Blades of Glory

We took the girls ice skating for the first time today. We got there right when the zamboni was cleaning the ice. The ice was really slick, especially for people who don't ice skate and have kids hanging on them. Luckily we found some learner equipment. The equipment looks like senior citizen walkers, but they help the kids stand up get used to the ice. It worked out great. No major injuries. Grandpa Larry got tangled up with Alex and he kissed the ice. Fun times.

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Megan shredding the ice.

Grandpa Larry and Ashley

As Obama would say, "this isn't the special olympics."

Kaitlyn and her ice walker.

Tara and Kaitlyn trying to stay up right.

Ashley -- The Grand Prize Poetry Winner

Ashley won the grand prize for the poem she entered at her school. This is the poster she won for the competition. Great choice, probably not going up on the wall. Here's her poem.

I Love the Holidays

By

Ashley Davenport

Holidays, holidays, holidays,

Oh how I love the holidays!

Steamy, hot chocolate over the stove,

Snowmen in the front yard,

A beautifully, decorated tree,

Presents under it,

Santa coming on Christmas Eve,

And how the weather bites your nose.

Better get to sleep,

I hear Santa’s sleigh bells.

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Writing Christmas cards is always fun.

Get to work, we need some money.

Wear your hat, gloves and scarf.

Don’t forget your parka.

We’re going to play in the snow.

Oh how the holidays are fun.

The Manger for Baby Jesus

For Family Home Evening the other night, Tara did a lesson on helping each other. She bought a wood manger (crib for the layman), painted it, and gathered some straw. When the girls do something nice for someone else, they get to place a piece of straw in the manger. The goal is to make the manger as soft as possible for baby Jesus by Christmas morning. It has been a fun thing to remind the girls.

The girls cleaned my desk today without Tara and I knowing. Hopefully, I will be able to find all of my stuff. Here is the note that the girls left me.

The Best Picture of Overtime

Singing, Dancing, Climbing

The girls all have MP3 players and love them. Here are a few clips of Britney trying to climb up on the coach for the first time and Kaitlyn singing and dancing.

VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was Ashley's 9th birthday on the day of the BYU/Utah game. So we both went down to watch the big game. It was actually pretty warm the first half and started to cool down in the 2nd half as did the Cougars. We actually left right before the end of the game in the 4th quarter because I though that the Cougs would lose they played so crappy in the 2nd half. Plus, Coach Bronco blows and is a total wuss. We listened to overtime in the car, but we got home quick with a BYU victory. Fun day, fun win. FANS, PLEASE KEEP YOUR COMMENTS AS CLASSY AS POSSIBLE.

Lavell Edwards Stadium, or as we call it, the Lord's Stadium.

Family Pictures '09

While Mom Was Away

So Tara went on "girls trip" this past week. That meant that I had to keep the girls alive for a few days on my own. That also meant, one trip to McDonald's, one trip to Carl's Jr., one trip to Little Ceasars, and one trip to KFC. I'm a health freak, so that's why I chose these restaurants.

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I took the girls to Disney on Ice Friday which the girls loved. Too many dudes in tights for my enjoyment, but The Little Mermaid was a LOOKER. On Saturday, Ashley had a Young Utah Artists piano competition. She competed against, as Ashley put it, "some asian piano ninjas." Seriously, I started crying when I heard this 9 year old asian boy in a tux play the piano. He played some "Flight of the Bumblebee" type duet, but he played both parts. It was awesome and I bought one of his CDs. Ashley did well, but no Juilliard scholarship yet.

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It was also a blizzard on Saturday. In the afternoon we had just enough snow to make our backyard sledding hill. It was chilly, but the older three girls stayed out there for a couple of hours. Take a close look at Megan's cheeks. Is that frostbite? I thought that Ashley had pimp slapped her a couple of times, but I guess it was just really cold.

Britney had a vent in her hood just big enough to get some air in.

Kaitlyn's extremely rosy cheeks.

Megan's mug shot.

Helaman 9:34

. . . Because of this fear and this paleness which has come upon your face, behold, we know that thou art GUILTY.

Little Miss Brit

This kid is awesome. She doesn't talk except for "uh oh" and "mama". She used to say "Dada" but know she calls me "mama" too. She also eats ice cream cones bottom first. We love Britney.

Halloween Piano Recital

Ashley had a piano recital on Halloween. That was a fun activity in the morning. All of the students dressed up, most of their costumes matched the song they played. Here is Ashley playing "Animal Crackers" by Shirley Temple.

Trick or Treat '09

Happy Halloween! Seriously, who doesn't love Halloween? I personally love it. Tara thinks I'm warped because of my poor choices in costumes. This year, Tara and I were doctors. I was an obstetrician just finishing up with an emergency C-section (obvious if you look at the picture). Needless to say, the girls cried when I put fake blood on the baby ( I had no idea that fake blood looked so real. Fake blood has come a long way, totally awesome). So basically Halloween was ruined for an hour or so because the girls were worried about the baby. I told them that if they stopped crying, I wouldn't throw the baby in the dumpster. That worked, and saved Halloween. The baby survived and the blood washed off. Next year I'm thinking about being either a proctologist or a urologist (I need some good prop ideas).

I kept spanking the baby. The girls didn't like that either.

Two little witches prior to the tears.


Ashley was Barbie the Musketeer (2 hours post tears).

Britney was Minnie Mouse. We didn't even attempt to put the ears on.

OB and GYNO

Pumpkin Patch, Corn Maze, and Fun with Knives

It was a chilly day at the pumpkin patch, but that didn't stop the girls from sitting on the tractors, chasing chickens in the corn maze, and trying to find pumkins that weren't rotten. We love this time of year and the girls love to dress up in their costumes.

Britney doesn't quite get what's going on

Exiting the corn maze alive

Jack-O-Lanterns

Pumpkin brains

Kaitlyn still thinks this is kind of gross

Kaitlyn Survives First Four Years

Yes, it's a miracle. Kaitlyn has survived four years (with all of her arms and legs, toes and fingers too). Happy Birthday Kaitlyn!!! We love this kid. She is one happy and spicy girl. This past Saturday she had a kitty party with her cousins. They had a cat food (Cap'n Crunch) eating contest out of kitty bowls. They had a mouse scavenger hunt too. Tara did not allow me to direct the kids in some kind of kitty litter derby, which was a total bummer. Kaitlyn got some American Girl doll stuff and a "big girl" scooter.

Cat Food eating Contest (she lost)

Opening some way overpriced AMG stuff.

This girl laughs all day.

Hairdos and Don'ts

Fall Soccer

Ashley and Megan have been playing lots of soccer. Soccer started in the Summer and has continued into Fall. Their last games are this week. Ashley scored a goal last week and that has lifted her spirits. Megan is getting more aggressive too. Even little Britney has figured out what to do with a soccer ball.

Megan with the Yellow Lions

Ashley with the Bluejays

Megan kicking the corner kick

Ashley is fast and can control the ball well


Catching a break from all of the running

While I Was Away

My company changed my position around recently and they sent me back to New Jersey for some training. I was gone from September 29th until October 16th. Tara and the kids loved that. It was a long trip. I checked into the hotel and the desk clerk looked at me and said, "So you're staying for sixteen nights?" Yeah, that sucked. I'm glad it's over. I did manage to do some fun things while I was out there though, including visits to Princeton, Philidelphia, Atlantic City, and accidentally Staten Island (we took a wrong turn heading to Atlantic City and crossed the bridge into New York.

The Taj Mahal casino in Atlatic City

Princeton

The Liberty Bell

The boardwalk and pier at Atlantic City

George Washington's New Jersey residence near Princeton

Independence Hall