Kimberly's Kuties

Halloween Pictures 2

2009-11-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

Halloween Pictures

2009-11-01T20:53:00.001-08:00

Halloween Fun!

2009-11-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

We have had such a fun Halloween this year. Friday was our ward Halloween Party and Trunk or Treat. Dinner was yummy and the kids had fun playing with friends and playing games. Trunk or Treats were great, too. On Saturday morning, we carved our pumpkins. Julia decided she wanted a heart nose and heart eyes on her pumpkin. Caroline drew her own face and even cut it out by herself. Brad only helped a little on the mouth. Erik decied he want circle eyes, nose and mouth. The best part of the day was going up to Brad's brother Richard's house. All the cousins came - 10 in all. The kids played and had fun, we all visited together. We had pizza, and appleas and caramel before taking all the kids out trick or treating. It is awesome to have all Brad's family so close. It is wonderful to have cousins close by. All in all, it was a memorable Halloween.

Campout

2009-10-21T16:31:00.001-07:00

Chapman Hills Campout

2009-10-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

We had such a good time a couple weeks ago at the girls' school campout. Caroline and Julia had a blast playing with their friends. It was such a fun experience sleeping outside in a tent. I really look forward to when the kids are ready for some real camping.

Julia's 5th Birthday

2009-10-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

Julia turned 5 years old on September 13. I can hardly believe that my little girl is now 5 years old. We had a really fun princess party at the park with a group of her friends. We also celebrated at Disneyland, where Julia got her birthday gift card. SHe had so much fun shopping for a birthday present. I am so proud at how grown up my little girl is becoming.

Erik's Pacifiers

2009-09-06T20:54:00.001-07:00

Erik loves his pacifiers. He found two of them out at the same time and couldn't decide which one he wanted to ues, so he decided to use both! Then, he looked at himself in the bathroom mirror and started laughing at himself.

The Girls' First Day of School

2009-09-06T20:45:00.000-07:00

Carolne and Julia started the new school year at Chapman Hills. Caroline is now a big 2nd Grader. She is getting so big! Julia is a kindergartener! How can my sweet little baby girl be old enough for elementary school? They are both so smart and doing so well. I am so proud of them both.

Swimming Lessons

2009-09-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

The kids had fun with swimming lessons this summer. Caroline is swimming so well now. Erik is like a little fish. He loves the water - constantly jumping in and blowing bubbles. Julia is a little nervous about the water, but she is improving.

Erik's First Day of Preschool

2009-08-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

When Erik turned 2, he was able to start school at Clever Endeavors where I teach. I was so excited to have my little boy come to work with me and begin having enjoyable, beneficial experiences at school. Julia was excited to have her little brother at school with her. Erik has been doing incredibly well at school. He seems to have a lot of fun and he likes the teachers. What a big boy!

Erik's 2nd Birthday Party part 2

2009-08-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

Erik's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-08-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Erik's birthday witha monkey theme party at La Veta park. it was a fun party - Erik had a great time. Our family was there, the Sperry relatives were still in town and the Manions - friends from church also made it. We played, had bubbles and balls for playing, there were snacks and even a monkey cake my mom made for Erik. It was a perfect party.

Erik is 2 Years Old

2009-08-07T21:02:00.000-07:00

July 9, 2009 was Erik's 2nd birthday. I can hardly believe my baby is now 2 years old! It seems like I was just bringing him home from the hospital. Erik has been such a joy. He is sweet and loving, adventurous and curious and has the funniest sense of humor. I am so grateful to has such an amazing little boy in my life.

More Pics at Laguna Beach

2009-08-07T21:00:00.000-07:00

Laguna Beach July 2009

2009-08-07T20:52:00.000-07:00

Of course, any trip to SoCal is not complete until you visit the beach. We took my family to Laguna beach for the day before they left to return to Rhode Island and New Hampshire. Cadence, at only 8 months old, has now been in both the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

More Knott's Pics

2009-08-07T20:39:00.001-07:00

Knott's Berry Farm

2009-08-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

While my family was here, we had a day at Knott's Berry Farm. Everyone had a blast. The kids loved Camp Snoopy and there were plenty of big rides for the grownups. Caroline even liked going on some of the bigger roller coasters. It was such an exciting, delightful day.

Santa Ana Zoo with Sperry Relatives

2009-08-07T20:28:00.000-07:00

While my family was here, we spent a day at the Santa Ana Zoo. The kids had a lot of fun, and I think the adults did, too. My little neice Cadence seemed to love all the animals. Erik liked the monkeys a lot.

Independence Day 2009

2009-08-07T20:22:00.001-07:00

We had a fun July 4th. We went to the ward pancake breakfast at the park and had a delicious BBQ with lots of homemeade fixins'. The best part was that my family came in the night before and were there for all of the fun.

