Thanksgiving

We made some turkey cookies one night for FHE before Thanksgiving. Can you tell which one is Xander's? He kept wanting to add more candy to it (that is the one thing that he definitely shares with me...a candy obsession!) For Thanksgiving, we made the trek down to Utah and had two Thanksgiving dinners-one at Ash's sister's house and one at my parent's house. We have learned to be picky and only eat our favorite things at each house so we don't get overstuffed! At 9pm on Thanksgiving, my mom, sister and I decided to start our shopping at CompUSA. We had to wait for 20 minutes to get in the door and then another hour and 45 min to make it through the checkout line! If it wasn't a killer deal then there is no way I would have stayed in that line! Then we woke up the next morning at 4:30 am and shopped for 12 hours with one break for lunch at the Spaghetti Factory. Phew! Then we went straight to the Utah Jazz game and then walked through temple square to see the lights and made it through right before they turned them off for the night. Needless to say, I slept until 3pm the next day, and 1pm the next two day to recover...but I got 90% of my Christmas shopping done that day and had lots of fun doing it!

80's Rollerjam

For Mom's night out last month, we went rollerskating dressed up in 80's clothes. Most of us thought that it was actually 80's night at the rollerskating rink but no such luck. I think we were the only people over the age of 18 there and we looked completely ridiculous! We got a few people skating behind us making fun of us, but since a lot of us were old enough to be their mothers we obviously didn't care! Some kid came up to me and asked me where I got my skirt because he wanted one just like it (I got the whole outfit at DI for about $10) Another kid ran straight into me and knocked me over. He was not going down so I grabbed his shirt and yanked him down with me! It helped cushion my fall on my right side but my left butt cheek took the brunt of the fall and was sore for days! It was a lot of fun, but next time we decided that we might stay at somebody's house and watch 80's movies or play an 80's trivia game. We have to wear our cool outfits again right?

Horse cake

Here is a cake I made for Ash's assistant for her birthday. Xander stayed up until I finished it (after midnight) because he wanted to see it when it was done. He asked if he could go to daddy's work and sing happy birthday to Natalie (she helped put the "star" (filling) in his tooth last month and she always gives him lots of stickers when we go in) and eat the horse cake. We didn't end up making it over to his work since Xander slept in really late and then had preschool that afternoon so when Ash got home, Xander threw a big fit because he remembered that we didn't go eat the horse cake. He finally stopped when I said I would make one for his birthday, but last week he said he wanted a pirate ship birthday cake so who knows...I am sure it will change again by the time March rolls around.

Candy cake and train

For one of our Relief Society activities after Halloween, we learned how to make a candy cake with floral rings (that you can get at the dollar store), hot glue guns, and leftover Halloween candy. She also taught us how to make a candy train. Both were super easy and were a big hit at Thanksgiving with all of our nieces and nephews!

Young Chef's Cooking Academy

One of our MOM's Club activities recently was to go to the Young Chef's Cooking Academy in Eagle. The kids were able to make their own cheesy breadsticks and they actually tasted really good! Here are some of the pictures.

Turning in final adoption papers!

Here is a picture in front of the adoption agency when we brought in our family profile, which was the last thing we needed to turn in. So as of 3 weeks ago we are officially on the waiting list!

Halloween pictures!

I've been tagged!

So I've been tagged by several people and I am finally getting around to doing it, but I have a really good excuse since I was finishing up our family profile (all the copies are made and will be turned in on Monday so they can be sent out to all the different adoption agencies that our agency works with. Phew!) Anyway...

Here are the rules:
A: Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves
B: At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog for the rules.

1. I have a major sweet tooth, but I am pretty specific about what I like. My favorite is anything fruit flavored or gummy anything. I have to be in the mood for chocolate though. I also love to bake all sorts of yummy treats, but usually am more inclined to eat the raw stuff (cookie dough, cake batter) than the finished product.

2. I love to go to the gym, but I hate to sweat and I don't like to work out by myself which is why I take water aerobics (can't tell when you are sweating in the water!) and Pilate's. I usually go 5-6 times per week since I have the unlimited babysitting pass. It is a good break from Xander since he is a non-stop chatterbox and these classes allow me to have some adult conversation.

3. I hate when the house is not clean and organized. I like to clean and I use my P-touch labeler a lot! I make lots of lists to help stay organized and love to be able to cross things off. I have been going crazy the last couple of weeks since I have been working pretty much every spare moment on our family profile scrapbook and the house was getting messier as time went on since Ash (I love you!) does NOT know how to clean and constantly leaves piles of things (mail, newspapers, clothes, etc) everywhere.

4. I am usually late, especially if I have anything in the morning. This is because I am a night owl and I hate waking up in the morning so I keep pushing the snooze button (if I even hear the alarm at all since I am such a deep sleeper!) and wake up at the last possible moment with just enough time for me to get ready....but then I have to try and pry Xander out of bed (who is also a night owl and a deep sleeper) and I am late again! One time I was actually early to my water aerobics class that starts at 9:30am and the teacher walked in and started apologizing for being late even though she was on time! She was just thrown off by the fact that I was already there!

