Hawaii recap

Okay - two posts in a day. ANd I have a bunch of other stuff to do. Like clean my house. But Dave is driving me crazy about putting hawaii pics on the blog. I told him how to post. He smiles and tells me it's too hard for men. :) So here is because I love my husband.

The few, the Proud, the freezing. At Haleakala crater the morning of our bike ride down. It was beautiful and freezing. We awoke at 2:30am to get to the bike place to ge tto the crater before sunrise. I wish I could say it was totally worth the sleep. But we had fun. This is me, dave, amber, kade, and Britt. It was so windy, the boys kept jumping into the wind - it was fun.

Here we are in required "safety gear" about to bike downhill for about 30 miles. It was totally fun. Especially during the parts where the lady in the hummer began screaming at McKade because his "wife" (Brittney our sister) swerved directly in front of her. Gotta love hawaii. Britt is lucky she didn't kill herself (several times). And I am lucky I had a husband nice enough to wait for me. I enjoyed myself (some say I was just SLOW). I find that now that I have kids I am much less likely to take risks. Dave says I was always like that. He didn't know me as a teenager.

Here's my little beach bunny. When we did get near water and sand, I didn't waste time with a camera. So most of our shots are un beachy... Bummer.

Watching Kung Fu Panda on lounge chairs by the ocean. Grandma Ardy was a good sport.

The infamous snorkeling trip to molokini. Our marriage lasted. Much to my surprise. Next time, we won't take a 4 year old or 5 year old on a snorkeling trip IN THE OCEAN.

This is by far one of my most favorite moments of the trip. Grandma will probably kill me for posting her in her bathing suit, but I think she is darling. And Sophia sure loves her.My girls are so beautiful!



Sophia loves her Grandpa!

Christmas addiction

Okay, so I not only have a birthday in December, I also decided to get married four days before Christmas. I grew up hating the sugar cookie decorating birthday parties. I SWORE i'd never get married anywhere in the winter season. And I cursed myself. Because now I can't feel the Christmas spirit without a sugar cookie party and a hay ride. Since these activities are a little juvenile for my peer group, I torture my kids. So the other day I decided to throw a hay ride party - complete with sugar cookies. I stressed the day before (when I decided to have it and invite everyone I knew) that I wasn't inviting these people, or these people. But I decided I had to stop somewhere before I had a ward party for kids under 6 on my hands. Unfortunately at 4am on the morning of, I awoke with a panic attack. I began counting invites and kids. I came up with a number of 24. And I wasn't planning on having anyone help. Um. Dumb. Luckily (sorry kids that missed it), I only had 16 kids show up. My great dad came over to give a hay ride. My amazing baby sister came over for a little bit - long enough to get me through the sugar cookie beginnings. And Dave magically showed up home early at the end to help with the hay ride. Well thank heavens we are now in the Christmas spirit! :)

Then we got all ready for church on Sunday and I decided to again torture everyone with a picture. Did anyone feel like mentioning my 80's hair? HELLO!!! I spent so much energy on the girls for "Christmas Sunday" that I missed ME. (Not that they came out amazing in the picture anyway... ) Luckily, I'm not sure anyone noticed - thanks to my "i'm 30" shoes I bought on my birthday with my awesome husband. ( They have zebra striped fur on the sides and red patent leather buckles on the toes - "Naughty Monkey" -the brand name - says it all). Dave knows how to make me happy. :)

My Christmas Card!!!

Merry Christmas from the Votaws!!!

2008 has been a wonderful year for our family, and we are enjoying our holidays already. Here is a little update on our happenings:

Beth: Kindergarten! She is a wonderful student and quite a little leader in her class. She started the summer by informing us that she would now be known as “Betsy”. That was short lived once her swimming instructor mistook it as “Bessie”. The next alias was “Meagan” followed shortly thereafter by “Valentine”. Her beautiful personality is coming out! She loves piano and performing anything to anyone. She also earned a parakeet (Ernie) this year with points at home. I NEVER thought I would be the mother with three pets. Let alone a bird.

