Christmas Day

After Henry came in our bed at 6:30 I couldn't go back to sleep. I got up and remembered I had forgotten to put one thing under the tree. I took it into the dark living room to discover that my darling husband had snuck my dream couch into our home (after convincing me it had been sold) while I was getting ready for bed on Christmas Eve. What a wonderful Christmas angel he is! He didn't even get to see the look on my face or the little tears that sprang to my eyes. I was so delighted! I went back to the kitchen and mixed up some german pancakes to pop in the oven. The kids woke up around 7:30 and I turned on the tree lights and waited with my camera while Trent ushered them in. They were all happy and darling. Paisley woke up and joined us within minutes and loved checking out everyone else's new gifts more than her own. Tucker got the DSlite and blue light saber he had asked for and was oblivious to anything going on around him after that. Charlotte got her first barbie and a cheap shopping cart that has been a huge hit with all the kids, along with various other goodies. Henry got several motorcycle toys and a tricycle that he's not quite big enough for.Paisley got her own baby with bed, stroller, and high chair along with a ball popper and brush blocks. They all got new dress ups as well. I was the most spoiled of all with my couch, an ipod nano, a breadmaker, a rotary cutter and mat, and lots more small goodies. It was glorious! Since Trent had recently bought his dirt bike all he got was some jeans, knee pads, and a couple other little things. I felt kinda bad.

Later in the morning we headed to my parents where we had the sibling gift exchange and we all got to talk to Mark who is finishing up his mission in Mexico. My mom and Aunt Lauren continued the spoiling of the kids and the beanies Lauren made were to die for (pictures soon). We had a big lunch and all the little cousins played. Then we headed out and stopped at home for just a minute before heading to Bart and Dusti's for more fun playing and more delicious food. It was a wonderful day with all our loved ones!

Christmas Eve

This year was Christmas Eve with the P* family. They always treat us to a mexican meal Christmas Eve followed closely by pie. All the cousins run around happily together, the women chat, and the boys talk about manly things. Then we have a little program. In light of me trying to develop my "talents" I offered to sing this year. So the program started out with my solo of "Still, still, still". Although it was just my family, my nerves took hold. I managed to get through the song with a pounding heart and a little lip twitching and virtually no eye contact. I hate my stage fright. But that's what I'm trying to get over, so I don't think I'll never do it again.

Then Grandma read "I Believe in Santa Claus" to all the children, it is a lovely book that compares Santa to Jesus Christ. Then the kids dressed up and made a human nativity while Uncle Dave read the story of Jesus' birth from the scriptures. Paisley laid calmly drinking her sippy as a pretty baby Jesus, truly a Christmas miracle, since she had not held still all night. It was wonderful. Then we exchanged gifts and made our way home to tuck in the tired and excited little munchkins.

all the goings on

Last Friday: Tucker's bilateral hernia surgery. I only have camera phone pics from the hospital. All the little kids got to spend 6 hours with Nana! Thanks!

Saturday: Paisley falls itno my footboard and gets a wicked black eye. Charlotte splits her head open on the outside wall of the house playing outside with Tucker. Luckily didn't need stitches.

Sunday: Everyone wondering why our kids are all beat up.

Also, I have spent a lot of time and had a lot of fun making some accessories for Christmas gifts. Check them out.
Some pins and headbands, and I've got a couple necklaces to finish up today.

it's been a great day

Charlotte's last day of preschool before winter break was this morning. She loves her teacher. Her teacher is moving out of state over the break. So we made her a holiday/thank you/goodbye present. She was wearing it when I came at the end to watch the holiday singing (where Charlotte sat on the floor pouting while the other five girls smiled and sang so cute.)

Then we met Trent for lunch at Pei Wei where Henry ate his entire meal with chopsticks. I could just eat that kid up!

craigslist shopping

it always cheers me up. the couch i'm begging trent for. he likes it better than the green.
a cool retro dining set.
this awesome sunburst clock.

recent photos

My dad and Trent in turkey induced comas.

Elora.

Jonah

Me with my seriously way cuter and skinnier sisters and sister in law.

Paisley sporting wings and a grumpy face.

Playing with Gracie.

Paisley and her best friend, water bottle.

Katie and I after our date watching Mel sing in the East Valley Mormon Chorus.

I am seriously unphotogenic.

Funk

I never like it when people say they are in a funk. It seems so ambiguous. But honestly, maybe that is the best way to describe the depressive few days I seem to cycle around to every few weeks. I didn't get dressed for 3 or 4 days in a row last week. I had no desire to do anything. Then I feel worse when things aren't getting done. So that's always fun.

