Beals Family

Soccer!

2012-02-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

Kensley is loving soccer and it is really funny to watch. She runs up and down the field and as soon as she gets close to the ball, she hesitates before trying to kick it. So, it is usually gone before she can kick it. She is having fun, though, and getting some excercise and playtime in! These pictures are from her first game a couple weeks ago.

Deja Vu

2012-01-18T21:44:00.000-08:00

I think this has happened to us before....Yesterday, my new plan for my life was in full swing. I have been setting my alarm to get up earlier than everyone else to excercise. Yuck, I know. I have done it for two whole days now. :o) I am a nerd, but I decided the best way to accomplish all the lofty goals I have is to write them down. So, I bought a notebook just for the occasion and before I go to bed, I write everything I need or want to accomplish for the next day in my trusty notebook. So far, for two whole days, it has worked perfectly and I have checked everything off my list. So, Stephen had just left for school and I was laying on the floor doing situps. Pyper was sitting next to me on the floor eating a banana. She tumbled over somehow from a sitting position and her head bumped into me. It seemed like a harmless thing and I didn't think anything of it until she started screaming hysterically and wouldn't calm down. I picked her up and she just wouldn't calm down. She had a mouthful of banana and the rest clutched firmly in her hand. I thought maybe she bumped her nose or something, but looked fine. Then, I realized she wasn't moving her arm and would cry whenever I moved it. I called Stephen after she had calmed some and would start whimpering at the slightest movement. He came home and we headed to her doctor's office. This entire time, she was clutching her banana and would scream if I tried to take it away. She finally relinquished it at the doctor's office. They sent us to the Urgent Care in the same building which probably worked better since the Urgent Care waiting area was empty and the doctor's office was overflowing with people. They made me sit her on a scale to weigh her which sent her into a fresh batch of hysterics. She was fine as long as I was holding her and not moving her around at all. The doctor finally came in and felt her arm a little, but it made her so hysterical that he decided she needed an x-ray. I was surprised since I figured she just pulled out her elbow like Kensley used to do all the time. So, then I worried there was something more serious going on. I guess he was worried because of the trauma and said moving it around if something was broken could cause more damage. The x-rays were traumatic to say the least. It was pretty awful. Of course, the doctor didn't see anything on the x-rays. So, then he decided it was just nurse maid elbow, which is what I figured. He came in and took her arm and had it popped back into place in half a second. She was immediately better. I really need to learn how to do this procedure! The main reason he was concerned it was something else is because it usually happens when you grab your kid's arm and pull on them, like if you are in a hurry. Since I told them she fell over I guess he thought it was something else. I guess she fell just right! I guess next time, because I am pretty sure there will be a next time with our track record, I should just start moving her elbow around even if she is screaming bloody murder until it pops back in itself. More likely, I will probably just take her in again!

Look What I Did!!!!

2012-01-17T13:39:00.000-08:00

I am so proud of myself, I can hardly stand it! I watched a youtube video on how to make this and just followed along. Usually, when I sew, my mom is standing behind me telling me what to do. I did this all by myself (If you don't count the online directions :o) )

Soccer!

2012-01-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

Kensley posing for the camera right before her very first soccer practice!

When I Grow Up...

2012-01-15T09:42:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember, Kensley has said that she wants to be a firefighter when she grows up. She had a best friend in preschool who wanted to be a horserider so, for a brief time Kensley wanted to do that, too. She eventually went back to being a firefighter. The other day we were talking about it again and I asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She came back with her usual reply that she wants to be a firefighter. This time, I asked her why she wanted to be a firefighter to which she replied, "Because I don't want a baby in my tummy!" I wasn't expecting this response and I asked her why she didn't want a baby. She said, "Because I don't want to go to the hospital!" Poor Kensley. I think Pyper's birth may have scarred her for life. Whenever the subject comes up about whether or not we should have another baby, Kensley always yells that she doesn't want me to have a baby! When I ask her why she always says, "I don't want you to go to the hospital again!" I don't want to go to the hospital again, either! So, how can I blame her?

Parent/Teacher Conference

2012-01-13T22:30:00.000-08:00

I had Kensley's parent/teacher conference today and she is doing excellent as always. Stephen went to the last one a few months ago and the teacher has nothing but good things to say about her. She has 4's in every area, which is the highest. The teacher also mentioned that the librarian doesn't give the kids grades, but always has wonderful things to say about Kensley. :o) Kensley has always loved to learn and was born ready for school. She loves Mondays when she brings home her homework packet. The teacher is trying to find ways to challenge Kensley more since everything they do is so easy for her. She is already working on the First Grade material and is advanced in her reading and writing. She LOVES to read and is always asking what a word is and how it is pronounced. Her teacher also said that she has tons of friends and that she was even friends with Alexis. I don't know this girl personally, but have heard a lot about her throughout the year. Kensley always tells me that she likes Alexis, but she doesn't like her choices! I guess she would run around the room screaming and such things and was recently removed from the school. Kensley loves to make friends. Every day, when I pick her up from school, she has to walk by the bus line on the way to the car so she can yell out personal good-byes to everyone she knows. She flips whenever she hears a hint that she might have to miss school for some reason. I hope that she always keeps her love for learning and for people.

Movie Cuddling

2012-01-12T20:41:00.000-08:00

Kensley and Pyper were watching "Winnie the Pooh" in their room tonight and decided to get comfortable.

Christmas Dresses

2011-12-25T20:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas fell on Sunday this year so we only had Sacrament meeting and the girls got to wear their dresses on Christmas Day. After church, we headed to Bullhead City to have Christmas dinner with Stephen's family and had lots of fun visiting and opening more presents. Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures.

Christmas Morning

2011-12-25T20:29:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Festivities

2011-12-24T20:10:00.000-08:00

We decided to stay home for Christmas Eve and morning, so we spent the evening at Lois and Kevin's house. I tried to get a good picture of Kensley and Pyper together, but Pyper wasn't cooperating, as usual.

Pinata time!

Kensley & Pyper coloring together in the giant Christmas coloring book.

Christmas Eve Presents!

When Kensley opened her fuzzy socks from Lois, she YELLED, "This is what I ALWAYS wanted!"

Christmas PJ's!

Lacey and Lois got a good workout in entertaining Kensley & Pyper.

