2010 Family Pics

Getting five kids to eve look in the same direction at the same time is hard enough, so we consider it quite a feat that our family pictures this year turned out so well, with smiling faces all around. I try not to think about the fact that these will be out of date in just a few months and we'll have to do this all over again after the new baby comes. Oh, well...it wasn't too painful this time around, and I'm glad we did it.

These are some pretty darn cute kids, if I do say so myself. Happy New Year!

Christmas Jammies

We had a super fun Christmas this year. It was hard being so far away from family, but we tried to make the best of it by keeping up with our traditions, and making a few new ones of our own. Of course everyone got new cozy pj's for Christmas Eve, because that is one tradition we can't do without!

Our favorite addition to our Christmas Eve celebration this year was a play that Delaney wrote and the kids performed. It was about the nativity story, and the kids had a ball finding costumes and acting out their various parts. I think I got too caught up enjoying the moment to take any pictures, but we got the whole thing on video, and it is priceless!

6 Year Old Super Model

I can't believe that Addison is six years old already! She has grown so quickly into such a caring, thoughtful and fun little girl. We are so blessed to have her in our family.

Speaking of growing quickly, Addy has outgrown nearly all her clothes. She seems to be outpacing Delaney--all the clothes Delaney wore at her age are too short for little Miss Addy. Addy got several new outfits for her birthday, and the highlight of her party was the impromptu "fashion show" she put on for us with her new clothes. I had a hard time keeping a straight face as she struck her funny little poses. (My favorite is the cross-legged squat that you can barely glimpse in the one with the gray shirt below.) I think the girl has future model written all over her!

I love this sweet and sassy girl!

Santa Claus

Santa visited our ward Christmas party this year, with pretty amusing results. The older kids were actually excited to see him. but the little ones, well...Mason was a man with a purpose. He wanted that candy cane and was willing to do anything to get it--even sit on some strange guy's lap! Grady loved Santa--from a distance. We couldn't resist the typical screaming kid shot, though, so even he got his turn near Santa's lap, if not exactly on it!

Merry Christmas to all!

Fall Fun

Everybody got in on the "fun" of raking up the fall leaves in our new back yard. It's hard to believe so many leaves could come from just one tree!

The kids were diligent rakers (or sweepers, as the case may be), but truth be told, though the leaves got piled up numerous times, they never got raked in earnest and bagged until Grandpa came to visit. Thanks, Grandpa Steve!

The boys could literally disappear for hours at a time (okay, minutes, really) playing out in the piles they made. They especially loved climbing the tree and jumping down into the soft, cushy pile below.

We sure have enjoyed the beautiful fall weather here in Plano. The mild temperatures (in the mid-seventies for the most part) lasted well into winter. We didn't have to start wearing coats outside until halfway through December--and even then, some days it still hits 60 degrees by mid-day. It's hard not to feel spoiled when all our friends and family are freezing their toes off in Idaho and Utah!

Halloween 2010

The kids' Halloween was super sweet this year--literally. Between our ward Trunk-or-Treat and a trick-or-treat event at one of the malls around here, our kids got loaded up with more candy than I've ever seen--and all of that was on Saturday, before Halloween was even officially here! On Sunday, we enjoyed a quiet night at home making home-made donuts. It was fun, but awfully lonely without the house full of family we usually enjoy as part of our Halloween tradition!

Delaney was delighted to be a witch...when she wasn't insisting that she was, in fact, a "pirate princess" and not a witch at all. She switched back and forth repeatedly. But the cool purple witch hat that Grandma Kathy sent made being a witch extra fun!

Addy's favorite part of being a witch was having a broom to "fly" around on. She even got to wear her costume to gymnastics on the week of Halloween. Then she really did seem to fly, as she tumbled around on the trampline and other fun stations.

Of course Keaton was thrilled to be a pirate--what six year old boy wouldn't be beside himself with joy if simply because he had the excuse to run around with a giant sword and an eye-patch?!

Mason wouldn't sit still long enough for a picture, but he was an awfully cute pirate. Even cuter, though, was watching the way he reacted every time people gave him candy. He was in utter amazement that perfect strangers would give him candy every time he approached with his bag held open. He learned pretty quickly that if he lingered, they'd inevitably throw in an extra handful, apparently just because he was so darn cute!

Grady was not too keen on his costume. Getting his hat on him for about 5 seconds was about as far as we got, never mind the rest of his outfit! He didn't mind all the candy, though!

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch

We discovered a super fun pumpkin patch in a neighboring city and had a great time exploring it. Aside from the endless rows of enormous pumpkins, the highlights of our trip were the hayride, jumping off a giant haystack, a hay maze, and exploring dozens and dozens of wooden characters.

The Benefits of a Back Yard Alley

Now that the weather has cooled a bit, one of the kids' favorite pastimes is riding their bikes up and down the alley in back of our house. It makes the perfect race track!

Unlike a street out front, traffic in the alley is so light and slow-moving that even Grady can join in and feel like a big kid.

Even a flat tire on her bike can't slow Addy down. She hops on the trike at the top of the alley, builds up speed, then zooms down with her legs outstretched like wings and weaves back and forth. (Hey, you've gotta find your own fun, right, rather than wait for Dad to fix your bike tube!)

Grady, Grady, Grady...The kid still can't walk, but he can scoot around just fine, and he is not one to miss out on the fun!

And speaking of scooting, Mason loves to cruise up and down on his scooter. Just look at that determination!

Mason Turns 3

Mason wanted a "Bob the Builder" birthday party, and we discovered that Bob is a bit past his prime right now--it was nearly impossible to find any Bob stuff in the store right now. Mason had to settle for a cake made by mom.

In keeping with the "builder" theme, the kids had fun building creations out of food. They came up with some pretty clever inventions!

