The Holbrook Family: July 2009

Sunday, July 26, 2009

What a Weekend!

I love long holiday weekends, when you don't have to make any plans because there's so many things to do and people to do them with that plans can just appear out of no where. That's how our weekend was. We had a great time celebrating Pioneer Day with family and friends. We started the festivities off with the little fair at the Bountiful Park. We skipped the parade and went to the fair, it was a great idea because it wasn't crowded since the whole city was at the parade and the sun was going down so it wasn't hot. The kids had a blast. I love their smiles on the swings. We gave them a ticket limit and they got to choose what they wanted to do, one of which was the fish pond. We drove by the park yesterday and Kenya said "fish, fish!"

These were their lovely prizes, funny teeth and princess crown.

After that we ALMOST stayed home from the fireworks due to Charlie running away from me at the fair right when all the people started coming in from the parade. He wasn't gone for long but it was a little scary. He had been looking forward to them all day though so we went up to Mark's grandma's house probably for the last time to see the fireworks. I'm sure it'll be sold by next year. She's across the canyon from Mueller Park and has a great view. The canyon makes the sounds even louder. Luckily Kenya was fine with the loudness and with staying up so late! 11:00 is a new record for her. It was fun to watch them with Mark's family. Bountiful puts on the best fireworks show around!

Notice I'm doing all the work here holding down my kids to get a picture!

Uncle Stephen and all the kidlets.

Kenya loving baby Sam. Not sure he's loving her.

Mesmerized by the fireworks.

Charlie and little Ricky

Mark and his siblings.

The next day we headed up to Mueller Park Canyon to have a picnic with some of my family. I haven't been up there for a while, I love it. It's time to hike up to elephant rock again I think.

My dad with my aunt and uncle Jack and Shirley. Yes they are old enough to be my grandparents. :) My dad grew up with his nieces and nephews being more like his cousins because they were the same ages. Fun to hear stories from Jack and Shirley though.

That night we had the Sayes fam over. We got out the slip 'n slide, ate some pizza, drove around on the four wheeler, made some smores, and had a little firework show of our own. Always fun to be with friends! Especially when our kids are friends too.

Saturday we got caught up at home and caught up on some sleep. I got to have a little shopping trip with my sister to nordstrom which is always a great little break. Then we took the kids to Ice Age 3. They loved it. Now don't judge but I take Kenya's car seat into the theater and strap her in, smuggle in our own popcorn and she's good to go! What a fun weekend!

So Happy Pioneer Day! I am so grateful for all that those amazing people went through to come to our great state. What great courage and faith, they are so inspiring to me!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Kenya's 2 year old pictures

These are Kenya's 2 year old pictures that my dear friend Jayme took for me. She does an amazing job, I feel like she has found her calling!! :)

Check her out to see all of her other amazing pictures. jaymekanani.blogspot.com

Sunday, July 19, 2009

The Big 3-0!

Mark celebrated his 30th birthday this week on the 13th. He had a weeks worth of celebrating! He enjoyed a massage on his day and a little celebration that night with family and friends and cake and ice cream. We went to dinner this weekend with friends Josh and Michelle and had a big polynesian style party at his mom's on Saturday with lots of food friends and family, and apparently a Michael Jackson dance off later that night that I missed out on! I can guess who won that though. :) Happy Birthday Mark, you're an amazing husband, brother, son, and dad! We love you!

30 candles blown out like a pro!

Mark and his friend Marvin

Some of the clan

Bennihana's with Josh and Michelle. I'm really starting to hate all the wrinkles I'm seeing in pictures of me and I'm not even 30 yet!

Blowing out fake candles, the wind was not letting us light them.

The hosts and cooks, Mark's mom Selena and her husband Lester.

Mark's friend Mick, brother Rick, Mark, and sister Kristen

Me, Maurena and Sam, and Mark's cousin in law Theresa.

Charlie was pooped! He kept coming and sitting on my lap and actually told me he was ready to go home, that never happens.