Big Girl Bed!

2011-12-23T19:43:00.000-08:00

Pyper graduated to a big girl bed tonight! She has been sleeping in a pack-n-play crib pretty much her whole life. She recently learned how to climb out of it so when we saw an opportunity for a free toddler bed, we jumped on it! So far, she loves it. :o)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-19T19:38:00.000-08:00

Potty Time!

2011-12-19T19:32:00.000-08:00

I didn't get a really good picture, but this was so funny. I went to check on Pyper to see what she was doing and found her in the bathroom sitting on the little potty with her pants down around her ankles. Potty training hasn't even been on our radar, but apparently it should be!

AZ Science Center

2011-12-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

The library gives out culture passes every day to different places in the valley for free admission. I have NEVER been able to get one and we go to the library a lot! Stephen went to the library one morning and just happened to get there a couple minutes before they opened. So, he was able to get a culture pass to the AZ Science Center for two free admissions. So, I had him take Kensley on a date. She had SOOOO much fun and couldn't stop talking about it. So, the other day, I was at the library and they had another one still there so I grabbed it! Kensley was so excited to go again, and Stephen wasn't as thrilled, but still willing to take her. This time I made him take the camera.

I think Kensley looks so grown up in this last picture. She is so full of energy and always happy. We are so happy that she is part of our family!

Merry Christmas Banner

2011-12-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

I am the Activity Days Leader in my ward and today we might "Merry Christmas" signs for the girls to hang up. I have to bring Pyper and Kensley with me to all the activities, which is generally a pain. Kensley is constantly begging me to do the activity with the other girls. This time, I told her that I would do the craft with her when we got home so that she would leave me alone and let me help the other girls. She was SOOOO excited and wouldn't let me rest until I helped her!

Presents!

2011-12-11T19:11:00.000-08:00

It just occurred to me that every picture we have of Pyper is with a dirty face. :o) I promise she wasn't dirty all day!

Happy Second Birthday, Pyper!

2011-12-11T18:32:00.000-08:00

I made chocolate cupcakes with peppermint swirl frosting. It was pretty good...but I am still searching for the perfect cupcake!

I put Pyper in her high chair and then told Stephen we needed a lighter for the candle. I thought this would be easy, but it turns out we didn't know where one was. Pyper got extremely impatient while Stephen searched and searched. Finally, after about 15 minutes, he found a lighter in our car.

Things were quickly starting to unravel at this point. Pyper had pretty much had it and just wanted to eat a stinking cupcake!

And, here is the full melt down:

FINALLY!

Now we have a happy birthday girl. :o)

Happy Birthday, Pyper!

2011-12-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

Pyper is two years old! The day started out with doughnuts and a balloon....She is getting so big!

Let it Snow!

2011-12-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

Every night until Christmas, at 7 and 8PM, The Tempe Marketplace has "snow" fall for 8 minutes next to their giant Christmas tree. We decided to make an outing of it. The kids had lots of fun, even though Pyper wasn't sure what was going on! In case you go, don't be like Kensley and try to catch the "snowflakes" on your tongue, though. They are gross and taste like soap!

Before we went and after we went, Kensley had been complaining of a headache. I didn't really know if anything was wrong with her. She never complained while playing in the snow, but immediately resumed complaining on the way home. She kept saying she was cold. It was a little chilly, but she seemed colder than she should be. When we got home, I finally gave her some Tyelonol and took her temperature. She had a slight fever, 101, and I sent her to bed. By morning, she was fine. Weird. I guess it was the 5-hour flu?

Here Comes Santa Claus!

2011-12-03T22:06:00.000-08:00

My niece, Lacey, worked for an orthodontist who does a huge Christmas Party every year. Santa is always there for the kids to get their pictures taken with him. Kensley has always been afraid of Santa and so we haven't had a picture of her with him for a few years. This year, I made her do it and she wasn't happy about it. Pyper was a little nervous about it as well, but she didn't cry. She just got a worried look and tried to pretend it wasn't happening!

Santa was very friendly and was able to convince Kensley to move in for a closer picture. He even got her to give him a high five, but I didn't catch it on camera. :o(

It was a super cold day in Mesa, kind of rare around these parts. It was even raining a little. So I was kind of miserable, but the kids had fun and there was hot chocolate. Kensley enjoyed the arts and crafts and a few games before we left. She was disappointed that I didn't let her make a snowman. There were piles of snow in the parking lot, but she didn't have gloves on.

Sleepy Head

2011-11-28T21:59:00.000-08:00

My mom offered to watch the kids while I went to Activity Days at the church. I readily accepted her offer and the activity was much more peaceful than usual. They aren't really bad or anything, just distracting! When I came home, Kensley had fallen asleep in this position on the ottoman. I guess she really needed a nap!

Temple Lights

2011-11-27T21:49:00.000-08:00

I think it was Stephen's brilliant idea to go see the temple lights and maybe catch a concert while my mom was here. Not his best idea yet. The temple lights are beautiful and all, but not so much fun with an almost two-year old. Pyper was awful! I really should have packed her in a stroller, but I only have a giant one and it is a pain to use as well. She was running all over the place, the temple was EXTREMELY crowded, and she only wanted to be where she wasn't supposed to be. She would duck under the rope lights to try and get at the nativity scenes on the lawn. Then, we had the brilliant idea, to walk through the nativity display in the visitors center that has all the nativities from all over the world. A neat display, yes, but not with a toddler! At one point, she escaped Stephen's grasp and ducked under the rope and grabbed one of the fragile nativities and knocked another piece on the floor! I was horrified and couldn't get out of there fast enough. Thankfully, nothing was broken. Stephen wanted to hear the singing and I wanted no part of it. We finally started thinking about going home, but not before Pyper ran onto the front lawn and grabbed the "Do not step on the grass" sign and ripped it out and threw it to the ground!
This picture about sums it all up for me...

I told Stephen that he is welcome to go back to the temple another night to listen to a concert with Kensley, but me and Pyper will not be participating!

Turkey Trot

2011-11-23T21:25:00.000-08:00

Now that Kensley is in Kindergarten, we get to watch her participate in the Turkey Trot! Basically, the kids all lined up and they sent one class at a time to take off running. It wasn't a race, so their were no winners. The Principal dressed up in a turkey costume and the kids wore turkey hats they decorated and took off on a 1/2 mile run. I volunteered Stephen to run with Kensley. :o) I figured it would be bonding for the two of them!

