The Paulson Family

New Years Eve

2011-06-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Sometime last fall, Bret mentioned to Emily that when he was a kid, he used to love it when his family made home made root beer. Ever since then, Emily has been asking when we could make some. The trouble is, if you don't live in Utah, root beer extract is hard to come by. So, when we we at Nana's house, we went to the grocery store and bought a couple of bottles of root beer extract. We thought New Years Eve would be a perfect time to whip some up. The kids loved watching the dry ice and the bubbles, and thought the finished product was fabulous.

Happy New Year! Allison was at the multi stake New Years Eve dance (which, it turns out, was pretty lame, according to Allison), so she missed ringing in the new year with us. Happy 2011!!!

Christmas Morning

2011-06-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Emily's much wished for phone

Allison and her silhouette machine

Caroline and her baby doll crib. She has been asking for this for months!

Sydney didn't know what she wanted to ask Santa for, so she just asked him for a surprise. He brought her this hot pink electric Razor scooter. Fun, fun!

Note and treats for Santa and the reindeer

Caroline got a pink kitty pillow pet from Nana. This is another gift she has been wishing for since last summer.

Allison and Nana adding more detailed information to the very cute family calendar that Allison made for Nana.

Christmas wouldn't be complete without a couple of new dolls! Every year, Bret asks, "don't they already have dolls?"
Yes, they do, but that is SO beside the point!

After a long day including a visit to the Smiths and all of the Lee cousins at the Allred home, Caroline gave in and fell into a peaceful, comfortable sleep with the help of her new pillow pet. It was a successful and Merry Christmas, start to finish!

Christmas Eve

2011-06-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

This year was a unique and memorable Christmas Eve for our family. It was technically our year to be with the Paulson side for Christmas Eve, but Grandma and Grandpa were in Canada and Craig, Kristen and Nicole there visiting, and the Smiths had other family plans. The Chamberlain side of the family were at Nana's house, so we decided to go out to dinner and to see the lights at Temple Square. We enjoyed a delicious dinner at Market Street Grill, followed by a fun (but cold!) visit to Temple Square. After that, we went back to the Brooks house (they were in Idaho), read Luke 2 and had a little family devotional. Then, the girls opened their Christmas Eve pajamas and had a bath. When the Chamberlains left, we headed back to Nana's house and hurried to bed so Santa could come. It was truly a great evening!

The lights at Temple Square never disappoint! As we were walking toward the temple, Caroline exclaimed, "Look! It's a castle!" I explained that it was the temple, but it is as beautiful as a castle, and even more special. What little girl doesn't want to grow up and get married in a castle?

Caroline and the Baby Jesus

2011-06-25T16:13:00.000-07:00

One night in early December as I was folding laundry, I noticed Caroline with a baby doll and a dishcloth on her head. She was quietly talking to the baby. When I asked her if it was the baby Jesus, she sheepishly smiled and nodded her head, yes. I had to snap a couple of pictures of this precious little moment in time.

Emily's 11th Birthday Party

2011-06-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Allison made these jumbo cupcakes with marshmallow fondant letters. Yummy!

Dinner was tri-tip, chicken, and hot dogs with lots of chips, snacks and fruit. The plan was to eat outside, but it was a little chilly, so we ended up inside with a picnic on the floor.

It was a cold night after a rainy day; fortunately the pool was nice and warm!

Chocolate fondue

An unplanned activity of the night was playing with fire; one of the girls mentioned that you could pass your finger through the flame without getting burned, and everyone wanted to try it.

We finished off the evening with the movie "Up." Lots of fun, giggly girls make for a great party. Happy #11 Emily!

Mike Lee Election Night Party, take two

2011-01-18T17:39:00.000-08:00

O.K., so this party wasn't nearly as suspenseful or exciting as the one back in June, but this was the real deal, where my brother Michael officially became Senator-elect Lee. It was a fun night, and great to have so many family members there. The kids thoroughly enjoyed themselves, too!

Emily, Jacob, Isaac, Allison, Carter, Wyatt, Sydney

Tara, Sydney, Emily

Bret, Emily, Tom, Cole. Notice the cut in between Cole's eyebrows. Earlier in the day at the sign waving, Cole got a little to excited with the sign and dropped it on his face. Ouch.

Wyatt introduced Emily to a fun new game on the iPad, Cut the Rope.

Granato concedes, and Michael delivers his speech.

Allison's 14th Birthday!

2011-01-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

For Allison's birthday this year, she invited 18 of her closest, personal friends over for a fun little get-together. We started the evening at about 5:30 with a dinner of hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, and lots of other junk. From there, we took all the girls to the high school football game (Bret attended at chaperone/spy), and then back to our house for hot tubbing and birthday cake after the game. It was a fun night!

State Gymnastics 2010

2011-01-18T17:06:00.000-08:00

Our state gymanstics meet for the 2010 season was held in beautiful Bakersfield, California this year. We made a fun weekend out of it and the girls loved getting to stay in a hotel and go out to dinner with friends. Congrats on a great season, Emily and Sydney!

Emily and Bailey--these two have been together for every state meet since level 4

Some last minute encouragement from Coach Ronny

...and from Coach Lara

nice straddle jump!

going in to a back tuck

Dinner after the meet at The Original Roadhouse Grill. The girls had so much fun sitting and eating with their friends. They also loved shelling peanuts, although we had to go get Emily an inhaler after dinner, because she couldn't breathe...oh, well. She had fun, and she survived.

Kaylee and Ashley Brown with Sydney and Caroline

I don't think these girls ate many peanuts, but it sure was fun shelling them!

Lining up just before march-in

Ready for her floor routine

Running down toward the vault with a look of sheer determination!

Awards

Cookie helper

2011-01-18T16:49:00.000-08:00

What in the world am I going to do when I don't have my little helper in the kitchen? I just don't see how I can allow her to leave me to go to kindergarten next year. I think she will just have to stay four forever!

Halloween

2011-01-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

This year, we were very happy to get to go to Utah for Halloween! Michael's election was the Tuesday after Halloween, so we decided to make a long weekend of it and spend time with family. We had a great afternoon/evening with the Smiths and Nicole, and even got to see Craig for a few minutes.

Natalie bought some Halloween sugar cookies for the kids to decorate

Ellie and Caroline

Sydney was trying to help Ellie put her boots on (it was a rainy Halloween). I thought this was just so cute!

Natalie bought these matching doctor costumes for Emiily and Alyssa. And she only had to go to Wal-Mart five times to get the right sizes. Thanks, Natalie!

What a cute bunch of cousins!

Cheerleading

2011-01-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

This fall, Allison cheered for the Newbury Park Steelers football team. She had a lot of fun, learned cheers and stunts, and made some good friends. Each Saturday, her squad cheered for two football games.

halftime stunting

walking back from the end zone after a touchdown

Caroline loved to watch Allison cheer, and she spent a lot of time hanging on the fence to she could be right up next to the cheerleaders.

Emily's Level 6 Gymnastics

2011-01-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

Lining up for march-in: Hannah, Laura, Ari, Penny, Emily, Bailey. This was Emily's last meet before a broken toe took her out of competition for six weeks.

Getting ready for bars

checking scores with Andy

Posing for the camera and hamming it up for Coach Ronny during awards

Fourth place team award for the level 6 girls--way to go!

Sydney's First Gymnastics Meet

2011-01-12T14:11:00.000-08:00

Sydney's very first gymnastics meet was September 11, 2010 in Chatsworth, CA. She has been working so hard for about a year and a half to be ready to compete. Nana came out to stay for a few days, and we were so happy that she could go to both Sydney's and Emily's meets (no pictures from Emily's meet, sadly...someone--who shall remain nameless-- took the memory card out of the camera in between meets and didn't put it back. So, we had a useless camera at Emily's meet).

Sydney holding her handstand just before dismount

Sydney placed on bars on her very first meet!

We were sooo happy to have Nana there with us!

Wimmers

2011-01-12T14:05:00.000-08:00

Melissa and kids came up from San Diego for Labor Day weekend (Brett was in Utah for work/BYU game). As always, we had a fun, fun weekend!

