happiness reigns

when you’re the youngest of 4

and wake up from an afternoon nap to find only mom and a fresh plate of cookies…

..happiness reigns!

the look of “can it be true, it’s only you and me?!

happiness dances.

happiness sings.

happiness is happy.

her drink of choice….

…you would think milk, or juice, or even water.

nope, it’s flour.

complete with a flour mustache.

i constantly find her drinking flour. no joke.

this is her third offense. busted!

Halloweenish Time

“Did everyone see that? Because I will *not* be doing it again.”

Captain Jack Sparrow in full character spent the evening with us.

If you were missing your pirate booty no need to hunt too far…

“Me? I’m dishonest, and a dishonest man you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly. It’s the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they’re going to do something incredibly… stupid”.

It could have been Captain Sparrow stealing the candy, but it was Reese who stole the show. After eating all of Captains Sparrow’s treasure she threw up all over me. Twice.

Candy overdose!

The week before Halloween was full of our family traditions. Pumpkin patch visits, carving the pumpkins and a visit to chipotle dressed in costume for a free burrito.  A new tradition we’re adding to the list is Aunt Tami’s delicious donut party.

Until next Halloween!

mi casa es muy….busy!

skimming through the photos from the last few months was pure nostalgia with

multiple favorites.

this one is on top of the list.

“do you like my hat?”

“they even came with brown stripes.”

“now I will attempt to brush my teeth with z’s toothpaste slathered toothbrush.”

prepare yourself to be inundated with our life in photos from way too long ago.

it’s time to play catch up from the summer/fall. the posts will all come before this one. 

it only happens once in a lifetime.

they are firsts!

we have celebrated a hand full of them in the past few weeks.

alexander’s first soccer camp

he loved

every minute.

every hour.

every day.

can you tell?

the crazy came out of our little friend dc; jumping from his first bridge.

23 feet…not too shabby my boy.

new schools. new teachers. new friends.

it’s the first day of school for our first grader and fourth grader. 

also our first sidewalk of inspiration for all those who cared to enjoy it as much as we did making it.

dc scores his first goal. ever!

z-man wanted a taste of victory so he too scored his first goal. ever!

a visit to the new seattle wheel was a first for all of us!

enjoying it with grandparents and cousins made it all the sweeter.

 

i competed in my first official half marathon in 1:48 minutes.

reese enjoys her first chocolate beater.  it will definitely not be her last.

and here we have it, the first of many three stooges (or better known as stoogies) show!

be sure to request a show next time you stop by.

you can enjoy your first, and only.

you are really missing out until you do.

a visitor

this is grandpa clegg,

introduced on my blog over a year ago.

he is grandpa clegg to me, great grandpa to my kiddos.

they loved his visit and decided from now on he needs to live really close. closer than utah because they don’t see him often enough.

there is so much to love about him. he loves popcorn, caramel, butter,  raspberry, even marshmallow.  he can boil an egg. he enjoys books, intelligent conversations, the 10 o’clock news.  his house is always 10 degrees too warm. he prefers ham over chicken and miracle whip over mayo. he doesn’t like Mexican food, although he had a smile on his face after sharing a café rio burrito with me. he likes the warm weather, yet his hands dry out quickly in the dry utah summers.  he wears fancy black leather gloves and a golf hat on cold winter days. he would sit through my cold soccer games and cheer me on, even though he dislikes the sport. he still golfs. he is strong. he is handsome. he is smart. he knows a lot after living 90 plus years. we are blessed to have him as our family patriarch.

he has never been fearful of learning new technology. unless it is a tv remote, don’t even think about touching it, you’ll be taken out of the will. I am forever grateful to have him online emailing me and the rest of the family over the last 15 years.  most of his emails are filled with a testimony about a truth he holds dear and a genealogy moment (since he is the family genealogy guru).   I hope he is not offended by me sharing these, it is more for the purpose that my kids read and reread his wise words as they flip through the family blog then anything else..

i love this email response to a blog post of mine from 2009.

Monica,

My computer blewup (figuratively) last week. It is so frustrating to be without one. Your Uncle Ken installed a newer version. I m trying to learn it's operation. In doing so I was suddenly confronted under "Office Works" with a demand to get myself licensed. After sixteen pages of instructions (a legal team must have salivated over this nonsensical document) I am trying Micro's web site to define what magical title I come under as a "License device". Nowhere in that document does it define the various categories of licensees. It is worse than a Congressional bill

You might suggest that Jon look into this monstrosity to the end of simplifying it.

