THANK YOU!!

Thank You Grandma and Grandpa Asplund for my birthday $$.

I am on cloud 9, and feeling pretty wealthy!

Here's my first purchase.

You will be getting "something" in the mail,

that is nicely decorated with these.

6 year pics

I MUST express a huge thanks to my fabulous sis, Karli,

for taking these fantastic snaps of our cutie pie! Karli said she was pretty easy to photograph.
The head tilts are ALL Ame!

If only all my kids were this easy to get great shots of.

And these are only a few of the many fun pictures Karli captured!

Thanks again little sis, if only I were as talented as YOU!

Oh Happy Day

10 Reasons I am feeling HAPPY today:

1. I got to spend the afternoon with my sister, having a picnic, talking and just hanging our with our kids @ the park.

2. We are having a much needed rainy day, which gives me all the more reason to stay indoors, be kind of lazy and NOT feel quilty!

3. My house is CLEAN, for the moment.

4. Everyone is healthy, at least nothing major (just a runny nose/cold for Ash).

5. It is Saturday, so I don't feel rushed to get kids out the door to school.

6. I have a beautiful home to keep us warm/cool (depending on the season-today it is keeping us WARM), dry, and comfortable.

7. Quinn has job(s) and works VERY hard to provides for our family, so I can be home with our children.

Thank You Honey, for your sacrifice, diligence and tiresome, long hours!

8. The kids were happy, getting along and playing nicely (I should have typed this one first).

9. I feel somewhat caught up on tasks that were nagging at me at 6am, even though I slept in until 7:00. THAT sure felt good!

10. Conference is starting in about 15 minutes!

weekend plans

178th Semiannual General Conference

I am soo looking forward to a weekend

full of spirit, rejuvination and inspiration!

I DON'T know how much I am looking forward to the

weather that is in store for us??

I guess the weather does have to change sometime, right?!

I sure have been loving the 80's though!

hhmm???

Billboards linking milk to autism stir controversy

Is cow's milk linked to autism? Some new billboards tell Utahns it is.

But some health experts disagree and call the campaign a harmful exaggeration.
Two electronic billboards along Interstate 15 in Salt Lake County will show a bowl of cereal and milk with the slogan "Got autism?" The warning sign is being put up by PETA, the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

not so LITTLE anymore

This post is a little late, but that doesn't mean we love our Ashy Boy any less!

On the 26th he was officially 18 months.

We had a doctor's visit on Monday,

and can I just say how great our doctor is!!

(Karli and LeAnne also have him as a pediatrician)

He is so personable, easy going, informative, and loving to the children.

Here is some info. to document about out not soo little boy:

weight: 23 lbs=25th%

height:32 in=60th%

he is not as big percentile wise as his older siblings were at his age,

but he is healthy and growing and that is what matters!

His vocabulary is slowly growing and includes:

uh-oh, dad, hi, up, uh-uh (no), he tries Ame too

AND he signs several other words:

dog, eat, more, all done

Ash loves to blow kisses, play patty cake,

and point to his body parts.

HE definitely melts MY heart!

Fieldtrip

Yesterday, Ash and I joined Kaipo's Preschool Class on a walking fieldtrip to the firestation. This picture captures well, Kaipo's personality. Notice all the other kids well-behaved, nicely listening to the firemen talking, and then notice MY BOY. He chooses to what and when he wants to listen! And other times it is Kaipo's wide-open world of freedom (or so HE thinks). I thought maybe that mind-set was only at home, but I found out it obviously is not!

Oh this boy...good thing he's such a cutie and I LOVE him so much, otherwise????

Each of the kids got a turn to spray the hose.

Kaipo thought THAT was pretty cool!

And here's the whole group. Ms. Michelle actually teaches 3 different classes. They all combine for fieldtrips and she assigns a few parents to come. Others are welcome anytime to join, as well.
The firestation is right next to a park, so we all headed to there afterwards for snack and PLAY time! We were lucky to have sunny, nice weather. If it would have been the day before, it would have been cancelled, cuz Monday was rainy and cold here!

