How another year is over. Looking back I really have to say 2010 was much better than 2007, 2008 and 2009...those were some interesting years. I'd happy to be able to say that I think I've been taught a few lessons over the last few years and hope to not have to repeat them. I love the new year time. It's like a re-birth a time to start anew. I love making new goals and looking back to see what goals were accomplished over the past year.

I've been thinking lately about what goals I want to set this year and that maybe I'll pick a theme that I want for myself or my family. Some word or phrase that will describe what we want accomplished by the end of the year.

Thanks to P90X and Mr. Tony Horton I'm happy to say that 2011 will be the first year in the last several years that "loose weight" won't top my list...although I think I've put on a few extra over the holiday season but I know how to get that off. I'm thankful I was able to workout almost everyday of my six day a week workout program. I feel like I really accomplished something and it feels great to have started a program, stuck with it and to see the end results.

And I am VERY thankful that the year has come to a close with this Blog. I know I will enjoy putting our year into a printed book and read the memories but I am ready to take a break and not post every single day (or almost every single day). There was a lot of details, feelings and emotions I left out or kept to myself but I still feel like I made our lives known to the public and I'm ready to be a little more private. I haven't decided how often I will post next year. Still thinking on that one.

2010...you were good to us. Thank you. Thank you for a break from some hard years. Thank you for the memories.

And now I am listening to lovely fireworks...I think I liked it better when the state banned them. They almost sound like gun shots. Lovely.

Today it snowed in Phoenix. That's not something you see everyday. It's crazy to be on the freeway and look out and see snowed capped mountains. Now I feel like singing Bette Midler's song "From a Distance" you know the line that says "...and the snow capped mountains white..." Anyhow the boys were defiantly excited to see snow. And it was literally freezing today. Yes, freezing. I was thankful to be reminded how being out in the elements can make you frigid. Like bone cold. I defiantly will take my hot summers over long, freezing cold winters. A day or two in the snow is fun but anymore of that just isn't for me. Plus I think I would put on 20 pounds each winter in the cold from drinking QT hot chocolate. That is good stuff.

We had pictures with all the cousins on Pops' side today. And despite being outside in the frigid air it went pretty well considering there were nine kids and Buster was the oldest of the group.

I told Pops it's date time again. You know, just the two of us. Ahhh, the thought makes me smile.

I've got a ton of pictures to download from the camera...I just never want to take the time to do it and then they get backed up and then it just takes more time...its like a never ending circle.

Today we did tons of laundry...and watched a movie. Pops was supposed to work a half day but it didn't quite happen. The boys and I had fun at a birthday party this morning until it turned frigid then we headed home. They picked up the playroom and vacuumed it. I was able to de-junk it a little again without them realizing what I was doing. They helped sort laundry and folded a little. Crate cried most the day because he wanted to go outside, however the grass outback is more like a swamp from all the rain so I wouldn't let him out. He did not like that at all.

Tonight I took the boys shoe shopping. I was tired of buying cheap shoes and having them fall apart in the first 30 days. I've never splurged on shoes for them. My neighbor always gives me her one sons clothes and shoes so I've always just used those. This last time she gave me Nike shoes that fit Buster and he has worn them every single day for four months and they are just now starting to shred. And he is REALLY hard on his shoes. So I was convinced to spend a little more and get each of them a decent pair of shoes. Luckily Famous Footwear was having their buy on get on half off sale so it worked out perfect. And each pair of shoes I bought was on sale. I'm hoping they'll last a REALLY long time. Now if I can just get Boss to wear tennis shoes...he only prefers flip flops and even wore them all day today...it's only 50 degrees and rainy. I was proud of myself that I didn't even walk to my side of the store and look for shoes for myself. Pops would have been proud too. :)

Speaking of Boss I have to say he likes to talk A LOT. And sometimes I want to shut off my ears. He's a fun boy but always has something to say or a question to ask. Oh man...and when he was little I was so worried about him not talking, he was in speech therapy for a year. I guess I shouldn't have been so concerned. Either that, or the speech therapy REALLY payed off!

Can't believe the year is almost over.

It's been a busy few days. Lots of family and lots of activities.

Today it was just me and the boys and some perfect weather. We decided to pack a lunch, load the truck with bikes and the stroller and head to a park we had never been to in Tempe. Three hours of hanging out together in the perfect 65 degree air made for a blissful afternoon. The boys got tons of exercise from riding all around. Crate enjoyed being outside as always and we played "Monkey in the Middle" with the Frisbee. If life could be like this everyday I think it would be heaven.

Tonight we had a family movie night and all hung out here on the couch. I love when there are no meetings, no school in the morning, no obligations and everyone is in a good mood. It makes for a great night. Now it's bed time...we'll see how easily this goes...

almost midnight must post

There is just something magical about Christmas morning. I think it's a combination of the excitement from the kids, the anticipation of the big day and the sweet spirit that comes from knowing why we celebrate.

Santa did indeed visit the boys and they were thrilled with their Star Wars the Clone Wars sheets and comforters they found on their beds. I swore my children would never have character type bedding but alas their desire out won mine. They were much more thrilled with the Santa gift than I had expected. Who new new bedding good be so cool?
Santa also delivered a "Xbox kinect"...let's just say it's been a really fun afternoon for the whole family and my arms will be really sore in the morning. But I still remain undefeated in boxing...even Pops can't beat me.

We had a fun filled afternoon hanging out together as a family. I made waffles, bacon and oranges for breakfast. They boys were thrilled to have bacon...it only comes around a few times a year.

More family over tonight which is always fun, a little chaotic but fun.

Now it's time to relax with Pops and enjoy a quiet evening.

Until next year...Merry Christmas.

The Eve of the big day.

Santa has come...stockings are hung and the boys are fast asleep. They were pretty excited for tomorrow.

I know people have lots of opinions about Christmas and Santa and the way it should be celebrated. We have our opinions too...I'm always excited for this time of year and try to keep a good balance between keeping the spirit of Christmas in the home and letting the excitement of Santa happen also.

Tonight in between our two family Christmas parties just our little family did our traditional service project and helped out with Christmas for another family. They were surprised and thrilled and found much joy in our giving. However I think we found more joy from the little adventure. And Buster and Boss were actually really good helpers at wrapping the gifts. I hope by doing this each year the boys remember the good feelings they get from giving and continue on the tradition with their own families. Some years were able to provide a bit more than other years but it always ends up that we get much more out of it than we give.

Our other tradition each Christmas eve is that they get to open one present which they are quickly catching on to...it's always pajamas. They were pretty excited with their pajamas this year. Thankfully. Then they get to make a bed in our room on the floor and we all sleep in one room. Tomorrow when they wake up we'll stay in our room, read Luke 2, have a family prayer and then head out to the Christmas tree together to see what Santa brought. It's always so exciting to see their faces. I'm glad Santa comes to our house...I think it's a part of childhood. It's memories. It's an exciting day.

I do have to say when you think about Santa and Christ you'll find they desire the same thing...that is to give. To think of others, not themselves. I like the fact that they go hand in hand. They offer us gifts, some tangible and some spiritual and expect nothing in return. They offer love, and a listening ear. They create miracles and bring hope. They brighten up the world around us. And all we're asked to do is believe. I believe in Christ. And I believe in the idea of Santa.

What a wonderful time of year.

Merry Christmas!

More family parties today.

Uncle Travis got his mission call to Paraguay today.

The boys both got to be wise men in the nativity scene with their cousins. I got some cute pictures.

Crate is becoming more and more independent each day. Lucky us.

Pops didn't go to the office today. That was nice.

I received a popcorn popper from my mother today for Christmas...I'm excited to use it.

I hope the boys don't have a breakdown from lack of sleep or too much sugar.

Christmas Eve is tomorrow! I think we're all excited around here!

Today marks Pops and mine 12th anniversary of our first date. I'll never forget it...Streets of New York for dinner then back to his place for a hockey game. We both checked each others drivers license during dinner because we both thought the other was older than we actually were. He thought I was older than 18 and I thought he was WAY older than 21. It was a fun night and look where it lead 12 years later.

The family holiday fun is just beginning...more parties all week long.

We love coming home to find treats on our door step...but it means an extra workout if I'm not careful.

Looking forward to my bed tonight.

Well, you guessed it. Today was laundry day. And it has taken all day. It's 5:39pm and I'm still in my pajamas, I'm not sure if I've even brushed my teeth yet. However I will head off the the shower as soon as I'm done here. The boys had a day to themselves...they watched a movie, watched TV, played outside, jumped on the beds and who knows what else they did. They were entertained and happy cause I didn't ask them to do one chore today. Crate was easy as always...just followed his brothers around and loved it when they took him outside to play. If I would allow it I'm pretty sure he'd move his crib out there. He's says "side" now for outside and stands and knocks on the back door to go out.

