Here are my wacky kids playing with their new tents and tunnels. Sorry about the shakey camera- I couldn't stop laughing.

Chirstmas time Happenings

So here is a jumble of pictures from Christmas eve and the day after Christmas. Some how we didn't get pictures of Christmas day. Christmas eve we had pizza, a Delozier family tradition and then we made homemade donuts and hot chocolate a new tradition for us. We all opened new jammies- the first thing Wyatt said was "Batman Jammies!!!!" He has not seen The Incredibles or Batman but he does have a Batman toy. I guess to him Mr. Incredible looks like Batman. We haven't bothered to correct him. We're just glad he likes his new pjs. The picture of the kids new tunnels and tents remind me that next time I buy a big present to look at the dimensions better. My living room has been completely taken over! The picture of the back of the kids' heads are of the bubbles Wyatt got for Christmas. Look closely and you can see the bubbles in their hair. They don't pop! Thankfully Nate took the kids outside to blow them- the sidewalk, side of house and windows are still covered in a sticky mess! Needless to say they all (Nate included) had to come in and have a bath. The last picture is how I found Wyatt yesterday. He stole my chair and my book when I got up to help Mara with something. Glad to know he likes to read as much as I do. We had a wonderful Christmas (too bad I forgot to take pictures!) Thanks to everyone who helped make our holiday so great!

Silly kid videos

One is Mara singing and one is Wyatt as a pirate in his sister's pink hat.

Tender Mercies

This week as brought us many blessings.

Here are a few for which we are most grateful.

Tuesday night we received a call asking if the young men of the ward could drop

off a Christmas tree for us. The kids were asleep and woke up to their very first

Christmas tree. (We have always had a paper tree we would make each year and this year unexpected medical bills had put off a real tree for yet another year.)

It was girl's night out that night which revived my spirits

to make it through the rest of the week.

The next day Nate's boss gave him a raise. Last night my Grandparents came into town

and we had them over of dinner. It was so good to see them.

We enjoyed having them over and talking with them.

My grandparents brought this foam nativity kit for the kids. We put it together this morning.

They had so much fun putting it together. They just love their Granny and Grandpa Don!

Frosty the Snowman

Wyatt loves music and here he is singing one of his favorites.

Mara's latest project

So, yesterday afternoon, Nate came home and he and I sat on the couch and were talking for a few minutes while the kids were playing so nicely (so we thought!) in their room. Then Wyatt comes out and was running around the living room and Nate says, " Does Wyatt have some bald spots? Look at how weird his hair looks." I look and sure enough he has several bald spots. My first thought is "oh great! Is this a reaction to his latest antibiotic?" Then reality dawns on me- We had been doing crafts earlier -"Mara where are you scissors????"

Her reply, "uh, I don't know."

"Did you cut your brother's hair?"

"Nooooooo!"

I start laughing as Wyatt just gives me a smile.

"Did Wyatt cut his own hair?"

Mara-"No. .......Um, here are my scissors. Sorry, I won't do that again."

So we had to give him another haircut so he didn't look so bad. You can still see where Mara made some of her most serious cuts because she cut to the scalp, but it certainly looks better than the job Mara did. Next time we do crafts I must remember to account for the scissors before packing all the stuff up.

Gingerbread

Sunday we decorated our gingerbread house. We let the kids have

complete artistic control. This was good for me since I am usually a control freak.

They had so much fun. We used melted chocolate instead of royal icing to make it and now my house smells like chocolate and makes me hungry all day long.

Monday we made homemade gingerbread cookies to decorate since I wouldn't let them eat the gingerbread house yet. Wyatt ate most of the candy that was suppose to be for decorating but he still made a great gingerbread man.

Mara really got creative with her gingerbread girl. She spent a lot of time on it. Then she was sweet enough to want to share it with Nate and I for our family home evening treat.

Here is a close up of Mara's. She said it is wearing a swimsuit.

Here is Wyatt with a mouth full of gum drops trying to smile for a picture with his gingy man.

Wyatt's new fondness for being naked may actually be a good thing. He is asking to use the potty much more now. (Candy is also motivating him.) He woke up this morning wanting a treat. I said no- he cried and I said if you go on the potty then you can have a treat. He ran for his Elmo potty and after a minute or two he actually went potty! He did this yesterday too! Maybe this will be his Christmas gift for me- I couldn't ask for anything better than a diaper free life!!! Here is what transpired on Friday afternoon: I was sitting at the table making a grocery list not really listening to what the kids were saying until I realized Wyatt's voice was starting to sound angry. I stopped and listened to what was being said. Mara was singing her version of Feliz Navidad which sounds something like this- Felish Mommy dot. She just kept repeating that line and Wyatt, almost at the point of tears, was yelling "no! Mommy right there!" (pointing at me with gusto.) Apparently, Wyatt thought Mara was saying Mommy is lost and was furious that Mara wasn't listening to him when he was telling her I was sitting right by him. I couldn't help but laugh.

