Toothless fairy....

I find myself saying "Jill-ism"s, if you will. My mom, Jill, had the greatest one liners growing up and I usually find myself spouting one off here or there.

i.e. in answer to the demand..."COME ON." My daughter/husband would say "I'm coming." And I might say "Yah, so's Christmas." This one just gets funnier as I get older.

And I don't know how far it is exactly "from hell to breakfast", but I would go that far to see this smile...

She lost 4 teeth in two weeks. 2 of those she lost within 12 hours.

Her response when the last one went under the pillow for the tooth fairy: "Look daddy, it's a party of dollars."

I love my girl!

The half fast....

If you didn't happen to catch the above at first glance, allow me to enlighten you. After Elder McConkie's Saturday morning General Conference talk on teaching, I turned to Kent and said "You know my kids always listen better when I fast. Maybe I should fast every Sunday."

Kent: " That might be a little extreme sweetheart. Maybe you should just fast in the morning before going, ya know, like a half-fast."

As the words were coming out of his mouth, he realized the accidental creation of a dual meaning compound word. We both burst out laughing for the next five minutes. It was hilarious!

Here I must needs inform you as to my current calling, the sunday school teacher to 16 sixteen-year olds. I find this hilarious on many levels including, but not limited to the fact that I never went to Sunday School when I was 16. My teacher actually took to posting watchmen at the exits of the building to evade our escape, one of which was the bishop. Which brings me to a sincere apology. Dear Sister Oborn, I am so so so sorry for my lack of respect toward you during my adolescence. If it makes you feel any better, I disrespected everyone so it wasn't just you. And how I admire you now and always, you lovely woman, and may I just say that is a very fetching blouse you are wearing....


Anyway, this is the first time in our lives that we haven't been able to watch conference in the comfort of our own homes. We actually had to travel 20 minutes to watch it at the stake center. And we did! All four sessions. We sat in the nursery and watched it on the TV there while the kids played. We loved it so much. We are so grateful to live in a free country where we can worship freely. We are grateful for a prophet in these troubled times.

How sweet it is to be in love with this gospel, with my family, by my sweet husband, and with the Lord's precious words. How very sweet it is.



On an unrelated note, Bella raided Daddy's closet earlier this week and thought it was hilarious.

So we name stuff and stuff....

Our stuffed get-ye-up horsie is named Minty.

Her snuggle my little pony is named Violet.

Her lifelike chick is named Aurora.

His monkey is named Harry Two.

Garbage truck is just Garbage truck...don't mess.

Her new acquistion (praise be to daddy-daughter dates) is Princess Molly.

Harry calls his blanket his B-ness.

Our new piano (free from craigslist...oh ya baby) is named PEE-YAN-OH.

The firetruck's name is Sam.

His favorite shirt is named B.B.

Milk is called Moch-a Moch-a. A name so nice you say it twice.

Her porcelain doll is Cosette Angel.

His BMW toy car is called his "Burgundy car". Don't make the mistake of calling it red.

Harry will wear nothing....I repeat nothing....save his jeans. And Bella has not one pair "because they bug."

Here is my toothless angel-cake-cita. She lost it during church. Don't worry ward, she is vaccinated. So as we are searching on our hands and knees in the gym looking for the lost sucker for a couple minutes the mom behind us points and tells her son to pick up whatever that item was under his chair that she thought we may be looking for. I got there before he did...yuck! I have my limits. Bella was thrilled! She even got an orygami elephant $1 bill. Which she said of in the morning "It was crumpled, like a box." Strike one tooth fairy! There is always the orygami butterfly next time.

First day of firsts...

Bella's first day of first grade started something like this....

Opening hymn: Sweet Hour of Prayer

Recitation of our country's Pledge of Allegiance.

Recitation of the School mission statement which is...

"Moral discipline is the consistent exercise of agency to choose the right because it is right, even when it is hard. It rejects the self-absorbed life in favor of developing character worthy of respect and true greatness through Christlike service." - D. Todd Christofferson

Prayer

Small devotional by one of the teachers (will usually be a student) in which they used the following quote which I loved. "Moral character is the tree. Reputation is the shadow." - Abe Lincoln

(Huge sigh) ........And I felt peace.

And MY first day of Bella's first day was followed up with "Mom are you coming to class with me?"

"Sure. Do you want me too?"

"No."

"Oh." (I mean really people can you just hear the wind going out of my sails here....but of all the reactions she could have....this was actually the best and the one I wanted and I am so grateful.) Okay...I'll see you later."

"Love you mom." And she skips merrily away. Sandwich it with a game of freeze tag and swinging on the swings and it couldn't have been any better. She was happy.

A beautiful day. She came home and did her hour of homework. In which she verified all of the short vowel sounds she learned that day by gathering two items with each sound for tomorrow. They are also building a community so she packed her "accessories" (that's a fancy word for sparkly cars and airplanes for the community...duh!) Her words not mine. Then we soccer-ed ourselves out in the evening. Yeah for Kick-n-chase!

There she goes....

And thus we enter a new phase of life......

G &GG

Let it be known far and wide that my kids have the greatest grandparents ever!

Grandma and Grandpa Gardner came on up to our neck of the woods to get their fill of the H-Bear and Beba-meister. And oh-did-they ever! Poor Grandpa couldn't even use the bathroom w/0 a very anxious Harry sitting outside with his face squeezed beneath the crack saying "Gampa, Gampa is that you?" Poor guy. Harry at the beach with "THE truck"

Ignoring the crack in the distance that Kent just brought to my attention....ah hmmmm.....this picture helps to illustrate the nonstop interaction wif grandpa?! They ate it up every second.


Bebs at the beach.

At the farm on the way home from the beach for REAL milk.

How cute is she?!

We tried a new beach this time and really liked it. It had a tidal pool type thing that was great for the kids while we still enjoyed the beautiful waves in the distance. It was stunning...topped off with ice cream smiles all around!

Grandpa and his fan club.

Love these people!
We went to the Portland Temple and lunch together. It was so heavenly.


Hopefully we didn't love them out and they will come back soon. Tomorrow is good for us!