A little sisterly love....
unwrapping a million gifts....

a witch and her little black cat in a hat...

uncle a in all of his french glory...

oh, i love my little things!

mama thing & baby things

happy first bday, eva!
happy first bday, eli!

a little love for mama thing from papa thing!

the source from hence the things came...
aunts & uncles
grandmas & grandpas
gub gubs and papas
A special THANKS to all family & friends who helped to make our first fiesta for Eva & Elijah a huge hit! We had a blast & hope you did, too!!! Happy Birthday little things! We love you. We are so proud of you & so happy to have you as a members of our crazy little family!

A Monster Mash Birthday Bash

Halloween Brunch

We had an awesome time celebrating Eva & Eli's first year of life on Halloween at a costume party & brunch at our home. I had so much fun decorating & preparing for the big day!
On the Menu:
Scrambled Dragon Eggs -

Crispy Crunchy Bat Wings (Bacon)-

Haunted Hash -

Bloody Spider Cider - Poisonous Pop -

Yummy Mummy Pumpkin Muffins -
Brittle Bone Breadsticks -

Demon Digits & Moss Sauce (carrot sticks & dip) -
Sinfully Sweet Sugar Cookies -

Sneaky Poisoned Apples with Golden Goop -
Freakish Fruits - Blood Red Berries - Ogre Eyes (olives) -
and BIRTHDAY CAKES (made by my wonderful mom)!!!

Eva's Beautiful Butterfly Cake
Eli's Animals on Parade Cake
A Feeding Frenzy !!!

Happy Bday Eva & Elijah!

Demon Digits with Moss Sauce
Ogre Eyes

The Annual Birthday Banner

I create a collage for the kids on their bdays highlighting the year's major events. For the twins' bdays on Halloween I did a Trick or Treat theme and listed little descriptions of each stage/event over the past year & whether it was a "trick" or a "treat"!!! It is so much fun for friends and family to reflect on the time gone by and the ways the kids have grown and developed! It is one of my favorite traditions that I hope to keep up year after year!

Sinfully Sweet Sugar Cookies
Sneaky Poisoned Apples With Golden Goop

Blood Red Berries

Freakish Fruits

Yummy Mummy Pumpkin Muffins

Bloody Spider Cider

A Girl After my Own Heart....

....of all three children, Eva is certainly the most like her mother. Poor little girl. Ha ha. She clearly has my appearance, but she also inherited my attitude, my stubborn independent streak, and my temper (YIKES!). Sometimes she does things that just make me giggle....because I think, "Oh, Eva. You got that from me." Anyhow, I also passed on to her my lifelong desire to be a punkrocker. I think I dressed up as a punkrocker for Halloween 5 years straight when I was in elementary school. I LOVE being able to pass on such cooky desires to my little ones, so I dyed their hair blue the day before Halloween & took them out shopping at Costco. They were the talk of the store. It was so much fun! Having two little punkers on my hips reminded me of my ALL TIME favorite song by Sandi Thom.. I wish I was a Punkrocker! The day I got home from the hospital after having Zoe, I had this song blasting out the walls of our Michigan home. You might remember she was born with a killer punk hairdo. We were dancing & singing all around the kitchen~it is such a fun memory!! So, I put it on the other day & cranked it up in honor of my blue haired hippies. We sang & danced once more. I LOVE this song. It makes me tear up.... so I thought Iwould include the lyrics on the blog..just incase any of you are longing for revolutionary days gone by.

PS. Lou, if you're reading this,

this song ALWAYS reminds me of you!

Te quiero, hermanita! Feliz Cumpleanos!

I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker ~ By Sandi Thom

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker

with flowers in my hair

In seventy-seven and sixty-nine revolution was in the air

I was born too late into a world that doesn't care

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

When the head of state didn't play guitar

Not everybody drove a car

When music really mattered and when radio was king

When accountants didn't have control

And the media couldn't buy your soul

And computers were still scary and we didn't know everything

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

In seventy-seven and sixty-nine revolution was in the air

I was born too late into a world that doesn't care

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

When pop stars still remained a myth

And ignorance could still be bliss

And when god saved the queen she turned a whiter shade of pale

My mom and dad were in their teens

And anarchy was still a dream

And the only way to stay in touch was a letter in the mail

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

In seventy-seven and sixty-nine revolution was in the air

I was born too late into a world that doesn't care

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

When record shops were still on top

And vinyl was all that they stocked

And the super info highway was still drifting out in space

Kids were wearing hand me downs

And playing games meant kick arounds

And footballers still had long hair and dirt across their face

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

In seventy-seven and sixty-nine revolution was in the air

I was born too late into a world that doesn't care

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

I was born too late

into a world that doesn't care

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker

with flowers in my hair!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLEoxUf-KUM

eli testing out daddy's new wheels & bearings & zoe's new pads!
check out jah's new skater shoes from aunt fudge.

