Christmas Festivities

What a fun filled week....but oh so busy. Hopefully I can remember all of our events. I'm glad I have a second to post a little bit about our week. Chris has taken these two weeks off so we've had lots of family time.

This week has been FULL of lots of snow. I'll have to do another post of pictures of just all the snow at our home. The night before Christmas Eve I told Chris that I'd like to spend the night at my parents so we don't have to drive that morning. Yes, on a good day we are only 45 minutes from my parents but I really didn't want to make the drive on Christmas morning. Chris gets hotel points when he travels & he'll be switching hotels he stays at & had a few random points he'd be losing so he called the hotel & told them he didn't have enough points but was wondering if they'd comp the rest since they are empty over Christmas. After several phone calls back & forth they called back & said not only would they comp us the points but they'd give us the suite. So Christmas Eve we went swimming at the hotel for a couple of hours as we waited for family to get into town. The boys still wanted to keep swimming so we filled up the hot tub in our room & put Landon in his floaty & Jaden swam around as we got ready to go to the family party at my Grandma Hendricks home. We had a delicious dinner with great company:) & then the little kids did the nativity. All my pages are lacking in pictures because I videotaped everything & struggled to keep up on both. I was a little disappointed when I saw how few of pictures I had. Jaden & Landon were wisemen & I was an angel (still playing the same part that I've played since I was a little girl). The kids also got their Christmas PJ's & we've struggled ever since to get Jaden to take his off. He wanted to wear them to church today. I told my mom that she better not get Jaden fun PJ's anymore...just some plain boring ones:)

I must say I was grateful we didn't go home Christmas eve night because it snowed & snowed & snowed & we wouldn't have made it back. As a matter of fact my brother Jeff got trapped at his girlfriends family's home in Blackfoot & finally got plowed out the day after Christmas. That's not fun when you planned to stay for only a couple of hours on Christmas Eve & they had so much family that there wasn't a bed for him to sleep in. Ok...on to our Christmas. That morning we went to my parents house so that the kids could open their presents with their cousins. Jaden was in Heaven; especially since he's been eyeing these presents for the whole month. The biggest present we got for Jaden was a motorized jeep & he wasn't that excited. We have that on video tape & don't have a picture. His favorite part of it is fixing it with the tool set we got him for Christmas. I think he'll find a lot more enjoyment when he can drive it outside. We had a yummy lunch with my dads prime rib & lots of other great foods. Jaden & Wyatt played & played & played & they are finally best friends & didn't fight a bit. They shared their toys & had so much fun. Landon just took it all in but he had fun notheless.

Friday we also did a bunch of family things & were going to play in all the snow but ran out of time. The girls did dinner without kids & we included my grandma Hendricks. I love my grandma so much & am amazed at her strength & happiness after losing a spouse in August & having knee surgery at the beginning of December.

Yesterday the guys went ice fishing. My dad bought all the grandkids ice fishing poles for Christmas. It was freezing outside but Chris said Jaden didn't seem to notice & enjoyed throwing snow in everyones hole. Sorry those of you who were the recipients of my sons snow! They also had a snow hill at the pond & him & Wyatt enjoyed that too...this is according to Chris. They didn't catch anything (thankfully they never do) but they also didn't stay long because of the blowing snow. We headed home early for fear of getting snowed at my parents home. We had promised Jaden games in Rexburg so we compromised & took him in Idaho Falls. We went to Leo's Place & it cheered him up that we cut the day short with Wyatt.

Are you tired of me talking about this??

Ok, so I have another post about the economy. I'm sure many of you are tired of hearing about the cause & effect of this whole mess. I just wanted to share a story that Chris called & told me about today. First I want to mention that I hope we can all LEARN from some of the things happening & learn to be frugal & save & stay out of debt. I hope this doesn't imply that Chris & I are perfect because we have a LONG way to go but we are slowly inching in the right direction.

