Random Grateful Notes

I just had to take a minute to say how grateful I am to be a wife and a mother. Today I spent the whole day with my family. I did laundry, sorted through clothes that my sister, Michelle, so generously gave me for my only daughter. Thanks, again Michelle! You're too kind! I reheated some homemade pizza for the fam for lunch. Devlin ate breakfast, lunch, and dinner with us (a rare occurrence with his travel schedule for work). He and the kids raked all the pine needles in the front and mowed the lawn. They blew all the birch seeds off of the walkways and front porch. It was fun to watch them work together out the window while I did chores inside. My sister, Julie came over to give us a creative invitation to her annual Halloween party which was adorable. She then told Devlin and I to leave for an hour while she watched our kids. Seriously, who does that? My sister Julie...I know she's the best. We stopped by "The Chocolate" dessert cafe and talked uninterrupted while eating delicious food. We came home, Devlin gave the kiddos baths, then we ate dinner and watched a movie together as a family. I think I had more fun watching William choke on his food from laughing so hard at the movie than watching the movie. Gwen fell asleep on my lap as we watched, then we put the kids to bed. Devlin's about to get back from Bajio with take out and now it's our turn to have some more uninterrupted time together. I'm due in 2 months with our 4th kid, Devlin has a job, my kids are healthy and beautiful. I have a husband that loves me...I'm so blessed. I just wanted to write it down so I could remember on the days I forget.

Maxson's started to use the phrase, "Delish!" every time he likes the food we're eating. He says, "This is delish!" Most likely he got that from one of his aunts.

William came up to me randomly today and gave me a big hug and said, "I love you, Mom!" I asked what that was for...and he said, "I love you!"

Gwen kept calling her new shoes, "twinkle toes" and was so proud of them she wore them around the house with her nightgown on after bath time. After brushing her hair this morning, Gwen exclaimed, "I'm beautiful, Mom!" I responded, "Yes you are!"

Today was a good day.

Neha's Visit

Our good friend Neha came to town to direct a conference she was in charge of at Snowbird. We had a great time catching up...and more importantly, going down the Alpine Slide! It was great to see you Neha! Come visit again soon!

Stay-cation

This year...because I am pregnant and still not feeling up to traveling (you know, having to eat every 2 hours so you won't get sick isn't really conducive to traveling...and I would feel super weird visiting someone at their home and asking for food every second) we decided to do a stay-cation. Devlin took the week off and we took it easy. We slept in, watched movies (Kung-Fu Panda 2 and Cars 2), went to the zoo, did the full visit to Temple Square, and ended with baseball games. We had a blast. Most importantly we had some much needed family time and I didn't have to stress about getting everyone ready for a big vacation. It was just what I needed!

Maxson getting sprayed by a robotic dinosaur

On top of the LDS Conference Center

This was at the Church Museum of History and Art at the children's display upstairs. They had a large screen with individuals dressed in native costumes that taught you how to dance, with a mirror behind you so you could see yourself.

Below is where the boys learned about different countries where the missionaries share the gospel and how some families live on farms.

4th of July

For the 4th all the Marcov's (except my parents...we missed you!) came for our water slide party! We had a blast! Here's some of my favorite photos from the weekend!

Family photo on the porch

Cousins after the parade

Gwen at the fireworks

Maxson and William as they would say, "Super light fighter guys"

Maxson

William

Gwen

The awesome pinata I made...I was so proud of myself!

Happy Birthday, Devlin!

Poor Devlin had to have his birthday the day after Maxson...which unfortunately for him this year, meant that I was pretty worn out from the day before so he didn't get too much attention. I still haven't gotten him a birthday present...I know! I'm horrible! Hopefully I'll get him one soon...anyhow I did want to give a shout out to Devlin to tell him all the cool things I think about him:

• He makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich. The kids actually call them "Dad's Famous Grilled Cheese."
• He does an amazing job at putting the kids to bed. Every night they want to play "Nice knowing ya!" and have Devlin tell one of his "Famous stories." Do you see a pattern here...nothing I do is famous.
• He has an amazing singing voice. I think I'll go so far as to call it famous.
• He is the most patient person I know. I don't know too many people that can patiently help so many people with their computer and never show any sign of irritation. The man is a Saint.
• He is a mutant and thus has a superhuman memory. I think I'd call his memory famous too.
• He's pretty smooth.
• He's the hottest man in the world.
  

