Christmas was a success!

All the gifts were loved. The Wii is the favorite, the kids(esp. Nicole) adores her Disney princess handheld game, thank you Costco! Jared's fav is this crane truck thing, and I know he'll love his bike, but thanks to the 1st white Christmas we've had in about 5 years, he hasn't yet tried it out! They also both love their new webkins from Grandmommy. Ellie loves her plastic food she can "cut", and her dolly. Riley still hasn't come down from cloud 9 over her cell phone....I still haven't decided if I think it was a good idea, but it's too late now!

We enjoyed good food, good company, and a nice day. My mom came and spent the night, and we loved having her here. We now are looking forward to my sister and her family, and my brother and his family coming up from AZ to freeze to death over New Years! Thankfully I have a couple of days to wade through all the new crap and find a place for it to appear a little organized!

I also have three days to get ready for Ellie's 2nd Bday...I have no clue what to get her. She still hasn't broken in her Chrismas toys! I keep thinking a trike, but she already has a little ride-on handed down from the older sibs...oh well, I'll figure it out!

I'll add pictures of Christmas later....after I download them from the camera!

*December 7*, *December 23*, Front & Back Covers

Well, I am officially done with what I'm going to get created and printed out. I *may* (but seriously doubt that I will!) get more done tomorrow, but I'm not making a last second dash to Costco tomorrow evening to get the pictures, so the kids will have to wait for the rest! I hope they like what I have.

The little brag books I have also have the option of designing your own front and back covers, so I did, and have included those.

Enjoy!

paper credits: template-onehm, paper and elements-holiday sampler kit, shabby princess

paper credits: template-onehm, paper and elements- frosted kit by michelle coleman


paper credits: holly jolly holiday kit by molly decrow

*December 21*

WOW! A page, on the right date? That hasn't happened since, what, the 4th? Of course, if you are keeping track...yes, I'm still ten behind. Which after I counted that up I got sorta depressed. I guess if I do get these printed by Christmas for the kids on Monday, their books will look a tad empty...because I really don't know if I can catch up that well by then. Oh well. Good intentions count, right?!

This is to prove the cards are done. Not mailed, because I missed the post today and didn't feel like driving 10 miles to the nearest post office...so they go out tomorrow. All you people who will be getting a card, don't look to closely or you'll ruin the fun of it. (By the way, Bradi, if you read this, I need your address, as well as any more of you that may want a card and Christmas letter! Get 'em quick, I only have 8 left!)

I'm not sure that I like this page all that well. I don't know why. Maybe it'll grow on me.

paper credits: template(altered)-onehm, black stripe-tangie baxter, uptown girl kit, snowflake paper & glitter snowflake-miss mint, winter sparkle kit, black bow-kate teague, berry days

*December 5*

Another one done! As you can see, I'm backtracking and trying to get the days done that I've missed, along with trying to keep up as well. I'm trying to get as many of these done as I can before Christmas, because I've decided to get them printed up and give each kiddo a little book of their own...there will be some blank pages as I know I won't get them all done, not to mention Christmas Eve and Christmas will have to be added after the fact...but a mostly full book is better than nothing?!

Here's Ellie's page. She loves the tree, and thankfully has stopped ripping the ornaments off it, the little nativity, and she only broke the shepherds staff off twice and his head off once, and the little manger with baby Jesus. She likes to hold it and sing "Away in a Manger". She is the sweetest thing!

paper credits: onehm-template, molly decrow-sweet mocha raspberry kit

*December 20*

Well, we got there! Hooray! I think the elves were bugged that I took my own picture instead of forking over 15 bucks for theirs...but too bad, so sad, I'm cheap!

Nicole asked for something we've never heard of being on her list...perfect, and to top it off, it's something we will not be buying her.

I didn't hear what Jared asked for...I hope it was a bike, or we're in double trouble.

Ellie was not to hip on the "right jolly old elf", and wouldn't even make eye contact. For whatever reason, Ron and I are softening in our old age, and weren't going to emotionally scar her by making her sit on his lap...like we did with the others! (In one of our pictures of Nicole at that age, she was screaming so profusely on Santa's lap you can actually see her tonsils in the picture!)

The best part of the evening was the drive home...I was hoping we would miss the forecasted winter storm...ummm, NOPE! We got to drive home in a wonderful Christmas blizzard, and I am NOT exaggerating! Sideways snow, pitch black, cars going everywhere, sliding down hills, abandoned cars in intersections, visibility of about 15' in front of the car, guessing where the road was by looking for the reflectors on the side...it was a blast. There was even lightning...freaky. I was SO HAPPY to get home safely with no mishaps.

paper credits: janna billman-blog freebie card, digitreats-vintage preview, green dot paper

*December 18*

This quilt was part of the present that Ron's parents gave to us Tuesday evening. Ron's mother is so talented in quilt making, and she has shared many with our family. Each of the little kids has a beautiful baby quilt from Nana, and Riley has a wall hanging and full-size quilt for her bed. She is so generous with her talent, and we got another beautiful heirloom from her this year. Thank you mom! We really do love it.

paper credits: template(altered)-onehm, miss mint-winter sparkle kit

*December 17*

paper credits: onehm-template, cherie mask-be merry kit, staples from molly decrow-summer solstice kit

*December 14*

Here is our "Daily December" page for our fun Ward party last Friday. They did the "Night in Bethlehem" theme, which I'm sure some of you are familiar with. We all dressed up (and in case you are confused, Ellie is a lamb!), went to the church, paid our taxes of canned food, and signed the census. We then went into the cultural hall and received coins for our family to purchase dinner, which we had to barter for. Dinner consisted of meat and a roll, fruit, "traditional" foods(olives, dates, hummus, cucumbers, and pistachios), and dessert. We sat on the floor on a blanket to eat. Then there was a short program portraying the nativity and we sang carols. As a parting gift, each family got a little jar of frankincense and myrrh. It was very fun, and I think it helped get the kids in the true spirit of the season...at least for that night!

paper credits: onehm-template, molly decrow-holly jolly holiday kit

I HAD to share this!

