Crazy for Cinnamon Bread

My kids love this stuff and eat it up! They love it toasted with oatmeal in the mornings. Today Carlee had some with her breakfast and she loved it. After school I was sitting with Clark helping him with his piano practicing and all of the sudden Carlee saunters into the living room carrying the bag of bread with a huge grin on her face. She brought it right to me and said, "Num, Num?" I got her a piece and put it away and then right before dinner she found the bag again. Then she got it while I was washing the dishes after dinner. This time I put it on the counter so she couldn't find it but as we went upstairs to get ready for bed I put it back in the pantry. I got the kids all ready for bed and Katelyn was reading to me. Carlee started fussing so I sent her downstairs to get her milk cup. A few minutes later she cruises up the stairs and down the hall carrying the bag of cinnamon bread, not her milk. Needless to say, I bet we will be repeating this whole process throughout the day tomorrow. Yummy!

For Sale

Nope, not our kids. We decided to keep them but we are getting rid of our house! It is finally up and ready to go. We have been crazy busy the last 3 weeks getting it ready to show and it went on the market on Saturday. It is actually really nice because it is spotlessly clean all the time. My husband even organized his shirts in his closet based on their style. He picks up his clothes and goes through his paper piles on a regular basis. Whoa! And the kids are being so good at picking up their things and helping with spills on the kitchen floor or craft paper scraps on the carpet. Thanks, babe and kiddos, for helping our house be ready at a moment's notice. Now we just have to wait for someone to buy it!

My Forever Valentine . . . Joseph

Joseph, Joe, Honey, Babe, and Sexy but never Joey. He is my forever valentine, the father of my children, the greatest husband, and my best friend. I love this man with all my heart. We have been together almost 11 years and it keeps getting better and better.

Joe is quite the guy. First of all, he is the smartest man I have ever met. He knows and remembers things like you wouldn't believe. He loves trivia and research. If he has a question about something, he will research it until he finds the answer. He is a very logical thinker and has reasons for everything. I make decisions based on feelings and emotions and he makes them based on logic and fact. He is always right, really. His reasons make sense and I can't argue with that.

He always makes me laugh. Whether it is goofy mannerisms, funny mistakes or trying to distract me, I end up laughing or trying to hide my smile. If I am stressed out or frustrated, he makes some joke or comment, wrestles and tickles me, throws me over his shoulder or does some funny dance moves. I can never keep a straight face or stay frustrated, for that matter. He helps me realize that there's no reason to get upset but just to take it one day at a time. The house cleaning can wait. We can always go out to dinner if we're out of time. And the kids will eventually fall asleep when they get completely exhausted.

He is completely whipped. He loves me so much and shows me all the time just by coming home at the end of the day. He could stay at work and dictate charts. He could go work out at the gym. He could go golfing or out to dinner with work buddies but he doesn't. He gets his work done as quickly as possible and comes straight home to be with us. That is what I admire most and why I love him the most. We come first. I knew that I had Joe wrapped around my finger when we first started dating. He would visit me at work when he was bored. He would talk to me for hours on the phone. He would go find me if I wasn't home when I was supposed to be. He would walk me to my classes every morning and study with me in the evenings. When I was working, going to school, and living at home, he hung out with my family even when I wasn't there. He gave my sisters dating advice. He built boats and lit them on fire while sailing them down the ditch with my little brother. Yeah, he's whipped and I am so grateful he is.

Some fun facts about Joe:
**He loves shoes
**He loves chocolate cake and chocolate ice cream
**He loves video games
**He is a sports stud (at least he used to be). He's still good but now he watches it more than plays. There's just not enough time and he wants to just relax after his long hours.
**He likes to go out to eat.
**He likes to go to the outlet malls
**He enjoys shopping (I know. What a lucky girl I am!)
**He is really good at "Dancing with the Stars" WII game
**He enjoys building things and doing home improvement projects and is really talented at that.
**He enjoys remote controlled cars and airplanes
**He loves falling asleep in the middle of the family room on the floor with the kids yelling and climbing all over him
**His favorite stores are Costco, Lowe's, and Target
**He secretly wants to be in a boy band
**He likes James Bond movies
**He just likes to be with me and our kids. We don't get together with many people because we just like to be together
**He loves to watch TV

All in all, I married the best guy and I'm so glad he's mine. Thanks for being my forever valentine, babe, and for loving me so much. I love you forever.

