Merry Christmas!

We are about to experience our first Christmas in the desert.  At the beginning of December it was a little sad that there wasn't snow outside and that we were still running around in shorts.  I was having a hard timing getting into the Christmas frame of mind.  I finally decided that I needed to put up my Christmas decorations - even though it felt like summer.  As I started to pull things out, I was kind of being selective about what I was going to put up.  Snow men didn't seem right.  Santa in his big winter coat and white beard seemed a little out of place.  The pine bows seemed out of place too - since we don't have pine trees.  I had a poinsettia wreath that I liked - since poinsettia's are really a warm weather plant.  Finally I pulled out my nativity to put up on the piano and I realized that Christmas wasn't out of place in Arizona.  Christ not born on a snowy evening in December.  He was born in a desert much like the one we are now living in.  Maybe it is all the other stuff that I considered "Christmassy" that is out of place in the desert - but not Christmas.  It has actually given me - and hopefully my little family, the chance to focus more on Christ this Christmas.  We started the month by going to the live outdoor nativity at the Lutheran Church down the street.

Carousel ride at Bass Pro Shop 

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Watching the fish

By the reindeer!

Happy to see Santa

Not so happy about Santa

We have driven around looking at Christmas lights and have gone to the Mesa Temple to see Christmas lights.  We went to the Bass Pro Shop where we saw Santa, fish and a lot of fun Christmas displays.   This weekend we drove down the Tucson to join Kayte and Brent and their family in the Outdoor Nativity that they get to do every year.  Canon got to be a shepherd.  Savana ended up getting sick so she watched with the rest of us.  Lauren wandered around looking at all the animals.  

Happy Halloween!

Dinner!

Animal Rescuer/Park Ranger/Explorer, Princess and our Angel

And she looks so innocent.

Wow, I remember when I was a kid, we dressed up on Halloween and that was it!!  You got one shot to get it right.  This year we did 2 Trunk or Treats, one school party for Canon, one party for Savana and then finally Halloween Night!  That is 5 times getting almost everyone dressed!  It is exhausting.  But I guess I do feel like I get my money's worth out of the costumes.  Even though I think this year I spent all of $5.  But that was a $5 well spent :)  It was a new experience dressing in costumes that didn't have to be cold weather gear at the same time.  Kind of fun - and nice to Trick or Treat on a beautiful night.

Fall in the Desert

$5 chicks.  This got Canon back on his latest pet quest.  

Us on the tractor ride.

Feeding the goats, donkeys and pigs.

I LOVED watching Savana's head weave through the maze.  So cute!

Maaam!  Bwaaa Bwa!  (Mom - a chick!)

It is fall in Arizona - even though we don't have colored leaves and and sweaters - there are Halloween decorations around.  This week is Fall Break for the kids, so we have been trying to do Fallish stuff.  We have made caramel apples, but for sure are missing the apple orchards, fresh donuts and amazing apple cider that made Fall in Michigan the greatest time of the year.  Yesterday we went to a "Farm" here in Arizona.  The kids loved it.  Canon kept telling me that this "Fall Fair" was really fun.  They got to go on a tractor ride, decorate pumpkins, wander through the hay maze and visit the animals.  Not quite an apple orchard - but a pretty good substitute.

Normal Everyday Life!

As I have been trying to catch up on my scrapbooks, I've been look back on our pictures, and realized that I hadn't really taken that many yet in Arizona.  We haven't really done a ton, mostly still trying to clean up and move into our house.  So I decided that I needed to post some pictures of our everyday life here in our new home.

This is how we take Canon to school and then how I go for a run.  They are watching a show on my iPod.  Yes, I would love to listen to music while I run, but that is how it goes.  I love that they can watch movies on that thing.  No more crying everytime I go over a bump because it made the DVD player skip!  Ahh, technology.  

Every Saturday morning Seth has been going on a bike ride on the mountain trails near our home.  Yes, it is still a little hot, so his new ritual is to come back and jump in the pool - with his clothes on.  

The tire swing in it's new home on the back patio

The pool!  Savana is a little fish.  She will jump in any time.  Canon needs a little more convincing.  But they both have fun once they are in.  Babykins just likes to walk around the pool and throw everything she can pick up into the pool - including rocks.