Pyper HATES it when we put her on Stephen's shoulders! I guess she is scared of heights.

Off they go!

My Mom came down for Thanksgiving and then a couple weeks to visit! She took a little walk with Pyper.

Here they are running to the finish line. I couldn't get a good shot because of the angle. Stephen is blocking Kensley a little behind him, but she is there! Stephen said she ran the whole way.

Kensley telling me all about her run...

Pyper wasn't really sure about the turkey and was checking him out the whole time, but didn't want to get too close. We finally got her to go up and say hi, but she still wasn't sure she was happy about it.

After the race, the kids were allowed to play on the playground for a little while before heading back to class. Pyper jumped right in and played with all the other kids.

This is how happy Pyper was to head home!

Kensley was also so happy to see us leave!

Isn't She Precious?

2011-11-20T21:22:00.000-08:00

I think it is pretty clear what happened here...

Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T21:09:00.000-08:00

This year for Veteran's Day, we once again went to the Mesa Veteran's Day Parade. The difference this year was that Stephen got to be in the parade! The cub scouts in our ward are in the parade every year, but this year they added a truck that a man in our ward restored and filled it with the veterans from our ward. Stephen walked behind the truck. :o)

Stephen's Dad is also a veteran so he came down for the weekend to be in the parade with Stephen and share the experiece with him. He is waving from the truck!

Pyper made a friend in the crowd who was the same age as her. Her birthday is in December, too. They stood there sizing each other up for a little bit and then Pyper said "let's go!" in toddler talk and gestured for the other girl to follow her and they took off in the other direction! I have no idea where they planned to go, but they were on their way!

Stephen was the first float in the parade right behind the Grand Marshall! So, when they were done, they walked back to where we were sitting to enjoy the rest of the parade with us. Pyper really liked his hat!

Gobble Gobble!

2011-11-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

For Activity Days, we helped the girls make little turkeys out of oreos, reeses peanut butter cups and candy corn. I have to bring Kensley and Pyper with me (kind of a pain) and Kensley was whining the whole time because she wanted to make one. I told her we would make one at home so she would leave me alone! She was very proud of her turkey!

Later that day, Kensley and Pyper settled into the toybox to read books

First ER Visit

2011-11-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

Kensley has had a cough all day yesterday, but didn't have any other symptoms and kept telling me she felt fine. She even said her throat didn't hurt. It wasn't really that bad, just sounded awful. Last night I was hoping to get a good night's sleep because I always go to bed way too late. So, I took some Benadryl and went to bed. The next thing I knew, it was about 2:15 in the morning and Stephen was waking me up saying that Kensley couldn't breathe. Apparently, she had been hysterical in her room and I didn't hear a thing! It is really unheard of for Stephen to hear her before me! Her breathing was really labored and she was crying and scared. I really had no idea what to do to help her, other than take her to the hospital. That freaked her out and made things worse because she didn't want to go! She kept saying she felt better, even though it was obvious she didn't. Eventually, she threw up, but was able to tell me so it made it into a bowl at least. After she threw up, she said that was all she needed to do and she was all better now. We took her to the emergency room anyway. They said that she had croup, which was what I figured it was since she sounded like a barking seal when she coughed. Her breathing was fine when we got there, but it probably would have happened again once we put her back to bed. They took her vital signs and everything was good with that. So, they gave her a Hello Kitty sticker and then some steroid medicine. It was a liquid that she could drink to reduce the swelling in her throat. When they checked her throat, it was really red, but they said it wasn't completely closed off because we caught it early. They also said they had been treating kids with croup all night long, at least 10 other kids, because it is going around the valley. They gave her a popsicle and said she would be good to go to school on Monday. We were in and out of the hospital in an hour and back in bed by 4am. She slept fine, in between me and Stephen, for the rest of the night. On our way home from the hospital, she was all smiles. Stephen's cousin was here visiting so we were both able to go to the ER with Kensley, while Stephanie was at the house with Pyper. Kensley told me before she went to bed tonight that if she wakes up not being able to breathe that I have to take her to the hospital myself and not Daddy. She said I could take care of it. Thank you Kensley, I will do that, but hopefully it won't happen again! This was my first time ever visiting an ER and it wasn't that awful. I really regretted the Benadryl I took, though!

Happy Halloween

2011-11-03T20:39:00.000-07:00

from Pippi Longstocking and Wonder Woman!

Dressing Myself!

2011-10-26T22:31:00.000-07:00

Pyper is always trying to dress herself, but she doesn't quite have the hang of it yet. It usually ends with a very frustrated toddler. Yes, I do realize she is filthy in this picture!

Big Girl

2011-10-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

Pyper has figured out how to put her own shoes on. In fact, she even puts them on the right feet, which is more than I can say for Stephen when he puts her shoes on! It is very common for you to see her strolling through the house with her shoes on over her feety pajamas.

Sunday Temple Stroll

2011-10-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

We were having some great weather for once and decided to spend the evening at the Mesa Temple after Church and Dinner. We went to the Visitors Center first and Pyper was SO excited to see Jesus. She was a little scared when he started talking, though. Yes, I know my hair is slicked back and looks awful!

Kensley loved the little pretend houses that showed all the "Mormon" commercials. She couldn't understand why she couldn't go play it the little pretend yards!

The girls had so much fun running all over the place. Probably not the most reverent, but it was a perfect way to spend the evening!

Monsters!

2011-09-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was sleeping peacefully in my bed last night, doesn't happen often, when I was rudely awakened by Kensley screaming hysterically. I just knew I would go in her room and find that she had thrown up everywhere. Thankfully, I discovered there was only a monster in her room. I sent her to my bed and tucked Pyper back in and went back to bed. Usually, late nights like this equals lots of barf everywhere so I was relieved. It took me FOREVER to go back to sleep and when I woke up Kensley this morning to get ready for school she was all smiles. She did say that she could see the monster peeking under the door at us while we slept, though. Hopefully this isn't a new thing we are going to have to endure, but right now I will take monsters over vomit any night!