I think Crate and I have the same sickness. We're coughing and have runny noises. I keep hoping it'll pass really soon.

The total count of laundry so far is 12 loads. And I still have one more for today.

I finished EVERYTHING for Christmas...if I can recall correctly I do not have one more thing to finish up or wrap. Wait I take that back, I just saw one project I need to finish but that should only take 5 minutes. Other than that it's done. Now I just needed to cook a few things tomorrow and all will be well.

I got the Christmas cards I ordered in the mail today! They came really fast. Hopefully I'll get around to sending them out before December of 2011!

Time to hit the showers.

Ran a lot of errands. Boys were good. Stores were busy. Tomorrow will be a laundry day. And I think it will take all day.

Early morning meetings with the boys..that didn't go well. Hopefully that's the last time that will happen. Had to be have all the boys and myself dressed for church and out the door by 7:15am. Not fun.

Awesome Christmas program at church.

Young Women's lesson went great.

Buster did very well playing the bells in church and at the Stake Christmas program tonight. Marmie came to watch along with Uncle Travis and Aunt Abby. He was very excited to have everyone there.

Not a bad Sunday...

Only one week until the big day arrives. The boys are defiantly getting excited and I'll admit it...I am too. Christmas cards are starting to arrive in the mail...I always feel guilty when this happens because ours aren't sent out yet and to be honest I'm not sure they will be sent out. I will do my best though.

I've felt pretty crummy all day today. I took a shower but never got to putting on the make up. Pops was so kind and took the boys out for several hours to run errands with him while I stayed home with Crate. I finished putting the finishing touches on the presents for the Young Women (we decided to add one more thing to it) and I finished the rest of the homemade Christmas presents. Now all I have to do is wrap them. Then I laid down and literally, right as I was about to dose off I hear Crate. I was really hoping he'd take another four hour nap but not today. He only lasted and hour. Oh well. Although we did have a lovely afternoon together. I pushed him on the swing out back, took him for a walk...I think he really likes the MC Hammer songs on my itouch. We played trucks and just hung out together. I thought back to those days seven years ago when it was only one child and I remembered how easy it was. Only one child to feed, clean up after, listen to cry. Oh, the memories. I was happy when the boys came back, not necessarily when the noise came back but you can't have one without the other.

Pops bought me a bunch of vitamin C and zinc. We have our big Christmas lesson in Young Women's tomorrow so I can't be sick. Not to mention it's vacation...and I refuse to spend it feeling bad. I will not be sick, I will not be sick, I will not be sick...

For some odd reason I can't write on this Blog if Pops is standing over my shoulder. I don't want him to see what I am writing...it's almost like he's reading my mind and I don't want him to. I know he can look for himself later what I wrote but I just get nervous when he's watching live. I just kicked him away from me for a few moments. Hopefully he doesn't take it personally.

So much for sleeping in...I woke up at 5:30am and was bound and determined to get a major workout in without being interrupted. I got a good hour in and the last half hour had only minor interruptions. From that point on the day didn't stop.

I got packages mailed out today. Huge major blessing to walk into the incredibly tiny "hometown" post office with three kids and not have one person in line. I was sooo thankful.

Baked and then baked some more. The only way this was possible was the fact that Crate (14 months old) took a four hour nap. H.E.L.L.O. can this happen every day please?

The boys had a friend over. When I delivered treats to the neighbor I felt like apologizing for all the ruckus this afternoon. I'll admit it. I knew they were WAY to loud outside but frankly...I didn't care. I was on a mission to get things done and they were happy so why fix something that's not broke? I can't imagine what my neighbor thinks of me. She probably thinks I the biggest white trash lady with all the crying kids and babies that locks them outside so I don't have to hear them. I'll admit...there might be a slight bit of truth to that. It probably didn't help that she saw and heard the boys friend that was over playing saying he was going to pee and see how far it can shoot as he was standing on top of the six foot block fence looking into her yard. Sad part is I'm sure she thought that was my kid. Lovely.

Tonight I worked on some more Christmas presents. I wasn't going to do them this year but I had all the stuff so I got it done. I'm REALLY glad there done. Now I just have to wrap them.

I thought I had kicked the "not feeling well" feeling but it's coming back. Time for bed.

YES!!! No more school for two weeks which means two glorious things:
1. No schedule but our very own!
2. No extra children!

We had an awesome family fun night tonight to kick off the break. We picked up Pops and headed over to Tempe Marketplace where we met up with the cousins and had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen then finished up just in time to walk outside and see the "snow" that falls every night for a few minutes. The cousins ended up playing around and having a blast together that we let them play while we hung out for an hour and stayed for the next snow fall. The boys were very tired and sweating by the time the night was over. However I was in my coat and had gloves on and enjoyed the light rain fall and cooler temps. And if I had thought to take the camera I would have some really great pictures to post...but at last I am only human. Shocker, I know.

I can't believe we're this close to Christmas...it's always comes way to fast and goes way to fast.

On another note...Boss' new favorite snack or meal is boiled eggs. I fixed some the other day and every time he is hungry that's what he asks for. Funny thing is that he likes them with no salt and he only likes the egg whites, not the yoke. Pretty nasty if you ask me, but I figure it's a pretty darn healthy snack.

And Buster declared last night that he only likes the kind of chicken that comes from a chicken. He doesn't like the turkey that comes from a chicken for the roast beef from a chicken. Only the chicken from a chicken. I guess we need to 1. stop calling very type of meat we serve "chicken" just so they'll eat it. and 2.Go over the food chain again and discuss what type of animal gives us what type of meat.

Big miracles come in crazy ways...

Last night after I laid my very sleepy head down the phone rang rather late...like 11pm. It was a friend who needed help right away. On my way to her house I heard the sirens of the fire truck...needless to say I was more than happy to help out last night but pretty tired throughout the day today. By 2pm I could have crashed but I needed to get to three different places before 4:30pm so I could get home and get dinner done and cleaned up by 6pm so I could get the boys in the bath and pj's on and scriptures read before the youth started arriving at 7pm for mutual. One of those places included Costco, which for the record, my boys HATE going to. Still can't figure out why on that one. Anyhow, just as I was about to leave to get Buster from school and head out on our errands my friend calls and invites Buster and Boss over to play with her two boys. This was such a HUGE blessing. I was able to get to Costco and do my other errands and stop by and get Pops' Christmas gift with only Crate in tow. The afternoon went smoothly, I wasn't frazzled, the boys had a blast playing and I got everything done in time and dinner made and cleaned up by 6pm. I felt like the Lord blessed me with energy despite shorter sleep and not feeling 100% still and blessed me by the invitation from a friend to take the boys. Normally I can handle my three children just fine but every once in a while it's nice to get things done with just one.

On another note...tonight for YW's we wanted to do a service project that could benefit the entire ward. The idea the girls came up with was to have ward members drop off a basket or box with gifts for their family members and wrapping paper and we would be the ones to wrap the gifts! It went pretty well...we all stayed busy and got the gifts wrapped and back to the families by the end of the night. I hope we were able to take a load off moms and dads shoulders and in doing so the girls got to hang out together and chat and have a fun time. Hopefully they learned how to nicely wrap presents too!

Now I must be off to slumber land.

What does one do when they don't feel good?

~Have extra children for most the day.
~Do a MAJOR grocery shopping trip with two one year olds and a four year old.
~Clean out and organize the pantry.
~Go visiting teaching
~Take the boys on a bike ride
~Wrap gifts
~Stay up way to late
~Clean out and organize the fridge
~Fix a really good chicken and roasted potatoes for dinner
~Bathe the children
~Have a husband leave for work at 8am and come home at 7:53pm.
~Do the dishes
~Read scriptures with children
~And change A LOT of stinky diapers.

What did one NOT do today?
~Laundry
~Clean up the entire bag of beans spilled by one red-headed child. (yes, they are still scattered ALL over the kitchen floor...raw, black beans. It's a lovely sight.)
~Pull weeds (it's getting to be like a jungle out back)
~take children visiting teaching. (Is it OK to leave children with a 9 year old? Luckily it worked today)
~Sleep
~Get Pops his present. (I didn't have enough energy to tackle more stores than the grocery store.)
~Rest
~Take a shower
~Make my bed
~Fix more than just one side for dinner. (I wanted to do a spinach salad too...but it just didn't happen.)
~Finish making the Christmas presents.

I hope tomorrow I can feel better. It's no fun being sick...life still must go on.

