9 months and a new baby...

...Camera that is! We got another Cannon and I was very happy with it until I uploaded this picture of Josh. The picture on the camera is clear and not washed out. It only looks like this since I uploaded it. I am too impatient to wait until Ryan gets home to look at it, so here is a cute but washed out picture of my baby boy. He turned 9 months on the 7th and is as fun as ever. He is saying "dada"(he said that first. Zachary was my only to say mama first.) Josh does say "mama" very clearly though. He babbles a lot! He also has three teeth. Two on the bottom and a snaggle tooth on the top. He still loves his food and is now wanting to eat everything we eat. He is a good, fun, happy baby!

Josh 9 months

Zachary 9 months ( with 4 big chompers!)

Allison 9 months (Alli didn't even get her first tooth until almost 10 months)

Santa

It is hard for me to write about my dad because I feel I cannot properly express in words how I feel about him or his passing. Two days ago marked the five year anniversary of his death. Every year at this time when the Christmas music is playing, the decorations are up, the lights are lit and everyone is in the "holiday spirit", it all brings out bitter-sweet emotions for me. My dad LOVED Christmas. He made this holiday most special for us even when money was tight. He wanted us to have memories of Christmas that he never had. I think his most favorite thing about Christmas though was dressing up as Santa. He had the rosy red cheeks, the big round belly, and as the years progressed his beard became as white as snow. He really made a great Santa. He enjoyed having kids (and adults) sit on his lap and tell him their Christmas wishes. He loved everything about this holiday season.

I have thought back to this time five years ago when he was so sick and could not even walk. Allison was only two months old. The holidays were approaching and all he wanted was to look like Santa so she could be on his lap if only for one time. It breaks my heart thinking about that moment. He knew this was going to be his last time as Santa and I am so thankful it got to be with his only grandchild at the time. It brings me to tears to know that all of his grandchildren will not have the opportunity to sit on his lap at Christmas time. He would have loved it more than the kids! I just have to realize that I was blessed to have the best "Santa" around for all the years I did. I need to keep his memory alive by making Christmas special for my kids, enjoying the holiday season like he did, and telling them stories of the greatest Santa around. Love you Santa.

The Other Video

I forgot to post the "other video" Read the previous post, watch that video, and then this one. Not that it really matters, it's just how it happened in "real life."

Fun After Bath

About two weeks ago our camera broke, and it takes us FOREVER to decided on what kind of camera we want, so that is why there have been no new post and probably won't be for a while! While I was looking at pictures that were taken before the camera broke I found these two videos that were taken right around Halloween. The kids had just come out of the bath and were having fun with Josh. I have never posted video before but I remember someone telling me that when you take video from your camera it has to be done horizontal, but of course I did it vertical so that is why the first one is sideways. I then realized it and tried to capture the moment again horizontal, but we all know how that goes! Enjoy! It may be a while before anything new comes along!

8 Months!

Well, another month has come and gone so here we are again. The monthly pictures start to get very "wiggly" from here on out. Looking back at the other kids I noticed that they don't just sit still anymore! Josh was trying to climb over the bear, eat the bear, lung off the chair, but that being said, we managed to get a decent picture with "rapper" hands none the less! Josh is on the move. He crawls anywhere and everywhere. He pulls himself up on just about anything. He only pulls up to his knees but is thinking about attempting his feet. He gives the wide open mouth kisses which is so sweet and we are teaching him how to wave. He is actually getting good at it. He seems to wave most when Alli is saying "Wave bye, bye" in her high pitch voice. Can you just hear it? Josh lights up most when he sees her. I think its a combo of the wild hair, big smile, and high voice! We are having lots of fun with them all!

Joshua 8 months

Zachary 8 months
Allison 8 months

Old McMenlove Had a Farm...