MommyX5 had this on her blog, and for some reason, I love it and am addicted! Talent, humor, and more than one carol in a 3 minute package! Watch for yourself! (and thanks mommyX5!) **Helpful hint: Pause my Christmas playlist over there----> on the sidebar, or you'll just have a musical mess on your hands!**

Stressful busy days....

Oh, how I try to love these days leading up to Christmas, but it is so hard to love something that causes so much stress. And it shouldn't, but I have that syndrome where I want to have these fun activities with the kids so they have these fun memories of Christmastime, but then time runs out, or multiple people get sick, or Santa leaves right as we get there to take a 90 minute lunch...so it doesn't work out and I start feeling this underlying stress...

Here's how things are playing out:
Presents: Just about done. I still need to get Ron some things. He isn't being very helpful in giving me ideas. I guess he figures since he got the TV...but he still needs some fun gifts under the tree!

Daily December: I have one in production, I just need to add another picture, more pics on the camera waiting for download, and some ideas bopping around my brain for some others. I hope I get 25 out!

Health: Ron and I are fighting some stupid cold that just won't go away...tired, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes...now that I type those symptoms, they sound like mono, but we aren't that sick! Nicole had strep, but is 1/2 way through antibiotics for that. Hopefully the rest will stay healthy and we'll get some fun stuff done.

Still to do: We have to get back to Santa during a non-break time, I REALLY want to go see the lights at Temple Square, and then there are the cookies to bake.

I'm off now to get the cards done. Wish me luck that the copy center still has red paper and a copier that works!

The Perfect Christmas Gift

Thanks to my friend Steph, I found the perfect gift for my kids:



Lumpy, the singing piece of coal.
His song is as follows:
"Jingle Bells, Christmas Smells, you're getting coal today
If you were nice, just once or twice it could have gone your way...."

Check out her blog for a couple more last minute gift ideas!

*December 8*

I'm going to be a little out of order now, but oh well! At least I got another done....More to come! This is pretty fun, and I'm feeling a little more proficient with Photoshop. At least with the help of the template. I think one of my daily december pages will have to be me cleaning frantically, and freaking out about all that still needs to be done, since that is a yearly occurrence! Maybe this next week.... ;o)

As you can see from this page....we got snow yesterday....and a lot of it. It started around 3 pm, and by 6 pm, we had about 6 inches! We got this bird feeder last year, and we have a lot of fun with it. It's my idea of a great pet....fill the feeder once a week, cheap food, doesn't shed, no vet visits, no pet sitter when you go out of town, no messes to clean up....well, maybe a teensy bit! They are fun to watch too, at one point yesterday during the snow, we had about 10 little birds in the trees, on the deck, and on the feeder all getting some food.

paper credits: onehm-template, jenna robertson-jlr shabby snow: snowflake & blue paper, cinzia loosemore-xmasfreebie: ribbon & snowflake

shut up.....

Does that countdown say 17 days til Christmas?!?!?!

Crimony! I'm in trouble! And not just because I'm 3 days behind in my daily December journal.

And not just because the cards aren't ready.

Mainly because if this keeps up, my kids aren't going to have much to open on the morning of the 25th....

I better get going.

*December 4*

Well....just a day behind! With all the stress of the camera change....I'm glad that I got this one. Yes, the pictures here are with the new camera. I'm still not sure exactly what I'm doing, but at least I go the pics to show up on the computer...after Ron did some magic with figuring out how to get Photoshop to read the images.

A little background on Mr. & Mrs. Claus: These two wood figurines were the product of one of my dad's hobbies that did actually "bear fruit!" They were given to me for a couple of Christmases. I'm pretty sure all my sibs ended up with a Santa, but I bugged and bugged him for a Mrs. Claus, until he finally finished her. On the bottom, along with the year and his signature, he named her..."Patience!" I cried when I got these out and unwrapped them this last week. I am still wondering when it will get easier having him gone...maybe I'll always have moments of missing him...I guess what got me this time was showing the carvings to the kids and telling them who made them, and wishing they would have had the chance to get to know their granddad better.

Do you like the pile of my to-do project that will one day be Ellie's stocking?! Ron got a good laugh about that....I have a few more piles like that in the craft room...various embroidery, little girls dress patterns, flag wall-hanging quilt, I-spy quilt, mending....I could go on for hours!

paper credits: onehm-template, kate teague-berry days for twopeasinabucket.com

Merry Christmas to me (a little early!)

Well, after deciding we weren't incredibly happy with our current camera, and going to Costco (love their return policy!) to upgrade a tiny bit....we ended up upgrading a lot a bit!

Here's my Christmas gift, three weeks early:

Ummm....yeah...I'm a little afraid of it! Now I have this great camera that has the ability to take fantastic pictures, but the operator (moi) has no idea how to enable it to take fantastic photos...

It's a nice set-up. Came with 2 lenses, a bag, a couple DVD's that I need to watch and see if they are helpful, and hey, even a handy strap.....which I'll need to haul the monster around! ;o)

So if my blog is pictureless for a while...you'll understand why! My poor daily December creations....maybe I'll digiscrap some cute journaling.... :o) I guess I could pull out last years pics....

No, I'll start playing with it. It is sort-of intimidating. I can't even figure out how to download and open the pictures....but hopefully I'll figure it out soon.

Just in cast you think Ron missed out on a good Christmas gift, no, he got his early as well...a new TV....a week ago. The camera is for him as well....since he has been the only one to take decent pics with it so far!

Wish me luck, and Nicole, I need to know your upcoming class schedule!

*December 3*

This is what happens when group photos are attempted with my monkeys....


paper credits: onehm-template, shabby princess seasonal sampler holiday 06, staples: shabby princess amy teets sunporch

*December 2*

Woohoo! I got a little more adventuresome with this one. Even added some elements! I may have discovered the best way to scrapbook....all I need is my laptop on my lap, and I'm good to go. Oh, and my husband guiding me through every move....although I got a teensy bit more independent on this one. But not much. No scissors, no glue, no cleaning up....hmmm.