Saturday morning TV

Savana loves drawing pictures of our family lately.  I had her pose for this picture and then Babykins just thought that was the thing to do.  So I had to get a cute little picture of her too.  

So this is us right now!

Back to School

Yes - we are back to school.  Canon will be starting week 3 this week, and Savana will be starting week 2.  Canon was so excited the first day of school.  When I told him he was going to go to school that day, we was dressed faster than he has ever dressed himself.  I have to admit that he still doesn't dress himself quite that quick, and he does like Saturdays.  But he doesn't dread going to school yet.  Crossing my fingers that doesn't happen very soon.  For Savana I joined with 3 other moms and we are doing home preschool.  Savana loves it!!  The first day she was so cute.  When our friends dropped her off she told me in detail everything they did.  I don't know what she liked more, going to school or telling me about it. I could tell she was relishing every moment telling me what they did.  It was so cute!  I also loved how she wanted to wear her favorite purple necklace and bracelet with her "Super Savana" shirt.  I haven't had the chance to have it at my house yet - but Savana seems excited that I am going to be her teacher.  I also teach her Primary class on Sundays - so Savana and me are going to have a lot of time together this year.  So far she has done really well with me as her teacher.

Kid Update

I was just thinking about the cute personality traits of each of my kids yesterday.   I was also thinking how sad it is that I won't remember them forever.

Canon.  He is obsessed right now for some reason about figuring out what he is going to be when he grows up.  That is all he talks about.  And then he watches Bill Nye the Science Guy and asks more questions about careers.  Last night while I was tucking him in bed and asked what I thought he should be.  It almost sounded like he was getting choked up because he didn't know what to be.  I assured him that he had plenty of time to decide and that for now he just needed to learn how to read.  Then he asks me what jobs don't require knowing how to read.  Let's not go there Canon. 

Savana.  Such a pretty little girl - who loves her cars, trains and airplanes.  Two times this week we went to visit some new friends here in Arizona.  Immediately they go and pull out their dolls, Polly Pockets and Little Ponies for Savana to play with.  It was kind of cute the first time.  Savana just kind of sat down next to them, with a little bit of a sad face.  After a few minutes she came to me and said "Mom - I want the cars."  My friend then took her to her supply of cars and Savana's face lit up.  Savana went and played by herself with the cars the whole time we were there.  That is something else she does all the time.  She goes off in a corner with her little supply of toys and you won't hear from her for a while. 

Lauren Summer.  Ok - so I am going to start calling her Lauren Summer, because we are going to start telling people her name is Summer.  Just a thing I have, but I really liked the name Lauren - not Loren.  Loren is a boy's name.  So I don't have to cringe every time I hear someone say her name - we are going to tell people her name is Summer.  She will just have a lot of names.  Baby, Babykins, Lauren and Summer.  Anyway - she is starting to walk everywhere.  I love it.  She also loves to push her little pink stroller all around the kitchen.  Then she screaches when a wheel gets stuck.  She also loves to snuggle and give kisses.  Whe we put her to bed, I just have to put her blankies (both of them, she points to the other if I forget one) on my shoulder.  Then she lays her head down and pulls her little legs up under her body and crosses her little feet.  It is so cute.

Oh We're Goin' to the Zoo Zoo Zoo!

Keeping Nana and Grandpa company at the playground

Babykins - waiting in the stroller while we had our fun.

Giraffes have been a long time favorite of Savana's

Canon doesn't love the Caroswheel (as he calls it) - but he did find some satisfaction in riding a snake.

This is what you get when you go to the Zoo with Nana & Grandpa!

I feel a need to explain my sudden flood of updates.  Besides getting ready to move - and so I didn't take the time to update for a while, after we got to Utah - the baby dumped a cup of water on my laptop.  So then I didn't have a computer.  Now I'm just trying to make up for lost time.  I still don't have my Photoshop program - so I can't edit photos like I like, or scrapbook - so catching up on our Blog is what I can do right now. 

We are doing our best to keep busy.  We have gone to the zoo twice now, swimming at Kelli's and the Rec Center, hiking to Donut Falls, toured the Sweet's Candy factory, gone to the park, played at Robyn's house and had a few playdates with old friends.  We all seem to be happier when we are busy!  It's also easier to keep the TV off!

Just Keep Swimming!



Cutie Pie!



