The Niven Clan

November 2013 - Being grateful, homemade pumpkin pie, Thanksgiving feast

November was very cold! We had a lot of sickness in November all the way through December, so we hung around the house a lot this month!

Here's some pics...

We put up a quick and easy tree on our wall and I have a bunch of I am thankful print outs that I don't remember where I got them from. Maybe the friend or somewhere online. It has a different activity you can do each day of the month of simple things your thankful for. This one was I am thankful for my eyes and it said to watch a movie with your family.

Love to see the boys being sweet to their sister and playing with her.

Aubrey started walking on the 9th of November! Before then she had done about 4 steps at most, but that day she started to take off and kept doing around 15 steps. She was so proud of her accomplishment and would walk around with a funny swing to show how excited she was about it. She had been watching two kids around her age walking that same week and I think she thought, "if they can walk, I can walk!"

Aubrey getting her hair done by Austin. :)

My two artists. Austin drew the turkey on the left and Ethan on the right.

Love it when I find sweet and pure notes like this one. Austin wrote, "I like the Church. The church of God. I love God. I love everyone."

We used Austin's pumpkin from his fieldtrip and cooked the pumpkin to make pumpkin pie, and also cooked up the pumpkin seeds......mmmmm!

I was impressed at how long Bryan lasted before getting sick with all that was going on at home. But sadly the week of Thanksgiving it hit him. We went and had Thanksgiving at his parents house and here he is resting before dinner.

My cute boys.

My sweet girl.

The great helpers preparing the feast. :)

Ethan impressed me this Thanksgiving. We had talked about things we were thankful for on our thankful tree and in different family home evenings, but he decided on his own to start a list of all the things he was thankful for. He even had categories and it went onto the back page. What a great example Ethan is on being thankful!

Bryan's sketch of Ethan during Stake Conference. :)

I am thankful for my wonderful family. I'm so blessed to have three wonderful kids and for my knowledge of God's plan for us and for our Savior, Jesus Christ who died for my sins and for your sins, and for all the pain, sickness, and sadness that sometimes happens on this journey called life.

Happy Halloween

This year's festivities started with a Halloween parade at school-

Austin came up with his costume on his own from things he bought at the Dollar Store. He had a lot of choices for costumes this year from hand-me downs and some of his costumes that still fit him, but he chose to go with this ensemble as a Ninja. He couldn't wear a mask to school or bring nunchucks, so that was added later after school.

Ethan had a hard time deciding what to be. He was Harry Potter two years in a row, so he was ready for something new. He wanted to be the green ninja from Ninjago, but I told him we couldn't spend that much on a costume. He's been saving his money and could have bought it himself or donated some for us to buy the rest of it, but he's been real good at saving and doesn't want to spend a dime. I reminded him of all the spy stuff he has from previous birthdays and suggested he be a spy kid. So here's Ethan as a spy kid-

It's hard to see all his gadgets from this view, but he has a spy watch that really sends him on 'missions' which he got for his birthday last year, spy glasses, and a spy badge.

Aubrey dressed up in a costume that Jamie had, a butterfly. After the parade we ran into my friend Jessica and so we took pictures of Aubrey and Brady together.

Bryan helped his sister, Jessica, at the rehab/senior center she works at by drawing sketches for the kids and residents at their Halloween party. Then we went to his parents for some yummy Papa Murphy's pizza. We went trick or treating around their neighborhood, a little more than last year, but not too much more, which I'm fine with them not wanting to go too long since it means less candy! :)

We then came back to Jeff and Barbara's and watched Monsters University. Peter and Jessica were also there enjoying the evening. Happy Halloween!

Pumpkinland Field Trip

Today I got to go with Austin on a field trip. All the 1st graders went to Pumpkinland over at the Vineyard Garden off of Geneva in Orem. We were running a little late this morning and came in when the kids were on the rug in the classroom listening to the rules. The room was already crowded with Moms who were all coming as well, so I stepped out to have room to put Aubrey's socks she had taken off back on, and her shoes on. When I came back in Austin had tears in his eyes as he came over to me. He thought I had left. :( Poor little guy! He has this tough little attitude, but he is really a sensitive boy. He rode the bus and I followed in my car since I had Aubrey and her stroller. We had a fun time. We went through the corn maze, took a funny picture when we couldn't find our way out, saw some animals, spooky alley, and played on the playground. Each year they have a different theme, and this year was Dr. Seuss. Here's some pictures....

Cute little baby pigs.

Looking in the funny mirror.

Good times and beautiful weather!

Prince and Princess

The boys love to play with the neighbor girls. Today they are playing a prince and princess game. I went outside to check on them just in time to hear one of the 5-year-old girls say, "Hey Austin, when someone touches your hand that means you're in love and you're going to get married, ok?" Austin - while wearing his knight breastplate and helmet costume and trying to stop his runny nose with his tongue reached up almost touching his nose - says "okay". haha Gotta love kids!

September

For Labor Day we went up to Vivian Park with Bryan's parents, Jessica, and Peter, and had a BBQ. Bryan was still in New York until that evening.

Fall just starting!

Fun team work activity for Cub Scouts

Here's a video of another team work activity.

The clouds looked like a blanket covering the mountain!

We had a crazy rain storm that flooded a lot of basements and homes in the area. Here's it coming down.....

Cute Aubrey....can't help but take multiple photos!

Awe! Sweet Ethan holding Aubrey.

My friend gave Aubrey these cute shoes for her 1st birthday! She's so hip! ;) Now she's just like her Daddy!

Ethan decided to run the BYU Triple Crown race that they hold every year for all the elementary kids. He enjoys more of the sprint short runs, not the long distance, and he didn't really train for it and got a side cramp during it, but he did great and toughed it out! I was proud he gave it a try and didn't change his mind!