WE DID IT!!!!

Front Row Seats. Allie, Grammy, Emmie, Grandpa Charley, Me and Kate and Pa.

We did it!!! We made it through school! Last Friday night Jarom officially graduated from the Executive MBA program at U of U. It was a wonderful night and we are so glad he is finally done. It was a long 21 months! Just to brag a little, Jarom graduated with Honors and he managed to do this while working at a very demanding job and taking care of his family. He is truly amazing and a stinkin genius!! We love you Jarom. Congratulations.

2008 In Review

A few years ago my mother-in-law interviewed Emmie. I thought I would copy her interview (I added a few more questions since Emmie is older) to recap 2008. It was so fun to hear the girls answers, and I hope it will help me remember this precious year.

Emmie is in Mrs. Derby’s first grade class. She is a little social butterfly and is friends with everyone. She is also very sensitive and aware of people’s feelings and needs. Emmie is such a good big sister. She always lets Allie and Kate play with her and never seems annoyed if they are following her around. Here are a few questions I asked Emmie and her answers. My comments are in ().

What is your favorite color? Black because it is cool. (I hope she grows out of this one!!)
What is your favorite food? Broccoli
What do you like about Jesus? He is God’s Son.
What do you think of Joseph Smith? He was the 1st prophet.
Who do you love? Mommy, Daddy, Allie, Kate, all my friends and all my family
What is your favorite subject at school? Flextime, Math, Recess, Lunch and R&E
What is your favorite toy? Oh, that is a hard one- My Girls Spa.
What is your favorite game? The Wii (we don’t have one, but I guess she likes her friends)
What is your favorite primary song? If the Savior Stood Beside Me
Where is your favorite place to go? Disneyland --- Tower of Terror is so fun (when we went on it in April, she hated it!)
What is your best memory this year? My Birthday Party at the Spa
What is your greatest accomplishment this year? Learning Math
What is your favorite thing to do with friends? Have Movie Parties – Your know I throw a little bit of movie parties sometimes.
What do you hope to do this year? I want to go to Chuckie Cheese for my birthday party, no seriously I said that as a joke, have a fun birthday party. (Then we had about a five minute discussion about her party in august.)
What is your favorite Scripture Story? When they talk about the tree and the rod of iron
What do you want to be when you grow up? A famous rock star

Allie has had quite the year. Not only did she start pre-school with Miss April, but she also finally decided to poop in the potty (and this only happened because we took all pressure off, and let her go when and where she wanted, this girl likes to have things her way)!!!! Allie also started taking gymnastics this summer and she loves it. She is quite the natural and looks forward to class all week, in fact most days she is dressed for it. Here is Allie’s interview.

What is your favorite color? Pink and Yellow
What is your favorite food? Noodles with sauce
What do you know about Jesus? I know something about be Happy
Who do you love? Mama, Daddy, Kate, Emmie, Brooke (our next door neighbor who is Emmie’s friend) and Kerta (her new imaginary friend).
What is your favorite toy? Puzzles
What is your favorite game? Dora Game
What is your favorite primary song? Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
Where is your favorite place to go? Disneyland (this was prompted by Emmie), and to the store
What is your favorite thing you did this year? Christmas
What do you want to be when you grow up? Emmie (I told you she was a good big sister)

Kate has also had quite the year. She has gone from a little 5 month old to a big 17 month old. She has learned to crawl, walk, talk (a little), eat by herself, and sleep through the night. She also had eight teeth pop through and grew just enough hair to get two little ponytails on top. Kate decided to keep her Mom and Dad hopping this year by having a few medical problems. The first was in May when she had two non-induced seizures. We spent two days in the hospital and many hours up at Primary getting MRIs, and EEGs. Thankfully nothing abnormal was found. She has to be on medication for two years and if she stays seizure free for two years, then she can go off. Thankfully we have not had any more seizures, but Jarom and I have to come up with new tricks every night to try and get her to take her medicine. The second scare was when she had a horrible reaction when I gave her bites of a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich this summer. Her face swelled up like Hitch on the movie Hitch and she had hives from head to toe. Thankfully, her breathing was not affected so it wasn’t too scary. Since then we have found out she is not only allergic to peanuts, but she is also allergic to tree nuts including, but not limited to Almonds. We now have to read every package and make sure there is no trace of any peanuts or nuts!!! We are praying she is going to grow out of it! But until then we carry around an epipen and keep peanuts far away from her.

Kate loves dolls, phones, and purses. She carries them all around and her favorite purses are the ones that are as big as she is. She loves to follow her sisters around, her blankie and her baba (bottle). She doesn’t say much yet, but her favorite words are mama, baba, dada, doggy, and Dora. The cutest things she does are 1-She runs to Jarom everyone time he walks in the door, gives him a hug and then takes him to see something. 2- Every time we ask a question like who’s hungry, who’s cute, or who’s crazy Kate shoots her hand up in the air. 3- Kate just started folding her arms when we pray and it is so cute. We love our little Babycakes, Katie Bug, Katie my Lady. She is the best.

Here are our new family pics. Thanks Dan and Katie at Peekaboo Photos.