Jacob and Emily making s'mores

Caroline and Sam

Easter egg hunt in September...why not?

iTouch games (Carter and Caroline)

Carter finally passed out on the couch!

Caroline's Earrings

2010-11-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

First Day of School

2010-11-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

If your brother ever runs for the U.S. Senate...

2010-07-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

...I would highly recommend going to his election night party. We weren't really sure what was going to happen at this little get-together, but it far exceeded our expectations. All of my siblings, most of their spouses, and several nieces and nephew were there, along with Sharon's family, Michael's campaign staff, and lots of Mike Lee supporters. We were all incredibly nervous for him! As soon as the results started coming in when the polls closed at 8:00, we moved over to the screen that displayed the results, and stayed there for the duration of the evening. It was so scary, yet exciting each time the board was updated; it was like the best, most exciting football game ever. My sisters and I were cheering and dancing and yelling all night long. My mom told us that we were embarrassing, and that we needed to calm down, but Michael said he loved it, and we should keep up the craziness. We ignored my mom and listened to Michael; it was his party, after all. At the end of the night, I had a sore throat and a headache from all the cheering, but it was well worth it. Final score: Bridgewater 48.46%, Lee 51.54%

Steve, Ryan and Bret checking stats and comparing data

Nicole stopped by after getting her hair cut. Thanks for coming, Nicole!

We Like Mike!

2010-07-03T15:53:00.000-07:00

Rather than heading back to California the day after we returned from the ranch, we decided to stay one more day to support my brother, Michael, in his campaign for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate. I got a text from my sister-in-law, Sharon, at 10:15 in the morning telling me that there would be people waving signs and news crews at the corner of 106th South and State Street in Sandy at 11:00. No one was dressed, but luckily I had showered, so I threw some clothes on and did some very quick ponytails, and we got there as quickly as we could. I am so glad we went; the kids had a blast waving signs with their cousins, and it was fun to see my brother in his element, and to see so many people supporting him.

Natalie was very happy to be there...

...but Sam, not so much. He was hot and thirsty and wanted to GO HOME!

Ranch 2010

2010-06-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Our annual week at the ranch has come, and (sadly) gone. As always, we had great fun, made wonderful memories, stayed up too late, and ate way too much. We were missing a few key players this year, which was a little sad. Michael and Sharon were hard on the campaign trail in the final week before the Republican primary, Jake was in Provo at the MTC, and Bret couldn't come at the last minute due to the launch of a new drug for Amgen. We missed them dearly, but somehow managed to have a great time anyway. Next year we will have three more missionaries, with Jordan leaving for Washington, D.C. in August, Alex off to Brazil in September, and Cole to a location yet to be determined.

Jordan brought these t-shirts and had each of the girls put their handprints on each shirt, and then she wrote each girl's name in puff paint. It's hard to believe that, other than Ashley and Chelsea, these are the only granddaughters! Looks like kind of a small crowd, compared to the boys.

Alexa, Caroline and Sam had a booming ice cream shop going on in the hot tub

THE LAKE

Emily and Luke at the lake

Eliza and Sydney

This group had been fishing at the lake for about three hours by the time I came down to take this picture. It's always amazing how long they stay entertained. Brett was a real trooper to supervise for so long!

Brett, Jacob, Carter, Annie, Tara, Danny, Sydney and Eliza

Caroline and Alexa

The kids love to go take a picnic lunch out on to the floating dock, or "island" as they call it

Emily and Caroline teamed up with Cole and Alex for a canoe ride

JUMPING ROCK

Everyone loaded up in the back of Ryan's truck to head down to jumping rock, which is a highlight of every trip to the ranch

A few of the crazy boys jumped off one side, swam to the other, and climbed up to jump off this much taller rock

This was Caroline's first year jumping into the river. Several people offered to jump with her, but she said no, she wanted to do it by herself. She didn't even hesitate, she just jumped right in. She is definitely our most daring child!

After the freezing river water at jumping rock, everyone wanted to defrost in the hot tub

Sydney, Annie and Tara at the craft table

Madeleine, Jordan, Allison

PINATA TIME!

The last night at the ranch is always bittersweet. It is sad to know that the party is almost over, but wonderful to have reconnected with so many family members. The memories and bonds we make during our time together are priceless, and will last a life time. Thanks, family, you are all the BEST!!!

African Market Place

2010-06-26T18:20:00.000-07:00

At the end of their study of Africa, the first graders have an African Marketplace day. They each bring 15 small items to sell (candy, toys, pencils, etc.), a towel to sit on, and ten pennies. Then, they take turns selling and buying from each other. It was a lot of fun!

Sidney and Sydney

Dance Recital

2010-06-26T18:17:00.000-07:00

Caroline performed two dances in the dance recital for the classes she attends with Allison each Saturday. Her tap dance was to "Itsy Bitsy Spider," and her ballet dance was to "L.O.V.E." She wasn't really sure about performing in front of people, and looked a little like a deer in the headlights at times (but a cute deer in

the headlights!)

Awards Assemblies

2010-06-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

At the final awards assembly of the year, Emily received the "Golden Rule" award, for always putting the needs and feelings of others ahead of her own. Great job, Emily, we are proud of you!

Emily's two friends, Myriam and Emma, also received awards at this assembly.

At the middle school awards assembly, Allison received awards for academic excellence in science and English. Keep up the great work, Allison!

Allison receiving her award from the principal, Dr. Sand.

Gold Dust or Bust

2010-06-26T18:02:00.000-07:00

The fourth grade play this year was "Gold Dust or Bust," a play about the California gold rush of the late 1800s. It was very cute and well done, as always. Emily was a "gold fever" dancer. She sang a song and did a dance about the people of the time who were crazy with gold fever.

Emma Jaggi and Emily

Emily and her AMAZING teacher, Mrs. Abraham.

It's sad to see years with teachers like his come to an end!

Open House

2010-06-26T17:55:00.000-07:00

Every year at the end of May, Sycamore Canyon hosts an Open House for parents and students. The students' work from the whole year is showcased here, and the teachers put a lot of effort into the weeks leading up to Open House to make their classrooms look really great. It is always so much fun to see everything, and the kids are so proud to show their families all the fun things they have been working on.

The first graders have spent about a month studying Africa. This is Sydney's painting of a camel.

African mask

monkey

Each student chose an African animal to research. They wrote a report on their animal, and make a shoe box diarama to share with the class. Sydney was so proud of her zebra!

fun science project...growing alfalfa and grass in paper cups

The fourth graders have been studying California in social studies this year. For their big end-of-year project, each student chose a California landmark to write a report on an make a model of. Emily's teacher, Mrs. Abraham, suggested that she do her report on the Los Angeles Temple. It was a fun project to work on, and we all learned a lot about the history and construction of the L.A. Temple. She made her model out of sugar cubes and royal icing--good thing it's not ant season yet, or they would be having a feast!

Sydney and her teacher, Mrs. Wright

Sydney outside room 33

"BUGZ" play!

2010-06-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

This year, as always, the first graders performed the play "Bugz." Sydney was a ladybug, just like Emily was three years ago. I love these plays, and they always make me a litte bit nostalgic, as I realize that another year is coming to an end, and my kids are growing up way too quickly! Sydney did a great job singing and dancing, and being a very cute ladybug!

Sydney's Birthday Party!

2010-06-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

Sydney's 7th birthday party was a big success! We started the evening off letting each girl making her own pizza, followed by swimming, making s'mores, cookie cake, and rounding out the night with a movie and popcorn. She had friends from school, gymnastics, and church. Even though the girls didn't all know each other, they were all very nice and played like they were all old friends!

One last night of spring break

2010-04-13T22:06:00.000-07:00

The kids liked the nice warm pool in St. George so well that when we got home, Bret thought it would be a good idea to heat our pool to 90 degrees. The kids loved it and stayed out swimming until almost 11:00 p.m. The blur that you see in the above picture is Caroline jumping from the rock into the pool.

Spring Break Week

2010-04-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

These two sure do love each other!

Sydney found a new favorite activity this trip: tennis. She went out and played with Bret any chance she got.