Cousins Visit from Utah

2009-08-07T20:15:00.000-07:00

My cousin Kara and her husband and kids came down to Southern California for a short vacation. we spent some time together while they were here and the kids had so much fun together. Carson is 6 and Kamryn is a year and a half. The cousins are building relationships now that will hopefully continue for years to come.

Julia's Preschool Graduation

2009-08-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Julia graduated from preschool at the end of June. We had a really nice, fun little ceremony that the families of our graduating students were able to attend. It was an emotional event for me, especially since I not only am one of the pre-K teachers involved in the ceremony, but also having my own little girl graduate. It was a great afternoon.

Julia's Dance Recital June 2009

2009-08-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

Julia's WEbby Dacne program had a big dance recital near the end of June. Her class performed to the song "Matilda the Gorilla". She did a FABULOUS job! She was the only girl that did all the steps the entire time. She must take after he mommy when it comes to dancing.

Father's Day 2009

2009-08-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

The kids made Father's Day special. We made a special meal for Daddy and gave him gifts. Their favorite was making Brad a hand print shirt.

Birthday Party Ballerina Class

2009-06-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

Bryn Watkins came over for a beautiful blaeerina bash. The girls loved being ballerinas. Thanks Bryn!!

Caroline's 7th Birthday!

2009-06-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

Well, my baby girl is now 7 years old. It hardly seems possible for me to have a 7 year old. caroline had a wonderful party -her 1st slumber party. They had alot of fun singing karaoke, watching movies, eating lots of fun snacks, giggling and staying up late. On Sturaday morning, Bryn watkins from our church came in and taught the girls a ballet calss. It was fabulous. The girls had a grand time. we are so proud of Caroine and all of her accomplishments.

Erik and Nate Eat Soup Mush

2009-06-14T15:18:00.000-07:00

Nathan is infamous for making tomato soup "mush", which is crushed ritz crackers, shredded cheese and a little tomato soup all mushed together. Erik saw the mush and begged for a bite. after getitng a bite, he loved it and Nate gave him a small bowl of the soup. They Both seemed to enjoy their bowls of mush.

Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-10T15:05:00.000-07:00

Happy day for me! My Mother's Day actually started on Friday with "Muffins with Mom" breakfast at Caroline's school. Then, at the preschool, Julia and I had a really fun tea party. Saturday morning was the best. Brad took all 3 kids with him to clean up the church building. I got to sleep in until nearly 10am!!! That never happens - it was amazing! Today has also been great. The kids brought me beakfast in bed and I received some really nice and thoughtful gifts. Church was vey nice as well. the Primary sang and it was very sweet. We even got some chocolates from the kids. Brad and the kids are going to make me dinner tonight and I can't wait. Sometimes I wish Mother's Day was more than once a year...

More Strawberry Pictures

2009-05-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here are a few moe pictures from our trip.

Tanaka Farms Strawberry Tours

2009-05-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I took the kids to Tanaka Farms, a reall working farm. They give tours of their farm; at the end of the tour, we got to pick our own containers of strawberries. The kids LOVED eating as many strawberries as they could possible fit in their noths. What a fun day!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

We had such a fun Easter this year. The kid had a great time coloring eggs - even Erik liked helping me dip some eggs. Easter morning came a little too early. The kids got up early to see what the Easter Bunny put in their baskets. They loved hunting for eggs, too. Erik especially had fun - he was attempting to open each egg as he was hunting. It was quite funny to watch. I must say, that I did have the 3 most adorable, beautiful children dressed in their Easter best at church. We topped off the day with a delicioud meal - hma loaf, potatoes and more!! What a wonderful day.

Houston Pics 5

2009-04-12T20:37:00.001-07:00

Houston Pics 4

2009-04-12T20:30:00.001-07:00

Houston Pics 3

2009-04-12T20:24:00.001-07:00

Houston Pics 2

2009-04-12T20:17:00.001-07:00

Here are more pictures from our trip to Houston.

Houston Trip

2009-04-12T20:00:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our trip to Houston, which was an incredibly fun, interesting, engaging, and tiring week. We had the awesome opportunity to visit our good friends Travis and Mandy Lyon and their 4 beautiful kids. It has been years since we've been together, but, it felt as if no time had passed once we met up again. Best of all, Brad and I were happily surprised to see that our kids got along immediately. they became fast friends. I am already working on matching Erik with little Taylor. Too bad arranged marriages don't happen here anymore :) We had so much fun going to so many intersting places around Houston - The Dr. Pepper Museum, the Children's Museum of Houston, George Historic Ranch, The Bluebell Icecream factory, and of course the Alamo. So many memories... we are grateful to have such good friends and thank them for taking so much time from their lives to be with us.

