Two Today!

It's hard to believe that Grace was born two years ago today! Time has gone by way too fast. She is no longer a baby. Each day she becomes more and more of a big kid. She no longer sits in her highchair, she is giving up her crib for a toddler bed, she uses a big girl cup without a lid, and she likes to "go potty". Even with all of these changes and some new displays of her independent spirit, she is still my sweet baby. Grace loves to cuddle, and will often want to sit on my lap wherever I am. I try to enjoy this as much as possible while I still can. She is such a sweet girl, and we are so lucky to have her in our family. Happy birthday Gracie Pants! We love you so much!

Pretty, Pretty Princesses

Last Saturday was our Ward Trunk or Treat activity. The weather was perfect! I couldn't have asked for better. The girls were really excited to dress up! I think the highlight for Claire was being able to wear makeup. She loved her purple eyeshadow and red lipstick! My girls are super girlie. A day does not go by without them begging me to do their nails. Even if we just did them yesterday, they want a fresh coat. It kinda cracks me up.

Anyway, back to our activity....we showed up early to decorate our trunk with spider web and glittery tinsel. The girls really liked putting on the orange and black spiders. Once we were decorated and ready, we waited for everyone else to show up. We had a great turnout! There were lots of people there, and most everyone made an effort to decorate their car a little bit. I really appreciated all the support! Thanks Farmington Ward!

Here are my pretty, pretty princesses

By the end of the activity we were all pretty chilly. The girls were happy to warm up in the van with their loot. Of course, Chris and I spent the rest of the evening "inspecting" their candy. Two little girls surely didn't need that much candy right? We made it a little more manageable for them. :) After all, Halloween isn't even here yet.

Pumpkins

Our pumpkin patch experience was a little different this year. We weren't able to go when everyone else went, during that great weather at the beginning of October, so we went on a random overcast Monday afternoon. We had the place to ourselves! It was a little less festive without the crowds or the yummy smelling kettle corn, but we still had fun. The kids loved the train! We managed to stay dry, and the patch itself wasn't too muddy. It was definatly a little late in the season to be going to the pumpkin patch because pickings were slim. Most of the pumpkins were rotten and/or broken. We were able to find a couple decent ones to bring home. It was an adventure, but I think next year we will go on a Saturday...at the beginning of October. :)

It's back to a schedule!

It's fall now, and that means back to school! Claire is going to a second year of preschool as she gets ready for kindergarten next fall. She loves it! I have really enjoyed having some one on one time with Grace. Here is Claire on her first day...
Claire is also participating in a gymnastics class this month. She signed up with one of her friends, and the two girls have had a blast! We bought her a leotard with sparkles, which I think has been a highlight for her. They are learning about balancing and doing cartwheels. Overall, I'm grateful to be back in a routine. The summer was great, but we were ready for a change. Claire is loving being her social self again!

Mommy's Birthday

It was my birthday yesterday, and I had a great day! My mom and sister took me out to lunch at Godfathers for a pizza buffet. Chris came home from work with flowers and a new book Extreme Measures, by Vince Flynn. I've loved all of his other books, so I'm excited to start this one! Thanks honey! Then we went out for dinner to Red Robin. The kids behaved, and it was pretty good. Afterwards, we were feeling adventurous, so we went bowling for the first time as a family. The kids had a blast! They were so excited to push the ball down the ramp that they have for small kids. We used the bumpers and we all had a great time. Although, I wasn't aware that the alley wouldn't have shoes for kids. I felt like a bad parent...I let Claire bowl in her flip flops. It's a good thing we survived with all of her toes intact. :) Thanks family, for a great birthday! I love you all!

Nike Maxim Awards

Last night Chris and I went to the 2009 Nike Maxim Award Ceremony for IT. It was a formal affair, so we got to get all dressed up. Chris and his colleagues were finalists for two of the awards. Here is us leaving the house....

The event was held at the Tiger Woods Building on the Nike Campus. First there was a cocktail hour, which we missed most of, and then the ceremony started in a large auditorium. They put on a good show! The awards were specially made black shoes with purple laces. They are pretty fancy.

That's right, Chris and his teams won not one but TWO of these Maxim Awards! Considering there are only 11 awards given out, and over 200 nominees, this was a great accomplishment! Good job honey, we are proud of you! (Too bad they aren't the right size) :)
After the awards were all given out, we were served a really great dinner of steak and salmon with spinach and potatoes. There was a live band serenading us throughout the dinner. Overall, it was a really fun evening! It was nice to have a fancy evening out away from the kids. Thanks to Grandma for babysitting!

Fun in the yard

Summer days are just about over. We have been trying to enjoy the heat while we can, knowing that next week the rain could start. On one such day, we opted to stay home and play outside with water. I spent a few dizzying minutes blowing up the kids' small inflatable pool, and then Claire helped fill it up. It was pretty nice to just sit in the shade and watch the girls have fun. They really love splashing around and just being in their swimsuits makes them hysterically hyper. I'm glad I finally said "yes" when asked to get out the pool. It really wasn't that much work...and the looks on their faces was priceless.