What happens when a fourteen month old gets a hold of confetti?

Three days later you're still picking up pieces of it all around the house. I guess the good part to this is that they are tiny silver stars so it's like we have "stars of Christmas" all round the floor. Lucky us.

I went to make spaghetti for dinner tonight and I was all out of jarred spaghetti sauce. Luckily I had enough tomatoes that needed to be used up so I improvised and with some fresh tomatoes and lots of mixed dry seasonings I made a pretty darn good sauce.

I think Crate and I both might be coming down with something. Hopefully we can both have a good nights rest and kick it out of our systems by morning.

If I could call in sick tomorrow I would...that's one thing I miss about having a job outside the home...sick days and you can still take your kids to the sitter and have the whole day to yourself. But once again, I wouldn't trade this career for anything.

Can it seriously be about the middle of December and at 3pm in the afternoon I'm outside sweating while playing with the boys? Hello, where did this 83 degrees come from?

If I feel like this in the morning I might have to skip my workout. That bites. I hope I'm not grouchy all day because of it.

Buster whispered to Pops tonight that they need to go Christmas shopping for me. Needless to say I put a bug in Busters ear of what they should look for. I like the fact that Buster feels like it's a tradition now for Pops to take him and Boss out shopping for me for Christmas...I hope this tradition always continues :)

So much for Sunday being a "day of rest." Today the day went something like this:
Church at 9am, hung around for an extra hour so we could do tithing settlement at 1pm.
Presidency meeting at 2pm. Buster had bell practice at 2:30pm. 3:45pm presidency meeting over. 3:50pm pick up Buster 4pm start dinner. 5:15pm Pops leaves for AP/YW meeting. 6:15pm meet Pops at church and switch cars and stay at church with Buster for the "It's great to be eight" night. 6:30pm Pops gets home and hosts the Zion's Camp meeting here at our house. 7:40 I get home with Buster. 8:30pm Pops' meeting is done and the boys are in bed. Now it's time for the real "Sunday rest"...I think Pops and I might watch a movie. I give myself 30 minutes before I fall asleep.

Only four more days until school is out for winter break! That means parties and late nights with the boys. Hopefully a little sleeping in too.

Crazy computer was having issues last night so I couldn't post until today.
Speaking of today it's starting out just lovely...Crate woke up at 6:10am after going to bed at 10pm. The two older boys woke up at 6:45am after going to bed at 10:30pm. I made waffles for breakfast and Crate dumped his syrup-filled plate on the floor and it's still sitting upside down on the tile with waffle pieces surrounding it. Pops was supposed to have the day off until yesterday afternoon when clients wanted to see houses today. I woke up feeling under the weather and we're all tired. But I do have the annual friends Christmas party to look forward to tonight! I booked the babysitter almost three weeks ago and can't wait for a fun night!

Pops was invited at the last minute to go with the boy scouts to the Suns game last night and was able to Buster and Boss. They were sooo excited and thought it was cool to hang out with all the scouts. They even got to get in a few hours early and watch the players warm up. Boss was especially excited to be able to go and hang with the big kids. As for Crate and I? We got to go help Marmie move more. All I have to say is that Crate was perfect. Not a cry or whine from the boy. And we were there for five hours. He just played around with whatever he could find. Had a smile on his face and fell asleep 5 minutes after getting in the car 2.5 hours past his bedtime without making a sound. I LOVE his easy going personality.

Long day...didn't go as planned. Missed the enrichment I wanted to attend tonight. Busy afternoon. Ready for bed.

My house is almost clean. I did get up this morning and have been going all day. The best part was listening to my play list at 5am and rocking out to a little AC/DC and Vanilla Ice while cleaning the kitchen and the rest of the house was quiet. The even better part was waking up to see a chunk of the "picking up" part of cleaning up already done. Spouse did it last night after I went to bed. I told him that is the greatest Christmas present ever...and a present he could give all year long. I don't think that made him too excited.

Tonight we took the young women and young men to the temple lights. Note to self...if your between the ages of 12-18 and looking to meet people of the opposite gender that is the place to go on a Wednesday night! If your older than that...STAY AWAY on mutual night. Holy cow it was busy but I think the youth had fun and that's all that matters.

I wanted to get a few Christmas presents wrapped tonight but I still gotta read scriptures and it's getting late. Hopefully I can get to it tomorrow night.

I told Pops it's time for a date again...

My plan was to clean the house tonight after the boys went to bed.
My new plan is to go to bed now and clean at 4am tomorrow morning before the boys wake up.

A couple of the YW were in there school band/choir concert and they invited me to come listen to them. I was more than happy to go and really glad to be invited. The boys liked coming along too and sat pretty darn quiet for the most part.

Pops got to go on splits with the missionaries tonight...I think he was excited to go.

Dinner swap saved us from purchasing crap food tonight. Love dinner swap.

I got to reading a few past posts the other night and really liken remembering what took place over the last year. Part of me wants to continue to post every day and the other part of me longs for some privacy. I guess come January we'll see which part of me wins the fight...

Pops surprised us and got home shortly after 5pm so he could get the Christmas lights on the house tonight. The boys loved being able to help him and they also loved climbing up the ladder. I didn't want to watch that part so I came in the house with Crate. We had FHE together and then did one of our family traditions of lying under the Christmas tree looking up to the top and talking about our favorite parts of Christmas. Of course, Boss pretended that the lights were missals...not surprising. He had all the sound effects to go along with it.

Poor Crate still has a major red rear-end. So red in fact that it's bleeding. I feel bad for that little guy. One nice thing about Crate is that 90% of the time when I go to lay him down for a nap or for the night he lunges for his crib and then once I lay him down he waves and says "bye, bye." The kid loves to go to bed, he must be like his mother in that regard.

Buster stayed home from school today. We needed to help Marmie pack some more so I took the three boys and our little girl friend with me to help out. Four kids while packing could have been a disaster but they actually did pretty well and I think considering, a lot got done.

We got a sneak peak of some of the family pictures that were taken. I have to say I LOVE them so far! Can't wait to see the rest.







I love this one of the boys...


And Crate just melts my heart.


Since we have pictures now we MIGHT...and key word is "might," get around to doing Christmas cards this year. We'll see...

And if you're looking for awesome photographers I'll give you the contact number for Aaron and Shanan Durda, they are awesome!

We had Pops at church with us for the entire block today, it was so nice. He took Crate out when he got restless...I could get used to this!

Family pics got done today. I can't wait to see them!

Hung out with some friends and watched the First Presidency Christmas devotional tonight. It was fun to hang with them. I miss having them in our ward.

Poor Crate has something going on in his body...his diapers have been pretty bad today. OK...diapers are the only thing I can think writing about. It must be time for bed for me.

Why does Crate and Boss have bruises on their faces right when we're about to have our family pictures taken? This should make for lovely memories.

Found killer deals at Macy's today. Needed to return some items and found $89 jeans for $9.99 and a sweet coat that was regularly $100 I got for $20. Then I had a 25% off coupon. I was super excited. I now have more than one pair of jeans...it's about time. And it's killer to find the prefect jean. I wouldn't call these perfect but for 10 bucks they'll work great.

Ward Christmas party was tonight, a big success as usual. Buster got to be a Shepard in the manger scene...which he was actually excited to do.

We went to the Poinsettia festival today...I think we're good to not visit it again for 10 years.

We were happy that Pops spent a chunk of the afternoon with us, he did have to work this morning and in the evening but it was nice having him hang out with us in the afternoon. We all like to have him around.

Pops was off to basketball before the sun rose and the boys all slept in til 8am. That was a Christmas miracle! I stayed in bed until they came in the room and then we hung out in bed for a little while this morning. It's been a long time since I stayed in bed that late and I have to admit I really enjoyed it. I am looking forward to a little later start time for church so I can do that more often.

Went to bed way to late last night...like midnight. I stayed up and watched the ASU/U of A football game with Pops. Then got up to exercise and by the time I picked up Buster from school it had caught up to me. Luckily Crate was ready for a nap too so we both went down while the the two older boys played a video game. All of us at our favorite spots, perfect.

Then I braved a trip to Wal-Mart at 5pm with the boys...those workers on the Wal-mart advertisements must be good actors because the workers at our store aren't necessarily like that. We picked up a Christmas movie at Redbox and we're going to have a mother-sons date night since Pops is out working late tonight.

I think it's safe to say that if I took a nap every afternoon and I would be a new mother...I should some how fit that into the schedule...

The Christmas stuff is up. Except the lights for the outside of the house. Hopefully those will go up soon. The boys decorated the tree. Not exactly my idea of a Martha Stewart tree but they had fun doing it. Of course the bottom 24 inches are empty so Crate can't destroy anything. It's fun to have everything up.

