Oh, How Time Flies!

It's been over a year!  Only a few days over. . .but still. . .that's a really long time.  I have decided, once again, that I need to be better at blogging.  I'm pretty sure there aren't many people reading this anymore, and that's okay.  I need to be better so that I can read it.

Bella is the star student this week in Kindergarten.  On Wednesday Ben and I are supposed to send in a letter for her teacher to read aloud to the class.  It's supposed to be about Bella.  I remember last year when Nolan was the star student I went on this blog and reminisced.  It actually helped me remember things that happened and funny things Nolan said.  It was quite helpful to be reminded of those things when we wrote his letter.  Now it's Bella's turn and I'm finding less about her.  It's kinda sad.  Actually what's REALLY sad is that there is very little about Malia and NOTHING about Lila! Yikes!

SO.  I'm determined to be better.  Much better.  I'm not going to try and catch up with a whole years worth of posts.  I'll just give a quick run through of our major happenings this last year.  If I have a few pictures worth posting, I'll add those as well.

. . .As I was looking through my pictures I realized there are a ton!  SO, this is going to be a really long post!  Here goes. . .

January: 

Nolan started basketball.  He loves it and he really is fun to watch.  He's pretty good!

 These two are just cute pictures of my Malia.  Her and Bella took a bath.  I got her out and dressed and she jumped right back in the tub. . .clothes and all!  She also loved to put my hot pot holders on her feet.  Silly girl. :)

February:

Nothing exciting ever happens in February. . .I have zero pictures as my evidence.  

 Maybe we'll change that this year!

March:

 The kids' favorite thing to do is build tents.  Here is their best one yet.  The little girl by Bella is a friend that we watched for about five months.  Notice they all have their Mini Pillow Pets. They LOVE those things.  Best presents so far!

These two girls love each other!  They fight occasionally, but they usually play really well together.  It works out since Bella loves to order Malia around and Malia loves to listen and do as she says.  Ben's mom called them "Pete and Repeat."  It's totally fitting.

This was picture day at Bella's preschool.  I can't bring myself to buy school pictures when I am perfectly capable of taking them myself.  They may not be the best pictures ever, but I like them and that's worth the amount I save by taking them. :)  Love this girl!

 Simon started soccer again.  This season Ben was the assistant coach.  At least that was his title.  He probably did more than the coach did.  Simon was thrilled to have his dad be a coach. 

 Ben and Simon started preparing for Simon's first Pinewood Derby. 

 Malia was a helper too. . .

Simon turned EIGHT (sigh) and Malia turned two!  We celebrated their birthdays together.  Simon was even thrilled to share a cake with Malia.  Bonus for me! 

 On his birthday, Simon took first place at the Pinewood Derby.  He kept telling everyone "I took the cake!"  He was beyond excited and couldn't stop talking about it for weeks. 

 

Nolan decided that he wanted to build a derby car too.  Ben was nice enough to oblige. 

 

April:

We flew to Utah over Spring Break for Simon's baptism!  He was baptized on the same day as his cousin Collin.  He was also baptized the same day of the year that I was and in the same font!  A small detail that I think is really cool but Ben doesn't share my feelings.  

After the baptism everyone went to eat at Chuck-a-Rama to celebrate.  It was a great day!  I'm so proud of my Buddy.  He's really just a great kid!

 We also celebrated Easter with both sides of the family while we were in Utah.  

It was a super fun trip. . .but not long enough!  I like it better when we come in the Summer and stay for a month!

 My Nolan Boy was chosen as a Terrific Kid at school.  There is one child from each grade chosen each month. They have a breakfast for the families to recognize each of the kids and give them a certificate.  Way to go, Nolan!  

By the way, don't you just love that cute face?!

May:

Bella Mae graduated from preschool with two of her best buddies from church.   

  
June:

Bella had her dance concert.  I filled out the papers to get her pictures taken with her class and then just never turned them in.  So dumb.  I'm glad I had her take a few pictures with my camera!  

She's a good little dancer! 

 We went to the beach for a week.

 

 

 

 

 Mia (That's what she calls herself.  She can't really say the 'L' in her name so it's just Mia now.) figured out that if she walked around on the tile with Mom's shoes on, it makes this really loud clip clop sound.  That was fun.  On a side note, here's a funny story about Malia and her name.  

Whenever someone would ask her what her name is.  She'd say "It's Mia." Then I'd tell them what her name really is and she'd say "The names Mia!" 
This girl knows what she wants and nothing different is acceptable.  Ever.

 My mom came to visit us to help (nine months pregnant) me and meet baby Lila.

 This is the nine months pregnant me. :)  I was so very ready to be done! 

July:

My favorite month of last year!  We got to meet our sweet Lila Kate.  She really is such a good baby.  The other kids are smitten! 

Ben's mom came the week after she was born. I'm not sure how I managed to take zero pictures of her with Lila while she was here. . .but I did. :(

 

 

 

 

 

 Here are some picture I took of my Lila Kate

August:

The kids started school again.  Simon is in the third grade, Nolan is in first and Bella started Kindergarten.  I was very ready for them to go back!