I am so glad I have the flexibility to join my kids in things like this!!

neighborhood FUN

This lady lives just down the street, and is soo sweet. All the neighborhood kids LOVE to run down to her house whenever they get the chance, cuz she always has treats or something fun going on. She, along with a few other kids (besides Ame), just had birthdays, so Vener invited everyone who wanted to come over, on MOnday Evening, for a little party. She got a pinata and sorbet treats for everyone! Every neighborhood needs an autie like this one, right!!! Ame hugging/wrestling with our next door neighbor Jackson.

He just turned 6, yesterday.
The kids intently waiting their turn.
SOrry for the LOUD commentation from me, on the video clip.
It's not all that exciting and I was holding Ash,
so the button got pushed and I didn't get Ame's turn.

We are so grateful for the incredible place with live, and for the amazing people we are surrounded by, both OLD and YOUNG and somewhere in between.

A Day of Parties

Today was the much anticipated Birthday Glamour Party!

Ame had these 4 friends, plus her 3 cousins, join her

to get glamorized. We went to a local beauty school and

they got their hair, nails (fingers & toes) and make-up done.

I think the expression on her face tells just how much fun she had.
the hair is done
next, the nails and make-up
they took a glamour polaroid for each of the girls
and put it in a cute frame for them to take
as a momentum
she definitely felt like a star!

and here's the whole group of beauties

(this is the polaroid she got in her card, so its a bad pic)

After getting all beautified, they girls came back to our

house for nachos and to open presents.

I LOVE this age for girls. They are really so easy to please!

Then we had a few hours to get ready for the next party,

with family. Regretably, I didn't get a lot of pics from this party.

Only present opening pics (I didn't think anyone wanted to see more of those)

Thanks to everyone who came, brought food and gifts.

We soo appreciate your generosity and tremendous love shown to Ame!

And here are pics of the cake, of course.

A HULA girl cake, for OUR Hula girl!

I loved watching Ame while we sang to her.

I can tell she is thinking so hard about what to wish for.

She takes that part very seriously!

She really believes in WISHES. You actually can see her pause,

after blowing for a sec, close her eyes to make a wish and

then finish blowing them all out.

Too bad she can't tell me

what she wished for! I sure am curious.

I LOVE you my precious girl!

Hope your 2nd day of celebration

was fun and memorable!

Sleepover...Memories

Savannah was coming to Ame's Glamour Party today,

so I thought why not let them have some extra time together

and invite her for a sleepover!

These two are great friends!!

Even though they don't see each other all the time,

they have a pretty close bond.

They have similar SILLY personalities
both have a CRAZY younger brother

and LOVE to play games

Savannah gave Ame one of these T-shirts for her birthday,

it says...

Brother 4 Sale, no offer too low!

We were so glad you could come and spent some extra time

with Ame. We hope you enjoyed it as much as her!

We need to be sure and get together more often,

so we can make many more special memories!

She can't be 6!

I can't believe our FIRST born is 6!

This was her bright and early, ready for school.

We opened her presents b4 school, since daddy would be gone when she got home.

This was her MOST favorite gift, by far.

*BABY ANNABELLE*

sort of like the baby alive, which she really wanted, but this one I think is much cuter.

Plus this one just makes crying, sucking, happy sounds. No peeing, or any of that extra stuff. WHich is what this mom was happier about.

Ame is a really good mommy with her, taking care of her all the time

(until she's ready to turn her off that is).

We had an afternoon ice cream party and sang to our girl.

Since mom is attempting to make a elaborate cake for the party this weekend, we decided to do a different treat ON her Bday. This is what Ame chose-chocolate dipped cones. They don't hold a candle so well, but long enough to sing and make a wish.
This was another gift that we bought for Ame, that she really wanted. Thought it would be a good idea, having 2 younger rough and tumble brothers! But after opeing the package and trying it out, we quickly found out it took horrible pictures. So back it is going!