This wasn't actually today though.....after the Festival of Trees yesterday, the kiddos came home and played in our freshly fallen snow while I shoveled. But today had nothing to take pictures of, while yesterday had an overabundance.

I have got to get to bed...since I have to get up in 4.5 hours....

paper credits: onehm-template, shabby princess winter seasonal sampler

*December 1*

My cousin-in-law, OneHM, shared a fun idea to document the Christmas season. I decided to jump on in an attempt to figure out how to digiscrap my pictures....since regular scrapbooking isn't happening around this place. This is also a lame attempt to spend more time with my hubby, since I have to ask him how to do everything when it comes to PhotoShop! (I'm not sure he's enjoying it too much though, since I keep pulling his attention away from whatever movie he is watching!)

Anyhoo...here is our day 1, and my attempt at Photoshop!!!! Thank you OneHM for the template to try and make life a bit easier....


If you can't read the words, it basically says that we went to the Festival of Trees.

paper credits: onehm-template, molly decrow, holly jolly holiday kit
labor credits: my fantabulous husband!

Fact Smorgasbord.....

I've been tagged.....thanks OneHM!

the rules of tag...
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are TAGGED by leaving a comment on their blog.

Hmmm....more weird and random things...

1. You know how most teenagers are clumsy and just don't have complete control over their limbs, but then grow out of it? I never did. And I'm even worse since I had kids! I am a serious klutz. Two years ago I even managed to step wrong on the edge of the DOORMAT....yes, all 1" of it...and broke my foot. Almost needed freaking SURGERY for it! But after 6 weeks in a big walking boot, they decided surgery wasn't needed...a doormat people! (Murphy's Law sidenote: The day that I got the boot, I came home from the doctor, sat down in the kitchen, and Nicole walked up to me and promptly vomited all over it. Good thing for Febreeze.)

2. I had braces when I was younger...didn't everyone? But my parents didn't send me to a real orthodontist. Just a dentist that thought he could dabble in orthodontia. He didn't do a good job. And I hated the retainer he gave me. It was like a medieval torture device that resembled a football mouthpiece. Then he expected me to wear it to Jr High? Yeah, right. So I didn't. Consequently, I look like I never had braces. Therefore, I am seriously considering getting them again. I figure no matter what, in 2 years, I'll be two years older, but I could have straight teeth as well...

3. I have a genetic disorder. My dad had it as well. It doesn't have a name, at least not one I've discovered, but it's when you get these big ideas about some project or hobby that you want to get started in, and go out and buy all the equipment and gak you may need to begin this project or hobby, and then never do it. Complete lack of follow-through! I guess it would be more of a genetic/mental disorder!

4. This morning, for breakfast, I had a can of Diet Dr. Pepper. Breakfast of champions!

5. My husbands 1st wife died of cancer. When she was diagnosed with the relapse, Ron's aunt had a grandson in the NICU at the hospital I worked at. She came in one time when I was assigned to him and met me. (I really don't remember it.) That day, after she met me, she called Ron's mom and told her that if his wife died, that she had met the girl he should marry...me. Ron's mom remembered it, because at the time, Ron's brother was married to an Andrea, and she said, "That would be too confusing to have 2 Andrea's in the family!" Fast-forward 4 years, and we are engaged....without any help from his aunt, but, WEIRD huh?! Oh, and as it turns out, Ron's brother and the other Andrea got divorced, so I'm the only one!

Now...who to tag...friends from way back...
Steph, oh, and Lance too!
Tami
Kellie
Nicole
Barbara

Whittling the list...

Remember the hideous list of life-stress that I posted about a month ago? Well, I'm happy to report that it is a few items shorter, and I have survived thus far....

Halloween...check
Nicole's Bday...check...although I still feel a little twinge of guilt about dogging out on a friend party for her. Mostly because I wasn't really clear to her that it wasn't a sure thing...she thought it was. I'll do better next year.
Thanksgiving...check...good food(I brined and roasted the turkey...YUM-O!), fun, and family...all in all, my idea of success!
Ron's business trips...survived the first, in the midst of #2...this one's a bit tougher since Nicole has been sick, so I'm a bit sleep-deprived...but the new Triaminic seems to be doing the trick tonite *knock on wood!* Maybe I should've just given her double the dose instead of triple.
**I'm totally KIDDING people!!! Put down the phone, you don't need to call CPS on me! ;o)**
School Geography Bee...went well this afternoon! I'd call it a success! I'm just glad it's done, and that I didn't have to emcee the thing! And because of a lack of child care (my mom is on a cruise, and Nicole's illness preventing me from begging kids off on a neighbor) I did the last thing I could come up with...I checked Riley out of school for the assembly and had her come home to babysit. What a responsible mother. Oh well....I figure she didn't miss out on academia....just the Geography Bee!

Next on my list....finish putting up the Christmas decor, start Ellie's stocking....yeah, I'm still hoping to get it done! It could happen...and you can't really tell from this picture...but it is cute! Funny coincidence is that it is the "Elisabeth" stocking....even spelled her way!

The Wilson's have some CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!

The kids are officially ready for Christmas....

They practiced for hours!

Click here.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Wishing you all the best....good food, fun family time, and time to reflect on all your blessings.

Love to all-

The Wilson Family

FUN F.H.E.!

Ron came home today and announced he wanted us to go do something "fun" for FHE tonight. So I suggested we try out Boondocks....a big family fun center we have here in Draper.

It was big.

It was fun.

It was also empty, so Ron and the kids did the go-karts for almost 20 minutes! The only reason they got off was because he was feeling guilty with Ellie and I out walking around to kill time....she was too short to go on them. Then we did the bumper boats. I couldn't figure out how to keep from going in circles, so I was getting seasick! Ron yelled over,"It's just like driving a boat!" HELLOOOO!!! When was the first or last time I have ever driven a BOAT?!?!

Then on to miniature golf. It was the little kids first time. They weren't too hip on waiting patiently while everyone took a turn on one hole. Thankfully there was no one in front of or behind us, so we bagged keeping score with Nicole 2 holes ahead of us, and Jared 1 hole ahead. I did get a hole in one though...hooray! Ellie just walked around holding her club and ball, refusing to hit it. But she'd hit everyone elses!

