacks with a book of her illustrations along with extra blank pages and other fun pages. The kids love them! (and so do I, I want one too!)

Scott

Austin

These were so fun, I hope it becomes a yearly tradition!

Kate’s Christmas Dance Recital

2012-01-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

Kate has been semi-enjoying dance this year. She really likes doing her own poses and when they get to do interpretive dancing, it’s pretty precious.

BYU vs Baylor

2012-01-09T14:04:00.000-08:00

We decided to head down to the lovely town of Provo one Saturday in December. It ended sad, but we had a good time—I even ran into a friend from junior high, that was fun!

Kate, Scott, and Dad

Kate, Dad, Austin, me, Scott

Scott

Kate, Jeff, and Austin

The kids loved it, we’ll have to go to a few more!

Gingerbread houses

2012-01-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

The Monday before Christmas, we got brave and made some gingerbread houses. My sister suggested we make the houses before and decorate them later—this would not have happened if we hadn’t done that! Kate was very into it. I made the frosting to runny, but that just made things more interesting.

Scott was pretty serious and really wanted to decorate (it probably helps that he got the house my mom made)

Austin enjoyed eating treats.

Kate was also very into it. Hers turned out really fun!

Scott with finished house.

Austin with finished house.

The great thing about this first batch of gingerbread houses—we have nowhere to go but up!

Finally a snow day!!

2012-01-07T13:49:00.001-08:00

It made me so happy to wake up to snow on the ground! We have had so little snow, I just was starting to think we’d get to spring without any real snow. So, even though we only had about 3 inches, we all went out and played. The kids lasted so long, I couldn’t believe it! They did a little sledding (translation: me or Jeff pulling them on the sled), snow angels, a wicked snowball fight, and snowmans.

One great thing about Utah—you can pull your bikes out in January! (Austin)

Kate worked really hard on this snowman and was very proud!

Scott was freezing. Turns out gloves aren’t such a bad idea!

This should probably be my facebook profile pic.

I think my favorite thing was the snowball fight and hearing Austin or Scott yell, “You better run mom!” before having a snowball thrown at me (meaning I got a hug with snow on their hands). Today was a good day!

Funny Kids

2011-12-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

A little background: Whenever we are bathing the kids, I always tell them they need baths so they don't have stinky bums, so today we had this conversation...

Me: "When we get home, I'm going to hop in the shower."

Austin: "So you don't have a stinky bum?"

(Jeff thinks this is TMI, but I'm still laughing about it)

A few nights ago, Kate was struggling to finish her dinner. In an attempt at negotiation, she asked, "How about I just have 20 more bites, then I'm done?"

Tonight, it happened again, but she must be figuring things out because she asked for only 9 more bites.

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-16T21:02:00.000-08:00

Since we had ZERO pictures from Christmas last year, this year, I will try to do some makeup…

Austin left, Scott right

Kate Dance

2011-12-15T21:05:00.000-08:00

Kate is doing dance again this year and is enjoying it pretty well. This is her first recital right before Halloween.

First Snowman of the Year

2011-12-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

Kate begged and begged, so finally, we went out and built this lovely snowman. I think we named him…but I forgot and Kate’s already asleep.

Kate also wanted to have a snowball fight. It was nice to get some of my pent up stress out, so I threw those snowballs as hard as I could. We had a lot of fun!

Scott got a huge kick out of being outside!

It really was the perfect day because everywhere else, it was still a nice fall day, but because our deck was shaded, there was snow.

Desert Fall 2011

2011-12-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

We went out to the desert with the whole Lewis crew (extended cousins and everything). We had so much fun (other then getting off to a bad start with Scotty!)

Morgan took all the kids on rides ALL day long, they ate it up!

Someone brought this little truck to play with—Austin absolutely loved it, he just pushed it around all day.

Scott loved getting pushed around too…

Daddy gave everyone rides on the motorcycle—Austin

Kate

Scott

Austin and Scott have really gotten attached to these three girls. They get tons of attention and just eat it up! We had so much fun out there! Can’t wait to go again!

First Stitches

2011-12-12T20:19:00.000-08:00

Scott got stitches for the first (and hopefully last) time this last October. It was SO sad! We don’t even know exactly what happened. Scott had split his lip earlier in the week a little bit. We were just getting ready to go to the desert (I’ll blog about that next) and were loading the car when I heard Scott crying THE cry (you know the one—where you know something is really wrong) and I went running. His lip was just gaping. We were about ready to go and tried to convince ourselves it was fine, but finally realized it wasn’t. We took him in and the nurses and doctor were so sweet. Scott was really brave too. They just numbed his lip and sewed him up without putting him under—he did not like that!

Then, they told me he would probably put up a fit at being held down, but he just laid there like such a good boy. We sang him songs and talked to him, and he was just mellow. It made me feel worse for him! The doctor did a great job though, and you can’t even tell anything happened!

Halloween and getting ready for Halloween

2011-12-11T20:09:00.001-08:00

I just found this great little program to blog through on my computer, so I may be blogging more! By way of starting to try and catch up—here is Halloween. Austin is the green dragon, Scott is the blue monster, Kate was Sleeping Beauty. A and S were NOT excited about their costumes, but right at Halloween, they surprised me and put them on. That moment always seems to come when they find out candy is involved.

We also decided to decorate pumpkins this year. At one point, I had pictures from the pumpkin patch we went to pick out pumpkins, but I’m not sure where they are. Anyway, we got these potato head kits and are huge fans. I think they look so cute and very clean!

True to form, I think it took us about 2 hours to visit about 10 houses in the neighborhood, but at least the kids had a great time!

Spiritual Scott

2011-10-28T09:29:00.000-07:00

Last night, we were at Grandma and Grandpa Lewis' house. The neighbor across the street has tons of Halloween decorations, so they all went to look. One decoration is a skeleton, Scott pointed at it and said, "Jesus is Silly." Not sure where that one came from...

At church the other week, Scott pointed to a man and said, "Jesus right there." I looked and sure enough, I could see the resemblance. The man had full facial hair and longer hair. We got a pretty good laugh!

Also, we just got some of our family pictures back. I loved this one of the kids. Austin is on the left, Scott is on the right. More to come!

Strider Bikes

2011-10-16T19:58:00.001-07:00

I've been meaning to post about this for a while...I started selling Strider Bikes back in July. My sister went to Denmark about a year ago and all the kids were riding around on these little balance bikes. Well, for her son's birthday, she wanted to get him one, and after looking around she decided on these Striders. Her son loved it, then she called me on the phone and said, "you have to get these for your boys." After looking into it, we decided to become dealers together. These bikes have been a hit down here and it's been a lot of fun!

A couple cool things:

2 year Warranty
The primary goal of these bikes is to teach your child how to balance. The Strider bikes don't have pedals, so the kids run with them and learn balance.
The tires NEVER get flat, so they can ride them while camping, through dirt, around tracks, etc.
They are really light--just under 7 lbs
They come in a variety of colors: blue, green, pink, red, orange, yellow, and silver
Here's what my conservative husband said, "I'm not one that likes frills or excess, so at first I wasn't sold on these bikes. What sold me is how fast Kate learned to ride her bike. She had no clue how to ride a pedal bike and, after using the Strider, she hopped on her pedal bike and rode first try."
And the #1 feature: Your kids will nap beautifully after riding them all day. Those first few days when the kids were on them every waking moment were so great. I put the kids down for naps and they actually went to sleep!

I've tried to talk Kate into letting me get rid of hers since she rides a two wheeler, but she still loves her Strider and rides it about half the time. We've really enjoyed being able to go out and ride as a family around our circle and neighborhood. I've loved being able to hang out with my kids doing something they love.

Anyway, as Christmas approaches, I wanted to get word out, and if you're interested, I can give you a great deal on one of these bikes. If you live far away, I can also ship. If you have any questions, ask away!

No pictures, but a little update...

2011-10-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

We have recently moved to a new computer, so I haven't got my picture organization figured out yet, but I will post new pics soon. These little kids change so much in two months though, I thought I better post an update:

Kate

Cannot wait for school to start, she is counting down the days (only 1 week to go!)
Is loving her dance class
Helps me pick raspberries, and seriously picks about 1/4 of them. She is also very diligent about not eating too many so we can save them for jam
Vacuums the kitchen floor regularly and recently started vacuuming her own room
Helps me remember to get dressed each day :)
Loves playing with her brother most of the time. They run around, laugh, play babies, and ride bikes
Rides her bike as often as she can, especially around the block
Is constantly writing/illustrating papers for the family. She recently mastered writing Austin, so we get papers about once a day of all the names in our family written along with pictures of each. I will definitely be putting a picture up, priceless!
Loves writing/receiving letters in the mail.
Loves to type on the computer. Her and Jeff do this, they each use half of the screen. It's cute.
Likes "reading books" to brothers and anyone else
Is starting to sound out words. My favorite is when she will sound out a word like sip, she'll make each sound for the letter, then say something like SHOE excitedly. It is a work in progress :)
Favorite Foods: In her words, "Chicken nuggets and broccoli and noodles", she also likes fruity candy (Starburst), popcicles, and isn't a huge fan of chocolate and ice cream (where did this girl come from!!)