My Clever Valentine . . . Clark

Here's my boy, Clark. Or "Sparky" as his Aunt Marci likes to call him. Clark is just a great kid. He is a good student and very smart. He loves to ask questions about anything. When he checks books out at the library, they are usually encyclopedias. He would much rather learn about things than just read something fun and entertaining. The best thing about him is his memory. It is amazing the details and information that he remembers. Obviously this is a gene from his father. He is very bright and loves to answer and ask trivia questions when we are driving in the car or out on a walk. His school teacher gives out little awards when report cards go home and Clark is one of the top students, although sometimes he tends to talk too much. He enjoys helping others with their schoolwork so sometimes he gets into trouble.

Clark LOVES stuffed animals. He was introduced to Webkinz last summer and he can't get enough. He is always looking for ways to earn money or points so that he can buy more. He also loves Build-a-Bear and his school teacher, Ms. Gentry, collects them and has them all over the classroom so that has added fuel to the fire. He loves to just throw them around and have them fight each other or he likes to make movies or perform shows with them.

Clark also loves video and computer games. We got our Nintendo WII last year and that is what he likes to do in his free time. He gets very upset if he has no video game playtime due to homework, basketball practice, piano lessons, scouts, or playdates. Every night when Dad comes home, they have some type of tournament or competition. The only problem is that both of them are very competitive and sore losers. If one of them doesn't do well right at the beginning, they hit the reset button and call that their "practice round". Both of them pout and yell at the TV and throw the "WII-mote" (that's what we call them) on the couch if the game doesn't go their way. It can get pretty crazy sometimes when they are gaming.

Some fun things about Clark:

**He loves egg salad sandwiches.

**He is a great singer and loves to do it, although he won't admit it.

**He is a great big brother and very responsible.

**He is a perfectionist and likes things organized.

**He loves to play basketball

**He is a great pitcher and hitter.

**He loves chocolate ice cream.

**He is really creative and imaginative. I love to hear his stories and jokes. They are pretty interesting.

**He is a great example and leader to those around him, always chooses the right, and helps others do the same.

**He still wants me to tuck him in and give him hugs and kisses good night. He also blows me kisses when I drop him off at school. It makes my day to know he still loves his mom and isn't too cool, yet.

**He won't admit this, but he really enjoys playing the piano. He catches on to songs quickly and is really good at it too.

Clark is actually pretty good at playing tricks on people, especially over the phone. One experience I remember involved him and his Uncle Chuck. This happened when they lived here. Uncle Chuck called Clark on the telephone and pretended to be a radio dj announcing that Clark had won a big stuffed Sonic the Hedgehog prize. Clark was so excited and fell for Charlie's joke. Later in the conversation he realized who it was, they talked for a while, and then they hung up. A couple of days later, Clark called Charlie and told him that he had won a million dollars. They kept this going for a long time and they always knew that it was each other. The joke stopped for a few months and then on a Sunday night (a few days before I was due to have Carlee) we heard a knock at the door and there stood Uncle Charlie. Joe and I were surprised to see him there by himself, without Aunt JaNay and the cousins, but we invited him in and just started talking. Charlie said, "Are you ready to go? You don't look like it." We looked at him in bewilderment and answered, "Where?" He said, "To the hospital." Clark was snickering behind us and we had no idea what Charlie was talking about. He then told us that Clark had called him and said, "Come over quick! My mom is in labor and about to have the baby!" It was a pretty good joke and Clark finally got Uncle Chuck. He has also called them at midnight before, waking them up and wanting to talk to the cousins. (I have no idea what he was doing up that late since we were sound asleep!) And he tries the prize winning trick by using our cell phones too. I don't think Charlie has ever retaliated so always watch your back, Clark!

Clark, you are such a great little man. You are growing up so quickly and bring us so much happiness. You are such a special part of our family and we love you tons!

My Sweet Valentine . . . Katelyn

Katelyn, Katie, Kate, Katie-bug, Sweet Pea--Whatever you want to call her, she is our sweetheart. She is our little diva/glamour girl. She loves to play with dolls, dress-ups, make-up, and Carlee. She is a huge help to me. When I first had Carlee, Katelyn would help me take care of her all the time. I was so sad when she started school because she was so fun and such a good helper. Katelyn is very obedient and wants to do everything right. She is very sensitive and worries about pleasing everyone and following directions explicitly.

