So I have not blogged in a while because seriously my kids are keeping so busy. I am not really sure why I even try to keep a clean house. The next morning it always looks the same! When people call and ask what I am doing 99.9% of the time I say cleaning. Now that is just pathetic! So hopefully I can get life back to normal when the kids start school again. Christmas eve we went to Todd's family party and we got home about 10:30. The kids crashed about 11:30 and then I had to wait till I was sure they were asleep until I could put stuff out and build some stuff (I say I because Todd was sleeping like a baby while I slaved). The building took a little longer than I thought and so I finally made it to bed around 2:00. Christmas was great except for the howling wind that kept me up all night and Noah waking up SO early. Noah came in at 3:30 to say Santa came. At 4:00 he and I bundled up to go rescue the garbage cans that were blowing down the street. We linked arms so we would not blow away! After that I was wide awake. Noah and I hung out until 5:00,looking at the frogs he got from awesome Santa (honestly I think we parents get gypped)and then he woke everyone up. This had been our earliest time ever, but it was fun!

The perfect tree...not really...but alot of fun!

Armed with hot cocoa and donuts, we headed up south in search of the perfect tree. My version and Todd's are quite different. He grew up with the long needled pine and I wanted a charlie brown tree. So that's just what we got. I really have a hard time with a long needled Christmas tree, but Todd is really happy. We hiked for about an hour, making a mental note of ones we liked. In the end we back tracked to the very beginning of the trail and picked the first one we liked. It was fun and even though it is not perfectly proportioned and very skimpy, it will always be a memory for our family. No more fake one's or in town on the corner real ones. It was too much fun this way and MUCH cheaper.

New addiction...Thanks Laura

My sister in law is the best. She lent me these books and I couldn't put the first one down. I am about to start the second and can hardly wait. Unfortunately I have to clean house after having my brother Ben and his family here for a week. I am so anxious to start it. I thought the first book was as good as twilight, just in a different way. I finished it in 2 days and would have finished earlier if we did not still have company.

Thoughts of Twilight...somewhat disappointing

I don't think that this film did justice to the book at all, but Edward was nice to look at. I got my eye-candy in for the night. Honestly this should have been a comedy not a thriller. I was laughing so hard sometimes I was crying. I felt like I was having a sleep over with a bunch of 12 year olds. It was interesting, my poor mom. We had fun though, us girls, and I will try to watch it again when it comes out and maybe I will like it then. I just felt like it was so choppy and it did not capture the true identifies of the characters. We got a glimpse of Edward and a tiny bit of Alice's powers, but none of Jasper, Emmett or Rosalie. It skipped alot of important details. That's just my thoughts though! I want to hear your opinions so let me know...oh and I saw that they are going to make New Moon a movie as well now.

To a very special daughter...Happy Birthday!

This week is full of birthday's for our family. This is why Todd and I do ours together. A day after mine is Mariah's...it's hard to believe that Todd and I have a child 10 years old. Time has really flown and it just seems to go by faster. She has one more year till she hits middle school. I am not ready for that! She is a wonderful daughter and we could not ask for more. She is so sweet and kind. I love it when she bares her testimony every month in church. She is so brave and does not even ask anymore. I look up and she is gone. She is a great example to me.

Fall

Morgen is inventing again...it actually was a great idea and helpful. Although propping the lid was not really necessary. However, then he just sat on the ledge he created and wiggled his legs while Natty did all the work. Typical man right, he got that from his dad! Mariah + Noah= Attitude Morgen~doesn't he look so innocent!

Happy Birthday..........................to me

If I sound like a bah-hum-bug it's because this is the b-day that I never wanted to happen. I am not ready to be 30. Wow...I said it and it does sound old. My dad called and offered to take the "heathens"(my kids)for the night, and I gladly accepted, after I asked if he was sick. Kemo really has changed my dad. He is not quite so serious and loves playing with the grand kids. Anyways, I think that Todd and I will just go out to dinner to celebrate both our b-days and then just RELAX. Oh yeah going to Twilight is postponed due to it being sold out. I was really looking forward to that! And Todd was even going to take me. Now tomorrow Rachel, Emily(Ben's wife), my MOM(who has no desire to read the series), and I are going to go. It will be a girl's night out. Sorry Todd!

Halloween a little late...

My dad was so silly this year. Natty would not even look at him. She was so scared. He is now in the hunt for a santa hat. I love him so much and it was so scary almost losing him last year. He had his last dose of kemo last week. His attitude on life is a little different now. The orange hat in the pic is the one the cancer center gave him. He wears it EVERYWHERE, even with his hair grown back. It is a little embarrasing.

Hunting for Brownee

Hunting season has been under way for a month now and I am patiently counting down the days till it's over. I do enjoy the pics that Todd takes, it really is beautiful where he goes, but he has been gone ALOT lately. Here is a pic of Brownee. She loves her job and does it well.

Today Todd is the BIG 30...Yikes!

I love ya lots Todd...you are my rock in so many ways.

Just another day in paradise!

