Disneyland!

This is really the funniest picture! It was, of course, David's idea (get it? Pooh corner).


















I think the Toy Story Mania 3D ride might have been the general favorite.






































We loved the Christmas decorations everywhere- they were great!













Bug's Land was a big hit.




















































































The kids consulted their maps throughout the day.
































Trading pins!



















My boys LOVED all the villains!













































Waiting in one of MANY lines!

































Aw, what can I say about Disneyland and CA Adventure? It really is a magical place. We loved it! Everywhere you look it is just amazing. The kids LOVED it. Matt kind of sleep-walked through much of the first day (thank you dramamine) but he did get to go on some rides with the boys. I didn't get to go on anything big (I was pregnant at the time) but I got to takes little tykes on smaller rides while the big kids went on big rides a few times. Mostly we kept everyone together and I think that was my favorite part. Lines aren't usually my favorite, but it was lots of fun doing it together. It forced us all together in this little space so there was lots of talking and inventive entertaining of the kids. It really was just fantastic having the uncles, the grandparents, and the cousins all together- it really is hard to organize with everyone's busy schedules. We loved spending so much time with everyone. The kids loved seeing all the familiar Disney characters and of course they loved the rides! We all loved that Disneyland was transformed for Christmas, even some of the rides were different. So cool. Everyone went strong for 2 days and I felt like they could have gone more. I can't wait to do it again sometime. Anyone up for Florida when Matt graduates? :-)

Mesa Temple Lights

It has been a while since we'd been in AZ to see the Christmas lights. We haven't been since Matt took boards the second year of dental school. That was when Owen was an infant- 3years ago. It was great to go back. We really like following the giant star light to go see the manger scene. It was a little colder than we were expecting, but luckily the uncles let us borrow all 3 sweaters that they own. Check out the one on the right, Jenny!

AZ Zoo

It is always fun to stop by the zoo when we are visiting AZ. When we went this Nov. the weather was perfect. I think the kids favorite part about the AZ zoo is the petting zoo. Owen especially loves animals (having grown up around Anubis his whole life). Some kids are a little cautious going in, but he went right in and would grab the goats by their faces and make them look at him while he talked to them like "Hey goat, listen up, I have something important to say to you!" They also really liked taking the train (at the time I was feeling sick so I liked that part too), and the play area. Mom was great to provide the tickets and Kendra was great to haul us around and show us the ropes. Thanks!

Matthew is 7!

Yes, it is true. I have a child that is 7 years old. Wow, it was good to get that off my chest. He asked for two things for his bday this year- a new trick bike and Mario and Sonic at the Winter Olympics. I did run out early to get the standard donuts for breakfast. We also went to Chuck E. Cheese after school. We did break a little from tradition this year- Matthew wanted cotton candy and milkshakes instead of the regular cake and icecream. Also, his brothers saved up points to buy him presents from the mommy store. Andrew got him a Bakugan wallet and Owen got him an Iron Man shirt. Everyone had a blast.

Nashville Science Center

Matthew loves lifting this car (levers are awesome)












































This skin model is part of the climbing area. You can also climb through the heart, down the spine, etc.





























It has a fantastic view of downtown Nashville.














These dinos really move and roar!





























This body made Owen a little nervous the first time (he didn't like all the people poking and cutting it). It does look pretty realistic.












Near downtown Nashville is the Science Center. We love it! It has all kinds of fun things to look at and try. They cover all areas of science- music, anatomy, electricity, sports, levers, space, dinosaurs, etc. There are so many things to try, climb on, touch, and experiment. They do a good job changing it up too. Perfect for little boys!

Blankets

Everyone's kids have weird things they like to do. Andrew and Owen LOVE to play with blankets. They empty out the hall closet any chance they can get. Matthew usually misses the fun because he is at school, but he seems to enjoy blanket piles when he happens to be around for the event. These crazy kids even seems to prefer playing with blankets to playing with toys. I've stopped washing the blankets because I was washing them 4 times a week! Now I just wash them right before I know we are going to use them. Anyway, Andrew and Owen make forts, houses, piles, tunnels, whatever. The other day I walked downstairs to see that poor Anubis had been forced into the fun. They were crawling all over him and covering his face, and he just sat there! He let them bury him completely! When I came in the room, only his nose was sticking out. I'm so glad we got him as a puppy- he really is used to all the abuse and now just tries to sleep through it.

Halloween 09

Halloween weekend was a blast. Our neighborhood was built for trick-or-treating (in fact, that was one of the first things Matt said when we moved in!) One of the best parts was Uncle Jeffery's surprise visit. The kids loved having him around. He helped carve the pumpkin and carry tired kids around with Matt on Halloween. I stayed home and handed out candy while the guys went around. We can't wait for next year!