Life in a Hotel...

We were crammed but we made it out alive. We lived in a hotel for our first month in california. During this time we got Tate into school and it seemed everyday we were exploring houses and different cities. I also had to keep the kids entertained so I made it a point to go to a different beach once a week and find other fun activities near by. Here were a few of our favorites.

BEACHES:
Both Tate and Addie LOVE the beach. It seems each one has something different to offer. My favorite beach had to be in Malibu. We went during low tide and were able to explore some of the sea life on shore. We found some hermit crabs and seashells. There was also some awesome caves you could go through since the tide was so low. We had a blast.

PARKS


We also found this fun park called Brandons Village. I told the kids that they had to make a friend each time we went and you know what...? They actually did. They got really well at introducing themselves which really helped them adjust to all the changes.

RECYCLED ART
My favorite find was the Create Studio, where you can create art by recycling items. You will have to check out the facebook page.


Addie and I used a soap detergent bottle and made a princess.



Tate wanted to make a super hero and we just so happened to find a wooden picture frame shaped as a person. From there we broke a bouncy ball with a light in it and used it as a chest piece (simular to Iron Man), and added fabric and paint to it.

I am seriously dying to go back. The kids and I had so much fun.

Goodbye Utah...

Our final days in our home were as hectic as ever. We just finished our Christmas only to get everything packed away the next few days after. We had several different piles of boxes and luggage. We had our suitcases for the Cabin, where we would spend right after we move out of the house, boxes full of necessities for the next month (While we live in our hotel) and of course the biggest pile that was to be put in storage until we find a more permanent home in Cali.

Of course on the official moving day we were hit by a huge snow storm. This couldn't make me happier to move to sunny California ;0) Our house was freezing since it had to be left open all day for the movers. Once they got everything loaded the plan was to leave for the cabin. However the storm was too bad for us to drive in and we had NO BEDS or BLANKETS. This gave me the perfect excuse to invite me and my family over to our neighbors house for a sleepover. It was hard enough saying goodbye to them earlier that day so it was nice to hang out one last time before we take off. These particular neighbors are basically part of our family. Matt and I met them years ago when we lived in West Jordan. We were all so close that when we all learned on the new development in Draper, we both decided to move up there together. Basically it really sucked having to leave them behind. Plans are to become neighbors again as soon as we move back to Utah or once we get them to cali... (I wish)

The next morning, after our sleepover, we had to say our goodbyes one last time. It was just as hard the second time. Once again weather wasn't great but we knew we needed to get going. The picture above is the pic I took just as we were leaving.

I am never going to buy a baby....

today Tate asked me if I ever have to get shots like him and Addie. First thing that came to mind was all the blood test and needles I had to get when I was pregnant with both of them so I told them about all the shots I had to get when I was carrying them in my belly and when they were born.

"So you see", I said, "I have had to have many shots given to me as a mom".

At this point Tate replies, "I am never going to BUY a baby If I have to get all those shots"!

Last Christmas in Utah.....

I don't know if I will ever catch up but here are some great pictures from Christmas....

This year we had not one, not two, but THREE elves visit us. Aren't we lucky?

Two of the elves visited us last year and both Tate and Addie couldn't wait for their return. Each evening the elves would come to life and have all sort of fun. Once we woke up we would receive a letter (and sometimes a mess) telling us of their nightly adventure. Here are some of the things we woke up to...

A hut made of blankets!



A Toilet Papered Room




An Indoor Snowman


Each year Grandpa Ted has a Christmas Party hosted at his complex.





On Christmas Eve My family gets together for dinner and a Christmas program. This also always includes the Nativity Scene put on by selected family members and sometimes a visit from Santa.




Then of Course the kids favorite day of December, Christmas Morning!!!

These past few months are pretty much a blur. I can hardly believe we made it through them. So much has happened and basically we are all beginning our new year on a wild new adventure.

Way back in September Matt heard of a job opening in Utah in Bio Tech. This was something Matt had been wanting to get into, but he knew chances were slim. He went for it anyways and luckily his experience in working with cardio vascular system and as a specialty rep got him an interview. From there the process was a roller coaster. The more Matt learned of the company and its products the more knew he wanted the job. However, the interviews would continue to go well only to send him on to the next interview. The interview process was the most intense and extended interview process Matt had ever had. The longer the process went on, the more doubt Matt had about getting the job.