they say "be nice" and have an arrow pointing to a globe!

love 'em, thanks nanny!

getting ready to rip it up!

zoe is the cutest little boarder chick i have ever seen! she has always loved riding on wesley's long board, so we decided it was time to buy her the proper riding gear. we went shopping a few days ago & purchased her a new helmet, elbow pads, & knee pads. what a doll! you should see her shred it now with her daddy. good thing we live next an awesome skate park...this girl could be the next tony hawk!

all smiles :) eleven months old ~ eva helena & elijah sherdon

we're going on a pumpkin hunt...

pretty as can be, miss zoe marie

almost 2 1/2 years old

picking out her very first pumpkin

Happy October!

Mom,Zoe, & Eva @ the Pumpkin Patch

Let the Treating Begin!

side by side ~ checking out the chickens

wes offering zoe to the geese

eva offering her cracker to the geese

zoe's first horse ride
a trip to the farm
a few weeks ago, we took a fun fieldtrip to thanksgiving point farm. we saw a ton of different animals. zoe rode a pony, we went on a wagon ride, and picked (illegally) some berries. :) it was a a great morning. the kids were really great, the weather was awesome, and we asked for a season family pass for christmas from santa (grandma & grandpa w)! we can't wait to return.

Some Snapshots from September

*Super Star Stephens!!!*

We love cheering for Susie at her high school volleyball games!

Her team is undefeated & we are so PROUD of her!

Fun Times @ the Utah State Fair!!!

A Silly September Smile

Zoe Marie 28 months old
Lunchtime is always an adventure with 3 little ones!

Eva with a blueberry beard!

Eva & Eli enjoying the fruits of their summer labors...

...fresh tomatoes from the garden.

I LOVE that my kids enjoy raw FRUITS & VEGGIES!

Elijah & Eva get ready to take big sister Z to her 1st day of preschool
Hmmmmm...
Where should we explore next?
Enjoying the last few days of summer!
Teamwork, Baby!
Eva, is that a FORD you're riding??

When You Are a TWIN...

...EVERY DAY IS A PLAY DATE!

Eva & Eli are over 10 months old now, I can hardly believe that is true! They are so much fun these days. They are starting to play with each other & fight with each other over toys, snacks, & sippy cups. They love to climb the stairs as fast as they can (because they know it is a BIG NO NO!!!). They love to play outside on their push bikes & buses. They love to chase Zoe around and she is constantly making them giggle. They love to sing songs, read books, and play peek-a-boo. They are also becoming BIG fans of DADDY (thank goodness). They are healthy, strong, and growing like MAD! Eli weighs 20 pounds and will probably pass up Zoe on the growth chart within the next few months! Eva is up to a whopping 18! Only 6 weeks until their first birthdays. Time flies when you are having FUN. I can't wait for their BIG MONSTER MASH HALLOWEEN/BIRTHDAY BASH!!!

We're going to have a blast!

I love you little munchkies!

A step in the right direction...

....Zoe Bug started preschool at a great dance academy a few weeks ago...to celebrate & start the year off right, I bought us matching pink Chuck Taylor All Stars!! How funny. Almost everyday now she tells me, "Mom, I wanna wear my Chuck Taylors!" It kills me. She is so adorable. She loves school and tells me all the time how she wants to go to school "by herself" and "play with her friends" and she "loves her teachers!" I am so proud of her. She is so much fun. (Oh, and I am taking full advantage of the limited window of opportunity when it is actually cool to show up to school wearing the same cheesy high tops as your mother~ ha ha ha :) )

THIS is the PLACE......HERRIMAN, that is!!!