Last night was the ward Halloween Party and we had a great time. The farm theme started when Allison insisted on being a pig for Halloween. I'm not sure where that idea came from but she wouldn't budge! I first thought they could all be pigs and we would have "The Three Little Pigs!" But the more I thought about Zachy and Josh all in pink, it just didn't sit right. So... we are a farm family this year! Allison LOVES her pig nose because when you press it it makes an oinking sound. Zachary was proud to be a chicken, I let him pick between cow, chicken, horse, goat, and chicken is what he picked. And Josh was just happy being a cute cow!

Grandma came straight from work and no one even knew it!There's my happy chicken boy!


Here are some fun fall pictures I have taken over the past couple of weeks and thought I would share.
Alli is so sweet with her little brother !

These were taken before church a few Sundays ago and all three were just so clean and happy that I had to snap a few!

Seven Months!

I say this every time, but where is the time going? There is a quote about "time" that I just love and it is so true... "Time is like warm cookies on a plate...always vanishing." I feel like I want to stop time, but know that I need to just enjoy the moment. Joshua is getting more fun everyday. He loves to play peek-a-boo with Alli and Zach. He LOVES his food(sweet potatoes, green beans and pears are his favorites) even though there is still not much meat on his bones. He is scooting around everywhere. I wouldn't say he is crawling, but he gets up on his hands and knees and then lunges forward. My friend says he looks like a frog! He can move anywhere and get anything he wants. He has two bottom teeth and is still just as smiley as ever. He really is a perfect combination of his siblings.

Joshua 7 months

Zachary 7 monthsAllison 7 months

Happy 5th Birthday Allison!

I was going to just post pictures of Allison's fifth birthday and then I began to look back at pictures of the past five years and thought it would be fun to do a video. My little girl is getting so big and it has been amazing watching her grow and change. She came into this world full of life and we have enjoyed every minute of it! Allison had a great 5th birthday with Grandma stopping by and surprising her with a donut and gigantic balloon. She got to sit in the birthday chair at school and wear a special crown. The next day she had friends over for a party and her only request was a bounce house. She is very pround to be five and announces it whenever she gets a chance! She is such a sweet, fun, energetic, full of life little girl. We love you Allison.

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Preschool

I was about to write a post on Alli's birthday (I am a little behind) and realized I needed to put Zachary's first day of Preschool first. More then ever I have seen how the middle child can get a little neglected. Maybe it is just my middle child because he is so easy going and good natured that he lets his sister and brother take all the attention, but regardless, he is just as important and deserves his own post about starting preschool. It was my first day back at work the day Zachary started school. I am teaching second grade every Friday and every other Monday and those are the days that Zach goes to school. So, Dad was in charge of getting him off to school. And being the great dad that he is, he remembered to take pictures! Unlike his sister, Zach shed some tears as dad said goodbye, but his teacher Mrs. Nancy said they didn't last long, and he hasn't cried since. He is really enjoying school. First day picture with dad
At school
Playing with his friend Georgia. She is the only one he talks about when I ask him about his day!
My sweet boy

6 Months!

Joshua turned six months on Sunday and it's weird to think he is half a year old! He is wearing his Sunday best with his Ralph Lauren polo suit and his loafers from Uncle Dodo and Auntie Kenna. It was just on Sunday that Alli and I noticed that he cut his first tooth! He loves rice cereal and anything that goes with it, pears, applesauce, bananas. We are going to start veggies this week. I also think he is going to be wild like his sister. I have said that from the beginning. I was making Allison's lunch the other morning and had Josh in his carseat on the floor (not buckled in) all of a sudden I heard him scream. He had launched himself out of the carseat and was face down on the kitchen floor! He is always rolling and moving and loves to be in the mist of all the commotion. He is a very happy baby and is smiling all the time. He weighs a whopping 15lbs. 2oz. which is still the 10%. We love him so much!

Joshua 6 months Zachary 6 months
Allison 6 months

Kindergarten!