To start this story out I'll kind of explain our neighborhood. We are fortunate to live in a really nice part of town. In this part of town all the neighborhoods run into each other & the only way to tell the difference is by the house. We drive by some beauties just getting onto the main road. I'll quickly mention that our home & our small little neighborhood is very modest & that when I talk about some of these homes that ours doesn't even compare. Ok so to my story....

We've been watching the most amazing home go up in our neighborhood. We can't recall ever seeing a home this amazing, especially on a lot that wasn't super huge. We've always wondered who was building this home & what they do. These past couple of months we noticed that there wasn't any progress on the home. The outside is all done plus all the extra building but there were a few loose wires & other things that just weren't getting done. Today Chris found out the story. The would-be owner of this home was a stock broker & only worked with clients that put down a minimum of 1 million dollars. Well apparently this whole finacial mess forced him to go belly up. Guess how much this home is valued at....11 million dollars & in Idaho that is a BIG house. The master bath alone is valued at 80 thousand dollars. Apparently the window people came to try to get their windows back & because they've been bricked in they can't retrieve them. So who owns this home now??? The bank; I'm not sure which one but our tax dollars will probably have to bail out the bank that gave this loan.

I guess the moral of my story is simplest is best. Who needs a home like this. It's stunning to drive by & it will probably raise my property value (or maybe not if it doesn't sale:)) but those are just things. Hopefully this Christmas we can enjoy the spirit of the holidays & enjoy being close to family and friends.

Simplicity

Does anyone else sometimes find the simplest things the most enjoyable? Last night we had planned to go out & enjoy a bunch of holiday festivities but it changed with the weather & a lack of desire of driving on the roads. On my way home I realized that I had forgetten the pizza that I've been promising Jaden ALL week. He's been wanting pizza for sometime & I decided to leave it as our Saturday slurge...as I walked through the door I prayed he'd forget & that I could excite him with his new snow pants. Earlier I had him try on his old ones to discover that not only did he need new boots but snow pants too. No such luck; not wanting to venture back out I told him we'd make some. I first attempted to cheat & hoped that I had some pre-made dough in the freezer. No such luck so we broke out the kitchen aid and all the ingredients. As we let the dough rise I told Jaden that we should try out his new snow pants & shovel the driveway.

So outside we went & it was a blast. Jaden really did manage to shovel some of the snow up. He even started working on the road which I quickly encouraged him to work on the driveway since I was making little progress. An awesome neighbor came through with there 4-wheeler & did all the sidewalks which was important since we got a letter from the city stating that the driveway was our responsibility & all the liability that goes with it.

We went back inside to finish our pizza with our favorite toppings of pineapple, onions, & green peppers. It was delicous & landon even gobbled some up too. After Jaden turned on the Christmas music & asked us all to dance. I started that about 3 weeks ago & now he makes us all do it all the time:) Then the boys piled on daddy.

By this time the snow let up & we went Christmas light looking. Ah....there were some beauties. It gets my mind ticking for next Christmas. We did simple on our outside this year. I did get up on the roof to put up our wreath & I've got to admit that I'm terrified to take it down with all this snow.

A year in review....

So I realized as I've recieved Christmas cards that I should have probably sent a note about what we've been and are up to this past year with our Christmas Cards. I had decided that since I had included the blog address that everyone could go & read for themselves BUT I think it will be easier to jot down a couple of items to help everyone catch up.

First, as I went through our address list of friends & family it brought so many memories to mind & made my heart ache for those we miss. Our year was full of highs & lows and we are so grateful for our many blessings.

The biggest highlight of our year would have to be the birth of our precious little one, Landon. Landon was born on February 9th of this year weighing 8 lbs & was 20 inches long. After several scares along the way for his health he came out PERFECT & he was a perfect little baby....as he's gotten older not as much:) He was a good sleeper & is my little cuddler. I love it.