Kate: Preschool at Ms. Becky’s! She has become quite the socialite. And once Beth began changing her name, Kate informed us that she was no longer “Gracie”, but “Kate”. That has stuck. She is also enjoying piano and friends. Each afternoon when we drop Beth off for school she asks, “Mom, who is not asleep right now?” Life without friends is just not as fun!

Sophia: Talking! (Okay, she’s mumbling). Sophia thinks she is a big girl like her sisters. She walks around telling them (loudly) what to do. If only they could understand Chinese. Lately her language is less like Chinese and more mush (like she has a binky in her mouth – but she doesn’t). She loves babies (especially her new cousin Evelyn – to her aunt’s dismay) and kitties and horses. She is too big too fast. Okay, nursery starts this week – I guess I can’t complain about that!

Dave: Still working CI, he finally got into the Mesa office (shortening his commute by more than an hour). He decided that he is saving so much time in the car he would join the gym close by. So much for more “honey-do list” time. J He is still working as the Ward Clerk. Tithing settlement time has been crazy, but I think he is secretly having fun… We attended his 20 year HS reunion this fall. It was crazy to see old friends, but mostly to surprise people with how he has changed (much taller and much more outgoing). Humorous! We also got to attend a Police concert this year. We get to do some fun things! He took on our old wooden play set this fall; I think the play set is winning. But he definitely beat the lawn with our winter grass. I could get used to it being so green!

Kelly: Still at home trying to gain control over chaos. My vision of what my house should look like is coming on – too bad it has taken 4.5 years in this house! J I get time to quilt here and there – usually in spurts. I have loved the new babies coming into our family (extended J). I am still working as Young Women President. My bishop has informed me to not get my hopes up – I’ve just begun. I feel incredibly blessed to be serving such amazing youth. I hope I can learn something about how to raise such awesome girls.

Our whole family was able to go some wonderful places this year – Disneyland, Utah, San Clemente, Maui. David still makes comments about how he feels like a teenager being dropped off at things (with our one car), but I remind him that we are blessed to do so many awesome things with our family – I would rather vacation than have two cars! J

We are so blessed this Christmas! We continue to feel the Lord’s hand in our daily lives. We know He lives and loves us. We are so grateful for his guidance in all we do. Merry Christmas! May your family be blessed with the love of the Lord that we have felt.

The Votaws: Dave, Kelly, Beth, Kate, Sophia, Cobra Bubbles the desert tortoise, Taco Bell the Chinese fighter fish, and Ernie the parakeet

Doesn't this say it all? I saw this on someone else's blog and LOVED it. I know we're done voting, but we probably still need to remember. :)

Beautiful people...these beautiful people

These are my four favorite people in the world. Darling!

So I'm thinking I'm doing so well. I even made it to the cannery yesterday. Then in the MIDDLE of the night last night, I wake up and do the math. 24 cans of rice do NOT fit in three boxes (at 6 cans a box). This means that I ordered and paid for 24 cans of rice. And I came home with 18 cans of rice. "Don't worry about it, we work with honest people. Just come get your extra box", says the lady at the cannery. And we wonder why I keep waking up at 5am with anxiety for no reason. What else can't I count?

Evelyn Allen

This is an exciting time for us. We got a new cousin! She finally came home from the hospital last night. When my sister got out of the car, Kate said, "Bring her in so we can pet her!" Then once we were inside, Sophia could not leave Evelyn alone. She was SO excited! Even this morning she makes these grunting noises (that she was making last night) and pointing like we should go see the baby again. Here are the pics of my girls with this beautiful, loved little girl.

I went to schneph farm again today. I swear that every year I say I will never go back. I smell like a cow. And my camera flash card was "locked". I didn't even know that you could do that. So now I'm home, smelling like a cow, without any good pictures to prove that I love Kate enough to go. Fun.

Ummm... It's nearly NOVEMBER!!!!

