S'mores

Mike made it home for Thanksgiving :) While he was here we helped our friends Jessica, Nick & Luke with a little yard work, burning a huge brush pile in their backyard.  We all enjoyed the fun company and the kids enjoyed lots of s'mores.

Natalya's 5th Birthday!

Wow, Natalya turned 5. She is growing up way too fast. She had her 5 yr. doctor visit back in Oct. and was 38 lbs (40%) and 43 inches (65%) tall. She loves swimming and being on the swim team with her friends. She had fun learning to play soccer this year and loves going to preschool with her good friend Joel and new friend Caroline. She loves electronics and constantly asks if it is the afternoon (she is not allowed to use them in the morning) so she can play on the computer, watch a show or use the iphone. She is learning Chinese and has fun with her brother at their class. We love her happy smile, her fun sense of humor and how loving she is to her brothers and sister.

For her birthday Natalya had a Rapunzel party and enjoyed painting, making necklaces and playing games with her friends. The girls all got Rapunzel hair clips and the boys Flynn Rider bags.  

Flynn Rider bags and Hair clips

Natalya with her Rapunzel cake

Getting tangled 

Eating lunch with her friends

Happy Birthday Natalya!

Some of Natalya's Favorite's:

Food: Pancakes and waffles

Toys: Barbies & Zoobles

Color: yellow & Pink

Movie: Scooby Doo

Day: Thursday because its a school day.

Activity: Making Turkey's- doing art

Place: The Candy Store

What do you want to be when you grow up: Hair-do Styler

I wish: I could be grown-up right now

Vacation: Going with daddy on a vacation

Best day: When friends come over

Handsome Boys

Erik and Marcus all dressed up!
What handsome boys

Halloween 2013

Erik the Zebra, Marcus the Train, Raquel as Snow White and Natalya as Dorothy all enjoyed Halloween this year. We went to the ward Trunk or Treat, Raquel's School Party, Trick or Treated downtown Blacksburg and with our friends Nick & Luke in their neighborhood.  It was a perfect night for trick or treating. The kids got way too much candy, more than 5 gallons worth but I'm sure they will be able to handle eating it for the next couple of months.

Carving Pumpkins

Our finished pumpkins

Snow White & Dorothy

A wild Zebra

Thomas the train

Raquel with her friends at her school halloween party

Too much Candy

Erik dressed up in Sammie's costume
All our boys have worn this 

Bugfest 2013

The kids enjoyed another year at Bugfest. It was inside again this year which was good, it helped contain Erik. More than once he ran off, once resulting in a 8 person man hunt for him.  The kids minus Marcus loved the haunted bug house and making all the crafts.

Buggy Natalya and Raquel

Buggy Marcus & Erik

Jackson, Gracie, Raquel, Natalya & Marcus

Chinese

The kids are all taking Chinese language lessons. Raquel takes private lessons after school on Tues. and  Natalya and Marcus are in a class for toddlers. They are all doing well and have learned their colors, names of family members and numbers in Chinese

Watching a video at Chinese class

Here I'm trying to get them to talk a little Chinese but they were all a little distracted. 

Its hard but they are learning.

Playing outside

The kids all had a great time playing outside together.

18 months

Can you believe it Erik is 18 months old already. He is getting to be a big boy and wants to make sure he gets to do what everyone one else is doing. He had his 18 month check up and he is gaining and growing well. He enjoys cars like his brother and loves to snuggle! He knows how to get into everything with his brother and they can tear the house apart in no time. Erik is a good eater, loves shoes, necklaces and his binky.  And we all love him!

18 month stats

Weight: 24 lbs 2 oz (25%)

Length: 32 inches (50%)

Head: 19 inches (50%)

All I Want for Christmas...

Is my two front teeth!  Raquel lost her other front tooth today at school during lunch. She came home off the bus pretty excited and wanted to show everyone.  Her other front tooth hasn't come in yet so she has a pretty big gap in her mouth.  Raquel wrote a note to the tooth fairy asking for some pixie dust in exchange for her tooth.

Elder Project

Raquel gave her Elder project about her Grandma Clinger today at school.  She did a great job making a poster and telling about what she learned. She enjoyed learning about Grandma but she thought her favorite was the idea of a party line phone which she thought sounded pretty cool.

Raquel and her poster

Bath Fun

Erik loves the bath!

Preschool

Natalya and Marcus started preschool today. They are attending the same play school at the Blacksburg High School. Natalya likes to tell everyone that she gets to go to High School. They have lots of fun and their are about as many teachers as their are kids so lots of one on one time.

Natalya ready for school

Big boy Marcus on his 1st day.

Our Preschoolers

Erik wanted to be in the picture too.

Having fun at school

Swim Team

Natalya joined the swim team and is having lots of fun. She is doing great and has made lots of improvement already. Marcus also started swim lessons and likes being able to get in the water and play. The rest of us enjoy watching them swim!

Marcus during his lesson

Erik likes putting on Natalya's goggles.
He is good at it too and doesn't it all by himself.

Natalya doing the backstroke

Enjoying his lesson