Well, back to your message, I can really empathize with Alexander. We just came from Church where I could barely make out a few words. The Audiologists seem to be all alike-selling a product. I enquire about Alexander's status whenever Marcia calls. You must remind yourself that as the principle caretaker you have to control your own natural desires to do your very best. Take care of yourself and so your best.

Love, Grandparents Clegg

here is one about his strong conviction of scouting, with a little family history mixed in.

It is National Jamboree this week. That dredges up some fond memories for me. Way back in 1935 there was scheduled a similar Jamboree to be located in Washington, D. C. It was limited to Eagle Scouts, at least for Utah Scouts. I was one of those selected to go. The Timpanogus Council sponsored the Utah group and paid the way. Those were depression years and most families couldn’t afford it. The week or so before the scheduled date it was cancelled due to the polio outbreak. I still have the special neckerchief they issued.

Scouting has meant so much to me. It brought high adventure and challenge to me. I was privileged to earn the first eagle scout rank, along with my buddy Miles Dillman, in Duchesne County. I still have the stash with its merit badge symbols. Quite a big deal then. You see, Scouting had only been in this country thirty or so years.

Our Scoutmaster, Willard A. Day, gave up his family vacation week and much other time to be with his Scouts. He kept track of us as we grew up and used to proudly state that “My boys have amounted to something”. I used to visit him whenever we came back to Utah and had the honor of speaking at his funeral. He did more for me in my growing up years than anyone aside from the family.

I write this to encourage each of your boys of scout age to join the BSA. You will consider it a grand privilege as you grow older. You parents of those boys should be sure that your boys get that opportunity.

Grandad Clegg

another email sharing his testimony of his gratitude for the church,

What a marvelous age in which we live!    We have just concluded hearing and seeing the Church’s General Conference.  Great truths and vital instructions were delivered by the speakers and the music.  My mind goes back to our days of yore when Conference could only be heard on a static-filled radio even if you lived in Utah.  As we traveled about we missed most of the sessions because of the lack of communication facilities.  Memory takes us back  to Iron Mountaini,  Kenneth and a few from that Branch traveled to  -----------------(Ken, help me. I can’t remember the name of the City) Wisconsin to hear the Priesthood Session.  The locale was above a bar and the phone reception was not clear nor constant.

The sessions remind us all we are a favored people, blessed by a knowing a functioning God and Jesus Christ who care about each of God’s children.

They renew our testimony that the Church is true and its doctrines are understandable and for our eternal good.

We are grateful for each of you in our family.  You mean so much to us now that we are recipients rather than givers.

Reed & Naomi

he is wise. he is kind.

he opens his heart to those around him and we love him for that.

hopefully the kids will one day realize how blessed they are to be able to say they know their great grandpa clegg.

OBX 2012

“listen up america!!!

I would rather be no where else then here.”

it’s outer banks, nc.

the place where sand and sun bring us peacefully together.

our cute, adorable and completely lovable boys in 2009. 

same boys. still as sweet and adorable 4 years later in 2012…let’s add a little more smelly though.

it’s peaceful until the sand fight begins.

OBX has always been a special place for our family. that explains why even after moving clear across the country to seattle the previous month we still made the trek back to the east coast for the sunny OBX experience. 

it was worth every penny!

these are our OBX moments of 2012.

chasing waves.

lovin’ the sunshine.

awkward moments.

aunt alicia, don’t explain.

just-you-and-me moments.

the life of the party.

sand pit treasure hunt.

outlasting the waves.

first beach experience!

ninja shell guy.

love the water, just like the rest of them.

“just because my parents want me to take a nap, i will lick the dirty windows to show my disapproval!”

“innocent. promise.”

“some for me, and some more for ME!”

girl time.

duck donut time!

every year alexander has been the one who waits below the lighthouse in complete agony only missing the height requirement by less than an inch. this year was different. he officially cleared the height restriction and hiked all 100 steps up and 100 down himself!!!

reese certainly had a problem with being the only one left behind. “up there, graaapa, up there”.

swimsuit photo shoot.

happy moments.

my strong hero.

sand dune moments.

peaceful moments.

stinky moments.

she’s loaded her diaper. sigh.

riding the waves moments.

all cleaned up moments.

our crew.

love them all.

family.

the amazing people who made all the fun possible!

may we find ourselves on a beach together again soon.