Scott

Is so laid back, he rolls with the punches really well
Seems like he is laughing and being silly a lot
Which can be bad--nap time is really rough. Most days, Scott keeps Austin up for about an hour (even though Austin is saying how tired he is)
says "I love you mama" in the sweetest way, it melts my heart
was feeling sick the other day and kept walking up to me and said "Love me"
Can recognize A, S, and K and refers to each as "Austin's letter, Scott's letter or Katie's letter"
Learning counting, shapes and colors pretty well
Makes friends with random people wherever we go. He especially loves boys a couple of years older and wants to be like them. He really loves his cousin Stockton. On a recent outing, he wanted to hang out with Stockton the whole time.
Surprisingly though, Scott is the one that misses us when we go on a date.
Enjoys singing and music
Loves trucks and especially tractors
Also loves airplanes and helicopters which we get to see a lot since we are right on the flight path.
Likes PB and J every single day for lunch--boy after my own heart
Favorite Foods: Chicken Pillows, raspberries, ice cream, popcicles, and bread

Austin

Has taken on the role of baby of the family--he loves to be cuddled and held
Is all of a sudden eating better. It's so nice, meal time was so stressful. I love that he'll eat a little of most everything. I guess continuing to offer really does work!
Loves riding around on his bike
Is talking so much and has this adorable little lisp
Has this adorable smile he does where he squeezes his eyes shut. I think he knows it's cute because he does it at just the right time
Recognizes the letters A, S, and K
Counts pretty well
Knows shapes pretty well
Knows colors alright
Can whine with the best of whiners
Loves to sing and can often be found singing random words as he does anything.
Is obsessed with his BYU hat. He always is wearing it and even sleeps in it.
Favorite Foods: Ice cream, pizza, waffles, popcicles, toast, Mac and cheese!!!

All three

LOVE babies. Anytime someone brings their baby, they all crowd around and want to love that baby. I keep telling them they will have to get their fill from other people's babies for now!
Love riding bikes as a family around our circle and neighborhood. We do "races" back and forth and take turns saying "ready set go." It's pretty fun!
LOVE the BYU Cougars (I don't think Jeff and I have anything to do with that!) We have taken them to two games this year and they did so good. I have been so surprised! They have just been a lot of fun and really have enjoyed themselves.
Have started blaming things on each other. This is mostly Austin and Scott. I'll ask them who did this and automatically, they (usually Scott) will say "Auzzie did it" or "Scott did it". One time they went back and forth about 5 times. I thought this only happened in movies. I had to try hard no to laugh on this one.

These kids are so much fun. Life isn't perfect, but it is sure interesting. I love that these three are little buddies. Each one brings their unique little bit of fun in, so grateful to have my little kiddies.

No Training Wheels!!

2011-08-07T20:01:00.001-07:00

Kate learned how to ride her bike Friday, July 22. It is so darn adorable I can hardly stand it. (And just fair warning: If you don't want to hear me brag, probably should stop reading now--I'm a proud parent!!)

Anyway, we tried a couple of months ago, and she wasn't even close. We got our Strider balance bikes (I may post about these soon) and after a couple of weeks of having them, we tried again. Kate rode on her first try about 100 feet!! (and since I'm prone to exaggerate, maybe 50). I just started laughing my head off. She's been all over the place ever since. It's been so fun! Bikes are everyone's play thing of choice right now, we've been loving it!

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-22T06:14:00.000-07:00

We had such a nice Independence Day weekend. We went up to Idaho Falls and spent the weekend with family and had such a great time! My brother and his family were nice enough to put us up for the weekend. I watched my first episode of Glee and I loved it! We played a little Wizard (so so fun) and just got to visit. I love my family so much. We're all different, but accept and love each other the way we are. I feel so lucky to be part of it!

We came home on the 4th and did fireworks with our neighbors. It was a lot of fun! This is Scott. He loved!!

Austin

We did a bunch of sparklers, but Scott never participated. Finally, near the end he did. I looked away for a second and next thing I knew, he was running full speed at Jeff and threw his sparkler on Jeff. You can see the evidence on Jeff's shirt. So funny!! (There were no skin burns)

My brother built this awesome teeter totter--the kids loved it!!

Austin Scott

The boys shared a bed, I had to take a picture (Austin Scott)

Grandma Packer treated all the kids to lots of carousel rides in Rexburg. I went on it as a kid, so that was so fun!

Kate and Sasha buddied up all weekend

Brian brought these suckers, we were so happy about it. (Scott)

Austin

Scott

Splash park

Scott

Such a fun one, loved spending time with the family and seeing the kids play!

Happy Anniversary

2011-06-25T10:47:00.000-07:00

We actually had company this year for our anniversary, so we didn't go out on our anniversary, but Jeff did get me the best present ever--tickets to see Les Miserables for this last weekend. I read the book when I was younger and have always LOVED the music, so I was so excited!

First, we went to dinner downtown, then walked around for about an hour, then went to the show. It was such a nice night! And the show was great--it did not disappoint, thanks Jeffrey Scott! I love you!

Buddies

2011-06-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

We got a nasty bug this spring--I think at the first of May, this is Kate cuddling Scott when he had it.

Austin and Kate

These kids love each other so much, there is some screaming here and there, but they play together so much. I hope they are always best friends (or at least end up that way someday!)

Brotherly Love...

2011-06-23T10:28:00.000-07:00

Scott to Austin--on a regular basis.

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-06-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

For Memorial Day weekend this year, we went up to Idaho to visit family. We first stayed the night in Idaho Falls and visited with family there. We did a BBQ and had a nice time visiting. Saturday morning, a few of us ran around the green belt. It was so fun! The water was so high, but I loved the company (and I loved running on flat--everywhere here is hills!) Then we headed up to my dad's house.

One of the first things they did was ride on the tractor. Austin and Scott have been loving tractors lately, so Scott got a big kick out of it (Austin was still a little nervous around everyone!). Kate loved it too. Grandpa always is so fun with the kids!

Scott on the tractor with Grandpa, he was in heaven.

Austin and Scott loved driving the golf cart too (or pretending too).

and the Barbie car...

Aunt Rachel is always a hit with the kids. She is so good to play with and entertain them!

Kate, Teagan, Scott, Austin

The first night, we did a campfire outside. I love this fire pit, I want one just like it. Good times always seem to be had around a fire pit. Scott buddied up to Grandpa a lot of the weekend.

Austin with his marshmallow, all the kids cooked their own.

We always love to visit--even though it's almost ALWAYS freezing there! It was a really fun weekend.

Kate's big dance recital

2011-06-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

Kate worked so hard in dance this year and in May, had her big dance recital. We LOVED her dance teacher so much, she is so sweet and does so well with these little girls!

Kate and some of her little buddies.

My pictures didn't come out great, this was about the best I got!

Here are a couple of videos just taken from our camera. These are actually the dress rehearsal, and they came out MUCH better than the actual performance (so glad I took these too!)

Kate is on the far right, it's hard to tell.

We're so proud of our little Katie bud, she worked so hard all year! We love you Kate the Great!

Northanger Abbey...finally

2011-06-19T07:59:00.000-07:00

Thank you Grandma Packer for telling me not to forget Northanger Abbey because, to be honest, I just was not interested in it. I never heard many good things about it, but I was very pleasantly surprised. I really loved the main characters, I REALLY enjoyed the humour (seems appropriate for this post) in the book, there were some really fun characters. I didn't realize the "ghost story" part of it would be really such a small part. I especially loved reading it just to have a new Jane Austen to read. I LOVE her writing so much and I loved having new material. I will definitely be putting this one on my shelf soon.

As far as the movie goes, I didn't go hog wild like I have in the past. For some reason, in the summer, I am not in the mood to watch as many movies. This one had great reviews, so I went for it and LOVED it. They stuck so closely to the book, and it wasn't very long (in relation to some of the other BBC Jane Austen movies). I really loved it and I think I will have to add this to my collection as well!

Thanks again Grandma!

