Santa's Coming to Town

Manny had today off so we decided to head to the temple in the morning and then make a date with the kids. We decided to take the kids to see Santa since we knew the following week would be too busy to fit it in.

We went to South Towne Mall and first had lunch with the kids. With full tummy's and energy we set off for our adventures. While Santa was at lunch we took them on a train ride that they had buzzin' around the mall. It was a lot of fun! I got some snap shots of Manny and they kids as they boarded the train for their departure (the kids must have deleted them by accident though because they are no longer on my memory card, just the few shots Manny took while they rode around.) Marcus was SUPER excited, cute little Elaina was having just as much fun entertaining the crowd and flirting with the little boys around us. Manny said they both waved at every one as they rode around which I'm not one bit surprised! So, off they went for their ride. While they ventured off I went back to the Santa line and waited to avoid a long dreadful line, while I missed the ride, I was able to see them as they rode past the North Pole so that was fun to watch them from a distance enjoying the ride. After their journey they came to meet up with me at the North Pole. We waited another 30 minutes or so and we were through the line! Quickest Santa line ever! Not only was it fun but I was quite pleased about how well the timing of things worked out too it made it all the better.

Marcus marched up and told Santa he wanted a shot gun and transformers and decepticons. Elaina just sat on his lap wondering what was going on but did not shed a tear or freak out. :)

I love the Christmas season, it was a busy day and we had to hustle and bustle to get to our places on time and have Marcus back to his Mom's on time but it was worth it!

Play Date

Justin got to come play with Elaina and I the day before Halloween. They were a handful but a lot of fun! Day started out really sweet...when Justin first got to our house Elaina walked up to him and gave him a hug. They had a big time getting into mischief with each other and played really good all day together, so good that neither one wanted to take a nap. Finally the grumpy's forced a take two for nap time because two grumpy, teething one year olds wasn't so fun. ;) They had a big time together, here's just a few snap shots of a couple of pictures I took.

Elaina playing peek a boo with us.

Cute dangling toes....

So excited! Sure wish I knew what they were talking so passionately about [or plotting ;)].

Towards the end Justin kept putting his hand on her tray trying to get her attention. He got her attention all right. First few times she would smile and play and then she kept getting more and more upset at him and she started to take his hand off the tray and squak at him [we all know she is a little doll but the girl has attitude and lets you know how she feels.] Justin thought this was great fun so he kept doing it. This picture she has the "I mean it." look in her eyes and it makes me laugh. Here she is being serious about, 'leave me alone and my high chair alone. I'll just sit here without you touching me.' ;) Justin just kept laughing and thinking it was great fun. He's such a tease already! So fun to watch them interact with each other and their world.

Thanks for coming to play Justin! We had so much fun!

Papa's Pumpkin Carving Bash 2009

My parents have always taken great care of their garden and flower gardens. I remember several seasons of helping tend and care for the yard. Besides mowing the lawn [which the boys did] my dad pretty much did all the maintenance for his garden and the flower beds. Yard work kept him busy this last year and active and out of the house since he has had to be off work since this last February due to health issues. In the Spring he planted a bunch of pumpkins [with the grandkids in mind]. Throughout the whole season he would tell Elaina and the others the progress of the pumpkins he was growing for them. During the Summer, Marcus and Elaina loved to go out and help Papa in the yard. My Dad loved having Marcus out there to be his helper and talk with him and Marcus loved it too! Recently during fall clean up my Dad was quite tickled at Elaina as she took the apples from the bucket and threw them elsewhere helping her Papa and Daddy. That's how it was growing up in the Bogenrief household...finding a way to enjoy and have fun doing the work that had to be done.

The idea was to have a pumpkin carving night and make soups and make a night of hanging out and getting our pumpkins ready for Halloween. As luck would have it the week of Halloween half of my nieces and nephews got sick and had to miss the carving bash and the others lived too far away to come so it ended up just being Marcus, Elaina, and Justin! We missed the others but still had fun! It was fun to watch the kids interact with the pumpkins smell and guts! I've said it before and I'll say it again, but they are too funny to watch and crack me up!

Elaina's pumpkin got to be first, Papa's carved a special one just for her!

Getting interested in what's going on, asking serious questions [I just have no idea what they were.] :)

Paying close attention as Papa works on the master piece.

Elaina's finished pumpkin! She loved it. Out of the ones like this I decided to post this one because she got some of the pumpkin goo on her and I love the look on her face and close examination she gave her hand because she wasn't too sure about that part.

"Okay Mom, I'm done. Get me down."

We obviously don't let the kids help carve the pumpkins but they did get to help pick out the faces they wanted and help gut the pumpkins. Then they were the helpers in theory while Papa Dewey or Daddy did the rest. Marcus saw them getting out the knives and went to his tool chest and got out his safety goggles for Manny to wear. We thought it was hilarious and very smart of him and thoughtful to think of protecting his Popi. Manny wore his safety goggles [no lenses and all] the whole time. I LOVE these two boys! I don't know if they will ever know just how much.

Working hard. Popi's little helper.

My sad little goblin

Marcus helped me 'gut' his pumpkin! Wasn't too sure about the smells and texture of the guts but he did a really good job helping me!

The night got pretty busy after this and I didn't get a picure of all of the finished products but we had a great time. I'll have to find one of them on Halloween night to post!

Thanks Papa for such a fun night and helping the kids create their very own special Halloween Pumpkin to display! They were so proud of them.

Family Temple Day

September 26th we had a family Temple Day at the Draper temple. It was such a beautiful day and perfect weather! Here's a few snap shots from that day. :)

Not hard to tell why these two are our weaknesses eh?