Life seems to be so busy lately that I really don't have time to sit down and think. I am going crazy between babysitting, quilting class, scouts, my fitness, the kids fitness class, piano, homework, and soon basketball, not to mention keeping up the house. I never wanted to be one of those parents who puts their kids into every sport on the planet. I really would love MORE family time! Needless to say we a a wreak lately. My only sanity is at night when I lay down in bed and read. I don't care what is going on outside my room, it's my time to settle down and recharge my batteries. Morgen asked me the other night where HIS batteries are. I pointed to his head, it was really cute. Well I guess I should go, Todd is calling for his hair to be cut. I am also the beauty parlor!

well checks...shots...oh my

Today Natalee and Morgen had their well checks and I SURVIVED. Since I have not been in the office for SO long I was at the check in counter for 15 minutes updating. Meanwhile the kids are crawling under, over, and through the chairs. Mind you the chairs had people in them! Poor people! I can only guess what they were thinking. The receptionist thought it was all sorts of funny. She said they were just fine, I told her lets take a poll of what all the people in the room, whom they were annoying,thought. She laughed! So when we actually made it back to the room and it was hard to fill in all the questions of how each kid was progressing because Morgen would answer all Natty's questions so we didn't know if she actually did know the answers. And on his he wouldn't answer because he couldn't get his mind off "I'm so thirsty, I can't think" and "stop talking to me." After the "Your kids are so tall routine" we got down to the shots. Morgen kept getting off the table every time I put him on. Why on earth would the doctor give the bag of cookies out BEFORE the shots is a mystery to me. I really could have used it as a bargaining tool. So I opted for all that I did have- "Natty will go first and you get to stay here until you get them done." Boy did he jump on the table fast. So they lived and I survived. On the way out I was talking to myself saying, "Why on earth did I schedule two well checks filled with shots for the same time with two very active children. Believe me-Lesson Learned...or is it-I came home and scheduled 3 dentists appointments for the day after christmas! Wow-I am CRAZY!

Natty's time...

When all the kids are at school Natty gets a little bored. So today we attempted bread and it actually turned out, yeah me! It is so nice to get one on one with her!

Kids had fun in the snow

The kids had SO much fun in the snow, I however am not ready for this kind of weather. Fall is so unpredictable or is it just Idaho?

VOTE~VOTE~VOTE

This election is an important one, as they all are. Here is a few words of wisdom from my dad. PLEASE READ: Next month is the presidential election. Please vote! This election like many others has some key issue and many distractions from the key issue. This time the key issues are: abortion and homosexuals. Both of these challenge the commandments from God and violation of them will destroy our life, nation and world. Bringing the wrath of God upon one self is a choice we each make with our vote. All the other stuff, IE. economy, war, etc. are merely distractions from the real issues.

Be Grateful

I know it's not thanksgiving...but I really feel the need to express how grateful I am for my family and friends. Really guy's lately I have felt so blessed and I really don't think I deserve it. I guess this week when my cup was low, I had a few people really fill it back up. THANKS TO THEM!!! And to everyone... we may not know each other's trials, but the little things that you do or even say, really may help someone that you didn't know needed it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY...MORGEN & NATALEE

We are a little late on Natalee's birthday, so we decided to just combined hers with Morgen's. I know we are terrible, but I figure they will never know. So tonight after family home evening we are going to have a party for them. I had a lot of fun making these pages for them. Morgen does not really like pictures taken, he has to be in the mood. So I just followed him around for a minute. But Natalee was all for it. She was mostly being silly and I was just trying to keep up with all her different poses. I did not have enough room to even put them on the page.

I will be lucky to get him to go again...

An update on Morgen's first day of school. He handed me his stuff without a word and ran to his room and hid in the closet. Ahhhh~he was so sad and he did not want a hug. I needed one too because I missed him a lot! Oh well for me~he hates it and never wants to go back!!! He said he did not like the food, which was no surprise to me. He did not get into trouble, so he says. He said that he was just scared, so I hope that that is all it is. We will see if I can get him on the bus tomorrow! Wish me luck!!!

Morgen's first day of pre-school...a bitter sweet moment

Morgen was excited to go to school until he actually saw the little bus come up. Todd thought we were going to have to pick him up and put him on ourselves! I have to say that I was teary eyed as the bus pulled off and I can't wait for that darn bus to bring him back! I have enjoyed the break, but I am glad that I only have to go through this twice a week. It has been a bitter sweet moment for me. I hope that he is treated well. He really is a sweet boy. Todd called me a cry baby and I suppose he is right~but I know he was crying inside...he,he..."You know that it is true Todd."

Check it out...

Hi everyone~Check out my weight loss badge, I have lost 2 more pounds!!! I started exercising again and logging my cals again on My Fitness Pal. I was so happy. Now I just have to work get getting to 20 pounds gone and then I can really celebrate! Then I will be half way to my goal. Also today we went to the Youth Cultural Celebration. It was so good for our family to see it. I took pictures, but it is not the same as being there.

Dutch oven in the hills

Ariel, Emma, Emily, Audrey, and Kaylee having their girly time. We had sooo much fun with them. It's fun to get to know the girls personalities as they get older! FUN, FUN, FUN! That's all I can say!