The pool was more than a little cloudy, but the kids didn't seem to mind!

You can take the gymanst out of the gym, but you can't take the gym out of the gymnast!

It was only about 60 degrees outside, but Caroline decided that her swim suit was the best outfit for the day.

I love St. George (among many other reasons) for the simple fact that it is perfectly acceptable to be in your pajamas, on the playground at 11:30 in the morning eating a popsicle. Get dressed when you want, eat when you want, and just have fun with your cousins!

Birthday cake

2010-04-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

Just in case the kids hadn't had enough sugar between the Easter baskets, cinnamon rolls, and dinner at Chuck-A-Rama, we ended the day with one more sugar dose in the form of birthday cake.

We sang "Happy Birthday" and let Sydney blow out the candles while Grandma and Grandpa were still on Skype. It was fun to be able to share that with them, but a little sad that they are so far away. Happy Birthday to Sydney and Grandpa!
Sydney chose this cake with an Easter Bunny and eggs on it, and we had the lady at the grocery store write "Happy Birthday Sydney" on it. Cute!

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-04-12T16:46:00.000-07:00

I love a good Easter egg hunt, and the common areas in Alborada are perfect for hiding and finding eggs. It was a little chilly by the time we had our hunt, but the kids didn't seem to mind at all.
Sydney and Caroline: best buddies

The birthday girl and her bucket

Emily and Alyssa don't seem to be in too much of a hurry!
Bret and Allison holding up the computer to Skype with Grandma and Grandpa in Canada, so they can see the kids finding eggs.

Luke, Sydney, Lance and Caroline

Sydney's birthday

2010-04-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

The big seven year old birthday girl with all her loot!

A Zhu Zhu Pet! Just what I wanted!!

Sydney is such a sweet, happy, loving little girl! She is so kind and thoughtful, and is the best big sister ever. I love her cheerful disposition and her sunny outlook on life. Happy Birthday, Sydney! We are so glad you are in our family!

Easter morning

2010-04-12T16:37:00.000-07:00

We made the kids wait to open Easter baskets until all the parents were awake and dressed. So, to kill time, Alyssa, Emily and Sydney helped wash and cut up the fruit for breakfast.
Emily and Alyssa on strawberry duty

Sydney on grape duty

The Easter Bunny must have known how much Ellie loves ring pops! What a nice girl to share with her mom!

Sydney was lucky enough to have her birthday on Easter this year, so these Easter basket treats were just a precursor to the birthday presents later in the day!

Easter Eggs!

2010-04-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

For the third year in a row, we spend Easter weekend and spring break in St. George with the Smiths. As always, it was a fun, relaxing weekend. I just love St. George, and especially love being there with family. The kids had a great time coloring Easter eggs on Saturday afternoon. We boiled and dyed four dozen eggs, and the kids got very creative and had definite ideas about how they wanted to dye their eggs.

Sydney and Caroline. . .through Allison's eyes

2010-04-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

Allison frequently takes my camera and practices her photography skills. I will often find pictures that I didn't take when I look through past photos. These are some cute shots of Sydney and Caroline in the backyard on Sunday afternoon.

Caroline's birthday party

2010-04-12T16:25:00.000-07:00

Right after ballet, I took Caroline's ballet playgroup buddies for a party at Chuck-E-Cheese's. The girls had pizza, soda, cupcakes, and cups and cups of tokens. Caroline thought she was the luckiest girl in the world!

Birthday ballet

2010-04-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

Caroline has a ballet class every Wednesday at our community center. I have been meaning to bring a camera and take pictures ever since she started last September, and finally on her birthday, I managed to make it there with my camera.

The "soup dance"--the girls dance around while holding up their "soup" without spilling it.

Caroline had something very important to share with her best friend, Eliza. I only wish I had a zoom that would let me hear what she was saying!

Eliza, Caroline and Ashlyn

I love watching Caroline at ballet. I love being the mom (finally) who is just there with one child, and not chasing after another one, telling the younger one to be quiet, or taking them out it the hall, counting the minutes until the class is over. Watching this class was a little bittersweet, though, as I realized, once again, that my baby is growing up way too fast, and there is nothing I can do to stop it. When I tell her that she needs to go back to being three, she laughs and tells me, "No, I'm four, and on my next birthday, I'll be five!" I then tell her, "No, you can't turn five," and she just laughs and laughs like it's the funniest thing ever.

While I was out. . .

2010-04-12T16:12:00.000-07:00

The girls had a fun "sister weekend" of their own while I was in Arizona with my mom and sisters. Allison was a great help with meals and getting Sydney and Caroline ready in the morning, and Bret was able to work from home, so I didn't really have to call in many favors from neighbors this time.

Bret took the girls to the fabric store, and Allison headed up this blanket making project one afternoon while I was gone. They surprised me with it as a "welcome home" gift. I think it turned out cute--I'm impressed!

After watching a few hundred episodes of Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes, the girls decided to try their hand at frosting a cake with fondant. Allison found a recipe online, and they all decorated the cake together. It tasted good, but I'm not sure if they're ready for Charm City Cakes just yet!

Pancakes for dinner and cookies for dessert--one of the great things about Mom being out of town! And, no broccoli all weekend!

Presidents Day Weekend

2010-04-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

We love Presidents Day weekend, because it has included a visit from the Wimmers for the past three years. The kids have so much fun together! We spent one afternoon at a park in the area that has a great playground and a fun little stream that the kids can wade in. I forgot my camera, but luckily, Allison's phone has a good camera on it, so she took some cute shots of the kids. Thanks, Allison!

Swim Meet

2010-04-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

Allison started up with swim team again this January. These pictures are from her first meet, which was hosted by our YMCA. She did great at the meet, and is really improving on all of her strokes. Way to go, Allison!

Victory Team Pictures/Party

2010-04-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

At the end of January, Sydney and Emily had gymnastics team pictures followed by a fun party at the gym with pizza, games, and lots of treats. The kids all had so much fun playing and having free time at the gym. It was a nice chance for the girls to get together and have fun, after all the hard work they put in each week.

Sydney and Kaylee

Ice Skating

2010-04-12T08:41:00.000-07:00

The last day we were in Utah, Nana took the remaining cousins (us, the Wimmers, and the Brooks) ice skating. This was a first for all of the kids except for Allison, and they loved it! Near the end of the session, Melissa asked her kids if they wanted to keep skating, or if they wanted to get something to eat at the snack bar. Carter quickly responded, "Keep skating! We can eat any time, but this is the only time I've ever been skating!"
Skating was more of a spectator activity for this group: Sydney, Natalie, Caroline and Mason.

Sydney, Nana and Alexa at the snack bar

Christmas morning

2010-01-03T22:20:00.001-08:00

Just what I wanted!!! Sydney with her DSi, Emily with her iTouch, Allison with Pottery Barn gift cards to re-do her bedroom, and Caroline with her Bitty Baby.

Annie, Sydney and Carter

Opening stockings

Sydney and Natalie

One quick family photo before the frenzy begins

Heading up the stairs to see what Santa left

Finally! Caroline had been wishing for this Bitty Baby and stroller for months, and asked Santa to bring it to her every chance she got. She was a pretty happy girl when she found just what she wanted waiting for her!

Caroline brought reindeer food all the way from California for Rudolph and his pals. It looks like they enjoyed it!

Natalie was quite a hot commodity this Christmas! There was hardly a moment when there wasn't a line of kids wanting to hold her.

Sydney was much more interested in the letter Santa left than the present he gave her. Everyone else rushed to open their gifts, but Sydney went straight to the tray where they left goodies to see if Santa had enjoyed his snacks, and if he had left them a note in return.

Caroline is quite a pro at applying lipstick (another favorite gift this year; a close second to the Bitty Baby. It's strange, though, that the lipstick didn't make it home. Was it accidentally thrown away?)

Christmas Eve at Nana's

2010-01-03T22:02:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve at my mom's is always full of kids, chaos, and love. This year was no exception. We had every member of the family present, which is quite a feat in itself. We had a delicious dinner followed by a short talent program and our traditional nativity pageant.

