The Biggest Loser

So, I am finally getting around to posting about our "Biggest Loser" 5K run. We had so much fun -- even Chris, who we had to talk into doing it!

The 5k was in beautiful St. George. Chris's brother and his wife were also running with us. We had to pick up our packets on Friday and the race was bright and early Saturday morning so we decided to make it an "over-night date." We got our packets on Friday afternoon and went to the temple and out to eat. We stayed up late in the hotel talking with our family (totally free of interruptions from our wonderful children) giggling like little kids ourselves again. It was nice to get some adult time but we always miss our kids when we are away from them.

We started the morning early and loved enjoying the crisp St. George air and beautiful red-rock scenery. My parent's brought the kids to come watch us and cheer us on during the race. We were so glad they were there. Seeing their bright smiling faces throughout the race really helped to keep us both going. Plus Austin has always disliked running and anything P.E. related but seeing us do this has helped motivate him in that area. So I am especially glad that he was there. In fact, he just ran his first mile in 8 min. 4 sec. Pretty good for his first time.

Here we are waiting at the starting line. There is a lot of excitement and energy in the air and our adrenaline seems to already be pumping.

There were over 600 participants in the race. Because it was a race sponsored by the Biggest Loser, they had a couple of past contestants from the show there that ran with us. If you have watched the show then you may remember them...Koli, Sam and Daris from Season 9. Anna and I finished with Koli.

The kids looking for us.

Still smiling after about a half mile into the race.

We saw the kids about 3 times through out the race, and they high-fived us as we went by. This is about 2.5 miles in the race and after we had just come us a big hill. It was good to see the kids here to keep us going.

Considering Chris hasn't been able to work out since about Christmas time because he has been swamped at work...AND since I got kicked out of the gym (haha) and wasn't able to work out for a month before we ran, I was very happy with our time. Chris finished in about 35 minutes and I finished in 36 minutes. That is actually faster than I had ever ran it on the treadmill so I was very pleased. We were very sore afterwards, of course, but I actually love being sore so I was OK with it. I would like to do it again soon. Hopefully we will be a little more prepared the next time.

Happy Brithday to Abigail!

This post is a little late. Her birthday was a couple of weeks ago. She is getting to be such a big girl. She started finally dressing herself. I think it took so long because, of course, why would she want to dress herself when she can get mom to do it. She likes to pick out her own clothes and I will let her sometimes. She is not a little tom-boy like Allison. She likes all things girly. She doesn't like getting dirty or playing in the mud or even playing outside a lot. She will but she is also content to stay inside as well. She still loves to play with her cousins the most. She is terrified of everything: sliding down slides, being in front of someone, praying, stepping onto an elevator (for fear she may fall down the crack in between the floor and the elevator...funny thing, I used to be too.) She is the most like me...mood swings, dirty looks, scaredy-cat and all.



My sister has a cake cricut so Abigail found a cake she liked on one of her cake cartridges and we attempted to try it. After 8 attempts, this is what we ended up with. It is still cute but nothing like the picture. Oh well, we learned a few things in the process and hopefully the next time we try something, it will go smoother. I made my own fondant from marshmallows and it was quite tasty. Unlike regular fondant, this fondant was totally edible. Abigail loved it and I guess that is all that matters!

Here she is with a few of her cousins.

New Table (For Keith)

This post is mainly for Keith. He ate at our house a lot on a little folding chair that we pulled up to our old table. We have had 6 people in our family for over 18 months now and a table that only seats 4. We have been saving and researching what table to buy for a while and finally, a week after Keith leaves, got a new one...one that he could even sit at without having to find another chair. I figured he would appreciate seeing it.

We had heard good and bad about a counter height table and so I was really hesitant to get one but with the shape of our dining area it was really the best choice. We bought 10 chairs too! We entertain a lot so having the extra seating space is SUPER nice! We also bought a buffet to match, although I know according to most interior designers that is a design faux pas.

Three days after we got the table, my sweet, but very clutzy, Allison tipped a chair over and broke one of the legs. Luckily they replaced it for us, no charge.

Allison Lost Her First Tooth and Has "The Gift"

You may be wondering what exactly "the gift" is. To fully explain, I have to go back to the early years of Chris's life. When Chris was younger, starting probably in his early teens he had a gift or a talent or maybe some people might say he was persuasive, and if you are a pessimist, you might even call it manipulating. But I call it, "a gift." People loved Chris! And why not, he was (and still is) charming, sincere, kind, genuine, hard-working, romantic, and honest. He says hi to people, always using their name even in restaurants or with cashiers. If they have a name tag on he would look at it and always call them by their name. It usually throws people off a little at first but then they are usually a little nicer, a little happier or a little more confident. When I first met Chris we would go out and we would get free desserts, free movies, movie-rental late fees removed, free pop refills at gas stations, etc. People just liked him because he was a sincerely nice guy and he made people feel like they mattered. We still have gifts that people have given him (mostly girls) like blankets, a watch, a CTR ring. You may wonder why I let him keep them. He actually wanted to get rid of any gifts that he was given by other girls but I know his heart belongs totally to me and so why would I let him get rid of a completely perfect blanket?