She loves her Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Guevara, and comes home with stories and comments that Mrs. Guevara said at school. If she gets homework, she has to do it right then so "it won't be late". (I hope she keeps up that practice) She loves school and is a little social butterfly. The girls all want to sit by her but she is very fair to trade off where she sits and play with everyone. She wants everyone to feel included and worries if somebody is sad. She never wants to disappoint. She and Clark are the best of friends but before school started she was always willing to do what Jake wanted and is the first to hug Carlee when she gets home.

Katelyn loves to sing and dance. When I can't find her or she doesn't come when I call, she is often singing at the top of her lungs and dancing on her bed. She loves music and "performing" for us. She has been taking dance for the last 3 years and last year she was in a musical performing group where she danced and sang. She absolutely loved it. When we moved to San Antonio, Joe's brother, Charlie and his family moved here as well. We were lucky enough to be with them for four years before they moved to El Paso last summer. Katelyn has a cousin, Sarah, that is her age and they got to be in the same dance class. It was so fun to see those cute cousins dancing across the floor in their tutus and having a great time. Katelyn misses Sarah so much but loves talking about the fun memories they made while living in the same place.

Katie is also very crafty. She hardly watches TV or plays video games but is constantly writing notes and cards. Joe and I often find them on our pillows or on our desk. She even likes to doodle and add cute accents to her letters. She recently got into stamping and loves to make cards for her friends. I can't wait to start scrapbooking again so that she can help me and maybe I can finally get caught up. (Yeah, I haven't scrapbooked the whole time I've lived in San Antonio. I'm toast!) She loves to decorate and color pages. It is fun to do those things with her.

Some cute things about her:

**When she talks to people or asks them questions, her voice goes really high, soft and sweet.

**She is always willing to taste new foods. She doesn't always like them but she's brave enough to try a bite.

**She LOVES soup and pizza. When I ask the kids what they want for dinner sometimes, those are always her votes. Just after we moved here, Kate turned 2 so we took the kids and the cousins to Chuck E. Cheese for her birthday. She ate 6 pieces of pizza and could care less about the games.

**She loves clothes and going shopping. She is also a shoe fanatic. (She did not get that from me, that is all her father. He has a lot more shoes than I do.)

**She loves her dad. When he comes home, the boys want to wrestle and she just wants to crawl up on his lap and snuggle. If I say no, she puts on the sweet voice and goes to Daddy. And he usually gives in.

**She likes to be outside and work in the yard. Katelyn is the one weeding and picking up garbage while the boys are sneaking in the house to play video games.

**She loves to swing.

A funny story about Katelyn happened during church. (Why do all of our funny things happen when we are supposed to be reverent?) Anyway, she was sitting between me and Clark and of course, she and Clark were being a little loud and tickling each other during the sacrament. I picked her up to move her to the other side of me but did not realize that I was sitting on the bottom edge of her long skirt. When I pulled her onto my lap, I pulled her skirt right off. She was whispering loudly what I had done and I started laughing so hard. We were trying to be inconspicuous pulling her skirt back up before the deacons got to our bench but I could not stop laughing. I was red and crying and Katelyn was giggling too. Joe kept getting mad at us until I told him what had happened. The organist, who is also Clark's piano teacher, saw us laughing so hard and I could see her questioning face and she started laughing too. After the sacrament, I had to leave and compose myself. (I always get the giggles when I'm supposed to be quiet)

Katelyn is such a sweet girl and we are so thankful for her loving personality. She is such a joy and so fun to be around. We love you, Katie-bug. Thanks for being such a "Fabulous" daughter!

My Witty Valentine . . . Jacob

Here is Jake the Snake! At least, that's what he calls himself. This little turkey is full of it and knows it too. He is my witty, always-quick-with-a-comeback kid. Usually he introduces himself as Jake the Snake and punches you in the gut or leg as his welcome. The funny thing is that he is also a Mama's boy. He loves to snuggle with me and sit on my lap. Sometimes he even wants to stay home from preschool just so he can be with me. Every morning after we take Clark and Kate to school, we come home and snuggle on the couch with a blanket and watch the end of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and SuperWhy before starting our day. I love those few minutes of extra Zzzz's while cuddling with my boy.


Jake is smart as a whip and will push every button, but he's always the first to say he's sorry and give loves for doing something wrong. He is very energetic and playful but when he gets hurt he gives a scream and wail like the world is ending. He is also a thumb-sucker. We have tried every incentive to get him to stop but he LOVES his thumb. He could care less that only babies suck their thumbs, that kids will tease him when he goes to Kindergarten, that it has bugs and dirt on it and that if he doesn't stop it will fall off or Daddy will have to cut it off because it is getting too red and wrinkly. (This is the same attitude he had with potty-training until we had to force him to do it so that he could go to preschool).

