Look who turned 3!!

Porter had a birthday this week. I can't believe I have a three year old. These past three years have been the best three years of my life. My kids bring me so much joy!
We started the day off with having a few friends over for a playdate. Porter loves his friends and loves when they come to play at his house! (Here are just some of his buddies that came.)

Ellery favorite spot was the treat table!

For dinner we took Porter to his own little heaven. We went to a place called Choo-Choo Johnny's. They bring your food out on a train, the whole placed is covered in train stuff. Porter barely gave himself time to eat, he was having way too much fun!

Here he is chasing the modle train around the track. He spent most of his time here!

He didn't touch his cake, I have learned to accept the fact that Porter dosen't eat his birthday cake or ice cream. He would rather eat cookies! But the candles are sure fun!

Roll call with all of his new trains.

I wrapped up his favorite snacks: Nutri-Grain bars and drinkable yogurts!

After opening each gift he would shout "Yeah, I like this!" It was soo cute, but when he opened the food he would say it and then say, "Share with Ellery?" and went back to the trains, and his new track!
And last but certanialy not least. We are packing our bags!!!!

Jason has been accepted to the University of Utah to finish his final semester of Law school as a visiting student. We could not be more excited to be moving HOME!!! We will miss our friends here dearly and have loved every minute we have spent here in Chicago, but we are even more excited to go HOME to UTAH!!

2..4..6..8..Tis the time to.....How cute are these boots? How cute are these boots?

I just love those GAP commercials! A few Saturdays ago we were taking an evening stroll through the mall and were just heading for the door. When all of a sudden we hear some drums start to play. We didn't think much until we heard the noise getting closer so we stopped a moment, and before we knew it there was a drum line and some cute boys and girls heading for an opening in the mall. As we got closer and there became a crowd we saw the drums had big GAP signs on them. The group got together and started cheering "2..4..6..8.. Tis the time to liberate....I got a full on LIVE GAP commercial!!! It was so much fun!

In the middle of all there cheering they started throwing out GAP sweaters to the crowd. This post would have been even better if I actually got a sweater, and I would have if some people wouldn't have taken my spot!! We had a front row spot until my kids started crying from the LOUD drums, as we were moving the double stroller some poo faces took my spot!!!

Lets just say my little man was SO sad to have to get off and leave this ride on train at the mall!!

Hmmm, this looks familiar

Christmas 2008

Christmas 2009

Just a new obsession, cute boy!

P.S. Have you ever seen SNOW FALL HORIZONTALLY? If not you have never been in Chicago in the winter. (Crazy wind literally blowing the snow sideways!)

P.P. S. Happy 200th post to me!!

Let them be little....

Is it just me or do your kids follow you wherever you are and bring their toys along just to be near you? Most times I get frustrated and annoyed when I am busy and I have Ellery following me all around the house. But it's nice to just stop and soak in the sweetness of my babies just wanting to be near me! Like when Ellery is down for her nap and I run and get in the shower while Porter watches a show, and before I know it.....I hear my little man playing on the bathroom floor just to be with me. I need to stop more often and enjoy my babies WANTING to be near me all the time before they go and get big on me!

Thanks Walmart!

While visiting my local Walmart today I noticed they got some new carts. I love them. Now we have all seen the carts that can hold young kids up front facing each other making MY kids fight over leg, hand and toy holding space (You know we all do it, give them a toy and put it away in front of the check out isle.) It is also a lot easier to maneuver. Anywho this is awesome and it even leaves space for a child in the front. (Lindsay and Kerri all your kiddos can go in this cart!!!!!)
One of my kids favorite things was thinking they were both pushing the cart!

Our weekend in Kirtland was fabulous! We love having nothing to do in the little town and love every second we get with G&G. Here is Grandpa helping Ellery put on his shoes, she was so HAPPY!!This picture isn't the greatest but the moment was priceless. We were watching the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the Rockettes came on....Here comes Ellery. "Kick...kick...kick..." so funny!

