Posting From Another

This is kind of a test post to make sure that I have solved my online storage problem.  Plus, I don't have time right this minute to post more.  This is more just proof that I am able to solve my own problem.  Hooray for MEEEEEE!  Ha ha.

I bought this wood project from Chelsie's sister's store and the girls helped me paint it and mod podge some craft paper on it.  Super fun project for them.  They really love painting and making things.  If only I were more patient to do things like this with them more often!

Bump in the Road

So, I need to update our blog more often and here is my official excuse...

There is a limit to the amount of space that you are allowed to post pictures on here and I have reached it.  I am going to wave my magic wand and add another email as an author on here and begin to update it again in the not too distant future, but for right now...  I'm stuck.  I truly apologize to the grandparents and parents who read this and check it often for updates.  I fixed this problem with my photographed blog all ready and know how to take counter measures around the limit that they gave me.

With that said, I am sure you are looking forward to more pictures and exciting stuff from our little family.  Don't you worry, it's coming!  We've been busy making Christmas crafts, going places, doing things, and getting sick just like everyone else.  There will be plenty of posts shortly!

Thanksgiving

This year has been crazy with it's ups and downs and everything in between, but I am very glad that it is Thanksgiving this month.  I love reading and hearing the many things that people are grateful for and what they are really blessed with.

I've laughed a little at my friends who are thankful for bacon, and cringed a little when someone I know is thankful for pain meds (because I know they're in need of them), and sighed in relief for a friend who is thankful for her first world problems (vs. 3rd world problems like starvation and no drinking water).

It's a little cliche to be thankful for family and friends, but I am.  I know that without the people who truly love me in my life, it wouldn't be worth living.  With that said, I am also thankful for bacon, aspirin  and bottled water.

Plus, all of my blog stalkers will be thankful once the holidays really get underway and I start posting some stuff on here!

Fair Well October

It's time to say Good Bye to October and really jump into the holidays!  The kids enjoyed Halloween and the candy and fun that comes along with being sugar buzzed and adored for how "cute" you are.  Mike and I enjoy the fact that it's now OVER and we can really start focusing on family and the holidays that really mean more to us.

Ian's Bragging Moments

He FINALLY EATS!!!!!!  This kid is putting down as much food as I do.  Fingers crossed for some serious growing coming up!

He's super happy too.

Pretty soon he will be too big for the high chair.

The day BYU played Utah State Andrew (Mike's brother) came over.  Since he went to USU, we adults understood his wardrobe issues.  Ian wasn't old enough to understand that we still LOVE Uncle Andrew despite his poor taste in clothes on certain game days.

(OK I took his milk away and that's really why he was crying, but the picture was just too good to pass up!) 

This guy's got some personality!  I was getting ready to give him some breakfast and this was the reaction that Cheerios got.  He now eats various cereals and cereal bars.  I guess he just needed a change!

As beautiful and great as our girls are Ian has a very special place in Daddy's heart (and he KNOWS it)!

Brooke's Bragging Moments

 This is Brooke's victory dance!  Yep, she's totally potty trained.  It officially happened awhile ago, but I was holding off bragging about it until I was certain that I wasn't cursing myself to fall back into more frustrations. However, it's done now and I am in no fear of falling back into the Pull-Ups isle for this one.

This was the reaction to a fly in the van.  A normal house fly is the most terrifying thing in the entire world to this little girl.  I get being scared of bugs, but she takes it to a whole new level.

Brooke is also becoming more and more of a "ham" everyday.  Everywhere she goes she's singing and dancing like we're in the middle of a huge Broadway production.  She sings Disney songs and makes up her own with very strange lyrics, but it's always entertaining.

She is also now obsessed with out shining her older sister.  I knew it would happen.  I busted out the camera the other day and it was a fight between these two to see how grabbed my attention more.  Brooke won and she seemed pretty proud of herself for it too.

Eryn's Bragging Moments

Eryn's first day of school this year.  (Yeah, I know, I'm waaaaaaay behind...)

She gets super emotional now over the littlest things and pouts like she's going to be nominated for an Academy Award!

On the school's "Picture Day" we stopped and I took a few.  Mine were much better, but I still bought a couple from the school mostly to include a picture of all of the kids in her class.

The biggest news...

Yep, she LOST A TOOTH!