Happy Birthday Honey Bunch

2011-06-17T05:36:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jeff's birthday about a month ago. The last few years, it has been kind of yucky on his birthday, so this year, we went to a park and played--pretty much Jeff's dream birthday! All our family from around here were able to come, we had such a great time!

Jeff's birthday cake of choice: Chocolate Eclair Cake

He even got to take a ride on Rick's motorcycle, I gotta say, he looks pretty darn good!

We all love you so much, the kids adore you, you make our lives so great! Happy Birthday!

It's a wonderful life

2011-06-14T19:44:00.000-07:00

It's all bliss here.

Happy Easter

2011-06-12T19:05:00.001-07:00

Here begins an attempt to catch up. We celebrated Easter a week late and had a lot of family come into town. The cousins all loved playing together and we appreciate everyone coming, there was a lot of driving!

Kate and Sasha are always such buddies. For a long time, they were the lone girls. Austin on the side.

We did a big Easter hunt together, this is everyone with their baskets and ready to go.

Scott, Sasha, Austin, Kate

Jeff was throwing elbows, but in the end, he got his loot

Thanks everyone for coming! We loved having you!

The Price is Right

2011-05-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

My sister won The Price is Right about a year ago. Yeah, I'm related to a celebrity! She didn't just win a small thing, she won the whole show! It was pretty awesome. Anyway, she won a few trips and took me on one of them. Her husband couldn't go, and it worked out easily for me to go (with some REALLY nice people that watched the kids some of the days), so we went at the beginning of April.

We took subways the entire time we were in New York. (Being Jeff's wife, we couldn't have done it any other way!) It was actually so fun and I am proud to say that we didn't take the wrong train once!

We saw Elmo and knew our kids would get a kick out of a picture!

The Gothic Cathedral in the middle of Manhattan

As part of her prize, my sister won a tour with a private driver in this very nice car. It was a definite highlight! Our driver's name was Zlotka and we just loved him. He got a kick out of us because he has two young daughters. He told us a few funny stories about them!
He drove us all up and down Manhattan and also over the Manhattan bridge (on the far right of the picture) This picture is taken from Brooklyn with Manhattan in the background.

It was a pretty foggy day, but if you look to our right, you can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance. We had already been to NYC a couple of times in the past and decided to forgo the ferry ride out to see the Statue of Liberty closer. I still think it is the coolest thing and wish we would have time to go see it. It is such an awesome symbol!

This is in Times Square one night

We took hardly any pictures, so here are some of the highlights:

Wicked--so AMAZING!!! We just loved it so much. I actually had a picture, but it wouldn't transfer over for some reason
H&M. I love it. So excited we are getting one!
The subway
Bargaining for junk on Canal Street
Running for a long time trying to get to Lombardi's pizza and not having time to eat there because it took so long
Playing the on flight trivia game--a surprisingly good time!
Finding little places to eat that were so yummy
Laughing and having a good time. Thanks Melissa, it was a great time!

Happy Birthday Kate!

2011-05-02T13:25:00.000-07:00

Some Kate Funnies:

(While in the car)

Kate: Mom, I have the toots. That's why it doesn't smell very good in here.

(Another time in the car)

Kate: I'm not very good at right and left, but I'm really good at straight!

(A line of Kate's prayer tonight)

Kate: "And please bless mommy to not say any more bad words."

Kate LOVES babies. She wants a little sister (or brother so bad). I just tell her for now, she'll have to get her fix with other babies!

For her birthday, she got breakfast in bed. She was so excited about it!

Kate loving Grandma Lewis

Kate had a little birthday party with her brothers and some cousins and a Bounce Place. They had a great time!

Kate loving Grandpa Lewis

Kate is constantly getting "tiger rides" from daddy

This is a few days after the birthday, but this is Kate for her dance pictures. My sister Melissa did her hair. This picture really doesn't do it justice!!

I loved this one!

We love our little Katie Girl so much. She brings us so much happiness. Kate is so much like Jeff it makes me laugh all the time. She is very meticulous in the funniest things. These days Kate also loves wearing little stick on earrings. She also likes dressing up, but doesn't have to be wearing a princess dress all the time. She loves running around outside. She LOVES playing babies and is always trying to rope in Austin or Scott to play with her (although Scott is usually the one that does). Kate LOVES to sing and also make up her own songs to sing. Here is a sample:

Don't hit or you'll go in time out, Don't bite or you'll be in trouble, (I can't remember the rest)

Happy Birthday Kate, I love you and I'm so happy I have you!

The Kiddos

2011-03-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

The other day, Kate was SO grumpy, she wouldn't touch her food (she's usually a pretty good eater) and just kept on whining. Jeff and I were getting Austin and Scott dished up and when we looked back at Kate, she was asleep!

I had a birthday and had such a fun day! Jeff and I were also able to get away for Valentines Day. We even got to go skiing! We had such a great time. Thanks Melissa!

Kate got the ring on her right hand for Christmas, and has been slowly adding to her collection since. The only time she takes these rings off is bath time. I honestly can't believe she hasn't lost the ring. I remember, even as a teenager, I went through rings so fast. She's good!

Kate and I planted some seeds--broccoli, spinach, and kale and are hoping to get them in the ground in the next couple of weeks! Since this picture, 8 boxes have sprouts. I need to take an updated picture.
Scott had been quiet for too long, I went in the kitchen and he was helping himself to the delicious chocolate cake in there. He was just taking fist-fulls and shoving them in.
We have been loving spending time outside. The kids love cruising around in their cars, bikes, scooters, and trike. This is Scott.

Austin

Jeff just went to Denver this weekend and it was not stressful to have the kids all by myself for a few days. It's so nice when they get to these more independent stages!

Recent Reads

2011-03-10T08:55:00.000-08:00

I have been in a reading mode lately (Jeff has encouraged me to continue since March Madness is coming :) ) I have got some good ones. Every time I finish a really good book, I have this sad feeling that I won't be able to find a book as good, but it's amazing how many great books there are.

A Little Princess

I watched this movie when I was younger and loved it, but had never read the book. I loved it so much! Sara Crewe has great character. I love reading about characters in books that I want to be like. (although I don't know if anyone can beat Anne)

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

I have heard about this book for a long time, but was so intimidated by it for some reason. It is a great book though, it kind of reminds me of The Glass Castle just because it is the story of Francie's young life with all the ups and downs. The family was such a tough and hard working family. Makes me want to get motivated!

A Thousand Splendid Suns

I really enjoyed the Kiterunner, but I think I liked this even more. This was written about women in the Middle East from about 1970-2006. It is so crazy to read about stuff going on that recently--in my lifetime! I HIGHLY recommend this book. There are some really sad things, it's got heavy topics, but the writer tried to keep it light and full of hope.

Mansfield Park

This is not my favorite Jane Austen book, but is still entertaining and still one I wanted to own. The main character is different from some of the other main characters. I would suggest it, but not to be the first Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice or Persuasion are much better.

Now for the movies. This was not the best. I think it got 2nd place out of the 3. I liked it just because the people were more attractive (what can I say, it just makes it more enjoyable to watch). The Fannie was kind of obnoxious, but she was okay. I loved the Edmond, and the Crawfords were also good. It's worth a watch if you have some spare time.
I loved this version. They took some liberties with Fannie, but I thought it was an improved Fannie. I loved her little narrations throughout the movie. The other characters were good. This would be an enjoyable movie whether or not you are a Jane Austen fan (kind of like Emma with Gwyneth Paltrow).
This version was very true to the book, but was a little bit painful. Part of this for me is that I think the story is boring at parts . I was really tired when I watched it too. I wouldn't recommend this movie unless you are an avid fan. To tell you the truth, I fast-forwarded through a lot of it. It is about 5 hours in all of it's glory and I watched about a 2 1/2 hour version.

To document:

2011-02-16T09:09:00.001-08:00

I should preface this by saying I don't mean this as a complaint post. I actually think all of this combined together is pretty funny and I especially think the kids will enjoy reading this when they are older. So...enjoy a little flavor of the last couple weeks of young motherhood in the Lewis house:

I am sure I will forget some of these endearing things:

Lately, Scott and Austin have been known to

play on the computer, when they see me coming they click as many buttons as fast as they can. Lovely.
Pull all the ziploc bags out of the box and hand them to me or spread them throughout the house.
Along with that, they love to pull out Saran Wrap
The second either Austin or Scott hear the bathroom door open, they come running and play in the sink
climb on the stools and fall off. If they make it to adulthood intact, I will feel successful.
push the stool around the kitchen and get: gum (and try to eat as much as they can before I pull them down), spices, anything that looks interesting (especially off limits) on the counter
drag cords all over the house; this includes cords attached (space heater), cell phone cords, the cord for the dust devil
And the Grand Finale: Playing in the toilet. Yesterday, I found both boys sharing a cup and drinking from the toilet. Special. (Yes it had been flushed)

Yesterday, we were watching a show on tv where a sister was being mean to her 2 little brothers. I mentioned to Kate that the sister was not a nice sister and that we shouldn't act like her. I told Kate she needed to go teach her how to be nice.

