I love my kids!

My kids are so different from each other! This thought came to me while I was watching them play with playdough. Kati was rolling a snake, a huge lumpy snake, while Logan was picking out little bits of playdough and rolling them very carefully, one at a time. Kaitlyn is super outgoing. She can carry on a conversation with anyone! (And often does) Yesterday she made a new friend while we were in the check out line at JoAnn's craft store. By time we got to the register her and this other little girl were holding hands and singing the ABC's together. Classic Kaitlyn behavior. Logan, on the other hand, is so shy!!! He won't even walk by a stranger, much less talk to one. When we're in new situations he hides his face in my legs, or his hands, and refuses to interact. Whenever anyone talks to him, sometimes even people he knows, he gives them a grumpy face and looks away. But, he's super sweet and fun when it's just us. My kids are so different! But in some ways they're the same. They are both very sweet, and silly. And adorable!

Shopping can be a family activity

We went to the Bass Pro Shop (a sports store) with Scott and Heather and kids. They have taxidermy animals there in really cool displays. And they have a putting green. It was a good time. Casey showed Kaitlyn how to putt and we had fun talking about all the cool animals, including a real giraffe! Logan was sleeping, so he's not in the pictures, but he was there too.

Porters at the zoo

Kaitlyn and Logan Resting in the stroller




Kaitlyn and the Alligator!!!



Aunt Amanda and Brayden, Braxton, Alyssa and Crystal in front of the waterfall.

Amanda and me and the kids drove out to Mojave CA to watch Liz's kids do cheerleading and play football. After the game we drove a little farther to L.A. and went to the zoo. It was great fun. My kids had a great chance to hang out with their cousins, and see lots of really cool animals.

Halloween

Kaitlyn is being a princess this year. Which princess depends on the day, so we got her a fabulous, but generic princess dress. She loves it. She wants to wear it all day, everyday. So I calmly explained that princesses do not wear dirty clothes, so we need to keep her dress nice and clean. So, no playing outside in it, and no eating in it. SO she adopted another dress from her wardrobe to fill in when this dress wasn't suitable. That's my girl. Logi is being a pirate this year. He especially loves the hat. And I love how adorable my little guy is in this costume! He likes dressing up because then Kati will play make believe games with him. And so far he actually gets to participate. (Usually he's the monster they all run away from, and lock out of the bedroom.)
Casey is going to be a vampire. We got him some really cool teeth, and he is pretty excited. (Though he won't tell you that.)

Have a Happy (and safe) Halloween!

Sand Castles

We went to the park and built sand castles in the volleyball pit with a bunch of cousins today. Mocha played hard and was pretty tired by time we left. She has been sleeping since we got home. I don't think I'll ever get the sand out of Kati's hair!

Quality Time

We made rice krispy treats today. We made them right before dinner. The kids ate marshmallows while I heated the butter and marshmallows, and after we stirred in the rice krispies, they ate the leftovers off the spoon. Then we ate rice krispies for dinner. Kati told me stories about what the "rice kripsies" were saying, and logan had a good time dumping soy milk from his bowl straight into the cereal box. (There wasn't that much left anyway.) So tomorrow i will have to mop my floor, and Mocha will get a few extra treats tonight. (I think she's learning to like food soaked in soy milk) But we have a whole pan of treats, and I think my kids needed more sugar in their diet. They're so boring without that sugar high. (HA HA HA)

And now, for your viewing pleasure...

Good Times

We went to the Dolphin Habitat and the Secret Garden at the Mirage today. It was so much fun! I have never seen my kids so entertained for two whole hours! We got to see some huge lions and leopards, and white tigers. Kaitlyn is obsessing about mermaids right now, so she really enjoyed the dolphin tank. Kati and her cousin Emma went nuts when the dolphin would swim by us. It was really fun. Logan liked the tigers, and the swans, though it was hard to tell sometimes (he's not very expressive). It was a beautiful day to be outside. A fun time was had by all and we got some great pictures!

Welcome Fall

Well, after a hot and busy summer I am loving the cool winds of Fall! Fall is one of my favorite times of year. I love the crisp cool weather, and the leaves changing and finally falling from the trees. In my yard, fall is when the plants are happiest. After the Summer heat has gone, they bloom and thrive, gathering their last bits of nutrition before Winter sets in. I love this time of year. Perhaps my favorite thing is the sweet treats of the holidays. Everything flavored with cinnamon and cloves, all the rich flavors of Fall. I am particularly looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. Last year I battled with sick children the week before, and I was so happy they had gotten well before the holiday, only to wake the morning of the feast with the worst illness I have ever experienced. So Thanksgiving will be especially grand for me this year! My whole family gathers for a day of good people and great food. I enjoy the strong bond it builds for our family. There is nothing like watching my kids playing with their cousins and second cousins, as I did when I was young, and as I hope their kids will someday. I love the holidays. For Christmas, we go spend a week in Northern Utah with Casey's family. The kids enjoy the snow, and I enjoy wearing sweaters. There's something for everyone! :) We have lots of cousins up there too. My kids are never without a playmate. We are truly blessed to be part of two amazing families.

The namesake

So, you're probably wondering who the heck are "the Aceys"? Well, Casey's brother, Russell, assigned us this nickname when we were dating. "Aceys" comes from the rhyming parts of Casey and Tracy. Many said "name your kids Stacy, and Lacy ... "and other such nonsense. We are not so cruel as that. And so we have two wonderful kids named Kaitlyn and Logan, and a very cute, but mischievious puppy named Mocha. And we hang on to our label, the Aceys (although the rhyming names are now outnumbered). It suits us.