Our 2nd highlight of the year would be getting in a house again. Apartment living did not suite us well at all & were very excited to get in our home in July after months & months of house hunting. We lost out on the first home of our choice to another buyer but are very happy where we are at & love our neighborhood.

Here's an update on each of us:

Chris works for Yellow Book as an Account Executive...that's what brought us back to Idaho. He's had a very successful year & we have felt very blessed with all of the opportunities that have come our way. Chris has also turned into a gym rat. He goes almost twice a day without fail & it shows. I was very motivated until mid-november & got lost in the holidays. That's what New Year Resolutions are for, right? Chris does some traveling with work but we try to go with him occasionaly when it fits in everyones schedule.

I currently stay at home with the boys and am figuring out how to be a stay-at-home mom. I've taken up a lot of hobbies & just adore my two crazy boys. Occassionaly I miss the demand of a stressful job but Chris constantly informs me that we are starting our own business & that I will be running it...anyone have any business plans we can steal:) He still encourages me to this day to go to law school but I think that's just a standing joke between us since I can win any argument.

Jaden turned 3 in June & goes to preschool every morning. He absolutely loves it & I'm seeing him grow up right before my eyes. He takes that school bus & consequently he loves all buses & gets excited when he sees them. He is a wonderful big brother & he loves Landon so much. When he gets home from school Landon is always taking a nap & the first thing he asks is always where Landon is. At the beginning of this year Jaden seemed to kind of go into his shell a little bit, I think all the changes made him a little bit overwelmed, but moving & getting settled was the magic potion & he makes friends with everyone he meets. Everyone is his friend & he loves to tell them that.

Landon is our sweet little baby & is turning into a babbler. He loves to say mama & dada & is so proud of himself. He dances to any kind of music & I can get him really excited when I dance & flail my hands in the air. He crawls at lightning speed & gets into everything.

We made lots of fun memories this year as a family & create many traditions...that's where you may have to read the blog:)

This year has been one that has been rough on our whole country & I hope we can all pray for our leaders to make decisions that will benefit the people of this country.
In Romans 8: 38-39 it reads...
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I encourage you all to stay close to the savior when times are tough & when they are going great. I think there are some tough times ahead in our country but we will get through them.

We are so grateful for each of you & wish you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year. May you be blessed.

Love the Murphy's

Simply the Cutest!!!

So I've decided that Landon is simply the cutest baby!!! This last month as we fattened him up and I've got to say these past 3 days he has simply plumped up & I don't think he'd be called a skinny baby...probably average. My theory is that I give him a lot more bottles than I did nursing him simply for the fact that nursing him required my time where as a bottle is a temporary babysitter. We are still working on his system adjusting but it slowly is getting a little back to normal. I don't expect it to totally be like it was before because breast fed babies tend to poop less.

So I'm daring to share a story that just might make me look like an even worse mom. Why I'm so honest on my blog, I don't know. I probably should suger-coat this story but I won't:)

So it's late in the afternoon & I'm picking up the house & notice that Jaden has left the door to the basement open. Wanting to teach him the importance of closing the door so that Landon won't fall down the stairs I holler at him to come & close the door. I did this about 4 times & then it totall slipped my mind as I moved on with my house cleaning. I'm filling my water bottle to go to the gym (I think my mind was filled with the fact that I did not want to go; I haven't wanted to go this whole month for that matter) & I heard Jaden call out. I was still filling my water bottle when it clicked that Jaden never shut the door & I couldn't see Landon anywhere. I start crying as I run towards the stairs to find that Jaden had caught Landon two steps from the top. He'd seen him tetering at the top & ran to his rescue. Jaden was holding Landon with all his might & had him press against the stairs. Jaden's body was shaking in fear & I grabbed both boys & hugged them like crazy. Of course I thanked Jaden for saving his brother but also reminded him firmly that he MUST close the door or else Landon can get really hurt. Now Jaden locks Landon in every room for fear he'll fall down the stairs. Poor Landon can't get around to well:)

An Alarming Sunday

Today in Sacrament meeting Jaden needed to go potty. This happens about every Sunday so Chris took him out. They were taking a while & I really want Jaden to sit in Sacrament meeting even if he doesn't like it so I went out to find them. Jaden was playing with a couple of little boys & I told him it was time to come back in....thank goodness I did.