Sister Time

2011-09-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

Kensley and Pyper love to draw....on EVERYTHING! More than that, Pyper just wants to do whatever Kensley is doing. Every once in a while she is able to do it with a peaceful ending between the two of them!

Unattended Toddlers

2011-09-22T14:21:00.000-07:00

What happens when you aren't paying attention to your toddler? Many things could happen and I suppose it could be worse! Yes, I was the brilliant one her gave her the pen and paper in the first place! I was even in the same room with her when this happened.

Peaches, Peaches, and more Peaches!

2011-09-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

I ordered a case of Utah peaches and they finally arrived last Thursday. They weren't ripe yet so I waited until Monday to start canning them. It took me two days, but I finally got it all done! I ended up with 24 pints and 3 quarts worth. I also tried a recipe for peach honey that turned out delicious, but only made two half pint jars. :o( It is a process that involves boiling down all the leftover peach skins after I peeled them. It was super easy and kind of tasted like fruit roll ups or jam.

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-11T15:58:00.000-07:00

Stephen's birthday is September 7. Because he has a crazy schedule and left on Wednesday morning not to return home again until about 9PM we had his official birthday dinner on Thursday night. Wednesday morning he woke up to a happy birthday balloon and birthday doughnuts. Someone also tagged his car, but I can't imagaine who!
For his dinner on Thursday night we had Popcorn Shrimp, Cheese Ravioli with Alfredo sauce, Blood Orange Italian Soda and Salad. We also had Hans Solo ice cubes and Star Wars plates and cups.

For his birthday cake, I made German Chocolate Cake. The chocolate part was good, but I scraped off the frosting on my piece. Stephen is the only one who likes that kind!

Pyper loved blowing out the candles!

Everytime Pyper would go near the flame, Kenlsey would freak out and rush to save her!

Happy Birthday, Stephen! We love you and hope you had a great birthday...

Almost!

2011-09-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Pyper's hair is getting long and I can just barely get it into a french braid!

Simple Pleasures

2011-09-09T13:03:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I headed to the World Market with my $10 off $30 or more coupon in hand. My goal: a table runner for my table that had orange in it. This is what I found and I love it. It makes me happy. Everytime I pass my teeny tiny table I smile. It is the little things... And what doesn't look better with a cake on top of it!

Sticky Situations

2011-09-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

It is funny to me how often kids and babies find themselves stuck in one dilemma or another. Tonight it was Pyper's turn. The kids were brushing their teeth and getting ready for bed. Pyper decided to shut the bathroom door, but got her skirt stuck in the door. It took me a minute to figure out why she was yelling at me! She was especially mad, when instead of helping her, I ran to get the camera first. :o) Once the camera came out, she made sure to say "cheese" first before she commenced yelling again.

Homework!

2011-09-06T20:09:00.000-07:00

Kensley's first homework assignment! Is it weird that I think it is cute watching her do homework? Homework officially started this week for Kindergarten. They will get a homework packet every Monday that has something for them to do everyday and then they turn it all in on Friday. Kensley was way too excited and did all the homework in one sitting. I kept trying to get her to stop so she would have some to do tomorrow, but she wouldn't listen!

Silly Hats

2011-09-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

Pyper spent ALL day playing with this hat, taking it off and putting it on again. She knew she looked good!

Bonding Moments

2011-09-04T20:58:00.000-07:00

I went to Curriculum Night at Kensley's school a few nights ago and her teacher told us about a website they would be using in the classroom. I opened it up one day and Kensley has been glued to the computer ever since. It is basically a site that teaches them how to read and she LOVES it. Pyper always wants to do everything Kensley does so she loves it as well. It only works until Pyper starts banging on the keyboard and messes it up! This is a moment where it was working. Kensley loved singing the songs with Pyper. As a slightly embarrassing sidenote: I went to Curriculum Night with my shirt inside out! Total horror when I realized it. I had not been feeling well and took some aspirin and laid down in my bed for about an hour beforehand. I woke up and put my shirt on while still groggy and the lights out and headed to the school. I really wish Stephen was more observant and had warned me before I left!

After School Snacks

2011-09-04T20:52:00.000-07:00

Now that Kensley is in school all day, the day has come where I have to come up with snacks after school. Every day, when she gets home, she asks what I made her! I don't usually make something, but have made a few treats here and there. On this day, Pyper is enjoying a chocolate zucchini muffin. I thought they turned out just okay, but she seems to be a fan! :o)

Favorite Pasttime

2011-08-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

I am constantly tripping over canned goods because of this little turkey! I was so proud of my organized cupboards until she came along....

Watching TV

2011-08-24T19:21:00.000-07:00

Stephen was trying to watch TV and the kids thought it was a good time to jump on him. They had a great time. I am thinking he was asking for it by sitting in that weird position to watch TV!

Wild Woman!

2011-08-12T19:27:00.000-07:00

I had Kensley sleep in braids for school and this is the result! Poofy cute hair. :o)

First Day of School

2011-08-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Kensley's in Kindergarten! We started the day out with chocolate chip pancakes and whip cream with strawberries and blueberries and sausage. I don't know what the deal is with the funny facial expressions...

Soon after breakfast, we were off to school!

Kensley was very excited about her new Dora backpack. She was a little disappointed that we couldn't find a "sparkly" backpack, though. To solve the problem, we purchased glitter pens and she went to town decorating the night before school. She was very proud!

The first day of school went pretty smoothly and she had a great time. Last night she got nervous and was crying about how she was going to miss us and that she was going to be gone every day! She felt better this morning and when we dropped her off the teacher practically shut the door in our face and said they were starting their day! I guess it is like ripping off a band-aid or something, getting it over with. After school didn't go as smoothly. There was a mix-up for some reason about the way Kensley was getting home. Kensley didn't want to ride the bus so I told her I would pick her up. At the last minute practically, Kensley changed teachers and the teacher didn't know the plan. She asked the office and they told her to send Kensley home on the Purple bus. Here I am sitting in my car looking for Kensley, but no Kensley! So, I get Pyper out and start walking to the classroom when her teacher comes out and she tells me Kensley went home on the bus! So I need to hurry up so I don't miss her at her bus stop. So, I quickly drive to the bus stop and sit and wait and wait for it to show up with Kensley. Another mom ask if we are waiting for the bus and said it broke down and they kids are at the school waiting for their parents! So, me and another mom pile into our cars and drive back to the school. By the way, I am really hot and cranky by now! So, we went into the office and asked where the kids are. They tell us that they put the kids back on another bus and they are headed to their bus stop. I am ticked at this point. Another lady tells us to hold on while she calls since the kids are in Kindergarten and didn't want us to keep going back and forth because if we aren't at the bus stop they will probably send them back to the school anyway. So, she starts asking us the kids names and what bus stop they are on. It is at this point, that I discover that Kensley is on the wrong bus anyway! They put her on the purple bus when our bus stop is the blue bus! Holy cow! So, I am then informed that she is already being sent back to the school. Dude! So, I FINALLY got Kensley when the bus showed up at the school and the lady in the office asked what I would be doing tomorrow....ummm....I will be picking her up, thank you very much!