Devlin Got His Masters!!

I debated on naming this post, "We're DONE with school!" But I guess, you can never be too sure! Devlin graduated with his Masters in Computer Science from BYU this last week (okay, so he walked...and will "officially" graduate in December-but he's ALL DONE)! When he went to pick up his cap and gown, they forgot to give him his cap. He went back to get it and a kind gentleman gave him 6 free tickets to BYU Day's catered dinner ($20 a plate). It included a live band and dancing. Thanks to this kind fellow, we were able to party the night away before Devlin walked in the morning. If that wasn't cool enough, they gave us all free t-shirts at the end of the night (you'll see us wearing them in the video).

The next day, Devlin walked, and then it was back to work. I'll save the gory details of getting his thesis turned in for those of you who ask. It would make this post 3xs as long! Enjoy the video...it's a must see if you're a fan of my kids' dance moves! Thanks so much to Angela, Marcus, Thomas, and my Mom and Dad for coming to support on such short notice!

Devlin's Famous

Devlin was in the Deseret News today! Congratulations, honey!

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700040784/Y-grads-introduce-education-savvy-software.html

Merry Christmas!

William is age 5 (he turns 6 in a couple of days). He's enjoying Kindergarten. He loves to draw and is quite a performer at our house. Tune in here in a couple of days to see him performing Jingle Bell Rock!

Maxson is age 3. He's big for his age--he grew 4 inches last year! He's in Joy School and is having a great time. He's the easy going one at our house and fun to have around.

Gwen is 1 and 1/2 years. She's a good influence on the boys, but still rough houses with them as much as a 1-year old can. She's extending her vocabulary every day and said "Candy Cane" to her Aunt Tiersa the other day--much to the chagrin of her mother (I wish she'd say phrases to me!).

Devlin's still working hard at building his business (http://www.instructure.com). If any of you have friends that teach at a university or college, send them Devlin's way! He'd love to have more users for their free (did mention free?) pilot!

I'm keeping busy with the 3 kiddo's at home. I'm thankful we're all healthy and happy. Thanks for your Christmas cards and emails! It's been wonderful to hear from all of you. We think of you often and are grateful to have such wonderful family and friends. We're thankful for this time of year to reflect on the birth of our Savior.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Halloween!

My sister Julie, threw her annual Halloween party last weekend for my family. Here's a couple of photo's from the evening.

Gwen is Raggedy Ann
(thanks to my sister Michelle for giving us her old costumes!),
I'm a witch
(yeah, I know, reserve your smart alec comments . . .
thanks to my sister Julie for letting me borrow her costume),
Devlin's Horatio Hornblower,
Maxson's a dragon
(thanks again to Michelle for recycling her kids costumes!) and
William's a robot
(again, thanks to Michelle's creativity and kindness in giving us her old costumes!)

A close up of our doll.

Richard and Stephanie as "Hansel and Gretel"

Dad and Mom as a scarecrow and bunny rabbit

Tiersa as a trekkie and Brooks as Brooks

Julie sporting a mermaid costume made by myself!
Yes, that's right, I actually sewed something!
Matt as a fisherman, Cole as a shark, and Claire as a mermaid.

Farewell Neha!

A dear friend of ours recently moved to California. Neha was in Devlin's Computer Science program and she recently graduated with her PhD! She's totally awesome and has been a very dear friend to our family. She recently moved to take a job with NASA. This is us being treated by her family at the Indian Palace in celebration of her new beginnings. Can I say, "Samosa!" (Okay, so my spelling may be completely off there, but they were divine!) Devlin was lucky enough to see her this last week on his business trip to Cali. I hear he was again treated with yummy homemade Indian food. I must admit, I'm jealous of his seeing her and the food he was served! What ever will we do without you, Neha?! We miss you!

Simple Joys

This last weekend we headed up to Kaysville for our nephew's ordination to the office of a teacher. Way to go Marcus!! While we were up there, an arm wrestling competition developed. Here's a small clip of Devlin dominating our nephew Mathew...

Some Holiday Photos

Family Reunion at my parent's house.