Then inside to the arcade where the tokens were plowed through, and tickets redeemed for candy and plastic junk, and then Ron and the kids went in and did laser tag. I was out with Ellie again...we shared some nachos.

Then we went to dinner at....sit down...Chuck-a-rama...'nuff said.

All in all, a fun night. The kids got to bed an hour and a half late, and asked all the way home when we were going back! I think next time, we'll not go on Monday night, and leave Ellie home with Grandmommy until she's a bit bigger! The stuff we didn't do included batting cages, and the rock wall.

Sorry...no pictures...I forgot to bring the camera...I know, I'm sad too!

Motherhood Tag

Steph Thomas emailed me this, and tagged me to complete it, so here you go!

1. How long have you been a MOTHER?
As long as I've been married, 8 years, and almost 3 months. I have been a biological mother for 6+ years.

2. How many kids call you mommy?
Four. But if you want to get technical, Riley has always just called me "mom."

3. When you were pregnant did you know what you were having?
Yes. I didn't believe it with Nicole, so they had to prove it to me a couple more times. Jared made it obvious (!), and Ellie was a bit more shy. She liked those little ankles crossed right over her goods, but we did get a couple peeks, so we were pretty confident she was a she! (Even after she was born she liked her legs up and ankles crossed "just so!")

4. How old were you when you became a mom?
Married at 28.5, gave birth at 30(almost 31)

5. How long were you in labor?
Nicole: Induced @ 9 days overdue, 28 hour labor
Jared: Induced 1 week early, 5 hours
Ellie: Induced 1 week early, 5 hours, and the absolute best epidural ever!

6. What's your favorite thing about being a mom?
Naptime and bedtime! No, really, I LOVE watching them learn new things, I love it when they play with each other nicely, and adore the cuddles and loves.

7. What's your least favorite thing?
Fighting with sibs, lying, tattle-tale-ing, and whining

8. Do you want more kids?
Nope, the kids I have need me to maintain the little emotional stability I have left! I'm also counting down the days(okay, months) until I'm done with diapers!

9. Have you ever taken your kid(s) on a trip?
Yes....umm...I prefer short road trips or flights for sure!

10. How many times have you been peed on?
Can't even count, by the girls too. Well, all of them except Riley! ;)

11. How many times have you been barfed on?
Other than baby spit-up, it's not to bad. They usually get themselves better! I am glad that I only have Ellie left to teach about the puke bucket. Knock on wood, she has yet to have a bad vomiting episode...although I may have just cursed myself!

12. Are your kids named after someone?
Riley Shane-she shares her maternal aunt's middle name. I like to give Ron grief about giving the poor girl 2 boy names.
Nicole Sara-1st name is a modification of my maiden name(Nicoll), and middle name is her gg-grandma's
Jared Scott-he and Ron share the same middle name
Elisabeth Noelle-My sister is an Elizabeth, and we have plenty of Elizabeth ancestors on both sides. For some reason I liked it with an "s" better though, so we modified the spelling.

13. When is the last time you had a sitter; What did you do?
My mom watched the youngest on Tuesday so I could go help in Nicole's class, before that, they stayed at grandmommy's last Friday for Ron's dad's bday dinner.

14. When your kids get in trouble, who is the bad guy?
Me, for sure. I'm the one they are around most. But Ron does his share too!

15. What is the longest you have been away from your kid(s)?Three-four days usually. Three maternity hospital stays, a few one-nighters away, a fun trip to San Francisco with Ron, a sad(funeral) trip to San Jose with Ron, and a trip to Texas for a wedding.

16. Are your toes painted?
Nope....they never are.

17. Last movie you saw in theater?
I think it was the last in the "Bourne" series....Ultimatum?

18. One thing you will not give up just because you're a mom:
My candy.

19. One thing you did give up now that you're a mom:
Only ONE? Being able to eat any meal in peace.

20. Favorite Cartoon:
Old Disney. Robin Hood, Winnie the Pooh and Tigger too.

21. Favorite Snack:
Dr. Pepper, Hot Tamales(cause my kids hate them so they don't ask!)

22. When the kid(s) are napping, you are:
Keeping track of the ones that aren't!

23. Where is/are your kid(s) now?
My favorite place...bed! (It is almost 10 pm!)

24. Favorite place to buy maternity clothes?
I've tried to block those memories! I liked Motherhood for dressier stuff, I got stuff at Target, Meier & Frank, and Old Navy finally got stuff in stores for Ellie.

25. If I could do it over, I'd do this differently:
Stop trying to do everything (because I just procrastinate and it doesn't get done, like scrapbooks), spend more one-on-one time with them, and I would've spaced Nicole and Jared out a bit more if I'd known what kind-of fights I'd be dealing with!

Now...who to tag...Heidi, Tami, Kellie, Steph, and whoever else thinks it looks fun!

Food Storage Chicken and Dumplings

Here's the yummy recipe for the chicken and Dumplings I made the other night. The recipe uses all things from food storage, but I used fresh veggies instead. So I increased the amounts of veggies (I doubled them, but added even more carrots, because I like carrots!), and decreased the water by a cup or so.

Soup
1/4 c dried carrots
1/4 c dried celery
1/8 c dried onion
1/2 t chicken bullion (I used 1 cube)
1 t dried sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 (12.5 oz)cans chicken breast, with juice...I used 8 cooked tenders
2 (14.5 oz)cans chicken broth...or 1 chicken and 1 vegetable
6-8 c water

Dumplings
2 c biscuit mix-homemade (recipe below)
2/3 c milk

Combine all ingredients and let simmer until veggies are reconstituted and flavors are blended(about 40 min.). When soup is ready, bring it to a boil. Add dumplings one spoon drop at a time and cover with lid. Cook until the dumplings fluff up and look done(about 15-20 mins), cut into one to check it. The dumplings will help to make the soup a lot more creamy and hearty.
**Options: Add 1 c noodles instead of dumplings, more veggies to make it go farther, or adding different veggies like corn or peas.