We played outside a lot today. Crate would live outside if I let him. He hates when it's time to come inside.

Tried a new marinade for the chicken for dinner tonight. Everyone loved it except me. I was hoping it had more of a kick to it. Oh well.

Boss got Tabasco sauce in his mouth today for yelling. I haven't had to give that to him for about a year. I felt bad doing it but he knows better than to yell like he did. He cried and cried but I think he learned his lesson. It's sad to have to discipline the boys but I know it's for there good. Yelling in the house is one thing I cannot handle. It drives me crazy. Hopefully it won't happen again for a long time.

Our YW's progressive dinner was a success. This is the third year in a row we've done this. I wonder if the tradition will continue on when I'm released, the girls seem to really like it!

We have absolutely nothing "Christmas" up yet. I told Pops that everything is going up tomorrow with or without him here. If tomorrow ends up being like the last several nights, it will be without him. I just hope I am strong enough to move the Christmas tree into the house by myself. I'm confident I can get the lights on the house by myself.

I just heard an odd noise and when I went to see what it was I found Buster peeing in the hall closet. Gross...this is not one of those "fun" parenting moments. He is obviously asleep cause when I asked him what he's doing he replied "the people making the movie asked me to help them write some parts for it." What the heck is he dreaming? Our suitcases now smell like pee and Pops isn't going to be to happy to come home and see that Buster peed on our emergency light and radio. The closet door is right next to the bathroom door so I'm sure it didn't even click with him what he was doing. This is disgusting to clean up. I think I would have preferred for him to pee his bed.

I love taking the kids to the park and being there all of five minutes and hearing older kids use language that only sailors use. It's just wonderful and makes me want to return to the park real soon. Grrrrr......

Crate now says "Hi" as plain as day and waves his hand and says "bye, bye." Although when it comes out it sounds like "buh, buh." He's really into turning the light switches on and off and will push a chair to any light switch and try to stand on the chair to reach the switches to play with them. He can almost say "light." Man, he's growing up way to fast.

The boys declared they want a puppy for Christmas. I told them that wasn't going to happen. Buster then proceeds to tell me "fine, I'll just ask Santa for it." To which I replied, "I'll tell Santa not to get it for you." He didn't like that answer. I'm glad Santa and I are on a first names basis.

I have a post in my head about motherhood.

I think my brain is to tired to write it all tonight. All I know is I couldn't fall asleep last night because I was so excited that I was able to pull out Buster's tooth. You see, his front tooth has been hanging by a thread (literally) for about two months now. It wasn't the most attractive thing but he refused to let me touch it. Last night while he was sleeping I pulled it out with the pliers and he didn't even wake up. Heck, it didn't even bleed. Anyhow, crazy how that is where my life is at right now, that my sons tooth would give me so much excitement. Or the fact that I finished all the laundry today folded it and put it away...that made for feeling extremely accomplished today. Back in the day I would have never associated clean laundry with feeling accomplished. Or the fact that I would love a good blender for Christmas. Who would have ever thought that something so practical as a blender could bring such great joy to a woman. Those are just my beginning thoughts on motherhood. It's crazy how much your life can change and how your priorities change. But, I'm literally living the life I always envisioned I would live. The life of family.

My counselors and I started and finished the Christmas presents for the young women. They turned out really good. I think they'll like them.

Fixed the herb roasted chicken with baked potatoes for dinner tonight. That's defiantly a family favorite and easy. Here's the recipe if you're looking to make something new.

1 Chicken cut in half or 4-5 chicken breast halves or legs or thighs.
4 Tablespoons butter, melted (I use two and it works fine)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Arrange chicken skin side up in a roasting pan.
Combine remaining ingredients and mix well.
Brush chicken with the butter mixture.
Roast until juices run clear, about 20 minutes.
Broil 6 inches from heat for 3 minutes.
(Serves 4-5)

Pops had another late night with work. I'm thankful he's always willing to put in the time it takes to support the family. I do have to say the boys always are sad when they have to go to bed without seeing Pops. They pretty much worship the ground he walks on. It's sweet to watch. I wonder how long it'll last.

OK, lets just remind ourselves that we had several very late nights over the long weekend and played really hard and we're all, including myself, very tired.

To the Costco employees: Please excuse my children's behavior while shopping. I have no excuses.

To the YW: Please excuse my thoughts while picking up the food for our progressive dinner on Wednesday with three tired boys. I love you all.

To my husband: Sorry. I'm tired.

To the lady at the dry cleaners: Please learn to speak English. Since we do live in America, your customers would like to be able to communicate with you. It makes doing business much easier. Heck, you might even get more customers to help grow your business.

To the neighbor boy: One day I'll let me boys play, today it was all about chores.

To the piano teacher: Ummm yeah, we kind of took a break from practicing. Sorry.

To my mattress: I can't wait to feel you tonight!

I canceled FHE for the night. I repented and we ended up having a very short lesson. Pops got home right after we started. I was thankful to have him here...he put the boys to bed.

And to top the night off..dinner was...ummm....not the best. I love when the meal ends up being a waste of time and money! I knew I should have done the Papa Johns deal of the day...8 bucks for a large pizza, not bad.

Well, Pops wasn't able to make it to church with us again, he was doing his visits and meetings with the ward he's assigned to and Crate was a typical 13 month old at church. Once again much more time was spent in the hallways than anywhere else except for the part where he fell asleep in YW's. That was a nice change. No reason to complain...it's all apart of the game called parenthood. Church in the hallways is something that happens to pretty much every mother I know from about 9 months until nursery age. He loves roaming the hallways and discovering what's behind every door...usually just chairs and a chalk board. Somehow he finds that incredibly exciting. I thought the other three boys were sitting quietly during sacrament meeting until I peeked in on them and saw one of the older teenage boys sitting with them...I guess there was a problem over the cheerios. I reminded them again that the cheerios are ONLY for Crate and shouldn't have even been taken out of the bag in the first place. I was thankful that sacrament meeting was pretty empty today...less people to watch my children argue. That's embarrassing.

We went to the cousins for my side of the family Thanksgiving get together since we weren't together at all on Thanksgiving day. I think I've eaten enough for a long time...like until tomorrow morning when I wake up hungry. I'm thinking it's time to tape my lips shut for a month. It'll do good in more ways than one.

Oh, how I don't want this weekend to end. It's been a good one. I love when days are different from the normal stuff.

Wow...we left the house at 9:30am and got home at 7pm. That makes for a long day.

Pops left in the wee hours of the morning for a game of golf and then needed to work in the afternoon so I decided to take the boys to the mall and get Pops' Christmas present. I was a little apprehensive to take all three of them on a weekend like this by myself but I have to say...THEY DID AWESOME! I bribed them with buying them pretzels and playing at the play place if they were good in the store and it worked. I was able to look around with out them running around, they stayed right by me and were cooperative. Of course Boss did a little too much kissing on Crate so he let out a few high-pitched squeels letting all of us know he wanted Boss off of him but other than that everyone was happy. I attribute it to the fact that we went early in the morning before any of them needed a nap.

After the mall we headed over to Marmies house to help her pack again. The boys even helped out a little too. Then we got a call from the cousins who said they were going to see Tangled and invited us along. Of course Crate wouldn't sit through a 90 minute movie so I dropped off the boys at the theater with the cousins and headed to the grocery store while they watched the movie. Once it was over I headed back to pick them up and was lucky enough :) to have cousin Captin come home with us to spend the night. The boys love having him over and once we got home it was non-stop playing.

We made a quick stop at Home Depot to pick up the necessary items for the YW's Christmas presents had dinner, baths, played mean nanna and now the three oldest boys are fast asleep in the fort that was built last week. Poor Crate was so tired he walked into his bedroom and stood at his crib wanting to get in. I love the fact that he goes to bed easily for the most part. It makes bedtime easy.

Another blessed Sunday tomorrow with four boys. Pops is hoping to be there but we shall see.

Ahhh, Black Friday. For almost twelve years I've begged Pops to head out early on black Friday and search great deals with me but it's never happened until today! I was shocked on Wednesday when he suggested that I should find a sitter and we should go out, not to early of course, and check out the deals. Sure enough I found a sitter on the first try and about 8:15 this morning we headed out. Thanks to Craig's list I had already gotten the boys there main present (Star Wars Lego stuff) but we thought we would go see what else is out there. I took cash only (knowing myself I can go overboard sometimes) and got two boxes of Lego's that were super cheap for the boys and a few fun little toys for Crate. I also picked up some long sleeved t-shirts for the boys. I know they'll be really excited because they have Star Wars characters on them and I usually refuse to by screen print tee's. I love Christmas time, especially with kids, it's so fun to see their eyes light up in the spirit of giving. Pops was looking for a specific video camera but it wasn't quite as inexpensive as he had hoped so we skipped on purchasing it. We ended up at my favorite, Paradise Bakery for lunch and headed home to find everybody safe and sound. It was a really enjoyable time with him.