So daddy went out and got this cute little one instead. Yes it will probably get broken a lot quicker, but it was WAY cheaper too. So if need be, Santa could bring a better one for Christmas.

And some friends turned us onto these. We are still trying to test it out and figure out how to PLAY with her. Ame named her Kiana, after herself. They definitely need adult help to read and learn how to use everything! But once WE get the hang of how to work it, AMe will be taking good care of her pet!

So all this was just part of all the birthday fun. More to come this weekend!

Ame is such a blessing in our family. We love her soo much and she is quite the girl!

SO much passion, spunk, beauty and inteliigence. What more could a mom and dad want from their beautiful princess!!

Next Best Thing?

Several times this summer, Ame asked to go to the Drive-in movies. Well every time she asked it wasn't a convenient weekend, or there was nothing "Kid-Friendly" playing. We looked once again this weekend (since it is the weekend b4 her birthday), but NO Kid Movies, so we decided to do the next best thing. Show a movie OUTSIDE our house. We put a mattress outside, and LOTS of blankets & pillows. When that sun went down boy it was COLD! One of our neighbors- Mercedi (she's 10 and Ame thinks she is the coolest) and her friend came over too. This was what the Hanamaikai Theatre looked like...

not quite theatre quality, but Ame LOVED it and thought it was SUCH a fun idea.

THAT is all that mattered!

Kaipo was enjoying the little party, but fell asleep at the

end of the 1st movie, so we took him to bed.

Ame made it almost through the 2nd movie (it was 11:00)!

And this theatre was much cheaper to enjoy!

9-11

Thanks Katie for the picture of our US flag.

I too remember this day quite well.

I was a teacher in Salt Lake City, 4th grade.

I heard what happened on the morning news,

while getting ready for work.

Then I had to go share a classroom with students,

and TRY to explain the little bit I knew.

We released all the students early to spend time with

their own families.

It truly was a historical day, and a day that changed

our nation forever!

May we all remember those lives who were lost,

and the families who were left mourning.

May we be a little more loving, caring and generous, today.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring!

Bye-Bye Baby #3

So this front baby tooth has been wiggly for weeks now, and for the past few days has pretty much been dangling by threads. BUT she wouldn't let anyone pull it. Finally tonight while eating dinner (or trying), Ame decided she was tired of being uncomfortable and ready for this thing to be out. SHE went to the bathroom and... SHE did it...pulled it right out, all by herself! She started yelling-

I think she was a scared that she had actually done it!

But once the fear wore off, she was quite proud of herself!!

And so were we...

I mean how many kids actually pull out their OWN teeth??

This little bag may look quite familiar to anyone in my family.

All of our jewelry from China came in these cute bags

(in various colors).

They make a great tooth bag!

HHHMMM...how much should or will

the tooth fairy leave for this one?

what a gift!

Quinn's mom, Frankie, got this hat for Kaipo on her recent trip to the Mid-West.

I don't know if it reminds me more of Davey Crockett,

or the bully in Christmas Story.

Kaipo calls it his racoon hat, and thinks it is pretty cool!

Oh what a kid!!

(he is actually watching a movie

and couldn't even take his eyes off it)

Early Signs of A Pro

This is SOO cute!

A few days ago, we observed Ash carrying around the Wii-tennis paddle.

As we watched him closer, we noticed he was grunting along with swinging the paddle. Like Father, Like Son!

Here's a little video clip of the kid in action!

(Ignore Kaipo loudly explaining what's going on, AND Quinn trying

to coach me on video tapping)

Starting Again

After a summer break, Ame is excited to start dance again! She is in a new class, with a new teacher.
The first class of each month, the parents can come visit the last 10 minutes.
Since last Monday was a Holiday, today was her first class, so we got a sneak peak
at some new things she is learning.
She's quite the ballerina!

