Happy Birthday!!!

So today is my Dad's and my brother's Birthday!! SO I would like to wish them a Happy Birthday!!!

Thanks Dad for all you do for me even when I live so far away!! I love that you are so willing to help me drive back and forth from Las Vegas to South Pas. It is always so fun!! Thanks for helping us to do fun things like going to Disneyland and the Zoo. The kids love Grandpa's house. And thanks for babysitting!!! Thanks for all your help and all you do!! Love you lots!!!

You are a great brother Kenny and a crazy gorilla riding uncle!! Happy Birthday!! Love ya!!!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

This is the Nativity preformed by the Ballentine Grandchildren!
Mary: Hero
Joseph: Chris
Kings: Chanse and Scotty
Angels: Sterling, Camilla, Eliza, and Emerald

May you remember the true meaning of Christmas!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Love to all!!
The Bunkers

Trip to California

I did post about our trip to California but it is after all the snow posts. I started the post and went back to it so it posted under the other posts. I don't know how to move it. So take a look. I never proof read it whoops. I will do that soon. I hope it all makes since!!

Las Vegas Snow Day!!!

Chanse is in the preschool program in the Clark County School District and today they announced no school because of the record snow fall yesterday. Chanse stared to cry when he found out there was no school today. Today is show and tell. He lives for show and tell. So we are going to do our own show and tell. Chanse gets a snow day and he can't even appreciate it. I would be surprised if he ever got another one!!!

Side note: 2 days ago when it was clear and airplanes were flying one flew over our house and Sterling pointed up and said "Airplane." So cute.
And today I am trying potty training with Hero because we ran out of pull-ups. We will see how this goes!!!

Snow in Las Vegas

Yesterday it snowed in Las Vegas. The kids loved it. At first it didn't stick at all and then it started to stick on the toys and grass. Chanse said "It's real snow from the sky!!" He also caught snow flakes with his tongue. I asked "what do snow flakes taste like?" Chanse said "Ice Cream!!" Hmm Yummy, must have been a really good snowflake. Chanse went to school and then when he got home we built a little tiny snowman. With a carrot nose and blueberry eyes and buttons. Hero and Sterling loved it too.

Another funny thing Chanse said yesterday: At bed time Chanse asked his Daddy about scripture reading "Are you going to say 'and it came to pass?'" Ben then said probably. Chanse said "Me too," Chanse was holding his own scriptures. Ben read and every verse said and "and it came to pass." Then Chanse read to us from his scriptures. So cute.

Sterling is funny. She pulls a big chair around to get into the cupboards. She pulled it over to the one where we keep the chocolate chips and stood on the chair pointing saying "some some" until she got some. Then she pulled the chair over to where we have the blue tortilla chips. She climbed up and got them. She then sat down on the living room floor and said "yummy!" And started eating. Then she took the chair in front of the refrigerator and said "drink!" Funny kid. She can get into everything now!! She saw a picture of herself, Chanse and Hero and said "That's us!" She likes to switch the light switch and says "light." She says a lot more too.

Hero has been sick. Hero doesn't like to keep her clothes on. She is really silly like that. I have always loved the movie Babes in Toyland, the Disney one. We were watching it and when it ended Hero said "again" She loves it too. She loved the ballerinas dancing at the begining. She yelled out "Ballerinas!!" She was glued to the TV! It was cute.

I am still working on a post about our trip. It will come soon!!

Home Sweet Home

This picture was taken right after I took Camilla on Indiana Jones. It was her very first time. I had to hold her tight. I held her really really tight and she closed her eyes and put her head on my chest. At the end I asked her if she liked the ride. She said she loved it and she didn't open her eyes at all. I said next time you go on you should try it with your eyes open she said "Excuse me!!" It was so funny. She also said I held her tight better then anyone else. Yeah!! IT was fun!! Thanks for letting me take you on Indiana Jones for the first time Camilla!!! It was a blast!!!








Well we are back home again from our 9 day trip to Cali. for Thanksgiving. Well we have been home for awhile. Hero and Sterling are sick and Chanse is so out of whack. He threw a fit almost every day when it came time to get onto the school bus. I have been super tired too. We did so much and had so much fun. We had Thanksgiving with my family. My parents rented a big bounce house. The kids loved it. Hero and Sterling were a little scared of the bounce house but auntie Heidi took them in and bounced with them and they loved it. Sterling also loved bouncing with Grandma. We stayed over at the Bunker's house for 2 nights. So fun. We went to the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific with my parents and Jake. The kids loved it. We saw a big sea turtle and sharks, and giant crabs. and lots more. We even got to pet sharks, stingrays, and other sea creatures. The kids loved it. Chanse and Sterling even meet Mr. Ray. Sterling didn't like it too much.