Basic Biscuit Mix
9 c sifted flour 3 T baking powder
1/4 c sugar 1 T salt
2 c shortening

Mix until flour and shortening are thoroughly mixed together. Use in recipes calling for Bisquick. Store in sealed container in refrigerator.

Nicole=Picasso

This is the portrait of Jared that Nicole created on the Magna-Doodle.

I haven't had to try so hard to stifle hysterical laughter in quite a while. I told her it was so great that I had to take a picture of it to save it! Truthfully, it was because I had to show Ron the masterpiece, and yes, I wanted to post it on here! Really, I'm sure that the kids will enjoy seeing this when they are older and a little more artistically accomplished.

When I showed Ron the photo on the camera, after the kids were in bed asleep, we both enjoyed a good gut-wrenching, tear-streaming laugh!

And lest you think our 4 year old has a goatee, he doesn't...but this picture was drawn after lunch, and Jared hadn't washed the ketchup from around his mouth!

"Star of the Week"

Views of Nicole's BDay

Nicole showing us her crown, balloon, and cards from school.

Nicole and one of her gifts....she ADORES Barbie movies. I like them because they are cheaper than the dolls! Her most favorite gift seems to be the "Littlest Pet Shop" digital pet. What a surprise....she likes the computer-ish game best!

Happy Sixth Birthday Nicole!!!

My firstborn is SIX today! That went fast....I think I blinked a few too many times and missed that! I literally seems like maybe three years ago that I had her. What a LONG day that was...Nine days overdue; from start of induction to end, 28 hours; about 2 hours of sleep total during that time; an epidural that only worked on one side (niiiice), and 2 hours of pushing her VERY LARGE head. But worth it. Oh, so worth it!

Nicole is so excited to be six. She must think she's all grown up now! She woke up wonderfully early this morning...too early for me! So she ended up in bed with me, and after I finally came to, I did wish her a happy birthday!

She went to school and was greeted with a balloon and crown at her seat that she wore all day, even in PE! The class all made her cards, and she was very excited to show them all to me. I was actually quite surprised at how well some of these kindergartners write!

Nicole is such a special kid. She has a huge spirit in her six year old body that is just so excited to be on this earth and wants to learn and experience everything NOW! She is described, by me, as "high-spirited". Others may see her as difficult, as do I many times! But that strong desire and stubbornness that she possesses will someday be one of her best qualities. It will keep her strong in a world that will not be easy to deal with, and will hopefully help her cultivate a strong testimony. It will help her be a leader.

I'm so happy I'm her mommy. She fulfilled my fondest desire to create, carry, and give birth to a child. I still remember the exhilaration of my first look at her. And although there are days that her choices of behavior make me want to throw in the towel, I never will. Thank goodness there are those few hours of her precious sleep that help me firm my resolve to help this daughter of God feel loved, learn who she is, and what she is capable of.

Happy Birthday Nicole, and may this next year be a fabulous one!

I Tackled Tuesday!

Well, I might do this all week just to decompress and make me feel like I'm accomplishing something more than just running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

Today started bright and early at school helping the kindergartners play "listening bingo" for an hour. It was fun, but especially fun to see that Nicole is quiet and attentive in class. I'm so glad(?) she saves her not so attentive and disruptive behavior for home...

Then I had to copy off the question booklets for the Geography Bee. While at the school, one of the teachers asked me to come to their inservice that afternoon to give an overview of the bee....sure, I have nothing else to do! So I got all the packets ready and went back to the school, AGAIN, to hand out the packets and do the inservice. Holy schmoly, I'm sort-of getting sick of the school.

The best of the day was when I discovered last night that I needed to get the Spelling Bee registration done by Friday....nice! I almost seriously dropped the ball on that one. So just add more time to me at school taking care of that. Nothing like getting all my hours done!

Tonight, after getting the monkey's to bed, I headed out to get Nicole a bday outfit (found a cute ensemble at Old Navy), and a couple more small gifts for the siblings to give her.

When I got home I found the bishop here talking to Ron...the kitchen was nice and clean, so obviously the bishop did give Ron a little notice before coming over! Phew! It's great to have a hubby that cleans!

I'm thinking about wrapping Nicole's gifts tonight....but I think the desire for bed is about to win!

G'night all!

Monday Checklist....

Just so you all think I do stuff around here....
Laundry: 3 loads folded and put away...well, almost put away! 2 loads washed and dried
Dinner: I made the yummiest Chicken Soup with Dumplings. I should post the recipe, and perhaps I will, later. Even the little kids told me it was yummy and ate it....That's a freaking miracle!
Geography Bee: Info letters and answer sheets printed and ready to be xeroxed tomorrow when I hand out the question booklets.
Nicole's BDay: Cake ordered. Grandparents informed of Chuck E. Cheese plan.
"Star of the Week" stuff: Tuesday's questionnaire done, Wednesday's BDay treat will be a small candy treat for Nicole to take herself, and Friday's activity will be sharing two of Nicole's favorite books. Her choice! (Thank you Nicole!)

Extra junk piled on me today....Got a desperate phone call from a room mom for a volunteer to come help with "5 senses Centers" tomorrow. So after finagling my mom into coming and watching the other two, I agreed to go help. I have to go anyway to take care of Geo. Bee stuff...so oh well.

And a little fun from Nurse Heidi:

NameThatDisease.com - The disease test

Holiday Craziness

So, how many of you love this time of year? All the family togetherness, celebrations, feelings of love and contentment?

Let's see a raise of hands....

Do you see me raising my hand?

NO! You do not!

Now, don't get me wrong. It is very fun for me to watch my kids celebrate the holidays, feelings of love abound for my family, life, health, and blessings.

But the absolute stress I start feeling the week before Halloween(because I don't have costumes done), does not end until, oh, the end of January.

Here we go:

• Halloween.
  
• Two weeks later, Nicole's birthday. (I, um, talked her out of a friend party this year because I have totally dropped the ball and didn't plan anything. Nice mom.) This year, add on to her birthday her "Star of the Week" status at school. I just finished her photo poster, but still need to come up with a bday treat for Wednesday and an 20 minute activity with the class on Friday. I need to order her cake and get her a new bday outfit. The day after her bday, Ron goes out of town. Thhppppttt.
  