The birthday boy, look at that smile!

Little Greyson liked my sunglasses.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Farmington Festival Days and There's Only One...

Started the morning off with the Farmington half marathon, I ran this course last year too with Cami but this time was by myself and I was worried because I hadn't ran much since the last half but I was able to shave off a couple minutes of time, hopefully one of these times I'll be able to make it to my goal of under 2 hours. Charlie crossed the finish with me again, then we enjoyed breakfast and the parade, what a parade! I was pretty impressed with little old Farmington, they've put on some good festivities for their festival days! I went to dinner and a movie (My Sisters Keeper, good!) that night with Mark's sisters and his cousins and got home just in time to watch Farmington's fireworks from our porch, perfect view.

Dancing in the street.

Charlie loved watching all the tumblers and he also has been walking around our house playing drums like he's in a marching band! He asked me tonight what we're doing tomorrow then he said "Oh yeah, we're having a parade and you can watch!"

We also decide to go to Lagoon this week. We just used our free walk around passes and bought some tickets for the rides for the kids. We've been planning on actually buying tickets for Lagoon on Stake Lagoon day, well we found out today we were there on Stake Lagoon Day and didn't even know it! No wonder why we ran into a few people from our Stake. :)

They kept fighting over the steering wheel.

Could he be any more excited?! He's looking a lot older to me in this picture.

The World Through Kids Eyes

August 2013

Leila has officially stopped saying "I wanna hold you" :( She would always say that to us and I have never corrected her but I guess she figured it out for herself because tonight she said "hold me". She's growing up too fast!

November 2011
I told Kenya tonight that I was glad Heavenly Father sent her to me. She said "Why did Heavenly Father send me to you?" I said "well we were all a family before we came to earth, in heaven." She said "Mom, how did you get up in the sky?" "I don't know." I said. "Did Santa give you a ride?" Followed with giggles by both of us.

November 2010
Today I was telling Mark about how angry I got at Kenya for coloring on the table for like the millionth time. She heard me talking about it and said "You're not a nice mom, you're like the BEAST! I'm gonna put you in da gawbage and get a new mommy!" Then later Mark asked her when he was reading her a bedtime story "Kenya, am I the King?" She said "No, you're the debil (devil)." Charlie was drawing a picture of our family for school and drew me with my mouth open he said "Look mom, you're yelling." I don't think we're leaving the right kind of impression on our kids here.

July2010
Today Kenya came up to Mark and said "Daddy I have to tell you something." She then made him bend down so she could whisper in his ear "You're the best dad in the whole wide world." He thought maybe I told her to say that but she came up with it all on her own. She then did the same thing to me. I love hearing that little whisper in my ear.

June 2010
Kenya randomly makes comments on the baby in my belly, it usually goes something like this. "I like your big belly mom" then "I like your baby Leila." Then it's followed by "I have a big belly too." Tonight that was followed by "It's hooge."

March 2010
When Kenya is demanding something I will tell her she needs to ask nicely. She then yells at me "NICELY!" Not quite what I was meaning.
If you say something like "How are you doing?" She'll say "Kenya" instead of good, or bad, or sad, or happy. Kinda cute.
She's really starting to put her sentences together and express herself a lot better. It's fun to have conversations with her.

March 2010
At dinner we were discussing how babies just drink when they're newborns and don't eat food. We asked Charlie if he knew what they drank and he said "yes, milk from your..." he paused for a few seconds and we were anticipating what was going to come out, then he said "from your belly!" What innocence.
February 2010-
Kenya has been saying some cute things lately most mornings she comes into our bed and snuggles in right in the middle of us. This morning she snuggled up next to Mark, put her hand on his cheek and said "daddy you're my sweetie girl." We had to laugh. Last night we were in the car, Mark was on the phone and Charlie was being really loud so he turned around and grabbed his leg to get him to be quiet. Charlie started crying and Kenya got really mad "don't hurt my sista! You otay Charlay?" We explained it was her brother and she said it all over again, this time with brother. She's been calling a lot of people her sister lately, she's a bit confused.
I made chocolate football cake bites for the superbowl and whenever she finishes her food she says "I want a hapball!" The first couple times I didn't know what she was saying until she ran over to them and pointed, now we know that hapball is football.