Pay it Forward

2009-03-28T18:57:00.000-07:00

So, here's how it works: the first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive, at some point during the year a handmade gift from me. What it will be and when it will arrive is a total surprise! The catch is that you must participate as well. Before you leave your comment, write up a pay it forward post on your blog to keep the fun going (or copy and paste like I did). Then come back, let me know you're going to play and sit back and anticipate the arrival of your gift! Come and play!!

Making Cupcakes

2009-03-27T19:14:00.000-07:00

Julia decided that she wanted to make cupcakes for her cousin Brandon's birthday. She did almost all the work. I only helped a little. Erik "helped" in his way, too. He liked pouring in the water and cleaning the spoon. caroline came to help decorate at the end.

Erik Sleeping

2009-03-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

erik has been getting out of his bed at night. We found him out in the hallway curled up. He seemed quite comfortable.

St. Patrick's Day Fun

2009-03-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

I know this has taken a little time to post, but it seems like it is hard to find time to get everything done. So, anyway - We had a fun time on St. Patty Day. We constructed traps to try to capture a leprechaun. However, the leprechaun was sneaky. He got out of our trap, but ended up leaving a little "treasure" behind - some toy coins and chocolate. The kids really loved all of the celebrating.

Erik's Big Boy Bed

2009-03-07T09:13:00.000-08:00

Erik had been climbing out of his crib at night, so, we decided to put him in a toddler bed. We were really hoping to keep him in the crib for a while longer, but he was determined to climb out. He looks like such a big boy now.

Toothless Wonder

2009-03-07T09:10:00.000-08:00

So all Caroline wants for Easter is her two front teeth!

Rock Band

2009-03-07T09:01:00.001-08:00

OK - So we got Rock Band for Christmas, knowing Brad and I would probably enjoy playing with it. But, the kids LOVE playing rock band. Caroline especially loves being the lead singer. Erik, who loves to bang on anything, is our resident drummer. Julia switches around on what she likes. She really loves to dance and groove when she sings, though.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-15T18:04:00.000-08:00

We all had a really wonderful Valentine's Day here. There has been an abundance of sugar, but, also an abundance of love. I also got a beautiful bouquet of roses from Brad. He knows I am such a sucker for flowers, especially roses. It may be cliche, but I love roses - they're my favorite flower. One of the best things about yesterday was that Brad watched Erik and Julia so I could go have fun at the Scrapbook Expo. What was surprisingly fun about that excursion was that Caroline asked to go with me. We ended up having a really fun Mommy/Daughter date. Brad loved his box of See's Candies, which he ended up sharing with us as well. I am so lucky to have not one, but four Valentines in my life!

New pictures of Cadence

2009-01-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

Carissa just posted some new pics of Cadence and I just had to put them on my blog. She is absolutely adorable! (not that I'm biased or anything). I have the cutest niece ever!

San Diego Wild Animal Park

2009-01-25T18:48:00.000-08:00

Well, we had a big family outing altogether at the Wild Animal Park. I think I was more excited than the kids because it was my first trip there. We caravanned down to SD with Brad's parents, Rob, Angela and their boys and Richard with Kenner. Richard's wife and youngest stayed home since the baby was too small to really enjoy the park. It was so amazing to see all the various animals up close and in a fairly natural habitat. It had rained in the morning and was overcast all day, but, this was the perfect weather for a day at the park because all of the animals were out since it was such temperate weather. We was meerkats, elephants, giraffes, rhinos, elk, gazelles, baks, cheetahs, lions, tigers, monitors, flamingos, cranes and all sorts of birds, water buffalo, wildebeests, gorillas, and many other creatures. I loved it! It is breathtaking to see so many of God's creatures like that. All the kids had a blast, too. Aside from the animals, they got to ride a jungle animal carousel. Of course, this was a big hit. What a memorable day!

Happy New Year

2009-01-10T21:29:00.001-08:00

Well, we survived the holidays, and actually had a really great time. Christmas was fabulous. THe kids had so much fun. It is so exciting to watch their faces light up at each new gift they opened. We then had a wonderful trip to Rhode Island to see my family. This was the first time in a long time that the entire family was together. All the sibs were there with their significant others. I loved seeing everyone. We had so much fun all together. The best part of the trip was seeing baby Cadence, my new niece. She is absolutely adorable!! Everyone is in love with her. We also had a great time playing in the snow. The kids loved making a snowman, having snowball fights, making snow angels, and sledding. We are now home and getting back to our normal routines. I am so thankful for such a wonderful holiday season.