Sienna and Pyper

2011-08-02T21:09:00.000-07:00

Runaway

2011-08-02T20:59:00.000-07:00

Pyper is always trying to run away! One thing I love about my mom's is the freedom the kids have to play. It is a little town and safe for them to play. The only problem is Pyper...as safe as it is, I still have to keep an eye on her. She would run down the street every chance she got. We started letting her play outside barefoot because then she wouldn't want to walk on the gravel to get away because it hurt her feet. If any shoes were left lying around, she would snag them and take off!

This is what happened when I took the shoes away!

S'mores!

2011-07-29T20:51:00.000-07:00

After Robert's house, we headed to my mom's in Lapoint, Utah. I love visiting my Mom for a lot of reasons, but one of the big reasons is the great weather and getting a break from the Mesa heat. One of the grandkids favorite things to do while we are there is to light a fire in her firepit at night. And who doesn't love a great s'more!

Manti Temple

2011-07-26T20:43:00.000-07:00

After Bullhead City for the weekend, we headed to Mt Pleasant, Utah, for a couple days to visit my brother and his family. We did a little sight seeing and tried to get some pictures of the girls in front of the Manti Temple. Kensley and Pyper were not cooperating and fighting so I decided to have them face the temple for this shot. It turned out cute, but as you can see, Pyper is trying to push Kensley away!

We also made a stop at a local cemetary to see Orson Hyde's gravesite.

Cousins

2011-07-24T20:39:00.000-07:00

Not the best picture in the world, but this is all the Beals' cousins together at the same time!

Happy Birthday Kensley!

2011-07-23T19:56:00.000-07:00

Kensley turned five on July 22nd! We drove to Bullhead City for Stephen's sister's house for the weekend. Her son turned 12 and was getting the Priesthood. We decided to have Kensley's birthday party there so she could celebrate with some of her cousins. Her cousin, Josie, helped her get ready for the party by doing her hair.

Instead of cake, I mader her some cupcakes and decorated them to look like clown faces.

Whenever I went to take a picture of Kensley, she would strike this pose...I have no idea where she got it from.

She asked for bean & cheese burritos for her big birthday bash. So, I decided to have tostadas for the grown ups with all the fixings....and another picture of Kensley striking a pose!

Happy Birthday to my five-year old!

Kensley opening her presents...

Kensley was very excited about all her presents. She asked for a pink pogo stick and I won't mention what happened when she opened it and discovered it was green! Let's just say she learned a life lesson that day! Hopefully it stuck.

Swimming Lessons

2011-07-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

The dreaded swimming lesson season has arrived! Kensley hates swimming lessons and after last year I had given up. It was a nightmare to say the least. I finally talked myself into another round of them for this summer. Kensley cried for the first 3 days and then after that she did okay. She still hates going under water and freaks whenever someone tries to get her to. Stephen took her to most of the lessons, but now that he is the new Young Men's President, I had to take her on the night of mutual. She was so excited to have me there and spent most of the time showing off for me.

The boy teaching her class was really good about making it fun and played games with them the whole time. After the class, he told me she was his favorite, he even said this in front of the other mom's! Hopefully they weren't paying attention! He did say that the first 3 days weren't good, but after that she was a lot of fun. Whew! Glad that is over. Now I have another year to work myself up for it again. Some day she will learn to swim.

Organ Stop Pizza

2011-07-08T19:31:00.000-07:00

When we got home from camping and were nice and clean, we headed to Organ Stop Pizza to meet up with some friends for dinner. I had only been once before, but it is always a fun place to go!

Kensley's cousin, Emily, was able to come home with us after camping and spend a week with us.

Pyper enjoying the bubbles coming from the ceiling.

Heading home...

Camping in Sedona

2011-07-08T16:23:00.000-07:00

We made a camping trip in Sedona with two of Stephen's sisters. We arrived first and started setting up camp. Kensley and Pyper were great helpers and Daddy couldn't have done it without them!

We had two sites right next to each other and we had a pretty good set up if I do say so myself!

We spent the most of the trip yelling out "Where's Pyper?" and "where's Stacee?" It got really old! Pyper loved wandering around the campground and exploring her surroundings.

Stephen brought a hammock and it was a big hit. All the kids were fighting over who got to lay in it next.

Stephen put Pyper in it by herself and it didn't seem like she was enjoying it much!

Stacee and Pyper are at that age where they fight more than anything else. I had to document them playing together because it was so rare to see them getting along. :o)

We had a good time camping and it was nice to be in a little cooler weather. We ended up in a campground with no showers, so I was pretty grungy, or a lot grungy, by the end of the trip and very ready for a shower. I didn't get any pictures to document it, but we also spent one day at Slide Rock and that was SO MUCH FUN! The water was cold and it was raining, but once I jumped in, I got used to the water and had so much fun sliding down the rocks in the water. I am so glad we went and hope to do it again someday when it isn't raining!

Fourth of July

2011-07-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

Our Fourth of July started out in the morning at the pool. Don't they look so cute in their matching swimsuits?! :o)

Later that night, we dressed up in our patriotic outfits and headed out for some fireworks.

The fireworks ended up kind of lame, in my opinion. We went too late to get a good spot and ended up in the dirt watching from a distance.

Let Freedom Ring!