Well, I thought this was "a gift" that really belonged to Chris because I have never seen any one get as many things from people as he did. UNTIL, my sweet Allison! Since school started in September, Allison would bring home little "gifts" from school. A toy cell phone, lip gloss, stickers, stuffed animals, a cute little purse. The first time it happened, I took the toy and gave it back to the teacher and said to please give this back to the other child. The next couple of times, I had Austin make sure she gave it back to the other people and tell them that I said she couldn't keep it. I figured that she was asking for these things from them and possibly even stealing or bullying them into giving them to her. Austin said the last time he went with her to give something back, the other child insisted she keep it. Then, on Monday, she came home with a pair of purple dress-up gloves and a pink flowered head band that she said a little boy bought for her. WHAT?!! So, I met with the teacher on Tuesday to ask her to ask the little boy if he really did indeed buy the "gifts" for her. So the teacher talked to him and he DID in fact buy them for her. He said his older brother gave him some money and his mom took him to the store to buy it. So it looks like Allison has inherited the gift from her father. It could be because she inherited his friendliness and sincerity as well. :)

Allison also lost her first tooth this week. She is such a funny girl. A couple of years ago when Austin was losing a lot of his teeth, she was terrified of losing her teeth and would cry every time she thought about it. She actually has what Chris calls a "shark tooth". Her adult tooth was coming in behind the baby tooth.

Good Luck Keith!

Keith is Chris's youngest brother. Chris and Keith are 15 years apart. Keith was about 7 years old when Chris and I got married. He was 10 when we moved away. Although we saw him when we came to visit, it wasn't until we moved back "home" a couple of years ago that we have really gotten to know Keith better. In the last couple of years, Keith helped us build our home, put in our yard, paint our basement, and helped with all kinds of other little projects. We've helped him with homework, watched him in football and track, supported him in "geek" tournaments, gave him advice on girls, money, his future AND fed him A LOT! Sometimes it seemed like we had adopted a teenage son. But that was OK to us...we enjoyed having him around. Keith is one of the favorite uncles too. He is always nice and patient with the kids.


Keith enters the Mission Training Center in Provo, Utah on Wednesday. Since it seems like we adopted a son, it almost seems like we are sending one away. It is a little taste of what it will be like when Austin and Asher go. We are so excited for him and the adventure he is about to begin. It will be weird not to have an extra mouth to feed...or at least one that will almost certainly eat any leftovers. I guess my grocery bill will be a little lower now.

Keith is hereby called to serve in the Donetsk, Ukraine Mission in the Russian language. I love that my kids have someone they are close to, to set such a good example for them. They are all so excited to see him go on a mission but he will be missed a lot.

As soon as Keith found out he would be serving in Ukraine, we went and looked at the area on google Earth. He has started studying Russian online and reading all about the culture. What did we ever do without the Internet?!?!

These are the four DeMille boys. They are very close even though they range in age by 15 years. Keith has the biggest "pecks" of all of the boys, although you couldn't tell with his shirt on. He is very modest about it and the older brothers are all jealous. :)

Good Luck Keith, you will be a great missionary!

Asher turns 18 months!

This is a momentous occasion for several reasons. One, Asher is our last 18 month old. Kinda sad, I know. It is also time for him to enter nursery at church. Hallelujah! We haven't actually attended Sunday school in about a year due to Asher's inability to sit still and stay out of other people's bags. Yes, we could take turns attending but we didn't want the other to be lonely so we usually just sat out together. :) Asher is going to love nursery. All of my kids have. I feel for all the mom's whose kids cry incessantly during this time. My kids have always been pretty independent that way.

Asher is still keeping us all busy. He has learned now to push chairs to where he wants to go. He likes to turn on and off lights. He likes to climb up on tables and counters. He still gets into any drawer or door that has been accidentally left open/unlocked. We have learned he is quite the comedian too. Most of our kids have been cute and funny at this age but I think he is by far the most naturally funny. He likes to do things just to see your reaction to him. He LOVES to dance. Anytime music is turned on, he shakes his head and his booty, and stomps his foot. When we went to the doctor the other day, the doctor asked if he could say at least 10 works...heavens, yes, he can say at least 10 words. It seems like he is talking fast then our other kids but maybe that is because he is surrounded by lots of talking. He says, up, and baba, and momma, and dadda, and Keet (Keith), Abbie, mine (a parent's favorite, although I am grateful he hasn't learned "no" yet), go, bye-bye, love you too (my favorite). He waves and blows kisses and folds his arms during prayer (which is still one of my favorite things to see as a parent).

Asher got his first haircut, recently (OK, I think it was like 3 months ago but that is recent enough). This is his shaggy hair before...

He actually did really well during the haircut. Chris just buzzed it all off with shavers and he loved the vibrating that it made.

And this is him, still smiling and now without shaggy hair.

He loves to steal hats off people, especially this colorful red one from Uncle Keith. It's his favorite! "Keith" was also the first name he said too!

He thoroughly enjoys wearing mommy's makeup and if there is silence in the house for more than a few minutes, I can almost always guess that my bedroom door has been left open and he is in my makeup. :)

Let's eat....some for me, and

some for you!

