(un)happy halloween

While I did have this whole post written, the whole thing was me complaining about naughty kids. And in the process of me trying to have a happier family, I decided I need to make sure I set a good example. So, while Halloween night was a wee bit cranky at our house, we survived another year. I made some fun "mummy pizzas" for dinner then we took the kids out for about half an hour then home to bed. They had a long day attending their cousin's first birthday party and driving home from Vernal and with my parents and Aunt Brittany.
For their costumes this year Alexis was a pirate (yes, with a tutu...it was too cute, I just had to make one!), Spencer was Bumblebee from Transformers, Grace was a bumblebee and Lillian was a flower. My cute sister in law made the flower costume (side note: I have many cute sister in laws). I have also tired of storing those dopey pumpkin buckets, so this year, I made bags! They fold up so nicely!
We are also very excited to announce that we sold our house! A cute young couple are buying it and we are so excited to have some room to spread out in! (AKA more house to clean) We are busily packing, as I think they want to move in the same weekend we move out! We are also excited for our upcoming trip to California. My family there haven't seen the babies since August and I think they will be crawling by then!
We will do our best to get some inside pictures of the house posted as we get settled, but for those of you who live farther away, we will have a main level guest room! Yea! We love visitors and parties!

Stick A Fork In Me

I'm done!!!! Well, actually I have been done for a few weeks, but I just haven't blogged about it! I completed all my school exams a few weeks ago. It feels so great to be done! Thank you so much to all those who helped out! Not just recently, but throughout the years as well. I do have my state exam to do still, and in a few years I will go back for two more semesters. But for now, I am done!
We are keeping pretty busy here in our house! We still have it on the market, so keeping it tidy enough to have someone come with a couple hours notice is quite the struggle with all 6 of us living here! But we make it work! We do have an offer on another home in Lehi, and we keep prying it will work out for us. It really is a magnificent home. Not quite what I had envisioned for our family, but much more practical and still giving us most of what we want.
Grace and Lillian are doing so well. They are rolling all over the place, eating rice cereal, bananas, and applesauce. They even get up on their hands and knees sometimes, but still have a little work to do on the arm strength. They are cute as can be, and give us quite the run for our money! I don't know how 24 (total between the two of them) pounds of cuteness can wear me out so much! They are very healthy little babies, and for that we are so grateful!
Alexis is loving first grade and her teacher. Recently, she won a drawing at school where she got to be "principal for a day". It actually ended up being for an hour, so I felt a little jipped, but she didn't seem to mind. She is excelling in all subjects and is at a 3.3 grade (third grade, third month) reading level. She is also such a big helper with the babies. We just love her!
Spencer is at Carousel Academy again this year and still loves Miss Gina and Miss Tana. He loves his primary teachers and recently has enjoyed sharing his testimony at church. Everyone thinks he is so sweet....we tell them they should come see him at home! He can be such a troublemaker! He loves art and is really quite talented with drawing. The other day, he drew a picture of a moose on one side of the paper and wrote his name at the top. On the back side of the paper, he drew the back of the moose, even taking the time to draw the head smaller, as if it were farther away, and he wrote his name backwards. We love his artwork and also his enthusiasm for life and everything about it! He really is a sweet boy.
Eric and are working hard to get into shape. I have my 10 year high school reunion coming up in November, and I would like to lose more of this baby weight before then! The Westovers are doing a biggest loser competition and so we all weighed in on my sis in law's Wii a couple weeks ago. In order to reach my goal, I have to lose 3.5 pounds every 2 weeks, so far I am on track! Although I know as I get further in, it will become harder to lose! This time of the year sure is hard though! Eric has been doing GREAT getting up at 5 every morning. I don't always make it, they days and nights just go by way too quickly!
Well, not to worry, we should be updating again in a few days with Halloween costumes! (And hopefully a house update!)

Lost and never found

The battery on our camera is dead and we can't seem to find the charger, so these (really high quality) photos are from my phone. I just can't get enough of these cute, sweet girls. They are both so smiley now and are making all kinds of sounds. It's so fun to have them a little more interactive.
Shelene and I just celebrated our 3 year anniversary. This is the first year that we didn't really do anything extravagant, but it was nice to just be together. What a wonderful 3 years it has been!
Alexis started the first grade on Wednesday and Spencer goes back for his second year of preschool in September. So far, the mornings haven't been too bad, but we'll see how that goes.

Look what we've been doing!!!!

We certainly have been keeping busy. Between the twins, the older two, finishing up school and work.....our days are madness!By the time Eric gets home from work, we eat dinner,usually while at least one baby is fussing, clan up, get the older two in bed, then turn on the tv for some entertainment while we do two more feedings before bed time and keep Gracie and Lilly awake until bed time at 10:30. Now, I know some of you problem solvers out there are raking your brains...."why not put the twins to bed earlier?" Answer: because then they wake up earlier than 5am. "Why not take them out for a walk instead of watching tv? Answer: Because then they fall asleep in the stroller and stay up until 2am! While I am up at least once in the middle of the night pumping, Eric is so sweet and does the 5am wake up call. Usually they are happy with having binkies replaced and many times one ends up the swing, but thanks to my wonderful hubby, I get to sleep in until about 6:30 or so.
Here are a few pictures to show what we have been doing in the last few weeks.
For Fathers day, I got each of the kids shirts at Old Navy and had my brother in law take a picture of all 4 kids, then we had it printed out for dad and framed....the delivery of the gift wasn't quite what I had planned, but it all worked out!
My baby sister is getting married in about 2 weeks, and I helped throw her a shower, I was so proud of my chocolate dipped strawberries...they were so pretty!!! Also, my cupcake bouquets....what a great idea I stole!
Eric took the kids to the stake pioneer day celebration while I stayed at home cleaning the bathrooms, it is a chore I hate to do, but I love when I get it done! So the girls got all diddied up in their patriotic garb! (Thanks Mara!!!) Spencer just had to be in the picture with him.
I started work again a few weeks ago, and dad is having a great time with the girls in the evening...as you can see!
We feel it is never too early to try to get your kids hooked on Television.....both babies ended up falling asleep
We had the chance to go to the Okurr Mountain Temple open house. It is beautiful!!! This was the first time the kids had been able to go to an open house, and they really enjoyed it.
With two babies we really get our fair share of poopy diaper and spit up.....it seems like Eric gets the brunt of it! Poor guy!
Last but not least...Miss Alexis decided to take over the hammock when I allowed the kids to go in the back yard to read a book a few weeks ago. Spencer had to find somewhere else to sit.....the twin's bathtub was the perfect spot!
We also keep busy trying to keep the house clean in case someone wants to see it, and looking for that perfect house! I am sure they will all come together when they are supposed to! We hope to update again sooner rather than later!