About 5 minutes later something happened that I've never seen before. Suddenly there was a LOUD noise & blinking lights. I then realize that it's the fire alarm. Everyone starts looking around & doesn't know what to do. We were in the middle of singing the closing song so they keep leading & playing the music but it was so loud and we couldn't hear anything. After a couple of minutes the bishop gets up & starts to talk but we can't hear what he's saying but I notice a few people start leaving the chapel so we follow their lead. In the hall we find out it was Jaden's little friend he was playing with 5 minutes earlier & I know Jaden would have helped commit the deed if he were still out in the hall. It took a good 10 minutes for the alarm to get turned off...I think the police had to come & do it.

Needless to say it definatly made for an interesting Sunday.

On Friday we went to our ward Christmas party & it was great! They go all out...dinner was catered & so delicious. They even had professional pictures being taken with Santa; I don't have mine yet. Jaden had so much fun seeing all his little friends & of course Santa & he got a really great goodie bag from Santa too. Landon played with one of the little girls in my class that absolutely adores him. Isabella (Britt, she's a triplet of your teacher from grade school Mrs. Patterson) hung out with me the whole time & would have me come & show her mom how Jaden snuggles with her. It was really cute.

{grumblings}

So I'm going to grumble for a moment & post about the less luxerious side of being a mom.

Last week Landon starting having blowouts...yuck!!! This has never been a problem nor was it with Jaden so we thought it was probably the thanksgiving feast that he participated in so I expected it to last for a day or two. As the days continued so did the blowouts & they came more frequently & with more advengence. So then I'm thinking that maybe he has a bug but he seems to feel fine & is in happy spirits. So these last two days I have about lost my mind. He's averaging 4 a day & all of them are going up with back & all over the place...4 baths a day & 4 clothing changes & 4 times that I have to immerse my hand in poop to clean his clothes by hand before throwing them in the wash.

BUT here's the worst part. He seems to poop half way through his naps & they wake him up & he won't go back to sleep. Landon still isn't sleeping through the night so I've started to do the tough love CRY IT OUT. I can't do this anymore for fear that he's pooped & that it's getting all over his crib. His bedding can only handle so much. So when he cried at 5 am this morning I went to his bedroom & grabbed him to feed him (all in the dark)& didn't think a whole lot about it until I felt something gooey all over my arm. His poop is odorless & I didn't realize that he did it again....ahhhhhhhh. We rush to the bathtub as I toss him in fully clothed & I wash my arm over & over & over & still am paranoid I have poop on me.

Landon was a once a day pooper, maybe twice but hardly ever. As we analyze what this problem may be we think it may be the increase in formula that the Dr. encouraged. I've decreased how much a nurse Landon over these last two weeks & time wise it fits. And to top it off, I think he's gotten even skinnier from all the pooping. What do ya do??? I can't handle another poopy diaper! The joys of motherhood.

Jaden's Journey

So Jaden's school officially began today. I was having horror dreams last night because I was so worried about him. Yesterday we took him to his school to walk around & I pointed through the window into his classroom so he'd know where he was going today. We also let him play on the toys & told him that he'd get to have a recess while he was there. He was so excited that he went to bed at 8pm but didn't fall to sleep until 11pm. I worried he might be a little crank this morning but he woke up happy & excited & got dressed & brushed his teeth without any problems. The school bus picks him up at 7:20am so it's an early morning but they do breakfast at the school so all I have to worry about is getting him dressed. Jaden hopped right on the bus & wasn't scared at all. He came home in good spirits & enjoyed talking about his day.