On the down side for today I woke up with a swollen nose. Literally it looks like I got punched and my nose is all red. I must have an infection or something, either way it just doesn't look right and it hurts like you know what. It's been getting worse as the day goes on and I'm feeling worse as the day goes on. Not good. Needless to say I'm heading off to bed and can hopefully sleep off this sickness. I took 10,000mg of vitamin C tonight and am hoping that will help.

Yeah! tomorrow is Saturday...I love this four day weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!! We're about to off for our family bike ride. My idea of hiking got vetoed. Oh well, a family bike ride is good enough.

I'm thinking maybe I'll even get a 30 minute nap before we head off. I had a killer workout this morning and am really feeling it right now and could use a quick rest.

I was reflecting on my many blessings this past year and have been able to see the Lord's hand in blessing our family more than once.

My boys haven't suffered from any major sicknesses all year long, neither have Pops or I. We have a home to live in and cars that work every time we turn them on. Plenty of food in the fridge and pantry. A room full of toys. Comfortable beds. A piano, T.V., movies, video games, computers, clothes, shoes, and much more.

Most importantly the gospel of Jesus Christ and friends and family who are wonderful.

Trials have come and gone throughout the year and some are still lingering around but most importantly I can say we've seen how the Lord has helped us through difficult times and continues to do so. We are learning lessons that could never be learned any other way and because of difficult times I have been able to learn of my Savior and the love he has for me. And I've learned it's always best to find the silver lining amongst the gray stormy clouds. For there always is something good that comes from something bad.

This really is an amazing life that I wouldn't trade for anything.

So the big Turkey day is tomorrow. We're having dinner with Pop's side and I'm bringing the potatoes and rolls. I also made a dessert that I've never made before and I might take it too...if it doesn't get eaten before we make it over there. I was bound and determined not to be cooking tomorrow at all and I so happy I got everything done today and so we are planning some good old family exercise in the morning. Bike rides, jogging or hiking...just not sure which one will choose yet. OK...I'm planning the exercise party but highly encouraging (read: you have no choose)all family members to participate. It should be a fun morning.

Can't decide if I'm most looking forward to not having extra children tomorrow or that Buster doesn't have to go to school tomorrow or the fact that Pops won't be working tomorrow or all of the above...I'm hoping everyone wakes up in a good mood and looks forward to a day filled with family fun. Not to mention it's supposed to be pretty chilly outside so it'll feel even more like a true winter holiday!

Other blog worthy items:
~I mopped my floor this week. Once again a clean floor makes me a happy woman.
~The boys have a massive fort that they built in the playroom. Seriously, again?
~Crate is almost to the point of running. It's really cute.
~All the laundry is done except for the towels and the load that's in the dryer waiting to be folded.
~I vacuumed out the car today. I could probably do that twice a week. How does it get so dirty?
~No YW's tonight. We enjoyed the night off.
~Pops added up the total medical expenses we spent last year. WOW, having a baby with no maternity coverage can be pricey. I am just thankful he's paid for and there were no major/super expensive complications. I know we are very blessed in the area of health and most years spend very little when it comes to medical issues.
~The van had a dead battery this morning. I think I never fully shut it off last night. Dumb blond moment or what?
~I REALLY need to take a shower...I look the same way I did since yesterday at 5:03am.

OK to back track a few days...

Sunday was the boys primary presentation. They both did awesome.

Busters part was: "As children we can see and feel His love in so many ways. These feelings become our testimonies."

Boss' part was: "I know God sends prophets so we can learn. We should follow the prophet."

They both had their parts memorized and said them well in the microphone. Boss sat at the very front and did pretty darn well being reverent. Every time I would catch his eye he would get really embarrassed and cover his mouth so I couldn't see him smiling. It was really cute.