We had lunch with Ben's Grandparent's and I later found out Earl went to the Hospital right after our lunch because he had a stroke. Ben was suspicious that he may have been having a stroke. Ben had to help him to the car. Well from what I have been told Earl is fine. I hope he does feel better.

Ben went home on Saturday and I went with the kids my parents house. On Sunday we visited Alhambra Ward. It was so fun to see our old friends in Alhambra. But the kids were completely crazy while I was there. Later Sunday nigh we went to Griffith Park to see the Lights. The mile long stretch of road was closed to cars so we could get right up close and see all the light displays. It was so fun and of course all the kids loved it. Sterling got out of the stroller and was practically running down the street with Grandma. She just had a ball.

Monday morning we went to the zoo. The kids loved the animals. A worker at the zoo told us that the lions sleep 20 hours a day and it is real luck to see them awake. Every time I go it seems like they are asleep. Well we saw them awake and we heard them growl and saw there teeth and the male and female licking each other. What fun. We saw reindeer. And we finally got to see gorilla's. The gorilla habitat had been under construction for as long as Chanse has been alive and who knows how long before since I didn't frequent the zoo before I had children. This trip the habitat was open. We got to see the gorilla's up close and one came and hit the window we were viewing threw. The new habitat was huge. The gorilla's were the same gorilla's from when I was a kid. When I was a kid the space they were in was so small. and the big gorilla would sit there on his big rock and stair at all the people. The gorilla's looked so confined and sad back then and now there space is so big. It seams more pleasant for them.

On Tuesday Heidi and her 4 kids, us and Grandma went to Disneyland. Hero had an appointment at Club Libby Lu to get her hair and make-up and nails done along with Eliza and Cami. This was her Christmas and Birthday present from Heidi and fam. Hero loved her princess hair. She then got to pick 5 items for her grab bag and she got a toy that was priced at $29.99 totally crazy. Well the store is going out of business so everything is on sale even the makeovers. It was so fun. I am so sad we wont be able to do that again.

We spent the whole day at Disneyland and California Adventure. We had so much fun. We saw the Christmas Parade and the Christmas Fireworks. The kids loved the fireworks. We saw the snow. Which they loved. They also loved The Haunted Mansion Holiday or as we call it the Jack and Sally ride since it is decorated with Nightmare Before Christmas characters. My kids love that movie. Well we actually did three days at Disneyland. The kids love playhouse Disney, It's a Small World, the train we rode it three times around the park in a row. Chanse loves the Dinosaurs. They loved going into Toon Town. We got to see Micky. They loved seeing the characters. Well Sterling was happy far away but when we got up close she would freak out. When ever she sees a Mickey she would yell out "Mick!! Mick!!" So cute. Anyways we had a great and exhausting time.

One of the days of our trip I got to watch Emerald because Amber and my Brother Kenny both were lucky enough to be working. SO I watched her and took all four kids to the park and did a dance class with them, and read stories and did a nature collage. It was really fun. I had never been with Emerald for that long at one time. She is a fun little girl.

Our last night there we went to see Eliza sing in a Primary Choir at the Creche the Stake dose that my sister Heidi is in. Eliza walked in down the aisle and sang and then up on the stand and she was really performing and singing her little hart out and then at the end they sang and walked out. When she saw her mom she took little tiny steps, posed all while still singing until a photo was taken of her. It was so funny. Then her Grandpa on the other side laughed out loud really hard and said "She is just like her Mother!!!" It was so funny. That Eliza did that and the reactions of everyone I just couldn't stop laughing. She is so cute. We then went to a room where they have a place for the kids to dress up as the nativity characters. Hero was Mary, Chanse was a king and Sterling started out being baby Jesus. I wrapped her up and put her in the manger and she didn't like it. So then she was an Angel. I held her up in the back so it looked like she was floating. I didn't get any pictures because I was holding Sterling so hopefully I will get s copy someday!! We had a very fun time. It is no wonder Hero has been sick she was licking everything at Disneyland. I don't know what is wrong with that girl. Always putting things in her mouth and licking things. OH well!! But we are happy to be home.

Family Fun!!

On Saturday we went to Bass Pro Shop again. Hero actually sat on Santa's lap and had a conversation with him. Chanse sat on Santa's lap and Sterling screamed at the sight of Santa. We then did the craft. We made a paper chain. Chanse keeps calling it a train. Silly kid. We then had to go to Tommy's for lunch. A little bit of home in Las Vegas. Well then on Sunday we went to church and had tithing settlement. Since we were at church so late and there was some empty parking lot Chanse and Hero got to drive. Hero was freaking out because she needed to be in her seat. Chanse loved every minute of it. We all did it as kids.

