A guy in our stake is a pediatric dentist and we thought, since we were looking for a new dentist here in Austin, that we'd give him a try. We were very happy with that choice. We love Dr. Collins. Check out the waiting room!

Video games, movable marble track, movies, prize vending machines and much more!

Michael got his x-rays in "The Portrait Studio."

Yeah, bite wings. I sure hated those things as a kid. You can see Elle was an eager spectator. She didn't get her "portrait" taken this visit. 

We were glad to see Michael's x-rays. He has been grinding his teeth quite a bit and has some serious wear and tear on them. He's even developed the beginnings of tiny cavities between all four sets of molars. He has been a diligent toothbrusher, but I guess it's time to step up our game and develop better flossing skills. 

* smile *

Hunter got to wear rockin' sunglasses while she got her teeth cleaned. Hunter can't help being cool everywhere she goes. Yes, even the dentist office. NO Cavities! YeeHA! The hygienist and dentist were both very proud of Hunter's clean teeth.

Elle wore superfly sunglasses too. Hers had flowers all over them - just like her shirt and shorts. She's so stylish.

See her hygienist's pink gloves?? They are CHERRY flavored! When the dentists checks the kids' teeth, he wears one cherry-flavored glove and one dreamcicle-flavored glove. What new flavor would that combo be? They also had vanilla-flavored gloves.  I had no idea anything like that even existed. After our visit, we got a special VIP tour of the entire office and each kid got a glove of their own to savor.

Her hygienist taught how to "kiss" the suction tube during her cleaning to clear out the extra spit. She giggled every time she did it. She was quite a kisser! AND, no cavities!

Date Night with the Kiddies

I took my cutie kids on a date to the Barton Creek Mall. I had heard they just opened a Lego Store, and we certainly couldn't leave that stone unturned. Check out this awesomeness!

Uh huh, made completely out of Legos.

We made our own custom Lego people. Michael's, Elle's then Hunter's all nicely packaged for the trip home. I was surprised they all independently chose the same shirt and pants pieces. 

Now who would have thought JC Penney's could be such a hot date spot? We ran into this shelf of super cool knit hats and gloves. We certainly couldn't pass up a photo op like that.  

Now this is an innovative look - earmuffs AND a cap. That's maximizing the fashion statement and the warmth. Good work little diva Elle. 

Double hat action. Very nice son. Do you think there is any symbolism in him choosing a raccoon cap to go over a little monster cap? No?

Now we're just getting silly!

To finish the night off right, we deiced to get Elle's delicate flop of a hairdo trimmed into her dream do. Check out the play-by-play. 

First of all, look at this before shot. My poor ratty princess. If anyone EVER needed a haircut . . .

Time to wet down her wild frock.

Pinning up for the first cut.

AND . . . snip, snip, snip

She even got her hair styled. She was so very pleased and proud to get her hair cut like her big sister Huntie's.  Little Ellie couldn't stop smiling. 

direct quote: "I look like someone else!!!"

Thank you brave hairstylist Malory. You made a little three-year-old soul very happy indeed.

Elle said, "This is the haircut I always wanted!!"

First Day of School 2010

Michael and Hunter were super excited to start their new year of school. Hunter is in the 5th grade and in Ms. Smith's homeroom class. Michael is in 2nd grade with Ms. Zimmer. They seem like fantastic teachers. Ellie has been a very good sport watching them get ready and excited for their new year. 

Michael has a look of dread on his face here in front of the school, but I think he was just tired of me taking pictures and raring to go to school. 

 

and here they are on their way into school.

 

We went to meet their teachers and see their classrooms last week. Ms. Zimmer is cheerful and very organized. She seems very kind and cute in every way. She reminds me of Sally that way ;). Michael sits in the front at a group table. He's going to love Ms. Zimmer. 

Ms. Smith seems very organized too, but in a no frills kind of way. Her classroom is stark and bare, but it seems like she's intentionally left plenty of space for her students to fill the space with their work and create ownership of her room. Hunter got to pick her desk and load it up with all her brand new supplies. She will have three different teachers this year and rotate between them throughout the day.

The kids were so blessed this year to get grandfather's blessing from BOTH of their grandfathers. Papa blessed them before they left Louisiana when all of their cousins were receiving their blessings the night before their school year started.  Their grandpa Adams blessed them last night too, on the eve of their first day of school. 

