"It was sooo sooo sooo much fun!"

Yesterday we had a little family activity at the pumpkin patch. Katie loved everything about it. Addy had fun trying to walk on the rough ground and Marcus has a scowl on his face for the first 45 mins--but then he loosened up.


Here are some of the highlights.

The corn maze

Feeding the animals

Addy was fine as long as they didn't get to close

The swing

My three with their friends Jaden and Sydney

For some reason the swing was the highlight of the trip, it is what brought Marcus out of his stone cold mood--the kids would have sat there all day

The pumpkin picking

Love the look on Addy's face. After much deliberation Katie found the smallest pumpkin of the group and decided that was the one for her.

We also went on a wagon ride and played in a clubhouse with a really badly constructed home-made slide. There was hay to jump in and miniature forts to explore; the fun only ended because it got so cold that all of our hands were freezing (I thought this was Charlotte--where is the warm weather!).

Katie told us again today, "It was sooo sooo sooo much fun!"

My plug for the orphanage

After Mark got home from Florida, I flew to San Fransisco area with my little sister Hannah. The purpose of the trip was to be a guest speaker for a group doing fund raising for the orphanage. The function was put on by Pan en la Boca, who had been helping us out for the past few years. We had a pretty good turn out, and despite some tecnical difficulties, lots of fun.

I heard on the radio today that Guatemala has the highest number of people suffering from hunger. In an effort to help minimize the starvation, we have 3 different feeding programs for the children in the community the orphanage is located in; 1. for seventy 5-12 yr olds, we feed them lunch 3 days a week; 2. for twenty 1-4 yr olds, we feed them protein fortified milk shakes and fruit and 3. for twenty infants-we provide formula for babies whose mothers have no breast milk from malnutrition (read more at http://casadesion.blogspot.com/). My parents are headed down for a month over Christmas, they will be taking down suitcases of formula for the infant feeding program. (We started this one after an employee's nephew died because his mother had not breast milk). So if anyone is looking for a place to spend their Christmas charity--here it is. Or anyone (EVERYONE) who wants to mail me a can or two of formula--WalMart or Target brands are great--I will get it to my parents. Send me a comment if you need my address.

One of the babies in the program

Hannah and I spent an extra day in not so sunny California so that we could see Kristin. It's funny how you can be a mom and be married for so many years (5 is a lot, right) and still act like a crazy college girl when you get together with your old roommates. Kristin and I even stayed up to 2 am one night talking--something I would never pull these days.


We spent a day seeing San Fransisco, eating yummy Chinese and visiting Alcatraz--it was pretty cool.

Me and Hannah

Hannah and the Golden Gate in the background--
which we never got to see close up because by the time we got there it was to foggy

love the sign

The Fall of Mark

Since Mark took, and now passed the bar our lives have consisted of him being around...playing with the kids, hiking, buying flat screens, exercising, watching ESPN/sports for hours at a time, playing Playstation, etc. All the fun things that guys dream of doing while their wives work. But to give him some credit he has been helping with the cleaning, and I haven't touched our new vacuum--at all--even though we bought it back in June. This dream we have been living comes to an end on Monday. As many of you know, Mark's law job has been pushed back for a year and the firm is paying him to do pro-bono work, so he will be working for the Children's Defense Project for the time being.

The last couple weeks have been a little crazy for us. The end of September my parents went to Guatemala to check on the orphanage and start the toddler feeding program (more on this in the next blog). Mark and I went to my parents house and babysat my younger siblings for 5 days. It would have been fun if it hadn't been so dang cold.
We did get the chance to watch Johnny (or BIG John Dalia, as the announcer liked to say every few mins) play football. It was raining off and on and we were up late, but my kids were in heaven. Every time someone got in front of Marcus he would move so he could see the field.

Johnny in all his glory

The day after we got back Mark flew to Florida to hang out with his grandparents. The way I heard it was they spoiled him like he was a teenager and I think he played 79 holes of golf in the 4 full days he had there. He had so much fun.

Mark with his grandparents

Being home alone with my three little monsters wouldn't have been too bad if they hadn't all gotten sick at the same time. Luckily, I didn't get what they had until Saturday, and Mark flew home that night.

Katie giving Little Girl (our neighbor's dog) kisses. We dogsat her for a couple days. Katie wants a little dog so bad.

Olivia

Katie's favorite book at the moment is 'Olivia', I think it is because they are so much alike. Katie and Olivia both wear people out, negotiate and have to try on all the clothes in their closets! Katie had been bugging me for a tutu forever "just like Olivia's". She started ballet class a few weeks ago and finally got her tutu.

She is so dang cute to watch dance.

"Mama can we...

just go for a little walk", Katie asked innocently, trying to get me out of the doorway and onto the sidewalk where she was. As I looked out into the downpour, trying to decide if I really wanted to get wet, I remembered my childhood memories of dancing in the rain.

I gave in and we splashed in the gutter up and down the street.
It was a lot of fun to watch her getting drenched, but it was way more fun to join her.

Happy Birthday-September 16th

Ok ok, here it is. I was going to do this on their birthday but then Courtney came so the event stretched out through the weekend. So...drum roll...Addison and Marcus are ONE!!!

Birthday morning-gearing up to open presents


Katie was ever so helpful with opening the presents


Addy in the tutu I made her


Their birthmother, Courtney, and birthbrother, Jab, can out on Friday to spend the weekend with us. We had lots of fun hanging out around the house playing with 4 little monsters.


We had cake on Friday with Courtney and Jab, Sarah and Talia came over to eat some too. I ran out of time so the cake isn't as pretty as it should have been but it was so good (I know I am bragging)--homemade carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

Marcus and Addy trying to get the lit candles--Katie is ready to help blow them out.



We took them to the doctor on Thurs for their 12 month check-up. Addy was 21.8lbs and Marcus was 26.8 lbs. It is hard to believe that one year ago I was having a hard time getting 2 oz/feeding down him and he now outweighs Addy by 5 lbs. Marcus is also one inch taller then Addy. I would say that Addy is now officially walking, she doesn't do it all the time, but she can make it across a room if she wants to. She still isn't talking but likes to yell and give us some attitude with shaking her head and raising her hands in the air. Marcus will walk when he holds onto our hands (something the princess would never do) and has stood alone a couple times.

Blessing day

Addison Zinette and Marcus Allixander were blessed on Sunday along with their cousin Cooper. We decided to do the blessing at my family's home ward; Katie was blessed there as well when she was a baby. We got up early Sunday morning and drove the 2 1/2 hours to Marion, Va (we couldn't go the night before because we had to watch the Cougars kick butt)

(Notice Marcus's foot in the air, trying to avoid the grass)

Cooper Tommy

Grandma and Grandpa with the twins

(Notice the foot)

Marcus, Katie and Addy with Cousin Karleigh and Aunt Gabby (again, the foot)

After church our family headed to a park to have lunch, everyone was in town except for Tripp and family, and Jenn and family and of course Sorella Bethany Dalia--we had the missionaries from Marion come eat with us to replace her.

Marcus, Chloe (2 1/2 wks), Cooper (10 1/2 wks), Colbey (8 weeks) and Addy
The five grandkids under one, there are still two more on the way to replace Marcus and Addy when they turn one next week.

The little princess

Instead of sucking a pacifier, Marcus pulls his shirt up to his nose and sucks when he is tired

We spent Sunday and Monday nights on the mountain at my parents house. Of course we didn't take any pictures of that. Mark and I hiked with the twins and rode the gaiter and 4-wheelers. We didn't really see Katie the whole time; she was to busy playing, looking at the animals and picking strawberries.