Where have I been?

So it has been how long???  Who knows, it has been FOREVER since I lasted posted on my blog.  Let's just say, life happened!  I'm hoping to get myself back into this blog posting thing and get myself caught up.  Soon!!!  How soon???  Who knows!  Here is just a little recap of the past 6 months...

• Little Erin Mae was born.... April 9, 2012...  She is now 4 months old and growing like a weed!
• Ethan finished preschool and T-Ball this spring and will be starting in Kindergarten (FINALLY) in 2 weeks!  Soccer is starting up this Saturday!  Sweet!
• Emma is POTTY TRAINED (well, almost... it's just the matter of going #2 in the potty)...  She is starting a neighborhood preschool and getting into dance and tumbling!  Oh, she is now 3!  WOW!
• Scott is working hard and earning the big bucks for the family.  He is doing more with his photography and so if you need pics done... he's the man!
• Me???  Well, I have 3 little ones that keep me busy...  I'm taking care of a 4 month old, potty trained a VERY stubborn 3 year old, and answering endless questions from my curious 5 almost 6 year old.  I'm trying to lose my pregnancy weight and not my mind!  So far I have about 7 more pounds to go!  Yeah me!  

I hope to post some momentous occasions to my blog soon.  Ha, not that momentous but some fun posts to get myself caught up!

Newman's Review

Thinking back to the last month and a half, there really isn't much to report.  January isn't my favorite month.  What is there to look forward to?  The weather is crappy and we are stuck inside!  January is just a long, boring month.  Oh, well... we survived and we are now mid way through February.  Time seems to go so slowly when you are living it, but looking back it feels like it passes in a blur.  So here is just a little update about us...

• We finally bought a new car.  We were going back and forth between a Chevy Tahoe or a Honda Odyssey...  We decided on the Mini Van... We thought it was what fit us the most.  I don't have a picture, though I probably should take one, huh?  It is gold with tan interior.  It is fully loaded and the kids love driving in it, especially when we let them watch a movie :)
• Tree House Museum...  Aunt Jaime gave the family a year pass to the museum.  We've gone a few times and it has been fun watching the kids run from one place to the next!  

 The Lego area... The kids didn't stop running and exploring until here....  Both kids love Legos!

 This area was fun... They got to play music instruments from around the world.

 There is a big tree in the middle of the museum... Here they are on a bridge over a little "Creek".

 A fun place to pretend to be a cowgirl or cowboy at a rodeo... Fun!

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• This winter has been very odd.  We've hardly had any snow up here.  It is crazy, the past several years there has been a ton of snow, but this year Utah isn't getting it.  When we do get snow we get excited... by this time of the year we are ready to be done with snow and dread it's existence.  So far the kids has had one chance to really play in the snow and so far we haven't had a chance to make a snowman.  Hopefully, we'll still get that chance!

 Emma playing in the snow!

 Ethan showing off his muscles!

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• The kids are growing up!  Ethan loves preschool and is very into the calendar these days.  He has his own calendar in his room with all the holidays marked.  He is aware of the day of the week and even the date.  I signed Ethan up for T Ball this Spring.  He isn't too sure about T Ball and wanted to play soccer, but there will be too many scheduling conflicts to do both.  I'll sign him up for Kaysville soccer in the Fall. 

• Emma is starting to talk and verbalize a lot more.  I've been worried about her speech and I still think she is a bit behind.  I think it is because Ethan speaks for her.  She now tries to communicate with us and we only understand half of what she says, but she is getting there!  I have Emma in a neighborhood preschool group for next year with a few other kids.  It is hard to imagine she is old enough to start preschool next year!  Crazy!  

• Pregnancy update...  I'm almost 32 weeks, but look to be 42 weeks here.  I got big and I got big fast with this pregnancy.  The doctor said I'm measuring right on, not too big and not too small...  I have the usual discomforts... not being able to bend down, backaches, exhaustion, and mild swelling.  This pregnancy has been hard.  Scott tells me they were all hard and I got amnesia...  Maybe so, but I still vote that this little one has been the hardest!  We haven't picked out a name yet or really have done much to get ready for her arrival.  We did buy some new stuff for the baby and just need to get things set up.  We decided that Emma and baby will be sharing a room.   I can't believe I'm putting a baby with the worse sleeper in the house (besides me).  It was easier then moving Emma from her room to Ethan's room just to move her back in a year. I'm crossing my fingers!  I'm really looking forward to the end of this pregnancy and welcoming this sweet little baby to our family.  Just a little nervous how the third kids will change things and if I can handle it.  
• Scott joined the gym and just told me he is off to shoot some hoops...  He is having mixed emotions about the gym.  He joined because, believe it or not, he is starting to get a gut.  No belts required for his pants anymore!  He has been able to do some traveling these past few months and expects to travel some more come June.  So work is working out!

Newman's 2011 Review

2011 was a wonderful year.  We've been so blessed...  Scott and I have been able to travel the world together, without the kids :)...  He surprised me with a trip to New York City in June and for our 7th year anniversary we went on a Mediterranean Cruise, my first time traveling to Europe.  It was amazing.  The one thing that excites us the most is our soon to be addition to our family.  We will be welcoming another sweet baby girl to our family sometime this April. 