Marmie came out to watch them and helped out with Crate during sacrament which made it really nice. Pops had his speaking assignment since it's the third Sunday so unfortunately he missed it but was there in spirit I'm sure. :)

~~~~Back to today~~~~

Crate woke up at 4:45am for the day. Normally I don't mind waking up this early but when I have a child awake with me it's not the same. He was happy for the most part...



We played chase...




Then he helped me unload the dishwasher and when we were all done and I shut the door he gave me this look...


Got sad...


then mad...


and threw himself on the floor...


can you say t.i.r.e.d?

And this is what I look like at 5:03am. Scary, I know.


Buster got ready for school this morning and jokingly I said, "you want to stay home today?" Normally he can't wait to go to school (he didn't get that from me) but today he said his tummy kind of hurt so I was like "OK, what the hay, take the day off." Boss was overly excited to have him home all day. We did lots of school work, they got their laundry done. We built forts, played "mean Nana", got hair cuts and even made a trip to Walmart with four kids in tow. He said he felt guilty about staying home and I said "ahhh, get over it and enjoy it." Tonight he did say he's ready to go back.
Man if I could just pause time with them right now...

Now I'm starting to look like I did at 5:03am this morning. It's time to rest up.

Tonight I was reminded again how fun it is to hang out with the boys. I can really say that they are just down right fun to hang out with, they make me laugh, I can make them laugh and we just have a great time together. I think it'll be so much fun as they get older and I hope they'll want to still hang out with their "old" parents.

They are working on being obedient on the first time I ask and I can tell they're really trying hard. They loved to be praised when they do something good. I'm trying to always recognize when they have been obedient and really make them feel good. It seems the more they get praised the more they want to make us happy.

Looking forward to two days off from school and babysitting and then two more weekend days! Hooray!

Off to slumber land...can't wait!

Some much to write...so little time. A busy but rather nice day.

Did something I've never done before but would like to do it more often. Went to the mall kid-less with Jeaniece (my sister). Let's just say next time I'll make sure Pops doesn't have ANY work appointments so I'm not on a time crunch! Or maybe that was a good thing. :)

Had a convert baptism to go to tonight...I wanted the boys to come but they were way to tired and it wasn't worth the fight. I was thankful to find a babysitter on 30 minutes notice. The boys were thankful to!

Baths and bed are done...now it's time to clean the kitchen and iron the shirts for tomorrow. Still contemplating if they are too young to be around a hot appliance...they need to start ironing their own shirts. That is one job I do not enjoy.

Tomorrow is the third Sunday so we know what Pops is doing right now...

Today I made of list of things that needed to get done before 2:30pm.

The list went something like this:
Call companion about visiting teaching.
Schedule visiting teaching appointments
Clean all towels
Do Crate's laundry
Exercise
Ride bikes with Boss
Do school work with Boss
Read books to babies and Boss
vacuum floors
mop tile
wash bathroom rugs
clean master bathroom
clean guest bathroom
Pick up and organize playroom with Boss

My day started at 4:50am and most of the stuff on the list got crossed off...some of it didn't. That's OK. Who ever said being a SAHM was boring must have never been one. One of the things on the list that didn't get crossed off was mopping the tile...let's just say that's impossible with two one year olds following you around.

I liked having a list though, it kept me on track.

Pops had to work late tonight so this afternoon we headed to Marmie's house to help her pack. Once again I was reminded of how much I hate moving and I'm not even the one moving! The boys got to play with their cousins and of course they had a great time.

No I think we're all ready for bed. Pops will be able to enjoy a quiet house...although I think he'd take a house full of noise over a quiet one. Thanks for working so hard for us Pops. You rock!

Kids screaming, phone ringing...just another day in Paradise...

I wouldn't change the kids screaming or phone ringing for anything. This really is paradise.

Crate entered a new stage in life.
1. He points and grunts at anything he wants and if he doesn't get it right away he grunts louder and points harder. It's pretty funny. Actually his grunt sounds more like an interesting bird call. If you've heard him you know what I mean.
2. He now obeys simple commands. If I tell him to go get his drink, he'll go find his cup. If I tell him to go get his blanket he'll wonder the house til he finds it. And tonight I handed him some toys and told him to put them in the playroom and he did it! I could tell he felt like one of the big boys the way he walked carrying his items. They're never to young to help around the house!

All of us enjoyed the half day at school. Having a long afternoon when the weather is nice is the best. Bike rides, walks, friends over and fort building in the back yard all took place today.

I wasn't able to go to mutual tonight since Pops was gone working until 8:30pm. I missed hanging out with the girls. I was glad to see them though during opening exercises here at our house before they all took off for the combined activity. The YM were in charge this month. I love nights like this...it makes the YW's leaders job really easy. I swear, I have the BEST counselors and Secretary. They are dependable, kind and fun to be around and pick up my slack on nights like tonight.

I woke up too early today and went to bed to late last night. I will not have a repeat of that tonight.

Tonight during scriptures with the boys I kept asking questions about the things I had just read so I knew they were listening. Actually this was mainly for Boss' sake as he was more interested in playing with Crate than listening. I do have to give him credit because I know he was trying really hard to listen but Crate is such a temptation for him. Anyhow I read a few sentences and then asked a follow up question and when he couldn't answer it he blurted out. "It's because I have yellow stuff in my ears that makes me not hear you." To which I responded "Oh, is that what the problem has been the last four in a half years? We'll get those suckers cleaned out tonight and I expect correct answers and obedience on the first time I ask tomorrow!" We'll see how well our cleaning works. And for the record, I keep my boys ears extremely clean. I can't stand to see wax coming out of any kids ears.

I'm so excited about the awesome deal I found on Craigslist for a double jogging stroller. I cruised right on over to the other side of town to pick it up and it was even better than it looked in the pictures, well worth the small price they were asking. I feel this will open up a whole new world for me while I have two babies for seven hours a day. It's like tasting freedom! Park, zoo, library, walks...here we come.

As I was driving home I couldn't help but feel gratitude for the blessing of good health. Getting this stroller meant I was healthy enough to manage multiple children, have a healthy body that allows me to exercise and enjoy the beautiful weather and best of all earn a few extra dollars while still staying home with my own children. Our bodies are such an amazing creation and enjoying good health is a blessing I hope never to show ingratitude towards.

Now I must be off to clean up from dinner...I just think to myself, "I'm grateful to have a family I could cook for tonight even if it means dishes."

Tomorrow is a half day for Buster! We all love half days!

I finally remembered to return the three red box movies. I need to transfer money from our treasure chest to the bank account because my total bill is like a bazillion dollars. Creator's of red box...you are geniuses. And it's people like me that make you rich. You're welcome.

W.O.W. I am glad today is over and so are my ears. To many crying children for one day. Not to mention the day was a busy one and nothing around the house got done.

Today I'm thankful for my boys and the little girl I babysit. To me, they are easy for the most part.

Today I turned on the primary music that the boys have been learning over the year. Next thing I know is I'm listening to both Buster and Boss sing along with it while playing in the play room. My heart melted. Then it made me incredibly grateful to their teachers and all the primary leaders for the time and effort they spend to teach my boys the gospel. I know sometimes for some people primary isn't the most desired place to serve but I think it's one of the most important. I loved, loved, loved hearing them sing. I will defiantly be playing the music more often.

I recalled in my mind a conversation I briefly had with someone recently. I think I was being criticized for the way I do my calling. I hope people understand that they don't know my personal life, my personal struggles, demands placed on our family from different sources and the mere fact that they have never served in as a YW president. Can I do more? Yes. Can I be better? Yes. Do I strive each week to be better than the last? Yes. Do I pray for those girls? Yes. Do I love those girls? Yes. More than anything it was a good reminder for myself to not be even slightly critical to any other leader in the ward since I have never walked in their shoes.

Crate was unusually grouchy and whiny this afternoon and evening. I hope he's not coming down with something and let's hope he'll wake up on the right side of the bed tomorrow.

The Suns just beat the Lakers...I think this might be one of the happiest day's in Pop's life. He loves his basketball.

There are a few things I've discovered recently...

1. I love my husband. (OK, I knew this before)
2. I enjoy a good piece of meat.
3. I like cooking for my family...most of the time.
4. I enjoy being outside, summer in the pool and winter anywhere outside.
5. I would do some type of physical activity for 5 hours a day if I could.
6. I would love to hike every morning.
7. I like a clean house.
8. I like good smelling children.
9. I believe baths should only be in the bathtub and no where else.
10. My house could use a repainting.
11. I love the fact that Boss rides his bike without training wheels so well now.
12. I have to agree with an article I just read tonight about sleep habits for babies. (Adults need to be on their schedules not babies on our schedules.)
13. I'm pretty old school when it comes to a lot of things.
14. Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong generation.
15. Sometimes I exclude myself from certain things/people for periods of time and that is a good thing.
16. I would give up anything for my boys' happiness.
17. Being a parent gives me a glimpse of our Heavenly parents desires for us.
18. I like green winter grass.
19. If I wasn't LDS I'd probably swear often. No super bad words just the "heck" and "darn" type of words.
20. I often find myself laying in one of the boys beds just watching them sleep and hearing them breathe. And while doing so I reflect on the mistakes and successes from the day. Then I apologize for losing my temper or being impatient and resolve to have a better day tomorrow. I hope they can hear my apologies.
21. I like lists.
22. I like little vacations.
23. I like big vacations.
24. I like being pregnant. People seem to always be nicer to you. (For the record, I am not pregnant.)
25. I wonder if family members really know who I am.
26. I wonder if family members want to know who I am.
27. I don't believe in having tons of regrets but seeing mistakes as learning opportunities.
28. I've made plenty of mistakes.
29. I need to go to bed.
30. My kitchen isn't trashed but it's not totally clean either.
31. I'm going to bed and not proof reading this.
32. I wonder if I'll set a goal to post everyday next year.

Today was another one of those days. A day where I really enjoyed the boys. Was it my mood, was it theirs? Not sure which, all I knew is that we were all on the same page.

Then it got even better when Pops called and said, "find a babysitter, lets go do something together." The boys got to go to their favorite babysitters, Marmie and Pops and I went to look for shoes for him. He didn't find what he was looking for but it was fun hanging out. I could get used to these weekly dates.

I can't believe Thanksgiving is around the corner. This really is "the most wonderful time of the year."

The boys and I organized all of our DVD's. I got a case that would hold all the movies and music and we searched for all the DVD's we could find and put them in there. I threw away all the original DVD packaging and now the T.V. console is nice and organized and no more DVD cases will be placed all over the house from the babies that like to get into them. After we got done organizing them I was surprised at how many movies we had. We have 25 and I was thinking we had only 10 or 12. Luckily I bought a case big enough to hold all the movies and CD's and plenty of room left over for when we acquire more movies. I've been wanting to do this project for awhile and I'm finally glad it's done.

Life is good and everyone is healthy and happy. Not much more could be asked for. We could our blessings each day. We are hopefully learning from our mistakes, along with growing from our trials and grateful to see the blessing of the Lord's hand in our lives.

I always want to put something fun or funny on the Blog...sometimes that just doesn't happen...then i remember I'm writing this for me not for anyone else.

Today Pops took the day off (OK almost the whole day, he did show properties this morning) we had plans to take the boys to a movie and then head to the Temple for stake temple day. The movie we planned for was sold out so we had to go to the showing that was one hour later. We decided to do the movie and spend the afternoon together. Pops took the boys to the movie while I walked around Temple Marketplace with Crate. It was fun. I also realized how out of date my clothes, especially my shoes are. That's OK I am grateful to have clothes to wear. I enjoyed spending the time with Crate and perusing through the stores without interruption from little boys. We even ran into Marmie there and got to enjoy her company for a little while.

I like days like these. We all enjoyed hanging out together.

I feel tons of gratitude for those men and women that made this day possible. The military veterans. Thank you to Uncle Nathan and Uncle Trent for their current service in the military. Uncle Trent is "a real army man" as the boys call him and is serving in the middle east today. The boys think he is the coolest thing. Thank you, thank you Vets!

I walked in from mutual tonight and the house smelt like the homemade french bread I made to go with dinner. To bad the top got burnt and the bottom didn't cook all the way through on one of the loaves. Oh well...my rear should thank me that I have one less loaf of bread to enjoy.

Played volleyball with the young women tonight. That was super fun, not to mention it was so nice being outside. I love to tease the girls sometimes. I hope they know I'm teasing. :)

All three bathrooms got cleaned today. I love to walk in and see a clean bathroom.

The entire house got vacuumed today. I love when the floors are clean.

The boys were in charge of cleaning their bedroom. Let's just say nothing is on the floor. However the bookshelf isn't as clean and organized as I would like it and their dresser holds everything. little. thing. they have collected over the last few years. They seem to not be able to part with ANYTHING. Literally EVERYTHING has to be saved and I mean EVERYTHING. A few months ago Buster found a piece of paper on the ground at the park, it's some random kids school assignment, but where is it now? On top of his dresser. I've learned I can't take out the garbage with them around because if they see something they feel like doesn't belong in there they freak out. I've gotten really good at hiding things in the garbage can also. I hope they don't have hoarding issues...

Yeah for no school tomorrow!!!

I took the boys to the park before dinner tonight. I was amazed at how fast it got dark and how chilly it became. We weren't prepared for that. The boys were also very worn out...Boss fell asleep on the couch during scriptures. It bed the bedtime routine very easy, we might have to make a habit of playing chase at the park in the late afternoon. Anything for an easier bedtime.

Was reminded once again of a certain area in my life I need to improve on...I will show love...I will show love...

Today I'm am thankful for Crate's chubby little hands. They are the cutest things.

No school on Thursday!

Oh and a big shout out to Mr. Craig of Craigslist...I love your creation. I purchased the boys Christmas present today for $20! Lego's, Lego's and more Lego's. Christmas shopping at it's finest! (and cheapest) And to top it off they were all Star Wars Lego sets, it'll be a Star Wars Christmas after all!

What would it be like to be a one year old?

~All you have to do is scream and you get what you want. Scream louder and you get what you want even faster.
~When you're done eating you would just have to throw your food on the floor while someone else cleans it up.
~If you want to go to bed you just cry.
~If you don't want to go to bed just cry again.
~If you're tired of walking just scream and someone will pick you up.
~If you don't want to be around certain people just cry and scream and they'll go away.
~You can poop anywhere at anytime.
~Everyone will give you compliments and tell you how cute/pretty/handsome you are all the time. Your self esteem would be out of this world.
~You would always be getting hugs and kisses from your family members and know that you're loved!

Sounds like a pretty nice life. I still can't figure out why kids always want to grown up so fast.

OH...to be one again.

Went to bed at midnight, (watched a lame movie with Pops) up at 4:30am to a crying, drooling baby. Sent the two oldest boys to church with a friend where hopefully they'll meet Pops, assuming his meetings will have ended. Pops will stay for the first part then come home and stay with Crate so I can teach my YW lesson. I will REALLY need the Sunday nap today so I hope it'll happen. I do have to say, just having to get the boys ready and not myself or the baby makes for a very smooth Sunday morning. No rushing out the door, no throwing the church bag together at the last minute...this morning was really nice.

Today I'm grateful for friends who have vehicles big enough to take two extra kids and who are willing to do so.

Now it's time to hit the showers and maybe, just maybe (if the hair cooperates today) the house will be ALL picked up prior to leaving. Now that would be a very nice treat to come home to. Not the usual situation on Sundays...go figure.

Can't wait til this little guy has a happy face again.

Awww...why didn't I post earlier so I can go to bed right now?

Poor Crate, I'm pretty sure his one-year molars are coming in and he's just not handling it very well. Hence the reason he took two three-hour naps yesterday. We was a good sport today as we dragged him all around for a bunch of different errands.

Boss and I practiced riding his bike this morning. HE DID AWESOME!! I think he finally gets it. He did so well that he and Buster rode their bikes while I ran and pushed Crate in the stroller and I actually felt like I got a workout. This is awesome because this means during the week I can go running with the two babies while he rides and we both can get some exercise! Hooray!

Speaking of exercise. It's been a year since I met Mr. Tony Horton. A.K.A. the mastermind behind P90X. Pops and I have diligently made a date with Mr. Horton six days a week for the last 365 days. Missing only a handful of workouts over the year. I can now quote almost each thing Mr. Horton will say on all the DVDs before he actually says it. I'll admit sometimes I get annoyed by all his jabbering, but over all I am very thankful for him. He's has helped me shed all my baby weight plus a few extra pounds. I got down to my goal and am excited to have done it with the help of Mr. Horton. And a big thanks to Pops for working out with me. He was a great motivation, shed a few pounds himself and was brave enough to take before and after shots of his bod, one think I was not brave enough to do. Let's just say...the pictures are amazing and he worked his rear off. He's built better now than he was when we were dating and I quite enjoy it. Not to mention I hear he plays a mean game of b-ball, he can tare it up on the court and he'll probably kill me for writing that. OK, maybe kill was a little dramatic but he doesn't read this Blog too often so chances are he'll never even know what I have written about him. If I was brave enough I'd post his before and after shoots but I know he wouldn't appreciate it. Let's just say is back is amazing, right Jane? Remember?

Moving on...

As always I'm looking forward to a Sunday nap tomorrow!

"Drink your water people." ~Tony

Oh yeah, and today I am thankful for winning an awesome bid at the ward scout auction...family portraits on location. How awesome is that? The price we paid for this awesome item makes it even better. I'm thankful for talented members in the ward and grateful they're willing to donate their time and talents for the scouts. Fun activity...we had to bail early because of Crate but enjoyed the time we were there and the yummy dinner, which I didn't have to cook or clean up so that made it even better! Really good wards are hard to come by. I'm grateful I have one.

You just have those days...

You know the ones that nothing seems to go right.
Everyone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
Your body aches.
You can't find a good parking spot at the grocery store.
Blah, blah, blah...

But then there are those other days.

Where everything is calm.
Kids get along.
You get to chat with someone you admire.
The house doesn't get destroyed.
Your baby falls asleep for three hours.
While the baby is sleeping the other two boys get invited to a friends house.
You get a surprise magazine in the mail all about Thanksgiving cooking. Yum.
Your husband says he's taking you out tonight and said he'll even be home before dark.
You get a day off from babysitting.
A new friend offers to have you over for a play date with the kids.
Your a little bit lighter on the scale than the last time you got on there. (Seriously...most all of us enjoy seeing that)
The flowers your spouse gave you are still alive.
You watch your two oldest boys hold hands together as they walk down the street to their friends house.
And then half way down they both turn around wave and say "I love you, Mom."
(I think that is the best part of the day so far)

I have SO much to be thankful for. Not everyday is like today but when it is it must be cherished.




And this is why I Blog, so I can remember days like this.

We got two toy catalogs in the mail today. It was entertaining for me to watch the boys drool over the toys they would love to have. They talked to each other about the "what ifs" if they had some particular toys and where they would keep all the toys. It reminded me of being a kid and looking through the newspaper adds wishing I could have anything I laid my eyes on. Oh, to be a kid again.