Kate sat there for a minute thinking, then said, "But how am I going to get in the tv?"

Kate and Scott play together quite a bit right now and Austin and I kind of pal around. It changes every once in a while, and I find it so interesting.

There has been sickness in our house for two weeks solid. So far we have had 4 cases of Influenza A (with very high temperatures, the peak was 105.1), 3 cases of croup, and 3 ear infections, and one sinus infection. Luckily, no one was left out and we're still going strong. Here's to 3 weeks in a row!

New Pictures!

2011-02-11T16:24:00.001-08:00

My talented sister in law took these and I just love them. They turned out so cute (especially considering the morning my kids were having).

Scott is standing up

Scott left Austin right

Austin

Scott

Austin

Scott

Scott left Austin right

Austin

Happy Birthday Austin! Happy Birthday Scott!

2011-02-07T08:22:00.000-08:00

As Kate has been saying for the last two weeks, "I can't believe the boys are two!" We had a fun birthday with them. I always love birthdays. It's a chance to reflect on how grateful I am to have Austin and Scott as a part of our family. They are my little miracle babies and I love each of them so much.

This is a face we see a lot with Austin lately (who we always call Auzzy). He loves to cheese it.

Scott enjoyed his birthday cupcake (made by cousin Ashley!) He really loved smashing it and wiping it all over, including down his neck. Nice.
Scott (left) Austin (right) Grandma and Grandpa Lewis got these for Austin and Scott.
These cute shirts were birthday presents too from a good friend in the neighborhood. I love them!!

Austin (left) Scott (right) with cake and cupcakes made by Ashley.

Austin loving his cupcake.

Scott loving his cupcake.

I gotta say, I rocked their birthday presents. They LOVED every single one and went crazy for them. There will be some videos to follow. This was a little tent they got. (Thank you IKEA)
I made these chairs for the boys and it made me SO happy to see how much they loved them.

Scott lately loves legos. Actually we all do.

I always see this as I'm getting ready in the morning (or afternoon)

Birthday balloons thanks to Grandma Packer (Scott)

We went up to Idaho during the week and saw a lot of my siblings. They are so great! (scott)

Austin

Austin loved his new hat

Austin

Is talking SO much!! He says I want _______ and fill in the blank with about any word. He can even say his L's (we just got that a few months ago with Kate). Pretty much everything he says are three to four words (or just whines). Last night in the bath tub for example, "I'm not done yet." I can't even begin to list, he is just a talker!
Has been sick for a few days now and it has been a doozy. He's still miserable, but at least he wasn't sick on his birthday!
Is pretty animated, jumps, screams and shows a lot emotion.
loves to wear hats.
LOVES to play outside, doesn't matter if is freezing
loves to go new places
loves the bath tub and anything to do with water
Pushes a stool all over the kitchen to get into everything

Scott

Still loves his bubba (binky) Along with that, he LOVES to go to bed. It is actually really nice. He just loves to get his blanket, bunny and bubba and he is SO content. It's really sweet!
Is talking quite a bit too. He is a little bit quieter and thinking more--kind of like Kate was. Scott has reminded me a lot of Kate's personality as he grows up. He's very good to say please and thank you.
Is a good little eater. I don't know if I still think of these boys as babies or what, but everything they do makes me think they are geniuses, then I realize that is where they are supposed to be. However, I have been really impressed with their dexterity in eating. They stay pretty clean and all the food (or most) makes it into their mouths.
loves walking on bikes, trikes, and still loves those little cars (those have been played with hard for a few years now!!)
loves pushing his stool all over the kitchen and gets into everything.
loves cups with water in them and pouring them back and forth and making a big mess
has also been really sick for a few days now. He seems to be doing better today
loves playing with Kate and Austin Sometimes I will find him and Kate playing babies downstairs. Scott really loves babies (or any cuddle objects)
loves containers and putting stuff in and out of them
is always up for a cuddle
LOVES to play outside, even if it's cold

Austin and Scott are so much fun, SO busy, but so much fun. They add such great flavor to our lives. I can't imagine how Kate was entertained all day before we had them. We love you Austin and Scott!

Tender Heart

2010-12-27T20:33:00.000-08:00

Tonight, my mom and I took Kate to her first movie at the theater--Tangled. We went all out--got popcorn and snacks (which is rare for us).

Highlights:

-Kate spilling 3/4 of the popcorn within 5 minutes of the movie starting

-Watching Kate eat the rest of the popcorn bucket, she really put it down!

And the top highlight is...
-Kate crying for half of the movie--because it was sad. Every time even slightly sad music came on, Kate was crying LOUDLY. I had to take her out at the end because she was crying so loud. She cries on pretty much every kids movie--Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Pooh's Heffalump Adventure, if it has anything slightly sad, she is gone. And it isn't just a few tears, it is loud sobs. It's pretty darn sweet and I love getting a little cuddle from Kate when she needs comforting!

I had a great time! I hope this is the first of many "Girl Dates" to come.

Great Expectations and more

2010-12-21T17:13:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to branch out and really challenge myself. It took me a couple of weeks to start Great Expectations. I just finished reading the Twilight series again and the contrast between the margins and font size is HILARIOUS! I was really intimidated, but I LOVED it! Now I know why it is a classic. I felt like I learned and benefited from the book. It was a little bit hard to get into at first, but the story is so good and has lots of twists and turns, I'm not going to give anything away, but I would highly suggest this book. It's one I want on my shelf.

I had a good friend tell me about this book when I was on bed rest with the boys, but I had them before I got around to reading it. I finally read it and LOVED it. I am really into Jane Austen, but one thing I always have wondered about is what they did--especially the guys. I'm starting to think that the "gentlemen" in the country really didn't do much. In the north, they were busy manufacturing towns. This book kind of brought the two together. It was such an enjoyable story, sad, but really good. Definitely want this one too!

This movie was so true to the book. The two leads were really good and knew their characters well. This movie is also one I want to add to my collection. (I put this so you know how much I really like it).

If you have any book suggestions (or movie suggestions), I would LOVE them!

Here comes Santa Claus...

2010-12-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

The day we put up stockings, Kate decided to write everybody's name for their stocking.

In case you didn't know, we LOVE Santa Claus at the Lewis house--see for yourself! We're 3 for 3.

3 Little Munchkins

2010-12-13T12:04:00.001-08:00

These little ones are getting more and more fun. I look forward every day to when they wake up (and every day when they go to sleep!)

Kate loves "reading" in bed. We always read her a story (actually, Jeff), then she likes to look at the books for a few minutes, I love it.
Austin left, Scott right. Austin is turning into a cheeser. Their little personalities are getting so funny!
I made the kiddos pajamas this year, (first and last time), but they are kind of fun, Scott in the blue, Austin in green. Every single day for breakfast, all the kids have a banana, then toast or cereal and I guess they never get sick of it. Kate doesn't know what to do without a banana at breakfast.

Scott and Austin now sit full time at the counter, it's so nice. They are also starting to talk quite a bit. They both say please and thank you, mom and dad, Kate. They say each other's names, hi and bye, then just random words here and there. We may be the only ones who understand them though. They're to that stage where I think they are saying a ton but we aren't understanding everything. It's fun. The boys love when we are going anywhere, they go get everyone's shoes for them. They are also potty trained. Actually, that last one is just wishful thinking.

Kate has started writing all the time. She LOVES it! She writes her name, Mom, and Dad, and whatever else she wants to write. She has also started drawing more pictures, pictures of people, or others. It's precious!

Kate's First Dance Recital

2010-12-08T09:21:00.000-08:00

And save the best for last--live video. See if you can tell where Kate got her moves:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_CODZ4ytVA

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVHU7In16-s

Enjoy.

Halloween...Finally!

2010-12-06T20:41:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of fun getting ready for Halloween. At the beginning of October, we went to a pumpkin patch to pick out pumpkins. I loved it (even though Jeff accused me of just using it as a photo op--maybe a little truth in that)

Scott searching for his pumpkin

Kate picked this one out.

Scott's favorite thing was to pull the wagon.

We also had a little Halloween party for preschool one day

We got a long piece of yarn and the kids walked around our circle in their costumes. It was so funny!

Scott, Austin, Amelia, Kate, Sadie, Lily, Haylia, Allison

Then, finally Halloween came. I was just going to take Kate trick or treating, but the boys wanted to come. They just stayed in the stroller, but loved the walk around the neighborhood.

