Autumn & My Grandpa

I LOVE Autumn! It has always been my favorite season, especially since I have lived in Utah, where this season is so vivid. I love the smells and sounds of Autumn, the bundle-up-throw-your-slippers-on weather. I love the anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas time that Autumn bring.

One of my favorite memories of Autumn is my Grandpa and Grandma Nielsen's back yard. They have several large trees in their back yard and I have fond memories of playing in those leaves.

A couple of weeks ago I took my kids over there and we joined some cousins in raking and playing in my grandparents leaves. We had such a fun time.

My sweet grandpa's health is rapidly declining. He has suffered 4 mini strokes in the last year. My grandpa is one of my most favorite people. He is who I received my love of writing from. He raised a wonderful family, 6 girls, including my wonderful mother. He is patient, kind, very wise and brilliantly funny. He always has time for me and I have always known that he loves me. I am so grateful for him and the memories I have of him as a girl, and the new ones that I am desperately holding onto.

Malia Turns 3!!!

Our sweet Malia turned 3 yesterday! I really can't believe she is 3. It seems like just yesterday she was born.

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Here are some of the things we LOVE about Malia;

-She copies EVERYTHING ANYONE says, good or bad!

-She has an amazing imagination and can make-believe with

any inanimate object, like her feet, a spoon or a Tinkertoy.

-She is either in a princess dress or running around in her underwear.

-She thinks that Tyler is her "doggie", and actually calls him that more than she calls him Tyler. He loving plays along and they spend a lot of time running around the house together. When Malia opened her presents yesterday and one of them was a jump rope, this was the conversation,

Tyler- "Look Malia, it's a leash for Doggie!"

Maia- "Yahhh!" Then she hooked it around his neck.

-She is very sweet and loving.

-She thinks EVERYTHING belongs to her and can throw a fit like you wouldn't believe to get her way.

WE LOVE YOU MALIA!!!

Here are some cute picture that my good friend Teal took of Malia and the family. We also blessed Dalin yesterday and had a good time spending the day with friends and family.

Happy Hallow-eeng

No- it is not a typo, that is how Baily and Malia say it, "Halloweeng!"

Besides going trick or treating in the POURING rain we had a great Halloween!

We celebrated at my mom and dad's with some Halloween games and yummy food. We usually trick or treat as a big group with my siblings, my Dad and their kids, but we were party pooped on this year... Dad had to work, Tara's family left early to go be a part of their neighbors spook alley, Tami has a one year old who didn't like getting rained on (the nerve...) and Troy and Rae Lynne had to up and move to Wyoming and weren't there at all. So it was just us.

My kids were so sad and for the first little while they were doing a whole lot of complaining. I finally convinced them (some would call it threatened) to cheer up and make the best of if. After that we had a great time. Thanks to my Mom who kept Dalin safe and dry with her in the house.

We didn't get as much candy this year (did I mention pouring rain) and the half of the kids candy that wasn't eaten before we made it home was sopping wet. Oh well...fewer cavities. Speaking of cavities...have you ever taken 4 kids to the dentist at the same time!!!??? Not fun, just got the bill in the mail today.

Kylee was a vampire countess.

Here she is with her friend, Holly.

Tyler was a knight.

Baily was Wonder Woman.

Malia is the Cat in the Hat (she is obsessed with the new show "The Cat in the Hat" on PBS)

And, of course, where would the Cat be without Thing 1 and Thing 2?!

My sweet Dalin was a monkey. He is almost 9 weeks. The time NEVER went by that fast when he was inside of me! He already weighs 11.5 pounds. We know how to fatten them up around here. He is in the middle of a yucky cold, that I gave him =( but other than that is doing well. I will quote a friend who also has a new baby, "With a newborn in the house, it's hard not to have a favorite child!"