~~~~~

I took the boys to the school book fair after school today. Buster got his first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book today. I can't say I'm a huge fan of that. It's the do it yourself book, and for a kid that doesn't choose reading as his preferred leisure time activity he has sure taken to that book. I think a good 2 1/2 hours were spent this afternoon reading and writing in it. It was fun to watch him be so excited about reading. Of course Boss chose a Star Wars book and they also picked out a book about army men to share. I'm hoping the excitement stays around.

~~~~~

My brain is not 100% today, I decided to extend the cleanse one extra day. I'm feeling it tonight.

~~~~~

Buster is doing great on his piano lessons. He complains about practicing but once he masters a song he gets really excited.

~~~~~

OK, I gotta drag myself to bed before I fall of this chair.

I've got anger issues...

I'm mad that it's November 3rd and still 93 degrees outside. As much as I love the sun and the summer time, I'm ready for a change. I'm ready to wear winter clothes. I'm ready for my winter hats. I'm ready to see my little boys in cute jeans with belts and brown shoes. I'm ready to go to the park and not sweat. I'm ready to bundle up when I go out exercising in the morning. I'm ready to sip hot cocoa while watching my boys build a snowman in our back acre. OK maybe that part won't happen but I can still dream right?

I guess I need to learn to control my anger issues since I have no control over the weather.

~~~~~~

This week we have not be over scheduled and it's been really nice.

~~~~~~

I thought Crate was done nursing but apparently he's not. He's my longest nurser yet.

~~~~~~

I'm doing a detox cleanse. I haven't eaten since Sunday. I'm hungry for real food.

~~~~~~

Is it to early to put up the Christmas tree?

~~~~~~

I must, must, must teach my boys how to work. I WILL NOT RAISE LAZY MEN. This is a lot easier said then done, right Jane? By the time I get done with them I hope they know how to work, know why to work and that they learn to put in a honest days work.

~~~~~~

I'm glad I participated in YW's tonight it was good.

I voted today. I'm thankful to live in America. I'm also really thankful for early voting ballots.

Lots of good things today. It was a good day, long but good. Now I'm off to bed.

Today is November 1st and we actually had family home evening with all family members present. It's been awhile since this has happened. Anyhow I gave the lesson tonight and we discussed the topic of "gratitude." With Thanksgiving coming up we made a commitment to share one thing we are thankful for each day until Thanksgiving. I'm holding my breath that the children's responses will broaden.

Tonight Buster was thankful for Crate's chubs (AKA his fat little legs)
Boss was thankful for Crate's boogers. (Lovely)

Can you tell our lives revolve around Crate?

Pops was thankful for his family

I said I was thankful to have a bed to sleep in.

