November Fun

 

 We started out by making our annual trip to Primary Children's Hospital as an extended Yoho family.  For the past 3 years, my mother-in-law has rounded up tons of fleece that we have cut and tied in to blankets to donate.  I can't remember how many there were this year but you can tell from the picture it is a lot, plus there are bags full of them that you can't even see.  Primary is an amazing place and they have a very caring and professional staff. 

 This is our group that attended Time Out For Women.  It was actually in October, but hey, I was still thinking about it in November!  Amazing messages.  I took pages and pages of notes.  Sheri Dew, John Bytheway, Chris Williams, Jenny Oaks Baker, Our Best Bites, etc.  I left wanting to be a better person.

 Zoo

 My former 1st grade job share partner and I still keep in touch and we make it a point to get together every couple of months.  She was kind enough to let us mooch off her zoo pass, and we had a great time (we missed you, Victoria)!  Above are Alayna and Bryant.
Below: Wanted to remember this moment:  Becca would not stay on the carousel animal without crying and grabbing on to me to get off.  So I put her on with Alayna and she was as happy as can be.  Even better, Alayna was happy to share with Becca and thought it was fun to have a riding partner.

 Thanksgiving Festivities

 We spent Thanksgiving with the Klemas' at the Yoho cabin (I know, a little confusing).  We cooked the whole sha-bang up there, and it was delicious.  I made my first pumpkin pie (which was amazing, and I don't even really like pumpkin pie), chocolate pudding pie, potatoes, rolls, and corn (wo-hoo).  Above is Alayna making a Grandpa sandwich in the loft.

 Sweet Becca watching the fun

 Teeter totter fun

 Becca climbing the stairs at every possible opportunity (thank you baby gates!)

 Cousin time...these 2 girls are only about a year apart in age!

On Black Friday, we met up with Harvey cousins who were in town from California and Colorado.  We all took our kids to the Children's Treehouse Museum in Ogden.  Our kids had a blast and the adults loved the time to visit with each other. We also might have lost Becca 2 or 3 times in the maze of all the children's activities....that girl is super speedy on her feet!

Holy leaves!  Each year we get to tackle an outrageous amount of leaves on our lawn.  Gets especially interesting when you have exactly 1 hour of any daylight left after Jeff gets home (no, I cannot rake them by myself during the day with 3 kids at home and no fence in the front yard =))

Also in November:
*Alayna had her 1st primary program.  Her part was "I choose the right when I love my mom and dad."  The teachers had each child in her sunbeam class come up with how they could choose the right, and that was her answer.  We practiced and practiced and she did great.  She was especially entertaining to watch during the songs.  She knew them ALL.  She kept waving to Jeff and I even in the middle of the program.  The highlight was when the older girls came in front of the stand to do sign language to "I'll Walk With You."  Alayna tried desperately to follow the lady that was modeling the sign language for the girls.  Jeff and I about died from the cuteness and trying to contain the desire to burst out laughing.  She's so awesome.
*I had my 16 week checkup.  The appointment was uneventful and wonderful.  We're cruising right along.
*Jeff grew a full goatee in honor of Movember.  I'm sure it was nice to have an excuse.  November is over though, dear =)
*Over Thanksgiving, we discovered Becca was sprouting 2 upper molars and 1 lower (incisor?), making 9 teeth in that mouth.  ouch. 

Alayna Turned 4, and We Partied!

Well, it happened.  Alayna turned 4 years old.  That number has freaked me out for months because it just seems so...old!  We lived it up though!  We started out by planning a "friend" party.  We pretty much stuck to kids in her preschool class and neighbor kids, and boy did we have fun planning it!  We decided to do a Halloween theme and had all the kids wear their costumes.  I'm so glad it was a beautiful day because I was counting on having it outside!

Some of the guests playing in the "tower"

Becca the butterfly.  She was really more of an angel though, because she napped for almost the whole party!

Tinkerbell the birthday girl

Pumpkin bowling: probably the favorite game

Pumpkin Cookie decorating

Decorating mini-pumpkins

The cupcakes

Singing to the birthday girl

 

Chowing down on cupcakes and ice cream

Toilet paper mummies

Face painting

Fast Forward to party #2 the Sunday before her actual birthday.  We had Alayna's party at Grandma Yoho's house and carved pumpkins for Halloween.  She chose to have spaghetti and garlic bread for dinner.  Here is Alayna opening her presents:

Her wonderful castle cake made by Pam & Sam

Helping Dad carve her Tinkerbell pumpkin

Papa helping Shane

John and Lizzie

Kim and Krysten

The finished pumpkins that match their costumes!

What a great Dad

The Yoho cousins and their pumpkins

 

Fast Forward to party #3 on her actual birthday!  Mommy made her sausage breakfast casserole (by her request), and even let her eat on her new tray while watching cartoons.

We had preschool at our house that day.  Alayna chose chocolate chip muffins and juice for snack

Her preschool friends made her cards.  After preschool, we went to McDonald's for lunch.

That evening, Nana and Grandpa came up from St. George to celebrate.  When Dad got home, we had Hawaiian Haystacks for dinner and opened gifts.  Stacia gave her some pretty jewelry she made.

Grandpa helping her read her card

A princess bed tent from Nana and Grandpa.  They also gave you a Tinkerbell watch, a couple of movies, and a book where you can dress a doll with magnets!

A Dora Doll from Mom & Dad.  We also gave her a CTR butterfly necklace and a Tangled bedding set!

Nana and Grandpa let you pick out a cake.  Of course, you chose Tinkerbell!  It was perfect.

Happy Birthday, precious girl!  Your parties (especially the 1st one) sucked every ounce of energy I had and more, but you are SO worth it.  You deserved every second of birthday fun.

October Fun

 Fall is always so much fun for our family.  Football, the excitement of seasons changing and holidays coming up, and of course our girls' birthdays.  First, enjoy our family pictures taken by Stacia Klemas, up in Provo Canyon. 

 

My parents were in town for Halloween and took us to a pumpkin patch in Orem on Halloween Day.  

This girl can give the greatest glares....just look at those eyebrows!

 These cousins have so much fun together

 Everyone should have a sister in law that is a photographer....we get so many great pictures of our kids!

 Becca kept sticking her fingers through the fence of the chicken coup and this particular chicken kept watching like he was just waiting to peck her fingers!

 

Halloween finally came.  It is so fun to have children that just make holidays so much more fun.  She has been looking forward to trick or treating so much!  Here is the group that went (minus Jeff and I).  Becca was a butterfly and Alayna was Tinkerbell.  It was a great time.  For the first little while, Jeff stayed home and passed out candy, then my parents came to my house to pass out candy so Jeff and I could take our girls together.  That was nice because we usually have to divide and conquer!

 

 Trick or Treating buddies.  I love how Emily is almost as tall as Alayna in this picture, but she is 2 years younger.

 The Sunday before Halloween, we got together at Jeff's parents house to carve pumpkins.  We decided it would be fun to carve our girls Halloween costume on their pumpkin.  We found a template for Tinkerbell online and Jeff FREEHANDED the butterfly.  He did an amazing job on both, don't you think?

Other events in October:
*Preschool was at our house, taught by me, for October.  It was fun and nice that I won't have another turn till February =)
*My mother in law took us to Time Out For Women in downtown Salt Lake.  A great weekend with fantastic speakers, delicious food, and great company. 
*Alayna's birthday.  She'll get her own post, though =)