Here are some of my favorite stories about Jake:


**When Jake was a Sunbeam, he had a hard time sitting on his chair quietly during Sharing Time. He loved to look around, say hi to Katelyn and his friends, stand up in front of his chair, or just visit with his neighbors. One of our good friends was Primary President and when Jake was turned around kneeling on his chair talking to someone behind him, she asked him to turn around and sit down. Well, he turned around all right and with a glare said to her, "You aren't my mom, Kristen is."

**At Christmas time we took the kids to see Alvin and the Chipmunks and of course, Jake has been quoting lines and singing songs ever since. Again, during Primary, when somebody was giving a talk or scripture, Jake ran up to the front, put his hands behind his head, did some little hip shaking moves and sang a song from the movie. (If you've seen the movie, you know exactly which song he sang)

**One night about 11:00 just after Joe and I went to bed, Jake woke up and stumbled into our room. He came over to my side of the bed and was feeling the mattress for me saying, "Mom, is that you?" I said, "No. I'm a monster" in a scary voice. Instead of freaking out and crying like Clark and Katelyn would have done, he said, "I'm a monster too!" Needless to say, I couldn't go to sleep right away because I kept laughing too hard and hearing his cute little scary voice over and over in my head.

Jake would rather play with toys and watch movies than do anything else. I try to help him with coloring, writing, and doing worksheets but he has no interest. He just loves to play. He is the only child that will play in the playroom by himself without me nearby. He loves action figures, especially Transformers, and cars. His favorite thing to do is make jumps and ramps and race his HotWheels cars on them. He really got into Transformers over Christmas and loves to fight with them. Jacob enjoys music too. He is always singing some type of song but he especially likes the Jonas Brothers and "Funky Town" by Alvin and the Chipmunks, of course.

Jake, you keep us on our toes with your energy and fun personality. You always make us smile and laugh with your funny comments. We love you so much. Thanks for being you!

My Funny Valentine . . . Carlee

Carlee just turned 14 months and has come alive in the last couple of weeks. She is no longer my baby but a full-fledged independent and stubborn toddler. She knows exactly what she wants and will fight for it yelling NO and giving us a serious face. She started walking about 3 weeks ago but if she needs to get somewhere fast, she sits down and starts to crawl. When Joe comes home from work, the kids all scream his name and run to the front door and she screams and crawls as fast as she can with her head down almost as if she is a bull charging her matador father. It is so funny.

She is also very loud. It's no surprise since she wants to be heard over the other three but her little voice carries while we are shopping or sitting in church. She is constantly talking and pointing to the people around us. She yells, "Mom" whenever she wants my attention (which is whenever she is awake). She has been saying it for about 4 months now and if I don't say, "What?" exactly she gets louder and more defiant. She is also a chatterbox. She is always pointing and jabbering away. She looks at us and will rattle off her own words for about 5 minutes and then waits for our response. She can say a few words like Mom, Daddy, Doggie, Milk, Horse, and No but her own little language is what we hear the most. It's actually pretty cute but we can't find her OFF button so she is like the Energizer bunny.

Other Funny Things:

**She'll slowly spit out anything she doesn't like with these wide eyes looking at us innocently. I think that she thinks if she lets it out of her mouth slowly, we won't notice.

**If she doesn't want it, she pushes it away and says No while pointing her finger.

**She loves to climb--couch, chair, piano bench, the play kitchen, stools, pantry shelves, etc.

**She loves to wrestle everybody and roll around on the floor laughing

**She loves Katelyn to hold her and carry her around. They also love to push babies in the strollers together.

**She loves to read. If I can't find her, she is sitting quietly "reading" and pointing at books.

**She loves blankets. They are in the bottom drawer of her dresser so she'll pull them out into a big pile and lay her whole body on them. If I try to clean them up, she races over and lays on them yelling NO!

**She loves the remote control and telephone. Again, if I try to take them, she pushes my hands and tries to hide them behind her back. She'll also hold the phone on her shoulder and say, "Doh?"

**She fell headfirst into the tub the other night. At first she started to cry but when she realized that she had made it into the water, she was in heaven.

Here is a video of her playing her favorite game, "Grabber, Squirmer, Beeper" (dedicated to Grandpa Holt) and talking and walking. The other half wouldn't load onto our blog so you miss her animal sounds and pointing to her nose, mouth, and belly. Oh well.

