The Outdoor World

This past Saturday Andrew and I decided we wanted to take the kids to a movie since we have never done it as a whole family since we moved to Nebraska. Sad I know! So everyone was excited to go but Andrew was going into work in the morning and was to get off at noon. So I got the kids ready to go, everyone feed so there was no crying and ready to go BEFORE noon. Noon comes around 12:30, 12:45. So I loaded up the kids and said forget Andrew we are going or else we'll miss the movie. I called Andrew once we got there and he didn't answer. He called me back and said they were busy and would come when he could. As you can imagine we both were upset by this time. I left him, he didn't call me and tell me. So I was still about to go with out him because the next showing of the movie wasn't for another 3 hours, Tanner was in the back crying he wanted to see the movie and Benson was getting restless in his car seat, when I thought I'd just go look at Outdoor World and calm down. It was the perfect solution!!!

Santa's workshop was set up! Tanner got to go sit on Santa's lap, make a ornament Santa head out of a fishing bobble, shoot a lazer gun and bow at targets, and play with a remote control truck. We were still playing when Andrew finally got off work and met us there at 2:30. (I am sure the people working there were wondering what on earth we were doing!) By that time I got over my stupidity and apologized for being a crazy nuts-o and leaving him and him for not calling. Tanner then took Andrew and showed him things around the store. We left to grab a bite to eat and were just in time for the movie! Our perfect day that turned rotten ended up being perfect again in the end! It was fun even though mom is crazy sometimes!

The lights

These aren't very good pictures but as we were driving home from the institute after Thanksgiving dinner I asked Andrew to drive downtown because they were supposed to be turning on all the lights covering blocks of trees. So he agreed and regretted it as soon as he did because we got stuck in traffic. It took us a half an hour to go a few blocks because everyone was coming to see the "turning on of the lights". After being at a stand still I asked a police officer what time the lights come on. He said 6:12... I know that's what I thought, RANDOM! Anyhow.. it was 6:03. I was worried that by the time they turned on the lights we would have rounded the corner and missed the whole thing. But nope... because of the awesome slow traffic we were able to watch them turn on the millions of twinkle lights, listen to some Christmas music, watch a bunch of horse drawn carriages all the the comforts of our car. Andrew then admitted it wasn't THAT bad having to wait in the traffic.

THANKSGIVING

These were in the institute!

Tanner doing the "Strut Mr. Turkey, that's a fancy way to walk" song!

For Thanksgiving seven families, including ours borrowed the institute building and had our dinner there. It was a lot of fun. Shauna G. did a wonderful job organizing the whole thing, and it couldn't have gone any better. The decorations were great! We had appetizers to start us off with cheese balls, Lil' Smokes, and veggies. The the dinner of all the traditions Thanksgiving foods. The kids then played and made turkey hats while the adults played pool, ping-pong, Foosball, and talked about old stories. Then we busted out all the pies. Pumpkin, Key Lime, Chocolate, Banana, Cherry Cheese Cake, and I am sure there where more.

There ended up being 29 1/2 people there; 14 adults, 10 kids, 5 babies, and one on the way!

It was a great feast and I am so glad to have shared it with such great people!

On Saturday November 22nd, about 15 girls from the complex were I live went to lunch at Famous Dave's before heading over to see Twilight. Then at the movie I think there was 23 or 24 of us there to top of the girls DAY out. A few of the girls had even went the night before to the midnight movie waiting in line for hours. Too funny! I thought the movie was okay, but the book are by far so much better. I think I would have liked the movie more with a different Edward, someone who looked good... but Andrew doesn't act, so that wouldn't have worked. ;)

Bath Time

These two fishies love their baths... and their hair!

After being out in the cold!

Benson and I after playing outside for a couple of hours with Tanner. It is already getting to cold for me and I think our playing outside days are over.

Tanner's Birthday night

Tanner's Batman cake, he thought it was pretty cool. I surprised him with the Batman on top, I didn't get a picture of him blowing out the candles though because I video taped it.
Presents

The black knit gloves on his hands are "Batman gloves"... or so he says!

I had to go to an Enrichment activity because I am the Enrichment Leader and leave my boys behind for a few hours. It was kind of sad for me but this is mostly all I missed out on. Tanner climbing up and licking the icing off the top. So Andrew snapped a quick picture then told him he better stop. We didn't end up sharing the cake with any friends and threw about half of it away!

Tanner's Birthday afternoon

Helping mom make his "black cake" aka CHOCOLATE.
When Andrew got home from school he said he wanted to be a "fun dad" and take Tanner somewhere cool. So we headed off to "The Amazing Pizza Machine"- which really was amazing. Take Chuck-E Cheese and all those other arcade pizza places and make them into one and they still wouldn't be as cool. Tanner was to little to do some of the things but they had tons of arcades, bowling, go-carts, bumper cars, a little train, the shooting things they have at carnivals, and pretty decent food. Tanner loved it and asked to go back every morning he woke up for almost a week after we took him.

The Family

Tanner's Birthday morning

On Tanner's birthday while Andrew was still in school I took the boys to the Children's Museum to play. Tanner always has a blast and it killed a few hours without me feeling bad for not doing something cool for his birtday!

Benson's 1st hair cut!

On November 15th, I gave Benson his first hair cut.... or trim off the top only. But I still thought it should be documented.

Andrew hard at work... or hardly working!