• A mere 1 week and 1 day later, Thanksgiving. It's at my house. Again. This time of year is when I start feeling somewhat grumpy about my dad dying, and my mom getting old. I don't like being in charge of holiday celebrations. I don't want to cook the turkey, or make food assignments. I can be such a brat sometimes! ;) I miss my daddy. I'm always worried that the food won't turn out, the preparation is always so crazy, and the kids are dying to eat before it's time, so it is just a stressful day. I guess I'm getting a taste of what my mom went through for years, and now she can finally sit back and relax! Someday I'll get my chance again.
  
• The week after Thanksgiving, Ron goes out of town...again!
• Then begins the craziness of Christmas. Getting the decor up. Will we find a Wii? Finding all the presents for the kids. The desire to find something awesome for and surprising Ron with a great gift, and it still hasn't happened. Ellie is almost 2....will I finish her stocking this year?! (I do get 1 point for having all the supplies for the stocking....now to start cross-stitching it. Yes, I KNOW it is November.)
• FOUR DAYS after Christmas, Ellie's birthday. Poor thing. Why did I choose to be induced then? Oh yeah....I didn't want to wait for the tax deduction. I'd had heartburn for just about the entire year, so I wanted an added bonus of a quicker deduction. Have you ever tried to figure out what to get a little kid for her bday four days after she gets everything she could possibly need?! It's fun I tell ya!
• Two weeks after Christmas, trying to avoid my bday. I absolutely don't remember getting this old. Therefore I choose to celebrate my 29th bday over and over again. If you really want to get technical though, this year I will be turning twenty-seventeen. snif. snif. snif....WAHHHHH! HOW did that happen?!?! I know that I have some serious memory loss from working, what, 8 years(?!) of night shifts. I have lost years of my life's memories from that!
• End of January, Riley's bday. She will be 14 this time around. Going into Miamaids. She starts HIGH SCHOOL next year! I swear we just took her to her 1st day of Kindergarten 3 years ago. Freaky, freaky.

And to top all the holiday/birthday fun off, ALL of my Academic Committee responsibilities take place during this 3 month time span. I have Geography Bee this month, then the Spelling Bee and Presidential Pageant Essay Contest in January. Can I go to sleep and wake up in February?!

I'm kidding.....I've now vented. Now you are all bored, and I feel a bit better. Now if you see me anytime in the next 3 months, and I seem preoccupied, frazzled, and wild-eyed, you'll understand why! ;)

(I'll post pictures tomorrow of Nicole with her poster, so check back!)

Things that make you say, "Hmmm..."

I'll try my best not to sound like a horrible mother right now...

Why is it that as new parents, we can't wait for the day when our baby starts making those sweet cooing noises, laugh out loud, and the blessed first word?

I guess we don't realize that in a few very short years, there are days that all we want our children to do is shut their mouths and not utter another sound. The sounds that emanate from them become like fingernails on a chalkboard. And no matter how we beg, plead, and cajole them to just be quiet, for two minutes, they are literally physically unable to be quiet. It's like they will actually explode or spontaneously combust if they have to not make a sound. I'm serious.

I'm having one of those days....

If you were at Costco around noon, I was the freak show trying to keep the monkey's from climbing the displays, yelling at the tops of their lungs, and running around like maniacs. And then when I told the boy that because of his behavior choices we were going home for lunch instead of pizza, he was the hysterical mass writhing on the floor.

I just need a little quiet time....but I guess I'll take some Excedrin and wait a few more hours! ;)

PS- WOW! Three posts in one day?! I better stop or my husband will ask me what I didn't do all day.

Here's Trouble....

Yesterday, Ellie decided that she was ready for a snack. So she opened the pantry door and helped herself to an apple...BITE! Apparently Ellie is a little like Goldilocks, and decided there was something wrong with the 1st apple(too crisp?), so she bit into a 2nd apple....too juicy...so on to the third...JUST RIGHT! Then she put them all back in the box. I have to give her a little credit for two things though:

1. She came and got me, led me into the pantry, and showed me her apple...s.
2. She performed this little apple tasting fest while I was putting a load of clothes in the washer...in all of, oh, TWO minutes?!!

I'm so excited that she's almost 2.....

Election Day!

Everybody, do your civic duty, and go vote. Your voice needs to be heard. Honor our forefathers by taking advantage of the opportunity they created for us in this country. But most importantly, if you don't vote, don't whine about what our government does that you don't like! ;)

Yesterday's Hallo-fun!

I did it, I finished Nicole's costume. Next year, I VOW to find out what they are going to be in September and if any sewing is required, I'll do it then. I did better this year though, as I bought Jared's costume at the end of AUGUST! Mainly because I found the costume he wanted in the correct size at Costco in AZ....they hadn't had the right size in UT, and I was a little worried I might miss out.











The kids had fun at their respective school activities. Jared came home telling about how he went "caroling" for treats to some of his preschool teachers neighbors. He then sang his little song about a witch with a pointy chin, broom, and cat, and then yells BOO as loud as possible at the end.





Thankfully my sister-in-law had the BYU cheer outfit and it fit Ellie. Much easier to borrow it than have to drive to the BYU bookstore and hope they had the right size! By the end of the night, Ellie was pretty understandable in her wants. We kept trying to get her to say "Trick or treat", but she'd just shorten it to "TREAT!" She knew what she wanted and told them. None of this trick garbage for her!




She got "thank you!" down pretty well, although it sounds more like "dee-doo!" most of the time. She refused to go home after a few houses, and had to stick it out and go the whole time. Poor Jared and Nicole had to slow down for her. She wouldn't let us hold her either, SHE had to do it! So sad to see my baby demanding to be a big kid....









It was a fun night, and the kids are now alternating between sugar crash meltdowns and "I need a nap" fights! Hopefully things will even out tomorrow!


