Happy Belated Alex!

Alex, Alex, Alex....
This year has flown by for you, hasn't it? With Preschool graduation, entering Kindergarten, starting swimming lessons, playing all sorts of sports with dad, teaching James how to throw a baseball/basketball and how to play Frisbee...You've been busy and active all year!

I believe that you thought the best thing about turning 6 on Dec 30 was sitting without a car seat. You were so excited to buckle up that you didn't even bother putting the car seat in the house, on the porch or in the trunk - you threw it on the floor of the car just in front of your seat.
But starting the day with special cereal, juice and cinnamon rolls wasn't too bad, either, huh? Nor was spending almost the entire morning playing with your new cars/airplanes/helicopters and the air-hockey table. The $55 in birthday money must have been a sweet surprise, especially since you were looking forward to going to the Lego Store at Downtown Disney later that day. You spent it all, as well as bought your big birthday present, when you left the Lego Store with three huge boxes of legos (a crane, a bulldozer and a helicopter/airplane combo). Lucky for us dad was nice enough to drop it off at the car before we ate dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe. Remember when we sat at our table and James freaked out over the stuffed gorilla (next to our booth) that kept moving his head and shaking the tree? James wouldn't even eat ice cream he was so traumatized! And then we left the restaurant, got out our glow sticks and lit up the car on the way home to watch Dinotopia and eat popcorn and carrots.

Dad and I are so surprised at how much you've grown this year. You still love sports, but you now play with gusto with your friends at school, and then come home to teach it all to James. Speaking of school, you're growing there as well. You've come home with more blue cards that we lost count! Your teacher, Mrs. Sievers, has told us you're learning so fast she's very pleased with your successes. You've tested proficient in math and you're taking AR quizzes already. Your reading has grown so much that you're finding great delight in reading all the signs that you see as we drive anywhere!

You're still the loving, sweet, goofy boy we always knew and loved. You always want to sit by mommy, but you love to play with your siblings and help out around the house as well. You've gotten so big that you can push the lawn mower by yourself (to dad's delight).
I love your smile and I have bitter-sweet emotions as I realize that one of your three loose teeth will soon fall out. You truly are growing up, and faster than I think I'm comfortable with.
I love you, Alex! Thank you for coming to our family!

Christmas 2009

What a holiday this has been! It seems as though the month of December is determined to strip our family of every spare moment and any amount of energy we have to offer. Besides the normal kids activities, we added school holiday parties, Church parties, and get-togethers. It's also the month of Sean and Hill's wedding anniversary, Sean's brother's birthday, my niece's birthday, Jane's baptism (this year), Christmas, New Years, Alex's birthday and James' birthday. We also try to squeeze in some family outings and activities during our two week holiday from school/work, get our Christmas cards made and mailed, and finish up any holiday/birthday shopping.
As it is, I have no energy to blog about Christmas, other than to say it was beautiful. We spent it at home this year and enjoyed being in our own beds as we woke up Christmas morning. The kids were busy all day with their new toys and Sean and I actually got to read some of our new books and rest a bit. I think it's the most time all month that we got to relax.
The kids received quite a few presents this year (including Barbies, art and science supplies, RC cars, model cars, airplanes, Little People firemen, and sports stuff) but the ones they were most excited about were the air hockey table (from grandparents Monroe), the aquarium passes (from grandparents Wake), and Santa's gifts.
Santa brought the kids a scroll, upon which were detailed instructions for two days of family fun. On Monday following Christmas we went to IHOP for breakfast, toured the LA Zoo, stopped by Blockbuster to rent movies (each person got to pick their own) and picked up dinner at Little Caesar's on the way home. Santa then said we were to picnic on our rug while watching two of our rentals (Dinotopia and Ariel's Beginning).
Tuesday started off with another IHOP visit, followed by an exploration of the Discovery and Science Center in Orange. After we "grew our dendrites" we went to Barnes and Noble to get new books (again, everyone got to choose their own). Then we came home and the kids played while mom and dad caught up on some chores (and took a short nap) before gathering on the rug again for another picnic while we watched the third movie (the new Tinkerbell movie - lost treasure something?).
Santa was nice enough to leave gift cards and tickets with the scroll so we wouldn't have to buy anything the entire two days. We're hoping that the kids enjoyed it as much as we did. There was no rushing, no other plans, just an opportunity to reconnect with each other and strengthen our family unit. I'm pretty sure Santa will make this a family Christmas tradition. :)