  Bella started Kindergarten this year!  They have a staggered entry where a few of the kids in each class go for one day during the week that school starts.  Then all of the kindergarteners start coming every day during the second week of school.  This was Bella's staggered entry day.  She was so ready for school.  Malia, on the other hand, was not ready for Bella to go to school.  For the first few weeks she just sort of wandered around not knowing what to do with herself.  She still misses her friend and is so happy on the days that "Mae Mae" gets to stay home. 

 Malia had to have a backpack to take to school and they held hands the whole way to the class.

When it was time to go, Malia needed a kiss goodbye.

 

This boy loves his baby sister.  He is such a good helper.  He's always playing with her, holding her and making sure that she is cared for.  He does not like when she cries and can't stand it if she's playing on the floor and gets upset.  He quickly picks her up and brings her to me.  He also loves to be the one to save her from her crib in the morning.  He's a good Buddy.

Malia discovered her artistic abilities.  She has been known to practice on all sorts of things. . .the walls, the bathtub, the windows, pillowcases, blankets, toilets, couches, carpet, herself. . .just to name a few.  There are Malia masterpieces on every single wall of our house.  We have tried to keep all writing utensils out of her reach, but she seems to find them.  She has also expanded her repertoire.  I found her in my craft room with the ink pads.  

This was the end result. . .

 Awesomer.

September:

Here are a couple random pictures of Lila at two months old

 Mae Mae had her first ride to school on the bus. 

 She also played soccer during the fall!  She was SO good.  It was really fun to watch.  I actually look forward to watching her play next season.  Hopefully there will be a next time! 

 We blessed Lila

 This little one hated to be in her dress.  She was great for the actual blessing.  However, every time I tried to take her pictures she fussed and squirmed and was a little pill.  After three attempts, I decided to be happy with these. . .

 I made her headband, flower and her bracelet.  I was pretty excited with the fact that they match. :)  Ben made fun of me.  Ha!

 Malia got her ears pierced.  They did both ears at once, thankfully.  She was not happy.  She has since grown to love them and LOVES to change them to match her outfits. :)

 

October:

Bella lost her first tooth.

We went to the BYU vs. Georgia Tech game in Atlanta with some good friends from the ward.  Well, let me rephrase that.  We all went down to Georgia.  Ben took Simon and Nolan to the game and I kept the girls with me.  We went shopping at the mall. :)   Ben's mom and dad sent us all BYU garb.  I, of course, forgot Lila's cute little onesie.  Oops!

 We all went to lunch at Varsity before the game.  It's supposed to be THE thing to do before you go to the game.  I wasn't terribly impressed.  They did have amazingly yummy chocolate milkshakes and it was fun to hang out with our friends, though.

 

 

 While the girls were at the hotel, Bella wanted to take a silly picture of Lila.  So, here is the picture that Bella posed and shot.  I think she was successful!

The kids dressed up for Halloween.  Bella was a butterfly, Malia was a bee, Lila was a ladybug, Simon was Spyro and Nolan was a ghost.  Malia was terrified of Nolan with all of the makeup on his face.  Of course, being the big brother that he is, Nolan thought it was so funny to chase after her making ghostly noises.  Malia came running inside and told me, "Mommy hurry, I need my bee on so I can fly away and Nolan not get me!"  

After a ton of convincing, she eventually was able to be outside with him, but she still didn't love him getting too close.

 

 

 I took new family pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

I took this picture before all the others.  The colors weren't as warm as all the others so I did a retake of Simon.  I still L.O.V.E. this picture though.  I think it's one of my all-time favorites of him.

November:

We had Thanksgiving dinner with our close friends from the ward.  Once again I didn't take a single picture!  I'm still angry at myself for it.  (Poor Lila's scrapbook is going to be pitiful!) For the rest of the weekend we went camping and I did take a couple pictures.  This was Lila's first camping experience.  We went to Andrew Jackson state park.  It's not the mountains by any stretch of the imagination.  It's more like a lake with a whole bunch of trees around so it has the feel of the mountains.  I think that's one of the things I miss the most about Utah. . .the mountains.  Real mountains.

 

 

December: 

Bella had her class party and she begged and begged Ben to come.  She said there was a special thing that the dad's were going to do that the mom's couldn't do.  So she really really needed him to be there! He was able to take the morning off and lucky for him, he got to be made into a snowman!  She was so happy. :)

 

And of course, Christmas!  I did a "12 days of Christmas" countdown for the kids.   Well, sort of.  It ended up being ten days because I started it late.  Details, details.  So, I wrapped up ten presents with activities for each day.  They took turns opening a present every day and we did whatever was in the box.  It was a lot of fun.  I think I'll do it again next year and make it a true twelve days of Christmas.

 

This was also Lila's first Christmas

 

So, there you have it!  A years worth of happenings.  It only took me a week to get it all on here!  I really want to blog more.  I think the difference now is that I want to. . .so I can remember this time in our lives. . .rather than because I feel like I have to to keep family and friends up to date. That will just be an added bonus. :)

P.S.  I had put Lila on a blanket while I was doing this post.  When I finished, this is how I found her, all wrapped up and giggling. Such a cute girl!