Andrew was tested on making an IV bag prescription today and I wanted a picture of it. But of course he forgot and cleaned everything up so he had a lab assistant hurry and snap a picture of him acting like he was "working". Thanks babe! Having the IV bag would have looked cooler though!

Tanner's "Batman" Birthday Party

The picture's are in the wrong order, but here is his party.

His actual Birthday pictures will be up after his birthday!

The boys decorating their own ice cream cone cupcake. They all did a pretty good job too!

His presents
Opening the presents.
Every kid pretty much opened the present they brought and showed Tanner. He didn't seem to mind and they all had a fun time looking at the presents.
Throwing the "bat plane" into the "Bat Cave".
This actually turned out better than I had expected it to. They all probably would have been fine playing it the whole time! Definitely a HIT!

The Batman's.

Tanner is the one masked... I should have taken it off so you could see his face!

The invitation... this one is a little crooked...annoying!

Tanner personally delivered the invites to his friends wearing his Spiderman outfit with his Batman cape over it and Batman mask. He ran to each house so the cape would fly up in the wind. It was too cute.... unfortunately I did not have my camera to take a picture.

So on Saturday the 15th we had a birthday party for Tanner. And he wanted it to be "Batman" themed. I made a list of kids to invite and there was way to many. So I asked him who HE wanted to invite and he came up with six boys. So I went with his list instead since it was for him after all.

When they arrived each boy got their own Batman cape. We had them play a few games of "Throw Batman's plane into the Bat cave", "Shine the flashlight on the Batman symbol" after we spun them a few times and they closed their eyes (in the dark). It went okay. They decorated cupcakes, opened presents, played with some balloon's, and went home. Tanner had a blast with his buddies and I think they all has a pretty good time too!

"I love you Grandpa"

Grandpa Roe and me at my wedding reception
Grandpa, Tanner, me, and Grandma in the St. George hospital in April.

Grandpa and Tanner

Grandpa in the Panguitch 24th of July parade 2008

Wilford "Earl" Roe

December 28, 1922- November 10, 2008

I received a phone call yesterday saying my Grandpa Roe had passed away. I was in shock at first but then relieved. It was his time to go. This past year was like taking 10 years off his life, he was getting bad fast. My uncle and his fiance' died at a young age and I am sure they were waiting for him on the other side along with my grandpa's parents. But I will miss him until we meet again.

Some of my favorite memories of him....

His witty personality. He could joke and keep a straight face for a minute, then a smile would stretch across his face letting me know he was joking! Listening to him whistle all of the time. You always knew he was coming around a corner because you could hear his little whistle. When I was little he had a box full of beautiful diamond rings (fake of course) and would let me and the other granddaughters pick one to take home every time we went to visit. I still have many of them! He made the BEST fried rainbow trout. He could always get every bone out. Watching him and my grandma waltz. Him getting on anybody for throwing food or a good used piece of tin foil away because it was wasteful. :) I really could go on and on about how he was or what he did. But those who knew him best, I'm sure have the same memories.

I was able to talk to him the day before he died and some of the last words he told me were, "I hope you know I love ya."

"I do Grandpa, and I love you too!"

Fun at home

New costume after Halloween!

We went to buy Tanner a Batman costume with all the Halloween sales but there was not a one in sight. So we bought him a "Knight" costume that I'm sure he enjoys just as much as he would have Batman. He has worn it for the past 3 days now, and keeps telling us stories about how there is a dragon blowing fire and he rides his horse so fast "du dum du dum du dum" and gets it with his sword. That is just one of his stories.

I remember coming up with crazy stories when I was a kid. But he has a new one every 5 minutes, and if he isn't telling you one, he's wanting you to tell him one about: a witch, a skeleton, a ghost, a dragon, Dracula, a knight. A tell you what.... reading the annoyingly long Disney movie books is better than coming up with a story. IT IS HARD! I am so not creative anymore. I was proud of myself with the first couple of stories... then my mind shut down. I am proud of his creativity and amazing imagination! Hopefully he won't grow up to fast!

For about 5 minutes I had peace and quite with all three boys asleep... buuut Benson woke up and then these two did shortly after! Those 5 minutes were heaven though!

Benson finally relaxing after screaming for at least 15 minutes straight and on and off all day!

Getting better, rolling over a couple of times

Getting ready for the pounce!

HALLOWEEN!!!!

Halloween Party Andrew and I went to that night.

Our skeleton named Ike, he greets our neighbors
So Halloween morning I (or should I say Tanner) babysat the twins Ruby and Lily. Tanner thought he was quite the babysitter. They were heading for the kitchen when he didn't think that is where they should be going and grabbed them saying, "Stay in here, no no, HELP MOM, stay in here!" It was too funny I had to take a picture. They just looked at him like "whatever" I told him it was ok that they went. He let go and just sat there as he watched them crawl away!

The Family
This is our old neighbor David Bailey. He had his candy bowl in the doorway with the coyote head leaning over the bowl with string tied to it. So when Tanner went to get a piece David made the coyote jump, Tanner jumped back and was not getting near it. Finally after showing Tanner it wasn't alive he took a piece of candy! It was pretty funny!

The boys

"Benson BOO" covered in slobber

My cute cowboy

Tanner in his secret hiding place/fort.
AKA in the bushes on the side of our house.

Spooooooooky!

Tanner and I carved his "scary Dracula" and my scared face