My sister Emily came down with her 2 super silly and darling kids for a few days around Thanksgiving. Her husband came down a couple days after them. It was really fun. I had a wonderful holiday with my family. But I really hated watching them leave. I kept thinking how much fun we could have if I got to see them every few days instead of a couple of times a year. Jonah and Elora are really close to Henry and Paisley and I wish they could grow up together.

I hate working so hard to exercise so much, but knowing that I am not dieting enough to reach my goals and still not wanting to put down the food. Why is food such a crutch for me?

Anyway I will get some pictures up here soon. I'm out of my latest funk. sort of.

Tucker says

This morning Trent said to Tucker, "Go get your backpack all put together."
Tucker, "Dad, it's not a puzzle."

Family pictures

My brother Ted is married to a very talented and lovely Lauren who is a very popular blogger. She so sweetly took our family pictures last Friday and posted some of them on her blog. Click here to take a look

I just realized she also posted some more here on her photography blog..

Just me

I have weird dreams. Last week I made out with a couple celebrities via dream of course. One, the guy on Bones who used to be Angel on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Second Seth Green (who was also on Buffy). I don't know why I like Seth Green, he is short and not really handsome, but I just like him.

Last night I dreamt that I was on The Biggest Loser and also that I rear ended someone because I was trying to drive from the passenger seat. Hmm.

So maybe I'm not on the Biggest Loser ( I don't really even watch that show) but I still trying to lose weight. My last day of bootcamp was on Friday and now I am going to FitnessWorks. I have been everyday this week trying out the classes. I am grateful for Kathi who helps motivate me to get to a 5:15 am class.

Speaking of being grateful, it's almost Thanksgiving. I have more things to be grateful for than I could list. I know I named the most important ones a while ago, so here are a few more.

-Doodlepads
-Internet
-Nature
-Rain and cloudy days
-Diet Dr. Pepper
-Little voices in my house
-A husband who can fix anything
-A family and in laws who I love to share my life with
-Beautiful fabrics
-Pretty things
-Lovely interior design pictures
-Friends who make me laugh
-Blogs that make me smile
-Watching 4 different little personalities develop
-Being inspired by amazing women everywhere
-The gospel and my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and the joy, comfort, hope, direction, purpose, and motivation it gives me.

In case you were wondering

Here's what has been going on with us.


Charlotte taking self portraits. She's really cute, I promise.

Henry showing and squeezing his muscles.

Charlotte giving Paisley a ride. Paisley equipped herself with a block bucket helmet.

Tucker smiling for the camera before getting his second set of tubes.

Nervously biting his fingers while wearing the cool socks.

S'mores around the fire pit and Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Couches continued

Okay, so we're not in desperate need of a couch right now, I just really want one. I've decided it's not that important that we get one right now and I am waiting until we have some medical expenses paid off (Paisley's birth-nicu, henry's tubes and tucker is getting tubes this friday). However, having said that I still can't help but "window shop" for couches on Craigslist. Here are the ones I like this week. Total mid-century modern, asking $500.

Really pretty 1940's tufted couch, asking $200.

Another mid-century, asking $300.

mom, look how strong am i

Everything my kids say cracks me up.
Tucker who speaks really well and understands so much still gets a lot of past tense words incorrect which is pretty cute. This morning he said, "Charlotte, it's not winneded, it's winned." I had to tell him it was actually won. You know, as in we won the race to get home even though Daddy pushed the speed button in his truck.

I love when Charlotte says, " You're kidding, right?" For some reason it is so cute. She still says her f's as w's which equals wancy, warty, wace, and so many other funny words. I picked her up from preschool yesterday and she said, " Mom, I learned a LOT more." She can write the first three letters of her name pretty well now, but she prefers to trace it. Her letter recognition is so much better, but she just doesn't pick it up like Tucker did. I am so happy that she loves, loves, loves school and I'm glad she gets another year of preschool.

Henry wants to talk on the phone to whoever I am talking to and the first thing he wants to say is motorcycle. He usually follows up with something about a helmet. He loves motorcycles. And Caillou (unfortunately). And construction trucks. And lipstick and shoes. I know. He says the best stuff. " Just kidding, Mom. It's just me." - after I pretend to be scared when he pretends to be a "procodile or a O-bot". He shows me his "muscles." Seems like such a big boy word. He says "no way, Jose" and finishes most of his sentences with "butt" just for fun. I follow up many words with the phrase "aronies", you know snuggle-ronies, weirdaronies, hugaronies. So anyway I called him Hankaronies the other day and he responded, " I not a ronies, I want some pepperonies." Well, okay.

Paisley doesn't say anything yet. But one look at that perfect, darling chubby face with the dimples is enough to fill me with joy every time. She does like to babble into her toy phone which is quite endearing too.

