November 2008: A is for...

Annual passes...taking a year off from the Magic Kingdom was necessary for my sanity, but we are now ready for another year. After forgetting about why we began to really dislike the 'Happiest Place on Earth', we plan on falling in love with it all over again.

Aging gracefully...we celebrated Kevin's grandma, Loretta's, 90th birthday with a big bash in Palm Springs!! She has definitely aged beautifully, and is still full of spunk! (I need some pictures of her instead of my kids post-party!! ) At the pool...while in Palm Springs, we got to stay at a great hotel with Kevin's sister, our niece, and her kids (who are the same ages as our kids). The pools at this hotel were unbelievable, with a beach entrance complete with sand...the kids loved it!Axel Rose, eat your heart out. This becomes consistent entertainment in our house, and we like to torture our company, too. Eastvale, let me hear you make some noise!! Rock on!! Another soccer season over!! It was fun and exhausting for everyone involved. Thanks to all of our family who came and cheered! Grandpa even came all the way from Arizona to watch a game!! Am I violating some kind of child labor law now?? I have to say that donuts and OJ at the garage sale were a hit. Action hero costume...Again. I am not exaggerating when I say that Garrett has worn this Spiderman costume everyday this month. Several of my friends are nodding "yes" as they read this. I am asking forgiveness for ever doubting the parenting skills of any parent who let their child wear a funky costume in public. I am choosing my battles.

Applying make-up for the first time...in secret...mascara...on her lips. She is Goth. Kami, I promise I will teach you how to wear make-up someday...when you are 18, and Dad and I are chaperoning your dates.

I'm Thankful for Swords

This year as we went around the Thanksgiving dinner table telling what we were thankful for, Trevor said he was "thankful for missionaries" and Garrett said he was "thankful for swords". They painted their personalities perfectly with those statements. I couldn't have described their personalities better with pages of text.

After dinner they got into the costumes they had made at school and Trevor told the story of the first Thanksgiving...forget the public school system...Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving was VERY educational.

We had Thanksgiving for the second year in a row at my house...thanks to everyone for battling freeways.

Everyone helped out and brought a dish or two, so it was very stress-free...for me. Seriously guys, I'm sorry about all the traffic you had to endure. I promise we'll travel next year!

I didn't cven have to do the turkey!! Lori and Andy deep fried it in the back yard...cooked PERFECTLY!

Kami napped during dinner (all that tryptophan) and apparently was upset that we ate without her...next year Kam, I promise we'll wake you up so you don't have to eat leftovers!

LET'S DO BUSINESS

Trevor Discovers Capitalism

October was the month of us learning that - like his father - Trevor loves to spend his down time dreaming up business schemes. I had no idea our children would inherit the "Emerson Entrepreneur Gene", but it manifested during his month off track. If it wasn't business plans sketched out on the Magna Doodle, it was begging pleas to go outside and sell items from the house to the neighbors, specifically to the Coles...thanks for contributing to Trevor's mission fund. The CEO and Executive VP ready for business. I had to talk Trevor down to 25 cents - he wanted to charge "55 cash" for a cup.

I thought I would appease his hunger for the almighty buck after I let him have the koolaid stand, but he was persistent in wanting to organize a fair. He had a plan, including what games and activities there would be, and who would work - Garrett refused to work the bounce house...Trevor got a taste of disgruntled employees.

Dad helped set up the bounce house and games before he went to work.

Party-goers arrived in costume, and Trevor was officially "in-charge". Trevor wanted to charge an entrance fee, and I didn't want to squash his entrepreneurial spirit, so each attendee was given a bag of money to spend...they earned tickets at the games for fabulous prizes.

He even hired Aunt Lori to work the snack bar.

He also had the idea to do a cookie decorating contest, in which he would vote for the best cookie. When I asked him if he thought that might hurt someone's feelings if their's wasn't the best, he said that he would tell everyone that their cookies look great, but that one was really great...so p.c.

...the cookies did not last long enough to be judged, however.

And, no Trevor party is complete without a dance party.

The fair went off without a hitch! Thanks to all of our friends who are able to help make it such a success!!

Balboa Island - End of OctoberI have to say that I have no complaints about it still being warm at the end of October...I love So Cal! The boys got to go to the Harvest Carnival with Aunt Lori and Cousin Jay, then spend the night on Balboa Island with Uncle Andy and Aunt Lori. We joined them for lunch and a bocce ball tourney, along with some of Lo's friends from the island. Garrett and Andy won, thanks to the 'creative refereeing' by Lori .
The Bocce Teams - we are a very competitive family.

Mommy, It's Halloweentime...