Marcus is becoming more and more a minature Manny.

Such a 'Manny face.' He such a little stud all decked out!

Our little Dolly

Love those chubby cheeks!

James and Deborah, Dad, Ang, Brady, Manny, Marcus, Elaina, Jana, Mom, Rebecca, Miguel, Jazzy, and Becca.

Manny, Marcus and Becky [Manny's other Mom] :)

Me and my dolly

Walking the Walk....

Elaina's 1st Birthday!

So this is very much so past due but I've really got to back track on a few of my blogs just because they are important milestones for my family. One day I'll turn my blog post into a book so I can't have the BIG moments missing...here's hoping I can do better to keep these up to date once I get caught up.

We had Elaina's family birthday party the Sunday before her actual birthday and it was a blast! She was so happy and cute the whole weekend. The Saturday before her party her two nephews had a camp out for a boys night...they did just 'boy stuff' during the day but she thought she was hot stuff hanging out with Spidey, Batman, and Hogle Zoo Boy. Here are some snap shots of her the day of her party, with her presents and her actual birthday where we went to the zoo with two of her aunts and her cousin, Justin! Fun week!

Saying cheese for the camera! Yes, the following night when I was taking a picture of them in the tent Marcus says, say cheese and without skipping a beat, Elaina grins real big and says, "CHEESE!" She had a big audience here and was drinking it up!

Elaina's 1st Birthday Cake - Made with love by Mommy

A long time tradition in our family is to have a cake ONLY for the birthday girl [or boy] on their first birthday just for them to 'destroy.' This was Elaina's very own birthday cake.

She loved her new toy box, she kept wanting to climb in and play so finally we let her, wasn't long before one of her buddies was in their too.

She just beamed ear to ear while we sang to her. Was so happy and clapping her hands...she was also captivated by the flames on her cake!

Manny was in charge of the video camera and there was a technical difficulty with it so I don't have footage of her. She was hesitant to start with and then got the hang of it and loved it! Then her Daddy gently pushed her face in it and she was mad to begin with and then just dug in since she was already dirty I guess. :)

Gettin' the hang of it!

So I could remember what all she got I took her picture with all of her gifts. She was playing with Marcus and not to happy to have to take a time out here but I had to get things cleaned and organized so it was then or never....

Marcus started singing to her and she started to come around...before long she was happy, her though she's in between being happy and mad still.

The Big Day! Manny, Marcus, Elaina, Me, Justin, and Jessie

Aunt Jessie and Aunt Amy took the day off to come to the zoo with us! It was a lot of fun having them and Justin with us to celebrate the big 1! [The sun was blaring and I couldn't keep my eyes open to save my life so this is a horrible picture, but it's the only one I have so here we are.]

Aunt Amy with Justin, Marcus and Elaina

Mommy and Elaina checking out the Elephants! One of our favorites!

Justin and Elaina...stroller cruizin buddies.

Checking out the bears! Another of our favorites!

Aunt Jessie and Justin

Playing around on the big elephant that startled the kids...they looked so concerned, it was pretty funny to watch their reaction.

Getting ready to check out the rhino's. Not in the zoo 10 minutes and she already had her socks and shoes off. Guess that's what happens when you have babies that time of year. They were too small to HAVE to have shoes on all the time during the summer, since she didn't like them on I didn't make her wear them during the summer because I don't like shoes...took awhile to get her use to wearing them but we are getting there slowly.

Stopping at the ol' water whole.

Aunt Amy and Elle checking out the big cats!

Aunt Bun Bun and Marcus

-hitchin' a ride :)

Justin and Elaina...they weren't too sure about these things.

Can you tell he has had his picture taken a bunch. He posed himself here and told me to take his picture. Good work Marcus! I've taught you well lil' Buckaroo!

On her birthday Elaina was cruising everywhere as long as she was holding onto something. It's not that she couldn't, it's that she wouldn't until SHE was ready! She says Dad, Mama, Cheese, Hi, Bye, she waves bye and blows kisses. When it's time for her bath she always steps out of her PJ bottoms and will reach to put her arms in the sleeves when getting dressed. She's been doing the latter two since she was about 10 1/2 months and has been drinking from a straw since about 9 months. She's learned to do a lot of things by one! Her pediatrician said kids that have a bigger vocabulary usually walk later and vice versa so she wasn't concerned about it. I wasn't either as I know like with everything else, she will do it WHEN SHE IS READY and not on anyone else's time frame. So her she is finally humoring me and standing up pretending to walk and taking 2-3 steps before she refuses to do anymore! You are a stubborn and independent little one Elle. I don't know where you get that from.

Going for a walk with Mommy and Popi

Measuring up to the apes! They have this new measuring chart which I hadn't seen...Marcus thought it was great! Elaina was a good little mimic and did exactly as Daddy and her big brother did.

To end the festivities we stopped at Cafe Rio for dinner! We are singing happy birthday to her here and she is eating it up! LOVED the whole thing!

She was EXHAUSTED by the time we got home. Justin went and laid in her crib and Elaina crashed on Marcus' bed! She had too much fun!

Manny and I took Marcus to the zoo on his birthday. Since it was perfect season to go on hers that's where we decided to go to make it a tradition. We had a lot of fun spending time with one another and are so thankful to have our little Elaina, "Lainer, Lainey, Elle." I don't know what we ever did without her! Thank you for a wonderful year Elaina and for all the joy, peace, happiness, and love you bring to all of our lives! We sure do love you and are so grateful you belong to us. I can't believe a year has already flown by! "Can I keep you?"