5. I can't live without a DVR! I am a very efficient TV watcher and never watch commercials! I think it is mandatory if you have kids, so you can pause it when they are throwing a fit and don't miss the crucial "who did it" like on CSI or something. I like a lot of shows, but I always watch celebrity news shows ( For example: E! News (I watch everyday), Best Week Ever, and The Soup) and read all the stupid magazines too!

6. I always play with my hair (twist it around my fingers) and have since I was really young. I also like to have my hair brushed by somebody else...I just find it really relaxing.

I tag Malissa, Jensa, Michelle, and Jamie (I know it is not 6 but I think everyone else I know has already done it!)

Pumpkin Patch

Linder Farms Part 1: The first time we went to the pumpkin patch was with the MOMS Club. It was very windy that day so by the time we left, I had a mouth full of dirt, dry eyes and very tangled hair! We got one big pumpkin for Ash, a medium one for me (a very cool bluish white colored one), and a small one for Xander. Xander said that he would give his tiny pumpkin from the Meridian Scarecrow Festival to Angel so she could have one too. Xander loved leading his friend Aidan through the hay maze, but was disappointed that he couldn't ride the tractor train ride since they only do that in the evening.

Linder Farms Part 2: Later that week, Xander's preschool took a trip to the pumpkin patch also. Unfortunately that day it was raining, just a slight drizzle but enough to make it muddy. One thing about Xander is that he HATES to be dirty! In the picture where he is holding the pumpkin he got mud all over his hands and coat and freaked (I'm talking crying and screaming!) out until he could clean them. His friend Riley in the picture just wiped her hands on her pants and didn't care. What is wrong with this picture? Shouldn't it be the boy who wants to play in the mud and be dirty? He probably gets it from me since I am such a neat freak. Oh well, at least I don't have to worry about reminding him to wash his hands after he goes to the bathroom ( he will even do it half asleep with his eyes closed!)

Boise Crohn's Walk

This weekend was Boise's Crohn's and Colitis Got Guts 5K. This is the first year that I felt well enough to actually participate. Xander also participated and actually made it the whole 5K! He got a few piggy backs and complained a little bit about being tired but he was really excited at the end of the race when he got a first place ribbon for his category (since most kids his age were riding in strollers!) He also won a $25 gift certificate to a restaurant in the raffle. Thanks to all who donated money to support the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation!

Xander and Angel

Xander is such a cheese so whenever he sees the camera he wants his picture taken! Here are some of the pictures he wanted taken. First, he is on the rocking horse from Grandma Smith (or Grandma "Big Hair" as he calls her since her hair is always curly with lots of volume compared to my mom's hair that is stick straight like mine and is pretty flat.)

His favorite thing right now is to travel around the house on his hoppity hop. It can drive up crazy at times but I am sure he is getting a great work out. He sometimes uses it to do a stability ball workout with me!

Doesn't Xander have the coolest bed? I wish I had one like this when I was younger. Sometimes it is hard for him to stop running up and down the slide at night when he is supposed to be calming down and watching a movie while daddy is trying to go to sleep. Xander and I are still night owls, well at least for one more year. I think he has morning kindergarten next year. Ugh!

Xander loves to dress up Angel in her princess dress, which I am sure she can't wait to get out of! But of course this is one of the pictures he wanted to take and we needed some more pictures of Angel for our family profile (for adoption) so I figured why not. I think this is what she will end up being for Halloween also. Xander is going to be a knight and he needs a princess right?

This is Angel's favorite place! Especially when she is running to hide from Xander! I think she likes it because it seems like I am always on the computer and she wants to be by me. Who knew that a dog would like a computer desk shelf so much...you would think she would want to lay somewhere a little softer! Oh well!

cakes

This is a cake I made for a birthday party. Ash's assistant is becoming a frequent customer!

This was the final cake for the fondant and gum paste class. That is a little box made out of gum paste on the top of the cake.

This week we learned how to drape fondant to make it look like fabric flowing off of the top of the cake. We made a ton of cool flowers the second week of the class but I didn't take pictures. I should though because they are really pretty.

Family pictures

Here are some family pictures taken by a lady in our ward. Thanks Toni Smith!

Recycling tour

For one of our MOMS Club activities this summer we went on a tour of the recycling facility. Xander loved it because he got to sit in the big recycling truck and he got to take home miniature garbage cans and recycling bins. We already recycle so Xander was telling them how he put his plastic yogurt drink bottles in the recycle bin and then he went to the store and they came back. He thinks it is the coolest thing ever! Sometimes that is how I keep him entertained at the grocery store...I tell him to look for all the stuff we recycle to see if it got back in the store yet.

Fishing

Ash and Xander have loved going fishing together this summer. Here are a few of their catches!

Boating at Utah Lake

We have a lot catch up on (we have been super busy finishing all of our adoption paperwork and home study visits!) but here are some pictures of us when we went boating with Ash's mom at Utah Lake in July. I am all covered up on the boat to avoid getting sunburned, which is a big no-no when you are getting laser hair removal treatment (And yes, I absolutely LOVE not having to shave anymore!)