Then the Tooth Fairy made the first official visit to this McCorristin household.  It was a momentous occasion!!!!!

Auto Drama

To sum up the auto drama that we've had recently goes as follows:

Load up all children and stuff into van to go to Boise for 4 days, turn key, van doesn't start.

Roll van back to jump it, smoke, sparks, jumper cables melted, children evacuated from van quickly, crying & screaming, van won't shift out of park, call a tow truck.

Covered by extended warranty we purchased?  Nope.  Send it to local place recommended by lots of people who we know.

Lots of tests and checks, part of computer coded and needed to be reprogrammed, done, fixed, about $100, could have fried engine and cost a lot more, blessed?  Yes.


7 days later...

Load kids to run errands, van no start again, call back auto repair place, sending tow truck, go try it one more time, it starts, no tow truck, paranoid and freaked out that it will do it again, yes.

The next day...

Load kids in car to take to school, van no start, kids crying, Mom frustrated, call tow truck, ugh...

Several hours later, call from auto repair place, battery dead, battery was fine before now dead, OK, $150 for tow + new battery, again could have been much worse.

There are a few lessons to be learned in all of this.  If the battery isn't totally dead, don't try to jump it.  Calmly trying to figure things out and quickly moving to plan B is necessary sometimes.  Knowing that even though this extra problem wasn't ideal, it could have been a lot worse has made the whole thing less painful.  I am certain of 2 things from our experiences with this little set back.  1.)  Things can always be worse  so be grateful for little trials.  2.)  Going with the gut feeling to just have someone local look at it and take care of it was the best way to go.  If it had gone back to the dealership in SLC they could have run us through the ringer and there would have been nothing that we could do to dispute it because the vehicle would have been so far away and the cost to tow it back from there would be insane.  Not that they would have, but I really feel that it could have.

More of the Visit with Grandpa & Sam

We took a trip to the zoo to celebrate Ian's Birthday.  It was pretty hot, but the kids enjoyed the animals and seemed to have a lot of fun.  As always, I had to take more pictures and show off my big lens while there.  The zoo is so much more interesting with a telephoto lens!!!!!

Brooke loves Meerkats!

Sam saying to Mike, "If we put the kids in here, do you think they can get out?"

We bought the kids some lemonade and Ian drank Brooke's.  Oh well.  At least someone enjoyed it!

The Polar Bear and the Arctic exhibit is new this year and by far the favorite of the kids and adults on this trip!  The Polar Bear was literally doing laps in his enclosure.  The window on the left had a bunch of kids standing by it, so when we came up you'd hear the squeals because he was face to face with a crowd!  I swear he LOVED the attention! 

Brooke swinging like a monkey.

As usualy they had to yell at the monkeys to get them to yell back.  The poor creatures...

Ian was interested in everything.

 Watching the seals doing laps around was popular too.  Sam and I were noticing that they seemed a lot more like dogs than we'd ever realized before.

My "money shot" of the day.  The American Kestrel.  I did cheat just a little.

This happy fellow was holding him.

We went up to the Brigham City Temple's Open House and were able to walk through the temple.  Eryn sat down in a chair in the Celestial Room (representing Heaven) and when I told her it was time to leave she started to tear up and said that she didn't want to go!

The Elmer Fudd face.

Responsible Uncle Sam thinking, "Go ahead kids and jump in.  The water's fine!"

PROOF that these 2 CAN get a long and do LOVE each other!

Sam & Grandpa Visit

MY family came to visit!!!!!!!  Well, some of them anyhow.  Here is the first post of a couple from their visit with us.  I'm still playing catch up on here, so forgive the fact that the normal chronological order is tossed out the window.

Grandpa and Sam posing with the kids for a few pictures right before they went back home to the mitten!

Uncle Sam was a little overwhelmed by the nieces, but bonded with this little guy!

Speaking of Ian...  This was on his birthday!  We went over to Grandma & Grandpa's house here in Utah and had a mini party with them.  The girls were lots of help with the unwrapping of the presents.

Ian and BOTH of his Grandpa's on his 1st birthday!!!!!

This didn't really fit in with anything else, but it made me laugh, so here is a picture of Sam.  Like me, he's all squints without sunglasses.  The beard really threw me.  My LITTLE brother is a grownup?  No way!