Christmas Programs and Fun!

As mentioned before, Anna is in Miss Margene's Creative Musical Generation. During the first part of December she was really busy with performances. But now only has 2 left! She was also in the Nutcracker, put on by the dance groups of the same company. She was in the Irish dance.

This is her costume for her musical theater group performances.

This is probably my most favorite song that they sing. I thought I could get closer......Anna is on the left in the front. (If I am able to get a better recording of this I will replace this one.)

This is Anna's costume for the Nutcracker.

Here's her part in the Nutcracker!

I think Anna has enjoyed this experience, and it's been fun to watch her do something she loves.

Ali also had a program, she had her part to say, which was, "J is for Jingle Bells sung loud and long."

After that, Santa came!! Ali has been able to recite her Christmas List, anytime you ask her too. Now, I thought she was going to just go through her list.........but she didn't.

She added something new!!! She said " ummm, my mom wants me to get a....dancing dolly." I never told her that I wanted her to get anything in specific. And she directly asked Santa for it.......so needless to say, I have had to adjust some things!!

Reese was part of his school sing a long, in which each grade got to sing two songs. He did an awesome job! I did not however get a recording of him, because I had Ali and Adam to deal with!! But here is a picture of him, being very good at Ali's program. (without Adam!)

We also decorated gingerbread houses with my family. It is a tradition that was begun when I was growing up.

Anna's

Reese's Ali's Adam's.....done by mom!

WOW, talk about Insane!

I don't even know where to begin.......I guess I do! Many of you responded to my last post (which was forever ago, I know, I'm sorry!) The majority got it right.....Reese is the top picture and Adam is the bottom! I love those pictures, and how much alike they look!

Next on my list of events was my Senior Recital. But while things were winding up for this event I had found out a few days before that my grandpa was not going to be staying with us much longer....and passed away the night before my recital. My grandpa lived to be 100 years old, and is one of the greatest men I know. He had a sense of humor that is like no one else's. I am so fortunate that my mom and Joseph and I have decided to carry on his Pine Nut business that he loved so much. It is an honor. I love my grandpa and will miss him terribly, but you know what? Just like with my other grandpa that passed away 4 years ago.....it's like they're not really gone, because I can still feel they're spirit. And it is so comforting to know that I will see them again.

So.....for my recital the next day I just blocked all emotion so that I could get through it. I had thought about postponing it, but thought I've got to get this over with, I didn't want to prolong the stress. So the show went on! With only 2 very minor glitches in words, one of which was a foreign language so no one knew that one, it went smoothly! And I'm so glad it is now behind me. I now only have my Vocal Juries to do, and then...... it will be finished. We did record it, and we are still trying to figure out how to put some of it online. We used my neighbors video camera...so it's all new to us.

Next in line was Thanksgiving, and the day after!!! We had a lovely day, and even got to talk to Joseph's parents who are serving a mission in Brazil, via web cam! So they got to see everyone, and we got to see them. It was a nice bonus to the day! The day after Thanksgiving was eventful. Normally I go out shopping just to be with my mom and sisters, but this year I actually had some things that I needed to get. So, my beloved neighbor (same as the one mentioned above) had my kids sleepover, so that Joseph and I could venture out at 4 in the morning! We went to Toys R Us while the rest of my sisters went to Walmart. I think we got the better end of the craziness. Over all, between a Thanksgiving Day sale, and the day after, I had gotten all but 2-3 gifts taken care of! AWESOME!! I hate shopping.

And then the next item in line was my LASIK surgery! It was cool! We have a video of that too, but I don't know it we'll put it on here, it can be kind of freaky! But the first couple of days I was blurry, and still am 4 days later. But it is much better than the first day, and is much better than I could see without my glasses! Yay! I got a different procedure than what people usually think of when they think of LASIK. Usually the one most heard of is that they cut a flap on the eye, do the laser work and then put the flap back down to heal. When doing this, there is no irritation after, and you can see well almost instantly.....and it's $700 more expensive. The method I did, is called PRK. This is where instead of making a flap, they scrape the tissue off the top of the eye, do the laser work, and then put a non-prescription contact over the eye as a band aid, until the tissue can grow back, which usually takes 3-5 days. Now this procedure is safer, less expensive, but does have a bit of irritation, and it takes a bit longer for your eyes to be at "perfect" sight. But hey all in all, I'm excited that I did it. And after having children I can put up with a couple days of irritation!!! And it's only because of our HSA that we were able to even do this! Oh, and thanks to Hoopes Vision, of course!

Now we are into the craziness of December. Anna is in a musical theater group, and with that she has to take a dance class too. Well, her theater class has 17 performances this month on top of her dance class doing the Nutcracker. Our December is pretty much gone! She loves dancing and music, and so this is exciting for her. But I think she doesn't know what to do about the time commitment. (we didn't either, wow.) We will figure out what will be best for all of us. I will post performance pictures when we take them!!!

So that is what has been happening since my last post. Now that school will be over, I will try and do better!

Who's Who!