While he was gone Landon & I hit the double coupon sale at Kmart. We ended up leaving one bag there on accident so we went back & shopped again after I pulled more coupons from the internet. The sale goes through the 6th & if you plan it right you can come away with some really good deals....I even scored a couple of free items.

Jaden will be attending school everyday so it will be an adjustment but I do think I'll get more accomplished. I've never been a coupon shopper & I think that's something I'll be able to do without Jaden distracting me at the stores.

Thanksgiving Happenings!

This has been a busy but wonderful week. Originally we were going to head to Utah for Thanksgiving but ended up going to my parents. Next year I think we'll host Chris's family and see if that simplifies everything PLUS I enjoy cooking (most the time.)

At my parents house we included both sides of the family so we had a pretty good turnout. I made homemade stuffing & it was sooooo good. From scratch is definately the way to go for Thanksgiving. I made hats for the little kids but not everyone wore them.....my boys had no choice. Jaden was a pilgrim & Landon was an indian. I realized that I didn't do very good on taking pictures so I don't have a lot to show from the day but we all had fun visiting & of course eating. My grandma made the most fabulous yams...I didn't even know I liked yams.

That night a few of us came back to our house to spend the night so that we could hit the sales early. So 4 am the next morning me, Jenna, my mom, & Melanie (Jeff's girlfriend) headed to Walmart. I didn't realize the 24 hour walmarts are open all night so when we got there I panicked when there was no line & ditched the girls because I had my eye on the motorized Jeeps. There were only 6 boy jeeps & at the end had to fight for mine but I got it. Wahooo!!! I have to say this was the craziest year I've ever shopped & I honestly was stuck in the store & wasn't able to hook up with anyone else for quiet a while. After walmart was toy r' us, office depot, & fred meyer. After that a nap would have been nice but my cousin got married so we went to all the wedding festivities. I snuck a nap in between everything.

Saturday was TWILIGHT. I think they did a great job. I never got totally into the books but did enjoy them. It resparked my interest though & I think that I need to read the 4th book.

So this week was seriously a blur because there was so much going on so I'm sure I missed something.

A funny story...I darkened my hair & today at church my friend Hillary came & told me she'd went into my class & they were all talking about my hair & wondered how I had did it. They all came to the conclusion that I must have used a marker. So cute; I hope they don't go home & use markers on their hair. I might have some angry parents.

Clarification

In case you missed it my Romney Beer is ROOT beer. I doubt that he'd endorse any other type of beer:) Chris mentioned today that he thought people thought that I had actual beer. Nope...just the delicous taste of CAFFEINE FREE root beer.

Underweight & sleeping solutions

So we are a little late on our well child checkups so Landon had his 9 month yesterday...about 3 weeks late. You can imagine my surprise when the Doctor is worried about his weight, not overweight but underweight. To view his little body you can go to my prior post http://ourmurphylife.blogspot.com/2008/10/cutie-pie.html At his last well child check I could tell that it had been charted wrong (their still on paper, crazy huh) because they had his weight at 60% & heighth at 20%. I didn't worry about it because I knew it was wrong. I thought he was about equal in both. Well Landon has lost weight since that last appointment & is 20% for weight & 60% for heighth. The doctor has suggested I bottle feed more & do less nursing to make sure he's getting the calories he needs. He has a follow up appointment in one month to make sure he's put on weight. I'm going to have to chunk this little guy up. I honestly thought he was chunky enough until Jenna told me a couple of weeks ago that he was really skinny. I guess I was blind to my sons weight problem:) He's 20 lbs right now & we'll keep on counting.

Jaden has been a great little sleeper until this last month & I haven't been able to pinpoint the problem. He also struggles once he goes to bed to stay in bed so we decided to try something different. We let Jaden keep his lamp on & read books until he's tired but he has to go to bed at 8pm. We've done this for 3 nights & it's worked like a charm. The mess in the morning....not so wonderful.

