December in Review

Well Christmas is over, and I always feel a little sad, because I love all the parties, shopping, music, service and giving leading up to Christmas. However, this year...not so much. I don't know if the older you get the more you stress about it or what, but I was definitely more stressed this Christmas than in years past. I swear during the last days leading up to it, I was going to Walmart twice a day!! I got to the point were I refused unless Spencer drove me to the entrance and waited in the Fire Zone with the kids. I do love Christmas though, no matter how dramatic I'm being, we had wonderful Christmas Season and here are some of the things we did in December. I apologize in advance this may be long...

At the beginning of December my parents took us to The Forgotten Carols, it is a family tradition and I grew up listening to the songs, so it is a lot of fun.



Earlier this month Gavin's Mom/tot class had a Christmas Party, well towards the end Gavin was getting super impatient. He decided he wanted a cookies NOW! Unfortunately we weren't at that station yet, so he had a tantrum and the picture below is him pushing on the gym mats which were separating parts of the gym, well you can guess what happened. Yes, he pushed it down, causing domino effect and knocking down two other mats!! Including the garland and decorations hanging on them. I seriously wanted to strangle the kid.
Here he is happy eating his dang cookie, standing next to him is his sweet friend Addie who is so calm and well -behaved, he needs to take some lessons from her.

Brookly performed the last day of school the song "Must be Santa" she did really good, (it's a reeaally long song!) She doesn't look thrilled in this pic, but she did great singing!

A few days before Christmas, Spencer had to travel to Moab for a job and work for a few days. He told me if and when it snowed I would have to get our 4-wheeler out and plow the snow, to which I replied "absolutely not!" But as the inches of snow grew taller and taller I realized there was no choice I had to at least try. So I did it! I was super nervous, I never really ride our 4-wheeler (by choice). I think I did okay.
Notice the huge barriers of snow blocking the trailers, fortunately Spencer fixed that when he came home, so he was able to get his dump trailer out ;)
We also were finally able to make our first snowman. Brooklyn was so disappointed in me because I didn't have a carrot for the nose or anything really for eyes and a mouth...I know how lame am I?
Christmas morning we finally woke our kids up around 9:15 because we couldn't wait any longer to see them open their presents!


Gavin got a tool bench and was on cloud nine, everyone knows Gavin is a sucker for tools!!!
Aaaah...even if they fight all the time I can still get them to take a convincing picture that says otherwise!

Lexi, Ams, Alyssa, Ash, Whit

Later to my Parent's house for dinner, this is all the girls but Leesh :( She had to wait for her bro-in-law calling from his mission.)

This picture says it all for Spence...looong day!

The day after Christmas we went with my Dad and Ry to the church and played a little ball. Gavin mostly like playing with the pump the whole time.

Well, that is some of what we did this month...

The "JOY" of Gift Giving

It is the Christmas season, and many of my neighbors have already brought us many delicious gifts this year. Of course, I always procrastinate and usually end up delivering mine on Christmas Eve. Christmas is one week away, and I am determined to get mine delivered before Christmas Eve. I would actually have to finish my gifts in order to deliver them, so, since it was a snowy blizzard today that's what I did. Here are the finished products:
I used my Quikcutz Silouette to make these. As Spencer would say, "it is all about the tools." I would definitely agree having the right tools make some things so much easier.

Snow Fun

This is totally staged, they aren't as loving as they appear!
But I love them anyway!

Today we woke up to snow! Which I am completely okay with considering Christmas is next week, and it just isn't the same without snow!
After I picked Brooklyn up from school the sun came out, and it was so beautiful. I've realized that it is going to be a looong winter cooped (sp?) up inside, and we need to take advantage of all the nice days we can. So, we got all bundled up and I promised Brooklyn I'd help her build a snowman. Sadly enough I have never done this with Brooklyn before, and she's five! Spencer is good that way and usually he does that stuff with the kids. I have to admit I'm kind of a baby when it comes to being cold, I just don't like it. Unfortunately the snow wasn't wet enough and was just really fluffy, so the snowman didn't work out however, we did build a big mound that Brooklyn called her snow castle. Which is pictured below, with her pretending she's a dragon by the swamp, guarding the castle, etc.(she's very imaginative...her teacher says she is really good at creative writing)

Building the snow castle

Snow angel :)

Happy Birthday Spence!

Today is Spencer's birthday, and though he doesn't really think birthdays are that big of deal, I do. This year has been a hard one for him since his accident. I witnessed a side of him I never thought there was. Spencer is a pretty tough guy, never really sheds a tear. His brother Stewart likes to tease him and say he has a "tin heart." However, the pain he endured this summer brought him to his breaking point. It made me realize how excruciating his pain really was. I realized how much I depend on him and how our little family missed having him run around with the kids. He really is the more fun one of the two of us. He is the one that will jump on the tramp with kids, or go down slides, he is such a great Dad, and we are so glad he has gotten so much better. Even though he has some more healing to do, it feels like he is back to normal. Thanks for all you do, we love you and hope you have a Happy Birthday!