2011-07-03T22:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night, we decided to head to downtown Mesa for the 4th of July celebration and fireworks. Kensley has been completely obsessed with Pippi Longstocking of late and wanted me to braid her hair like hers. I was excited to give it a try, but also knew I had no intentions of making the braids stick out like Pippi and hoped Kensley would not be too disappointed with the outcome. I am not that great with braiding and hair so I was thrilled with the results and Kensley stood still and patient throughtout the whole process. She was a little sad that her braids didn't stick out, but got over it pretty quickly. I had to get pictures from every angle to capture her cuteness. :o)

When we loaded in the car, the temperature was still about 107 degrees outside even though the sun was going down. So, we made sure to pack lots of liquids to stay hydrated and as cool as possible. Kensley was happy to tote Stephen's camelback on her back and had it in her mouth most of the night.

Last year they had these birds that you could pet and hold, but Kensley wouldn't go near them! She is kind of a scaredy cat, but she was excited to pet them this year.

At one point, I decided it was time for a cool treat. I was hot! We spotted a little ice cream shop off the beaten path and decided to give it a shot. They had otter pops for .25 so we got Pyper her very first otter pop and she ate the whole thing!

We kept Pyper in the stroller most of the night because she is a huge flight risk. The second you put her down, she will take off running and doesn't even care what direction she is going. When the fireworks were about to start, she was freaking out so we decided to let her out and she was excited!

Stephen put Pyper on his shoulders and she HATED it! I was taking a picture of it while they were singing the National Anthem and right when I did some fireworks went off and I caught this great expression on Stephen's face!

Kensley thought the fireworks were way too loud! So, I gave her some earplugs and that made her much happier throughout the night.

Pyper didn't even flinch or bat at eye when the fireworks started. She spent most of the night in this position:

So, I mentioned earlier my fear of dehydration because of the extreme heat. The heat was awful, too! I think the high on Saturday was supposed to be 116 degrees! Yuck! Anyway, we packed lots of drinks like I said. We gave Pyper a sippy cup with cold water and ice cubes that we kept filling up and also brought a bottle of milk packed in ice since the festivities would take us out after her bedtime. Kensley was also constantly drinking from Stephen's camelback. We were there for about 2 hours and during that time Kensley had to use the gross, discusting port-a-potties THREE times! That is a big deal for anyone who knows anything about Kensley. She usually holds it all night when port-a-potties are involved. When she was using it, she said, "That wasn't scary at all....I was really brave!" She was especially excited to use the hand sanitizer they had sitting outside of them, which by the way was hot liquid from the heat! During the fireworks, I realized that Pyper's diaper was really wet and commented on it since I had changed her before we left. Not two minutes after I said that, I felt warm liquid and realized she had pee'd again and it was leaking all over. Gross! When we got to the car, we stripped off her clothes and changed her diaper and drove home like this:

So, dehydrated, my kids definitely weren't! When we got home, we had to change her diaper again before putting her to bed!

Kensley was also very ready for bed.

All in all, we had a good time and plan to participate in more fireworks celebrations on Monday, when it is the real 4th of July. This is one of my favorite holidays and I LOVE fireworks....the louder the better! :o)

St George

2011-06-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

We went to St George for a quick weekend for me nephew, Shane's wedding. On the way home we stopped by the temple to get some pictures since we forgot to take a single picture the entire weekend! It was hot and Pyper didn't want anything to do with pictures and this is the best we could do.

The temple was, at least, willing to pose....so we got some pictures without the live models!

Poor Baby

2011-06-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

So, my mornings are a little busy and it takes a while for me to get my shower. I wake up, feed the kids breakfast, make Stephen a lunch to take to school, do some kind of excercise and then get a shower around 11am. Don't be too impressed that I have been excercising almost every day because I have been doing it for about a month and a half and haven't lost any weight to date. I keep plugging along, though, hoping to see some results soon. I am getting pretty frustrated. But, I digress. This morning I got in the shower around my usual time with Pyper and Kensley downstairs watching Pippi Longstocking. As I am stepping in the shower, I hear Pyper banging on the bathroom door and yelling at me. The bathroom is a dangerous place for her so the door is ALWAYS closed if she is awake whether someone is in it or not. So, I ignored her and took my shower. It didn't take long for the shrieking to subside. When I was done I opened the door to see where Pyper was and this is what I found....

In case you are wondering why there are blankets and pillows all over the floor, I will tell you. This morning Kensley woke me up at 6:30 am. This is absolutely unheard of in this family. We are usually all up around 8am, sometimes a little earlier or later, but that is the average. I asked her what she was doing and she says "Mom! I didn't get enough sleep last night!" So I told her to go back to bed! And she did....or so I thought. It took me a while to fall back asleep, but I guess I did because the next thing I knew it was 8:41am! Holy cow we slept in! So, I went into the girls room to get Pyper and Kensley was laying on the floor. I asked her why and she said because she threw up in her bed! Apparently, when she woke me up earlier this morning it was soon after she threw up and changed her pajamas and then came in my room. She forgot to mention the throw up! So, we stripped her bed to wash sheets and the blankets were still on the floor.
We left for Las Vegas later this afternoon and I was trying to keep Pyper awake so she would sleep in the car and she fell asleep at 11:15 the little stinker. So, she cried most of the way to Vegas.
Before we left, Kensley drew us a map to Las Vegas so we would know the way. On the drive here, she would occasionally consult her map and tell me which direction I should go next!

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Father's Day started with breakfast in bed for Stephen. I made Breakfast Taquitos with Lime-Chipotle Dip. I have been wanting to try them and thought this would be the perfect opportunity. I thought they turned out really yummy, but don't really know how everyone else felt. Stephen said they were good, but I highly doubt he would tell me if he didn't like them. Kensley ate the two I put on her plate without complaint so I am assuming she liked them. So I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn, I actually made them a couple of days earlier and froze them so all I had to do was put them in the oven when I woke up. Me and the kids stormed in the bedroom in the morning to bring him his food and new Cubs pajama pants. I am not sure how much he enjoyed the getting woke up part, but it had to be done! I think this meal would be a nice thing to have on hand in the freezer. I just mixed up the dip while they were cooking.
After church, we had raspberry chipotle pork loin, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner. For dessert I made Chocolate Mousse Crunch Cake. This was also a recipe I have been wanting to try and it was a hit not to mention pretty impressive-looking. I am not a big fan of cake mix cake from a box, but thanks to the chocolate mousse filling and chocolate ganache topping, it was a winner! Next time I will doctor the cake mix up a little so it is yummier with chocolate pudding, sour cream and/or butter instead of vegetable oil.