Sydney was a little disappointed that it wasn't her turn to be Mary this year, until she realized she could be the donkey. Even better!

Caroline and Alexa--how angelic!

Dinner at the teenage table

The moms doing what we do best--salad prep

Cole is feeling very victorious about something here.

Christmas with the Paulsons/Smiths

2010-01-03T21:43:00.000-08:00

We went to Bret's parents house the Sunday before Christmas to have our Christmas celebration with the Paulson side of the family. We enjoyed a delicious meal, great company, and the kids had fun giving and receiving gifts. We even had our traditional bell choir, thanks to Natalie's purchase of bells! It was great to be there and see everyone, but it was a little bittersweet without Sid and Judy. I hope those missionaries appreciate the blessing they have in President and Sister Paulson!

This scene just isn't complete without Grandpa plugging his ears. . .

Dance Recital

2010-01-03T21:34:00.001-08:00

Caroline danced beatifully at her first ballet recital. She has been looking forward to this for weeks, and it was so much fun to watch her perform. Allison was there also, helping with costumes and helping the girls remember their dances, since she is the assistant teacher for three of the classes that performed. It was a great evening!

Can that really be comfortable?

2010-01-03T21:30:00.001-08:00

Sydney and Caroline insisted they weren't tired, and wanted to watch just one more TV show. I was busy, so I let them, only to find them passed out fifteen minutes later. I'm not sure how they fell asleep like that, but they didn't seem to mind the odd positions they were in.

Top Ramenbuster

2010-01-03T21:26:00.001-08:00

If one were to spill Top Ramen all over the floor, what would be the most logical cleaning tool for cleaning up the mess? The dustbuster, of course. I was in the laundry room when I heard the splat, and then a very reassuring sounding Caroline telling me, "I will clean it up!" Luckily, I got there in time to stop her from making an even worse mess.

Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-03T21:22:00.000-08:00

The gingerbread houses weren't quite the same with Grandma far away in Canada this year, but the girls wanted to make them anyway. It was a fun Sunday evening afternoon, and they all worked together to make them beautiful!

Thanksgiving '09

2009-11-30T14:02:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a very fun Thanksgiving weekend in St. George with Shane, Natalie and their kids. The kids had fun just hanging out, as they always do. Alyssa had a soccer tournament, and we were able to go to a couple of her games. We also took the girls for pedicures, and capped off the weekdend by watching the BYU/Utah game. Go Cougars!!! Unfortunately, these pictures of the kids in the Cracker Barrel parking lot after Thanksgiving dinner were the only ones I managed to take the entire time.

We had told the kids that we would go to Chuck-a-Rama for Thanksgiving dinner. However, when we pulled up and saw the line of people going clear out in the parking lot, we decided that we didn't want to wait for two hours only to have to battle the crowds again once we got inside. The kids were sorely disappointed that they didn't get to eat at their favorite restaurant in the entire world, but it just wasn't worth it.

Caroline and Lance are great little buddies. They are almost a year and a half apart, but they love to play together, and they have the funniest conversations. I love listening to them.

Emily turns 10

2009-11-30T13:57:00.001-08:00

Although Emiy couldn't think of anything she wanted for her birthday, and couldn't decide what she wanted to do for a party (she ended up not having one, opted instead to go shopping at the mall and out to dinner with me and Bret), she knew several months ago that she wanted a red velvet cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes for her birthday cake. It was delicious. Great choice, Emily!

One of the benefits of having a Saturday birthday is being able to stay in your pajamas until well in to the afternoon.

Gymnastics Season

2009-11-30T13:43:00.000-08:00

I have been very delinquent at updating my blog lately, so here are some highlights of the 2009 level 5 competition season. Above, Emily and Bailey at the Level 5 State Championships.

Awards ceremony, State Championships

Bailey, Michelle and Emily just before the State meet.

Penny, Laura, Ashley, Emily, Morgan, Hannah, Michelle (behind) and Bailey, at the Sectionals meet. Shortly after this picture was taken, someone spotted Adam Sandler a few rows over from where we were sitting. Emily and Bailey were finished competing (we stayed to watch they older girls) so they casually wandered over to the leotards, where he was with his daughter. Incidentally, the girls were very envious that he bought five or six leotards for his three year old daughter, and neither of them even got one! Sorry, girls, you should have been Adam Sandler's daughter, I guess.

Warming up before the third preliminary meet in Long Beach

Can you stay three years old forever?

2009-11-30T13:35:00.000-08:00

This is the question I ask Caroline frequently. I just love this age, and this little girl. She constantly makes me laugh, and keeps me company on my many errands. I am already mourning the day that she goes to kindergarten, and even worse, first grade. This is her favorite position: chin in hand, on the couch watching T.V. while I fold laundry, do dishes, etc. Even when she isn't saying anything, I love looking over and seeing her sitting there, entranced in whatever it is she is watching. So, if anyone knows of a way to keep my baby from growing up, please let me know!

Disneyland with the Smiths

2009-11-30T13:28:00.000-08:00

Alyssa's dance school was performing at Disneyland the first weekend in November, and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet them there. As always, it was great to spend time with family. We had a great time!

The Smiths stayed at a hotel on Disney property, which had this little room with old Disney cartoons playing. It was about 10:30 p.m. by the time we got back to the hotel, but the kids got a second wind. They loved the little chairs, the cartoons, and spending just a little more time with their cousins before we had to leave.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-30T13:21:00.000-08:00

This year we had a bumblebee, a vampira, a glitter witch (who, by the way, had to be bribed to wear her costume for the second year in a row--it still fit her, and I think it is so cute!) and a jailbird.

No one else was willing to stick around to have an individual picture taken. . .places to go, people to meet.

Lost tooth...FINALLY!

2009-11-30T13:11:00.000-08:00

I finally reached a breaking point and gave Sydney an ulitmatum: either let me pull that tooth (that was hanging by a thread and that she refused to brush or touch in any way), or we were going to the dentist. I happen to think two missing front teeth is kind of a cute look, but one missing front tooth, not so much. It all began in August when she ran in to Alyssa's goggles in the pool in St. George and knocked out a tooth that wasn't very loose. Since then, I have been trying to encourage her to wiggle the other one and get it out. But, since that wasn't going to happen, we took a very traumatic (and dramatic) trip to the dentist, and alas, the tooth is gone. Hallelujah!

She looks so pleasant and hapypy here; you wouldn't believe the scene she made at the dentist's office. When it was all said and done, she admitted that having it pulled didn't even hurt (all the cying and screaming took place before the actual extraction).

Disney Cousin Day

2009-10-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

We spend a wonderful, although slightly wet, day at Disneyland with the Jacobsons, the Wimmers, and Ashley and Eli. The Jacobsons came from Arizona for their fall break, and we couldn't resist the opportunity to spend some time with cousins. The weather was cool, and we only had a couple of light showers, but the forecast (which called for lots of rain) helped to keep the crowds down. I love this picture; I just love every one of these kids so much, and it makes me so, so happy to watch them having fun together.

Luke and Emily took a break from California Screamin' to go on the carousel

These two are quite a pair. I love to listen to them talk to each other. They played on this railing for about fifteen minutes, while the moms sat on a bench eating m&m's. I wish I could have heard what they were saying to each other, but if I had gotten close enough to hear, they would have stopped talking, I'm sure. And, I didn't want to get off the bench and walk over there, anyway. I was much too comfortable, and peanut butter m&m's are quite addictive.

We brought two strollers--one for Caroline, and one to carry our stuff. Sydney and Carter took turns pushing each other in the extra stroller.

Here is another adorable pair of cousins. Sydney and Annie had so much fun together, as always. Wendy commented that it didn't really matter where they were, they would have been just as happy if we had taken them to the dollar spot at Target, as long as they could talk and giggle together.

Allison is 13!!!

2009-10-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

This year, Allison's birthday fell on a Friday, which worked out well for the party she planned. She decided that she wanted to go to the mall and have a photo scavenger hunt, followed by dinner at the Lazy Dog Cafe. Allison came up with an extensive list of things that the girls (divided in to two teams of nine girls) had to find in the mall, take a picture of, and return to the restaraunt no later than 6:30. The first team there, with the most items checked off their list, won. It was a great night. Happy Birthday, Allison! We love you!!!