Savana's little class



Canon's first back float



Practice, practice practice!

With this move - Canon went from being in school from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and soccer a couple times a week to having absolutely nothing in our schedule.  So to try and add structure to our day while in Utah and to get us ready for all the Arizona swimming pools - we started swim lessons.  Except for both of them not liking to get their face wet - they are doing pretty good.  

Kid Update

Sisters

Canon the "Life Guard"

Baby and her denim blue eyes

Kid Update.  Canon spent the second week we were in Utah on the couch sick.  I have never seen him sleep so much!  He would sleep until I gave him Tylenol and Advil - then he would be up a going.  But then it would wear off - and he would just sleep again.  So during one of his "Tylenol - Advil" stints - he was all of a sudden carrying Nana's baby chair up the stairs.  When he got to the top he put on sunglasses and went and found a whistle.  There was no question what he was.  He looked very much like a life guard.  We have been taking swim lessons - so I guess when he saw Nana's baby chair - that is what came to mind. 

It has been kind of an adjustment going from being in school all day - to just hanging around a Nana's house.  But we are doing our best to keep Canon busy.  He definately needs to be kept busy. 

Lauren - she is just bursting with personality.  It is so fun to discover who she is.  She is very playful and loving.  She loves giving kisses and hugs.  She will often just turn to me for a kiss.  Her kisses right now and big open mouth slobbery things - but I still love them.  And as I said before - she is also very playful.  Her favorite thing is to be on the couch or bed and just start free falling all over it.  She will get up on her knees and then just fall in what ever direction gravity will take her.  She has fallen twice on Canon's head and once on the dog - but I don't think she has learned her lesson.   She loves to snuggle everyone - and seems to try and spread her snuggles around.  When we are all laying on the bed - she will take turns snuggling into each person. 

Savana - Still love her.  She is very sweet and loving when she is in loving mode.  When she is in stubborn mode - she is very stubborn.  And very playful when in play mode.  We just do our best to keep her in loving and play modes :)

Happy Birthday Savana!

Can you believe it!  I am getting Savana's Birthday posted and June isn't even over yet!  We celebrated Savana's birthday will all kinds of family around - except Daddy :(  He was still in Arizona slaving away for us and trying to find us a house.  Savana turned 4!  She is getting so big!  I think she is OK with getting bigger now.  For a lot of this year she would tell me she was going to grow smaller like the baby.  She didn't like me to tell her she was getting bigger.  We talked about it - and I told her she was only going to grow as "big as mommy" and then she would stop growing.  That must have resolved her issue - because she hasn't said anything about it since.  I think she thought she was going to just keep growing - so that she wouldn't fit in the house anymore.  It is funny what kids think.

For Savana's birthday we made her a pink "Rainbow Cake" at her request.  She helped me put all the jellybeans on her cake to make the rainbow.  Funny thing was she didn't even want cake when it came time to eat it.  She only wanted ice cream, but it was fun spending to time with her to make the cake. 

Savana is a fun and very loving little girl.  She loves her little sister and wants to be doing everything her older brother is doing.  She loves toys and can go off and play with toys all by herself for a very long time.  Doesn't matter what the toys are - she will play with them.  Airplanes, animals or Strawberry Shortcake dolls - she loves them all.  She also has a stubborn streak in her - but that is OK - I love that part of her too.  I'm sure that will work for her benefit someday too.

Trek West

We made our "Trek West" over Memorial Day weekend.  I don't think I have written about it yet - but we are moving from Michigan to Arizona.  Seth will still work for Nissan and be involved in cars and I will be in the west and closer to family.  Seth has been in Arizona since the beginning of May and the rest of us stayed behind to sell the house and keep Canon busy in school.  School hadn't quite ended, but we decided Memorial Day weekend was a good time to make the long drive.   It was a long 28 or so hours.  We tried to break it up by stopping to see our friends the Martinezs in Peoria Illinois, and then stopping in Nauvoo - but it didn't seem to help much.  It was still long. 

The diversion was fun though.  In Old Nauvoo they had lots of "houses" you could stop in and see demonstrations of things the pioneers had to do and make on their own.  Pretty amazing really.  I think the kids' favorite stop was the rope making.  Something about ropes - kids love them.  Savana has been using hers to tie up her toy animals and Canon can always make use of a rope, in any activity he is involved in.