November

Today I made granola, white chili, and whole wheat bread. I love the golden wheat! I used about 6 c golden wheat flour and 4 c. red wheat flour. It turned out so light and delicious.
Avi was soo cute. Last night we received the Fisher Price nativity from Grandma and Grandpa Nelson. This morning Avi was wondering where her new toys were. She had some animals, Mary and baby Jesus. She was saying "Hi ____. How are you?" Around to each character. Then she had the camel eat everyone...
Gage was very proud of himself. He scooted down a step on the tile area and went over and started pushing open the door to the mud room.
We went to Grandma Dorsey's for Thanksgiving. Avi was grandma's buddy. She loved having grandma read to her, and would be asking "Where Gran-ma Dorsey?" anytime they were separated. Thanksgiving dinner was delicious! But the best part, was Gage. He started dancing in his highchair. He would shake his little shoulders and head. It was soooo cute!! He would even do it when requested to! I love it!
He now will even wave when asked to, though it takes a minutes usually. A few weeks ago Nov. 9th, when he just turned nine months he started clapping by himself. He gets the biggest smile! I love it.
While down in Utah we visited good friends Ci'i and Nicole. It was nice to see them. Avi took awhile to warm up to Manu, their daughter just a few months older than her, but once they got going they were so funny. We went to Temple Square to see the lights and they were the hopping-est, bouncy-est two year olds there. We stopped into the conference center, at one point Avi slipped up into the information desk, folded her arms up on the desk, leaning her head on her arm looked up at the man at the desk and said,"I'm next to a prophet." It was so sweet!
Gage says "mama" and "bye bye". He loves it when I talk to him in his "own language". Nov 12th. he was taking a nap on the bed, when I went to get him when he woke up he was looking up at the camera, he started scooting his way over to the cord so he could pull down the camera, he is so smart!!
He loves apples- happily sucking on slices, breaking them up with his gums- and even offering to share them.
One day I saw I dead box elder bug on the couch, I swiped it off noting I need to vacuum. Later I had both kids in the family room playing and realized I had not vacuumed... we continued to play. I needed to take care of Avi, and had to step out of the room. When I got back, I picked up Gage- he had a sly smile- opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue- to my horror revealing that dead box elder bug!!!! in a flash closes his mouth and swallows!!! to late for me to do anything!! So oh well, I let him wash it down with some breast milk..
Avi is a pro tomato picker. We go out to the green house and she'll say "squishy one" and "that's better"- for the ones she can eat. She likes the "baby" ones best.
She was eating orange slices and got to the white part and spit/or threw it out on the floor. After some white stuff and peel and on the floor I convinced her to put it on the table. After she was done I told her she needed to pick up the stuff off the floor. It was a big job for her to pick it up off the floor and put it on the table, so I offered to put in on the table if she would pick off the floor. She picked up pieces, handed them to me saying, "Happy Birthday!". I loved it!!
She know more songs, and more words to songs- one of her favorites is "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" and "I love to See the Temple", and of course "ABC". She knows Gage Gunnar Nelson, and is now responding her name is Avi Nelson- sometimes Avi Gunnar Nelson...easier than Elizabeth. She was drawing on a note card and she said "dolpin" (dolphin)- it really looked like a whale! (dolphin is her word for whale) I was very impressed.

stake conference

We had the evening session for Stake conference tonight. We didn't think about a babysitter, doubt we could have gotten one anyway. So Gunnar and I with the kids spent the session in the Relief Society room listening, as much as we could over the squeals of the kids. It was a wonderful conference. We heard talks about how much the Lord loves us and the power of the atonement, that we don't need to loose hope for ourselves and we can have joy. Also there was a talk on speaking kindly. Boy, oh boy do I need that one when I am in a bad mood. I also need to work at only speaking kindly of my sweetheart.
Avi is getting better at running. It is so fun to see her run- she has such an interesting way of lifting up her feet. She says "I did it!" to announce her success in accomplishing a task- putting on clothes or putting a puzzle piece in. She loves puzzles. She is learning to do them. She has gotten pretty good at the ABC and 123 puzzles, now we have started on a regular picture puzzle. I taught her backward somersaults, but she hasn't gotten into them, and can't do them herself yet.
Gage is pushing up on his knees when he scoots, he just needs to get his arms underneath him. Today he was loving the apple slices we gave him. He shared one with Gunnar- what a sweet boy.
I have almost finished fixing up the couches we bought. I made a cushion cover for one spot, sewn in bottom for beneath the cushion, sewed over the holes on the sides of the middle sectional, hammered together and got Grandpa to help reinforce part of the frame, now I am waiting for Gunnar to strengthen the springs so I can staple it all back together again. Today I worked on the letters for Avi's name that will go in her room. I am rather excited to see how the turn out. I really like what has been done so far.
Yesterday I went out to help on the roof again, and ended up in the not so fun job of picking up the mess from taking the old roof down- I liked putting flashing on, paper, and shingling better- even if I hammered my thumb repeatedly... But Gunnar came out with kids and help. Gage snacked on animal crackers and grass, and Gunnar kept Avi busy with finding and holding worms that were under the old shingles.
Today Avi had brownie- I think this was her first time... she liked them a lot- oh man, she also kept asking for candy... we have a sugar-holic on our hands. Thankfully I could distract her with a pomegranate. Anyway she wanted more brownie, and she asked for more muffin- because the grandparents buy chocolate muffins that she has a way of getting.... so that is what she knows of being chocolate like that...
I read today was national pupusas day- so we had them for dinner- yum! I put more cheese in this time. What a fun meal.

Halloween

Well, once again I am a little bit lost because I don't know what to write... This week is not my best for recipes turning out my bread and my brownies didn't turn out as well. I have been trying a new bread recipe every week, and I'm throwing in brownies where I can :). But the pumpkin muffins were amazing!! And we sneaked out some decent dinners.
Wednesday was Halloween. Avi had fun saying "Appy Alloweeeeen". She was a princess. I made her crown from a cereal box covered with foil. Gage was a bear. I believe they were adorable. We went to the trunk or treat. Avi seemed a little overwhelmed by everything. She didn't get out many "trick-or-treats" or thank you's, but she did learn to like to pick her candy. She was so cute as she tried to hold onto all of her candy. Every once in a while we would need to stop and have her put it in her bag. Gage happily watched as he pulled off his bear hat. We went to a few houses, to see some neighbors and friends. At home Avi and Gunnar watched Garfield's Halloween- oh the many childhood memories!! Gage got a piece of non-frosted sugar cookie- he went wild for it. (but he goes wild for most food- he pumps his arms and legs up and down and gets a big grin!)
Avi got to eat somewhere around five pieces of candy- she was going crazy! She didn't have any yesterday, but today, she got a piece or two- before dinner she found the bag that had Gunnar's lunch- She found and excitedly exclaimed, "Candy in there! Candy in there!"