Allison's friends were so nice to Sydney and Caroline; playing with them and talking to them before and after dinner (Sydney thought she should be allowed to sit at the tables with Allison and her friends, but Allison had other feelings about that idea. . .since she was the birthday girl, Allison won that argument).

Below, a few of the items on the scavenger hunt list:

red high heel shoes

a bald man

someone who works at the mall doing their job

a blue hat

a ripped denim skirt

a horizontal striped shirt. . .and many, many more (too many pictures to include here!)

Sydney had a complete meltdown when we told her she couldn't sit with the big girls. It took quite a bit to calm her down, but by the time her "make your own pizza" arrived for assembly, she had at least calmed down enough to stop crying.

Fortunately, mommy and daddy are still high enough on Caroline's social ladder that she thought it was perfectly lovely to get to sit with us for dinner.

Gymnastics Banquet

2009-09-09T11:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we attended the annual Victory Gymanstics team awards banquet. It was held at Spanish Hills Country Club, which was a beautiful setting. It was a very nice afternoon, with good food, good company, and nice things were said about each and every team member. The head coaches, Andy and Michelle, did a great job of recognizing each girl for her individual strengths (and/or quirks!). When we first got there, Bret bought two raffle tickets each for Emily and Sydney. To make the day even better, Sydney won 50 dollars in the raffle held at the end of the program! Emily, however, didn't think it was particularly fair that Sydney got so much money when she didn't get any. She was quick to point out that if she had won, she would have split the money with Sydney. She told me this in all seriousness. Sure you would, Emily.

Sydney got the "Smiley Face" award, with a giant smiley face pen. Andy said that no matter what he tells Sydney, whether he is telling her she did particularly well on something, or he is telling her to go climb the rope or do push-ups, she always smiles and says, "o.k.!"

Emily got a giant comb, and the award for "Polite, Pretty & Perfect Hair." Michelle commented that Emily always comes in early to work on bars, and that she is always very polite when she goes to find Andy or Michelle to ask if they will "please tape my hands." She also commented that her toes are always pointed, and her hair is always in place.

Sydney and her friend Kaylee

Emily with some of her teammates: Taylor, Bailey, Riley, Penny, Ashley, Emily

Preschool

2009-09-04T09:46:00.001-07:00

I knew the day would come, but it is hard to believe that my baby is starting preschool. Caroline was so excited for this day to finally come, and was even more thrilled to have both parents take her to school. Bret was in town (imagine that!) and he was able to go in to the office a little late. Caroline couldn't believe her good fortune, and kept telling me all day, "My daddy took me to school!" What am I, chopped liver?

putting her belongings in her cubby

a bit of a nervous smile. . .

Caroline found her friends, Chelsea and Ashlynn very quickly

. . .and by the time Ms. Pat showed her where the play food was, she no longer had any time for me!

First Day of School!

2009-08-30T09:31:00.000-07:00

This is another milestone year, with three out of four kids in school all day.

Emily really lucked out this year. Not only did she get the best fourth grade teacher in the school, Mrs. Abraham, she ended up with both Emma and Myriam (girls from our ward) in her class. Maybe most exciting of all, though, is the fact that for the first time since preschool, she is the ONLY Emily in her class. Finally, she can just be "Emily," and not "Emily P."

This one pulled on my heartstrings a little. First grade is such a big step in to the big world. Not only are they gone all day, eat lunch at school, but they are thrown in the playground with the big kids. The sheltered life of kindergarten is over! Fortunately, Sydney has Mrs. Wright, a wonderful, loving teacher to help her (and me!) with the transition. It's funny that I was far less sentimental with the older two starting both kindergarten and first grade. I think it is just hitting me that my days with little ones around are numbered. What will I do when there is no one around during the day asking for their 17th sippy cup of milk and watching an episode of Curious George that I have seen at least 30 times?

Sydney sitting at her very first desk, next to Siddhi, who was in her class last year. Out of 20 kids in the class, their is a Sydney, a Sidney, and a Siddhi. Emily may not have to be Emily P. this year, but I guess Sydney will be Sydney P.

Summer's End

2009-08-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

We headed to St. George and met the Smiths for one last party the week before school started. The kids swam, watched more than enough TV, ate popsicles as fast as we could buy them, and climbed down window wells to catch lizards by the dozens. Everyone had fun, and it was a great way to end the summer!

Sydney, Lance, Luke & Caroline waiting for their icees

Pizza Factory never gets old--even two nights in a row

Emily and Alyssa were so happy to have their very own table

The whole crew in the pool

One of the many lizards. . .

A new pastime this trip: making "paint" out of water and crushed red rocks. These two would have made good cave painters!

Caroline has a lizard in her hand--notice the goofy smile. There was a bit of a lizard fiasco when one got loose in the house. It jumped out of the bucket, and no one could catch it. When the kids went to bed that night, they were all a little freaked out that they would wake up with a lizard in their bed. That didn't happen, and the kids did find it the next morning, under a big chair. However, Luke went to lift up the chair to get it out, the lizard darted out at the same moment he dropped the chair. It was a gruesome scene, with eyes and tongue popping out when the chair landed on it. New rule: no lizards in the house.

San Diego Weekend

2009-07-23T21:35:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we took a quick trip down to San Diego for some fun cousin time with the Wimmers. As usual, our time with them was too short, but the time we had was definitely quality time. On Saturday, the kids decided that the beach sounded like more fun than Sea World, and in light of the heat, Melissa and I had to agree with them. It was filled with boogie boarding, swimming, shell hunting, and sand castle building. Top that off with a giant bag of Cheetos and Chewy Chips Ahoy cookies, and what more could you ask for? As an added bonus, we made it home with all seven of the children we came with!

Sam and Caroline were both being camera shy, so I had to be sneaky about the pictures I took of them.

These three took a break from boogie boarding and decided to bury their feet.

Go Sydney! This beach excursion will always be remembered as the one in which Sydney and Emily were converted to the ocean. Up to this point, Emily throws a fit whenever we go to the beach. She says she HATES the beach, she will not get anywhere near the water, and usually sulks under the umbrella most of the time. Sydney likes the beach, but prefers to stay a safe distance from the water, while collecting shells or digging in the sand. I was shocked, to say the least, when they both picked up boogie boards and followed Jacob out into the ocean. Emily was out there for quite some time before she came back to shore with a huge smile. She immediately said, "That was awesome! Can we go to ward beach day next week?"

Jacob, Carter, Emily and Sydney heading out to catch some waves.

Notice the goofy smiles on Sydney and Carter. They have their mouths full of sandwiches, since we told them they had to eat their lunch before they could start on all the junk we brought along.

One more shot of Sam and Caroline, taken on the sly. I felt like I was the paparazzi, following these two and trying to get a picture before they noticed me and ran away.

Fun on the Fourth

2009-07-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a neighborhood children's parade on the Fourth of July. This was the first year we have been in town for this event, and it was fun to see the community come out and celebrate together.

Emily and Sydney, ready to go! They were a little annoyed with the whole parade by the end, however. There were so many people and it moved so slowly that they ended up having to walk their bikes.

Sydney is always so good to Caroline!

Ranch '09

2009-07-11T12:00:00.001-07:00

Every summer, my six siblings and I, our spouses, and a grand total of thirty grandchildren, two grandsons-in-law, and one great grandson, pack up and make the seven hour journey from Salt Lake to Atlanta, Idaho to spend several days at the Pinnacle Peaks Sawtooth Lodge. It is a highlight of everyones year; a great time to catch up with family members, relax, and just have fun. I cherish these days so much, and I am so grateful that there is a place that we can all be together. I think I appreciate it even more since we live away from the bulk of the family. This concentrated time allows my kids to really get to know their aunts, uncles, and cousins, and they have made memories that will last a lifetime. As my brother Tom said while playing with Caroline, "This is why we come to the ranch; because now Caroline knows who I am." I couldn't agree more. These family ties and associations are priceless.