Christmas 2008 Memories

Warning: This is a really long and probably boring post to anyone but me, but I just wanted to document this wonderful Christmas Season.
1- We started out the Christmas Season by going to a Live Nativity in Alpine. We discovered this three years ago and it is my favorite thing to do to set the mood for Christmas. First you take a hay ride to Bethlehem. When you arrive you are greeted by a Shepherd who tells you why Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem and directs you to the path to find Baby Jesus. After walking up a little path you enter a farm house filled with scenes from the time Jesus was born. The kids get to pet a real camel, watch a game the kids in that day played, see how they made bread, help a lady making a blanket on a loom, see a boy melting steel. Then you get to walk to another farm house where there is a live Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus. The spirit in the room is penetrable. I love to watch my kids faces as the look at the Baby Jesus, and I hold back my own tears as I think of why we truly celebrate the Christmas Season. The family who put this Nativity on started it as a fund raiser for the Huntsman Cancer Institute after their Mom passed away from Cancer. The Nativity is free, but they do accept donations that go 100% to the Huntsman Institute.
2- We also had another wonderful experience at the Old Fashioned Christmas at This is the Place Monument. We went with Jarom's family and although is was freezing cold the kids and adults loved line dancing, making ornaments, visiting a live nativity, writing a letter to Father Christmas and then delivering it to him, and seeing Santa's reindeer.
3- Emmie and I went to our second annual Nutcracker. I think Emmie's attention span was a little better this year and she enjoyed it a little more than last year. She and her little friend Brooke kept whispering the whole time about each of the dancers, their names, and how this story was different from Barbie and the Nutcracker. They were hilarious.
4- Thanks to Nick and Miriam, Jarom and I got to go away for a weekend to celebrate our 9th anniversary. We were planning on go skiing for two days, but the weather was to bad on the first day so instead we went shopping and only went skiing for one day. It was freezing cold the day we went skiing, but we had a blast and were exhausted by the end of the day. You can get in a lot of runs when there is just the two of you. I am so lucky to be married to my amazing husband. Every anniversary I find myself more and more in love with Jarom, and more and more in awe of the person he is. He is truly the most kind, loving, patient, even-tempered, hard-working, fun man. Not that you will ever read this, but I love you Jarom.
5- We also went skiing with my whole family for our traditional Christmas Eve Ski Day. All my siblings and spouses, nephews over 6 and Emmie were there. Emmie went skiing last year, but I wasn't able to go, so this was my first time skiing with her. After her initial melt down about the feel of her boots, she had a great time in ski school, and we had so much fun skiing with her on the bunny hill for the remainder of the afternoon. It was another freezing cold, windy day, so I actually really enjoyed the bunny hill. Lunch was a highlight since it was the first time I had seen my brother-in -law Hank in months and my sister Emily, my brother Judd and sister-in-law Jackie in a month. I know I say this all the time, but I love to hang out with my siblings. They are the best!!!
6-On Christmas Eve Night we went to Jarom's parent's house for our traditional Christmas Eve Candle-Light Dinner and Program. I love this event. I love how the night is so full of traditions: home-made soup in bread bowls, candle-light, singing, nativity play, and spiritual gifts. I love being a part of the Webb family and I love that my kids get to grow up with these great traditions. Allie got to be Mary for the first time this year and she was so excited. She was very serious the whole night and really got into her part. Emmie and Kate were angels, a fitting part since the are my angels!
7- Christmas Morning was awesome. Our kids are the funnest ages. We were actually shocked when they slept in until 7:30 (I was up at 6:30 and couldn't go back to sleep). Emmie was so cute as she oohed and awed over every present. She is convinced Santa is real since she got school supplies (so she can pretend she is a teacher) that you cannot find in stores. Allie loved her scooter that she has been asking for for the past month, and Kate loves her little car stroller that Santa found for her. We stayed in our jammies until about 1:00 playing with all our stuff including Disney Channel Scene It, which Emmie is a champ at. She has the most incredible memory. Then we met some fam for a movie and then went over to my Aunt Mary's for our traditional Weggeland Family Christmas Party. It was a great day.
8- The day after Christmas we went sledding at Bountiful Stake Center. It is the best sledding hill ever!!! We had a blast. Even Kate enjoyed it until she got sprayed in the face with snow.
9- The Saturday after Christmas we had a wonderful Chatfield Christmas Party. Jarom's Grandma gave each of us the life story of Jarom's Grandpa who passed away 33 years ago. Jarom's Grandma and Mom have been working on it for years. It is such a priceless gift.
9- The best part of Christmas was having Jarom home so much. He took Wed. Thurs. and Fri. off the week of Christmas and New Year's. We had so much fun spending time together. We love having Dad around.

I am so thankful for the knowledge I have of my Savior Jesus Christ, of his birth, life, death, and resurrection . I love my Savior Jesus Christ with all my heart and I'm thankful for this time of year when the spirit is so strong and family is so close and we can all feel the love of our Savior and our Heavenly Father. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Everyone.

