The Gift That Keeps On Giving...

Thoughtful Eli came through once again this Christmas.  After I opened Eli's gift, Scott told me how explicit Eli had been about buying me a "glass bird" this year.  They had spent quite a bit of time online trying to find exactly what he was looking for.  When they found this figurine, Eli immediately exclaimed this was the one.  Why he wanted to specifically give me a glass bird, he couldn't really explain.  But I will keep this figure of a mother and child glass bird on my dresser as long as I live.

In An Old Notebook...

I came across an old notebook while I was cleaning out my nightstand which contained some notes Scott and I had written about some of the funny incidents with the boys.  They made me chuckle and I decided to get them recorded in a more permanent location.

1. When Oakley was four years old, he was riding in the car with Grandpa Fotheringham.  When they drove past the Mt. Timpanogos temple, Grandpa asked him, "Who is that on top of the temple?" When Oakley responded Angel Moroni, Grandpa then asked, "What is that he holding in his hand?" Oakley exclaimed, "A gun!"

2. Oakley, still age four, after receiving a much-deserved talking to from Mom, puffed up his chest and said, "I'm going to call Grandma Lee Ann and tell her you're not keeping the commandments!"

3. Oakley, age three, could not sleep without his special blanket.  The blanket was nowhere to be found and Mom was out of patience.  Dad took over the blanket-finding mission.  The first thing Dad and Oakley did was to say a prayer.  Mom was downstairs and heard Oakley come running down the stairs, holding his blanket, and saying, "The Holy Ghost found my blanket!"  Right after finishing their prayer, Dad was inspired to dump out a box of toys, which the blanket was in the bottom of.  There is no way the blanket would have been found without the prompting of the Holy Ghost.  Oakley was right, the Holy Ghost found his blanket.

4. When Eli was a year and a half old, Scott told him not to eat the can of Pringles.  When Scott came in the room later and the Pringles were gone, he asked Eli if he had eaten them.  Eli said, "No, I drinked them." (and showed how he tilted the can up and 'drank' the chips.)

5. When two year old Eli climbed into Mom and Dad's bed, Dad asked him why he was up.  Eli said, "Because Oakley went (and proceeded to make loud snoring noises)"

6.  Eli (age 2) slipped and fell as he was getting out of the Suburban and took a bad fall.  When Mom asked if he was okay, he said, "I'm not dead, but I need a doctor."

7.  When Oakley was having some Academic and Intelligence testing done when he was five years old, the woman asked Oakley what made him angry.  He replied, "When my Mom and Dad play with my toys. She asked him when did his parents play with his toys and said, "In 2001."  When she said he hadn't even been born yet, he exclaimed, "But I could see them with my binoculars!"

Later she asked him what made him scared and he stated, "Being up in the air without an airplane around me."

8.  When Mom and Oakley (age 5) were on their date night at Pizza Factory, he said, "Why must the sun set on such a beautiful day?"

9. Two year old started chasing Mom down the driveway and when she stopped and rolled down the window, he exclaimed in his 2 year old out of breath voice, "Mom, I love you so much!" and then raced back up the driveway.

I'm so glad I glanced in that notebook before throwing it away!

Wise and Foolish...

Asher, on the ride home from church, "Well, that Wise Man should have helped that Foolish Man build his house, too, then they both would have had strong houses.  That's what I would have done.  Like, I would help Oakley build his house."

Mom, please...

It was a sad, sad day when Eli asked that I please not put notes in his lunch any more.  I could tell he was a bit hesitant and uncomfortable even asking me.  Yes, the boy is too old and too cool to have notes from Mom packed in his lunch telling him how much she loved him and to have a wonderful day with lots of smiley faces and hearts drawn all over the paper.  Third Grade and already too cool for lunchbox notes.  Be still my heart...

To Have Heard the Conversation...

One of Eli's best friends that he made in second grade is Isabell Fisher-Sidwell, who goes by Izzy.  Izzy is a mile-a-minute and we love that she and Eli are friends.  She is very creative and likes to spend time doing science experiments, catching bugs, riding bikes, playing with Harley and Buzzy (her dog), selling the eggs from her chickens, swimming, pretty much anything but sitting down and TV is not even an option in her mind, which we love.  Scott did overhear a conversation once between the two that did make us laugh.  I'm not sure what they were discussing, but Izzy told Eli, "Not to be rude, but every idea you're saying is getting even dumber."  Yes, it was rude, but it cracked us up.

We had some extra tickets to the BYU football game, so I told Oakley and Eli they could invite a friend to go.  When Suzanne, Izzy's Mom, showed up at our house to drop her off, she had all these things in a bag and some posters.  After talking with her, she was under the impression that Izzy and Eli were going to have a lemonade stand, that going to a BYU football game hadn't even been mentioned.  I would have loved to have heard that phone conversation- how it went from, "Can you come to the BYU football game?" to "Let's have a lemonade stand!"

We ended up going to the game.  The lemonade stand will have to wait for another day...

Our New FAVORITE City...

What thoughts come to mind when you think of New Orleans?  For me, it's Red Light District and drinking in the French Quarter.  Having no interest in either of those, New Orleans hasn't ever held much interest for me...until we actually went there.  Now, it's shot to the top of my Favorite Cities list!  We were leaving for a cruise from the port there, so we decided to go a couple of days early to check it out.  What a fabulous surprise it turned out to be.

