FHE Spotlight--Tatum Jane

We had our FHE last night about how different and unique each family is and so we discussed some things that make the Meekers unique--for example....Dad is a better cook than Mom and in most homes that's not the case (thanks Carlie).  So at the end of the lesson we decided to "spotlight" our little Tatum and we will spend each of the next 6 weeks spotlighting every family member from youngest to oldest.  I asked every person in our family to think of what they like best about Tatum or a favorite memory of her.  We even looked through her scrapbooks to remind ourselves of how cute she's been since joining our family 2 years ago.  Here's what everyone said:

*Carlie:  Remembers all the funny faces Tatum used to make 

when she would eat.

(She was VERY animated)

*Ethan's favorite memory of Tatum is when he helped her chase

the "Tweet Tweets" in Philadelphia--they had a great time!

Partners in crime!!!

She's mad because they flew away!!!

*Max thinks Tatum is cutest when she's having a fit!

(Maybe because HE causes most of them!)

Arms crossed & pouty lips

*Dad LOVES that Tatum is always the first to say "Bye!" to him in the mornings and "Hi Daddy!" to him when he comes home.

*Mom LOVES that Tatum is soo musical.  It's hard to keep her off the piano!  She loves to play and sing--very loudly.  Her favorite song she would sing as a baby always had the word "Beebo" in it--we still call her "Beebo" to this day!!!

Mom's FAVORITE Preschool Story!

This is one of my most favorite activities that Mrs. Packer does with her preschool kids.  Mrs. Packer has taught all 3 of my older children and we just LOVE her to death!  I have Ethan on video reading this story as well--I'm gonna try and dig that up!  I just love hearing the way my kids pronounce all their words and colors at this age!  So here is my Max doing his very best reading...."Scarecrow, Scarecrow, how scary can you be?!"

"Trunk or Treat!!!"

Our ward had the BEST activity last night--Saturday, October 24th.  We had a "Trunk or Treat" Halloween party and we just had a great time.  It is soo much fun to see the kids all dressed up--and some of the adults really got into the Halloween spirit as well!  Here is a picture of the best dressed adults at our party:  Doug and Jenny Clouse

We met at our stake center, had some super yummy chili and then the main event....Trick or treating to everyone's decorated car trunks.  Here is a picture of our trunk--complete with a dead guy in it! 

All the kids had a great time. Here's a few pictures of little Orphan 

Tatum sitting on the curb eating all her yummy candy!!!

Fall Break 2009 Fun!!!

Since we took our big 10-day trip back east in July we decided to stay home for the fall break.  The kids had a full 12 days off of school and we spent our days relaxing and enjoying some down time from school AND piano!  We all needed a little R&R.  The most exciting thing we did was potty train Tatum!!!  She was such a champ about it all!  I am soo proud of my little girl!  After day one she was solid!  It just took me another 3-4 days to relax a little and not ask her every 5 minutes if she needed to go potty.  So after 10 years and 4 kids, we are officially DONE with diapers!!!  YAHOO!!!  Time to enter the next phase of life!  I know she's gonna hate me some day for this picture but here is Tatum in all her glory!!!!

Such a big girl!!!

We also had some adventures in baking!  I looked up some old recipes--a big feat for me because I don't really enjoy cooking or baking BUT I want the kids to enjoy it so we had a great time making things like cookies, carmel corn, and dirt cups!  Here's a pic of the kids and their "Dirt Cups."

Tatum's Puzzle Dance!

So here is Tatum with her most favorite birthday present.  It is a big jungle puzzle that her dad picked out for her!  I must do this puzzle 20+ times a day with her!  She loves it and is actually getting really good at it on her own.  So her favorite thing to do is to put the puzzle together and then to stand on top of the completed puzzle and do her little "Puzzle Dance."  Not exactly sure how this all started but I think it had something to do with her brothers laughing at her the first time she did it and now she KNOWS it's funny.  So anything for a laugh right?

Note to self:  DON'T record a video vertically again!!!

Tatum Jane's 2nd Birthday!!!