Thanksgiving

Jarom and I both have amazing, awesome, loving, giving, fun families. This year we were lucky to celebrate thanksgiving with both. The Webb family celebrated a week early. We had an amazing dinner (thanks Nick and Miriam), a huge pile of leaves for the kids to jump in, gingerbread decorating, and last but not least the pie contest. Unfortunately Jarom did not remain the champion as he was beat out by his brother Brion. Brion's pie last year was hideous (he left out most of the sugar and salt), so I think he got pitty votes this year. Just kidding Brion your pie was really good. It was a wonderful day.

Kate and Easton all ready to eat

Pa and Grammy have the ultimate kids paradise in their backyard.

Allie

Kate wasn't sure if she liked it.

Emmie and Logan

The PILE!!!!
Our house.

It doesn't look so good, but it tasted awesome! Good job hon!


For Thanksgiving we went to St. George with my family. Everyone was there but Judd, Jackie, their boys and Hank (poor Hank's passport didn't come in time). We had a blast hiking in Snow Canyon and eating a delicious Thanksgiving Buffet at a restaurant right at the base of Zions. But the best part of the trip was our adventure at this cute little farm. (My dad works with a guy who's grandpa let us come ride his horses and ride his tractors and four wheelers.) It was a dream day for kids and grown ups a alike.
Snow Canyon with the girls

Hiking with the whole gang on our new pancake rock.

Emmie driving the tractor.
Mom and Allie Dad and Emmie
Grandpa Charley, Olivia, and Allie
Claire, Allie, Emmie, Olivia, and the Cow.
Grandpa Charley, Emmie, and Claire

The Boys
Kate slept through most of the fun, but I did have a fun photo shoot with here right at the end. She was quite the poser.




The girls in the Christmas dresses for church on Sunday.

Allie and Aunt Emily

Fall Fun

Wow!! What an amazing Fall we had in Utah this year. The weather was perfect!!!! We had so many beautiful, warm, Fall days. It was awesome and we partied it up!! We had so much fun and were gone so much that it has taken me almost a month to catch up on life and have enough time to post some cute pictures.

We went to Hee Haws for Allie's Preschool Field Trip. It was great. Her teacher Miss April is amazing!!!! And the kids were adorable. We even made it through the Corn Maze in record time.

We went to Kangaroo Zoo to spend time with my angelic nephews Christopher and Tyler.

The three three-year olds.

We went to Cornbelly's with my best friend Jill and her kids. Jill and I have been friends since we were babies. We were friends all through Junior High and High School, roommates in college, got married 10 days apart, and have had all our kids about the same time. She now lives about 2 miles from me and we have so much fun getting together as much as our crazy lives allow.




We went to the Scarecrow Festival to see my sister Bekah and my friend Jessa's Dance group perform. They are in a dance group that performs at Enrichments. It is a really beautiful, inspirational program. I would love to see it again when the Spirit is more present and I'm not chasing my kids around.


Halloween was perfect!!! The weather, our neighborhood, my kids age...It was the perfect day.

We had a hard time getting a good pic of the three kids.

Allie's School Parade

Emmie's School Parade

What am I doing??

So, Emmie has made some comments lately that have made me question how well Jarom and I are doing as parents. Here they are.....

1- About a month ago Jarom and I were talking about life insurance and Emmie asked us what we were talking about. After we explained about life insurance and how it would help Mom or Dad if they other one passed away she said "If Dad died, then Mom you would have to go back to work and then (and this next part was said with a lot of enthusiasm) I COULD GET A NANNY!!!"

2- A couple of weeks ago Jarom and I were having a very small "discussion" and Emmie says "Mom you should just marry someone else." (I did explain to her that I was very in love with Jarom and did not want to marry someone else, he was just frustrating me at the moment.)

3- Allie has been putting me through the ringer with the whole toilet training thing. She refuses to go #2, but that is a whole different story!! Anyway after a particularly hard day I told Emmie and Allie that I was running away. About 1/2 hour later as we were driving in the car Emmie asks me "Mom are orphanages still as bad as they were in the old days." I proceeded to tell her that they were a little better, but in other countries they were still really bad. She then says " I hope Dad sticks around because I really don't want to go to an orphanage."

Emmie is the sweetest most tender little girl and I have tried to tell her how much I love her and how much I love being her Mom after all of these episodes. I hope she understands. But, seriously, where does she come up with this stuff.

On a lighter note here are some pics from Emmie's first day of 1st grade. (Yes my baby is in all day school. She loves it and Allie loves having a little more attention from Mom. ) And Allie's first day of preschool.

Emmie and Allie's B-Day Blast

For Emmie and Allie's Birthday party this year we went to a salon that has a party room for little girls. It was unbelievable. It had a cat walk with a movie screen that showed the girls walking down, a million dress-ups, a tea-party room with pink cup-cakes, pink sprite, and pink hot chocolate, a little couch to sit on while they got pedicures and so much more. The girls were in heaven and they were naturals at the cat-walk (in fact some were a little too good.) Emmie and Allie had a blast, as did I since I had no clean-up or pre-party planning!!!!! Thanks Aunt Kim for the idea.