Austin (brown shoes)

Scott (white shoes)

And no, Kate was not Alice in Wonderland even though it looks that way. She was Dorothy, I was the Wicked Witch of the West, and Scott and Austin were my flying monkeys. Jeff was going to be the scarecrow, but we never pulled any costume together. Next year.
Not pictured was the Milne's Halloween party (Jeff did dress up--as Nate) which is always fun! I always love Halloween, it was so much fun and the kids kind of got into it. Can't wait til next Halloween!

Thanksgiving in California!

2010-12-03T06:46:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year, we went down to California to visit my sister and mom. My sister and brother and his family also came. Oh, I loved the trip. It was a lot of fun and the cousins had so much fun together. Get ready for picture overload, I couldn't leave any out!

Thanksgiving Day

Melissa made a delicious Thanksgiving dinner--yummy yummy. Too bad I didn't get any pictures. Kate absolutely loved her little cousin Lily. I think she's ready for a new baby in the family--for now she'll have to get her fix from cousins!
I love that on Thanksgiving, we had a pleasant day at the park. All the kids wanted to get out while dinner was cooking, so we headed over. Kate, Sasha and Grant loved holding hands, so cute! Jeff is holding Scott.

Kate pushing Austin

Scott

The Beach

Friday, we did some Black Friday shopping, my mom even slept over night! Go mom! Saturday, we came to the beach. It was about 64, so not hot, but just about right. The kids got a little chilly in the end though...

We tried to get some family pictures and I think they turned out alright. I have to consider with kids these ages, a great picture will be VERY rare! Austin left Scott right.

Scott and Sasha playing in the sand, they were totally captivated.

Austin shortly joined them.

Brian, Whit, Ethan, and Grant

Whitney about got thrown in!

Mom holding sweet Lily

Kate loved doing this--she'd get a scoop of sand, then take it and dump it in the ocean.

Disneyland

The whole trip was so fun, but Disneyland was definitely the highlight. We went and stayed overnight in Anaheim. Jeff on the way to the park. Scott front, Austin back. (Scott is wearing white tennis shoes)

In the park with Brian

Disneyland was all decorated for Christmas, it was so pretty and fun!

This picture didn't go as planned...

We waited in line for about 45 minutes so Kate could see the princesses. Her favorite is Cinderella and she was there! Of course, when we got there, Kate got very shy.

Snow White was so sweet. She was my favorite. We had to drag Kate through the princesses, but when we left she said, "I want to see more princesses" so I guess it was worth it!

Pirates of the Caribbean--I thought Kate would be too freaked out, but she loved it. She kept saying "R Mateys" to all the pirates, it was fun.
The parade was probably the highlight because Kate got to see all of the characters. She was in HEAVEN! This is Austin with Daddy.

Kate's reaction when she sees Mickey Mouse.

Tigger and Winnie the Pooh

It got kind of chilly when the sun went down, but we had hats, gloves, blankets so the kids were good.

Austin was wired--he stayed up until 10.

Scott fell asleep on the way out of the park.

If you made it clear through, I am impressed! We just had so much fun. The kids all loved the rides, I have pictures of the Dumbo ride I want to add later because the kids got such a kick out of it. I can't wait to go back!

Twins?

2010-11-18T07:18:00.001-08:00

I was doing my hair in braids the other day and had already done Kate's hair in braids. When I was done, I said, "Look Kate, we're twins."

Kate said, "What are those?"

Made me laugh! Ever since we found out we were having Scott and Austin, we have called them "the boys." From the beginning, I didn't want to call them "the twins." (like "the boys" is a whole lot better!) It's been really important to me to make them feel like separate individuals. Anyway, I RARELY refer to them as twins so I guess that's why Kate doesn't know what twins are.

Skirt Party

2010-11-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

I am having a Skirt Party over two days:

Tuesday the 16th from 6-9 PM

Wednesday from 10AM-2PM

Come and see these adorable skirts and accessories, and NO PRESSURE to buy, if you just want to look and hang out for a bit, I would love it! There will be some snacks, and bring your kids--mine will love having playmates! Also, bring your family and friends! Email me if you need directions at jules_vern15@yahoo.com. Here is a blog to see some of the skirts:

http://alldolledupgirl.blogspot.com

Hope to see you there!!

Here is a little more about them:

Skirts sizes range from newborn to age 12. Each skirt has 3 inches of adjustment in it. Each skirts has 4-5 layers of tulle and one layer of satin. All of the edges have been surged and will not fray. Because of the tulle and the satin I suggest dry cleaning the skirt. The tulle is one consecutive piece so it will not knot up when worn.

Cutest Skirts Ever...

2010-11-08T09:13:00.000-08:00

My cousin Megan is so talented and made these adorable skirts. There are many more to choose from, just click the link below to see more along with accessories. They are so cute!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=90744&id=1517079682

Or email her at alldolledupgirl@gmail.com

What do you think?

2010-10-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

We are going to buy a new car in the next few weeks. We have always been stuck on Toyota (Camry or Corolla) or Honda (Accord or Civic), but are thinking about broadening our horizons. What are your thoughts on Hyundais or Nissans as far as reliability (or any other thoughts). I would love any input!!

Go BYU!

2010-10-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

We got brave and decided to take the whole family to the game. The weather was so nice, and I have to say, the kids were pretty darn good. It was Scott's and Austin's first BYU football game. They were all busy, but what else can you expect from these three. There were some people that didn't come, so the boys were exploring the rows around us--and probably bugging people. Sorry! We might try it for one more game. I loved so much doing it as a family though and I hope it is the first of many in years to come.

Scott

Austin

Kate--Jeff behind

Austin left, Scott right

All three were EXHAUSTED after the game and fell asleep. When we got home, we put them right in bed without a hitch--usually they wake up when we get home, so they were TIRED!

We were going to push the stroller to the stadium, but decided we didn't want to mess with it because we were already running late. I carried Scott and the bags (stuff for the kids) and Jeff carried Austin and Kate on his shoulders. We were so tired and about halfway to the stadium and realized what a mistake we made. Our seats are near the top of the stadium and by the time we got there, I was just putting one foot in front of the other. After the game was even worse. With the yard sale and everything else, I was just worn out (and hadn't had a chance to eat much). By the time I got to the car, I was pooped. It was probably comical to watch us, and it kind of makes me laugh to think of it now. What adventures. Oh well, I'm glad we took them (for the family picture if nothing else!)

And I didn't even mention--yea for the Cougars winning! It was fun to see them play with some heart and finally get a little chemistry! Yea!

Yard Sale

2010-10-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

We are having a yard sale Saturday! I have a lot of baby stuff--I decided I really don't need enough stuff for two babies! I also have some house furniture, fabric, craft stuff, toys, etc.

I also have some craft frames, family home evening boards, and some vinyl sayings. Come check it out!

Starburst

2010-09-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

Kate got a pack of Starburst today. She was so nice to share with everybody and even put one aside to share with Jeff when he got home. It sat on the counter all night. I didn't know it was for him and asked if I could have it, but Kate told me, "No, that's for Daddy."

We went on a little walk, came home and Kate picked up that last Starburst and started unwrapping it. I asked her if it was for Daddy. Kate said, "I don't think he wants it anymore." I love that little Kate

We have been loving walks, the whole family. The boys love getting out, and Kate is becoming a little master on her bike. We went two miles tonight and would have gone more if it wasn't dark. It is so nice! She has really come a long way this summer.

Emma and Jane Eyre

2010-09-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

I love getting obsessed with a book. My favorite is to read the book, then watch all (or a lot of) the movies to the book. I've been doing this lately with Jane Eyre and Emma. Here are my thoughts:

Emma (the book)

I actually read this a while ago, but oh I love this book. I am such a Jane Austen fan anyway, but this one really shows Jane Austen's sense of humor. There are so many parts I just laugh out loud. I love getting all the details the movie leaves out. Emma is a great character and I love her story.