July 2009-
Charlie was asking me if his dreams would come true (I thought he was referring to bad dreams because he's been so scared of having bad dreams lately thanks to watching "Thriller") I told him they wouldn't come true and he kept asking me about it. Finally he said "Well daddy's dream came true when you were his wife!" Awww, thanks bud!

June 2009-
Yesterday Charlie randomly said to me "You know mom Jesus is sad when you're mean to me." I guess what goes around comes around. He also told me as we were reading "Little Red Cap" (the real Little Red Riding Hood story) "She shouldn't have lied to her mom" he said. I said "No she should've minded her mom and not gone off the path." He said "well sometimes I lie to you." At least he's honest, well sometimes. :)
May 2009-
Kenya loves the park. Every time we drive by one she freaks out "side, side! Mama side mease, meeease!" (slide please) she says "mease" all the time, it kills me! So cute. She also loves to say "go way!" Every time she's mad at someone or we're trying to get her to do something she doesn't want to its "go way!"

February 2009-Charlie said a prayer the other day that went like this "Grateful we could go to Disneyland, grateful for Halloween, grateful for Christmas, in the name..." That was it! Kind of funny.

December 2008-Last night when Mark was putting Charlie to bed Charlie said "Dad, I think Jaxon isn't choosing the right." Mark said "Yeah, how come? " Charlie said "Because he likes BYU and that's not choosing the right." Mark was pretty proud.

December 2008-

Charlie had a Christmas pajama party at preschool. He got a gift from his teachers. He opened it up and it was a blanket they had made for him, "Wow, a blanket!" I said. Charlie said "It's beautiful!" Then a bit later he was doing a puzzle while I was on the computer and out of nowhere he just says "Merry Christmas mom." He can be so sweet.

November 2008- With Christmas right around the corner and his birthday a couple weeks ago Charlie wants everything he sees on TV. He'll be upstairs watching TV and you'll just hear him say "How 'bout that!" And if it's a girl toy it's "How 'bout that for Kenya!" I don't know why it's "how 'bout that" but it puts a smile on my face every time he says it. It's too cute.

I love how honest Charlie is. The other day he went to the bathroom and when he came out I said "wash your hands" as he came out he got distracted for a minute and then said "Oh yeah, I got poop on my finger." And went to the bathroom. The same day he told me that while he was playing outside with his friend Brady he peed in our dirt, just randomly told me later that afternoon with a guilty look on his face. I was surprised because he hates peeing outside!

I took Charlie to Target to pick out a Halloween costume. I thought he would pick one out immediately and probably choose spider man or batman, well he wasn't really jumping on anything he saw, until he saw a transformer costume he said "I want to be a transformer!" I said "Ok do you want to be Bumble Bee?" "No, I want to be Octopus Prime!" I think it's so cute to hear him say it I haven't told him it's Optimus Prime.

One morning while we were getting ready for church Charlie in his best little sick voice says to me "Mom, (cough cough) I can't go to church, I'm sick (cough cough) see I have a cough.! Isn't he a little young to be doing that?

Last night I was kneeling down by Charlie as he said his prayers. This is what he said- "...Grateful I could go to preschool, grateful for daddy and Kenya," then he reached out and stroked my hair, "and grateful for mommy's hair." He was so happy yesterday when I came home from work and my hair was done and not in a pony tail anymore.

Charlie's Aunt Kristen asked him one day "Charlie what did you do today?" He said " I played with Samara." She said "Oh, is that your friend?" "No!" He said, " she's my husband!"