Finally Matt reached the final interview with the VP of the company and left feeling great. A few hours later Matt received a call letting him know that the decision of his outcome would take longer than expected because of another individual who also just began the interview process for the same position. By this point Matt was crushed. He had never known with such surety that he wanted a job. The long month of Interviews extended to being another month of waiting for an answer. Both Matt and I were sure he didn’t get it and all I heard from him was how “this was a once in a lifetime opportunity”.

Finally towards the end of October Matt received the call. Bad news… Matt didn’t get the job. However, they really wanted Matt to work for them and would give him any other job available! We were pretty sure that that was the end of this, especially when they mentioned an opening in California (which is of course, little on the pricy side). Matt was bummed and I too was sad to see him so disappointed.

The next day Matt received a call and a job offer in California. We were shocked to hear the offer and soon realized that this opportunity was defiantly doable. The only thing that would keep us from leaving was all of our family and close friends. We have been very blessed to live in such a great area with so many kids. Our children have loved having so many other children to play with every day. Our neighborhood has also been one of the most supportive neighborhoods we have lived in. Everyone is constantly helping each other out. Not only do we have a wonderful co-op set up during the day and for Friday date nights, but people are always making meals for you when you are sick, just had a baby or in need of some support at the time. I knew it would be hard for us to leave, but I also knew that this was a wonderful opportunity for Matt and for our family. It would be a great experience for us and would give us the opportunity to really depend on each other more rather than those around us.

We had less then 24 hours to make a decision. Matt and I were up literally all night trying to decide what would be best for us and our small family. I don't even know if we knew what our decision would be until seconds before we have an answer. It was all pretty crazy.

From there we got our house ready as quick as possible to sell and it was sold in a few weeks. Soon after the holidays came and Matt has been out of town for pretty much half of the time. This has left me to keeping the house clean, getting Christmas shopping done, finding a school for Tate and everything else it takes to move and keep life running as smooth as possible.

For this reason I just am going to rush through the rest of the year with pics and brief descriptions.

Halloween 2010






Toy Story cake for a friends little boy






Baby Shower Gifts

The Door

For a long time now we have struggled getting our kids to stay in their room when it is time for bed. We have threatened time after time that if they don't stay in their room that we would have to lock them in. The threat never even scared them and after a while we got a little desperate. Finally on one of those nights when Tate was being his usual self and testing us to the extreme, Matt finally pulled out a rope and tied Tate's door to another door holding it shut. It was quite the knot and Matt and I were finally able to go down stairs to get some time to ourselves. 30 min. later Tate yells "I got out"!

...So much for that Idea.

After that night we realized the rope wasn't going to keep Tate in his room. We had to go to the next level. Tate told us we would never be able to keep him in his room and so Matt switched Tate's door knob with another Door knob which couldn't be opened without a key. Not only, could it not be opened without a key, but we no longer had the key and we turned it around so it would be locked from the outside of the room rather than the inside....

Before I go on, I must mention that many of you are probably wanting to turn us in for child abuse or something. First off I never said that this was the best solution, it is just after a while we had to make are threats turn into reality so that Tater would realize how serious we were. I also do not claim to being the best mom. I realize I am far from being that...

Back to the story...

Now the lock was officially on and we told Tate we wouldn't lock his door unless he didn't stay in his room and go to bed. Tate's reply, "I can still get out"! Of course we asked him if that was a threat and of course Tate challenged us by continuing to go out of his room for the next while. That was it, Door LOCKED!

Back downstairs Matt and I were basically beaming with our success. We could finally relax! This time within 10 minutes Tate was above the stairs yelling "I got OUT" and was basically running around beaming with his own success. We were both chocked and when we went up to Tate's room we learned he had snuck a pair of kid scissors in his room and somehow managed to get the door opened with scissors that obviously weren't even close to the shape of the missing key.

From then on we had to make sure Tate wasn't hiding scissors or anything else that could open his locked door. Eventually Tate learned that we won and we no longer had to lock his door. However, during this struggle we soon found our ideas weren't all that great after all. Infact we quickly saw how pay back was in the making.

The first time we learned this I was down stairs when I suddenly heard Matt yelling to get him out. I ran up stairs to see what the problem was and the kids had locked Matt and themselves inside the room. Addie got a thrill out of this and soon saw it more as a game. Several times Tate would get locked in his room and we would see Addie quickly run away leaving him in his room screaming to let him out.