It actually happened... my little girl started Kindergarten! It feels like we just brought her home from the hospital and now here we are five years later. Today was Allison's first day at Wildrose. This is the same elementary school where Ryan and I went, so it was extra fun to see her there today. Sorry, but I have to give the whole run-down of events. We just arrived home yesterday from Utah (see previous post) and Grandma Graham wanted to start a back to school tradition. So, Allison was treated to her very first manicure and pedicure! It was just Grandma and Alli, and they had the best time! Grandma stayed for dinner and we had a nice relaxing evening.
I wanted to start a fun tradition also, so the "School Fairy" brought some fun treats for the school kids. Allison's face was priceless when we read the note and she opened the present(pencil box, erasers, sharpener, pencils, and mints!) We then walked down to Rite-Aid and got ice cream.
First Day of Kindergarten Picture ~ That is one happy girl!
Zachary wanted his lunch box too. He put some mints in his!
Walking up to the school. Yes, they held hand on their own. I love that they do that!
Me and Zachy missing Alli
Overall, sending my first to Kindergarten has been a great experience. I love that she is at Wildrose, I love that I know her teacher, Mrs. Mitchell. I love that I will see her on Fridays when I work there and I love that she is so ready. I asked Alli today if she missed me at all. Her exact response, "No" then there was a long pause thinking about the question, "Never." I looked at her a little sad and she said, "But I still love you." "I love you too Alli" is all I could say, holding back a tear.

Grandma-Great

I wanted to post this before we left for Utah but didn't get a chance. Grandma Great finally passed away last week. I say "finally" because over the past ten years that I have been part of the Menlove family, it seems like every time we saw Grandma (Roger's mom) it was going to be the last time we saw her. Except for this last time we were up in Utah, two months ago, she was at her perkiest. I had never heard her talk so much! She was interrupting all of our conversations and was right in the mist of all the commotion. She had just returned from a family camp out where she sat by the campfire and had smores. She held Joshua and loved seeing Allison and Zachary run around. I am so glad to have seen her this way and remember her in such a happy way. It was Allison's first real experience with death and it was a good teaching tool for us as parents to explain to her that Grandma is in a much better place and with Heavenly Father and Jesus. We told her that it is important for us to be good here on earth so that we can see Grandma Great again someday. She understood it as much as a almost five year could and after many tears and a million more questions she looked at me and said, "okay, I am not sad anymore." She hasn't brought it up since. If only everything were that simple! Well, I am now getting ready for my baby to start Kindergarten tomorrow, and I think it will be awhile before I can say, "I am not sad anymore."

Do You Ever Feel Like...

Martha Stewart, WonderWoman, or SuperMom? To answer my own question... RARELY! But the other day I had one of those one in a million days that I just had to document! I think the stars, moon, hormones, all have to be in some kind of perfect alignment for these "un-normal" days to occur. I wish they came around more often, but for now I will just fondly remember the great day that it was. To begin Allison and Zachary both woke up in good moods, and even better they didn't come immediately into our room begging for us to get up. They just began playing together. They were sharing and laughing, and there was no arguing! Because they were being so good, I decided to do something fun with them and make homemade playdoh. We made two batches, a green one for Zac and a red one for Alli. They must have played with it for an hour! Again with no fighting. While I was getting lunch ready, they decided to switch clothes and pretended to be each other. Alli was talking like a boy, and Zachary like a girl (which isn't too hard because his voice is so high anyways.) I was in tears! They were being so funny and feeding off each other. They ate lunch, took a two hour nap and again woke up happy! In the time they were napping I got two loads of laundry done (washed, folded, and put away!) and I went to the store and got my grocery shopping done. When they woke up I decided to make chocolate chip banana muffins. The kids were in heaven licking the bowl and playing chef. The muffins turned out perfectly ( which is rare for me when I do any sort of cooking.) But this was the perfect day, remember? I then began dinner which was a new Mexican dish I found on-line. It turned out good and we had a nice family dinner. Everyone ate with no complaints. The day ended with all three kids bathed, reading books, and easily going to bed. I felt like the day had been a dream. There were no time-outs, lots of laughs, a clean house, good food, no TV, and happy kids! Unbelievable I know.