Mark sold his car and Charlie was with us as we dropped it off to the new owner. Charlie said "Dad, where is your car going?" Mark said " I sold it, it's going bye bye." Charlie said "All our of our stuff going bye bye?" I hope we're not traumatizing him! :)

Charlie has been learning about the Holy Ghost and he seems a bit confused at the concept. Today out of the blue he asked me "Mom, where is the Holy Ghost?" I tried to explain to him that he's a spirit and he can bring good feelings to you etc.. Then he said "Oh, can I touch his blanket?" (This is what a ghost is to him, somebody with a blanket over them.) So then I explained that he's not a real ghost he's a spirit and he doesn't have a body etc. Then he said "Yeah, but he almost has a body, and when I pull off it's blanket is the Holy Ghost a girl or a boy?" Let's just say he's still confused. :)

We went to Discovery Gateway today and as we were walking in there was a little person standing by the entrance. Charlie looks at me and says "Mom, that was a wittle mom." I thought that was pretty politically correct. :)

Today at church Charlie was playing with some cards on the bench during sacrament when I looked over at him he seemed to be pondering something and said to me "mom, am I going to get baptized?" I said "Yes, when you're 8 you can get baptized." "But I want to get baptized now!" (The lady sitting in front of us turns around and whispers "precious." :)) I told him again he could when he's eight. Then he said "Can daddy help me get baptized?" I guess he is learning something in primary and FHE!

Almost every morning I have a battle with Charlie on what he's going to wear. At least the mornings when I care what he wears and want him to look decent. Last night he got to pick out a movie to rent, he chose a Buzz Lightyear one (this is his latest obsession.) This morning I brought out some clothes and he saw them and said "No, not that shirt! That shirt won't make me Buzz Lightyear!" I said "Oh, what shirt will?" "Come here, I'll show you." And he took me into his room and insisted that he wear a white baseball T with green sleeves. This is the closest shirt he has that resembles Buzz Lightyear's costume. Pretty creative kid.

Charlie is in sunbeams now but we've been watching Cami's kids this weekend at her house so he went to nursery today with his cousin Luke. When we got home I asked him what he learned in nursery. He said "nothing." I said "didn't you have a lesson, you must have learned something." Very adamantly he responded "No we don't learn anything in nursery, we just have snacks!" No wonder why he loves it! :)

Cami has a piano in her house and yesterday towards the end of Charlie's nap Luke started softly touching the keys. Charlie woke up and came out of the bedroom with his hands out to the side palms facing up and said in a sweet surprised voice "I wake up and heard the piano singing." Mark and I thought it was too funny.

Those of you who have been around us probably know that Charlie hates my hair in a pony tail. I have no idea where this came from but for about a year he has been like this. It's getting better but at first he would throw a huge fit and say "Don't cutta your hair!" Then I explained to him it was a pony tail so it became "Take out your ponytail!" And he would grab my hair and try and get the elastic out. He's made progress over the past year, it went from forbidding it to throwing a fit but on occasion after I explained to him I was going to the gym or didn't have time to do my hair a few times a day I could make it through the day. Now He doesn't immediately respond to it when he sees it but at some point through out the day he'll comment on it. The other day he was going down for his nap and he said "Mom when I wake up will you take your ponytail out?" I can't believe a three year old boy could care so much about a ponytail! So much for short hair, he probably wouldn't speak to me for weeks! :)

After we sold our house we moved into my dad's. Charlie loves being around his grandpa and the other day he was sitting on the potty and I said "Charlie, do you need help?" and he said "no, I want grandpa to wipe me!" I said "no, grandpa doesn't wipe you, just mommy." So a couple days later he says to grandpa "Grandpa, are you a boy or a girl?" Grandpa said "I'm a boy." Charlie said "if you're a boy then you can wipe me!" Don't know how he decided that one but I guess he's got it all figured out!

Kenya has been sick the past day and tonight at dinner Charlie said "why isn't Kenya eating?" I said "Because she's sick." He said "Oh, does she have a snotty nose?" I said "No, she has a tummy ache." "Oh, did she eat an egg?" "No, I said ache, not egg, it means her tummy hurts." In classic Charlie response to everything "Oh." :)