Each time this happened it seemed someone was always around to let the individuals locked in the room out. However that kind of luck doesn't last long. On this one particular night I had the kids choose a story and we all laid in Tate's bed to read it. Matt was gone and so it was just the kids and I. While reading the story Addie got up and begin wondering around the room. The next thing she did was close the door and start laughing. "I locked us in" laughed Addie. I ran to the door and of course we were locked in. I checked around Tate's room for anything that could open the door... NOTHING! I knew Matt wasn't going to be home until late and so I started sweating at wondering what we would do. Luckily I then realized my phone was in my pocket. I dialed a neighbors number and explained to him that we were locked in Tate's room. We were then saved by our neighbor who kindly came into our house and let us out of Tate's room. VERY EMBARRASSING!

This was not the only time this happened. Another day Addie kept playing with the door and locking everyone in. The day continued to not be her best and she was sent to her room. In her room she had a child proof door lock and that way she couldn't come out. I had promised Tate earlier that day that we would hang up his U of U football poster on his door so both of us went in there and I closed the door so that I could hang the poster up. As soon as I was done I went to open the door. Addie had locked it and never shut it. Tate and I were locked in the room. I yelled for Addie to let us out and it then dawned on me that she too was locked in her room. I checked my pockets and I did not have my cell phone. I wondered how long we would be in the room for.

My only option was to find someone who was outside to come in and help us. Four houses down was one of my close friends who just so happened to be getting in her car. I began yelling out Tate's bedroom window. It took a few tries but finally my friend noticed me yelling from afar. At first she just waved, but then realized I was yelling for her to come over. She came to our house and from the second floor window I asked her to run inside and let us out.

So that is the story about the door. Surprisingly we never got to switching it back and since we moved. I can only imagine what the new owner of the home is going to think when they move in and see the lock on the outside of Tates door. I am sure our neighbors will have some great stories to share with them.

Addie Turns 3

This is obviously way overdue however this was one of favorite things this last year. In September we celebrated Addie's birthday. I have tried to throw a special birthday for each of my kids once they turn three since they are starting to understand a little more about what's going on. From there we have a large birthday every 3-4 years.

Since this was Addie's first birthday party I went all out. Addie decided she wanted a princess birthday party and face painting was a must! We invited Addies friends in the neighborhood and I began to create a princess atmosphere in my home.







Everything started coming together and my art buddy was willing to face paint at the party. Then a couple of days before the party one of my cute neighbors offered to come as Snow White. I told Addie that a special guest would be coming to the party and she was so excited to find out who it would be.

I was so excited to see my Friend Kara (The Face Painter and artist) get all dressed up for her part as the princess face painter. After seeing her I decided I better get dressed up for Addie's Birthday Ball as well. So I ran in my room and squeezed into my wedding dress. Yes, I am sort of a dork, but Addie loved having her mom dressed up as a princess and I have to admit that I sort of enjoyed playing the part of a princess as well.

All of Addies Friends began to show up in their princess attire. They were first led to the kitchen to make crowns. After there crowns were made the girls got to visit the official "Princess Make-up Artist", Kara. She did a wonderful job face painting. I was able to do a couple of faces as well since she had more than enough work for her.




After face painting the girls got to get a picture taken at the carriage. They were all so cute!

At this time I asked the girls "what does every Princess need to have with her at the ball"? It took them a while to get the answer, but eventually someone said a prince. This is when I said i couldn't find a prince, but I had a frog they could all kiss. We then played "Kiss the Frog" which was basically like Pin the Tail on the Donkey.



This was when the Special Guest arrived, "Snow White". I have never seen such a perfect Snow White. My neighbor was seriusly better than the Snow White at Disneyland. She came in with an Apple and Birthday card to present to Addie. The kids then gathered around for a story.... Now for the best part. Snow White then took the girls to the back yard and gathered them around the fire pit which she called the "Wishing Well". Each girl was given a coin and told that they were to make a wish. Before they made a wish they all sang with Snow White her song "I'm Wishing". It was so darn cute! I was so bummed I didn't have my video camera, but I was able to get the end of the song recorded. MIchelle, you are the best!

After the song the girls each made a wish and threw their coin into the wishing well.



So just when you think the party is over.... it's not. Each girl got to have their picture taken with Snow White. Snow White then said her goodbyes and we ate cake and ice cream. Mission was accomplished and everyone had a blast!



Thanks to everyone who helped make the party a success. There were so many mom who helped out. Once again, "I have some of the greatest friends and neighbors"!