Goofy Kids

My kids have been rather goofy lately. I think it is from being stuck inside for so long. Wyatt no longer like to be dressed. He takes his clothes off the second I finish dressing him. If I try to be mean and keep clothes on him he goes to the kitchen and dumps his drink on himself and says, "Wet, change clothes!" He also is taking his diaper off as soon as I turn my back on him. I have no idea what he was trying to dress up as in these two pictures here, but he was so funny I couldn't resist taking his picture. The other picture is Mara and Wyatt being "elves." I asked them to go get PJ's on and this is how they came out. They are standing in front of our traditional paper Christmas tree. We haven't finished (or really started) decorating it yet, but at least we got started right? Here is wishing you all a little goofiness this holiday season!

Delozier Genes

Is it just me or do these two look alike? The black and white picture is my dad at about 2 years old.

What was I thinking?

I just told the kids that tonight we could string popcorn to put on the tree. Mara looked at me like I had lost my mind. Wyatt said, "NO! In my mouth!" That is just like my kids- they can't bear the idea of food going for decorations. Food is for tummies only they told me. I tried to explain that it is an old tradition to string popcorn and put it on the Christmas tree but again Wyatt said, "NO! MOUTH!" So, no stringed popcorn for our tree. Do I dare suggest my other "fun" idea? I wanted the kids to make cinnamon cookie ornaments, but I am sure I will be met with the same looks of complete dissent.

Grandma Delozier with Mara and Wyatt.

Mom took us and the Smith's to the Hill Air Force Museum

the day before Thanksgiving.

We had fun looking at all the planes and helicopters.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving Mom took us and Nate's sister, Alicia, to the Ogden Children's Museum. It was incredible. We had so much fun and we didn't even get to see everything. Wyatt is playing with toy horses in this picture and was really enjoying it. I guess he takes after my mom and her love of horses. (Notice she is playing along with him.) My dad has a guitar fund for us to donate to to help him buy more guitars and I was thinking we should start a horse fund for my mom so she can get a horse again. (She had one as a teenager in California.)

Here is Princess Mara.

She was right at home with a beautiful gown to dress up in and a throne to sit and rule from.

Here is Prince Wyatt

My dad and Nate after a filling meal at Cafe Rio the night before we headed home. We had a great trip and were so lucky to be able to go for so long. Nate was able to do more grave hunting in Ogden and in Huntsville with help from his brother Matthew. My mom and I took the kids up to Logan for a few hours to visit my friend Wendi. It was so good to see her and her family. Her kids are so darling and she is an amazing woman. I am grateful for her friendship and for all those we didn't get a chance to visit with this trip. It has been too long since we went back to Logan. We had a great time but are glad to be home again. We all caught a cold and are trying to recover from that now. I actually ended up at the doctor's today with both kids. Mara has an ear infection and Wyatt has a sinus infection, but they will both be fine. We are grateful for drugs and for target who sells them so cheaply. Thanks to everyone who helped to make our trip so memorable. We love you all and look forward to seeing you all again soon, (I hope!)

It was COLD in Utah! Poor Wyatt was so bundled up he couldn't move. Here we are with the Smith cousins at the Hill Air Force Museum. I think this is the only picture I took on Thanksgiving.

It is Griffin and Krista (my brother and sister) with Wyatt. Aunt Alicia at the Tree house Children's Museum Princess Mara looking for her Prince at the children's museum

Tuesday it tried to snow here in Layton, UT. There were a few snow flakes on and off for about an hour. Mara was so sad that there wasn't enough to make a snow ball which she wanted to through at her grandpa. My mom suggested we say a prayer and ask for enough snow for the kids to make at least one snowball. So I helped Wyatt say a prayer asking for snow. The second we said amen Mara looks out the window and says, "I don't think He heard!" We had to explain that God doesn't always answer instantly.

We have been having fun with all our family the last few days. Yesterday we took the kids out to lunch and to see Mr. Magorium's wonder Emporium. The movie was good but the kids didn't like it too much. I think it was a little over their heads. We had fun just being together as our own little family though. Last night we had some friends from our days at Aggie Village student housing come over to my parent's home to visit. Thanks Shara, Mike, and Carson Holt for coming to see us! It was great to see you guys again and to meet Carson. He is darling. I am so glad we have staying in touch and look forward to seeing you all again next time we come visit. Hope things continue to go well as you adjust to life outside of school.