In the Kitchen

Since there is no place to purchase food in Atlanta, we have to bring everything with us that we will need for the week. We generally bring whatever our family will eat for breakfast and lunch, and then we each have one dinner assignment. In this picture, Jordan, Christie and I are helping Diana and her girls with their meal. Although this kitchen is incredibly hot and stuffy, it is a fun time to hang out together. Is this how polygamists feel at dinner time?

Jumping Rock

Emily and Brett Wimmer taking a tandem jump.

Sydney had no interest in jumping, but she loves to go along to watch the jumpers and look for cool rocks.

Emily is ready to take flight!

Down Time

Craft time! Eliza, Alexa & Sydney

Allison loves to play cards. Luckily for her, there is never a shortage of cousins to play with at the ranch!

A little late night back-walking therapy. Eliza, Emily, Sydney, Madeleine, Jordan, Allison

Lee Family Olympics

Although we have been coming to the ranch since 2003, this is only the second time that the Lee Family Olympics made it in to the list of festivities. Tom and Michael put the Olympics together the first year we came, and there were some not-so-friendly competition and some unhappy people at the end of the games. But, we decided that people had matured, and maybe we should give the Olympics another shot. Tom organized the events, and had James, John and Ben (team captains) choose their teams. Their were six events: 1) a "skant" (skit/chant to introduce each team to the judges) 2) relay races 3) "fear factor" 4)human pyramids 5) race across the stream and 6) The Great Race. The winning team for each event was awarded five points, second place got four points, and third place got three. Whichever team accumulated the most points at the end of the games would be the winner.

John's team/aka the Uncircumcised Serpents. Sam (not actually a member of this team, but here for the photo op), Danny, Carter, Sydney, Caroline, John, Luke, and Wyatt

Ben's team/aka The Bickering Beavers. Annie, Mitchel, Tara, Madeleine, Emily, Jacob, Ben, Sam

James' team/aka The Mountain Meadow Boys. Allison, Collin, Josh, Isaac, James, Alexa, Eliza

I am pretty sure James had been writing the script for his skant for the past several years. He knew exactly what each person should do and say, and had the whole thing choreographed. James, Eliza, and Alexa took the prize for over the top theatrics.

It appears that Eliza has killed her brother.

Fear Factor: Tom made a lovely plate of delicacies for each team to consume. It didn't matter who ate what, but the first team to eat everything won. Each team had four items on their plate: a shake made of green olives, leftover pork in bbq sauce, prune juice, and mustard (Ben managed to down the shake, then promptly threw up); a cookie topped with pickle, mustard, and red pepper flakes; a dorito topped with marshmallow cream, mustard and hot sauce; and a quarter of a lemon.

Sydney ate the cookie/pickle/mustard/pepper flake creation. You may not be able to fully appreciate the expression on her face, but she is teetering on the brink of vomiting. Sydney is one of the pickiest eaters I have ever met, and I was shocked she agreed to be a part of this, since only four team members had to participate. This was truly a demonstration of team spirit!

Annie and Sydney in the lime and spoon race (not quite as messy as the egg and spoon)

Emily and Jacob doing the wheelbarrow race. A side note: when we were planning the events and someone suggested a wheelbarrow race, Kim said, "Do we have enough wheelbarrows for that?" Kim, you are the best!

The Pyramid: Simple enough rules, but this one got ugly. Each team had to design a human pyramid with six of their team members. The team who held the pyramid the longest was the winning team. The ugly part came as the kids and the pyramids deteriorated and the minutes ticked by. We happen to have some very competitive kids, who refuse to give up in spite of pain. Turns out there are also a few competitive parents among us. . .

As you can see, Emily was an integral part of her team's pyramid.

. . .as was Sam to his team.

Near the end, we had the base kids use only one arm, in hopes of ending this thing. Unfortunately, they hung on.

The Bickering Beavers ended up winning this one, although I still maintain they had unfair advantage due to their spot in the shade. Or, maybe they should get extra points for being the only team smart enough to choose a shady location.

In this event, the team members had to hold hands with each other, run across the stream, turn around, and run back to the starting line. Surprisingly, there was only one twisted ankle while crossing the stream.

Taking a little rest from the events with Nana: Sydney, Caroline, Eliza, Annie, Tara

Sydney hitches a ride with Steve to the pond for the final event of the Olympics.

The Great Race: Each team chose two swimmers and two runners for this event. The first swimmer was to swim out to the dock, the second one would swim back, then the first runner was to run from the lake to the house, and the final runner was to run back to the lake.

Allison took a commanding lead in the first leg of the relay (she is to the left of the other two), giving her team the edge they need to seal the victory for Great Race, and the Olympics as a whole!

Sydney and Ashley hanging out on the dock

James and Allison, victorious after their final event

I can't get enough of the beautiful scenery. Wherever you go, breathtaking views are there to greet you!

Caroline and Bret on the walking back from the pond. Pull up your pants, Caroline!

Fun at the pool

Tara, Annie, Sydney, Alexa and Caroline were entertained for quite a while by jumping in to a tube that Tom was holding.

Britten and Chelsea entertained Tara, Annie and Sydney by spinning them around in the tube as fast as they could until someone fell off.

Caroline, Sam and Alexa were in a pretend world for about an hour at the pool. They had "babies" that were deflated beach balls, and they took turns taking care of them. In this picture, Caroline is washing Alexa's hair, and will soon send her in to the hot tub to rinse (She already washed Sam's hair).

Fishing

Sydney, Bret, and a German Brown trout. Sydney loved fishing with Bret this year. This pond is a great place for kids to fish, because there is a pretty good chance of catching a fish on every cast.

Setting Apart

2009-07-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

We were so glad that we were all able to attend Sid and Judy's setting apart in President Packer's office. It was a wonderful experience and a great opportunity for us as well as our children. They may not fully appreciate the significance of meeing and shaking the hand of an apostle right now, but I think someday they will.

President Packer and Elder Renlund were so warm and friendly with the kids

All the grandkids (minus Ellie--napping, maybe?)

After church on Father's Day. All of the kids and grandkids attended Sid and Judy's ward for one last time. It was fun to have everyone together!

Cousin Time!

2009-07-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

We headed out for Utah the week after school ended. The timing worked out perfectly for us to have some time with the Bret's side of the family before we left for the ranch in Idaho for the Lee family extravaganza. Natalie and I took the kids swimming at Willow Creek on the first sunny day Salt Lake had seen since summer began. The kids all had a great time swimming and playing together, in addition to running up Grandpa's tab at the snack bar.

Caroline, Allison, Sydney, Luke and Lance. That sure is a cute suit, Allison. Maybe you should wear it more than once!

Alyssa and Emily doing what they do best--being silly and laughing!

Lance and Caroline watching a movie in Grandma's crib

I came home from running one morning to find Luke flat-ironing Sydney's hair. He actually did a pretty good job. Hmmm, maybe a future as a hairdresser?

End of the Year Party

2009-07-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

On the morning of the last day of school, Allison decided that a party was in order to celebrate the fact that she and her friends had survived the first year of middle school. She quickly made some invitations and took them with her to school, and I assumed no one would be able to come on such short notice. Silly me! I quickly got snacks, drinks, makings for s'mores, ordered some pizza, and PRESTO! We had a party! The girls stayed in the backyard, swimming and giggling and screaming until about 11:30. It turned into a evening, with very minimal effort.

Bonfire and ceremonial burning of Allison's English workbook

Another School Year Ends!

2009-06-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

I often wonder what the point is of the last week of school, other than for the kids to have fun and the parents to spend their time watching the kids have fun. This week has been filled with many festivities taking place at Sycamore Canyon School, and I was fortunate enough to be there to enjoy many of them. . .

Awards Assembly

At the final awards assembly of the year, Emily was presented with the Character Key for "Integrity." Every month throughout the year, the kids learn about a different character key, and what it means to have these different traits (such as honesty, kindness, trustworthiness, etc.). At the end of the month, each teacher chooses the child in his or her class who best exemplifies that character trait. The final Character Key was Integrity, and all of the teachers stressed what an important one this was, because it really encompasses all of the others. Emily's teacher, Mrs. Huber, said of her, "This young lady has the quality of having a sense of honesty and truthfulness. She has a consistency in her values, principles and action, and sets and achieves her own goals." That's some pretty high praise to live up to. Keep it up, Emily!

