Pookagoomba

And a bunch of other stuff...

2011-05-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd throw in a couple of random shots and experiences we've had over the past month or two, just so you can see what it's REALLY like around our house...

For the past month Leah has been attending preschool at Sister Brown's house. I found out about it from one of the other moms who talked to Sister Brown and got her "in". Leah was only able to attend the last few classes but she LOVED it. Sis Brown wanted to do preschool for her granddaughter but said her granddaughter showed up the first day and said "Where are all the other kids?" so Sister Brown invited more kids to participate. She didn't charge anything and she went ALL OUT on her lessons. Leah came home with homemade butterfly wings, treats, crafts, balloons, and more. I walked in to pick her up and they had real live chicks in the living room! Leah loves Sister Brown. It was her turn to say prayer and she said, "And bless that Sister Brown is so cool..." and sometimes, out of the blue, she'll say something like, "Sister Brown is one of my favorite people..." Oh, and Leah loved preschool, too!

This is her graduation certificate:

The other day Abby comes into the bedroom and says, "Look, Mom! I'm a dragon!" I actually look at her and this is what I saw. Leah had taken a pen and drawn fireballs all over Abby's face. Of course, I ask "Why did you do that?" And of course, Leah responds, "I don't know" which was the same response I got when I asked Leah why she wrote her name on her pillow. I think it's funny how impulsive kids are. I honestly believe that they DON'T know why they do things like that; they just do!

Leah was trying to get her sweatshirt and T-shirt off of her big head but this is as far as she got. She was being all sorts of silly, striking poses and giggling at her new "ears".

This was one of my favorite random moments. I walked into the kitchen and saw Boba Fett sitting at my kitchen table, getting ready to color a masterpiece. Why? Again, I'm sure the answer would be "I don't know". But I love it!

My kids devour blueberries. I bought a case of 12 clamshells and they ate them within a week. Every time she went to the bathroom Abby would get excited to look at the "blue poo". (Again, the answer is "I don't know".) This is Leah, showing off a blueberry.

Easter Eggs and Mantua

2011-05-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

We wanted to do something fun for Easter but Lenny had to work all weekend and I was scheduled to teach Relief Society on Sunday so we couldn't venture far.

I talked to Rachel and we decided to meet halfway for an Easter picnic on Saturday. Unfortunately, the halfway point between our homes is the super small town of Mantua (pronounced man-oo-ay), Utah. We found a park and even picnic tables and let the kids run free! We had a simple sandwich potluck lunch and then Uncle Brian and Lenny took the kids to check out the ducks on the reservoir while Rachel and I hid eggs for the hunt.

It was fun to watch the kids run and scramble for Easter eggs. They all got WAY more candy than they need! After the hunt I told the kids that I had prizes (I had four packages of marshmallow peeps, in each of the four kids' favorite colors.)

I said, "This first prize goes to the person who found the MOST eggs..." Sela said "I found the most eggs!!" But the prize -pink Peeps- actually went to miss Leah!

Next I said, "This next prize goes to the person who used their eyes to spy all of the hidden Easter eggs..." Sela said, "I used my eyes!!!" And the prize -yellow Peeps- went to Sela, since during the hunt she kept asking for help and I said "Use your eyes!!"

Then it was time for the third prize. I said, "This prize is for the person who ran REALLY fast to pick up their Easter eggs..." Abby piped up and said "That's ME!!!" with such confidence that even if it wasn't her I probably would have given it to her anyway. But Abby was right! So she got the prize -some green Peeps.

And last I said, "This prize goes to the person who was so strong to carry a big and heavy Easter basket..." Of course, the blue Peeps went to Baby Graham who had a gigantic bucket he dragged all over the Easter egg field!

We didn't spend much time in Mantua because the weather was cold and we had other places we needed to be but it was worth the drive and worth braving the weather for the kids to spend time with cousins!

I told Leah that we should leave a note for the Easter Bunny to let him know that we got enough candy on Saturday and to please leave something else in their baskets. When the kids woke up they each had a chocolate bunny and some Scripture Scouts CDs in their baskets. They were thrilled! (And I was thrilled that we were keeping our candy damage at a minimum...)

Happy Easter everybody!

Earth Day

2011-05-01T13:12:00.000-07:00

What? Sunshine?!? In between the April snow and rain showers we got a little patch of sunshine and the girls and I ventured out to the Earth Day celebration in Logan. We sat in the sun and enjoyed some homemade marshmallows, a small strawberry pie and some delicious chips and salsa. We listened to a percussion ensemble play on garbage cans. We had jumping contests. The kids got to make an art project using rubber stamps shaped like animal tracks. They also got to play with recycled clay and try their hands at the pottery wheel. They LOVED it! I had to drag Leah away so other kids could have a turn. Unfortunately, I forgot to pick up their pottery creations before 5:00 and the clay was recycled. I felt awful! It took the kids a couple of days to remember their pottery but at 5:20 when I found out their projects had been scrapped I was almost in tears. Am I a horrible mom or what?!? Aside from my guilt over the kids' lost art, it was a very pleasant afternoon.

Hair Cuts

2011-04-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

I got Tangled for one of my birthday presents and the girls have been watching it. I thought that it would make them want to have looooong blonde hair, just like Rapunzel. That's why I was surprised when Leah came to me and said "I want my hair cut short". As much as I loved her long locks I figured it was better for Leah to feel like she has some control over her appearance. (Especially since 5-year-olds don't have control over much!) So I called and scheduled the haircut appointment.

Over the next couple of days I caught Leah looking at herself in the mirror, tilting her head to one side and imagining how she would look with her hair chopped.

Last Monday was the day. A girl in our ward cuts hair and I took the girls to her house. Leah was VERY quiet and seemed nervous but she insisted that she wanted her hair cut. So Jessica cut it. A LOT. When Leah hopped down from the chair she looked in the mirror and suddenly her face lit up. She became animated and talkative and said that she *LOVES* her hair! I have to agree. It is a very cute look for her.

Abby also got her hair cut but this wasn't her first time having it hacked. She behaved beautifully and looks as cute as ever!