Emma (the one with Gwyneth)

This one to me is such a classic. I think Gwyneth really gets Emma's character. This movie really has fun with the humor in the book. The chemistry between Emma and Mr. Knightley are great too, I just love this Mr. Knightley. This is one movie I own (which is saying a lot considering we have 15-20 movies total--including kid's movies) I can watch it again and again. It is only 2 hours along (give or take) so it does skip stuff in the book, but it stays pretty true for the length.
Emma (the one with Kate Beckinsale)

I read reviews on this, I had never seen it until recently and they were great reviews. I wasn't that impressed though. I thought Kate did a good job acting Emma's part, but the Mr. Knightley was very unimpressive to me. There didn't seem to be much interaction between Emma and Mr. Knightley to me. The movie seemed to focus too much on small details and not enough on interactions and character development. Overall, I wasn't that impressed and definitely won't buy this one.
Emma 2009

Oh I love this one so much. My little sister and I discovered it this year on Valentines Day. (fitting :) ) I love the characters, I love all 5 hours (give or take) of it. I love the Emma, I love the Mr. Knightley and their chemistry. I am fully satisfied on interaction time, character development, and especially the MUSIC! Oh, I am in love with the music. I bought this soundtrack and the whole family loves it, it is just good music. Here is a little clip from the movie, it is short (3 minutes) and is arguably my favorite clip of the movie. My only complaint of this movie is that I think sometimes Romola (Emma) is a little too silly and not sophisticated enough for Emma. Overall, I am so impressed with it and will buy this one.

If you don't want to want to watch the whole thing, start at 45 seconds for the music (although I don't know how you could miss any of it).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loafWiajfy0
Jane Eyre (the book)

I have been so intimidated by this book, but after my friend, Jamie, read it a while ago and said it was a good one, I decided to give it a try. It took me 8 weeks to start it (thank goodness for online renewals from the library) and I finally tackled it. The first part was hard for me to understand and I wasn't giving it a huge chance. At some point, I was so drawn in, and I couldn't put it down after that. I loved the story so much. I love the Jane Eyre character so much. I am not a huge Wuthering Heights fan (Charlotte Bronte's sister Emily wrote it) so I had my doubts, but Jane Eyre is much lighter and happier than Wuthering Heights. Definitely worth it and I think I will buy this book.

Jane Eyre (1983)

I tried to decide which one to get, there are so many out. This one had good reviews, so I thought I would try it. Overall, it is well made and sticks VERY close to the book, lots of quotes from the book. I didn't feel a lot of chemistry between Mr. Rochester and Jane (Maybe it was because he is 18 inches taller!) Also it is an older movie that was redone on DVD and you can tell. It has kind of that old style of filming in some parts. While I shouldn't judge on that part, it kind of bugged me. It was pretty good, but I definitely won't buy it.
Jane Eyre (2006)

I really enjoyed this movie. I loved the Mr. Rochester in this movie, I thought he did an awesome job. I also loved the Jane. It really came to life for me (as cheesy as that sounds) . There aren't very many movies that do that for me (another that comes to mind is Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth). I thought they stuck to the story pretty well. They ventured in some parts, but it didn't take away from the story. I haven't decided if I need this one, but I think so. It's one I would be happy to watch again tomorrow.

There you have it. I probably shouldn't admit my obsession with these older stories, but I just love them. I need to take a break from these for now though. I could justify them before because I was finishing a little quilt for Scott and a picnic quilt(pictures to come), but I guess I better get some other stuff done. If you made it to the end of this, congratulations!!

Scott and Austin 18 months

2010-08-15T07:29:00.000-07:00

They both love sitting on little chairs.

These are little suits Jeff's mom bought for them.

My boys are now 18 months. I absolutely LOVE this age, they are so fun and their personalities are really getting funny. Both are now full time walkers (Scott has been for a couple of weeks now). It's so funny how they just decide one day to walk all the time.

Scott

22 lbs 3 oz 8th percentile

31.5 in 30th percentile

Head....95th percentile!!!

Austin

21 lbs 10 oz 5th percentile

31.5 in 30th percentile

Head... 60th percentile

Scott

Has started turning his head when he doesn't want to look at someone (or the camera). The way he does it is so funny, it says, "I refuse to look at you."
LOVES any container, box, cup, anything that will hold things. Then, he loves to put things in and take them out. Whenever I am looking for something, I always look under the seat of their walk and ride cars. I find a lot of stuff there.
Still loves his bubba (binky) We're going to work on that one
Doesn't drink bottles anymore!!! We stopped cold turkey one day and he is doing great!
Likes looking at books, especially the big ones I read. Whenever I am reading one, I can find him on the couch flipping through (and sometimes ripping out pages)
Comes to me for hugs and kisses, oh I love it
Is the MESSIEST eater. I don't know how he manages
Likes "talking on the phone"
Loves waving and saying hi and bye
Loves saying "uh oh" and thinks it is so funny
Still loves peek a boo
Is starting to try and talk
Does this cute thing sometimes, leans his head back all the way and smiles, I love it, it's so Scott.
Loves getting a blanket out of his crib and bringing it out in the main area and cuddling with it--Scott has a preferred blanket and will cry for it if it isn't in his crib--this one my mom actually made for Kate, but it is baby blue and pretty big and soft. He loves it so much.
Watches out for his brother--he'll get a binky for himself and if there is another one, Scott will walk it over to Austin and put it in his mouth. He will also do this with sippy cups
If there is only one binky though, it's war--they will keep stealing the binky back and forth
LOVES to go outside! They'll cry when anyone goes outside and they have to stay inside
Has 16 teeth
Says "yeah" a lot, but I don't think he knows what it means

First Haircut: Before

After. The back looks sharp--not the best after picture :)

Scott's precious blanket

Austin

Stopped doing his glare at people, he only brings it out for special occasions
Doesn't drink bottles anymore!!! We stopped cold turkey one day and he is doing great!
Is getting to be a really quick walker. The way he walks, he looks like he is falling and just gets his feet there just in time, but man, he is fast!
Babbles all the time and sometimes says words. The other day, he was saying, "Here you go" to me all day while handing me stuff. He hasn't done that since
Loves greeting all the members of his family with "Hi Da" and "Hi Kate" "Hi Scott." Kate and Scott sound like he's trying to say their names, but not perfect, but "Hi Da" is really clear!
Loves waving and saying Hi and Bye
Also loves containers, not as much as Scott, but I find stuff in the funniest places. Almost every time I get my Bosch mixer out, I find little trinkets in there!
Loves the idea of the bath tub, but when we get in there, he is ready to get out pretty fast
Overall is a pretty happy, cheerful kid
When we say it's time to go outside, Austin will go get shoes and bring them to me, he's getting pretty good at bringing me my shoes instead of Jeff's
Comes over for a cuddle, oh so sweet!
Watches out for his brother--he'll get a binky for himself and if there is another one, Austin will walk it over to Scott and put it in his mouth. Austin also does this with sippy cups
If there is only one binky though, it's war--they will keep stealing the binky back and forth
Loves getting a blanket out of his crib and bringing it out in the main area and cuddling with it (along with that, he is loving little cuddle toys and puts them up to his face). He has a couple favorites, but isn't super picky yet.
LOVES to go outside, he is pretty upset if anyone goes out without him!
Has 16 teeth

Austin loves riding the tricycle and this is how he does it, it was pretty funny to watch!

Austin's first haircut: Before

After

These two boys sure are precious, we just love them to pieces and are so grateful we get them in our family.

Another Kate story...

2010-08-09T15:27:00.001-07:00

(thanks char for telling me about the typo--didn't even notice!)

I had just finished reading Kate Cinderella. There were pictures of the characters at the end and there was one picture of Drizella and Anastasia.

Kate said, "Those are bad girls."

I said, "Yep."

Then, Kate said, "And they say bad words," then with a lowered voice, "like dammit."

I hugged her then so she couldn't see me laughing. I guess it is really engrained in her that that word is a bad word, I just wish she would forget it.

My little Darlin'

2010-07-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

Today, Kate and I were watching a movie--something about Pooh's Heffalump Adventure. One of the characters, Lumpy, couldn't find his mom and was sad. Kate was very concerned and I looked at her and could tell she was about to cry. Then, she did start crying and told me that she needed a tissue. I'm not talking a little crying, this was full blown, upset crying. Kate then went to stop the movie because it was too much for her, but I convinced her to see it through. We fast-forwarded to the end when Lumpy and his mom were reunited and all was well again. I thought it was the sweetest thing. It also makes me look forward to a lifetime of watching movies and not being the only one crying!

Since May...

2010-07-12T19:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't put any pictures up since May, and really before then. I hadn't realized how much the kids had changed, and I loved looking through the pictures (there were 500, oh my goodness!) Here are a few things we have done:

Kate came up to me holding her doll, "My baby wants to go downstairs and sleep, but I don't want her to, I want her to sleep with me." She is kind of turning into a drama queen, she loves pretending, silly goose.

These cars are such a hot comodity at our house right now (along with the shopping cart). All 3 love to push the cars and stroller around and ride on the cars. (Scott, Austin)

They love pushing each other too. (Austin)

I especially love when the boys push each other, Hilarious! (Austin, Scott)

The kids LOVE playing outside so much. If I go outside without them for a second, they cry and knock on the door. They love splashing and just playing together.
As I looked through my pictures, I came upon this picture (Jeff took it not me). He informed me that the kids (including Austin on the bottom) were all having fun until the last moment. Let's just say the kids are learning how to rough house with each other.

