Midnight Showing

This week I did something totally out of my normal routine. I saw the midnight showing of Twilight. Yes, I was there with several hundred other high school girls all excitedly talking about every movie trailer they could consume in anticipation of this historic event. I was there when Edward Cullen first walked onto the big screen and all those giddy girls screamed. I was there when Bella kissed, dare I say it, a vampire! I read the books and enjoyed them, but I am afraid I am not CRAZY over the whole thing- a friend invited me, so I went. I won't be purchasing any shirts, but I will admit I did enjoy searching the web for a cool picture to post on this blog. This picture makes me want to go lay a big smackaroo on Mike, but he is camping right now- brrrrrrr.
Lydia is again at her Grandma and Papa Hansen's. We left her there last weekend when we went to see Mike's sister in "Alice in Wonderland" She had the lead as Alice and did a great job. We will go pick Lydia up on Tuesday and stay for Thanksgiving, so this may be my last post for a week or so. I have missed my little sunshine, but while she's been gone I've been able to start and finish my Christmas shopping. (I hate shopping when it is really busy and it will inevitably get busy after Thanksgiving.) I have also been able to help several people this week with my additional free time, which has felt really good. I plan to finish up my Lydia free week by making curtains for Lydia's room in a hope that she will stop playing with her blinds and bending them.

Potty training

The really exciting thing to be happening around here is Lydia's potty training. It is day 3 and we haven't had any "oops" today! Hooray! By the end of the day, I am wore out, but Lydia seems to be loving it. She gets chocolate chips when she goes, so all the treats is great for her!
Mike played in the championship intramural football game, but they got slaughtered. Their quarterback broke his leg between last game and this one, so they had to really scramble and it showed. And of course some pictures of the ever changing Colton. I finally managed to get some pictures of him smiling. He looks sort of goofy, but he has a great smile- dimples and all.

I found one!

Every time we go to someone's house with a little kitchen, Lydia loves it and plays and plays. For months I have been looking for a little kitchen that Santa could bring her and finally I found one on Craig's List. ( I love Craig's list) It is now in our neighbor's closet, waiting to be unveiled Christmas morning. I think I am so excited because I had a kitchen as a little girl and I have been hit with a piece of nostalgia.

Beyond doing some early Christmas shopping, I have been helping Mike write some fellowship essays and Lydia has begun potty training herself. Today she went into the bathroom and proceeded to poop on the toilet- all by herself! I think we will start full-fledged potty training on Monday. Apparently I am holding her back.
I have also began looking for a women's basketball league. I cannot think of any hobby which I enjoy more, but playing sports has been one of the things that has been pushed aside since having children. I know that opportunity for certain things changes with the responsibilities of marriage and family, but I think it is important to not lose who we are in the process of becoming wife and mother or husband and father.

Happy Halloween

These pictures are all out of order,but the first one is of Lydia watching the laundry turn around and around. She pulled her chair up and was so excite that her coat was getting washed. Honestly, I was quite excited her coat was getting washed as well! We started out our halloween morning eating jack-o-lantern pancakes. I dyed the batter orange and then used chocolate chips for the eyes, nose and smile. They tasted really good too! Then we were off to a costume party.



























As you can tell, Colton was a football, Lydia was a cheerleader and I was a football player. When we go trick or treating tonight, Mike will join us as the coach. Lydia enjoyed played ring around the rosie at her party, but most of all, she loved eating suckers! I think she had three while we were there. Every time I turned around, she had found another to eat. I am sure there is more fun to be had tonight, but I thought I would post these pictures now while I had a minute. Happy Halloween everyone! Oh- and to Christie- Happy Birthday!

The outfit

This was what Colton looked like in his blessing outfit. I took it the next day after I bleached it.

I am finally starting to feel like I have a life again. I go each morning to the church for aerobics and though I know I look like a goof, I feel good afterwards. The kids have been going to bed earlier so I have a few hours in the evening to do what I want to do in peace and quiet. What a difference it makes.

Blessing

We went to Ohio for a long weekend and it worked out that I stayed for the whole week and we blessed Colton while we were there. The family photo is everyone from Mike's family that was there for the blessing. Colton wore the blessing outfit that Mike wore. It had this cute little hat, but he isn't wearing it in the picture because right after the blessing he had a massive blowout and I spent the rest of sacrament trying to get the outfit clean.
The day before the blessing, the Hansen's threw a stake youth rodeo at their house. It wasn't a real rodeo, but they had lasso'ing, hay stacking and sheep hearding. It was quite fun! They had a dance in their barn with a mechanical bull that was really fun to ride. Regretably, neither Mike or I was very good at it. Mike's weight would pull him one way and that was the end of it. I had on very slick polyseter pants, so I didn't last long either. Either way, it was a great week!

The routine

Ok mom, I am blogging so that you have something new to look at! I really don't feel like there is much to say except that we have been trying to get in a regular routine around here- and that has consumed all my time. Colton is now 2 months old and in the 95th percentile for his weight- 14 lbs! He is getting happier and I seem to be getting happier too. Funny how that works.
Lydia is a FANTASTIC older sister! She loves to give Colton kisses and help change his diaper. She becomes quite concerned when he spits up and she thinks that she should be able to nurse him just like mommy. (We have compromised and she gets to nurse her baby doll while I nurse Colton.) Lydia likes to help with other things too, like cooking and pushing Colton in the stroller.
I don't know if I have mentioned before, but I like taking pictures. Some friends asked me to take their family photo's a few days ago, so here is a sample.