My Annual Halloween Post:!!!

So the kids had a great Halloween holiday this year! We had a dracula/knight, a leapord and a ballerina. They were able to dress up several times throughout the week for different events and loved every minute of it. I was excited to learn about donating extra Halloween candy to dentist and orthodontists in the Valley who are participating in a program that sends the extra candy to our soldiers overseas and pays money per a pound to benefit the child's school. I hated always throwing away so much wasted candy every year, and was so excited to find that candy being put to good use this year!

Fall Break!

We celebrated Tyson's birthday this year at the beach house in Rocky Point. We stayed for a full week down there, and the weather was wonderful! We enjoyed reading books, watching movies, playing games, trips to town and bumming around at the beach. We almost felt like we were living Bill Murray's life in Groundhog Day for awhile, but it really was so much fun. Tyson picked out his Halloween theme birthday cake and he got some fun games that we were able to use at the beach the following day. I can hardly believe this is the last year I get him at home before he starts kindergarten next year. He is a great big brother and really looks out for his baby sister Eva. He is such a sweet boy and we feel blessed to have him!

Field Trip to the Fire Station

Tyson's first field trip this year was to the Fire Station. The kids had fun getting to climb in a real fire truck and feeling the heavy equipment that the fire fighters wear. The embarrassing part of the day came when Mommy locked her keys in the car while Eva was still in it. The firemen had to come with their sirens on and everything to help us get the doors unlocked. Luckily the car was still on, so Eva wasn't getting over heated! I was also thankful that it ended up being a different fire department to answer the call, so I wouldn't have to face the men I had seen earlier that day on the field trip. While I was trying to make small talk with the men as they worked to unlock the doors, I realized too late that they were in a competition with the other fire fighters working on the car to see which pair would get in and unlock the car the fastest. I may have been the cause of the team closest to me losing! Oh well!!!

Field Trip to the Fire Station

Soccer with the Munchkins!

Tyson and Elise have both really taken to soccer these past few months. While Elise may be ready for a nap by half time...she at least continues to run with the energy she can muster. Tyson is one of the few in his age group to understand that distancing himself from the pack gives him a little more room to break away with the ball when it comes loose. It is a fun age to watch, and they have the biggest smiles on their face with every goal made. Tyson had the chance to play his cousin this past week and we didn't know if we might witness some hugging between opposing teams! Those boys are like two peas in a pod.

Catching Up!

So a few things have happened since we last blogged. The first would be our trip to Salt Lake to visit Grandma and Grandpa Miner. The kids had fun at the Hogle Zoo, This is the Place Park and the Beehive House. We had fun enjoying the beautiful weather and friends and family that we rarely see in Utah. We were very disappointed by the BYU game, but there is always next year...right! The kids were so sad to have to leave, but we know there will always be a trip back to Utah in the not so distant future.

Newport Beach Extravaganza

We had a blast spending the week at Newport Beach with the Salmon family crew. We got to take the kids to Sea World for the first time and when questioned at the end about their favorite thing they did at Sea World, they basically named everything we did that day . Although it was a long day with three kids 4 and under, they did surprisingly well! The guys also got to go deep sea fishing in Dana Point and brought back some delectable sea bass that we cooked up for fish tacos. Brad and I were able to attend a session at the Newport Beach temple, and enjoyed the beautiful temple members helped to build. Our favorite part of the trip was of course bumming around at the beach. Whether it was boccie ball, koob, or boogie boarding in the ocean, we made the most of our time there. We even had the chance to spot some dolphins swimming nearby just about every day we were down at the beach.

4th of July in Rocky Point

We love our trips to the beach with Grammie and Papa! Although I was a little concerned about the weather for the fourth in Mexico, I was pleasantly surprised by the great weather we enjoyed there. Mom and Dad had a couple of new restaurants for us to try, which were all very tasty. We especially enjoyed the new taco shop! It is always neat to attend a fast Sunday meeting in the branch in Puerto Penasco. Although I am only able to understand bits and pieces of the testimonies, the Spirit can be felt so strong. Both Elise and Tyson would live at the beach if I would let them!

Elise's 3rd Birthday

Elise asked for a caterpillar made out of cupcakes for her birthday party. I tried to steer her towards more simple designs this year versus the princess castle I made the year prior. I made strawberry and mint chocolate chip frosting to cover the cupcakes, and all I can say is that Martha Stewart really knows how to make delectable frosting! Due to a June birthday in Arizona, our parties always end up in the pool or somehow connected to water. Elise was thrilled with all her girl themed gifts which included...a purse, jewelery, dress-up clothes and make-up, just to name a few. She loved the thoughtful gifts given by her aunts, uncles and grandparents. They definitely know what makes this little girl happy!

Eva's First Smiles

Eva is now just over three months old and the apple of her family's eyes. She is a happy and content baby for the most part, and was a trouper on our recent church history trip. We were finally able to catch some of her first smiles on camera. We feel so blessed to have her in our family!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game!

Tyson played his first round of t-ball this past spring. He improved in leaps and bounds from the start of the season to the end. We enjoyed watching him and the other 4-6 year olds that participated on the team. While Tyson may have had some confusion at the first about which direction to run or how to field the ball, he always gave it his best effort. We got a few chuckles watching him knock down his own team mates to retrieve a ball or to be the last man standing in the outfield as his team is already starting to bat. We love our little slugger and were so proud to see him give an all out effort each game!

Community Festival

Tyson and Elise enjoyed our community festivities at the Arbor Day celebration. They got to ride on horses, visit a petting zoo and bounce to their hearts' content in blow-up toys. The weather was great, and even Eva made it out for the special occasion!

Welcome little Eva!

Eva Katherine Miner was born on February 22, 2011. She weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce. She has been an angel baby and adored by her older brother and sister. She is now almost two months old and we are waiting to see whether she will have brown eyes like her sister or blue eyes like her brother. She has just barely begun to smile, but we have yet to capture it on camera.
Tyson just began T-ball a few weeks ago, and we are having a great time watching him learn the game. We got a few chuckles the first game to watch him run from 1st base to right field, instead of 2nd base. He also has been found the last man standing in the outfield while the rest of his team is in line ready to bat. While he may space out at times during the game, he is definitely starting to pick up the basics! We love our little slugger!
Elise is our little princess who never tires of dress-up and make believe. She is found at night making up songs and singing herself to sleep. She also has developed a love for dancing and likes to shake her little hips. She has a knack for art and will spend hours on creating pictures from crayons, paint or any other thing she can get her hands on.
We are loving our new home and have lots of projects to keep us busy. I am proud to say that Brad (with some help from my Dad) successfully installed ceiling fans in several rooms throughout our house. He is becoming quite the handy man these days!