I tried taking pictures a couple days after the cuts. Leah was all sorts of smiling and modeling and Abby was goofing off and refusing to look at the camera. Such different personalities! This is my disclaimer: the day was gray and I was trying to take pictures in our basement apartment. The light was lame and I did a crappy job with photoshop. Don't judge! I'm cool.

Just after the haircut. Look how much length was taken!!

Leah....

And Abby....

Dance Recital

2011-03-30T18:54:00.000-07:00

Leah and Abby had their first dance recital tonight! They spent the last 6 days being sick and we weren't sure if they were going to be able to attend. But they woke up yesterday feeling better and woke up this morning feeling like dancing!

Take a peek...

A couple months ago we saw a flyer at the library for creative movement classes here in town. I called and got the girls signed up and it has been awesome! The home where they take the classes is just down the street from us and it has been a lifesaver for these wintery days. Leah and Abby had a weekly outlet to run and move and expend some of their energy while they wait for Spring. Unfortunately, the recital marks the end of their classes, as their teacher has already moved and won't be commuting just to teach dance to little girls!

The recital was at their teacher, Breanne's, house. When we arrived, Abby was running around like crazy! She was so excited. A few of the parents and grandparents were sitting around the perimeter of the room waiting for the show to start. Abby spotted an elderly gentleman and ran right over to him, climbed up on his lap, and gave him a big hug! She LOVES Grandpas! (It doesn't matter whose...)

Leah LOVED her new black leotard and her pink sequined skirt. She has been wearing them off-and on since yesterday (when we bought the leotard). We put her hair in curlers a couple of hours before the show and she was beautiful!

Both of the girls performed wonderfully! They have such healthy, strong, capable bodies. It makes me happy to watch them move and learn. I am so proud of them!!!

Pretty Leah

Little Abbers - She thought it was funny to run away when I pointed the camera at her but I was lucky enough to get ONE shot without her noticing...

After-dance Cupcakes!!

Leah, Mom, and Abby eating cupcakes

Pollocks, Pig-Outs, and the Fun Park

2011-03-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

What a week! Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Gordon came to visit on Thursday and we had a BLAST! Thursday night Grandma told Leah and Abby that we could do whatever they wanted. We talked about going to a movie and going out to dinner but Leah had her heart set on skating. That's right... skating. We went to the Fun Park around 5:00, thinking we'd skate for a little bit and then go out to dinner. When we got to the park we found out that they were doing some kind of fundraiser and we could do TWO activities + a slice of pizza + a drink for $7. Skating alone would be $6.50. So our plans changed. Sharon, Leah and I tried skating. I think we did two laps total. Leah was slipping and sliding all over and I am SOOO glad Sharon was there to help me hold on to her! It was a fun first for Leah.

After skating we ate pizza and drank root beer (Abby's favorite!).

Then all of us went bowling. That was a blast! Abby won. She beat ALL of us. Quite impressive. After bowling the kids (and grown-ups) were wiped so we headed home.

Friday we drove to Preston to check out the elk at one of the farms up there. Then we ate lunch at LD's Cafe (another first), and Lenny settled in for his afternoon pre-work nap. Grandma, Grandpa, Leah, Abby and I went and saw the Yogi Bear movie. The kids liked it and we were all STUFFED full of popcorn and candy. The rest of the evening was spent reading stories and playing games with Grandma and Grandpa.

Saturday morning Grandma and Grandpa took the girls to McDonald's for breakfast. SWEET! Then we got Lenny out of bed and went to lunch a couple hours later. Leah ordered deep-fried macaroni and cheese bites and they were delicious. Abby ate nothing but french fries and ice cream. A dream come true.

After lunch we said our goodbyes and Grandma and Grandpa headed back to Tropic. It was so nice having them drive all the way up here to spend time with us! They slept on our couches/floor, shared our bathroom, paid for our meals and entertainment, and didn't slow down or complain once.

Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa! We love you!!

Grandma Sharon, Leah, and Me... SKATING!

Leah "skating"

Lately whenever I go to take a picture of Leah she poses like this...

Dad helping Leah get everything just right

Grandma Sharon "looking great" (according to Leah)

Abby loving her root beer

There were some teenagers at the lane next to us who got these silly stick-on moustaches from a vending machine and Leah and Abby just HAD to have some. So, of course, Grandma hooked them up. Look at my silly kids!!

Abby, picking up her fifth spare in a row...

At lunch on Saturday Leah made me take a picture of my Choco Taco
so we can "always remember it."

Abby, Grandpa, Grandma, and Leah

Dance Class

2011-03-06T18:00:00.000-08:00

Oh, how I dislike having sick kids! This past week Leah got worse. I thought her sickness was almost over but she ended up with a fever of 104 and a horrible cough. So I took her to the doctor who prescribed some antibiotics (which Leah HATED) and now everybody is doing much better. One of the worst parts about being sick was that the girls had to miss "dance class". A couple weeks ago I signed the girls up for a Creative Movement class to get them out of the house and, as the name implies, try to get them moving (creatively!). They LOVE it! The teacher is great and keeps it really low-key. Here are a couple of pictures the girls brought home with them a few weeks ago:

This is a plie, Abby and Leah style. Leah does it exactly how her teacher told her. She is my little rule-follower. Abby is tense and looks like she's ready to spring. She is a little distrusting and likes to do things her own way and on her own terms. I think they are both so cute!

Hopefully this week they'll be back to health and playing and dance class!

New Pictures.... and Boogers

2011-02-27T13:04:00.000-08:00

I'm finally "caught up" with our birthday and holiday posts and was wondering what I would post this week. I feel like our lives are generally uneventful and boring. Then a couple days ago, Abby came into my room all decked out in play jewelry, a princess dress, and a funky hat. I started taking pictures and this is what we ended up with:
Pretty girls! This week has been spent trying to get little girls to rest and recover from sickness. Leah was sick last week and now Abby's got it, too. It's like a cold with a mild, off-and-on fever. Oh. And boogers. Lots and lots of boogers.