I'm having a REALLY hard time with my baby turning 2!!!  Seriously?!? Has it been two years?  I remember her real "birthday" like it was yesterday.  I was soo nervous about how the whole labor and delivery would play out because everything in my life was so finely balanced between piano, carpooling, and other activities.  I just couldn't foresee a perfect scenario of how it would all go.  But Tatum knew what she was doing....it was Saturday morning on September 29, 2007. Ethan had a soccer game that morning.  I was there with my heavy body in one of those camping chairs cheering my son on.  It was also the first day of fall break so I wouldn't be rushing the kids out the door on Monday.  My mom was here and so was Chris' mom.  I just HAD to go into labor that day.  As it was, I was on the induction list for that Monday--NOT soon enough!  I was sooo ready to be done with being pregnant and did every thing I knew to throw myself into labor--including drinking castor oil.  Well all my hard work paid off because I started some serious contractions about 7 p.m.  We went to the hospital and by about 8 p.m. I was already at a 7 and in some serious pain.  I didn't want an epidural just yet because I knew that the nurses would then make me sleep through the night and push in the morning.  Like I said before, I wanted to be done.  So I toughed it out a while longer.  Chris was really into an ASU football game on TV.  So there I was in the worst pain of my life, sitting on a big ball, and I didn't even get to watch what I wanted to on TV!!!  Right at halftime, my water broke and serious pain kicked in!  No time for an epidural, Tylenol, anything!!!  She was out in 2 contractions!!!  My body just took over and knew what to do and I was soo glad that it did because at that point, I know I could not have made any rational decisions on my own!  That was the most intense 10 minutes of pain of my whole life!!!  So she was born weighing 8 lbs 6 ozs at 8:52 p.m. and then Chris was able to watch the rest of his football game--and yes...ASU won!  Perfect timing and perfect baby!!!

So here we are 2 years later and Tatum has been such a joy in our lives!  I can't imagine our family without her!  She has her brothers wrapped around her finger like no one else!  She's super cute, bossy, resourceful, and just plain funny!  We had a small family party here. Grandpa Frank and Grandmas Sherry and Donna were all in attendance.  Tatum really liked opening her presents this year!  She would hand me the left over wrapping paper and say, "More birthdays please Momma?!"  She also really enjoyed her cake that her sister Carlie made all on her own!  And she actually enjoyed wearing the traditional birthday crown this year!!!  So "Happy Birthday" to my most "convenient" baby girl!!!

Our Pups!

Puppies are just soo much fun and trouble and all at the same time.  Our new pup Bubba cracks us up and makes us mad multiple times a day.  The kids love him and he's been soo good for our other dog, Minnie--he keeps her in shape by CONSTANTLY wrestling with her.  Bubba would rather wrestle with Minnie than fetch a ball however his MOST favorite activity is swimming.  He can still manage to squeeze his body through our pool fence and swims all on his own.  Here he is in action:

Here's a picture of our other dog, Minnie:

Minnie is THE BEST dog in the world!  She sure puts up with a lot from the kids.  Even though there have been plenty of times she could have or should have snapped at the kids, she never has.  When she's had enough of the kids, she will "herd" them into a corner like a good sheep dog!  She is currently about 13 years old and we have had her for the past 7 years.  Always obedient and never mischievous--unlike Bubba!

Here's Bubba again:

He plays hard all day long and then....

Crashes even harder.  He'd make a great bear rug!!!

Family Home Evening Fun!!!

I am trying harder to make our FHEs more meaningful and to involve the kids more in the planning process and it has made a HUGE difference.  The kids can't wait for Monday nights now. Every assignment is filled and performed whole-heartedly!  First, we had a great lesson by Carlie on the Word of Wisdom next it was time for Max's special dessert of homemade ice cream/cookie sandwiches.  And for Ethan's activity, he chose sparklers!!!  (We've had several boxes of these left over from the 4th).  And we had a great time.  Perfect picture opportunity!  So here's the kids enjoying fireworks in the fall!!!  (Of course to Tatum, the sparklers were her "Yosas")