Hot air balloons at the Freedom Festival

Bridal Veil Falls and The Brother of Jared

Tonight we went up to Bridal Veil Falls for FHE. We took a picnic dinner to eat. After we finished our grub, we headed up the path towards the falls. The boys had a terrific time playing in the water. We grabbed a couple of rocks to paint for next weeks FHE. We'll be making prayer rocks. I told the boys the story of the Brother of Jared. Unfortunately, I didn't do a very good job. I think next time I'll have to make it a little more entertaining and a lot shorter.

William exclaiming, "Look! I caught a fish!"

Maxson playing with the rocks.

Everyone with our bathing beauty.

Poor Gwen fell. She was standing by Devlin in the water and lost her balance. Luckily it's very very shallow. But because she's so small she was soaked! I'm glad Devlin thought to bring a towel!

Bye Bye Blue Rocket

Yesterday we said goodbye to the Blue Rocket. The Blue Rocket was the car that Devlin took on our first date. It was the car we took on our honeymoon. It was the car that shuttled us around after Devlin was in his car accident. It was the car that we took to the hospital when Gwen was born. So many memories. Devlin's had the Blue Rocket in his family forever. If you know the Daley's they feel about their cars the way most people feel about their dogs. We'll miss you.

Feel free to watch a little tribute I made for Devlin about the Blue Rocket since he couldn't be here when the Kidney Foundation came to lay it to rest.

Happy Birthday, Devlin!

A shout out to my handsome honey. I hope you had a good birthday this year. Who wouldn't with that fantastic oatmeal cake I made you? I love you so much! Here's my top 10 favorites about Devlin:

10. He speaks with his hands. He's well know for his finger to his chin/lower lip. Love it.
9. He's a master at facial expressions. When we were engaged, one of my friend's said he looks like Hugh Grant. My sister this last weekend said he looks like the guy that won American Idol this year. Devlin beats them all in looks hands down.
8. He makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich. He loves food. He loves my food.
7. He has a great sense of humor. I love his laugh. It's contagious.
6. He's the best Dad ever. He wrestles with the kids, lets them help him fix stuff, takes them on bike rides, etc.
5. He helps EVERYONE ALL THE TIME! He helps me do laundry, dishes, clean the house, etc. I know I can always count on him to help out. He helps everyone else too. I doubt we have a friend/family member that has not benefited from his talent with computers and fixing things! Did I mention he's smart . . . . super smart. If smart was a super hero, he'd be it.
4. He names his cars. He loves his cars. We'll be losing one of them soon--stay posted for memorial service information.
3. He's the most positive person I know. He's always looking on the bright side of things. He believes and knows everything will work out. And it always does.
2. He's a gentleman. He's constantly reminding me to let him get my doors. He always waits for me to eat first, etc.
1. He choose to marry me! That's the best thing about him--that he puts up with me. He loves me and I love him.

Merry Christmas (a little late)

A brief update of our family . . .

Devlin:
-Is so very close to finishing his Masters
-Started a business with a friend - www.Instructure.com
-Serves as the Gospel Doctrine Teacher
-Is the father of a new baby girl!

Cheree:
-Is the mother of a baby girl!
-Survived 2 moves and delivering a baby girl
-Started a recipe blog: daleyfood.blogspot.com
-Finally updated daleylife.blogspot.com
-Serving as a Relief Society Teacher

William (5 years):
-Is learning how to read
-Can often be found in disguise as “Superman,” “Super Turtle Guy,” “Santa Claus,” or a “Rock Star.”
-Is a brother to a new baby sister
-Taught himself how to ride a bike without training wheels

Maxson (2 and 1/2 years)
-Can give you a fantastic “cheese” smile when getting his picture taken
-Is still allergic to milk and eggs . . . and now allergic to peanuts as well!
-Loves to say “Mom, watch!” and follow it up with something amazing (usually a fast sprint across the room, an gigantic leap, or wonderfully choreographed dance).
-Is now a big brother to a little sister
-Wants to be just like William

Gwen (6 months)
-Can roll over both ways
-Likes to hear herself jabber
-Has a smile to melt your heart
-Did I mention . . . we have a GIRL?