It's interesting to me how my kids' personalities are manifest in the way they deal with sickness.

Leah gets very calm and resigned. She listens to her body and rests when she feels like she needs it. She lets you comfort and care for her and trusts me when I tell her she needs juice or a bath or medicine.

Abby, on the other hand, gets mad when she's sick. Last night she was up at 3:30 in the morning just screaming. I tried to hold and comfort her and she fought me. I tried calmly asking what was wrong and she just kept on screaming. I asked if I could put a cool washcloth on her forehead and she said yes... and then took it off and threw it. So I left her alone and she tossed and turned and cried and moaned until she was able to put herself to sleep.

That sounds about right.

Luckily, Leah is almost completely over this bug and Abby seems to be doing better today. I'm hopeful that this upcoming week will be sickness-free!

Bowling Night

2011-02-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

The first week of February the girls and I spent an entire week at Grandma and Grandpa's house. One of the nights we were there Grandpa just mentioned something about going bowling. Leah came running over to me and said, "Can I go bowling with Grandpa? Please?!?" I said, "It's okay with me..." and she took off running to find her shoes and her coat. I looked at Grandpa and said, "Well, now you have to take her..." So Grandpa, Uncle Phill, Leah, Abby and I went bowling (Grandma was teaching Institute that night). We had a no-pun-intended ball! After bowling we finished up with hot fudge sundaes from McDonald's. It was a fun spur-of-the-moment night out!

Leah's jump of excitement after knocking down... five pins?

Leah Loo and Uncle Phill

Grandpa Scot, Abber Dabbers, and moi

Uncle Phill, getting ready to bowl like a monkey

Grandpa, getting ready to outdo Phill's monkey bowling

Abby, being Abby

Leah's Happy Birthday

2011-02-06T18:15:00.001-08:00

Happy Birthday, Leah! I can't believe my little girl is 5 years old (the beginning of December, 2010)! For months Leah had been talking about and planning her birthday. I never really plan on anything until about a week or so before it happens because her ideas change. Originally she said she wanted a chicken cake but eventually she settled on owls.

We made these crazy little owl cupcake toppers out of chocolate truffles. They were delicious but VERY labor intensive!

Pre-party, helping Mom clean out the cake batter bowl.

Birdhouses: BEFORE

Birdhouses: AFTER

Truffle Owls

Leah making a wish

CUPCAKES!

So maybe I'm not a very good party-planner... or maybe I'm an AWESOME party planner. Either way, we finished about 20 minutes early so we popped popcorn and let the kids watch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas". It gave me some time to clean up a little and get things together before the kids' parents showed up. I think it went well and Leah was happy with it and that's all that matters!

Family Pictures, September 2010

2011-01-21T09:47:00.000-08:00

Grandma Edie wanted to get the whole Swan Family together for a family photo so here it is! And some pictures of our cute girls and little family as well...

Halloween

2011-01-21T08:57:00.000-08:00

Halloween! One of my FAVORITE holidays. Abby decided she wanted to be Boba Fett. Yeah, my sweet little 3 year old daughter wanted to be the mean bounty hunter from Star Wars. During the weeks preceding Halloween Abby would tell people "I'm going to be Boba Fett. Boba Fett is a bounty hunter. He throws BOMBS!" I took her in to the pediatrician for her 3 year checkup and he got a kick out of her. He said "I was Boba Fett once!" He also said it was the first time he's had a little girl in his office who decided to be Boba Fett. Go figure.

Leah had her heart set on being a spider. I tried to talk her into being Princess Leia because I already had parts of a costume for that AND because I thought it would be fun to have both the kids dressed as Star Wars characters. But she still wanted to be a spider. And she was the cutest spider ever. Her costume was a pain to make but it was worth it, seeing her wave ALL of her legs around!

Leah designed her jack-o-lantern face and Mom helped her carve it. She actually touched the pumpkin guts this year. She giggled and thought it felt weird.

Dad "helping" Abby gut her pumpkin. Abby screamed when Dad touched the innards. She did not want anything to do with it.

Abs with her finished jack-o-lantern

They're all lit up...

Little Boba Fett - Abby wouldn't wear her helmet, not even for pictures. She had been wearing it all over the house BEFORE Halloween but I couldn't get her to put it on. So while we were out trick-or-treating everyone thought Abby was dressed as an army man and they thought she was a boy (because she was wearing a beanie to keep warm).

Leah's amazing spider costume. She wore it proudly!

Halloween is scary! Dad was at work so we were on our own for trick-or-treating. It was raining and looked to get worse so I took the girls over to the Stake Center to crash their trunk-or-treat. After 10 minutes of that and quite a bit of candy, it started raining even harder and Boba Fett had had enough. We came home to trick-or-treat the apartments and when we knocked on the door of Abby's friend, Weston, I asked his mom if Abby could hang out there while I took Leah out for more trick-or-treating. Abby was DONE.

So Leah and I went back out and she was crazy! She walked so far and knocked so many doors. She got so much candy we had to ask for a grocery bag to put some of it in. Her bucket was heavy and we trick-or-treated until way past dark. She said she wanted to trick-or-treat ALL NIGHT but I talked her into going home around the time that I had to start piggy-backing her, all of her spider legs, and her big bucket of candy.

It was an awesome Halloween night. The only thing that would have made it better is if Dad would have been able to enjoy it with us!

2011-01-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

After spending our week in Oceanside we hopped on over to Tropic, Utah to visit Lenny's family. While we were there, we visited Bryce Canyon National Park. The girls LOVED spending time with Grandma and Grandpa Pollock. We hadn't seen them in a while and it was nice to catch up a little bit. It was a long two week vacation with time spent in Oceanside, St. George, Tropic and Mapleton. I think we were able to see ALL of our family on both sides! For weeks after we returned home Leah would say, out of the blue, "That was such a good vacation..." And it was.

Us at Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Grandma Sharon

Lenny and Abby peering over the rim

Leah doing an impression of Uncle Phill's 8th grade school picture

Grandma and Abby

We stopped in to visit Grandpa Gordon at work. The girls thought it was cool just chillin' with him.