I came across some pictures of Reese when he was Adam's age and really noticed the similarities between the two. So I tried to find the closest look-a-like pictures of them both and wanted to see if anyone could tell them apart! It might be really easy, it might be tough.....I'm curious! I will post the answers soon! Have Fun!!

Pinenuts are here!!

For those of you that didn't know this.....Joseph and I sell Pinenuts!! My Grandpa Keiser who is 100 years old has sold pinenuts for a good part of his life. Now that he is in fact 100 years old he cannot actively sell them, much to his dismay. So my Mother and Joseph and I have decided to carry on his business. There is a link to the side called Herm's Pinenuts, and that is dedicated to my Grandpa. Anyway....we will now be selling them for $12 a pound. Now some of you may think that is expensive.....well I know it is to us. But we have found that we are the better price! There are some people out on 2700 W. that sell pinenuts and they are selling 1 cup, or 8 oz. for $8 dollars! If you buy a whole pound then they will give you a dollar off and only charge you $15. The stores are about the same if not worse! Grandpa always liked to be the better bargain. So if you are in the mood for some good ol' pinenuts... let us know!

Trip to the Zoo

Well thanks to an annual pass to the zoo and one of the first free Saturdays for Joseph, we took the family to the Hogle Zoo. We just wanted to add some pictures to show how everyone stacked up against the monkeys.

Random Thoughts

I have been inspired by my sister-in-law, Eliza. She mentioned on one of her blog entries that she just posts random thoughts. However random they may be, they still make for an enjoyable blog. And I find with random thoughts you post more frequently! So I think I will give it a try!

Besides the random thoughts.....Anna did turn 8 in August. Here are some pictures of her big day!

Anna was very excited for her big day!

Gotta love the 70's polyester jumpsuit! There weren't very many options, so Joseph got this one!

As for the random thoughts...they may or may not be random. But recently I have found, or a lot of friends have found me thanks mostly to blogging and facebook! It has been great to "see" them again and to remember the memories that come with each person. It's great to see how they are doing, and to see their cute families, (those that have them) and to hear that I am not alone in my frustrations as a mom!!! I like to try and put up a good front though, trying to make it look like I have everything under control. My mom has an expression she learned from somewhere.....I'm just ducky! A duck looks totally calm and in control on the top of the water, like everything is fine, when underneath they are paddling like hell! Well so much for random!

For my last semester I have to, or rather, I get to do a recital......yikes! The date is set for November 18th, which is a Tuesday. The recital hall has room for 60 people. I don't know if I will even come close to that number, I don't need to fill the hall.....but it's still something that makes me wonder if I could.....not that I totally want to because that would make it even more stressful!

Well there ya go......my random thoughts! Thanks Liza!

What we did this Summer!

This summer has been CRAZY!!! I know many of you fall into the same category. But starting a little after school got out, we had something every weekend! Ranging from girls camp, and youth conference, to scout camp and campouts, to family campouts on each side, ward campout, and we amazingly fit in our very own family campout! Adam turned 1 at the end of June, along with our 9th wedding anniversary,and Anna turned 8 in August. She will be getting baptized on Saturday, September 6. School also started for Anna - 3rd grade, Reese - Kindergarten, and Ali - Preschool. I spent the last 3 weeks reading all 4 of the twilight series. (AWESOME!!) But now I don't have anything to do, and it has doubled now that the kids are gone to school.....I should have started reading the books NOW! Shoot, I'll just have to read them again! But for now I am starting my last semester, and will be working on my Portuguese for our trip to Brazil in April!!

Our Family trip to Yellowstone

Dragons Mouth

Snow fight in July!

Baird Family Campout

Baker Family Campout

Youth Conference
Book of Mormon reinactment, Joseph and I went.

Interestingly enough neither of us took many pictures of girls camp, or scout camp!

Oh, yeah.....I chopped my hair!

Long or Short?!?!

Rock climbing

Adam turns 1!!

....and is walking!

Anna turns 8!! This is our awesome neighbor Carol!

Anna's first day of school

Reese's first day of school

This is not Ali's first day of school, but she really wanted her picture taken.

Our little song bird

Anna tried out for the school talent show. They chose 2-3 kids from each grade, and Anna was one of them! She sang to "Popular" from "Wicked".

AMEX Lagoon Day!!

This year for Lagoon Day, we got to stay the WHOLE day! Last year we only stayed for a few hours because Joseph had to get ready for his week long scout camp that next week, and I was way pregnant with Adam. So this year was exciting! Reese and Anna are tall enough to go on some of the big rides! Ali (and Anna and Reese)loved the kiddie rides, and went on them over and over again. Anna's adventures this year included Collosus, Spider, and Wicked! Joseph went with her on these rides.

Other adventures included the big bumper cars that Reese was scared to go on, because someone had told him there was a mean man who runs into you. But after we convinced him it was made up, and after our turn, he was feeling pretty good!

Ali did a pretty good job all day with waiting in lines.

Here are some more fun pictures of the day, enjoy!!

Ali riding Puff!

Ali flying high!

Anna and Reese before........ and after the Rapids!