Late nights staying up finishing moms Coke. (I don't even like Coke that much but man it tasted good this weekend.)
And for all you Gillmore Girls fans out there. There is a charming little street in Willoughby, OH that has it's own Lukes!!!!

A hardware store turned into a coffee shop (yes, I know his is a diner, but it is where Lorelei gets her coffee fix). It's on a corner and everything. I imagine Luke's apartment up above, and how I wish the ice cream parlor across the street was Taylor's Soda Shoppe!

Nothing new....

Nothing new with us. Other than the boy who decides to tear apart his room and play rather than go to bed. (This is fine with us for now, it is so much better than having him come out of his room every 2 min.)

Happy THANKSGIVING from these cuties!!!! We are in Kirtland, OH enjoying EVERY second with Grandpa and Grandma!!!!!!
(I was just happy to get Porter looking my way in the above picture and then below you can always get a cheeser from her!)

P.S. Happy shopping on Friday, anyone crazy like me and will be at Old Navy at 3am? Or Toys R Us at midnight?

YUM!

My favorite soup in the whole world is....CREAMY CHICKEN and WILD RICE SOUP!!!!

My sister gave me this recipe a while ago and this is my first time making it....SO GOOD! So here you go give it a try.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

you will need:

3 cooked chicken breasts

1 box Uncle Bens wild rice

2 carrots

1/2 onion

2 cans chicken broth

3/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

1 stick of butter

salt and pepper

olive oil

*Cook and shred your chicken. Finely chop your carrots and onion.

*In skillet saute your carrots and onion in a little olive oil.

*In separate pot bring to boil your chicken broth and 2 cups of water. Once it comes to a boil add your rice (not the seasoning pkg.) and your sauteed veggies. SIMMER ON LOW.

*In another pot melt your butter and add Uncle Bens seasoning pkg. Slowly add flour, salt, and pepper. Once your flour is combined slowly add your milk to mixture.

*Now add your white sauce to the broth and rice pot along with your shredded chicken and let cook and thicken up for another 1/2 hour and ENJOY!!!!!!

To bad this boy prefers to eat this all day every day!!! Cut in triangles NOT squares, and each piece of food, cup, etc. on a different number on the place mat. Such a silly boy!

Snuggie

A while back I posted about how much Ellery loves her babies and getting them all wrapped up!
Well.... Looks like Porter enjoys it too. He loves getting a blanket and wrapping up his baby!

Only difference is THIS is his baby!

Goofy boy! He loves to "Snuggie Thonas" (the "n" in Thomas is not a typo, that's how he says it!)Speaking of babies, check out Ellery's baby dolls. Every morning when I ask Ellery if she wants to do her hair she says "YA, YA, BOW!!!!!" I have trained her well!

HALLOween.....

Call me a "Witch" but I HATE Halloween! Well lets just say I hate what most of the world enjoys about Halloween. I love little kids dressed up in CUTE little outfits and my family tradition of eating chili, bread, witches brew, and doughnuts!! But that's as far as I go. I HATE, HATE, HATE horror movies, haunted houses, running around in the cold, anything spooky!

Now that I have said my peace, enjoy some super cuteness!! (Sorry Porter doesn't' "DO" pictures these days!)
We have all been sick this week and just getting over illnesses enough to justify going to our wards quick trunk-or-treat. We were all Cowboys this year!
This picture alone was worth the whole outing...I love my COWBOYS!!!!!

Well to sum up our lame day. We were all sick, pulled ourselves out of our sweats, Porter ran around while Jason trunk-or-treated and the kids fell asleep on the couch watching a movie at 6:00p.m. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Pumpkins in the Patch!

(Warning, picture overload!)

One of the funniest parts of the trip was watching Ellery try and pick up the pumpkins and her cute little grunting noises!

Porter loved the animals!

My silly boy kept picking up little pebbles and balancing them on the pumpkin stems! It's a rare treat to get a picture of these two together. And holding hands WOW!
By the end of the trip they were so dirty and shoes caked with mud, that the had to get stripped down to get in the car! I LOVE MY PUMPKINS!