Abby with her new dinosaur "Stomp". Grandma Sharon let the girls choose a toy at the Ruby's Inn Gift Shop and, of course, Abby chose a dinosaur.

Leah and her wonderful Daddy. We went on a drive to see the sights. Abby was smart and fell asleep quickly. Leah was patient and didn't complain. Lenny was like a kid in a candy shop and took pictures at EVERY pull-out and scenic overlook. I was a whiner. It WAS pretty. I just didn't need hours to appreciate it from every possible angle. :) I love my husband.

My beautiful Miss Leah

Oceanside, California

2011-01-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

In October we took a trip with the Swan Family to Oceanside, California. The weather report promised "sun with 0% chance of precipitation" but it was foggy and cloudy and rainy the entire time we were there. We had a blast anyway. It was fun to spend time with the family and take an actual vacation. We desperately needed it!

Abby on the beach

Leah boogie boarding

Uncle Phill, all decked out for Canadian Thanksgiving

Uncle Brian doing a "beer brat binge". Inspired by the Tim-Tam Slam, the BBB is done by biting the ends of a bratwurst off and attempting to use it as a straw to drink Apple Beer. It didn't work very well and resulted in Brian and Phill ending up with a healthy dose of pure brat grease.

Abby with her Farmers' Market find

Leah discovering birds of paradise

Abby at Sea World. She stood by the Soak Zone sign but refused to sit in that section.

Dad and Leah, IN the Soak Zone!!

The Swan Kids (and kids) living it up

Casual Family Photo

GIANT pizza. We celebrated our last night in Oceanside with gigantic pizza.
And Brian's gigantic head.

Abby's Birthday, October 2010

2011-01-08T14:29:00.000-08:00

Abby is three years old! She wanted to have a dinosaur birthday so that's what we did. We had plans to go to the American West Heritage Center for the party but as soon as we left the house it started to POUR. We decided to stop at McDonald's to get the kids some lunch and (hopefully) wait out the rain. The kids played and ate and the rain mostly stopped. I got Abby's cupcakes out of the van and we sang, ate cake, and opened presents in McDonald's outdoor seating area. It was nice and quiet outside and the kids had a blast! After cake and present we loaded up the vehicles and headed to the AWHC.

Because it was October, The American West Heritage Center had their Farmtastic Fall activities going on. Unfortunately, there weren't any volunteers available that early in the afternoon so many of the activities weren't available. Fortunately, because of the rain and lack of volunteers we had the entire farm to ourselves.

The kids played with the goats, climbed on a pirate ship made of hay, jumped into a big pile of hay, went through a maze of hay (we were all covered in hay by the end), ran on the grass, jumped over puddles and had an all-around good time!

The girls were exhausted by the time we left but it was a wonderful day. Happy Birthday little Abbers!

Abby and her new parasaurolophus

Dinosaur cupcakes

Blowing out candles

Abby and Mom

Captain Abby on her haunted pirate ship.
She loved her new superhero cape that Aunt Rachel made for her!

Zoey jumping into the hay

Dad jumping into the hay

The party girls: Leah, Zoey, Sela, and Abby

I loved this! I glanced up and saw the girls showing their bellies.
How curious and carefree they are!!

Glimpse of our Days

2010-04-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

Let me just say that if you're one of those people who actually put interesting text on your blog, I totally admire you. By the time I get photos on there I feel like I've got nothin' left to say.

The first two of these photos were taken by Lenny, I believe with his cell phone (correct me if I'm wrong). I came home from work and saw some pink frosting smeared on the counter and a couple of half eaten cupcakes and empty wrappers left on the plate. Leah informed me that Abby ate the cupcakes and then Lenny showed me this picture. There is no doubt in my mind who is the culprit.

My beautiful Leah

Abby was in playing her computer games and when Lenny came into the bedroom to check on her THIS is what he found. If you know Abby, you know how uncharacteristic it is of her to stop for anything, especially sleep. That's why this picture cracks me up so much. She was using headphones (her latest thing) so she planned ahead enough to take off the headphones, swivel the chair, and lay her head down on the desk. This picture STILL makes me laugh!

Okay, so that's what we've been up to for the past month. How about you?!?

Easter 2010

2010-04-17T22:02:00.000-07:00

After Sela's birthday party, we loaded up the van and hauled everybody to Mapleton to stay at Grandma's for the night. Lenny had to work so it was just the girls and me along with Brian and Rachel's family. It was good though. Saturday afternoon we had a little Easter egg hunt for the kids. It was cold and windy but they seemed to enjoy it anyway.

Lined up and ready for the hunt

Sela went down just steps from the starting line

Abby's quickly filling basket

Leah, trying to find more eggs. Notice she picked her OWN outfit. A couple different shades of pink. Striped stretchy pants. A frilly skirt... Pink is pink, I suppose.

Grandpa helping Abby get eggs out of a tree

Abby's basket

Abby found a golden egg and went to Grandma to exchange it for a prize: MORE Pokemon!

Sela with a mouthful of orange Tootsie Roll

Cousin Sela's Birthday

2010-04-17T21:30:00.000-07:00

Sela is THREE! I know, this doesn't have much to do with MY kids and such but I'm trying to update the blog for my missionary brother and figured he might care what his niece is up to. Sela had a China-themed birthday party. It was awesome! They played "pin the party hat on the panda", made paper lanterns, practiced proper chopstick use, and animated a parade dragon. My sister-in-law plans awesome parties!

Sela is THREE.

Pin the Party Hat on the Panda

Uncle Brian and Baby Graham

Candles...

Cupcakes...

My daughter's freakishly long tongue (and cupcake)...

Sela's new super-swank sunglasses

THE Parade Dragon
(Notice Abby in the BACK. She always has to be doing her own thing!)

