Merry Christmas

van der Horst Family Update:

Jason and Lauren got to take an amazing trip together to Kauai.  Jason earned our hotel stay through a huge project at work.  We missed the kids but knew they were in good hands with grandma and grandpa van der Horst.  We are expecting our third child at the end of March!  We are excited to be having another little boy!  Claire (4) has been participating in a preschool with a few neighbors and loves it.  She continues to be the most helpful little one. Cleaning up toys is not exciting, but whenever I need something (like a box of kleenex), she is so quick to help me out!  She continues to be a most loving big sister and loves playing with Trevor.  Trevor (1.5) will be two years old a month after his little brother joins our family.  He is now able to eat a lot more, but still off dairy, soy, gluten, and nuts.  Fortunately he has never had an allergic reaction, just has tummy/digestive issues when he eats these things.  But he is talking, running, and getting into stuff- like most little ones.  He is still such a sweet little guy, and will be a great big brother soon!

Halloween

Better late than never... Grandma made Claire's gorgeous princess costume for her birthday.  I have been busy finishing a quilt for Claire's bed- just finished it a few nights ago (after breaking 5 sewing needles... so glad its done!)

If you can't tell, she absolutely loves it!  And wears it at least once a day, every day since grandma made it!

Trevor was a knight, "to protect the princess"- as Claire loved to tell him



I found the perfect princess shoes, that light up- an early birthday present





You can barely see them- but they are also worn daily!

Hair time

Trevor's costume that I made... gotta love felt and sweats!



Trevor was not in love with his costume, which is surprising because he loves to wear capes, and any type of gloves (or socks on his hands as gloves). Maybe it was just the top molar coming in.

Picking up the cousins, for trick or treating!



Trevor caught on pretty quick to the trick or treating thing, but was a hit and miss on which houses he felt comfortable taking candy, of course Claire loved it.  Trevor started talking right before Halloween!  YAY.  That night he learned how to say dum dum!  His fav candy!

Pumpkin patch and Pumpkins

We didn't go to our local Jakers this year. I am convinced that Claire got hand, foot and mouth exactly a week after playing in their corn pit...and I didn't want that to happen again! So we went to Pumpkin land in Provo




Their maze is legit and not for just 3 foot and under




As far as Trevor wanted to go in the bouncy house


Go Claire!



Success- it took a few minutes the first time to get up the slide, but then no problem every other time after wards





'Where did Claire go'... "Claire"( no answer),"Claire, where are you?" (no answer..already thinking the worse)- Ahh, spot her see her sitting quietly next to this cute goat-"Aww mom, he is so cute!"










No one in our house is afraid to stick hands in pumpkins!  Both kids were excited. Which is funny, because neither of them like their hands to get very dirty when eating their food.




We got "bewitched" with these treats- Trevor safe!  Bewitching is like the "Boo -ed", leave treats and run.



Pumpkins with our newly retained front door- it needed it!

cute pics

Do you ever have tons of cute random pics of your kids, that you don't know how to post because they are from months apart.  I guess could just post more often, but I am all about efficiency, I like big posts....lol

24th of July

I absolutely love it when these little arms wrap all the way around my neck- sweetest thing ever... gets me everytime!  (He had a rough time with two bottom molars coming in at the same time)

Silly Claire

 

Not so silly Claire... when will I be able to enjoy a shower without worry....?

Poor Claire's lymp node was huge, turned out she had strep throat (Sounds bad, but I was in heaven for the 1.5 weeks it took to figure out what she had- she fell asleep 10-15 mins of us leaving her room- and she didn't act sick and whiny those days either. One day of meds, back to taking 1-2 hours before falling asleep- yeah she's feeling better...)- She is doing better now about going to sleep (usually only 1/2 hour-1 hour to fall asleep and at more like 8-9pm, instead of 9:30-11pm- crazy summer sun)

 
Trevor was in heaven in this little helicopter... all smiles


Preschool pics- I trade off teaching with two other moms (asked her to laugh- which started off with this fake laugh/ silly faces)

Then it turned into a real laugh and smile... silly girl

Claire's tower-  all of her own doing- just asked me to take a pic...yeah- she's amazing


Dad's work party at Provo Beach Club








Claire is doing better about smiling for pics that I want to take...


sometimes  :)  Breakfast for General Conference weekend!


Happy, smiley guy



Claire's craft during general conference




He loves apricot jam on his gluten free- dairy free rolls- either that or he is glad mom finally gave him a hair cut...lol




Mr handsome is 18 Months- has gone to nursery twice now- cries for a few minutes while a leader holds him...then does great! Good thing since mom and dad both were both teaching today