Don't Envy Me

A couple months ago I was in a conversation with my VT Ginger about politics & the election. Then she mentioned that she had seen us at the rally that Mitt Romney had came to & had tried to grab us so that they could take us around but we had quickly left at the end because the boys needed to go to bed. We continued to talk about Mitt Romney because her husband accompanied him on the campaign trail & I had a lot of questions. It was fun to get a little more information about inside the campaign.

A couple of weeks ago Jinger then went on to tell me about "Romney Beer" & that they had a few in their garage that they save for Special People. Well guess what, I'M ONE OF THOSE SPECIAL PEOPLE. Today she brought me over not one, but two.

So you'll see my special collection in an enclosed case that only special people can see. HaHa....I'll let you touch them if you are very careful.

what shouldn't be

Chris has been working out of town these last couple of nights which has made for some interesting times. First off, at night time I like to have a little noise so I sometimes have the TV on as I clean or do whatever project that I am working on. Last night the TV was on TLC....I didn't think very much about it until I started having the strangest dreams last night. I had 6 babies in a very messy house. My life was crazy & I couldn't focus on anything; babies included because of my unorganized home. Thankfully I had a helper in my dream & took my many instructions on how to bathe & feed the babies. I can remember that my home was so disorganized that I walked aimlessly around my house trying to figure out where to start. When I woke up this morning I tried to figure out where the dream came from. I narrowed it down to "Jon & Kate plus 8" and "Little People, Big World." In the first show I always wonder how they do it & stay sane. I struggle with just my one baby. In the 2nd show I also wonder how they do it...how do the live in such disorganization. Apparantely my mind combined both of the things that I'm not sure I could handle & gave me a dream of WHAT SHOULDN'T BE.

This week we've been working on random projects that keep piling up. Since we've moved in I've left the play room walls blank lacking inspiration of what should go on the walls. Well I decided that Jaden should get to decide...it is where he plays. Jaden created some masterpieces that I'm sure will be worth LOTS in the future. I'm taking orders now:)

9 months....oh my!!!

I feel like I still have a little baby & it's probably because Landon is still very attached & is content being with me all the time. I'm not baby hungry for another yet & hopefully he'll be my baby for the next year & a half or so:)

I just think he's the cutest little thing & LOVE his dimples. I tickle him constantly because he has the an adorable laugh & of course his dimples come out. We love you little guy!!!

Moving Forward

I hope to make this an uplifting & non-offensive post. I've heard some interesting opinions post election that I wanted to share. It's so important that our country moves forward & that we unite.

1. I never watch The View but it seems like there is tidbits of their show replayed on some of the news shows because of their extreme differences regarding political views. It seems like the Co-Hosts on the view (minus Elizabeth) aren't huge Bush Supporters & have some very negative things to say about him (again, I never watch so I'm relying on the news for this portrayal.) As I caught 5 minutes the other day Barbara Walters said something very interesting. She said that when the Clinton Administration left the White House they left in anger & cut phone lines, made a mess of the White House & made a difficult transition for the Bush Administration to come in. She mentioned this because she was impressed how gracious President Bush has been to invite the Obama family to come & visit so that the girls are comfortable when they move in. I didn't give it a lot of thought until Barbara mentioned this but THIS IS IMPORTANT. We don't want President-Elect Obama to have to have a long transition. He needs to be able to take action immediately & not miss a step & how wonderful (so far) that President Bush is helping him to do this.

2. A caller called one of the radio programs the other day & made a comment that helped me realize I was wrong in my thinking. He said "I don't want Obama to fail." Failure means that our economy continues to struggle, jobs continue to be lost, distrust & anger will surround our country. We should hope & pray that he succeeds & put aside our personal differences. I was originally wrong....we need to support him & hope that he takes our country in the direction that we need to go.