I am amazed at how quickly the last couple months have gone. WHERE HAVE I BEEN?!??! Dave and I hit a HS reunion in Long Beach for him (my girls now identify VW bugs wherever we go).

We went camping in October with some families and it was chilly!

The girls LOVE BUGS!!!!We also have done a dozen family days working on the house etc. Dave finally planted winter grass. It has taken him 4 years living here to get motivated to do it. Okay, so it's only the front yard. But it's a start.

I've been quilting . As soon as I finish one, I think of another I'd like to make. I love being able to de-stress this way. My husband is a good sport about it - and Sophie loves to help. The girls got their costumes in September (otherwise we wouldn't have got it done). Unfortunately, I left it until the night before the ward trunk or treat to alter them. Hmmm.... Interesting interpretation of a pirate, Beth. :) Sophie is a princess (renessaince style) maybe we'll see her better on Friday.We finally painted our pumpkins today - yes, we live in the pumpkin eating mold state. So, no major events, but we're happy.

Another Tuesday

So I have sticky carpet. Only in the small hallway from the garage to the rest of my house. How on earth - may you ask. Well from syrup - of course! I walked in this morning to find Sophia happily eating from syrup and fuzzy covered waffle peices carefully strewn across this small stretch of carpet. Who on earth would have given this child small waffle with syrup in the hallway? No one is fessing up. It is going to be a long day.

I CAN CAN!

Okay, so I saw on her blog that Lauren can can. Then Andrea told me she and Julie can can. I thought, okay, maybe... So 50 lbs of tomatoes and several hours of work from my sisters later - I can CAN!!!! Salsa to last us through the millenium. :) And more freezer space - since I figured out how to use my tomatillos. Now we'll all just pray we don't die from botulism. Thanks, Amber and Lynzie. I never could have done it without you.

Girls Date at the Theater

Hale Theater in Gilbert is showing "Wait Until Dark" for the next month. I love this story, and I'm going Thursday October 9 at 7:30pm. The tickets are $17. If you want to come with, let me know and I'll buy your ticket at the same time. Bring a friend! Here's the website info: http://www.haletheatrearizona.com/home/51-shows/68-wait-until-dark.html

School Life

Well we've settled in a little to the schedule. We are ready for the weather to pretend we're really in fall. The girls have had a bunch of adventures. I cut Sophia's hair. I usually just mess up on my own bangs. Unfortunately, Sophie fell victim. Strangers have been asking - did her sisters get ahold of the scissors? Nope. just her mom. Also a new bird named "ernie" - Beth earned him with points. Then Grace pulled all his tail feathers out. I felt horrible. He is recovering. We went to Dbacks game. Beth loved the cotton candy. Sophie loved that she got to stay home with Grandma. The girls are in dance and having fun. Dave is keeping his lawn pretty. And I am working on QUILTS!!! :) Here are some pics.

End of Summer

My baby sister finally came home from her mission!!!! She served for 18 mos. in the Oakland California Visitors Center Mission. And I must say, she came home sounding like a Spanish speaker trying to learn English. I am loving having another sister around!!! She also got to meet Sophia for the first time. Sophie was accomadating, but a week later, I think she is really starting to like Aunt Brittney. My other girls also wasted no time at all in getting tight with aunt Brittney. Katie Grace was nervous going to the airport. She said, "How will I know what she looks like?" I forget how little she is some times! :)

This is a few days later when I found Dave in the music room with Soph. He was practicing three flutes at once. My favorite is always when he is fiddling around on his guitar though.

I finally convinced my cousin to come down for a visit. Why she finally agreed in JULY was an unusual thing, but we were all so glad she came. The girls loved playing with their cousins. It was nice to have someone to be kill these last days of summer with. It was especially humorous that Brooke's baby, Drew, came terrified of high pitched noises (he only has brothers), and left somewhat agreeable to Sophie. Sophie spent the week trying to pick him up. And he spent the week crying when she came near (because she is always screaming). We're so glad the Larsons came!