(A, S)

Kate playing dress up with Aunt Rachel. I love her as a cowgirl, I wanted to be a cowgirl when I grew up.
We've loved spending time with family this summer and letting the kids get to know their cousins!
This is on Grandma's birthday, the boys were done by this point of the night. (A, S)

Austin on Emma's lap, Scott on Kate's.

A visit with Grandma Packer, the kids just adore her. (S, A)

Austin and Kate

At the beginning of the summer, we spent a lot of time on the yard, the kids all love helping Jeff with their tools.
What a beautiful day this was--when the boys would finally hold their bottles themselves (S, A)

We have been to the zoo A LOT! We got season passes this year and have gone with friends and with 3 different family members and their families when they were in town. The kids love the zoo and especially the train. Oh the boys love it--although I worry they are going to dive off. And yes, I did sit with them! (Austin left, Scott right)

A, S

This is the boys' favorite drawer (well, the only drawer I let them play in). They love to pull all the grocery bags out, throw them on the floor and climb in. I usually don't let them, but they looked so cute, I had to take a picture. (Scott left, Austin right)
Kate loves to feed the boys these days. She feeds them yogurt and makes a good 65% into their mouths. Scott above, Austin below
We went to the aquarium one last time before our membership ran out. The kids really enjoyed it. Actually, I don't think Kate enjoyed it when she thought I had left her and took off running to look for me. I was actually 3 feet away--she was at the glass and didn't see me, so I'm taking off after her holding both boys, I'm sure it was entertaining!
I've been loving this summer with my three little munchkins. Their little personalities are so fun. I'm glad we're only halfway through!!

One of these days...

2010-07-07T16:12:00.000-07:00

I'll put some recent pictures up. Our main computer crashed and that is where I usually import pictures onto. The kids are all growing up so much, but the big news is:

The boys are both walking!! Austin actually has been for a while. He took his first steps a while ago and keeps increasing--he is up to 10-15 steps (walking across the room). Scott hasn't been as interested in walking and hadn't really tried until yesterday. He took four steps on his first try! He has been walking around today a bit.

Kate is starting to learn her letters. She is such a sponge right now as far as learning is concerned. She is so excited to learn letters and numbers and also to be read to. She loves singing songs. We have her going to preschool next year and she is so excited.

Pictures soon.

More funnies

2010-06-21T16:40:00.001-07:00

Maybe I shouldn't share this one, but...

Me: Dammit! (My reaction as I realized Kate and Scott were pulling out ALL of my basil plants.)

Kate: Jesus doesn't want you to say that, Mommy.

I'm going to add more as I think of them, this is what I always loved to hear about when I got older.

Funnies

2010-06-15T07:39:00.001-07:00

Dad: Kate, who were your nursery leaders today?

Kate: Sister Wrigley and the other Sister Wrigley (a husband and wife teach)

Me (singing while making lunch): I'm getting married in the morning...

Kate (interupting frantically): In the temple, in the temple!

The boys are starting to talk more and more. The other day, we told Austin he was cute and he said, "Thanks." Scott anwers yeah a lot of times when we ask him questions. I'm not positive if he knows what it means, but I think he does. They both are saying Mommy and Daddy. Austin is constantly jabbering, and Scott is quite a bit too.

Austin still loves pushing his little cars all over the house and loves walking behind anything and everything. Austin loves going around on the ride on cars all over. These are still the hot toys at our house.

Scott loves putting things in and taking things out of anything. Especially tight fits. He just loves little containers. Along with that, Scott loves taking the lid off of things and putting it back on. Scott has recently figured out how to throw balls (to Jeff's delight).

Both still love stealing toys back and forth. Both love being outside so much. If I even say the word, they are both bounding for the door.

And the question of the month is: Are they walking yet? Not yet. They are SO close. They take a few steps here and there--inbetween short distances, but they like crawling for now because it is so much faster. It's funny watching them crawl, both can really move--it's more like bounding than crawling. I know they have the balance, but they just haven't seen the light yet.

Kate is loving the summer too. She rides all over the place on her little trike. She loves playing outside and is also still such a big help with her brothers. She is so loving to them.

All in all, life is good. Our other computer is having problems, so it may be a while before I put pictures up, you'll just have to imagine.

The big 3-0

2010-05-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

We just celebrated Jeff's big 30th birthday. The kids and I decorated the house and made him a special dinner (chicken pillows are his current favorite) He even got to eat on the special plate!

Emma holding Scott

Scott left Austin right with Grandma.

Scott enjoying some dinner

Happy Birthday Jeff! We love you!

Happy 5th Anniversary!

2010-05-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

It is weird that we've been married 5 whole years, and also weird that we've been married only 5 years! All I know is I have loved these 5 years. They have been the best of my life. There have been ups and downs, but I feel that we have grown closer through them. I am so happy and feel so lucky that I have Jeff in my life. I honestly don't know what I would do without him.

This picture is in my top 2. I love it.

This is #1. Happy day.

It's okay if you laugh. I was trying to get that just right look with these flowers and sorry folks, I just don't think I have IT.

Those are roses Jeff got me, oh I loved them. They are now hanging to dry (so the kids can slowly tear them apart once I put them in a vase.) I love it!

Loving the Outdoors

2010-04-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Scott

Kate and Austin

Scott

Austin--this is a funny face Austin makes. In fact, he is always making funny faces, and especially to people he doesn't know, he has got the crusty face down.

Scott

We have been LOVING being outside. All three of the kids' favorite thing is playing with water. They just love splashing and measuring with their little cups. It's pretty cute.

Both Austin and Scott were terrified of the grass, but Scott has overcome his fear and crawls all over the grass. Austin is still so scared of the grass. It paralyzes him! He'll sit at a funny angle just so he can touch it the least amount possible. We can sit him down in one spot and he will just stay there for 20 minutes. This came as a big surprise just because inside Austin is NOT satisfied staying in one spot, he is all over the place. It's pretty entertaining.

I had to post some warm weather pictures just to remember we have had some nice weather even though it snowed today (and stuck!) Blah! Warm weather is just around the corner though, yea!!!

The boys are getting so fun, especially because it seems that they have stopped throwing up! Our house is pure bliss right now. Along with that, they have been sleeping great. They go to bed between 7-8 and have been getting up around 7--and not even crying, just talking happily! It only took us 15 months, but it is so nice. It just makes life beautiful! It's so nice because we really have just been enjoying our boys.

Happy Birthday Katie Girl!

2010-04-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

These pictures aren't in order. And people, get ready for picture overload as I do an ode to our sweet Kate

Grandma Packer was here for Kate's birthday and here is a special present from her.

Birthday cake #2 after a day of fun at Jumping Jacks

We had so much fun at Jumping Jacks. We had Aunt Melissa and Cousin Teagan here to go with, they had so much fun (and everyone took great naps after!)

I was so impressed Kate could climb up this, it was really hard, even the big kids had a hard time with it!

This was Kate's main birthday present and her and Teagan had so much fun with it all morning.

Birthday cake #1

We are so grateful for our special Katie Girl. Here are a few things about Kate now and in the last year

-the biggest one I can think of is what a big help she seriously is, I don't think I would have made it through the last year without her help. She is SO sweet to her brothers and is such a help. She always keeps them out of trouble.

-Kate loves to cook bread, cookies, or anything in the kitchen with me

-Kate loves her puppy so much. When I put the boys down for a nap, she puts "Puppy" down. She feeds him, changes his diaper, and just loves him. There still is the confusion of where the face is though...

-She always encourages me to exercise, I love it.

-She is a good little eater and isn't too picky

-She loves going outside with daddy--rain, snow, or sun. She loves helping him shovel the snow, pick up apples, and just hang out with him. They have such a sweet relationship.

-She loves birthdays and the past year, we have practiced the birthday song MANY times. Every time, after we sing, Kate will pretend to blow out the candles.

-Kate loves to read books and sing songs.

-Kate loves going to nursery and looks so forward to it, she has never cried when we left (I think the boys may be a different story!)

-Kate always tells us she has to go to work tomorrow. Jeff asks her what she is going to do and she says she is going to eat her "munch" there--she sees Jeff pack his lunch every day so I guess she figures that's about all she does.

-Kate loves to draw, color, paint, or do any craft.

-Kate learned how to go potty this year.

-Kate always is dancing (and I'll tell you she got some wicked moves from me)

-Kate LOVES playing with her cousins and with friends.