 Scott....

• Finished his first year at Juniper Networks, working from home.
• Released from Primary and now is the 2nd Counselor in the Elder's Quorum.
• Continues with his passion of taking pictures and going to new places with his camera always in hand.
• Loves to BBQ, especially using his charcoal BBQ.  

Melissa...

• Joined the gym and got in shape!
• 6 months along with a new little bundle of joy...  Above is a pic of me right before I got pregnant...
• Released from Young Women's and right back into Primary as a teacher...
• Traveled to many new places this year including:  NYC, Italy, Monte Carlo and Spain.

Ethan....

• Learned to ride a scooter...  and his bike without training wheels.
• Turned 5 years old!
• Started his last year of preschool with Mini Explorer Preschool.
• Now sleeps in his own bunk bed.
• Learning to read and write and can't wait to start Kindergarten in the Fall.
• Is an awesome big brother to Emma and can't wait to meet his new little sister.

Emma....

• Turned 2 years old!
• Finally has hair and loves to be all dolled up!
• Loves to run, climb, jump and play with Bubba (Ethan)!
• Learned to petal her tricycle.
• Now sleeps in a Big Girl Bed.

Christmas 2011

Having kids makes Christmas a lot more fun.  This year especially.  This year Ethan was very much into Christmas and Emma was riding on Ethan's excitement.  Santa must have been very impressed with these kids because there was a ton of present ready to be opened!

 I buckled down and made the kids a photo book... this was Emma's 1st year book...

 Since I was very behind on Ethan's he got a book called "The Early Years" there was no way I could have caught up and this worked out perfectly.

 Evidence that Santa was here!

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Christmas at the Newman's...

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Christmas at the Riddle's...

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It was a long day... Presents, church, Newman's, and then to the Riddle's and finally home... poor kids didn't get a chance to play with their toys until the next day.  

 Emma in her new dress up clothes...

Ethan got a Tag reading system and don't ask me why he is sitting on the table.

Holiday Fun!

This year I tried to do some fun things with the kids for the holidays.  They are getting older and Ethan, especially was totally in the Christmas spirit.  So it was my responsibility, as a mom to do something about it.  I really could have done better, but I felt like I did pretty good considering my "condition"...

This year I wanted to make an advent calendar for the kids.  Ethan was very into counting down to Christmas and someone sent me a good idea about making trees and each day the kids would open one and find a special surprise.  On Thanksgiving, while the guys did the clean up, the girls went to work and helped Becky and I make these cute trees...  It was a lot of more work then I anticipated, but worth it.  The kids loved these trees and unfortunately it got the kids, especially Ethan, wired from day one!  It was a LONG month!

 I totally forgot to get a picture of my trees when I first set them up... we started with 24 trees and here we were down to 5!

In the trees I included treats and sometimes an activity... One activity was to build a snowman.  Since we didn't have snow, we build edible snowmen... It was an interesting experience that Ethan and Emma loved and wanted to go it again.

Of course what would the holidays be without gingerbread houses.  Ethan begged and begged to make one. He saw one at his friend's house and so I caved and we did it!  Here is Ethan very proud of his little house.

 I think Scott decorated more of Emma's then she did...she really discovered treats and sugar this Christmas and has been on a sugar high since!

 Another activity we did was ice skating... Since I'm not brave to really take the kids ice skating and since I'm really a bit top heavy I pulled out some paper plates and the kids went wild.  It was a hit!

 Ethan performing for me!

 Sugar cookies aren't my favorite cookie, but the kids loved making and decorating them for Santa.  Here is Emma's cookie... kinda got carried away with the sprinkles!

 Yummy cookies!

 Scott and I hosted a Christmas Eve dinner with part of my family.  Love having family over!

 Russ and Alicia!

Christmas jammies!

Scott whispered to me... He never seen someone so excited to get new jammies as Ethan.  He does love his jammies!

Finally, my angels all dressed up for Christmas morning church.

Happy Halloween!

Trick of Treat!

 Captain America!

 Princess Cinderella

and the priest....

Halloween Fun!

Halloween is definitely a lot more fun when you have kids... There is more to Halloween then trick or treating these days...  These are some activities or fun stuff that we did to celebrate!

 Dressing up....  Emma trying on the Dragon costume when Ethan was two...  Ethan and Emma loved dressing up in their costumes and sometimes Emma would be wearing her Princess dress 2 or 3 times a day :)

 Gotta love those Halloween shirts...  Plus, those bows are to die for!

 Who's afraid of monsters???  Maybe if they looked like this you would be very afraid!

 Of course, we had to make and decorate cookies... this year we made chocolate sugar cookies and orange frosting (all from scratch, thank you very much!)

 Ethan brought this home from preschool and of course Emma had to try it on!  She makes a pretty scary witch!

Scott and I were invited to a Halloween party and we went as a priest and a pregnant nun.  We won best costumes!

 Went to "Boo at the Zoo"  With Grandma and Grandpa Riddle and cousins...

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Carving Pumpkins...

 Ethan's "evil face" pumpkin...

Emma's jack-o-lantern!