Grandparents Day

Kaipo and Ame made these this week at school and wanted some special people to see them, especially for Grandparents Day (this Sunday).

We are retyping Kaipo's, because we know it will be impossible for the elderly to read (haha)

I miss you when we're not together

I'm growing up so fast

See how big I've gotten

Since you saw me last?

As I grow, I'll change a lot,

The years will fly right by.

You'll wonder how I grew so quick

So look upon this handprint

That's hanging on your wall. (or computer)

And memories will come back of me,

When I was very small.

We are very grateful for all our grandparents and are so thankful for the influence they have on our lives! We feel your abounding love for us, even when we are not together, and hold dear all the memories we've made with you and look forward to many, many more!

Ame sends her love and kisses

Kaipo shares some energy, with all his affection, as well

Ash has so much love for you too, and is blowing you a soft little kiss

A NEW IDEA

I took my sister Karli out to lunch yesterday for her birthday (belated) and we were talking about the life challenges we are facing and I started on the subject of my SWEET, ENERGETIC Kaipo. I have been struggling with discipline, finding balance and something that will help improve his behavior. Karli gave me an idea, that a friend of hers had used. So we headed to the $$ store this morning, filled this bucket with random, prizes, toys and treats. We are going to try something a little new and see how it goes. Several times a day we are going to stop and talk about how his behavior has been and if he has had to visit time-out. If he HAS NOT, then he gets to choose something from the bucket. I talked it up the whole way home and said we would check b4 lunch, dinner, and bed. Well... already I have realized I need to shorten my time-frames. Within 10 minutes of returning home and filling up the prize bucket, he was hiding behind the couch, cutting up pages from Ame's diary (partly Ame's fault for leaving her scissors right on her desk, asking to be used). I am making more and more adjustments as the day goes on. I think once he gets 1 prize, he will work harder for the next! We shall see.

But I am soooo open to any other creative ideas, as well!

Some things ABOUT my boys

A few days ago we were in the kitchen. I was fixing Ame's necklace that got broken at school and Kaipo was playing with the stools. I told him, stop doing that...you are going to hurt yourself. I think I say that at least 20 times a day (and luckily he never gets hurt). Well today was a different story. He had put his feet inside the barstool and lost his balance, pulling the stool down on himself, as he crashed to the ground. Usually after his many falls he is just up and no big deal, but not this time. He was crying, as well as stuck under the stool. As I reached down to pull the stool off him and help him up, I saw blood all over his chin. As I held him and look closer, he had cut his chin pretty good, as well as his gums under his front teeth. First thing we did was tried to stop the bleeding, and all I could think was please don't have to go the Emergency Room (QUinn was in the middle of teaching class and I knew I couldn't get ahold of him)! After a while I realized it wasn't as bad as it initially seemed, so we just put some neosporin and a bandade.

Thank goodness it wasn't a serious one! I just know my days of being blessed without seeing the emergency room, will not always be as they were today!!

But for now, I am feeling rather lucky and so glad you are OK, my Kaipo!

And this picture capture 2 things about our little guy, Ash.

One: you can't see all that well, but he (as well as the rest of us) has had a runny nose for a good week now. He is getting more teeth, so that may be it for him, but some of the us have had sore throats, head colds and all the fun that comes with the changing season! I am so looking forward to winter, for that very reason! hahaha
Two: this is what we hear from him, A LOT! Since he still isn't talking much, this is the expression that comes with the yelling and sqealing for anything and eveything he wants (or gets taken away). I try and try to reinforce using words all the time, we watch signing time just about everyday AND the kids and I reinforce signs for everything. We have made a little progress-he signs dog, more, all done, blows kisses, waves bye, says dad (not mom). It is so interesting how different each child develops and it soo hard NOT to compare.

No matter what...I LOVE his cuddles and the sweetness about my little boy!