**Edited to add: I forgot to write that Riley, again, refused a picture...She just wore her Jack Skellington hoodie, and did her face up like a zombie. She didn't go trick or treating, because we got her a huge bag of candy! So she stayed home and handed out candy for a while, then watched a movie. Oh, the tragedies of growing older!**

Thursday, NOVEMBER 1st, and I've been tagged...for a while!

Well, I believe it was more than a week ago that Crazymama tagged me, and I'm finally getting around to it! It's been busy around here. I should be doing other things today as well, but I'm giving myself some down time! ;)

So, 7 random things about me....

1. I love Dr. Pepper and drink way too much of it. Enough that I get headaches from lack of caffeine if I skip it for a day. At least I have switched to Diet recently, to try and avoid making myself diabetic from all the sugar. I hate most diet drinks, but diet DP seems to have less of an aftertaste, especially the cherry vanilla variety.
2. I met my husband on the internet. LDS Singles online. Yeah, kinda nerdy, but if we hadn't met that way, we would have never met since I was in Utah and he in Texas!
3. I went to Israel 12 years ago and LOVED it. I would adore to go back....when it's a bit safer...but that may not happen! It was an amazing place.
4. I have never been to Hawaii but would love to go. Now. With no children in tow.
5. I once said "no" to a church calling...scout den mother...I had a 5 week old baby, a 2 year old, a 4 year old, was teaching coop preschool in my home twice every 3rd week, and still had 25 hours of volunteer hours to put in at Riley's school. After I declined, the counselor said they questioned themselves if this was a good calling for me...my first thought, although I kept it to myself, was, "If you wondered that, why did you extend the calling at all?"
6. I used to snow ski. I don't anymore. I decided I don't really like being cold, and find myself that way when I ski. I am also afraid of getting hurt and not being able to take care of my kids. It has also become way too expensive!
7. Waaayyyy back when I was a kid, Donny Osmond moved in two houses down from us while his "big" house was being finished. His little boy, Donald, would come down and watch my dad mow our lawn. Apparently a dad that actually mowed their own lawn was fascinating to him! Later, Jimmy moved into the house, but was usually not around. He had a cool Back to The Future Delorean (sp?) in the garage though!

I don't know who to tag...how about I just do one...I tag Nurse Heidi!

Where HAVE I been?!?

Yes, I'm still alive....barely!

This last week I have been the poster child of what happens when you let procrastination rule your life....as I do. It is my absolute worst habit. Well, aside from swearing, but that mostly happens in my head so people don't know about it. (Until now! Thanks to my tattletale fingers!) But the putting things off....it is obvious to everyone!

#1 put off item: Nicole's costume. Poor kid wasn't able to be Dorothy at Saturday's party at her cousins. Good thing her witch costume from last year still fit. But as of this morning at 12:30AM, I snipped the last threads of her costume and ironed it so she is the best-pressed Dorothy around. She was very excited to put it on this morning. She is now at school having fun with her friends.

#2 put off item: Card group and all that goes with it. It was at my house this time, so I was triply stressed, as I not only had to get cards done, but my house decluttered and cleaned, and a dessert made. Amazingly, it happened, although I now have a box of papers and junk to go through, since the method I employed of decluttering my countertop "hot spot" involved my dumping it all into a box. I'm sure there are some important things in the pile somewhere, like bills, that need to be taken care of! I even finished my cards, although I am still one set behind...sigh!

My poor husband had to listen to my emotional breakdown Monday morning. Those are always nice! But I'm feeling a bit better now....that two things are off my list!

Time to get Jared in his costume and off to preschool, and then I guess I should help Ellie carve her pumpkin! Umm....yeah, we're still working on that too!

Pictures later....

Julie.....I'll get that 7 random things up later as well....maybe next month! (tomorrow;)!)

Top Ten Tuesday

An idea I borrowed from Crazymama's blog:

Top Ten things that make me feel sick:
*in no particular order*

10. Old sippy cups.....like when the baby takes off with her sippy, and leaves it behind, only to be found by me days/weeks(?!) later? The last three were found under my bed, in the playroom, and behind the couch....old, curdled...I didn't even open them to attempt washing....they went straight to the trash.

9. Stepped on dog poop. YUCK! I hate trying to clean it off shoes, but worse is when the kids(or myself) are running around barefoot and manage to find a nice pile to step in. It makes Jared sick too. Whenever he has done it, he sits there gagging and dry heaving as I'm cleaning it off his foot. When it happens to me, I do not feel clean again until I have scrubbed my soiled foot with a Lysol sanitizing wipe. Just a little OCD coming out...

The next few are from when I am pregnant, which I am not, and never will be again!

8. Raw meat. I could not handle raw meat and then eat it after it was cooked when pregnant. Chicken and hamburger were the worst. It took me a good six months before being able to eat a burger again after I had Ellie.

7. Cilantro. For whatever reason, I could not eat(or smell) cilantro when pregnant.

6. Cleaning up kid vomit. I can handle it when not gestating, but anytime the kids got sick while I was pregnant, I could not do anything except bathe them after their clothes were stripped! Good thing it only happened when Ron was around to help!

5. Rye. As in the spice. Seasoning. Whatever it is. I hate rye bread. Smell, taste, YUCK!

4. Mushrooms. gack! Small, cooked, non-overwhelming taste mushrooms are okay, but big ucky pieces of MUSHroom. Yucck. Just the thought that they are a fungus that grow underground in manure...no thanks. And since we're on food...black-eyed peas. Might as well eat dirt.

3. Cleaning the bathroom without rubber gloves. I'm afraid the germs and dirt might get on me without the rubber glove layer?! (Not to mention the skin eating properties of cleaning solutions!)

2. Taking children to/helping children that are not my own in the bathroom.

1. The nastiness that clogs bathroom drains. Just the thought of it....

Okay, what makes you sick? What can you not handle, or do you have a stomach o'steel?

A visit to the Vampires

The American Red Cross loves me! They call, alot, to set up appointments for me to come donate blood. I set the appointment up, but for the last year, I get to the point where they measure my hematocrit, and then I get the heave-ho. Apparently they have certain standards for their blood donations....like they want you all nice and healthy with lots of oxygen carrying capacity. I almost felt guilty one time because the happy lady who scheduled the appointment cheerily told me that I'd (well, my blood) had been approved for pediatric use. Then I of course got rejected for my crit....great, some kid that needs blood isn't gonna get it, but I got over it. Oh, and you don't have to be special or anything to be approved for ped use, just CMV negative.