Today my Dad brought his guitar into the room to play Mara a song. He was trying to play I Am A Child Of God for her (her favorite), but he started off a bit rough and Mara scrunches up her face and says, "I think something is wrong with your violin!" We busted up. She also said it was "squeaky". In my Dad's defense once he got the song going it was great and we enjoyed it.

Kids sayings

This week we went to the open house for our new church building that is soooooo much closer and Mara was able to go and sing with the Primary kids for the first hour of the open house. She really sang loud for the songs she knew but mumbled, played with her dress and made faces for songs she wasn't as familiar with. Last week we had a stake fast for rain and Mara said a few prayers for rain with us. Almost daily she asked where the rain was and finally last night just as the dedication for the new building started it began to rain and rained off and on for quite awhile. Mara was very excited that her prayers had been answered. We have been asking Wyatt how old he is since his birthday and he says four or ten. I guess being two isn't as exciting as being four like Mara and who knows where ten came from. Mara has been singing Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer all week, but she sings it Rudolph the Nose Red Reindeer. We have tried to correct her but that makes her sing it wrong even more- the stubborn little gal! My mom emailed a note to the kids the other day and it read it to them and then deleted it. A minute later Mara asked me to read it to her again. I said, " Sorry, I deleted it." She said, "that's okay just deleted it again." I explained that deleting something is like erasing it. She looked at me strangely and said, " like this?" as she raised her hand above her head. I said no that is raising your hand. Then I explained what erasing is and that deleting is the same type of thing. I think she finally gets it, but she thinks you should be able to delete something again and have it come back.

Wyatt

Wyatt's Second Birthday

Wyatt is obsessed with Dinosaurs right now so we made him a Dino cake We had a full day of fun for Wyatt to celebrate his second birthday. We started with presents at 6am then off to the Doctor's for his well check- he is 27lbs and 37 inches long. The poor kid had to get two shots. Then off to the bookstore to get some new books. From there we went to the park to play for a while. After the park we headed to Jack in the Box for lunch- we had a nice surprise when the toy they got with their kids meal was a dinosaur flip book! Then we headed to the Bass Pro Shop to watch them feed the fish. Today we made it in time to see them feed the sting rays and sharks. The diver was able to talk to the audience while she fed the fish and tell us about the fish. This huge sting ray stayed by the kids for several minutes just looking at them- it was kinda cool. This is Wyatt showing is baby T-Rex he got for his birthday.

Fish Watching

We went to the Bass Pro Shop to see them feed

the fish. It was a lot of fun. The diver was

feeding the lepord sharks in this video.

Turkey for Grandma

These are the hand print turkeys we made for Grandma yesterday.

The kids had so much fun making them and the big mess that followed.

Our past week

This past week was pretty good. Tuesday we played at the park. Wednesday we went to the library for a Halloween puppet show. Nate had to sped the day in St. George for work so we went trick or treating with out friends the Carruth's who's Daddy was out of town too. The kids had fun and have a TON of candy. People were giving them handfuls of candy not just one or two pieces. Wyatt fell asleep on the two minute drive home. Nate was able to go do a session at the St. George temple before heading home. He also went to Burger King while there and brought the kids home the paper crowns for them. Wyatt has loved wearing that everywhere. Thursday we spent the day running errands- always fun! Friday we worked on projects at home while I let the kids eat all the candy they wanted. Then the rest of the candy was hidden away not to be seen by the kids for a long time to come. Saturday Nate started getting sick and so we didn't do much. He still is not feeling well and is home sleeping instead of working. He must really be sick or he would be at work. I am glad he is resting as last year when he got sick he refused to take a day off to get rest and was sick for over three weeks. The time change has the kids all screwed up. They woke up at 4:45 this morning and have been driving me crazy since. I hope they adjust soon! Yesterday I went to get Mara from her class after church and found her in her teacher's arms with her face all red and blotchy from crying. When I asked what the problem was she started crying again. I guess she had wanted to say the closing prayer and she didn't get to this time. The funny thing is that at home when we ask her to say the prayer she always says NO! and refuses to say it. Apparently that is quite the opposite at church- her teacher said she wants to say the prayer every time and gets sad when it is not her turn!

Pics from Friday's Party

The fairy princess and Bob th Builder Wyatt and his fangs he got in the fishing game More fangs Wyatt at the party- mara refused to have any more pictures taken