This was one of my favorite parts of the day. Brian and Rachel were sitting on the couch, doing their own thing and Sela was playing next to me on the floor. I took something out to the garbage (about 8 feet from where I was sitting) and when I got back in the house THIS was what Sela looked like. She was covered in little pieces of styrofoam. I just busted up and tried to get Rachel's attention. Rachel took one look at Sela and SHE started laughing. Sela, however, did NOT think it was funny. She was almost panicky because those little white bits were stuck and were not coming off! Rachel told her to try jumping to get them off which was even funnier. When asked what happened, Sela demonstrated that she had taken a piece of styrofoam from one of her presents and scratched it. I was just amazed that it happened in a matter of SECONDS. Anyhow. It was a fun day.

Arches 2010

2010-04-16T20:29:00.001-07:00

Grandma is nifty! Or a word that RHYMES with it.... or BOTH! Whatever the case may be, we celebrated Grandma Edie's birthday with a family trip to Moab. We had a blast! We missed Aunt Kelli and I don't really have any pictures of Aunt Rachel (or at least not ones she'd be okay with me posting on a public blog) but other than that, things were just about perfect! Lenny and Matt had to leave Saturday morning but the rest of us stayed an extra night and got in a little extra play time. We packed kids through the fiery furnace, strolled Main Street, rolled around in the sand, had a long jump competition, and swam in the pool. Good times.

And I need to make an apology to Elder Uncle Phill. I promised him I would update the blog about a month ago so he could see pics from the trip and I hadn't done it yet. So here it finally is!

P.S. I give up on trying to adjust the order of photos on Blogger. It's kicking my butt and I'd rather be watching Ugly Betty. So mentally put them in an order that works for you...

Hardware Ranch

2010-02-03T20:26:00.000-08:00

Monday for Family Home Evening we went to Hardware Ranch. It's an elk reserve/preserve/refuge, of sorts, located in/by Hyrum, Utah (South and East of Logan). We got there and got the girls all bundled up and then took a "sleigh" ride through the unnaturally large elk herd. It was fun. And cold. The girls enjoyed it. Leah didn't want to wear her gloves because she wanted to have her camera out and be taking pictures so her little fingers got VERY cold. We did our best with her. Abby passed the time talking about and pretending to be various pokemon and then decided that she wanted nothing more than to lick my tongue. Yeah. I know. It's gross. But it kept her happy and I was pretty good at avoiding her crazy long tongue. So here are pictures from our outing. Pretty self-explanatory. Hardware Ranch. Elk. Cold. Kids. Long tongues.

The End.

One More Down...

2010-01-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

January 2, my little brother was MARRIED. Weird. I know. But it's actually a good thing. I love his wife (what the?!?), Kelli, and hope she knew what she was getting into... :)

The weather was surprisingly good for a January wedding. Cold, but beautiful blue skies. Matt and Kelli were married in the Jordan River Temple and everything went perfectly. After the wedding came the family pictures. My little Abby would not cooperate. She wanted to play by the fountain and throw snow, NOT hold still for pictures. I just like this one of Matt trying to coax Abby over to them using Kelli's bouquet.

The wedding luncheon was delicious AND entertaining, as we got to see some of Matt's prized possessions auctioned off to raise money to help get Kelli and him off on the right foot. Brian and I obtained joint custody of an original Lindsay George colored pencil masterpiece (pictured above).

Lenny had to leave during the luncheon to make it back for work that night but the girls and I stayed and saw the whole affair through. By the time the reception rolled around, kids were getting pretty tired but I wanted Leah to be able to experience the bouquet toss, once again. We attended Lenny's cousin's wedding and Leah participated in the bouquet toss and loved it (she didn't catch it and her amazing Dad went and begged the bouquet from the girl who did!)

But this time was different. The flowers were tossed and fell to the floor right beside Leah. She ran over and bent to pick them up and then stopped and looked around like, "Is it okay if I do this?!?" I encouraged her, "Pick them up! Get them, Leah!" So she did. People started cheering and Leah held the bouquet up high, skipped back to me and gave me a big hug. It was worth staying, just to see that. Oh, and that's Aunt Shari's face, sneaking into the picture. Don't mind her; she does that sometimes. :)

It was a good day and I'm so excited to get to know "Aunt Kelli" better!!

First Days of Our New Year

2010-01-08T20:13:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Scot was so excited about his meaty Christmas present he received from Brian and Rachel (well, mostly Rachel). Homemade bratwurst. As part of our New Year's Eve celebration, he cooked them up and even shared them with us. Hooray for Grandpa Scot's brats!!!

New Year's Day we were able to spend some time with Grandpa Gordon and Grandma Sharon. We decided to go bowling. There was a LONG wait for a bowling lane so we walked across the street for some ice cream at Baskin Robbins. (Baskin Robin? Baskin Robbin's?!? I've never had to spell that in my life! But it's okay because I know Brian will look it up and correct me if I'm wrong.)
While we were waiting, we also took advantage of the photo booth at the bowling alley. We crammed all six of us into that little booth and Leah LOVED it! Abby didn't like being crowded into that little space, hence her escape efforts (row 3, column 1).

Finally, time to bowl. Leah's been quite the little show-off lately, posing for pictures and such. It cracks me up! Leah got into the whole bowling thing. Abby was bored out of her mind. Not enough interaction for her, I suppose. Well, Lenny won and beat me by ONE pin in the final frame. Not a fun way to go down. But I think both Leah and Abby beat Grandpa Gordon. (Don't tell him I posted that on the internet!) Regardless of who won or had the fastest speed (yeah, that was ME, all the way!), we had a blast!

One thing Abby DID like: sticking her head in the air blower and feeling her hair go crazy.

A picture of ME. Just because those are kind of rare, since I'm usually behind the camera :)

A Pollock Christmas

2010-01-08T19:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was wonderful! We stayed in Cache Valley and had a simple holiday. Christmas Eve we ate Rico Chicken Tamales (bought them frozen at Smith's. Like I said, we went SIMPLE, but delicious!) and fruit kabobs. The girls got pajamas from Santa's doorbell-ditching elves and got to open one present each. Abby's one present was a bigger stuffed tiger to go along with her favorite tiger friend, Richard Parker. Abby opened up the present (from Leah, which we found at a thrift store for $.25) and immediately ran to Richard Parker and made the two tigers look each other in the eyes. We named the new addition to the family Mama Parker.

