November

In November TJ had an interview in Fallbrook, Ca. They flew the whole family out. The kids and I got to stay an extra week! We had so much fun. Before TJ left, Nana and Papa took us all to Disneyland. Sophie was in heaven! She wore her Sleeping Beauty dress and Nana bought her a tiara. She met Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, and Jasmin, though she didn't seem very happy about it. I'm just glad she got to meet them because when we got there they said that the princesses were busy with filming the Christmas parade and that they would likely not be available for pictures. I was livid! so, I'm glad everything worked out. Thanks Nana and Papa for finding them!

Halloween

Sophie was a cupcake princess thanks to Aunt Angie and Liam was Superman. I will be so sad when these Superman jammies don't fit anymore. We went to Brett's ward's trunk or treat and got loaded with candy and we went to our own trunk or treat and got loaded with candy. Good times!

October

 In October I tried to take the kids to Sears for a photoshoot for their 1st and 3rd birthdays. Between ornery children and a horrible photographer I left, holding back tears. We came home, kids went to bed and I laid on the hammock. When they woke up I set up a background on Sophie's crib and shot a couple pictures. Then my friend Nicole went with us to the park and we took a few more (on a different day). These were the best we could get! I think they are pretty cute. 

We invited Dami (one of the residents) over to help us carve pumpkins. She had never carved a pumpkin before so it was pretty fun for all. Sophie made a princess castle and Liam made Lightening McQueen. I like how they turned out. Dami said she would have to continue to carve pumpkins so i guess she had fun. 

We also went down to Brett and Nancy's house the last weekend in October. Nancy works at a pumpkin patch so she got us tickets to go. It was huge! There was a fairy tale land, petting zoo, train, petal cars, corn kernel pit, air bubble jumper thing, and I'm sure plenty more. Sophie still talks about it. She always says, Have fun at the pumpkin patch!

Great Wolfe Lodge

In July we met Tj's brothers Travis and Brett and their families in Kansas City, Kansas for a little vacation to the Great Wolfe Lodge. It is an indoor water park. We had a great time! 

Sophie is 3!

Or 8 if you ask her. Not sure where she got that from. Sophie is stubborn and inquisitive, caring and helpful, a limit pusher, a picky eater (we're talking her diet consists of noodles and beans), a good big sister, loves attention, a little jealous, and getting more and more brave each day. We were at the Wilford's on August 21st and the kids were out playing in the backyard. I was checking on them every few minutes and when I went out to check on them once Sophie had climbed the ladder that was laying against a tree, had both feet on a tree branch and her arms stretched high above on another. I had a minor heart attack and yelled for her to get down. Well, she was stuck. So I ran over, barefoot, and tried to climb the ladder while trying to get her down. This wasn't gonna happen so I climbed down and reached up grabbing her around the waist and she just fell back. I caught her but hurt my back in the process. The next time we went over there she found a stump and starting climbing another tree. I am so not ready for these types of adventures!

Her favorite thing of all time right now is Sleeping Beauty. She wakes up singing/screaming "I know you..." She constantly wants to dress up in her pink Sleeping Beauty dress. She loves to read. She loves to do school (workbook pages, but hey, she asks for it all the time!) She wears dresses everyday. She started a tumbling class the day before her birthday with her friend Rilea. She was so good her first class! She sat quietly, listened and participated. TJ even made it to watch. It was a proud parent moment!

Her 3 year stats:
33 lbs
39.5 inches

Liam is 1!

I really can't believe it. Though I look back at his baby pictures and can't believe he was ever that tiny (if you can call it that!) He is such a big boy now. He started crawling April 16th. Pulled himself to standing on May 7th. Climbed stairs on May 12th. Stood for 20 seconds by himself on May 23rd. Took 4 consecutive steps on July 3 and is now walking, practically running, all the time. He is learning new things and words everyday. He signs "more" and "all done", he points to things that he wants or finds interesting. He babbles constantly, especially while he points. You know he knows what he is saying and that it is VERY important, but you just listen and enjoy the sounds because you have no idea what that little mouth is saying. His first word, after mama and dada, was uh-oh on August 13th. He also said ow at some point. Then cracker and out on August 22nd. He is lost without his sister. If he wakes up before she does from nap he just kinda walks around, unsure of what to do until she gets up. Then they play and laugh and dance and sing. Most of the time. There are definitely times when she gets annoyed with him and he gets annoyed with her. Total siblings : D

We had a little birthday party for him at the park. Some of the residents came. Friends from church and of course Travis and Hayley. Even TJ's best friend Isaac was here. It was a perfect evening. The kids all played while the adults got to talk. Then we had cupcakes. Liam had his own special 1 year old cake. He was pretty hesitant to get into it but sister helped him out :) He ended up needing a bath right there at the park with the doggie water faucet!