Delaney loved the "glue" that we used: peanut butter, cream cheese, and frosting--yum!

Addy called hers a sailboat (the raisins are the propeller--cute!) and Keaton made lots of caterpillars.

Mason got especially attached to his creations--so much so that he refused to eat them! He wanted to keep them indefinitely. Sorry, Mase--not gonna happen!

It may not have been Bob the Builder, but Mason loved his Toy Story race track anyway! The other favorite this year was the train book that Grandma Kris and Grandpa Jon sent.

Happy Birthday, big boy!

Fun Facts About Plano

It never rains in Plano, it only RAINS!

It doesn't mess around with whimpy drizzles or scattered droplets. Every rainshower is a complete downpour. Prior to living here, I don't ever remember using an umbrella or using the highest setting on my windshield wipers. Now I use both every time it rains. Thankfully, Plano is equipped with a terrific drainage system, saving us from the flooding that plagued surrounding areas of DFW shortly after our arrival here.

We love, love, love the libraries!

There are not one, but five fabulous libraries in the city of Plano, and a visit to any one of them is like a trip to the candy store. Sorry, Nampa, but these libraries put yours to shame. Not only do they have ample parking, designated children's sections (complete with tables and chairs--imagine!), and a huge selection of materials, but they offer a variety of activities. We could attend a super fun storytime, puppet show, lego party, or some other interactive children's event nearly every day of the week if we wanted to. And let me tell you, the kids sections are actually designed for kids! What's more, kids are actually encouraged to use them! Kids are free to walk around, explore, play with puzzles, put on puppet shows, pull books off the shelf to browse at the tables, chairs, or ampitheater. The room used for storytime at the library is actually built to look like a castle, with enormous two-story doors (along with a toddler size mini door on one side of the "castle" wall), and detailed architectural elements and life-size murals to complete the effect. I've been known to judge a city just based on it's library, and I have to say, Plano's libraries have made me fall in love with our new hometown.

There are no stray cats in our neighborhood, only wild bunnies!

Our kids are thrilled to see cute little white-tailed bunnies scooting around our yard on most mornings. They've even gone to great lengths to rig up "traps" to try to catch them (to no avail, I'm afraid). We have since learned that most people consider them pests, as they eat up your garden and wreak havoc on your landscaping. But no matter, our kids look at them as their surrogate pets anyways!

You can set your clock by the sound of the creatures outside your window.

In the mornings, we have tropical-sounding songbird that greets us from the tree in our back yard. The songs it trills are unlike any I've ever heard, and listening to it makes for a pleasant way to start your day. In the evenings, the cicadas start up--a sound that I can't even begin to describe. Something like a cross between a cricket and a car alarm. The noise can be quite deafening if you're walking directly beneath the trees they inhabit, but their serenade lasts for only a short time around dusk.

There's a reason why Plano's schools are rated among the top in the nation.

We have been blown away by the caliber of schools here. Nearly every neighborhood has its own school within it (which means no busing, by the way--you either carpool or walk, if you can stand the heat!). The staff members we have dealt with are proactive, professional, and committed to quality education. Expectations are high--the kids have at least an hour of homework every night. And it's been a big adjustment starting school so much earlier here than we did in Idaho. (Elementary kids have to be there around 7:30--yikes!) But the schools have a proven track record of success, including super high performance on standardized tests. And they also have fantastic resources for kids needing extra help. We feel very lucky to have such a great school for our kids.

First Day of School 2010

We arrived in Plano just in time to register the kids for school and attend a meet-the-teacher day. Although nervous about the change, the kids were so excited to be starting at a top-rated elementary school less than a mile from our new home.

It's hard to believe that my three oldest are in school all day this year, leaving me home with only Mason and Grady. It is exciting to see "the big kids" having this shared experience.

Delaney, 3rd Grade

Keaton, 1st Grade


Addison, Kindergarten

Last Day of School

Hooray! School's out for the summer!

Look how much they've grown in just one school year! The kids started the year at a virtual charter school, and ended the year at Sherman Elementary School. Both schools were great for different reasons, and each one was just right for our family at the time. We're glad we got to experience them both this year.

Here's what Delaney loved about 2nd grade:

-Going to a new school

-Her great teacher, Mr. St. Lawrence (Sherman's Teacher of the Year)

-Going to music in Mr. Waymen's class

-Playing with Hannah, Anna, Olivia, and Maia
-Reading lots of good books (especially the American Girl series)

Here's what Keaton loved about Kindergarten:

-Seeing Jack, Sam and Shawn in Mrs. Kaae's class every day

-Riding the bus to school

-Laughing at Mr. Waymen's silliness

-Going to art, music, computer lab, p.e. and library

-Losing his first tooth

Addy got to have preschool here at home with three of her friends and mom for a teacher! Here's what she loved most about preschool:

-Painting projects

-Learning to read

-Going on field trips

-Playing Study Dog and Starfall on the computer

-Losing two teeth (even before Keaton!)

One of my favorite parts of this last year was my morning walk to school with Delaney. Since Keaton went to afternoon kindergarten, it was a special time for Delaney and I to be alone together. (On the last day of school, we all walked together to go to Keaton's graduation!) I'll miss these days!

Kindergarten Graduate

With the completion of his Kindergarten year, Keaton has officially graduated into all-day elementary school--and boy, he can't wait. He LOVED school this year. He has grown into an amazing litte reader, and continues to amaze us with his ongoing enthusiasm for learning. It was never a problem getting him ready for school on time--in fact, he was usually standing at the door with his backpack on telling me to hurry up so he could get to the bus stop early!

Keaton had lots of fun in Mrs. Kaae's class. I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer once a week in his classroom, and I really enjoyed getting to know the other kids and seeing Keaton in a different setting. It's been a good year!