A Belated Birthday

Happy belated to my dear boy, James! James Tyler Monroe was born two years ago on December 26th. At a whopping 8lbs 13oz he came out with chubby chipmunk cheeks - seriously, he looked like he was storing nuts for winter!

He smiled at 6 weeks and to this day I'm in a quandary as to whether that was to show me his tender, sweet side or to foreshadow his mischievous nature. He is the only one of our kids who has taken the nasty habit of hitting and biting (though we hope we're seeing the tail end of those)...but he's also the first to smile for a picture (today a lady at the Science Center was asking her daughter to smile and he turned around and smiled for her, too). He's usually looks so serious and always walks with a purpose, but James is quick to laugh, goof off, and play with his siblings, dad, or anyone else ready for a tackle.

Though he isn't ready to give up his binky, he is ready to be a big boy in every other aspect of his life. He tries to sneak around sitting in his car seat, uses the bar stool in the kitchen to climb to the treat shelf in the pantry, loves washing his hands and brushing his teeth, and prefers to sleep in an occupied bed (recently Sean and I have not been allowing him to sneak into our bed at night, so he's taken up sleeping with either Becky or Jane - whoever happens to be on the bottom bunk).

James loves cleaning time and will use a broom and dust-buster like a pro (does he purposefully spill his cereal just so he can use these fun tools?), as well as dressing up in anyones shoes (good luck finding them when he's done!). His favorite hobby remains in the sports field - though we aren't sure which one yet. He loves basketball, baseball, football, golf, frisbee, and soccer and is always asking if he can go outside to play, "Do-gers."

When we are inside trains, planes and cars are still his favorite toys, though he'll play Barbies with the girls, often making the two Ken dolls fight each other, with one ending up dead. His favorite movie is the Justice League cartoon series, but I've curtailed his viewing hours to non-existent since it just seemed to fuel his aggressive behavior.

Despite it all, though, he will give hugs and kisses at will and has found joy in cuddling, for which all his family is grateful, as he doesn't seem to mind with whom he cuddles.

We are so glad James came into our family and he seems the perfect boisterous adventurer in our sometimes quiet family. Thank you, James, for bringing so much love to our family!

Happy Anniversary, Sean!

We have now been married for 11 years and I wouldn't trade a single moment of them for anything! I am so glad we found each other and I am even more glad we kept in touch. Rereading those letters brings back such fun memories and emotions and feelings. I want to thank you for all you do for our family. You truly magnify your calling as a husband and father to our children. I love you so much and hope we can have many more prime anniversaries together!
Remember....
* 1 Thomas Apartments - our first home(s)
* 2 people in an eternal marriage
* 3 degrees (and counting)
* 4 pregnancies
* 5 lost things (old camera, diaper bag, Becky's cell phone, Fantasia 2000, Christmas ornament)
* 6 people in our complete family
* 7 places we called home (Thomas 304, Thomas 201, Grandma's, Wakes', Monroes', Sugar Pine, Betty Jean)
* 8 cars (cimmaron, taurus, truck, pilot, saturn, relay, odyssey, prelude)
* 9 callings (Sunday School Teachers, YM president, YM counselor, Primary teacher, Primary counselor, Stake YM leader, 1st/2nd counselor in bishopric, High Councilman, RS Enrichment leader)
* 10 pets (Davey, Chewy, crab, Phil, Jackson, Obie, Paddy, Lady, Dodger, Fishy)
* 11 wonderful years together. Thank you!
* And counting... an infinite number of good friends (Riskas, Cheneys, Mickelsons, Douglass', Mollers, Novaks, Williams', Cox's, etc) we meet along the way.

