Coal turns One!

Our puppy is officially not a puppy anymore.  Coal turned one today.  She has been such a happy addition to our family.  We really can't imagine life without her and she truly is one of the family.

(I have such a hard time getting good pictures of her.  She is such a pretty dog, but with her black fur and dark eyes, it doesn't work well in pictures.)

She was born on a ranch in Coalville, Utah, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, 2011.  She came home with us on January 3, 2012.  She was the cutest little puppy and such a joy from day one.

 She is so sweet, loyal, protective and playful.  She adores Greg and Gavin.  Enoch loves to play. Kate will snuggle with her on the floor and call her 'pretty girl'.  Kate always counts her as the second girl when we count how many brothers and sister we have.  I was quite worried about she would be with Guard, but she is very protective.  She has never, ever been aggressive toward him and actually likes to 'play ball with him' and lick his face, hands and feet (Guard doesn't seem to mind).  Someday Guard will actually throw the ball she drops in his lap.

The night we brought her home, we stopped at Petsmart and picked up some supplies.  We got her a little stuffed animal, a purple rhino, we named Hippo.  She needed something to sleep with since she was used to snuggling with her brother and sisters.  Hippo has been with her since.

Well, Hippo has been well loved.  She has no stuffing left, holes all over and is a bit smelly (even after washings).

So, for her birthday, Coal got a new Hippo.  She loves her and doesn't seem too bothered that she is new.

She also got some new tennis balls - her favorites.

 

Happy Birthday, Coal!  We love you!  You make us so happy.

(The kids were a bit disappointed that Coal didn't have a real party with treats and friends, so next year, we might have to do more.)

Guard at 5-6 months

Cute, little Guard is growing up so fast.  I love to see his personality develop and shine, but it is hard to see the days go by so quickly.

 

 He is still happy, so happy.  I count my blessings that Guard is such a happy baby.  You can always find him with a smile on his face and a laugh waiting to break through.

His eating is still driving me nuts, but he still has his chubby rolls and is getting enough to eat.  He loves his solid and his favorites are applesauce, pears and peaches.  He hates plums.  When I fed him plums for the first time, he pulled an awful face and scraped out the plums with his fingers from off his tongue.  A few days later, we tried plums again, and he clamped his gums closed and would not open them.  We haven't attempted them since.

I love this face!  He does this thing where he compresses his lips between his gums and hums.  It is so cute.

Guard loves books, playing outside, hanging out with Gavin, watching Coal, being held by Dad, going for walks with Mom and Kate and listening to Enoch read.

 

We love him so much!

(A video for Grandma and Grandpa:)

Enoch's Reflections

Enoch loves to participate in school activities.  I have to limit him to what we have time and energy to complete.  I do have a difficult time saying no to Science Fair and Reflections, so he has done those every year.
This year the theme was The Magic of a Moment.  I asked him about a magical moment in his life and he excitedly remembered his airplane ride from Denver to Provo.  His brain started to spin and he thought of everything airplanes.  He came up with the ideas of having his Grandpa Dee help him weld a metal model airplane or making paper airplanes.  I admit, Greg and I stealthy steered him toward the paper airplanes.  It seemed easier for all involved.
He went with 3-D Art so he could do a sculpture.  It turned out incredible!  Before we turned it in the morning of Reflections, he took it to his classroom to show his teacher.  She said, "It doesn't surprise me he came up with that all on his own.  He is so creative."

Enoch won Grand Prize in his category.  Greg and I are so proud of him.
He was so surprised at the Reflection assembly when they announced his name.  (Sorry the pictures are bad, the lighting in the school gym is not the best for pictures.)

 Now, on to district!

Scattered Thoughts

1.  Guard's new trick is to shake his head back and forth.  He laughs and laughs when he does it.

2.  Coal is officially going through her teenage years.  She is such a little stinker.  She now has doggie doors from the laundry room into the garage and then from the garage into the backyard.  If I am ever missing something, I know Coal has dragged it to the backyard.  I have found my tennis shoes in the garden, Guard squeaky toy, Sophie the giraffe, halfway buried in the lawn (it does look somewhat like a bone) and Kate's underwear scattered throughout the yard.  Dang dog!