~~~~~~

Pops brought home flowers for me tonight. (He's a great man but honestly this rarely happens...like once every 6 years.) The first response out of my mouth was "what bad news do the flowers bare?" He said "I got fired." Funny joke...I'm the one that can fire him. It was a great surprise and he said he brought them just because. I have to admit I like surprises like that! I put them in a vase and they are looking beautiful on the dinning room table. It's amazing how fresh flowers can brighten up the home. It's like it adds a feminine touch to this frat house I call home.

I told the kids we were having a special Halloween dinner. I had made beans the other day and needed to use up the rest of them so I put together some chili and homemade corn bread. I felt like it was a perfect meal for Halloween, however the boys weren't quite as impressed. I hope one day they won't mind all different types of food.

We made cupcakes and decorated them tonight. They turned out pretty cute.

I think we all had to much candy over this Halloween weekend. I'm looking forward to getting rid of it...some place other than the boys stomachs.

Parties, parties and more parties.

I don't look forward to posting everyday but I know I'll be glad I did it when the year is over. And I'll be even more thankful twenty years down the road. It'll be fun to read through our family book and remember what our day to day lives were like and see how they are different for my grand children, if my boys ever start liking girls. They still find them "hideous" as they like to say.

Soccer closing ceremonies, Grandma came and some Aunts and cousins too. The boys were excited to have them there.

Two more Halloween activities tonight. We are all worn out from the fun times.

Buster had a pumpkin carving party today at school. They did it for math and science time. They had to weigh the pumpkin, measure the height and width, pull out the seeds, count them and then they got to carve. I took Boss and Crate and our little girl who comes during the day and we all stood outside and helped with the class project as sweat dripped from our faces. I stood there wondering why I had bothered with a shower for today, but what was even more frustrating was that it was the end of October and at one o'clock on the afternoon I am dripping sweat. Not to mention I had the line of boob sweat on my shirt. Gross, huh. Bottom line was that Buster had fun and I believe on Monday they'll create a class graph comparing every body's pumpkins.

Tonight I took the boys to a community harvest festival put on by a local church. I'll admit I really didn't want to go and if the kids weren't talking about it at school Buster would have never asked to go. But alas we went. I was nervous to take all three of them by myself in a crowded area but they all stayed right by me and had a good time. As I stood there watching them play the carnival games I was grateful for two things:
1. That I wasn't sweating anymore while being outside &
2. That I had a stroller. Whoever invented the stroller deserves a big prize. Like a really big prize. It would have killed my back to carry around a 25 pound boy dressed like a pumpkin all night.
I took the camera but realized the battery was dead right after I got there. I was proud of myself that I remembered it in the first place.

When we got home I watched a movie with the boys called How to Train a Dragon. We hadn't seen it before and we all loved it. Another great invention...RedBox.

Pops strolled in around 9pm tonight. I'm thankful he works his tail off so I can do things with the boys like I did tonight. In that area I am blessed.

I told Pops I'm ready for a date again...like an all day date. Spend the entire day together alone. I think he's ready for one too. Now if we could just figure out a day...

Last soccer game tomorrow, for a little while at least. Yeah!

We'll try once again.

When is it OK to speak your mind and when should you just let things go? I have been asking myself this question lately...like for the last couple of years.

I feel like sometimes I have a hard time being honest and realistic while writing this Blog versus complaining about everything. I hope I don't come across misleading...life isn't perfect. And I really believe having a positive attitude makes dealing with life better. There is always a bright side. Even if that bright side is realizing what we are learning from our trials or mistakes. Hopefully once we realize what we have learned we won't have to learn the same lesson over again, we can move on.

I'm grateful I'm not a single parent. There are many days that go by in a row that Pops and I aren't together. Those days get long and hard but I know in the end I have a partner who is on the same page with me, who has the same goals as I and who helps me raise these boys. My heart really aches to those who do it alone. Especially to those whose spouse has passed on while the children are still growing. I can't imagine, day in and day out bearing the responsibility all alone.

I am grateful to people who allow others to help them.

I've got problem I have to figure out.

I believe children have the right to be raised with a mother and father in the home if possible.

I finished the Book of Mormon again tonight with the boys. They choose breakfast at McDonald's for their reward. Gross. I'll try and do some convincing tomorrow. Is it sad that they choose this as their last reward and I never took them? The idea of breakfast at McDonald's makes me ill.

Do I go to bed or wait up for Pops?

I'm again grateful for my family's health.

Is it wrong to say that to me Hymn's are like scripture? Sometimes the wording in Hymns is sacred and powerful and many times can be an answer to prayers. While Hymns may not be words written by modern prophets or prophets of old, I feel those who wrote the Hymns were inspired by the Holy Ghost.

I have lots of favorite Hymns. I always wonder that if I am able to plan my funeral what Hymns would I choose? On a side not...whoever plans my funeral please make sure there are lots of musical numbers. I love musical numbers.
...I hope I don't have to plan my funeral for a long time.

Last bathroom got cleaned today. It's always the master bath that needs cleaning the most and for some reason it's always the last one to get cleaned. Probably because it's the one no one sees.

My bed sheets are clean and I can't wait to climb in them. Tomorrow I will wash the boys' bed sheets.

I read my scriptures right in the middle of the day. I really like doing that instead of 4:45am or at 10pm. My mind was so much more clear and alert. Both babies were sleeping and both boys were at school so it worked out perfectly.

I thought it was cool outside when I needed to go get Buster from school so Boss and I decided to walk. The actual air was really nice but it was the blazing sun that made it hot. Oh well...it was nice to be outside anyways. I carried one baby on my chest, pushed on in the stroller and Boss rode the tricycle. Which he is way to big for but his bike tires were flat and I didn't have time to pump them up. After picking up Buster and dropping one baby off with her dad we started walking home and decided to stop to play at the neighborhood park. It was actually really fun. It had been a long time since I climbed up a slide, did the monkey bars, and slid down a pole. I realized parks are built for little kids...it was much easier to run around on those things when I was younger. However, I did have fun chasing the boys around and playing their favorite game "Mean Nanna" Crate was giggling at us as he was watching us. It made me grateful to have school so close, good weather and time to play with the boys in the afternoon. It's moments like these that are memory makers for both the boys and I.

What is "Mean Nanna?" A few years back I pretended to put on this mean face and transform into a mean nanny that chased after the boys trying to get them to do chores. It was all in good fun and I was teasing them when I did it. Well, it's turned into a game now that we play all the time. And instead of them calling it mean nanny like it was intended to be called they have always called it mean nanna. However Boss almost always cry's when we play it cause he thinks mean nanna has taken away his mom. I always laugh because after I capture him and pretend like I'm going to eat him he totally freaks out. He's so sincere about wanting his real mom back that it makes me feel really loved. OK..it might be a mean form of torture to feel loved. :) But really the boys are always begging to play it. I have to be in the mood to chase them around 'cause honestly it's not my favorite past time. I'm remembering to be grateful they still want to play this. There will come a time when they won't want me chasing them.

Crate fell on the floor and cried his eyes out when Pops left to go to the office this morning. It was so sweet and so sad at the same time. I wished I had the video camera out at the moment.

Another successful personal progress night. I love it when the young women come prepared with goals that they have passed off over the month.

Now I'm off to find the pliers and try and pull Busters front tooth out. It's literally been hanging there for two months. He's asleep and it's time for it to come out.

I knew this week would be busy. I haven't been prepared for the little things that have popped up the last two days but I have been focusing on how these little things are more like service and by doing them they help to bring the spirit of service into our family. Looking on the bright side makes things flow better.

Last soccer practice of the season tonight. They all seemed to have lots of extra wiggles in them so needless to say I made them run each time they were having a hard time listening. We ran a lot. It was good for me too, I needed the exercise.

I need to wash all the bed sheets again. Hopefully tomorrow I can get to that.

I need a new wallet. Mine is trashed. I haven't bought a wallet in years.

I haven't nursed Crate since yesterday morning. Does this mean he is stopping?

Made a stop by the park today and the boys loved it. I love that the weather is changing. We only had 10 minutes to play but it was worth it.

Two clean bathrooms. One to go.

Can it really be that time again? Time for another floor mopping? Oh heck, no it can't, I'll just shut my eyes.

I'm thankful for my bed. I love my bed. It's like my best friend...the more time I spend with it the better.