All night, Leah was SO excited it was finally Christmas and Abby was photographically uncooperative. Here is Leah trying to get her sister to sit up and look at the camera for two seconds!

Abby with Richard and Mama Parker.

I told you, Leah was ON something Christmas Eve. We got a bunch of crazy pictures of her getting ready for bed and going through the whole Christmas Eve routine. Christmas with kids is so much fun!!

Abby, showing off her stocking.

The untouched Santa haul. The girls got a newly remodeled dollhouse which Santa transformed from $3 yard sale find to a home fit for a Fisher Price Loving Family. However, Santa's elves got tired of staying up all night making furniture and such so one room was completely empty and the kitchen table was lacking in chairs. But Leah and Abby were excited about the house anyway. And even MORE excited at the prospect of getting to MAKE furniture with their dad!

Leah and the Loving Family Mansion

The haul. From Santa, the girls received: poptarts, Lucky Charms, Sour Patch Kids, marshmallow ropes, chocolate covered marshmallow santas, wooden puzzles, a half-dozen books, Winnie the Pooh fuzzy posters, coloring books, tights, MORE pajamas, animal crackers, a giant bag of pretzels and more! Oh, and Leah got three huge containers of parmesan cheese, one of her favorite foods. Simple. Just the way we like it!

P.S. That blue thing around Abby's waist is her Swiper tail (like Swiper the fox on Dora). It's a fuzzy blue scarf that she puts on almost every day. Lately it's been a puppy tail or a pikachu tail but it's funny to me how much she likes wearing it and staying in character. Fun kid!

Jack-O-Lanterns

2009-11-02T06:36:00.000-08:00

Friday night we carved jack-o-lanterns. I forget how much parental work it is and how little little girls like to help. Leah wouldn't touch the pumpkin "guts" and Abby touched them once and decided that was enough. But, between Dad and I, we managed to get two jack-o-lanterns carved. Leah got out paper and a pen and drew hers up EXACTLY how she wanted it and I did my best to replicate. Here are some of our fun pictures!

Autumn Leaves

2009-10-25T21:15:00.000-07:00

The girls were outside, enjoying a sudden day of nice weather. I looked out and saw them in the leaves and HAD to grab my camera! I love how some of these pictures turned out. I just told Leah, "Throw the leaves at my camera!" Happy Fall!

Farmtastic Fall!

2009-10-25T21:08:00.001-07:00

We met up with Brian, Rachel, Sela and Baby Graham at the American West Heritage Center for an evening of barnyard trick-or-treating. The girls LOVED playing together. They went down the giant slide, rode ponies, jumped in hay, ate LOTS of candy, went through the corn maze and rode the train. It was AWESOME!

What Fun Is

2009-09-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

We went to Lagoon the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. I know, we're crazy. But it actually wasn't as deathly crowded as I thought it would be.

I was so excited, thinking about how much fun the kids would have. They went on a couple of rides this summer at Bear World and LOVED them. Turns out, Leah was a ride fiend and ran from ride to ride to ride and we paid $20 for Abby to run around with her cousin, Cadence. As long as she's happy, I guess. It didn't help anything that we arrived at Lagoon the same time nap time was scheduled to begin.

And after the kids had THEIR fun, we dropped them off with cousin Sela so Lenny and I could spend a couple hours riding the big rides. Double fun: family activity AND date night!

My favorite picture of the day: Abby and Cadence are SO funny together! Cadence is 3 weeks older than Abby and they adore each other. Instead of doing the "parallel play" so common with kids this age, they actually interact with each other. They look to the other for approval and teach each other new tricks, like how to climb up on furniture previously unexplored or open doors to escape from the house. This picture is the kind of thing you'd see in the slideshow of a well-traveled couple. "And this is us in Paris...." Cute kids.

Abby, showing off her neon blue hand stamp, proof of her right to ride.

My pretty daughter, Leah. From the moment she found out we were going to Lagoon she was saying, "I want to ride the ferris wheel." First thing when she woke up that morning, "I want to ride the ferris wheel." So the first thing we did... we rode the ferris wheel.

Leah and Dad

Abby and Cadence

Brownie Batter

2009-08-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

I love making and eating brownies with my girls. They're the perfect "girlfriends"; they don't EVER turn down brownies, they tell me I'm "so pretty" and they never seem to worry about getting fat. I love hanging out with them!

Children IN the Corn

2009-08-05T09:30:00.000-07:00

I am so proud of myself. I actually planted SOMETHING this year and it actually grew. Here is our small crop of corn. The ears are forming and it should be ready to eat within a week or two. We had a couple tomato plants that had tomatoes on them but I think someone stole them. :( Leah says it, "Someone was really, really hungry and they took our tomatoes." I hope that was the case.

I was a crazy mom and actually let my kids play in the mud. Afterward, I sort of regretted it because I was all ornery, having to clean up their mess. But they are very cute, don't you think?

Little Archers

2009-07-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

I've sucked at blogging. Good love. I've decided to just copy and paste from the weekly letter I send to my brother on his mission. We'll see how long it lasts, if anybody even cares about my lowly little blog...

So we went to the renaissance faire here in town. We just wandered around and got the girls snow cones. But as we were leaving I noticed some archers and told Lenny that we HAD to let Leah try it. Ever since she watched Robin Hood she's been wanting to shoot a bow and arrow. The other day she came in and asked me for a carrot so she could pretend it was an arrow. So here are some pictures of my little archers!

Pollock Family Pictures

2009-04-27T16:55:00.000-07:00

For Grandma Sharon's birthday I decided to organize a BIG family picture. We had wind, cold weather, poor light, and seven kids under the age of three. Considering all of that (and the fact that I was the photographer AND in the picture) I think we did okay!

Pollock Family Easter Picnic

2009-04-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

2009-04-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

The annual Pollock Family picnic and Easter egg hunt. We go out to the middle of nowhere, Tropic area, and let the kids run around crazy for the afternoon. They all played in, wore, and ingested so much dirt we were seeing it for days afterward.