In Hunter's blessing she was promised a wonderful year at school, especially as this will be her last year in elementary school. She is to be a good example to all the kids at her school, especially those younger children who will be looking up to her.  She was blessed to be kind and respectful and to have courage to stand for what is right. She was blessed that her mind will be quick and active. She's encouraged to ask questions and participate so she can latch onto a good foundation of English, math, science and reading for future years. She will love learning. Last year her homework was very hard and time consuming. She was blessed that her homework will be easier than before and that many nights she will remember how far she's come. As she does hard things she becomes more like her Heavenly Father. She was reminded to continue her scripture study - and find quiet time to do so. That as she does this she will have a special love for them and her Savior.  She will come to know Jesus Christ as her brother. He can identify her feelings and needs and will answer her prayers. Hunter was told her teacher will pay attention to her needs and peak her interest and make her excited to learn. As her mommy finds a job and begins to work, she was blessed to be a help to me, as always. 

In Michael's blessing he was promised a great school year too! His teacher will love him and understand him and his needs. She will patient and kind.  He is to respond to her, be respectful and quiet at quiet times, to listen and learn and work hard and study. Michael will gain a love for reading and math. He will choose good friends, the best friends. As he chooses the right he will be an example to help others. He was blessed with health and strength. He was also blessed with love and compassion. His speech will improve this year. 

Ellie got a blessing too! She has grown to be a big girl and this year, as she is home by herself she will have a good time with her mom. She was blessed to learn new things and to be obedient and choose the right. She was blessed to be a good example and friend at church. She was blessed to keep her room and her bed clean. She is maturing into a young woman. 

We are so blessed to have the priesthood in our home. I'm so grateful these grandpas honor thier priesthood and can bless my children. This is going to be such a great school year!

New Shiney Rooms

While the kids were away, mommy and friend played. My dear friend helped me paint and redo the kids rooms. They were SO surprised and SO happy with the results.

Hunter got her coveted loft bed from IKEA decked out it all her favorite colors.

Michael and Ellie are little monkeys in their blue and green monkey room.

A Big Giant Cookie Jar of Love

Before I left Louisiana to head back to Austin, I bought a huge cookie jar and filled it full of my kids' favorite homemade cookies. YUM! When they eat one they can think of how much their mommy loves them.

Two favorite recipes:

Emily's Super Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
  1/2 cup butter, softened
  1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
  1 cup brown sugar, packed
  1/2 cup granulated sugar
  1 tsp baking soda
  2 eggs
  1 tsp vanilla
  2 1/2 cups flour
  1 bag of Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
  1) cream together the butter, shortening and sugars. Add baking soda. If you're using unsalted butter, add 1/2 tsp salt here too.
  2) mix in eggs and vanilla.
  3) add flour, then chocolate chips.  I love adding nuts too.
  4) Bake at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. This is key here - don't over or under cook them. Keep an eye on the first pan and be sure to pull them our just as soon as the centers aren't shiny anymore and the edges are goldening up.


Emily's Super Awesome White Chocolate Chip Cookies
(same exact recipe, but substitute the chocolate chips with Ghirardelli classic white chips)

Enjoy ;)

Lyons and Jedi Warriors

My awesome friend Mandy, who I met while being her EFY counselor "couple" years back, lives in Katy. TX with her cutie husband and 4 kiddies. She dazzled us with a weekend visit and she and her kids (Emily, Kaia, Blake and Taylor) drove up Friday night and spent the night and played all day Saturday. Friday night we ate a yummy dinner then TONS of candy while watching Star Wars. Yes, that is what we call a prefect evening.

The next day we had planned some day trips to Zilker Park, the Childrens Museum, etc. But our kiddies were having such a blost just being together, we just hung around the house and visited while they played.

 

The favorite game was Star Wars where each kid was a Star Wars character and they ran around the house, inside and out, saving the Empire. Emily Lyon is quite possibly Elle's most favorite person in the world because opf her mad Jedi skills. She has since asked every friend she's encountered to play Star Wars, but to her greatest disappointment, no friend has measured up to her divine Emily.

Michael LOVE

Michael was been begging to take tennis since the fliers starting coming home from school advertising this after school tennis camp. So, here he is - our future tennis pro.

 OOoo, just look at that front hand swing! (or whatever it's technically called)

Just Keep Swimming . . .

Hunter, Michael and Elle all took swimming lessons at our fabulous neighborhood pool for the past two weeks. For their last lesson, they got some water safety tips and to practice some of their new skills. Note we used Hunter's underwater digital camera for these sweet shots. Here's proof of its underwater powers:

 (Yes, Hunter did proudly take this UNDER the water)

Hunter and Michael got to be rescued by a brave lifeguard. They both got a kick out of that (not literally).

Elle learned the art of throwing in a lifesaver. Her coach Beth demonstrated first, then she got a turn to "rescue" Coach Beth. See how carefully Elle places her foot on the rope so that it won't be thrown in with the lifesaver? And this is were the camera battery died :(.