Jane is Baptized!

Jane was baptized by her father and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on December 5, 2009. It was witnessed by her two grandfathers, Kevin Monroe and Robert Wake. As a family we were all so happy for her decision to join the Lord's church, but as parents we couldn't have been more pleased with her decision to follow our Savior's example. Thank you, Jane, for continuing to choose the right and honor your Father in Heaven. You have shown Him and the world that your greatest desire is to follow His commandments. Thank you for your example, for your faith, for your diligence and your courage. We love you and are so grateful we could be there with you on your special day. I love you, Michelle Jane Monroe!

The family before the baptism - James, daddy, mommy, Alex, Jane and Becky

Me with Jane after her baptism and confirmation.
*One interesting thing about Jane's baptism - I french braided Jane's hair before her baptism and, although she was completely submerged in the water, only the top of her head and the tips of her braid got wet. When we were fixing her hair afterwards we took her braid out and her hair was almost completely dry! By the time she was done being confirmed her hair had dried completely.

Thanksgiving 2009 part 4

The day after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) we woke up late, had a bit to eat at our hotel's lobby breakfast buffet, and got in the car for another short drive. We have fabulous friends in Logan, Utah that we were just dying to meet up with. So we braved the roads (which, surprisingly, were completely clear!) and made the 1 1/2 hour journey up north. The Heaps' and Mollers' welcomed us and hosted us for the entire day. The kids played, the adults chatted, and we all had a fun time catching up, telling stories, and eating left-overs. Unfortunately we didn't get any pictures of the adults having fun, but these are the activities the kids enjoyed:
Making new friends(Jane is only grumpy because we made them stop playing so we could take the picture)...

Playing with barbies...

Watching movies...

Goofing around (especially with the balloons)...

and playing Nintendo.

When driving home we asked the kids what their favorite part of the visit was and all of them agreed that the "party" they had at the Heaps' house was the best. Mary Lou arranged for all the kids to watch a movie downstairs complete with popcorn, drinks, snacks, sandwiches, fruit snacks, and desserts. She was so sweet to put all that together while the rest of us lazily sat and chatted.

One more note- James at one point, fell asleep on the exercise trampoline and we were all disappointed we didn't end up getting a picture before he woke up.

We are so grateful for the friendship and love of the Heaps and Mollers. We miss their company down here in CA and wish we lived closer to spend more time with them. Perhaps someday....

The next day we ran a few short errands and then drove the long 13 hours home. At one point we drove through a snow storm that was headed up to Salt Lake. That was Hillary's favorite part of our drive. :) Sean's favorite part was arriving home and seeing all had been well and taken care of while we were gone. Both of us agreed, though, that getting into our own bed that night, though it was really 1:30am was the best!

Thanksgiving 2009 part 3

On Thanksgiving day we picked up Hill's brother, Brad, and went up to campus again to get some pictures of the happy alumni couple in front of the alumni building - Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center. We were so excited to tour this beautiful building earlier in the week, as we hadn't been back to Provo since it had been built. It is rich in the history of BYU, with old photographs lining the large halls. There was a cozy living room complete with fireplace and comfy couches. I could imagine sitting in there with a good book and comfy blanket, but I don't think I'd dare bring my hot cocoa. Everything was fine and ornate. The kids had a fun time looking at all the pictures and books, and were especially impressed with Sister Hinckley's chair.
Since we had Brad with us we just pulled up to the circular drive, hopped out of the car, and posed in front of the large, grey sign. He's such a character, Brad is, so it wasn't hard to get into a silly mood for some corny shots. What a great time!

After our little photo shoot we traveled a bit farther up the hill to the Provo Temple. By this time James had fallen asleep, which is why all these picture are sans James. Luckily, we were the only ones on the entire temple grounds (that we saw) and the parking lot was empty, so we parked in the "Loading/Unloading Only" zone and unloaded ourselves for some pictures. It was chilly, but we were having such a great time walking around the fountains, climbing the steps, and enjoying the view that we didn't feel our shivers until we climbed back into the car and sat on the cold leather seats.