-We love having Kate as a part of our family so much, she is always giving hugs, wanting to cuddle and we love her so much.

Kate growing up

2010-04-12T09:29:00.001-07:00

I don't have Kate's tiny baby pictures easily available, so we are starting when she is a few months old, I may add the tiny ones later. I think her and her brothers look a lot alike!

Wow

2010-04-06T10:42:00.000-07:00

What I meant was that the dessert at the desert was amazing.

The Dessert

2010-03-23T15:57:00.001-07:00

This last weekend, we went out to the dessert with two of Jeff's brothers and their families and Jeff's parents. I always forget how good it feels to get away. I think the kids loved it too.

Kate got to go on a couple of four wheeler rides. I forget how much I love riding these. They were so much fun!

Grandma even put together an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids!

Scott and Austin were apprehensive at first, but then loved playing in the dirt.

Scott found his happy place here.

Austin doing his silly smile. It makes me laugh. Austin loves to stand up whenever he gets a chance. He is always walking around too, I think we will have a little walker before too long.

Everyone at lunch time.

The boys went and shot guns. I actually got a couple of shots in too. I think I may need to work on that...

At one point, Alon took a hip shot like he was a cowboy from the wild wild west. He had us all giggling.
And luckily, when we got home, the boys were tuckered out. Austin left, Scott right

Funny little story: The other day, Scott scraped some skin off the top of his nose and got a little scab. I think it was one day later and Austin went head first into the bath tub (no water in it) and got his scab on his nose too. I guess he didn't want to look different!

Dress Up

2010-03-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

Kate has recently gotten into dressing up. This is her little friend that she has started playing with recently. They are such cute little friends.

A trip to the aquarium and more

2010-03-13T21:24:00.000-08:00

I think this was in January, but we went to this aquarium with Kate's cousin Emma and my sister in law. We had a lot of fun, it's nice having them close!

Scott and Austin hate having their hats on.

Something about this picture is so funny to me.

Austin black, Scott blue

This is how Kate likes to eat breakfast: her puppy on one chair, her kangaroo (who we just realized is a rabbit) on another chair, and her puppy's blanket on the third chair.

Playing outside in January, yet one more reason to live in Utah

I took the kids on a walk one day when it warmed up a bit and they all LOVED it! Austin on right, Scott on left

Happy Valentines Day

2010-03-11T21:08:00.000-08:00

We have a Valentines Day tradition each year to make our own homemade pizza as a family. I love it, I think it is so fun!

A work of art

We actually did this on the night before and I think we watched a movie, it was a night never to be forgotten. I hate to say this, but on Valentines Day, me and my little sister watched the new 5 hour BBC Emma, and it was lovely, just lovely. I feel bad for not cuddling with Jeff all night, but he did get the honor of being called Mr. Knightley all night, now that's love.

One out of diapers!

2010-03-11T21:05:00.000-08:00

There is something to be said for waiting until your child is almost 3 to potty train. Sure, we got a whole extra year of paying for diapers, but Kate basically potty trained herself. It was really nice. I haven't decided yet what we will do with Scott and Austin.
Kate has two bottle bags on her hand, they may remind you of something else, but they are in fact bottle bags.

Random around the house

2010-03-11T20:51:00.000-08:00

This is the real truth, sad, but true. I look like this a lot of days. The kids look like this a lot of days. And the computer screen looks like this a lot of days. Dangit. We'll shoot for better in 2011! Kate and Scott
The boys love to look out the back window. Sometimes Kate wants to play outside, so she goes on the back deck and the boys hurry over and just watch and dream...

This happens more than you would think. As soon as I hold one, the other two want in too. Scott red, Austin blue

This just made me laugh. Jeff was trying to vaccuum and all three kids followed him around the house and held onto the cord. It was entertaining. Austin in black, Scott white, Kate pink

Kate put their hoods on, and I had to take a picture. Austin is behind, Scott is in front.

Bath Time

2010-03-11T20:23:00.000-08:00

All three kids LOVE bath time! When the water starts running, Kate comes running, and the boys come crawling at a very quick pace. It cracks me up! I might have to get a video of it!

Scott--all three love playing with the lotion in some form

Scott (with the shiner) Austin

Scott

Austin

Kate running around the house after she combed her hair

Austin is standing up, Scott sitting down

Mommy #2

2010-03-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned in the past about Austin and his throwing up. Well, a couple nights ago, he threw up and he had a fever, just all around wasn't feeling good. Scott was also crying and was ready to go to bed, Jeff was working late, so it was just me and little miss Kate. I asked her to hold Austin (that is what he wanted at the moment) while I got Scott in bed and she sat there and held him for about 15 minutes. There was no tv, no books, and no distractions! I thought it was so sweet. Austin loved it!

New shoes from Grandma

2010-03-11T20:07:00.000-08:00

I really love this outfit, especially because it cost under $6. The dress is an Old Navy clearance special, $2.25. The shoes were $3, courtesy of Grandma P. And I think it is so darn cute. (please don't mind the food on the face, the and the runny nose).

This one is blurry, but I loved it!

You still melt our hearts Kate.

Happy Birthday Austin and Scott

2010-02-22T08:27:00.000-08:00

My boys are 1!! I can't believe it (and it's already been a month since then!) It was fun putting together this post and reminiscing about the past year. I want to thank everyone again who gave us so much help, encouragement, and delicious meals! I can't believe how many people helped, and how many offered to help, we really appreciate it.

I especially reminisced about my two sweet boys. I am so grateful they got here safe. I am so grateful to have each of them, I can't imagine life without them. It has definitely been a year of growth, but Scott and Austin are worth it. Looking through these pictures, I realize how much they have grown up. It is crazy! I'm a little sad about it (not sad enough to wish to do it again), but grateful the time has passed too! I just love my boys.

Scott
I can't believe how much he has grown up and how much his little personality is coming out. He started crawling 4 days after his birthday, February 1. Scott is very vocal and loves saying mamama and dadada. He has been trying to say uh-oh too. Scott is very curious, but is also happy to sit and look at books for a short time. Scott is pretty good with strangers, sometimes he gets a little nervous, but overall does pretty good. Scott likes to experiment with his teeth, he likes to move his jaw back and forth and it cracks me up, probably because Kate did the same thing. Scott especially loves playing with Kate and Austin. He laughs so hard at Kate and if she is in the room, Scott wants to be by her and playing and laughing with her. Scott waves in a funny way and loves to clap. He is also a good little solids eater and eats most foods we offer. He has a strong stomach and doesn't spit up anymore. Scott also loves to watch tv. If he isn't wanting to eat, sometimes we turn it on to distract him (sad that we start so young on him, but hey, it works!) He has a thoughtful little nature and is a joy to have around.
Weight: 21 lbs
Height: 30 in

These pictures are when Scott was a few days old, the first is wearing Jeff's wedding ring.

Austin
is a special little boy. He has such a fun personality. He is always wanting to explore and is very curious. Austin started crawling right on his birthday! He has been scooting around since late November, but really started crawling, it made me happy. Austin has also started pulling himself up on things. He loves standing up at the foot of Kate's bed and watching everything going on (until 1 minute later when he wants to move on). Austin loves to crawl into bedrooms (Kate's the most) and shut the door, then open it a little, peek, and shut it again. If something isn't between the door and the wall, he loves to repeatedly push the door against the wall and hear the bang (I don't love that). Austin has a little stranger anxiety. He will be fine, then all of a sudden he will start crying, and I mean the really scared kind of crying. It kind of makes me laugh (does that make me a mean mother?) Austin also really loves to clap. Sometimes when he cries, he will start clapping--maybe he thinks it means he is showing emotion? Who knows. Austin is also doing good eating solids. He has a bad gag reflex as well. If he falls down hard and has eaten recently, he will most likely throw up. If he chokes AT ALL on his food, most likely it is coming up! Or if you look at him wrong, it will come up. I don't think it is an allergy, because he'll go a couple weeks without throwing up, then will throw up once a day for a couple of days and we keep his diet consistent. (Any insight you have would be great!)
Weight: 20.5 lbs
Height: 29.7 in

Here are a bunch of pictures of the two together. You may be wondering if I remembered to get all of the pictures, and I think so.

Blessing day with Grandma P--as

Blessing Day with Grandma and Grandpa L--sa

With Great Grandma P--sa

Blessing Day--Grandpa D sa

This is the day we brought the boys home and Kate's first time meeting them.

asas
Austin

Austin later

Scott red Austin green

Scott red Austin navy

Scott beating up Austin

Austin beating up Scott

Austin in the back, Scott in the front

Happy Valentines Day

2010-02-14T03:00:00.000-08:00