The 31st came quick - let's hurry and carve the pumpkins before it gets dark! Thanks grandma for helping!

We like to carve topless around here...I don't know why my boys ended up with no shirts.

Later that night...

Everyone got into character, including the naked Dora on the left.

Grandma stuck around for the Halloween festivities.

So glad the Startups joined the Emersons and Coles for what has become tradition...thanks for leaving the hills for the night! So fun!!

When the bag is draggin, it's time to call it a night.

Congrats on Beating Chaffey!

We feel at home on the bleachers at Citrus.

And now for some Christmas browsing...

September's Gone?

Was it me, or did September FLY? We were crazy busy, but after yesterdays church conference talks, I have new resolve to "find joy in my journey"!

Trevor has been loving playing soccer!! He has scored a few goals, and has been getting pep talks from Coach Emerson! ; ) So proud of him!

Block Party!! Maren and I organized a block BBQ - it was a great chance to socialize with our wonderful neighbors!! We had a ton of food, and almost everyone from the cul-de-sac came!
The dudes manning the BBQ.
Thanks Aunt Lo for coming to Trev's game and babysitting Kami while we went to Kev's game!!
WE GOT A TRAMPOLINE!!!!...

AND WE"VE BEEN...
JUMPING FOR JOY EVER SINCE!!
...and sitting pretty.
Kami can hold her own with the other jumpers.

I love that as a domestic goddess I am so aware of my kids favorite foods - for the week that it is their favorite. It's one thing that a mom gets to know about her kids more than dad! The past few weeks Kamryn has gone bananas over...bananas. Her favorite sentence (of the few words she can say), is "I want nana", as she points to the fruit bowl.

I once asked my girlfriends, when Trevor and Garrett would only eat grapes, if giving them fruit all the time was bad, if that's all they want. They wisely told me that as long as what they're asking for is fruit, give it to them, becuase one day it will be a fight to get them to eat it...it's just a matter of dealing with yucky diapers! ; )

Trevor ran his first "race"!!

He had a jog-a-thon at school, and he was so excited to be running in a "race" like mom does.

Thanks to all my friends and family who sponsored him!! We love you guys!!

'Tis the Season

It's the most wonderful time of the year!! Around here, we speak FSL - Football as Second Language. I can define, and use in a sentence (in football context) the following: "option", "screen pass", and "I-team". This time of year we have 'game film' almost constantly being reviewed, and I find little scraps of paper throughout the house wth x's and o's on them...and no, they aren't love letters! Football is not only a game to us, it is a paycheck. And, luckily, I 'heart' football.

I 'heart' that my husband gets to do something he is passionate about for a living. He, and his former team and fellow coaches, were recently honored during halftime at an APU football game. Ten years ago, as he began his career, he was the Offensive Coordinator at APU, and they won the National Championship, so they had a reunion and halftime presentation this year. Seeing the old team ten years later for this reunion brought back a lot of great memories!! Awww...we were just dating back then!!

Here he is waving to the crowd!!

The team...1o year reunion!

I also 'heart' cheering for my teams! I have highly sought after season tickets to Citrus College football games...I've got an in with the head coach! ; ) ...Go Fighting Owls!!...Kevin just loves that mascot!

I 'heart' my Purdue Boilermakers. I went to grad school there, and made some really close friends. When you are with 20 women every day, going through a full-time grad program together for 2 years, it's hard not to make close friendships! We went to many football games together, and had some really fun times!! I was lucky enough to get back to Indianapolis for my friend, Mandy's, wedding in August and reunite with several of those girls! When we get back together, it feels like it did 5 years ago!! I love those kind of friendships, where you pick up where you left off. They are so comfortable!

Purdue Speechies Reunion

Finally, I 'heart' UCLA. I loved going there, loved cheering for them at the Rose Bowl, so I was heartbroken when they lost so badly to BYU. During my period of mourning, the day after that game, I found this on my car window as I walked to my car after church:

At the risk of sounding sacreligious, I REALLY don't 'heart' BYU...they have some really crazy, Mormon fans. In fact, as evidenced above, one of them desecrated my car with this vile sticker...I'm not going to name names, but I have evidence that the perpetrator is a leader in my ward, his wife makes vinyl stickers, and his last name rhymes with "how". I drove home from church with my face shielded, hoping that someone wouldn't mistake me for a Cougar Fan. ; ) Long story, but they got a lot of mileage out of one little sticker.

As much as I don't heart the teams that beat mine, I do 'heart' college rivalries, and getting to watch the drama and excitment that this sport brings!! It makes this time of year fun for me, even though we miss seeing our husband and daddy!!