Today we decorated for Christmas. Chanse and Hero wanted to decorate so badly. So we did. What fun!!!
Last week at Bass Pro Shop I felt like I was in the movie Miracle on 34th Street. I was talking to Santa about sending him a letter. He said "I don't mean to promote another store, but at Macy's you can write a letter to Santa and put it in a big red mail box right there." I thought it was funny he said that. I was like is this for real? Did he really just say that?? Any ways I forgot to write that last week.

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday Amber!!!

Paint Paint Everywhere

When Chanse got home from school yesterday we got out our paints and painted. Things got a little out of hand. The kids had a lot of fun!! But it was hard to clean up!!!! The bath water was green. The girls had to take 2 baths. SO Fun!!!

I also found out that I am going to be an auntie again!!!

Bass Pro Shop

Yesterday we went on a family adventure to Bass Pro Shop. The kids love to see all the fish and stuffed animals. When we got there we found out they were doing free pictures with Santa and they had fun activities for the kids. They decorated pine cones, colored, watched part of A Christmas Story, and played at a shooting gallery. When we saw Santa Sterling freaked out. She cried and I never even put her down. I held her next to Santa and she didn't like it. Chanse sat on Santa's lap and Hero did not want out of Daddy's arms. Hero told Santa that she wanted toys. Chanse said he wanted a Storm trooper costume with a mask. So funny. I don't have a scanner so I can't put the picture up. It is a really funny one. After that we had lunch at Tommy's and then went to the mall. At the mall they had singing teddy bears and ice skating teddy bears. The kids loved watching them. What a fun day!!

Sterling finally has another tooth on the bottom. Now she has three down there. She got the left one next to the center teeth. What fun!!

Picnic

Today the kids decided they wanted to have a picnic. We had Mickey Mouse chocolate pancakes, scrambled eggs, and oranges. Sterling calls Mickey "Mick." So cute. Hero found a blanket and spread it out. They had a fun time. It is wonderful that the weather is nice and we can actually go outside for once.

Lunch Time

Today we made Mac and Cheese for lunch. I let each kid put how much they wanted on their plate. I had not put the leftovers away yet when Sterling climbed on a chair and started to dig in to the leftovers with two forks. It was really funny!!!

Flowers for Mommy!!

Chanse has wanted to get me flowers. Every time he sees flowers at the store he wants to get me some. I told him he had to tell daddy. So on Saturday morning Chanse got up and got dressed right away so he could go to the store with daddy. Chanse picked out some pretty flowers for mommy. He came into the house so happy that he had flowers for mommy. I just loved them.

Sterling says funny things. Her first sentence is "I'm done!" Her other favorite word is "MINE!" She is a silly girl. She loves "Jesus Wants me For A Sunbeam" She sings beam and jumps up at the right time. She bends her knees ahead of time to prep for it. SO cute. I will try to get video of her.

Hero is sick. So is Sterling. Hero is pretty funny though. The other day I put Hero down for her nap in her room. I heard her crying so I went in and she had climbed into Sterling's crib and she said she had hurt her ankle. I didn't know what happened then. Fast forward to bedtime and I saw a white basket turned upside down and crushed. I was really mad. I asked Hero why she broke it. She said "I stand on it. Then I fell and I couldn't see the doggies anymore." So She was trying to look out the window to see the neighbor's dogs and she fell through and hurt her ankle. I was really mad but then I was totally laughing.

Is it Christmas time yet?

The day after Halloween Chanse asked "is it Christmas time yet?" And Ben answered with "YES!" I couldn't believe my ears. So then Chanse wanted to get candy canes. We went out and got some candy canes and some socks. (I got 2 packages of socks at JcPenney and only spent $0.52.) Anyways We got home and Chanse had to open the boxes of candy canes to decorate. He switched all the light switches up and hung candy canes on each one. So cute. We have been listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies. Chanse loves A Christmas Story! I like that one. Chanse has been playing Santa. He has red pajamas and a Santa hat. He fills a bag with toys and says "HO HO! Santa's coming." He then passes out the toys. He gave Hero a princess and said "here is a beautiful princess for Hero." So cute. Today he was Santa and we had to take pictures of the girls on Santa's lap. So Cute!!

Today we also went to a marionette show of The Frog Prince. The kids loved it. At the end we stayed for a question answer time and we could see the marionettes and we were the last ones to leave. The kids kept asking to see each marionette again. Then Chanse and Hero wanted to make marionettes. Hero wanted a princess and Chanse wanted a witch. SO I found scraps of fabric, old socks, yarn, Styrofoam cups and straws and we made a blue witch and a pink princess. The kids just loved their marionettes.