Carlee is also very curious and happy checking out everybody else's stuff instead of her own. Clark, Kate, and Jake were happy and content to sit on the floor and play with their own toys for hours. I never had to keep them out of the cupboards and bathrooms like I have with this little one. If I have forgotten to close bedroom doors during the day, Kate will come home to beads, makeup, and craft stuff on her floor and the boys will come home to books, actions figures, and stuffed animals on theirs.

One special and very sweet thing about Carlee is when she folds her arms for family prayer. When somebody says, "It's time for prayer," she is the first one ready. It is just so dang cute it is hard to stop laughing and gain composure and reverence. She even mumbles some jibber jabber while we are praying and looks up at us with those wide innocent eyes. I love it! I'll have to catch it on camera sometime. It is too cute!

Carlee is a sweetheart and we love her dearly. She keeps us busy and entertained and makes things exciting! We love you, Coco! Thanks for what you bring to our family!

Yee Haw! Ride 'em Cowboy!

On Saturday, our family went to the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo. It has won the award for the best large indoor rodeo for the last 3 years and it has taken us 4 years to get there but since this was our last chance, we took it! The rodeo lasts about 2 weeks and every night after the rodeo there is a concert. There were several great artists this year--Alan Jackson, Big and Rich, Brooks and Dunn, Sara Evans, Miranda Lambert, Gretchen Wilson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Josh Turner, the Jonas Brothers, Clay Walker, Gary Allan etc. We tried to buy tickets for the night with the Jonas Brothers but it was sold out. Since our week is pretty full of extracurricular activities we went on Saturday night with Lynyrd Skynyrd. Yeah, baby!




We had a great day and the kids loved it. We saw the petting zoo and horses, jumped on several inflatables and slides, went on a few carnival rides, ate hot dogs and nachos, and watched the rodeo. We even got to pester some not-so-kid-loving folks sitting in front of us. They kept looking back and glaring at us if the kids were talking too loudly or moving in their seats. It is their loss, though. The announcer told us to be as loud as we wanted and to have as much fun as possible so that's what we did. We were just obeying the rules of the rodeo! Too bad they decided not to join us.

Clark was full of questions and his favorite events were the saddle bronc riding, bull riding, and tie-down roping, although he was worried about the calves. He also surprised us all at the carnival by climbing a rock wall all the way to the top in record time. American Gladiators, here comes Clark!

Katelyn has wanted to be a "rodeo queen" for a couple of years now. When we visit Grandma and Grandpa Stuart in Utah she wants to ride their horses all day every day so she was very excited to go and insisted on borrowing a friends' cowgirl boots to wear since she outgrew hers. Her favorites were the barrel racing and the "rodeo queens" parading around on their "sparkly dressed" horses.

Jacob was completely enthralled and sat very still in his seat saying very little. (What?!?) He loved "The Dragon" roller coaster ride and watching team roping and mutton bustin'.

Carlee kept pointing and saying, "horse" and her favorites were the root beer, licorice, and pizza.

The rodeo got over about 10:00 but Jake fell asleep on the Big Bird he won at an arcade game about 9:30 and Carlee was done with the rodeo about 9:00 so we didn't stay to rock out to Lynyrd Skynyrd after all, but we had a full, fun day and the kids were troopers on the long walk back to the car.

Thanks for the rodeo, San Antonio!

Let's Go! G.N.O!

Last weekend Katelyn and I had our own G.N.O with some friends. We went to Chili's for dinner and then saw the Hannah Montana 3-D movie. It was a lot of fun and we had a great time singing the songs and checking out the Jonas Brothers! Thanks, Kate, for hanging out with your mom! (Luckily, she thinks I'm still cool)

Preparing for a basket toss? They took about 5 minutes getting ready for this picture.

Three Hannah Montana Fans--Katelyn, Mia Swasey, Elise Cutler

Basketball Man

Clark is playing basketball for his second time. This is his favorite sport and he is doing well. He is very attentive to the coaches and loves to practice. He has great sportsmanship and if he trips or runs into somebody he always asks them if they are okay. He has scored 4 points this season so far and we still have 3 games left. Good luck, Clark! Keep up the great work!

I'll guard this guy.

Here I come!

(Thanks, Grandma Stuart, for the concentrating tongue gene)

And it's up!

BooYah!

That buzzer is so loud!