As my Grandma Gwen put it, "We hit the motherload when we moved into this neighborhood!" I couldn't agree more. We live in the coolest city on the most awesome street with the best neighbors in the WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD! I LOVE living here, and I wouldn't change a single thing about this place (except maybe the weeds that seem to multiply over night in my flowerbeds!). On the 24th of July, we were invited to participate in

a neighborhood bike parade for the kids,

followed by a spray down by the fire truck hose,

followed by a block party BBQ...

...with a huge inflated waterslide....

....yummmmmmy summer treats....

....& fun fun fun in the Summer Sun!

What a great day~and a great way to spend our first 24th of July back in Zion. We are super blessed to have such great instafriends here.

This REALLY is the PLACE!

Wes & Zoe after getting a spray down by the fire truck
Have you ever seen a cuter pioneer????

Kids @ Heart

The adults line up to take the fire hose full blast!

Z & her long lost friend Lucy reunite!

Eva & Eli sip some juice & eat popsicles

@ the neighborhood block party!

Zbug & her idol Emmy after being soaked by the fire truck

following the neighborhood bike parade.

Zoe gets in on the water fight! Stick 'em up!

The giant waterslide we rented!

Herriman Beach

We recently discovered a treasure in the mountains above our home...a little man~made lake with clean, sandy beaches & a beautiful view of the Wasatch Mountains. We have spent several hours sunbathing, sand castle building, & picnicing. What a summer treat! Who needs the Great Lakes of MI when you have Lake Herriman...ha ha ha :)

"HI YEVA!!! HI YAI YAI!!!"

"Welcome to MINE house!" says Zoe.
Gub Gub Diane is the best Grandma on Earth. She is constantly looking for the next BIG surprise to bring over to our kids! A few weeks ago, she was on KSL.com & saw this cute little log cabin. Of course, she just HAD to get it! She brought it over late on a Sunday night so Zoe would be surprised when she woke up on Monday morning. It was a HUGE hit! We have spent nearly every afternoon outside playing in our new house. Thanks, Gub Gub! We love you!

Sugar Babies Jenessa & Amanda came to stay for a few days!
Beach Bums....Fun in the Sun @ Herriman LakeElijah catches some ZZZzzzzs in the sand

Princess Buttercup livin' it up at the beach!

Miss Zoe builds a sand castle!

Grandma Merritt & Aunt Kari with Eva & Eli

Camping at Strawberry
Eva chillin' with Uncle A
Grandma Merritt & Elijah swing Zoe in the big yellow swing

~ A typical Zoe moment ~

singing & dancing in the rain

splashing in the mud puddles

beneath a beautiful rainbow

with Eva, Jenessa, and Amanda.

Take time to smell the flowers....
...an Ode to Zoe....
There are so many things I LOVE & ADORE about Zoe.
Here are a few of my favorites:
1. She is such a remarkable person.
She has an amazing spirit & an incredible energy about her.
She is the most insightful 2 year old I have ever met.
2. She is friendly and outgoing.
She loves to hug & kiss her friends, parents, & siblings.
She makes new friends very easily.
3. Her voice.... especially now that she talks so much.
Each day she says some new phrase...
....it blows my mind and almost
always cracks me up.
4. Zoe is very creative & intelligent.
She is always inventing new games & songs & stories.
5. Her contagious laughter.
6. The love & adoration she has for her father.
She LOVES her daddy so much!
7. The way she grabs my ears & pulls my whole head toward
hers to give me a big kiss over & over & over.
8. Her imagination. Wow. Incredible what this girl thinks up.
9. Her pure beauty. She takes my breath away.
10. Her unconditional love for me &
her patience with me as her mother.
We have so much fun together!
I am so blessed.
I love you, Zbug.

Say "CHEESE!!!"

How is it that life just keeps flying by faster?

These little ones are SO BIG these days. They are constantly cracking me up....and Zoe is constantly cracking them up...so we all just sit around & giggle at each other all day long like a bunch of looney goons!!!! :) Eva & Elijah are almost 8 months old...they are eating like crazy...they still breastfeed, but they have also increased their palates to enjoy the likes of avocado, zucchini, cheerios, peaches, pears, applesauce, grapes, strawberries, apple juice, mum mumms crackers, and snocones!!! :) It still trips me out from time to time to look at these two little faces & really let it sink in that they are mine & they are twins.

Life is certainly a trip.....Enjoy the Journey.