The Easter egg hunt was fun, too. It was Abby's first *REAL* hunt so she didn't want to put the candy in the basket but she fared quite well. I guess she was unwilling to let Lenny help her carry her basket so she hauled it around even though it kept getting heavier and heavier.

Leah is a pro at the egg hunt thing. She collected a whole bunch of candy and was really good at spotting it, too. She didn't want to accept the possibility that maybe the candy was all gone so she was one of the last kids out hunting. The only difficulty she had was keeping her candy in her basket. She'd lean over to pick up another piece and dump out half of the basket in the process.

Once again, it was a wonderful Easter!

Leah

2009-02-25T15:05:00.000-08:00

Abigail

2009-02-10T13:33:00.001-08:00

Tubing

2009-01-22T13:37:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays we took the girls tubing. They had a blast! The first time we went it was just Leah (and two parents, two grandparents, and two great-grandparents). We got to the top of the hill and Lenny sat down on the tube. He asked Leah, "Do you want to go with me?" She said "No" as she's looking uneasily at the snowy hill. He asked again. Again she declined. Then I said, "Do you just want to watch Dad go first?" and she said "Yes". So Lenny took off down the hill. He wasn't even to the bottom before Leah said, "I want to go" and started climbing into the little tube. She insisted that she wanted to go by herself so we stuck her in the tube and sent her down. She did wonderfully and when she got to the bottom all she could say was "Again! Again! Again!" It surprised me how much she liked it because she is NOT a thrill-seeker. Great-grandpa Mark got a kick out of how six adults can be amused by two inner tubes and one three year old.

After that first day, Leah was hooked. She kept asking if we could go tubing and we were lucky enough to get another snowstorm and some new tubing snow. Grandpa Scot loaded up the suburban and we were off. This time it was Grandpa Scot, Grandma Edie, me, Leah and Abby. The ratio had changed quite a bit: three adults, two kids, two tubes. That changed things. From past experience I expected Abby to not enjoy herself at all. For most of the time she wasn't acting very amused but by the end it seemed like she was having a good time. She didn't laugh or smile or hardly make any noise but when I'd set her down she'd climb back into the tube. We sent her down by herself a couple of times. It was funny to watch. And she and Leah were able to go together and they didn't flip or anything! I'm sad that I wasn't able to get a picture of it.

I think we have a new family hobby! Thanks Grandpa Scot!

Christmas Catch-Up

2009-01-21T12:19:00.000-08:00

Christmas this year was wonderful. We went up to my parents' house in Mapleton for the holidays. We didn't want to haul presents back and forth so we opened most of our presents for family home evening before Christmas. Leah got a princess dress (just a size 5 or 6 girls dress I got at DI but to her, it's the most beautiful princess dress EVER). It was so cute when she opened it during our pre-Christmas FHE present opening. I put it on her and she grabbed the corners of the skirt and spun around and said, "It's like a dream. A wonderful dream come true!" See, that's what Cinderella says when her fairy godmother turns her rags into a beautiful gown. I love how her brain puts things together! (By the way, in the picture Leah is playing a horn Grandma Edie has as decoration in her home. Leah could get a better tone out of it than I could. It surprised me that she figured it out!)

The girls got so many treats and toys for Christmas. I think they were quite overwhelmed. They got a play kitchen, dishes, clothes, candy, movies and more. I think Leah's favorite gift was a little porcelain tinkerbell tea set. Abby didn't seem too interested in much of the goings on but she got REALLY excited when she got some silky pajamas from Grandpa that he picked up on his business trip to China. She kept feeling them and spinning circles and smiling. She was so proud of her beautiful new outfit!

Christmas

2008-12-22T08:58:00.000-08:00

Been a long time. And it will probably be a while yet before I'll be able to post anything substantial. Right now we are frantically trying to get the house and EVERYTHING ready to go to Mapleton for Christmas. We're enjoying the holidays though and will give an update in the new year.

Merry Christmas, from the Potluck family!

Pumpkin Festival

2008-10-25T23:18:00.000-07:00

Right after the Sheep Parade we walked over to the pumpkin festival. Again, it was my first time actually participating in this Cedar City tradition. It was awesome. Leah got to jump in leaves, decorate a cookie, paint a pumpkin, get a temporary tattoo and eat a donut without using her hands. Abby seemed to enjoy it too, although, as I previously mentioned, she ended up spending most of her time in the stroller. She got a tattoo and shoveled in a donut as well. I think they both enjoyed being out. So did I. Here are our pics from Pumpkin Festival, 2008.

Sheep Parade

2008-10-25T23:05:00.000-07:00

Only in Cedar City can the annual herding of sheep down Main Street be called a parade and the activities surrounding it become a festival. I'm not sure what the real title of the festival is but all day Leah has been calling it "The Sheep Parade". Lenny was on a campout with the scouts so I loaded up the monstrous double stroller and took the girls to watch the parade. They loved it! Both of them laughed and squealed and giggled for the whole 2 minutes the sheep were in view. I was disappointed Lenny wasn't there to see it. And I could have used the extra hands. I couldn't work the camera, the camcorder and hold/keep track of the kids. So Abby spent most of her time in the stroller (which made for boring, shadowy pictures) and Leah got sick of me hollering at her to "Get back here right now!" It was my first sheep parade and I actually enjoyed it. It was amusing to me; trucks and trailers and kids throwing wool into the street and, the big finale.... sheep! It really is "Festival City."

Canadian Thanksgiving 2008

2008-10-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

Since college I have been celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving (long story). It's basically just an excuse to dress like lumberjacks, drink Applebeer and eat jelly donuts, and call each other hosers. It's turned into quite the big ordeal. This year we had over 20 people here, not counting children, and I'm hoping to make it even bigger next year. Here are some pics from the festivities:

Notice the beer mug...

The decorations.

Three of my hoser brothers: Matt, Phill and Andrew.