We started out our New Orleans adventure with a ride on Swamp Thing.
Our tour guide had very few teeth, but a lot of great stories!

Yep, them are gators right there!

The tour guides pet gator he passed around for us all to have
a chance to hold.  We were all surprised to see Dad willing to hold it.

Mardi Gras celebration supplies to be had everywhere!

In each of the stores were many items not suitable for young
eyes. We would try to avoid it as much as we could, but if
Asher would see a t-shirt or another item with inappropriate
pictures or words, he would say, "Oh, this is just disturbing!"

Our cool hotel right in the French Quarter

Cabanas by the pool.

The trolley ride through town.  It's the oldest operating
trolley in the world.

We took a walking tour of the city.  When we
met up with our tour guide (in the orange shirt)
we were a bit concerned, he seriously looked like
he was homeless.  But he ended up being incredibly
knowledgeable and gave a great tour.

Street performers everywhere!

The architecture is so interesting and unique.
The history of the city is unbelievable.

It has piqued our interest and we can't wait to get back!

After a few fabulous days in New Orleans, we went on a cruise with Grandpa and Grandma Fotheringham that was super fun.  Unfortunately, the memories will have to live on in our minds because we had a camera malfunction and have no pictures.  I am so sad because we went to some really interesting Mayan ruins and of course all the usual fun cruise activities.  I guess we'll just have to go again so we can take the pictures again.

The Last Year Starting With A Three...

I had no problem turning 30.  I've had anxiety about turning 40 since about my 36th birthday.  So when I celebrated my 39th birthday this year, realizing it was the last year I'd spend with my age starting with a 3, the anxiety has kicked into high gear.  As always, Scott's gift was a complete surprise and I absolutely LOVED it- an iPad.  Each of the boys decorated a side of the wrapping paper with a loving message. Scott and I went to dinner and brought back a chocolate cake.  Each of the boys had a candle in their piece and said what they loved about Mom when they blew out their candle.  A perfectly wonderful birthday!

Tricky Leprechaun...

We thought this would be the year!  We had a great leprechaun trap... or so we thought.  We baked a cake with a hole in the middle.  We put the gold coins over the hole, thinking the leprechaun would climb up the ladder and would fall in the hole when he tried to get the gold.  But that sneaky guy was able to get the gold coin and get away, leaving a trail of little green frosting footprints. Maybe next year...

The Church's Newest Member...

Eli turned EIGHT...

...so he made the decision to be baptized!

The Cool Guys

Eli's Special Great Grandma Moore

Two Grandma's
Great Grandma Moore and Grandma Fotheringham

Crazy Cousins
Oakley does not approve of this behavior in the church building

Grandma Lee Ann Winters

Happy and Proud Mamma

The Whole Gang
showing their support for Eli

Eli's best friend, Alex Routh.

This is Mrs. Deanna Bingham, his second grade teacher.  She has
taught second grade for 12 years and has tried to attend all of her
students baptisms. She amazes me!  What a blessing she has been
to Eli- an incredible teacher and especially loving and kind.

Eli's Devotional...

Each grade does a devotional once a year at American Heritage School.  Eli's devotional was about the pre-existance, how America was prepared for the Restoration, and Joseph Smith.  Each of the children had a speaking part and there were many musical numbers.  Eli was part of the pre-existance group.  We just love this school!  We love that the religious and secular can be taught together.  We are thankful every day for American Heritage.

Orem Owlz...

 I've been to a few baseball games in my day, but not until we got passes to the Orem Owlz did I realize how much I really enjoyed going.  My enjoyment, honestly, has much less to do with the game itself but with the fact that my children are entertained by someone other than me.  I usually spend my time reading, which I'm sure those around who are not the mother of young children find odd that I come to a baseball game to read, but I could care less what those around me are thinking and revel in the fact that I have a chance to actually get some reading done.  The boys are not necessarily watching the game either.  They are usually rolling down the grassy hill with the myriad of other children or playing on the playground located just behind the seating area of the field (whoever put the playground into the plans definitely knew the Utah County population!).  So we go to the baseball game so that I can read and the boys can roll down the hills and play on the playground- we're all happy!  Take me out to the ball game...

Ski Bunny...

Cutest Ski Bunny in the World

Seattle Lids...

Grandpa and Grandma Fotheringham returned from a trip to Seattle with hats for all of the grandkids.  They all loved them, Asher so much that he wanted to wear them all at once!

A Rear View...

For so many reasons we've always thought Asher was part animal.  Well, here's another.  The boy will have his head hanging out the window if given even the slightest opportunity.  This is the view as a driver we've had for years, our boy-dog enjoying the wind in his face.

Friday Nights at Grandma Moore's...

There have been many wonderful things about Grandma Moore moving to American Fork, just a few house up from Grandma Fotheringham.  At the top of Eli's list would be his chance to sleepover on Friday nights.  He packs up his pajamas, a favorite stuffed animal, and he's off!  He's one lucky boy to have the undivided attention of his Grandma who willingly plays any game or helps him with any craft project he's interested in.  When Mom shows up to pick him up, he's often set up an unbelievable miniature golf course with wooden blocks and all kinds of plastic bowls and all kinds of household items that Grandma has no problem with him strewing all through the house.  Or a post office set up where they've written letters to each other, which they've mailed to each other at their post office and delivered to their individual mail boxes.  What a blessing Grandma Moore is to each of us.  What special memories Eli will have of his Great Grandma Moore for the rest of his life.