Summer Is Almost At An End

I cannot believe how busy this summer has been for us!  We have been at a constant grind ever sense the first day of school let out.  The kids have been in the water most of the time.  Between swimming lessons, playing at the pool for fun, and our two lake Powell trip, the kids are always looking like raisins.  I'm especially proud of my girl Ryan.  She has had a real fear of water from a very young age.  I never could understand why she would have any reason to be afraid, but she has struggled in the water because of this... Not any more!  My girl is a little fish... she is not only enjoying the water, but she is swimming very well.  I'm really pleased with all her hard work to overcome a lot of her fears and learn to  swim!  She also managed to get up on a knee board as well as a pair of double skies!  What a brave little girl!  We will have to post the video of her getting up on the skis soon... stay posted

As for the boy... he is fearless as ever!  It seams like he is enjoying things more when his sister is in discomfort.  A true brother!  This boy is just the most pleasant, loving, funny, and cutest boy you could ever dream up!  Take my word, he is all boy!  Just the thought of a challenge will  motivate this kid to tackle anything!  He has let me know that we should call him "Elder Park" and that he is no longer a ninja... now he is a Karate Master!  Oh and before I forget, I meant to write this story down so I don't forget.  A few weeks ago in the car Mac said he knew where he wanted to serve his mission when he is older... India.  I commented that I thought he would be a good missionary where ever he was called to serve...  "India... or Candy Land"  Lol!  I'm hoping for a call to Candy Land for him!

Playing Catch Up!

It feels like I don't make enough time to keep up with all that is going on with the family... it's a lot to keep up with now days!  I guess I should start with the big stuff, school.  That's right, school is out.  Mac is done with another year of preschool, and Ryan is done with the first grade!  I can't believe how much they both have grown this year!  Ryan is speaking a lot of Chinese, and Mac is still plugging away with his reading and writing.  Next year will mean second grade for Ryan, and one last year of preschool for Mac!  It's unbelievable how fast the year goes!

Other, less notable, things going on include a new addition to the family.  Tux is our new Golden-doodle.  He is the sweetest addition we could have made--as far as dogs go.  Although we didn't really plan on adding another dog, we are really glad that he is a part of the family now.  I guess we can call it a happy surprise.

Also, we went to see the Orthodontist for Ryan just a few weeks ago because she has a really crazy bite.  Turns out it was a good thing I took her in so soon.  We found out that her bite can be really bad news and has to be addressed early if you want to avoid some really serious problems.  She has an under bite, cross bite, and what they call a scissor bite.  I guess the scissor bite is really bad because essentially her teeth are locking together when her jaw closes.  If she were to ever get hit with her jaw closed her teeth would all break!  That's bad!  So we had three teeth extracted and she will be wearing her first of two sets of braces by November!  Crazy!!!  She will probably be the only second grader in braces, but she will also be the first kid to have that perfect smile too... if all goes as planned!

As for us, we are going to try to enjoy a summer of fun before it's back to the grind of school!

Easter

Easter was so much fun this year with the kids.  Plus, it was extra special because we got to stay home and listen to conference!  I really enjoy conference but it is especially great when it falls on Easter Sunday!  The kids were all ready to watch with their games the primary got for them.  I was really impressed with their willingness to try to listen and be reverent for that long!  Kids are the best!

Seven

This little girl just wont quit growing up!  I am late to post her birthday, but I didn't forget!  I think I'm in denial about how big she is getting!  She is just so stinking cute, I can't handle her growing up so fast!  This year she did a fun combined party with our neighbor Kate.  They had a ton of friends come and decorate cupcakes, hit a pinata, play bingo, do butterfly tattoos and balloons, and just run around crazy in the church gym.  I was exhausted after it was all over!  Thank goodness for my friend Heidi helping.  The two of us were able to take on 20 seven year old girls!  Wow, it wasn't easy!

On top of that all, she got a party with my Dad and her cousin Riley who also turned 7.  Spoiled little thing.  Oh and don't forget the sleep over she had with Nana!  She got to shop, go to dinner, stay up late and then wake up and eat 6 cinnamon rolls for breakfast!  Lucky little thing!

Happy Birthday to my favorite little girl of all time!  Each year I get more and more sad that my little girl is growing up and turning into a perfect little lady!