Third Grade Field Day

First station--Popcorn Relay (where I would spend the next three hours while Mrs. Huber's class rotated)

Three legged race

Green and yellow Big Stick popsicles for snack. I had never seen this color of Big Sticks before, but apparently there were some red dye allergies that precluded the use of the regular red popsicles. What is this world coming to??

The Big Kahuna Ice Cream Party

At the end of the year, the third graders have an all-you-can-eat ice cream party for all of the kids who passed "The Big Kahuna," which is a timed multiplication test that they have the whole year to pass. Fun, fun, fun!

Emily and her playground buddies

Emily P. (maybe next year she can be just "Emily"?), Olivia, and Emily M.

Kindergarten Field Day

Sydney and her wonderful teacher, Miss K. We will miss this teacher so much! She was such a wonderful blend of nurturing kindness without putting up with the garbage that five and six year olds can dish out. I could learn a lot about patience and parenting from this young lady. Field day took place on the last day of school, and I took this right before we left to go home. I found myself wanting to freeze the moment. The end of kindergarten is such the end of an era. Sydney will now go to school at 8:00 instead of 11:00, she will trade her carpet square for a desk, and snack time will become a full-fledged lunch time. Why can't we all just stay in kindergarten forever?

Limbo, limbo like me!

sack races

bean bag dance

parachute games

American Idol

2009-05-31T20:45:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, we signed up for e-mail notification for tickets to attend tapings of various shows. Allison and I went to see "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader" last summer, and we have received several other offers that we couldn't attend. When the American Idol tickets came through, though, we knew we couldn't pass this up. Allison has been a die hard fan of the show every season, and since I wasn't really in to it this season, I told Bret to take her and a couple of friends. They had SO much fun! Not only did they get to leave school early, but they got to compete in a TV Guide American Idol trivia show while they waited in line, they ended up on the front row in the pit, they were on TV several times, and Allison even reached up and touched Adam's earring (gross!) when he came over and sang by them. After the show, traffic was pretty bad, so they went to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Finally, they came back to our house to watch the TiVoed version of the show so they could scream and giggle every time they saw themselves. The next day, Allison kept saying, "I wish it was yesterday!"

Memorial Day Weekend

2009-05-31T20:13:00.001-07:00

We were lucky enough to have the Wimmers come up from San Diego for the second Memorial Day in a row. We had such a great time swimming, going out to dinner, playing DS (a little too much) and just hanging out. Unfortunately, they had to go home at the end of the weekend, but we had a great time and made some great memories.

The girls all fought over Natalie, who held her last, whose turn it was to hold her next, etc., etc.

Sydney and Carter deep in concentration trying to make it to the next Mario world

The kids were all worn out after multiple nights of going to bed at 11:00 and getting up at 6:30! Sydney decided to take a little catnap while some of the kids were swimming.

Caroline and Sam learned to be very quick at grabbing an unattended DS whenever they could

Muffins with Mom

2009-05-31T19:54:00.001-07:00

Sydney's class hosted a Mother's Day celebration called "Muffins with Mom." The class recited a poem, sang some songs, and then shared muffins and juice with their moms. They also each told one reason why they loved their mom. It was very sweet, and a nice afternoon. I can't believe kindergarten is almost over!

Vacation on Mars

2009-05-31T19:36:00.000-07:00

The third grade play this year was titled "Vacation on Mars." It was the story of a family who took a trip through the solar system on their way to mars. It was actually a very well written play, with plenty of little jokes for the parents sprinkled in. Since the third graders have been studying the solar system, this was a great way for them to learn and memorize all kinds of facts through the songs in the play. For instance, every one of them could tell you that the sun is 90 million miles from earth, that Jupiter can fit all of the other planets inside of it, that the rings of saturn are made of rocks and ice, and many, many other important tidbits.

Emily was a Venette; a member of Venus' entourage. She danced and sang a song about Venus: "Oh, she's hot, she's nobody's fool. Oh, she's hot, she's so hot she's cool. . .Her temperature's just right, 900 Farenheit. . ."

Baby Natalie

2009-04-29T12:37:00.000-07:00

My newest little niece (grandchild #30 for my side of the family), Natalie Louise Wimmer was born on April 20. I knew that since I only lived 2 1/2 hours away, I wouldn't be able to stand not going down to see her. I ended up leaving on Friday night and taking Emily and Sydney with me. We stayed until Sunday night and had a very fun, low key visit with the Wimmers. It was so much fun to get to see and hold a newborn! There is just nothing like it in the world, and she is a beautiful little girl. Thanks for sharing your little angel with me for a couple of days, Melissa!

Carter gave Sydney some tips on tee ball.

Emily loves holding her new cousin.

The kids spent part of the afternoon in the garage watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua. I think Natalie really liked the movie!

I just love this group of kids, and they have so much fun together! Carter, Emily, Jacob, Sydney

Spring Break

2009-04-29T11:51:00.000-07:00

For spring break this year, we headed to St. George to spend one last fun-filled week with the whole Paulson family before Grandma and Grandpa are shipped off to Winnipeg for the next three years. The weather wasn't what we would have hoped (cool and cloudy, with a little rain), but we had a great time anyway. The kids always amaze me at the great time they have together. We didn't have any big activities planned, but they had a great time hanging around the house, playing on the playground, swimming, making videos to post on You-Tube, etc, etc. The adults (well, I guess I can only speak for myself) loved being able to sleep in, and having built in playmates for their kids. It was a fantastic week, and it makes me sad every time I think about the next few years without Bret's parents. We'll just have to get by on good memories, and an occasional visit to Canada.

The kiddie pool was warmer than the hot tub.

The kids all love the slide (other than the road rash they get from it).

Kristen and Caroline

Allison, Craig, Alyssa and Luke

Snow Canyon

I love the contrast of the beautiful red sand against the blue sky!

We promised the kids they could go night swimming if they cooperated during family pictures. The kids were all great!

Nicole helping Lance and Sydney find their eggs. Natalie bought these great "chalkboard" eggs. We wrote the kids names on the eggs, and they were only allowed to find eggs with their names on them. It really helped to make it fun and fair for everyone!

Grandma and her six beautiful granddaughters

Grandma, Grandpa, and all eight grandchildren

Caroline loves Nicole!

Emily and Alyssa. These two are such great pals!

What cute kids in their Easter finery! This little four pack really played well together this tripEaster morning

Friendly Neighborhood Helpers

2009-04-29T11:40:00.000-07:00

Every spring, the kindergarten through fifth grade classes at Sycamore Canyon put on a play. They are always so cute, and inevitably bring me to tears as I contemplate another year coming to an end, and my kids growing up faster than it seems possible. This year, the kindergarteners did a play called "Friendly Neighborhood Helpers." They dressed up and sang songs about different members of the community. Sydney was a firefighter, and a very cute one!

Caroline went with me to both the daytime and evening performances. She loved it, and knew most of the songs already since Sydney has been singing them at home non-stop.

Sydney's line: "That's the end of our countdown. We hope that this week you will all be especially nice to your friendly neighborhood helpers!"

Sydney was so animated throughout the play, and did every action over the top. It was fun to watch her. The little boy next to her, Won Jin, just moved here from Korea about two weeks ago, and doesn't speak any English. I kept thinking how terrifying it would be to be on stage dancing around and trying to sing to a foreign language. But, he didn't seem to mind, and the kids are all very nice to him and try to help him however they can.

The celebration continues. . .

2009-04-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

At the end of a long day in the sun, Sydney somehow found the energy to open her family presents, AND she was able to eat this entire Hawaiian Punch slushie that Allison made for her. All in all, I would say it was a pretty great day. Happy Birthday, Sydney! We love you so much!