Alli was trying to show off the playdoh, and Zachary was enjoying the salty taste of it!

Here is my Alli-boy and my Zachy-girl!
The yummy chocolate-chip banana muffins!
Even though every day is not a perfect one, those faces are!

5 Months!

My baby is not really a little baby anymore. But the good thing is that he gets cuter by the day! He is a very happy baby and still smiles all the time. He is nosy like his big sister and wants to be a part of the action. He eats like crazy even though he is still a string bean. I am going to start him on cereal this week. Maybe that will chunk him up! He loves rolling over ( he rolled off Nora's couch the other day. We even had pillows surrounding him. He cried for a second and then began smiling. I can already tell he is going to be "all boy.") He is drooling like crazy and loves putting things in his mouth. He is very ticklish and giggles so loud. He is such a fun baby. We love him so much!

Joshua 5 months Zachary 5 month (look at that chin!)
Allison 5 months

As Jen was waking from having her wisdom teeth taken out I could not resist taking a picture.( I know she is going to kill me for this) She reminded me of those national geographic shows when the tranquilize the animals and all the animals can do is look around. She was a trooper and everything went great. I cannot wait for her to be back on her feet. It is times like these that I really appreciate what she does all day.

Summer Fun!

Allison graduated from Preschool a month ago and "summer fun" has been in full swing ever since! Zachary is officially potty trained...my goal for the summer. We drove to Utah to visit Grandma Menlove. We also had lots of fun with Uncle Stevie, Uncle Dodo and Auntie Kenna. We also saw Great-Grandma Menlove who met Joshua for the first time. We met up with our friends the Lewis' and their sweet family. The kids were great travelers and we all had a wonderful time. The day after we got home from Utah, Emmy, BennyBoo and Gracie arrived. We spent three days at Auntie Nora's house and had the best 4th of July ever. We loaded all the kids on the back of bikes and rode to friends house to watch a pretty amazing parade. That night we got back on the bikes and rode to the beach to watch the fireworks. There were lots of laughs, lots of late nights, and lots of fun! This summer we have been doing a lot of relaxing, swimming, and just enjoying our time together, and it's not over yet!

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4 Months!

Joshua turned 4 months on Monday the 7th. He has his check-up next week so I am anxious to see how long he is and how much he weighs. As you can see he is still skinny and very long. Some of his nicknames include: string bean, daddy long legs (given by auntie Em) and Mr. Smiles. He smiles all the time and at everything which is a lot of fun. He definitely lets us know when he is not happy about something, but is usually easily soothed. He loves to be on is tummy which my other two never much liked, and has just started rolling over. There are days that I wish time would stand still because it is all going way too fast, but it is also fun to watch him grow and develop a personality. We have already had a fun filled summer, so I will post soon on all our fun adventures! At four months Josh weighs 12lbs. 6oz, which is the 10%. Very similar to where his sister fell on the charts!

Joshua 4 months

Zachary 4 months
Allison 4 months

Ten Years

Well, today is our Ten Year Anniversary! I have never done a video montage, so I thought this would be the perfect reason to do one. I really wanted to scan pictures of the past ten years but I didn't get that fancy this time. Maybe for our twenty year anniversary! I just want Ryan to know that he is an awesome husband and wonderful father. I truly couldn't ask for more. He makes dinner more than I do, he does dishes, he changes diapers, he gets up early to feed a crying baby, he has lots of energy, he is patient with me and gives me more complements then I deserve. Our marriage has not been perfect over these past ten years, but I think we work well together and I look forward to many more years to come. Happy Anniversary! Ilove you!

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3 Months!

I have said that once my kids hit three months then I know it can only get better from there. So I guess we have made it! There are still plenty of sleepless nights, lots of spit up, laundry that is never ending, and the house is more often a mess then it is clean, but the smiles and laughter are endless. I think this is why it is all so bearable. Joshua smiles and giggles so often that it makes me forget about everything else. He is a sweet boy.

Joshua 3 months

Zachary 3 months
Allison 3 months