3.  Gavin is now officially taller than Greg.  That is a bit unnerving.

4.  Enoch has decided he is going to be a chemist so he can "mix liquids together and blow them up!"  He has decided to get a jump on graduate school by reading Greg's advance physics textbooks from college.  The other day he lasted 45 minutes.  I'm not sure what he got out of it, but I chuckle to myself every time he pulls that heavy book off the shelf.

5.  Last week was our Sacrament Meeting program.  Enoch read a scripture from John and did a great job.  Kate and I had been practicing her part for weeks.  She knew it really well, but I wasn't sure she would say it in front of everyone.  She hesitated a bit when she got up to the microphone, but she squared her shoulders and spoke right into the microphone, "I feel happy when I choose to help my baby brother."  I about started to cry!  She did such a wonderful job and I know how nervous and scared she was.  I am so proud of her.

Burning Pumpkins

This afternoon I asked Gavin to throw away the jack-o-laterns.  They were shiveled and moldy.  It was time for them to go.  He was a bit sad until...
I wish he would have asked me first.

 I was a bit surprised to see smoke in the backyard.  I guess I trust him with fire.  He has had experience in Scouts and camping.  But still.

 

It looks a little freaky.  The inside ended up charred, but it didn't burn completely; still too moist.  Well, I've been told we have a new Halloween tradition.  All the kids loved it.

Preschoolers at the Grocery Store

The Treehouse Preschool went on a fun field trip to Kohler's in Highland.  I wasn't on the schedule to go, but Kate wanted me there and I thought Guard might like it too.  I'm glad we tagged along, it was fun and actually quite interesting.

 (Kate and her best friend, Taylor.)

We started the tour by getting kiddie cones from the deli and Kate said that was her favorite sample they gave them.  The kids also got apples, fruit snacks, cookies, chocolate milk, string cheese and crackers.  Score!  Lunch is served.

We visited all the departments and went 'behind the scenes'.  Kate liked going inside the huge ice cream freezer, seeing the boxes smashed and watching how they made frosting roses in the bakery.

We had a great time and the preschoolers were so well-behaved and loved the tour.  Guard rather enjoyed it too.

Halloween

Halloween was a week-long celebration at our house this year.  Lots of parties, programs, sewing costumes and general fun.
Gavin started the week by dressing up for a band concert.  He and his friends, Jace and Spencer, went as the Blue Man Group.

 Yikes!  When he came home, Coal went beserk barking and Guard started crying.  He quickly showered since Guard and Coal are his best buddies.
The Saturday before Halloween we had our Randall Halloween party.  Everyone came in costume and we ate dinner, homemade donuts and had a great time.

 

 Kate's preschool program was very cute (as preschool programs always are).  She did so well at her songs.  Her favorite was "A Mean Old Witch".  Everyone loved her costume and thought it was even better when I told them it was my costume when I was four years old.

Isn't she adorable?!  You can see half of her cute best friend, Taylor, next to her.
Kate, Guard and I were also able to help at Enoch's Halloween party in his class.  It was so much fun to be in his class and help.

That night we had dinner of soup and rolls with the Tuttles and Strongs.  Kristen made her famous white chili and I made cheesy cauliflower soup and everything was so good.  After a yummy dinner, Bailey took all the kids trick-or-treating.  Really!  She volunteered!  It was so wonderful.  It was a bit rushed getting the kids out the door, so Enoch looked a bit odd, but maybe Cosmo really does wear Croc rainboots.

Guard didn't go trick-or-treating, but we still dressed him up as a penguin.  He was so cute.  Note the little penguin feet that took his mom forever to figure out how to sew.

It was a very successful Halloween.  The kids are already talking about what they want to be next year.  Sigh...