Family Christmas Photos

2008-12-20T21:45:00.000-08:00

Well, I FINALLY got our Christmas card photo taken. this year, it took me a long time to take some photos and send out our cards. I love sending cards, but, I feel like a have so much less free time now that I'm working again, I just feel like the day is done long before I have completed everything that needs to be done. But, we did finally get all dressed up and, fortunately, we were able to get a few really cute pictures among all the crazy ones. I am so lucky to have such beautiful children - if I do say so myself! I am so happy to be a mom to my children and to help them learn and grow. I truly hope that they have a wonderful Christmas full of joy,love, family and surprises.

Holiday Fun

2008-12-14T19:34:00.000-08:00

Well, we are fully into the Christmas spirit now and having a really fun holiday. we have our house completely decorated. The kids love putting on the lights every evening and ask to leave them on during the day. Of course, I explain that the lights are for when it's dark. We had a wonderful experience going to our stake's Creche again this year. I absolutely love seeing all of the beautiful nativities on display and the musical performances are so lovely. The kids enjoyed it, too. they particularly love the kids' area that has a dress up room. even Erik liked it. We got to visit Santa at the library this week as well. The girls were very excited to see him and tell him what they would like. Erik was not so enthusiastic. Luckily, he did not scream, but, he was not happy about being placed on Santa's lap. We look forward to the rest of Christmastime and all the joy that comes with it.

Decorating for Christmas

2008-11-30T22:05:00.000-08:00

The weekend after Thanksgiving is always devoted to getting the house decorated for Christmas. We put on Christmas music and have a fun time taking out ornaments and decorations and getting the tree just right. The kids also love putting on Santa hats and just being silly.

Our Big Boy

2008-11-30T21:59:00.000-08:00

Erik is looking like such a big boy now. Brad made me cut his hair because he claimed it was getting too long and he was looking like a girl. I don't think that is possible, but he said either I do it or he would. So, I took my trusty clippers out and trimmed it only on a 6 guard and then trimmed around the ears with scissors. Erik sat very well for it - I think it was harder on me than it was on him.

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-11-30T21:48:00.000-08:00

Well, as of November 18, I am now officially one year older. I had a really fun birthday. Brad and the kids made me a strawberry cake - just like the kind I always chose as a kid. The girls were a big help; Erik was a bit of a nuisance. I got to open gifts, which is always fun. Then Nathan signed us in to Disneyland after school. It was a great day for that. It was a Tuesday, so the park was pretty dead. We rode on alot of rides and had a fabulous day. The Saturday before my birthday, Brad even took me to the ballet. I couldn't have asked for more. You know, I thought I'd be a little more weirded out more about being 31. I guess it wasn't so bad because I have now had a full year to resolve myself to being in my 30s. I have a feeling that my 30s will be wonderful and that some of the best times are coming up.

November in SoCal

2008-11-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

Well, with all the wildfires swirling around us, we have been fortunate that they have not gotten close enough to us to cause problems. Yesterday afternoon, we looked out our front door and saw the huge smoke cloud resting over the mountain. It gave the sky such an eerie glow with the sun trying to shine through. It has been unseasonably hot this month, with temperatures still averaging in the 80s! Granted, it usually is only in the low seventies right now, but, that is a 10+ degree difference. Of course, the kids are taking advantage of the hot weather by enjoying themselves outside. I'm posting a few pics of them playing this morning - and remember, these are from November, NOT July!

2008-11-09T22:43:00.001-08:00

New Niece has Arrived!

2008-11-09T21:27:00.000-08:00

We are so excited to announce the arrival of our first cousin on the Sperry side of our family -

Cadence Diana Douglass. She is our first niece - all the Ellis cousins are boys. She is simply adorable!!! Congratulations to Carissa and Clint!

Halloween Fun

2008-11-09T21:15:00.000-08:00

We had so much fun this Halloween. Erik was old enough to realize that Halloween means fun. The girls loved helping to take him trick or treating. A special treat this year was that all the Ellis cousins were able to meet for a family Halloween dinner and trick or treat all together.

Happy Autumn!

2008-10-09T21:26:00.000-07:00

Well, the new school year is off and we have all gotten into the swing of things. Caroline is in first and doing wonderfully. She loves school, her teacher and her friends. She is in Brownies now and is gowing up so quickly. Julis is 4 and blossoming in her pre-k year. She is making friends and bonding with her teacher. It is so exciting to see her grow and learn. Erik is 15 months old and is a real character. He loves running and playing and exploring. He has no fear and a strong curiosity to learn about everything. He is growing so quickly - he even had his first haircut this week. I am back teaching preschool and I love it. i am at a new school named Clever Endeavors. It is a fabulous school. I am so grateful I get to be there and teach a pre-k class. Brad is doing well with his job and loves to spend his time with the family. We are all looking forward to a fun Halloween and all the fall will bring.