Conversations with Gavin

Me: Gavin, you ready to say your prayers?
Gavin: No...I don't wike to.
Me: We need to say our prayers, Jesus like us to talk to him every night.
Gavin: I don't wike him.
Me: Him who?
Gavin: Jesus...I don't wike him.
Me: Why?
Gavin: Cause he don't wike me...cause he's hiddin' me (hitting)
Me: Hitting you? Where?
Gavin: cause he's hiddin' me at church mom.
Me: Jesus never hits anyone Gavin, did you know he is your big brother?
Gavin: No!....No Mom....No way!....Get outta here!
With conversations like this at age two I'm scared for the future, he has somewhat of an active imagination if you know what I mean.

Thanksgiving in Malta, Idaho

The Fam

Ry and Whit

Lex & Ash

As is tradition, my family spends every Thanksgiving at my Grandparent's ranch in Idaho. My Grandparents are actually serving a mission in Nauvoo, but Thanksgiving isn't the same as it is in Idaho, so we decided to spend the weekend there anyway, and of course it was a blast. We took our annual shopping trip to Twin Falls on Black Friday. We stopped in Burley first, and scored by getting a front row parking spot at Walmart, getting the stuff we wanted on the blitz in under 15 min, then checked out at the photo center, while the rest of the people there were in a ginormous line that wrapped around the first half of the store :) Then on to Twin where we spent the day shopping. So much fun! The rest of the weekend was spent having a huge movie and eating fest and enjoying each other's company. The boys had some fun paintballing and doing a little hunting. All in all a successful Thanksgiving vacay!

"i" tag

i am: avoiding all household responsibilities right now.
i know: I can't wait to leave town.
i want: it to be Thanksgiving already.
i have: one husband and two kids.
i hate: being stressed out ( which I am currently)
i miss: all the fall leaves that have fallen off the trees.
i feel: really tired
i hear: Dancing with the stars and the dishwasher going
i smell: bread that I baked today
i crave: anything sweet right now
i search: the web
i love: being with my family
i care: for my husband and kids
i always: put on chapstick as I crawl into bed
i believe: that a family that plays together stays together :)
i sing: "I'm going on a bear hunt" way to much, unfortunately this CD was lost Sat. night :S
i write: almost nothing, type everything especially on my Blackberry.
i lose: my keys almost everyday, I wish I could call them like I do my phone.
i win: Spencer in guitar hero
i never: want to move again
i listen: to my kids fight all the time
i am scared: of being jumped trying to get in my car when it is dark, bears and mt. lions when I'm hiking, and being hit by a vehicle while biking (wait that DID happen, hmm..maybe that's why I'm scared of it!)
i need: to pack, do laundry, grocery shop, vacuum, go to the bank, and many more things but I guess I'll just blog instead!
i am happy about: the holidays coming up and all the fun stuff we've planned!
i tag: anyone who wants to do this tag!

Disney on Ice

Last night we took the kids to Disney on Ice, they were celebrating 100 years. It was great because it was a little of everything, they did excerpts from several Disney stories like, Beauty and the Beast, Lion King, Pinocchio, Nemo etc. Brooklyn was totally enthralled the entire time, which did not surprise me. Gavin was good most of the time, but had to constantly be eating and wanted everyone else's toys around us. With twenty minutes to go he informed me "its over now."

Trip to AZ

Last week we went to Arizona for Spencer's family reunion. I was flying down, so I decided to leave early and visit my Aunt and cousins. The weather was beautiful and we even ate a few green oranges, which weren't half bad. My kids splashed a little in the pool, but it was pretty cold, so they never were totally submerged (except when Gavin fell in head first!!). Even though the water was cold, they thought it was pretty fun wading and splashing in it. My Mom had been having all these nightmares about the kids drowning in the pool, which was freaking me out. My Aunt has the doorknob outside at the top of the door, as a safety precaution for little ones. Within a few hours Gavin was showing Brooklyn how to scoot the chair over to the door so they could reach the doorknob and open it on their own, only Gavin is that mischevious to figure something like that out. Brooklyn would never had tried to figure a way out on her own.
Saturday was Spencer's family reunion, they had it at a park and rented a big bounce house for the kids, my kids loved it. For the everyone else they hired a company to do games, who did a great job and made it a lot of fun. Later that night we went to Spencer's cousin Kizzy's (Kristina) beautiful home, it truly was amazing! We watched BYU kick some butt and ate pizza. Thanks Kizzy for letting us bombard your house it was a lot of fun!
I also was able to attend my cousin Jake's fiance's bridal shower and cousin Matt's wife Rachel's baby shower. Talk about a productive weekend, I tell ya, it was great thanks to my Aunt Nan for putting up with my kids for five days, we owe you one!

