Healthy Again!

We'll see how long this streak lasts! Our poor little M got the stomache virus and it lasted about 2 weeks. With 8-10 dirty diapers a day, she lost half a pound during that time. If you've ever seen this little girl, you know that she's already petite, so every ounce counts! She's finally back to her old self again, laughing, singing, running...and eating like a pig! Now she does this thing where if she thinks you are going to leave, she will run and get her shoes and wait by the door. The little girl wants to go anywhere and everywhere, even if it is to get the mail. Above is a classic picture of her almost at the garage door, worried she won't get to go out. That bug she had must have given her a major case of cabin fever! Here are some pics of M and her brother and sister...

Reading with Daddy

Every night before bed (when all goes well) we read to the kids. They love reading with their daddy...so much they fight over who gets to lay on him. There's always an odd man out because of the lack of daddy lap space, but everyone always enjoys it.

Our Trip to Mt. Vernon

We tried to be spontaneous today and headed out to Mt. Vernon, which is where George Washington's home is. The day started out very bright and sunny. Since it was a holiday, we thought it would be a fun thing to do. It was also a plus that tickets were free today in honor of President's Day. Little did we know that everyone and their mother (and sister and brother's sister-in-law and grandma) had the same idea we did. It took us over two hours to get there (normally 45mins-1 hr) and then there was no parking, which meant we would have had to hike it (over a mile) with three kids. Given the situation, we headed home and tried to make lemonade out of lemons. We stopped at a park alongside the road and took a nice walk along the Potomac River. With our luck, the skies turned grey and it got really cold and started to rain. However, the kids had a blast looking at the ducks and enjoying the scenery. Despite the four hours in the car, we had fun. It makes us appreciate our kids a heck of a lot more for being so well behaved...we didn't hear a single complaint from them, more than we could say for ourselves.

Happy Heart Day, I guess

Am I the only one that thinks Valentine's Day is a sorry excuse for a holiday? I am just not a very sappy person to begin with, but it seems like all those heart shaped chocolates and cheesy pink stuffed animals that say "I love you" are just a way for stores to make money. I don't know, shouldn't you tell the person you love them every day, rather than have a holiday for it? Okay, you can call me a sourpuss if you want...

So today we made up the valentines for all the kids in G's kindergarten and T's pre-k classes. I was so sick of those things by the end of the night. I had G write up all of the "To: so-and-so" and "From: G." His hand was all cramped up by the end of the night. It was a long task. After half an hour, he was only halfway through his list. It didn't help that he had to pick out the perfect one that fit each person in his class. Then he'd tell me all about the person, "this kid, he got sent to the principal's office for cutting his hair in class...this girl, she likes to show people her bum..." uh, stay away from her, buddy! Miss T was even more funny. Every time I got to a boy on the list, she'd say, "Can I skip him? I don't want to give valentines to boys, I don't like them." Oh, how one day that will change. I guess I will cherish this moment while it lasts!

Anyway, Happy V-day, whether or not you like it!

Random Pics

The kids got a tent for Christmas from their uncle and aunt. Aunt T actually made it! It's shaped like a teepee, and it's is so cool. They love it so much, they put their little couch in it. They will do almost anything in it. As you can see, M is eating in it. I couldn't resist taking a picture...

T has become such the girly girl. She always wants to wear dresses around the house. I'm so not like that, so I have no idea where she gets it from. She's a girly girl in some aspects, but she will drop everything to wrestle around with the boys. I guess she is well rounded!

M is totally running now. She says so much stuff too, it's crazy...Like the other night when we were telling the kids, "Okay, clean up your toys before bed so you can get a (and I paused for a second to think of the word) and all of the sudden we swore M shouted out "sticker." I know, it sounds crazy, but I'm serious!

Our Mr. G is getting bigger. He has his first loose tooth. He's only five, isn't he too young for this? Some of his friends have been losing teeth, so I am probably wrong. I always thought I was like 7 when I lost mine. I'll have to show him a cool trick where I used to stick my straw where my teeth used to be.