Birthday Bash

So, my birthday was yesterday. It was the first time I've had to make my own cake. I'm sure that day will come again and again. I must give kudos to my Mom. She did offer, but I turned her down with the explanation that Maxson wouldn't be able to eat her cake (since he's allergic to milk, eggs, and peanuts). So, I made an egg-free, milk-free, peanut-free chocolate cake. It was delicious!

Another first--I was awakened by a handsome 5-year old gently saying, "Mommy, Happy Birthday!" I hope that will happen again and again!

When Devlin asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, I told him I wanted to carve pumpkins with the kids. We invited my parents along with the hopes that my Dad would carve his signature pumpkin-which he did. The evening, combined with calls from friends and family, Devlin's scheduled thesis proposal, and a movie with my hubby, made for a great day.

Marcov Family Halloween Party

Mom as a Witch and Dad as a Sheriff.

Richard as "God's Gift to Women."

(Imagine the Homan Family's picture here :-)
Ethan as a Cowboy, Dexter as the Joker, Melissa as Sarah Palin,
Rafe as John McCain, Drew as a Football Player.

Tiersa as a "Nerd" and Brooks as . . .
hmm, I guess that would make Brooks "A guy married to a nerd!"

Devlin as a Magician, Cheree as a Skunk, William as Superman,
Maxson as Batman, Gwen as The Little Mermaid.

William and Maxson at the end of the "Mummy Wrap" game.

Weekend Memories

On Friday we were downstairs visiting the Ochoa's. Cecilia (my boys' friend's Grandmother) was over and she was talking Spanish to my boys' friend's mother, Veronica. My son, William, looked at her and said with his usual scowl, "Are you speaking Spanish?"

She replied, "Yes! I speak two languages, and you only speak one!"

William got a very defiant look on his face and rebutted, "Oh yeah--I speak English and Superhero!!!"

His facial expression looked similar to the one below:
Did I mention we had the Ochoa's over for dinner tonight? I absolutely love having friends over for dinner. We had shredded pork taco's, chips, and black bean and corn salsa. For dessert, an egg-free, milk-free, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. It was delicious. Devlin said I was crazy to serve tacos to Veronica (since she's from Colombia) and Danny (he's from Venezuela)--but I'm pretty sure they enjoyed themselves. Veronica said she overdid it and could barely walk after dinner. I don't know why--but it seriously makes me overjoyed to serve people a delicious dinner and see them enjoy it!

One more thing. Devlin was recently called to be the Gospel Doctrine Teacher in our new ward. He gave his first lesson today on 3 Nephi 8-11. He did an excellent job. He shared a great insight about 3 Nephi 10:4-6. It states:

4 O ye people of these ^agreat cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, how oft have I ^bgathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have ^cnourished you.

5 And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ^aye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.

6 O ye house of Israel whom I have ^aspared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and ^breturn unto me with full purpose of ^cheart.

Devlin said something similar to the fact that he had always thought about us being gathered as a hen gathered her chickens as us being gathered close to the Savior. However, recently, he thought about how this gathering brings us all closer together. I thought that was very insightful. Having moved twice this summer and experiencing 3 different wards, my testimony of of the truthfulness of the gospel has been strengthened. The organization of ward families is from our Heavenly Father. How comforting it is to move 3 times, and each time feel comfort in the open friendship of the members around me. A shout out to our good neighbors and friends--the Howards, the Beards, the Fletchers, the Diederichs, the St. Clairs, the Browns, and the Ochoas!

Ice Blocking Anyone?

Devlin was busy last night so we delayed our FHE till tonight. We planned a special Family Home Evening to celebrate completing reading the Book of Mormon together as a family. It took us 4 years, but hey--we did it :-). We started the night at the BYU Earth Science Museum and checked out some of the dinosaurs. When we finished with the museum, the BYU Marching Band was practicing in the neighboring parking lot. The boys had a great time getting thier dancing feet on!

After the boys wrapped it up with the band, we headed out for some hamburgers and on to Rock Canyon park for some ice blocking. This was everyone's first time (except mine), so I gave them all a brief tutorial on how it works. After my first stumble, they got the idea, and we had a great time.

Okay, one last thing. I took this picture of my Mom holding Gwen Saturday night while hanging out with her and my sisters during the Priesthood session of General Conference (we missed you Michelle!). Thanks to Esther for the cute outfit!