3. This may be the most controversial issue that we saw this election. The initiative in California to define the definition of marriage (I'm not listing the proposition for fear of google searchers.) I hope that those disappointed in the results can realize that it wasn't an anti-gay initiative but an intiative to define that marriage is between a man and a women. I hope that this issue & anger can be laid to rest so that we can come together & support one another. I hope that those who did support this proposition did so for the right reason & not because of hatred & intolerance. The beauty of our electoral system is that it was put to a vote by the people & the people have spoken. I can't think of anything more fair then that.

The LOVE war

Anyone experience the love war???? Jaden & I have the love war daily. We argue who loves each other more. I figure that this is an ok argument to have. I love it when he comes up to me & in the sweetest voice says "I love you mommy."

Yesterday I recieved a phone call from the school district informing me that he does qualify for pre-school. I was surpised how sad I was...not that he is behind in a couple of areas but that his journey of school will now never end. They said that his speech is behind (I knew this already) & that he doesn't follow instructions. I didn't mention that this wasn't a result of comprehension but of STUBBORNESS. This boy does things how he wants to do them & no other way. The good news is that he is just slightly behind & not way behind. That was a fear of mine.

After I got the phone call I glanced at him eating his lunch & my heart ached. My little boy is growing so fast. I started picturing him on the school bus which they do provide. I'm struggling to know if I can do this. What if someone bully's him on the school bus? What if he misses me? So many thoughts. I'm sure I'll be following him in my car on his first day to make sure he is ok. J takes a lot of my time but he has such a sweet heart & he makes it easy on MOST days. I was worried how'd he feel about it & he can't wait. He wants to go right now. They still are evaluating the tests to determine how many days he'll go, what elementary school, ect. I'll be having a meeting with them shortly.

Reflecting

Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to reflect on all that we are grateful for & to spend time with those that we love. As I was thinking about our past Thanksgivings I remember Jaden's first one. I think that it was my favorite in my married life for several reasons. First, I had my first child & second, it's the first & only Thanksgiving I've ever hosted. After I had a little one I felt like a little family & I wanted to make sure Jaden's first Thanksgiving was a special one. Traditionaly we've spent Thanksgiving with Chris's family and we've eaten at a Restaurant....it definately makes the day less stressful & lets me prep for the Sales.

On J's first Thanksgiving I really wanted to host. I wanted to make a turkey, stuffing, potatoes, pies, all of it. So we invited all of his family to come to our home. This was also our first year in our old house which made me even more excited.

On Thanksgiving day his brother & family ended up staying in Seattle but we still had a special day with yummy food (we smoked a turkey, try it, it is the best). That morning Jaden's little girlfriend Emma (pictured at top) came over with her mom, dad, & grandpa from Japan. I really enjoyed meeting June's (my friends) Dad. He was so in awe of everything & it made me appreciate it all the more. They didn't join of for dinner but spent some time visiting. Notice Emma's cute little poncho...they really got into the spirit.

We had another couple over, Chris sister Tara & her son Anthony & Chris' mom so it was small compared to what I grew up with but very fun. Outside had a fresh layer of snow & it was beautiful to see. I gave Jaden just a little bit of mashed potatoes because he was so young & it gave him a tummy ache. We had pushed his high chair next to the table so that he got to take it all in.

At 5am I hit the stores the next day & met up with June. Her dad had decided he really wanted to check out how crazy us American's are so he shopped with us too. It was so fun to watch him take it all in. He had a blast & even did some of his own shopping.

Last Thanksgiving was special too. I'm grateful that after years of not going to Thanksgiving on my side of the family that this year we did. This was my grandpas last Thanksgiving with us. There were 99 (I think this # is right) that gathered in my grandparents home. All 99 of us were either children, grandchildren, or great grandchildren of them plus spouses. This is how large their family is & how close they are. All their children were there & I think only a couple of grandchildren were missing. The Hendricks Family is soooo fun & we spent the rest of the afternoon laughing & sharing stories & it was wonderful.