9 Years and Counting!

This is a little late, but its been a little crazy this past week. On November 6th, Spencer and I celebrated our 9th anniversary. It was strange because on our anniversary, he was driving to Montana to hunt a buffalo, and I flew to Arizona for his family reunion and to visit some of my family. He flew out later and met us though, so that was good. I have to admit the first few years of marriage was rough, plain and simple. Sometimes I wasn't sure if we would be happy ten years down the road. I can honestly say that nine years later our marriage is so much better than I could have imagined. It takes hard work, and sometimes it still doesn't always work out, but I'm glad we've made it this far. I learned a lot about Spencer and about myself and its great to be doing this together. I love you Spence!

100 Things

100 Things to Do--55 out of 100...Things I've done and Been to. My answers are in Green.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band, doesn't rock band count?
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis, not on purpose!
10. Sang a solo, when no one was home.
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon (10k only)
28. Ridden in a gondola
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language, um...gibberish (sp?) Hello I can't even spell the name of the language I'm saying I learned?
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied, right now
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies...for someone else
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job, I was laid off, does that count?
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book, does Heritage Makers count :)
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Book of Mormon or Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit(going to court tomorrow at 11 am...joy)
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

I tag Whit & Leesh

Sugar Overload!!

My son just crashed due to a major sugar overload I'm sure. One, because he NEVER just falls asleep on the floor by himself. We have to do the daily 40 min drive just to get him to nap. Second, because I'm not even sure he has had anything but candy since Halloween! At first of course I tried to be a good mom and say he could only have so many pieces a day, but when he's already had that by 9 a.m. how am I supposed to deal with the nagging the rest of the day? I gave in. I figure the sooner its gone the better, thus the sugar crash...notice the scattered starburst wrappers.

Halloween Festivities

This weeks has been full of Halloween festivities. I love the cooler weather (usually), the leaves all over the streets, the Halloween decorations, carving pumpkins, all of it!

My cute little pirates!

On Monday we had our friends the Smarts over, they have three adorable girls, who are the same ages as our kids (two of ours at least), so it is pretty fun. We carved pumpkins and decorated sugar cookies. The kids didn't do much of the carving however, it ended up being mostly us adults doing that, but they turned out great. They did however enjoy decorating the cookies. Gavin got pretty wild there at the end with the girls, hopefully they aren't too traumatized by his stick whipping...

Gavin, Saige, Addison
On Friday Brooklyn and Gavin both had parties. I helped out in Brooklyn's class and it was a lot of fun, then the kids paraded around the school in their costumes.

Our Mom/Tot class also held a party that day at the PG Rec. which Gavin loved, because it was "his" party and of course because they had a huge blow-up slide. After that I was pretty tired, so we went home to rest up before the rest of the night.
Every Halloween we go to my mom's for dinner, she always makes yummy soup and bread bowls, so we went there for dinner, and then went to their trunk or treat.


Mom, Brooklyn, Alicia, Gavin

My bro Ryan and his wife Whitney dressed up as pirates, I thought they looked pretty great,

My baby sister Alyssa was an 80's chick, which isn't much of a stretch since it
seems like they are back! Scary.

After trunk or treat we decided to do a little trick or treating in our neighborhood, so we went with our friends the Smarts, it was pretty fun, but a lot more work with a two-year old. Then off to Spencer's sister Shellie's house to veg and visit. All in all it was a fun week and Halloween.

Oopsie Daisy!

Gavin just dropped a little container of scented oil, which is glass, off the counter onto the floor, I gasped and he replied: "Oopsie daisy!" Where did he learn that phrase? Who knows he comes up with some crazy phrases!

Planting Acorns

My parents live at the base of the foothills, and when they built their house twenty something years ago there was a ton of oak brush throughout the backyard. My mom wanted the excavator to remove all of it and he refused to, he said she would regret it. She ended up leaving it and it is my favorite part of their backyard. It is so beautiful all summer long, and even better in the fall when the colors change. I want my backyard to look that great someday, so, instead of transplanting from new growth in my parents backyard, my kids collecting hundred of acorns and we planted them! We will probably be really lucky if any of them sprout, but the kids loved collecting them and planting them anyway.

Cascade Springs

I really love the fall, it is probably my favorite season, if only it were a little longer! I love all the beautiful colors of the leaves, our neighbor down the street has a huge Fiery Maple Tree that is bright read and so pretty. This past weekend we headed up to Cascade Springs to enjoy the beautiful weather. I have not been up there since I was a child, but I remember actually drinking the water, since it is a spring and thinking that it was so amazing that it was actually safe to drink from a outside source of water. When we got there we parked on the upper trail so we could take a longer walk. Two steps down the path Gavin says "I tired" and wants to be held! Where did all the energy he usually has go all of the sudden? I was mystified. Anyway, Spencer humored him and carried him on his shoulders. It was so much fun just being with my husband and kids enjoying the scenery, it was a great day, and I got some fun pictures as well!

Mr. GQ

How neat is this new growth below the fire-burned trees?

Brooklyn, always good for a cheese!