Our Vacation: Albuquerque, New Mexico

2008-10-20T22:21:00.001-07:00

We spent October 8-October 12 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Friday morning we woke up super early to go to the International Balloon Fiesta. It was spectacular. It was a special shapes mass ascension day and there were all sorts of crazy-shaped hot air balloons. We saw a cow, bumble bees, Nemo, a cathedral, a jack-o-lantern, an airplane, and a stork, to name a few. Leah got a chocolate donut (pictured) and I ate the most delicious cinnamon roll I have ever had in my life. No joke. I'd go back just for that. Here are a few shots from the balloons. Enjoy!

The Zoo

2008-10-20T22:08:00.000-07:00

Saturday we went to the Albuquerque Zoo and had a ball. The kids were well-behaved, the weather was nice and cool, and the animals were actually entertaining. Couldn't have asked for more!

Leah gets VERY up close and personal with a cougar.

Dad and Abigail, waiting for the rest of us.

Our beautiful girls sure love their daddy!

Abby's favorite part was the little train ride we took through the zoo.

Leah and I got to ride a camel. She was so excited about it. I expected a little hesitation but there was none. What an adventurous little girl!

Abby's Hat

2008-09-24T22:33:00.001-07:00

More photos. These are the ones I am using for Abby's birthday invitations. Such a cute girl! She got her first tooth today. Only 1 1/2 weeks before her first birthday!

Leah's Eyes

2008-09-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Leah, has the prettiest eyes I have ever seen. They are gray and gold. They are beautiful and I wish they were mine!

My Other Blog

2008-09-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

I love yard sales.

For the past two summers my sister-in-law, Ash-a-Bash, and I have braved crowds, heat, early mornings, kids in car seats, and Scentsy girl (long story) in order to go yard saleing. Last summer we were both pregnant and some of the sharp, sudden turns and ill-placed cul-de-sacs made us both motion sick. But still we went. This year only Ash is pregnant (heh heh) and there were times we loaded the three kids in the mini van to scour the city for treasures. Pain in the butt? YES. But still we went. We are yard sale fiends! I'm going to miss it. Darn Cedar City weather and changing seasons! Yard sale Saturdays will have to wait until next summer. Or do they?

I started a new blog called Cedar City Yard Sale to help sate my yardsale passion until next saleing season. Basically, this is my attempt at a digital yard sale. Maybe I have something you can't live without. You never know. Give it a look and check back often as I will be constantly adding new stuff over the winter.

And all proceeds will go to help boost next year's yard sale economy.

I can't wait!

When I Grow Up...

2008-09-01T21:25:00.001-07:00

When I grow up I want to be a photographer. It's my dream to someday have a fancy pants camera and the knowledge to make magic with it. In the meantime, I'm using a borrowed point-and-shoot and pretending I know how to use Photoshop (only Elements... sigh.)

We took the girls to the nearby college campus for an attempted photo shoot. Here are a few of my fruits. My girls are beautiful!

Family Bonding

2008-08-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night we decided to take the girls to the park for some fun family bonding time. We got to the park and set Abby on a blanket to watch the "baseball" played by the rest of the family. (Big red bat... big white ball... you know the drill.) Baseball was all fine and good. Lasted about 5 minutes.

After baseball we busted out the frisbee. That was tons of fun... for about two throws. I have to admit, it was my fault it all ended so horribly. I "gently" "tossed" the frisbee to Leah who was standing about two feet away. The edge caught her in the bridge of the nose. We laughed and kept playing. Even Leah laughed. Until she saw the blood.

Blood started pouring out of her nose. She freaked out. I went into battle mode trying to find wipes or SOMETHING to keep blood from getting everywhere. Leah sensed my panic and started crying even louder. Passersby were trying to ignore us and families were pretending to enjoy their picnics in spite of the loud bloody mess happening just yards away.

To calm Leah down, I sent Lenny on a mission for ice cream. Not far away an ice cream truck was blaring its tinkley music and I expected a speedy rescue from the tears. Not so. Apparently there was a long line at the truck and Lenny happened to run into an old friend and needed to make small talk. (Sorry, babe, but this is MY story. You can rebut in the comments.)

In the meantime, Leah is STILL crying; Abby is trying to eat the blood-covered frisbee; I'm trying to keep Abby away from the frisbee and minimize the blood getting on me, Leah, and the blanket; and Lenny abandoned me for the ice cream man.

Finally, Dad showed up with the ice cream and Leah calmed down enough to eat it (and eventually calmed down enough to stop the bleeding, as well).

No more frisbee. Once the trauma was over we tried the playground but it didn't take long for the bleeding to start up again. And we only had one wipe left.

So we went home.

Family bonding.

The Rise of Pooka and Goomba

2008-08-24T16:00:00.001-07:00

No, Lauren and I have never blogged anywhere on the web, but with the influence of Leah and Abigail in our lives, it seems like a fun way to record some of our family moments. As this will be my first post here, I'll keep it short for introduction's sake.

Leah will be 3 in December and Abigail 1 in October. To give a little more perspective on these 2 facts, note that Leah can say the Pledge of Allegiance, write here name, create sentences that contain about 3 to 4 more independant or dependant clauses than I could creat at her age. Abigail is mimicking many of our actions (some of my favorite being the slow-blink and the double-handed point-to-the-sky move) and can lift herself to standing if she has something to hold on to.

I love my wife for setting this up, and I love my kids.

I'll say more later because it's time to help with dinner.

THE Blog

2008-08-23T09:35:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have to write something amazing for the first blog post EVER but I've got nothin'. So I'll just post SOMETHING and then the pressure will be relieved and the brain juice will start flowing. I invited my husband, Lenny, to contribute to the blog as well so I suppose this will become The Family Blog. You know, the kind where you send an email to everyone in your contacts list saying "Check out our new blog!", the contacts who truly love you visit once, and then all the people who supposedly love you forget about it forever. Until, of course, you bring it up again in your Christmas letter ("Here's our blog address, everybody!") and score a few sympathy visits. Whatever floats.

And now, having stated my opinion of blogs in general and predicting the imminent doom of our own, here it is...........Our Family Blog!