So today, another appointment comes for the blood-letting. We got through the preliminary stuff, and the guy opened the centrifuge, read my hematocrit, and I steeled myself for yet another goodbye, try again. But then he told me my crit was 39%.....WHAT! Thirty-nine percent! No wonder I've been feeling so good! Hooray! I finally got to donate. I know, I'm weird, only I would get excited about having a 16 guage needle jabbed in to my arm and a pint of blood allowed to drain into a bag! So the vampires got their wish, and they got their blood from me, and I am happy because someone out there is gonna get something they desperately need, my blood.

Even better, look at what I got after I donated! BLING! I have now officially donated 1 gallon of blood. Not that I'm gonna go around wearing it....but I am kinda proud of it. :) I'll put it in my jewelry box next to my bone marrow donation pin. Just to look at. Maybe I'll collect them all! Here I come 2 gallon pin!

Disney FUN!

I said I had pictures, and I wasn't kidding! I think I'll separate the pictures and post in three installments, according to what it's about!

So, installment 1, Disneyland:

We arrived Tuesday morning at 7:30 am, rented a car, and drove straight to the hotel and walked to the Magic Kingdom. That morning was a killer! We left our house at 4:15, that's AM folks, to catch our flight to CA. The kids loved the flight, it was Nicole and Jared's first airplane ride, but I was so tired I forgot to take any pictures on the plane...oops!

Disneyland was fun, but very crowded dang it! The park workers told us they were having record crowds for this time of year, and even extended the hours a couple nights. Perfect. We were there with half the state of Utah (I'm serious), and the rest of the people there were from AZ!

Riley liked all the big rides, Tower of Terror, California Screamin', etc.


Nicole was again the bravest 5 year old I know and went on EVERYTHING she could! She did Tower of Terror twice, and California Screamin', and all the roller coasters at Disneyland.


Jared was tall enough this year to start going on some of the bigger rides and roller coasters. He didn't like Space Mountain or the Matterhorn, but loved Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, Grizzly Rapids, and Star Tours. Both he and Nicole loved the "play area" in California Adventure, but the name escapes me....Something redwood?!?

Ellie loved Pirates of the Carribean, Small World, and was barely tall enough to go on the little roller coaster in Toon Town....so being the abusive parents we are, we took all 21+ months of her on it! I couldn't help but laugh at her face as we went down the first hill! Absolute terror! But by the end of the ride, she was laughing and having a grand time, so I guess she forgave us.

Ron and I did most of them. I hate Tower of Terror, so Ron did that, and Ron didn't want to get wet, so I went on Grizzly Rapids and got soaked....I even got wet the next day on Splash Mountain. I went on California Screamin' and thought I was going to die....I didn't feel the need to repeat that one! We were both sad that Indiana Jones was broken the whole time we were there...it's been 7 years since I've done that ride since the last 2 times I've been at Disneyland I've been pregnant. The Haunted Mansion was all done up for Halloween in a "Nightmare Before Christmas" theme, and it was fun.

All in all, a great trip! Although there are no pictures of Ron....he was there! He was behind the camera in all these.

Installment 2: Our Kids, the JEDI'S!!

I'd heard about this new show at Disneyland, "Jedi Training Academy," and since Nicole and Jared are addicted to the Lego Star Wars game, and the Star Wars movies (old and new), I thought we'd check it out.

It's a really interactive show, where they start out by picking about 30 kids out of the audience to come receive "Jedi training" and then get to test out their skills.

We arrived at the last show of the day about 30 minutes early and got almost the last spaces right up front. So we sat and waited, and I thought how funny it would be if either got chosen. The show started up, and once the "Jedi Master" moved to our side to start picking recruits, the kids were all screaming and jumping excitedly up and down. Nicole was the 2nd kid he chose! (I think they picked almost all the girls there!)
So then I was hoping, hoping Jared could go out too. He picked a bunch more kids, then moved back to where we were. By now Riley and I are standing behind Jared pointing at him with pleading looks on our faces, and sure enough, he got picked TOO!
They dressed all the kids in Jedi robes and gave them light sabers, then taught them a combination of moves to use with their light sabers.

At this point some storm troopers run out, and the stage rises up, smoke and music and all, and out comes Darth Vader and Darth Maul. Jared was SO into it! Vader tries to convince the recruits to (insert Darth Vader voice here!) "join him on the Dark Side," and then the Jedi says their force is too strong, and Darth will have to fight them!





Nicole got put in the group to fight Darth Maul, and Jared in the group to go against Vader. Each kid took their own separate turn with the help of the Jedi masters.








Nicole got a bit freaked out because right as she went up to fight Darth Maul, he backed up and then did a spinning jump in the air right in front of her so she backed WAY up! But then she timidly did her moves.


Jared just marched right up to Vader on his turn, activated his light saber, and did his moves! He was great!
I think I was more excited they got chosen to participate than they were, but they had fun!

Other California Fun....

Since you can only go to Disneyland so many times in one week.... ;)

We did spend one day seeing some other sights!

Balboa Island and the beach, and San Juan Capistrano. No swallows there, they had returned to Argentina for the winter, but the flowers and buildings were beautiful. We were even able to gt the kids interested in a bit of the history. Ron had fun taking pictures at Capistrano, and the shots would have really turned out fabulous if we had a "real" camera!

Here you go!












Isn't Riley just a sweetie with the rabbit ears on Jared?!























Jared didn't wait for us to change him into a swimsuit...he ran straight for the water, not realizing that the waves will come up, knock you down, and drench you head to toe. So he played in his clothes and changed into his dry swimsuit for the rest of the days activities!
















The Mission at San Juan Capistrano...told you it was pretty!





























When did I start looking so OLD?! ugh....I should delete that picture, but I had to prove Ron did go on vacation with us!































Hopefully all these pictures didn't cause this response in you: