Sunday Snippets

Our Week in Review

• Dylan took my cell phone (with out my permission of course) to school with him.  He picked a bad day to "sneak" it, since I received several very important phone calls on it that morning.  My ringer is LOUD and obnoxious folks and he has no idea how to shut it off.  After realizing he made a terrible, terrible mistake he then called my mother at her job in hysterics about his predicament.  After the message was finally relayed to me, I ran to the school to retrieve my stolen phone.  That child's lack of impulse control is going to be the death of me.  
• Uncle Eric let the kids and I go with him to visit Great Grandma Benson.   It was a lovely visit, I'm so sad I haven't done it more often.  We also got to see Aunt Arda, Uncle Scott and a few of my cousins. My kids had a ball playing with all of my Aunt Arda's toys.  The kids and I thoroughly enjoyed our evening out and we are so glad Uncle Eric invited us along.    
• On Saturday Miss Alivia turned 5!  We had such a busy crazy day, but I hope she loved every minute of it. Great Grandma "Joe" made Alivia pancakes for breakfast (they are her favorite).  Afterwards Alivia and I went to "Aunt" Kira's baby shower.  There was music playing in the background and Alivia got lost in her own little world and danced up a storm.  She really loves to dance, I need to do something about it.  After the shower was over Alivia requested that her Aunts and Uncles, and Grandpa and Grandma Ward all come to a pool party.  It was really quite fun.  We finished up her party at Chick-Fil-A, so everyone could grab a bite for dinner.   After the party was over I took her home and she got to see her daddy (over the web cam) and open some more presents.  She really got spoiled this year, I hope she thought it was the best birthday ever.  She has certainly made the last 5 years a wonderful adventure, I love her saucy attitude (most of the time) and her willingness to work hard.  She's a bossy, girly-girl and sometimes I swear she comes from another planet, but I know shes just what our little family needs.

F-I-V-E

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

F-I-V-E!

Happy Birthday Miss Livie Lou Lou!

We sure do love you. 

Sunday Snippets

Our Week in Review

• It has been a quiet week except for our Halloween adventures, but since I already blogged about that I won't repeat myself.
• I had high hopes of spending Thanksgiving in Houston with my kids and my husband, but I learned this week that it is not going to happen.  
• The next couple of weeks look to be full of adventures and a lot of stress, so maybe I'll actually have something to write about next time.  Until then we are looking forward to Sunday dinner with the family at Grandma's.  The kids and I really love this new (but soon to be short lived) tradition.

Halloween 2011

I should have been Scrouge for Halloween. BAH-HUM-BUG!
Dylan left half (and the important half) of his costume at school.  I didn't realize this until 10 minutes before we were supposed to leave to go trick-or-treating.  So All the money I blew on his costume so he could have something to wear for one night sat locked away in a closet at school.
My mother used to always say "someday you'll get a kid just like you"....Well folks I got a kid just like me...If that kids head wasn't attached he'd forget that too!
Every year we have a tradition where dad and the kids in their costumes pose for a picture.  This year I don't even have a picture to show. I guess I'm not that mad since Mr. Giovannoni is in Houston, Dylan was missing half his costume and Isaac didn't have one at all.
Miss Alivia had quite the swagger in her little Butterfly costume, she told her Aunt Cozy she walked like that because she was "Beautiful", heaven help me when she's a teen!  She did look pretty cute though if you ask me. 
Uncle Nyles, Aunt Kira,  Aunt Cozy, Uncle Mitch and all our little ones went trick-or-treating to the neighborhood my siblings and I grew up in, and we all really enjoyed ourselves.  It was fun to hang out with my brothers and sisters and my nephews, best part of Halloween for sure.

Sunday Snippets

Our Week In Review

• Not much to report this week.  Isaac and myself flew out to Houston Wednesday to see the Mr.  The weather was perfect in Houston, warm sunshine, slightly chilly breeze. I think I'm going to like Houston Winters.   
• My wonderful in-laws and my sweet sister Cozy watched Alivia and Dylan while I was in Houston.  I'm really grateful for their help and service.  It won't be too long from now that our family will be a thousand miles away from everyone we love.  I'm going to miss the love and support and help everyone gives to our family.
• I really struggled to want to do anything for Halloween this year, so I found myself at the Halloween store late Tuesday night paying WAY to much for last minute Halloween costumes for my kids, because I couldn't stand the look of disappointment in their eyes.
• Mr. Giovannoni celebrated his 32nd birthday, although there really wasn't much celebrating.  I really have dropped the ball with everything in life right now.  I just hope the Mister knows how much I love him and that someday I'll give him a great birthday, with gifts and everything...SOMEDAY!  
• Isaac was absolutely terrible on our flight home from Houston.  We were blessed to sit by so many nice people who were kind and understanding, when they could have been rude and outwardly frustrated!  Longest three hours of my life (and everyone elses for that matter), that's for certain.  Despite his atrocious behavior and my splitting headache from being head butted we made it back to Utah safe and sound. 

Sunday Snippets

Our Week in Review

• Uncle Eric, Aunt Cozy, Braxton and the kids and I all drove up to Sundance to take some pictures.  I love the mountains.  I am going to miss them dearly.  The crisp air and the beautiful fall colors, were enchanting.  I tried capturing a picture of the beautiful colors of the leaves on the mountain up ahead of us with my phone, but the kids were screaming and fighting, I was hanging out our van window and the sun was blaring head on, none of which makes for a good picture.

 

•  Where did my baby boy go?  He's only a year and a half, but when I look at these pictures I see just how much he has grown and changed.

 

• Then I saw this picture and I was like who's child is that?

 Isaac isn't the only one growing up.  I can't believe my little girl is turning 5 next month.  All of the sudden her underwear is to little, her face shape is changing and her capri's are actually capri's rather than pants on her.  I can't help but wonder if someone's sneaking growth hormones to my kids :)

• Dylan was to busy running around like a wild child to have his picture taken, and while his looks and appearance aren't changing much now, I see a lot of growth and change in who he is on the inside.  
• I braved taking all three kids by myself to the Lehi Legacy swimming pool.  It turned out to be a pretty fun adventure.  Isaac cuddled up to me the entire time and Livie and Dylan had a lot of fun going down slides and playing with the water spouts. 
• We tried doing a picnic at the Discovery Park one evening as well, but it got cold and dark right after we got there, so that didn't turn out nearly as fun as I hoped. 
• My make it Monday craft didn't work out so well either.  It looked very easy and simple and I imagined it being a really fun project for the kids and I.  Not so.  Maybe I'm craft impaired....We'll just have to see if I can come up with something better for tomorrow.

Sunday Snippets

Our Week in Review

More appropriately titled the last few weeks in review

• The home in Cypress which we loved and hoped and waited for twice, finally SOLD to someone other than us. 
• Alivia and I have had a rough week. That girl is insanely stubborn and can throw the mother of all psychotic fits.  After a particular situation in which I reacted horribly to her tantrum, I just fell apart.  Later that evening Alivia looked at me and said, "Mom you are doing a great job with your kids"!  I was horrified and touched all at the same time.  I do not know what motivated her to say that, but it certainly made me think twice.
• The children are driving everyone crazy.  Living in someones elses home if beyond hard, for every one involved.  I'm living in total dread of fall break this next week.  
• Alivia has learned to spell and write her first name, she has so much fun writing it and is so proud of herself.   I totally burst her bubble the other day though when I tried to teach her her last name....My poor children!  Can you imagine having to learn and spell GIOVANNONI.
• Isaac has begun his morph from calm, gentile, sweet innocent baby into a saucy energetic, pushing, hitting, throwing, destroying angel!  I love him more than words, I really do, but oh my he can really make a mess and he throws tantrums that almost beat out Alivia's.  He screams like he's at deaths door if I walk out of his line of vision.  He gets into a smack down fight when ever I put him with other toddlers, it makes nursery time one anxiety filled event (for the both of us). 
• Dylan is still doing fantastic in school.  He is currently keeping himself busy by "writing" books and spouting facts and teasing his great grandmother.
• We have surpassed the 4 month mark since Mr. Giovannoni left us for Houston.  Life really is what happens when you're busy making plans.  Because none of this was in my plans! 
• I've been absolutely horrible about keeping current on this blog, mostly it's because I'm suffering from bi-polar emotions and I've been afraid that I'd jinx myself or say something absolutely horrendous, so I've just kept quiet. 
• Dylan and I went to our first live general conference session thanks to my parents who invited us along and my sister who gave us tickets so we could go.  Dylan slept through the entire thing, but I enjoyed every second of the peace and quiet and the messages.  I got to sit with my mother, my father and one of my brothers as well as my two little sisters.   It was awesome to have so many of my family there together. 
• I like to escape to the park with my kids, it gives everyone a nice break.  Isaac always goes and finds a puddle to sit in, silly kid.  I'm going to miss our park excursions, once the cold settles in and winter begins, I might officially go insane this winter....Let's all cross our fingers and say a little prayed that we (and by that I mean the kids and I) can be in Houston before that happens. 
• I've been teaching my sister in-law to crochet.  I'm not a very good teacher, but I think she is doing a very good job.
• I've decided to do a little project called Make it Monday with my kids.  Hopefully I can make a go of it and start making some good/happy memories, while we're at Grandma's.
• I got to help Ernie and Diane and Grandma "Joe" harvest their potato crop.  I was in seventh heaven, I really do love gardening.  It's the first time in months I momentarily forgot my problems.
• Halloween is almost here and I have no desire to make or buy my children costumes this year, can we just cancel the whole darn thing?
• The fall leaves on the mountain are just stunning right now.  I'm hoping their brilliant colors will stick around for another week or so, so I can take the kids on a long drive through the canyons, so we can be surrounded by beauty. 
• Alivia and Dylan did so good with their parts in the primary program today.  It was nice to have an uneventful primary program for once.