I love how Kensley is looking at Stephen in this picture.

I think Pyper really enjoyed all the yummy treats!

We have Church from 11-2PM and that is right at naptime. We were getting ready to walk out the door for Church and Pyper laid down for a rest.

We crammed Pyper in this dress for Church today one last time. It was a dress that Kensley also wore and I wanted a picture of her in it. Of course, I didn't get any great pictures, but at least I have proof she wore it!

Classy Babe!

2011-06-16T22:22:00.001-07:00

18 Months Old!

2011-06-15T18:35:00.000-07:00

Pyper turned 18 months old last Saturday and had her check-up with the doctor today. She did really well and didn't cry whenever he touched her, just kind of glared. He even got her to giggle once. She is right in the middle of the chart with height and weight at 31 1/2 inches and 23.8 pounds. Her head, however, is in the 85th percentile at 48 cm! Then, came the shots and she didn't like those one bit! She had to have two and she did okay with the first one, although, she was working herself up to be pretty upset and then came the second shot! She started crying until I picked her up and the nurse gave her a sticker. She was still sobbing a little, but not crying. Then, the nurse took Kensley out of the room to pick out some stickers as I started getting Pyper dressed. Once the door opened and I started putting on her shoes she got pretty happy and started saying, "bye!" over and over. She was very happy to have the appointment over with!
They gave her a book at her appointment and she loves it! She immediately picked it up and made herself comfortable to read it. It has two of her favorite things in the book, babies and balls!

The Weirdest Thing

2011-06-12T22:02:00.000-07:00

Stephen and Kensley were outside when she ran into the house to tell me she pet a bird! I was confused and Stephen walked in and said that Kensley pet a bird! Then they went back outside. The next thing I know, Stephen walks in holding a bird in his hands and it is just sitting there calm as can be. I guess it was on our porch when Kensley walked up to it and started petting it and it didn't fly away.

We were thinking it was injured or something because it didn't even try to fly away. It wasn't acting scared or nervous, either. Thinking it was hurt, Stephen climbed our wall and put the bird up on the roof so that it would be safer. The bird hopped off his hands onto the roof and then flew away! Never to be seen from again. So weird.

Stinkin' Kids!

2011-06-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Pyper woke up from her nap this afternoon and when I picked her up out of the crib I noticed she had a dirty diaper and it was leaking. Yuck! So, I went downstairs and stripped off her clothes and changed her diaper. I ran upstairs to get her a new outfit and in that few seconds I heard something drop on the floor. This is what I found... We have a child lock on my cupboard with all the baking supplies. Pyper gets so mad when she can't open it and is always trying. Unfortunately, it still opens a crack and she realized she can reach in and grab certain things. She emptied an entire bag of Andes baking chips on the floor and started eating as fast as she could and Kensley decided to join the party.

This is what happened when I swept it all up and threw it in the trash!

Vultures!

2011-06-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Sisters!

2011-06-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

Pyper is wearing a dress that me and my sister wore when we were toddlers!

Yikes!

2011-06-03T20:44:00.000-07:00

When I was younger, me and my sisters used to sleep in curlers so we would have curly hair the next day. I remember looking pretty fine and have been wanting to try it with Kensley. I finally remembered to buy some curlers while I was actually at the store and Kensley was ecstatic to try them! Things didn't go quite as I had envisioned, however... I think that next time I shouldn't use the small curlers and only use the big ones!

I tried to tame it down a little with a half ponytail...did it work? You be the judge!
We decided to throw a huge bow in her hair just for giggles. :o)

Last Day of School!

2011-05-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

Kensley's last day of school was a field trip to a splash pad in Chandler. They loaded the kids on the bus and we had a potluck lunch at the park. Kensley had a great time, but I don't think she quite understands that she will probably never see the kids in her class again. She wants to go to school with Danika next year, but they live in a different area. :o( She keeps saying that she is going to play alone in Kindergarten because Danika won't be there.

Kensley & Danika

2011-05-26T20:15:00.000-07:00

One of Kensley's best friends from school was Danika and she talked about her everyday! Sometimes it was about the fight they had that day, but mostly she loves her!

Pyper

2011-05-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

Pyper wasn't a big fan of the splash pad. Actually, she pretty much hated it. She kept running to the park instead!

Preschool Graduation

2011-05-24T19:02:00.000-07:00

Kensley is officially a preschool graduate! Kindergarten....here we come!
Kensley sitting on the mat waiting for the "ceremony" to begin with her friend, Danika.
Kensley receiving her "graduation" certificate from her teachers, Mrs. Boyd and Ms. Garcia.
Kensley with her whole class.
A final picture with her teachers and aide.
Kensley with some little girls from her class.
Kensley did really well in preschool and we only heard good things from her teachers. They filled out a little progress report that was included with her certificate. Some things they wrote about her: "Kensley has a great vocabulary and uses English well. She has learned and uses some Spanish.
Kensley is a friendly child who loves to help others.
Kensley is a lovely child who has a great imagination! She will excel in any kingergarten program."
Way to go, Kensley!

MMmmmm....Brownies!

2011-05-09T17:15:00.000-07:00

I was making brownies and Pyper wouldn't leave me alone....she wanted that batter! So, I caved and stripped her down and sat her on the floor with the bowl and spoon. She was happy to dig right in!

Naptime

2011-04-30T17:19:00.000-07:00

Kensley and her cousins having a nap in the car.

2011-04-26T21:40:00.000-07:00

We gave the picture-taking another try at church, but it didn't go much better! Pyper wanted nothing to do with it.

Ready for Church

2011-04-26T18:47:00.001-07:00

It was pretty much impossible to get a good picture of the girls in their Easter dresses. Here is a sampling of what we could get.
I love this nasty look from Pyper!

At least Pyper is smiling in this one.
Stephen took them outside for another try and Pyper promptly bonked her head.
Pyper running away!

Easter Morning

2011-04-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

Where is It?!