Six Year Old Sydney

2009-04-06T21:45:00.000-07:00

Sydney was fortunate enough to have her birthday fall on a Saturday this year, which meant that she was able to have her party on her actual birthday. I tried my hardest to talk her in to a party NOT at home, but she had her heart set on a Hawaiian themed celebration. I had plenty of Hawaiian crafts on hand in case it was too cold for swimming, but it turned out to be a beautiful, warm, sunny day. Eveyone was anxious to swim, so most of the crafts ended up going home with the girls as party favors.

The Happiest (birthday) Place on Earth

2009-03-29T21:11:00.001-07:00

Caroline had quite the birthday celebration this year. My niece Ashley e-mailed me a few weeks ago and told me that her mom (my sister) would be in town, and that they were thinking of going to Disneyland on the 23rd or 24th of March. Although I had sworn to stay away from this place until well after spring break season, I couldn't resist meeting up with family for a birthday celebration. The party only got better when Melissa decided to renew her passes and join us. We stayed at California Adventure (which is usually the less crowded of the two parks) the whole day, but the crowds were still pretty fierce. Add to that the fact that it was much hotter than the predicted 75 degrees (I forgot to add on the ten Disney degrees) and the fact that I was stupid and wore jeans, and the day could have been a real disaster. But, the Disney magic came through, and we had a great time. It was so much fun to get to spend the day with my sisters and my niece, nephews, and great nephew (wow, I am old!). I go through the same range of emotions every time I make the trek to Anaheim: I am excited and ready for anything on the drive there, I curse the crowds once I am in the park, I vow never to return as I am getting on the tram to go home, and then the next morning I bask in the wonderful memories and good times we had as I look forward to the next time we can spend the day with Mickey.Sam and Caroline enjoying birthday cupcakes (of course, Caroline only ate the frosting)

Check out Carter's tongue. I think the Albertson's bakery used permanent Sharpie ink to dye the green frosting for the cupcakes.

The whole cousin gang: Ashley, Eli, Allison, Jacob, Carter, Sam, Caroline, Sydney, Emily

I took this picture outside the Monsters Inc. ride. This is a ride that I have never once had to wait in line for, but today there was a 25 minute wait. If you have to wait for Monsters Inc., you know the crowds are bad!

Caroline was out cold within minutes of getting in the car. It was a long day, but well worth it!

Caroline is THREE

2009-03-23T21:58:00.001-07:00

Where has the time gone, and how is it possible that my baby is three?!?! This birthday is a bit of a milestone for me, because it is the first time I have had a three year old without having a newborn (or a baby due in the near future). It's very nice to be able to hang out with a three year old and give her my full attention. I just love this age, and I love spending my days with Caroline. She is such a happy, resourceful, funny little thing. She is my sidekick when I am running errands, and calls herself my "Costco buddy." She is also a great assistant to Bret in the yard, and will spend hours out there with him, bringing him snacks and helping him plant flowers. Her sisters all love her dearly and love to play with her and make her laugh. The one thing she will not put up with is being called a baby. When I ask her "Who's my baby?" she immediately responds, "I'm not." Well, Caroline, I'm sorry to tell you that whether you are three or eighty-three, you will always be my baby. I love you!

Notice the giant jug of pink bubbles. For around $3.00, you can still buy a gift that really impresses a child this age. Too bad the same isn't true for her older sisters. In case you can't guess, Caroline's favorite color is pink. When I asked her what kind of cake she wanted for her birthday (meaning chocolate or white) she said "pink," as if that is a flavor. Ask her what kind of ice cream she wants: again, pink. If I ever try to put ribbons in her hair that aren't pink (on the rare day that she isn't wearing any pink attire) I have to do it very stealthily so she doesn't see. But, if she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she will inevitably come running to me, wailing, "These aren't pink ribbons!"

sleepy little angel

3/24/06 Just a few minutes old, but already wide-eyed and alert. I will always remember Caroline's labor and delivery as being a walk in the park. I never felt a thing!

Jacob Wimmer's baptism

2009-03-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

This was one of those times that we feel so blessed to live only 2 1/2 hours away from family. It was so nice to be able to jump in the car and drive down to San Diego to be a part of this important day for Jacob. We love Jacob so much, and he is such a special little boy! Everyone had a great time, but we all agreed that this visit was way too short. We will have to plan a longer stay next time. Congratulations, Jacob!

Legoland

2009-03-10T20:54:00.001-07:00

We were lucky enough to get to spend time with two sets of cousins last weekend. We had planned to go down to San Diego for Jacob's baptism, and then found out that the Smiths were going to be there the same weekend. Since the Wimmer boys had baseball games and pictures all day, we decided to join Alyssa, Luke, Lance and Ellie (and their parents) at Legoland. The weather was perfect, the crowds were small, and the cousins had a fabulous time. Above, the kids are sitting in front of a Lego reproduction of Las Vegas. It is pretty incredible, and gives me a headache to think that someone actually put that whole thing together!

Miss Positive Attitude

2009-03-10T20:49:00.000-07:00

Each month, Sycamore Canyon School has an awards assembly to honor the "Shining Stars" for that month. The awards are different each month, and this month, a "Positive Attitude" award was given to one student from each class. This award fits Sydney perfectly, since her proverbial glass is usually not only half full, but 98% full (except for the times when her glass is completely empty--then, watch out!). She is such a cheery, happy little girl, and I am glad that those qualities are apparent in her classroom as well. Great job, Sydney. We love you!

Caroline the climber

2009-03-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Caroline and I had to run in to the mall the other day to pick up a couple of things. She loves the little playground by the food court, but I assumed she wouldn't be able to do much without the use of her right arm. Silly me! She had a little trouble getting up on this elephant at first, but quickly learned how to climb it using only three limbs. She is a very determined, resourseful little girl, and has not allowed this cast to slow her down one bit!

Called to Serve

2009-03-03T21:51:00.000-08:00

It's official. We learned yesterday that Bret's parents will have a new title as of July 1, 2009: President and Sister Paulson of the Canada Winnipeg (or "Winnie-pig," if you ask Caroline) Mission. We are all experiencing a wide range of emotions. Above all, we are incredibly happy for them, and honored to have their influence on our lives. As I think of Sid and Judy, and their individual characteristics and qualifications, I am very excited for the missionaries they will work with. These young men and women have no idea how lucky they are! I must admit I am a little jealous of the missionaries in Winnipeg. It reminds me a little of when my mom went back to teaching school, and how envious I was of the kids she spent her days with and the relationship I knew she had with them. We will so miss having Grandma and Grandpa come visit, vacationing with them, and spending time with them at their house. They are both such incredible examples and such a support to us. Luckily, we have Skype up and running, and our kids know how to use it to call Grandma and Grandpa. Our kids will change so much over the next three years, and it will help to be able to let the kids talk to them face to face (sort of). Allison will be almost 16 (!) when they return, Emily almost 13, Sydney will be 9, and Caroline 6. I am just thankful that they all have such a close relationship with their grandparents that they will each make a point to keep those bonds strong, even over a great distance. We love you so much, Sid and Judy, and are so thankful for your example of faithful service! Last Halloween at our house--I am so glad we made these memories!

Gingerbread houses with Grandma has been an annual tradition since Allison was little. I get a little choked up thinking of all the things that will have to be put on hold!

Sydney loves her Grandpa! She loves sharing her birthday and her name with him!

Happy Birthday, Dad!

2009-02-27T16:26:00.000-08:00

Today would have been my dad's 74th birthday. I have been thinking about him all day, as I do every year on his birthday. Although my grandma was living in northern Arizona at the time of his birth, she travelled to Los Angeles so he could be born in a hospital with better medical facilities. I have thought about this especially the past couple of years on his birthday, and the fact that I am just a few miles from his birthplace.

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my dad and miss him. He was truly one of a kind. He was incredibly smart, funny, generous, and unassuming. He took a genuine interest in everyone he met, and had a real talent for remembering not only names, but specifics about people he met. He was an incredible father who expected a lot out of his kids ("Why did you get an A-? What happened?"), but also loved to have fun with us. He was great at playing games, telling stories, and even playing practical jokes on his kids.

So, if you can, hug your dad today. Or call him and tell him you love him. You never know when you will have the chance to do it again. Happy Birthday, Dad! I love you!