Wild Times at the Moran House

So, I've never posted a video before, and I'm going to try it. We were hanging out one night and the kids decided to dance and ham it up for the camera. However, things got a little wild when I saw Mr. G. in the corner of the lens stripping down...I tried to keep this g-rated by stopping it before you could see anything, but you might catch a little glimpse of a little something. Just wanted you to see the crazy kids in action...in all its glory!

Honoring an Amazing Man

I remember my freshman year at BYU. The Prophet of our church, President Gordon B. Hinckley, was going to speak at a devotional. We all lined up hours before in the freezing cold to get through the door first and get good seats. It was a scene of chaos and commotion outside the doors. My friends and I were lucky enough to gets seats right on the floor, so close, that we felt like we could reach out and touch the podium. I will never forget the rush of feelings that came over me as I saw our prophet walk through the door. We all stood and sang "We Thank Thee, Oh God, for a Prophet." The words rang so true to me and tears welled up in my eyes. I felt his love. I felt his pureness. I felt his strength. He was not a man of big stature, but he always taught us to "stand tall." He stood tall in everything he did in his life. What an amazing man. The world is a better place for having him on this earth. When I learned of his passing, oddly, I didn't feel much sorrow. I felt peace. I know that the heavens are rejoicing as he is reunited with his wife and those who came before him. I am thankful for this wonderful man. He will be missed.

New Pics, Finally! :)

Here we go again, Moran overload in it's best form. This month has been absolutely crazy for me. All I want for 2008 is a healthy family! We had several visits to the doctor's office and even urgent care. Whatever you could think of, we got it...ear infections, the flu, pink eye, croup, colds...will it ever end? I have the flu as I type this. I will not miss winter one bit for this very reason! So, since I haven't been blogging for a while, I loaded you all up pretty well with some pictures of us. These are ones of the kids when they are actually happy and healthy! I cherished those moments because they were numbered in January. We've got miss T (who told us she wants to be a cheerleader) showing her true fan colors. Go Skins (or I guess go Skins next year). The others are M and G hanging out.

Happy 2008 to you all!!

A Week in Paradise...

Is it January, or is someone fooling me? Last week we had weather in the 60's & 70's. We were just eating it up. I took some shots of M riding her bike for the first time. She was way too small last summer. She loved it! She looks so tiny when I zoom out on her. There's also a pic of G with his best friend from school. They love riding bikes together. The weather was nice while it lasted. As I type this, I can look out my window and see the ground covered in snow. We had 4 inches a few days ago. Figures!

Happy Birthday, Em!

My grandma (the kids' great grandma) turned 83. She is our rock in our family. I don't know what I'd do without her. The kids decided to surprise her with cupcakes. They managed to make a mess with their faces and thought it was hilarious. Couldn't get a shot of my grandma, she is so dang camera shy! Oh well, next time I'll get her! The look on M's face says it all. G took the pic and she's looking at him, like, what in the world are you guys doing?

A Bike Ride With Our Favorite...and Only Cousin!

My cute neice Katie came over to ride her new tricycle she got from Santa. The kids just adore her. It took them forever to get their "gear" on. Look at G, he looks like Mr. Rogers with that funky cardigan on. Does he listen to me about fashion? I think not! Anyways, I digress. When we stepped outside, we almost got knocked over by the wind. Needless to say, we were only out there for a total of 15 minutes, but the kids enjoyed it while it lasted!

Hanging Out With Old Friends

We had an awesome get together at our house right before New Years. Our longtime friends that we grew up with (who have since either stayed in the area or moved away to Utah and Texas) came for a visit. We had a blast letting our kids get to know each other and just catching up on our lives and also remembering old times. We had the Tims, Phomsophas, Sisouthams, Vus and Daos over. Here are some snapshots of all the families. It was a much needed renunion. We'll have to do it every year!