2011-04-22T10:05:00.001-07:00

Stephen downloaded "Tangled" on his Ipod so that Kensley can watch it whenever she wants and not have to compete with the TV or anything else. She can watch it on the couch, in bed, or in the car. We don't usually let her watch it in bed because then she doesn't go to sleep! Stephen just left for school and she asked if she could watch "Tangled" but I didn't know where he put the Ipod. She started throwing a fit and crying about it and I said, "Kensley, I don't know where it is! What do you want me to do?" She then told me that she knew where it was and I asked, "Where?" to which she replied, "I will tell you when I find it!"

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Easter Eggs

2011-04-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

Kensley and Dad got our Easter Eggs colored tonight so we are ready for Easter.

Nap Time

2011-04-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

Kensley is constantly putting her babies to bed in weird places using unconventional objects as blankies and pillows. This is what I found when I got back from taking her to school today.
She lovingly tucked her caterpillar under a throw rug with a diaper as a pillow.

Pee All You Can Pee

2011-04-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, I sometimes dress up my girls to look like boys. :o) This is an outfit I had for Kensley as well and since Stephen was in the Army, I couldn't resist.

Look! No Training Wheels!

2011-03-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

Bowling!

2011-03-17T20:43:00.000-07:00

Kensley experienced bowling for the first time while we were in Las Vegas for Spring Break. She loved it! Especially when she was able to knock down the pins, which she did a few times thanks to bumpers. She was pretty upset when they didn't all fall down!

2011-03-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Pyper enjoying the air coming out of the bowling machine thingy.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2011-03-13T22:12:00.001-07:00

We are going out of town for Spring Break so we had our St. Patrick's Day feast today. Kensley was pouting because she wanted hot chocolate for dinner and wasn't getting it fast enough.
I also made Mint Chocolate Chip cookies for dessert. In the middle of all this I also canned a million jars of fresh green beans. It has been a LONG weekend!

Stephen's Degree

2011-03-01T20:57:00.000-08:00

This might not be a big deal for some, but this is a huge deal for Stephen. In fact, this is just one of about 40 snapshots, all with different lighting and aperture settings. Just a couple more years then Stephen will post more pictures of another degree.

Family Prayer

2011-02-27T20:45:00.000-08:00

Stephen asked Kensley to say the prayer tonight before we put her to bed. This is how it went..."Dear Heavenly Father...please help us to do whatever we want...please help me to brush my teeth by myself (she hates it when I brush her teeth!)...and help us to grow strong like giants....amen!"

Hot Stuff!

2011-02-23T20:42:00.000-08:00

We put these sunglasses on Pyper and she thought it was hilarious! She kept taking them off and then would start screaming for them to be put back on again.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T21:46:00.000-08:00

Cupid visited our house last night while we were sleeping and left random hearts all over the house. Cupid must have spent an awful lot of time cutting out hearts on his Cricut last night to accomplish this task! Stephen got us some doughnuts for our Valentine's Day breakfast that helped get the day started right!

Pyper was so uncooperative during the whole picture-taking process. She was constantly running away like a naughty girl!
I had a really hard time getting Kensley to make normal faces. She really just didn't understand my instructions!

I just thought this picture of Kensley and Pyper looking at each other was soooo cute!

Kensley

2011-02-14T21:43:00.001-08:00

Pyper

2011-02-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, too many pictures, but how do you pick a favorite?

Valentine's Day 2008

2011-02-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

Kensley 3 years ago wearing the same outfit that Pyper wore this year.:o)

New Toy

2011-02-13T19:45:00.000-08:00

Pyper's latest trick is to climb into anything that it is possible to climb in. I have a drawer downstairs where we keep diapers and baby wipes. She is constantly emptying the drawer and climbing in. Usually she gets stuck and starts screaming. The other day I bought a new box of diapers and it was sitting empty in the living room. All by herself she climbed in when I wasn't looking. When I finally noticed, she was so stinking proud of herself! She sat in that box and giggled and giggled for the longest time. Now she is always climbing in.

This picture is a little fuzzy, but I think it is really funny because you can see both of her feet sticking out of the top of the box. :o)

Mom! Get the Camera!

2011-02-11T17:28:00.000-08:00

The weather has been really nice this past week, but we live in a stupid house with no yard. We do, however, have a microscopic patio. I usually don't let Pyper outside, but it has been so nice, I just left the door open and let the kids play outside together. Pretty soon, Kensley started yelling for me to come quick and see what they were doing. I went outside and found them on the little swing and Kensley had buckled herself and Pyper in. She then yelled for me to go get the camera and take a picture! I immediately obeyed. :o)

Cheap Toys

2011-02-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

Pyper was playing with Kensley's step stool and thought it was funner upside down. Then she decided to climb on in. I don't know why we buy our kids toys, they don't need them to be entertained!

Clean Room

2011-01-22T12:43:00.000-08:00

Kensley was so excited to show me how she cleaned her room. She made me stand outside the door and counted to three before she made the big reveal....TAA DAAA!!!! She was so proud. Her floor is, indeed, quite clean....however....where is she going to sleep tonight?

Dishwasher Diva

2011-01-10T12:26:00.000-08:00

I know every baby does this, a rite of passage or something, but Pyper has made it so difficult for me to empty or load the dishes that I now have to wait for her naptime or bedtime before I can do it. In case you were wondering if her skin looks a little orange, you aren't imagining things. It does have an orange hue. According to the doctor, this is because she loves her veggies...namely squash, sweet potatoes, carrots, etc.! Stephen dressed Pyper today and I thought it was funny that he came up with this. It is Kensley's size 4 Valentine's shirt, but Stephen thought it was a dress for Pyper! It works, though, and I could have saved an entire wardrobe if I had just known they could wear each others' clothes!

Whenever I start taking pictures of Pyper, Kensley starts hounding me to take pictures of her too. She doesn't want to be left out!

Christmas Dresses

2010-12-26T12:22:00.000-08:00

Kensley

2010-12-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

Kensley has always been deathly afraid of Santa Claus. We even had to promise last year that Santa wouldn't come anywhere near our house! No presents from Santa allowed! This year, she was much more excited about Santa and wrote him and "his wife" letters pretty much every day to let them know what she wanted. She still wouldn't go anywhere near him, of course, but, realized getting presents was much better than being afraid. Her list: Roller skates, skateboard, basket for her bike. She also wanted a helmet, but he left that out! Waiting to dive into her presents.