* I added a couple photos to my november's here post

My 501st post

So with Christmas coming up, I start thinking about all the things I would love to have. Some aren't that far out of reach. Here's hoping.

~I still want the green couch. Please Trent. He insists that me (and everyone who liked it on my blog) is crazy to want a 70's velvet green couch. But I want it bad.

~A rotary cutter and mat. Anyone have any favorite brands?

~Clothes. I've pretty much been pregnant or overweight for the last 3 years or so, so all my stuff is very flowy and it's all very old. With a couple exceptions like the walmart work out clothes and a couple of cheap shirts I bought. I'd happily take a gift certificate to TJMaxx, Ross, H&M, Forever 21 or anywhere with cute stuff that isn't a rip off. And a dress from shabbyapple.com please.

~.Shoes. I need shoes! I cannot remember the last time I got new shoes. I want black low top all star chucks. They have them at Target. I also need some good black heels and throw in some colored tights while your at it. I pick yellow.

~A guitar class for next semester at the local community college. Picture me on a stool strumming a song and singing along. Aaaah.

~Possibly a food processor. They have a coupon for them at Costco this month. Homemade salsa and vegetable purees to throw into my regular meals. Awesome.

~Contacts. I've been putting this off for months. Paisley still grabs my glasses off my face all day. I only have one pair and they are getting a little scratched up. Charlotte always tells me that I look pretty without my glasses.

There you have it. My Christmas list. What have you been wanting?

November's here

Last Friday we had a fun date with two other couples. I loved it. I can't find my camera at the moment (I am always trying to keep it out of reach of little hands), so I will post some pictures later. Saturday I got to meet Stephanie and Christian Nielson of the nie nie diologues (if you don't know her story ask Oprah) at Blissfest. It was great too.

Sunday we celebrated 2 birthdays, and Monday the cold hit our house. Snot galore around here. Raw noses.

Anyway, I love Novemer when we get to start thinking about Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have so much to be thankful for and I love focusing on my many many blessings.

Every day I thank my Father in Heaven for:
My wonderful husband
My happy and healthy children
My home
My friends
Music
My life

What are you thankful for today?

Smile

Tucker wrote this story. It reads:

On my way to the pumpkin patch, I saw a bat then we got to the path the bat stole a pumkin the seling man said o dear my pumkin got tooken but then the bat droped the pumkin I ran to it and picked it up I ran back and gave it to the seler man he was happy he put it in the wagon.

Reading this again this morning made me smile.

Halloween weekend '09

Thursday Charlotte wanted to wear her last year's pirate costume, now that we had aquired an eye patch, for her preschool party. After we picked her up we headed out to the dollar store to find Tucker a sword for his ninja costume. No luck at the first one. We had to have lunch next, so we found a Subway. The kids behaved and ate so well, I was so pleased. They were so darling crossing the parking lot with me. We made a train and chanted "chugga chugga choo choo!" We found another dollar store and scored with a 5 dollar ninja set for Tucker, then I let Charlotte and Hanky each choose a dollar item as well. We went to pay and I realized that they only accepted Visa cards, which unfortunately I do not have. I was unwilling to go look somewhere else and hoped I could find some cash in the car. I found a jar full of change and one dollar bill. I paid my $7.56 from it shamelessly.

That night Tucker's school had their Fall Fest, which was pretty fun. Paisley thought she was in heaven just running back and forth once we finally released her from the stroller, it was hilarious.

Friday was the ward Trunk or Treat which I am convinced is the best way to get candy. It's so nice to condense the walking when you usually end up holding small people. They also had a spook alley and chili cook off with corn bread and root beer. Surprisingly my chilli took the blue ribbon! I dressed as a witch complete with purple striped tights, but didn't get any pictures. That night Charlotte was a fairy princess.

Saturday we did our annual Halloween hay ride (pulled around the neighborhood by Bart's ranger) with Trent's brother and the other local P's. Dusti's chili was even more delicious than mine! Henry was having a ball! He followed Charlotte's lead as she ran squealing to each door and was so excited to ride on the ranger with Uncle Troy between houses. Everyone loved his Clifford costume and it was really cute when he would bark instead of saying trick or treat. He always remembered to say thank you and wave goodbye to each person. What a doll. Our girls were little devils that night. Unfortunately the paint seeped on the front of Paisley's onesie and I didn't make the tail long enough in the back. But I pretty much didn't care. I didn't dress up that night, but I did get asked if I was supposed to be Sarah Palin?

The pictures aren't great, but it's hard to worry about that when your hands are usually busy and your kids are always on the move.