Now, some of you might be wondering what we did for our actual Thanksgiving feast, since it was just us 6 Monroes + 1 hungry college Wake boy. We had contemplated cooking ourselves a true Thanksgiving feast (for a brief moment) and then we thought about ordering ourselves a Thanksgiving feast (for a longer moment) and then we decided that, to make things truly easy, and to enjoy turkey, mashed potatoes, salad and "every good thing" at the same time we were going to have to find a good restaurant. Then it occurred to us: what better place to eat at than Chuck-a-Rama? For those of you who don't speak Utahn, Chuck-a-Rama is a buffet-style eatery with enough variety to satisfy even our picky eaters: salads, meats, pastry, desserts, and carbs, carbs, carbs! After we gorged ourselves with all sorts of yummy-tummy filling foods we headed back to our hotel to veg in front of the TV with the Disney Channel. Our children now know who Zac and Cody are, and are familiar with Wizards of Waverly Place. Eh. There are worse things.

Thanksgiving 2009 part 2.5

So when I tried to up load these pictures with my last post blogger wouldn't let me - did I have too many pictures? Too much information to post? Or did I spend too much time on one page? Who knows? But these are the pictures of Becky, Jane, Alex and James playing with their cousins, Korben and Karsen. The group shot is classic - I had to post this one because it was hilarious and way better than the one where most of the kids are smiling and looking cute. I love action shots!

Thanksgiving 2009 part 2

The third day of our trip we drove up to Salt Lake City to pick up 2 dozen orange rolls from the Lion House Pantry (yummy!!) and walk around temple square. We saw the beautiful tree at the Joseph Smith Memorial Building...

took the tour at the Beehive house...

and the kids had a great time playing in the little snow they found - in the planter areas and on the 26th floor of the Church Office Building (where we met up with an old friend, Paul Rytting). From there we could see all over Temple Square and Salt Lake City. What a beautiful sight!

After visiting the COB we took pictures in front of the temple...

at the tabernacle...

in front of the Christus....

and at the Conference Center.

On the way back to our awesome Provo hotel we swung by Ian and Melissa's again to let the cousins play together. They had great fun tackling each other and looking through Jane's telescope. 7 year old Korben was hilarious when he came in from looking at the moon:

"Korben, what did you see?."

K - "The moon."

"Did you see anything on the moon?"

K - "Yeah, a man."

"Really? What was the man doing?"

K - "Putting up a flag."

"What kind of flag?"

K- "The Japanese flag."

"What did it look like?"

K - "It's white with a big red dot on it."

Thanksgiving 2009 part 1

Thanksgiving week was a special week for our family: It was a week completely free of responsibilities (school/work/etc) and we decided to take advantage of this rare occurrence by taking a family vacation to Utah. We had an absolutely great time during the whole week. It was a long drive up, and a long drive back, but the kids were great and in the end we were all wishing we could have stayed longer.

Our first stop was in St George where we crashed in a hotel for the night and visited the temple the next morning. Driving up to Provo we swung by Cove Creek Fort to visit the site of President Hinckley's grandparent's home. Brigham Young personally extended the call to Ira Nathaniel Hinckley and he accepted right away. What an incredible family history!

Upon reaching Provo we called Brad to let him know we were in town and ready to hit the BYU bookstore. He met us on campus and we browsed the store for a bit, trying on all sorts of BYU stuff.




Afterwards we met up with Ian, Melissa, Korben, and Karsen for dinner at the Pirate Island establishment in Orem. While waiting our "20 minute" wait time for a table we entertained ourselves catching up with family and watching the kids play in the lobby.

We finally got a table after over an hour wait...

Yep, an hour! The company was tons better than the food, but the kids had fun anyway. We got to our hotel in Provo exhausted! Sean and I relaxed watching the kids watch the Disney Channel.