This is a great picture because it shows his goofy side.

Christmas and the New Year

I was eager for January to bring a lull in the busyness of our lives but it doesn't look like it is going to let up anytime soon. We both have very busy callings and especially at this time of year. I am not trying to complain. I know we are being blessed in so many different ways for serving but sometimes I find myself counting down to the time when "I think" one of us might be released. Until then, I am trying to find joy in each day. Each new challenge. Each new learning opportunity. And trying not to pick on myself too hard for not posting as much as I would like. Eating cereal for dinner. Not mopping as much as I need to (like, never...although I did get a steam mop for Christmas so maybe that will help even if it is still in the box). :)





One thing January is certain to bring is power. The power of change. The power of hope. I love that at this special time of year we get to reflect on who we are, where we have come from and where we want to go in the next year. I love setting resolutions to do better and be better even when some years have proved less successful than others. I think January brings a renewed hope that we can make little steps to improve our lives and the lives around us. And for some reason, more than any other time of year, it gives us the strength and courage to start again.

Enough about that, I am a little late on posting Christmas but lately my philosophy has been "better late than never." You may get our awesome new years pics by February but maybe not. :)

These are pictures of the kids with Chris's uncle who dressed up like Santa. He made an AWESOME Santa. I am so glad we got more pics.

I love this picture of Allison with Santa because she is going on and on about what she wants for Christmas. Oh, the faith of a little child!

Christmas eve we went to Chris's families house and baked cookies. I am not sure where Allison learned to pose with her hand like this but she was adamant that I get her picture with her posing just like this.

It is interesting to hear what other traditions people have for the holidays. In our home, Santa only brings one gift for each child and does not wrap it. All the other gifts come from mom and dad or other family. The kids sleep in the basement on Christmas eve and have to stay down there until we come and get them. That may seem a little mean but we are selfish and want to see the first initial surprise on their faces. So far they haven't complained about it. We always bake cookies the night before for Santa. We have always written letters and done gingerbread houses. The last couple of years we did an Activity advent calendar that I really love doing. I come up with 25 Christmas activities each year that we are going to do as a family. Some include reading Christmas books, singing/listening to Christmas music, looking at Christmas lights, making a gingerbread house, making Christmas treats and bringing them to people, Gratitude night, the symbols of Christmas, etc., etc., etc. The kids are always excited to see what fun activity we will do that day and it is a way for us to make sure we spend a little more time together during the busy holiday season.

Asher's favorite toys came from his stocking. But he also loved opening presents this year too. Putting him in his high chair worked really well. :)

The girls both got the pillow pets they asked for (along with a million other children). I had to go online to even find out what they were when Allison started asking for one. Then I started seeing them in every store I went to including Best Buy!

Austin asked for a "prop replica" Harry Potter wand (that is what he calls it). He wrote a two and a half page letter to Santa telling him why he wanted it and why he deserved it. How could Santa resist?

I hope everyone had a great Holiday and I hope even more that every one's new year is everything you could hope for!! (See, I am full of hope). :)

Gingerbread houses

We finally got around to making a Gingerbread house this year. The kids love putting them together and as they get older it is fun to see how much more they can do. I have always bought a kit. Next year I want to make my own gingerbread and let the kids each make their own house.

Abigail surprised me by being so detail-oriented as you can tell by the pictures. She was very careful putting each candy on.












Dad was in charge of the frosting. I tried a couple of times in past years but get impatient and so he would take over. Now I don't even bother. Austin enjoyed helping with the frosting this year.















This was the beginning of an avalanche. But the kids didn't mind, they just ate what fell off.














The finished product. I like the little green trees that came in the kit. Hopefully I can buy them separately.

Santa Baby and other stuff

We have had a busy month. The last several Decembers have gotten busier and busier. This one has gone by mostly in a blur. I think that is why I love pictures so much. They help me to reflect on what we've done, where we have been, and what we have accomplished. That is what I felt today as I looked at these pictures: gratitude for cameras and a way to capture cherished moments that otherwise may quickly be forgotten.

SANTA BABY
I love this first one of Asher because he did it himself and kept it on for quite some time. He LOVES wearing the Santa hat. He always puts it on himself and is so proud of himself. And I think he knows everyone thinks he is cute for it.

TUACHAN
This year we went to St. George to see the live Nativity they put on, the lights and Santa Claus (since I refuse to go to a Santa in Cedar City again...if you want to know why, read this post)

The live Nativity was great and helped my kids and myself refocus on what the true meaning of Christmas is despite all the hustle and bustle and commercialization of it. I didn't even think to get out my camera until the ending scene right when the lights went out. But it is kind of a peaceful picture so I thought I would add it.

My cheesy little kids and with some cousins.

This is the Santa pic but it is not a great one. The kids were antsy, the lighting was bad, the seating arrangement was bad and the Santa is only so-so but at least he is over 50. :) I have realized that I am really picky about Santas...but I got spoiled for several years because the Santas at the malls in Las Vegas are amazing!


INTUNE PARADE
The kids were in the Christmas parade at the beginning of the month. They love to ride in the parades!