Korie McCall Sandoval

January 14, 2015 my little sister BreeAnn and her husband Alex had this little doll! She was 6 pounds 1 ounce and 20.5 inches long!  She is the smallest, most perfect little girl I have seen in a long time!  Plus I think her name is AWESOME!!!!!!  I guess Bree and Alex must have known someone that they loved a lot to get a name like Korie McCall!!!!!  This quite possibly made my entire year... although it is only January so we have a long time to see if it holds true!!

This is Bree less than an hour after Korie came!  I can't believe how good she looks!  Go Bree!  Give birth and still look pretty! 

Proud parents!  This dad is going to spoil this girl rotten!  I'm still waiting for the nice guy act to wear off with Alex... it's taking forever! 

I have to say, that Korie showed me some of her name sake during this photo shoot!  I took off her diaper to do some shots of her entire body and she ended the shoot right away by spraying the entire length of my leg with newborn poop!  I was shocked and oddly proud--that's what a McCall would do!

I can't believe how alert and chill this little one always is!

Christmas update

As I sit here writing I am just thinking how fast time passes!   I just can't seem to wrap my brain around the idea that it is almost February of 2015!  How does time get away from me like that?

Christmas was, once again, really great!  The kids are so much fun the older they get!  I love that they really enjoy all of the Christmas traditions!  They are able to more fully enjoy the true meaning of Christmas too--meaning Christ's birth.

This Christmas we were able to spend a lot of time with our two families!  Jordan, Jared's brother who lives in Japan, came home for the month and we spent a lot of time with him.  The kids miss him when he is gone.  We also got to spend a lot of time with my family.  It was good to get all of us together again and just enjoy each other!

Christmas morning was a blast!  I think I even heard Ryan say that she heard Santa Claus come down the chimney!  We had the kids sleep in the basement family room so that Jared and I could set some things up in each of their rooms.  Jared and I worked through the night practically to get our gifts for them ready... it was worth losing the sleep though!!  We put a swinging chair in Ryan's room, and a climbing wall in McCallum's room!  It was a big hit!!

The kids also got a lot of great things from Santa, grandparents, and cousins.  It was a great time!  At one point in the morning, Mac opened a box of power tools.  Ryan took one look at the tools and said, "great, I can't wait till he cuts me to pieces!"   I was giggling, however, once the batteries were in the saw... the first thing Mac did was walk up to Ryan and pretend to saw her arm off!  I was laughing so hard when Ryan looked up at me and rolled her eyes and just said, "Told ya."

Ryan and Mac both got a dress up costume, Mac a knight, Ryan Frozen.  Mac got a remote control car, the tools, some drums from Grammie and Papa, some cowboy boots and a skateboard from Nana and Papa, and a bunch of other things.  Ryan got some books, a little bird that chirps, an art set, a Karaoke Machine from Grammie and Papa, a baby doll with clothes and other odds and ends from Nana and Papa, and lots of other fun things too.  It was a big hit!

 I got Jared this Axel bar.  It's a weighted bar but it has a really fat grip so it is used a little bit different than a normal lifting bar.  You cradle it in your arms for lifts often times... anyway he loved it!  We also got a climbing rope and some 45 pound bumper plates from the Zollinger's to add to our little garage gym!  It's awesome!  Plus, Jared gave me a speaker to play music on in the gym as well as a sweet set of running clothes for the cold weather!  Now I am set for working out in my garage gym all year round and I can still run the dog in style!  Thanks Honey!  (There are no pictures of me because I am always behind the camera!)

 Yikes, the only pictures of me are some of the most terrible things I've ever seen!  But look at those happy kids!  So much fun and so much to be thankful for!

 All the cousins on the Zollinger side going crazy over the gifts that Grammie and Papa gave them.

Mac in his cool new boots!  Every boy needs some of these!! Thanks Nana and Papa 

 
Ryan loved this little baby!  She is such a natural little mommy!  Every day before school she makes sure I am told to watch her while she is gone!

Jared and I got some tools from the Park's and a shop vac!  That's going to really come in handy!

Even the dog was happy!

Merry Christmas

We hope you all have a Merry Christmas this year!  If you didn't get our Christmas card this year just consider this your Christmas card.  Merry Christmas!