Just today I'm thankful for the following:
-A baby that slept until 5 am (6 am if you don't consider the time change.)
-That we get to vote & that we live in free country.
-That Jaden is perfect with directions & told me exactly how to get to Walmart today. This gives me comfort that if anyone ever took him & they didn't get too far that'd he find his way home.
-That my husband provides for our family & scored a BIG one today.
-That I didn't wonder how I was going to pay for our groceries & that I even could afford to Jaden a special surprise.
-That I have a mamma van that gets me where I need to go & that I don't worry about getting stranded (I did almost lose my keys at the store though...that could have made for a bad day.)
-I'm going to turn this negative into a positive=Chris is working out of town these next two weeks & when he's gone I have more time. I have a few extra things these two weeks so i'm grateful for extra time.
-When we arrive home I was welcomed to a very toasty home. It's freezing outside so this is a wonderful thing.
-For all of our friends & family. This time of year is so wonderful to get together & share traditions.

I'm sure as Thanksgiving approaches I'll continue to reflect on all that I'm grateful for. Maybe late tonight if I like what the news tells me:)

P.S....if you are wonderfing why the pictures are kind of funny & not clear. I haven't found the CD to our scanner since we've moved & I didn't keep the electronic file so these are a picture of a picture. I'm grateful I found a way to improvise.

FYI

If you wonder why none of you are getting comments from me I just want you to know I'm trying. My internet is being a pain & lets me write the comment but then I go to post & it goes crazy. After writing 6 comments tonight & none posting I decided I better give up or bads words will be coming out of my mouth. There are some super cute halloween outfits to comment on, strong opinions which I agree 100% with, and to you Lori because I about died laughing at Richards post....I now know a new side of you & you are so much fun!!! We need to play:)

pumpkin & lego

We had such a fun evening celebrating Halloween. Landon was so cute as a Pumpkin. Poor little guys costume was a hand-me-down from Jaden. I loved his little dimples & even captured some of his new teeth. He was so good & kicked his legs the whole time while we pushed him around in his stroller. We went to Snake River Landing around 4pm & then went around our neighborhood. Can I just say I LOVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. We are still getting to know people & it's huge but the perfect place for Trick or Treating.

Jaden got MANY comments about his costume & by the end of the night he told EVERYONE that he made it. I guess he helped. Some of the homes in our neighborhood went all out & he was excited to see what each one had. He scored at one home when they gave him TWO big candy bars. On our way home he ran into one of his best little buddies Jordan & they were so excited to show each other their loot. Kids are so cute!!! Both boys were ready to go to bed...it was an adventerous night.

Our craziness

I feel like our life is going so fast & I try to figure out why we are so busy but haven't put my finger on it just yet. I finally get a moment to post because Chris & Jaden are taking my brother to Burley to meet his wife...yay. Not yay that he's leaving us, yay that I have a small break (wait, I still have Landon & he just happens to be crying.)

First I should mention after months & months of waiting that Landon finally has not just a tooth but 3 teeth. I tried really hard to capture them on camera but for some reason any time your figures go near their mouths they think they're supposed to chew on them. AND the crawing is soooooo close. He goes in full circles but hates his tummy & I think that is what is holding him back. I'm thinking I should be enjoying this because I don't have any baby gates up yet & I have two full sets of stairs to monitor. It will be a challenge.




If you remember I posted curtains I made a couple of months ago. Well I didn't really like them & they've been bothering me. I think that I was just excited that I actually was able to sew them. I did another take & I think they look much better...the picture not so much. Too much light from the windows. I have been on this HUGE kick lately of trying to reuse, not be wasteful, thrifty, ect. So don't worry about the wasted fabric...I have some ideas. My minds just ticking away.

And speaking of my mind. I really have worried about continuing to use my mind. I don't want to lose skills that I worked so hard to get. For a good number of years I worked really hard at my career (60+ hours a week, pre-kids) & I want to make sure my minds keeps thinking (besides sewing projects & what to make for dinner). I decided to take a tax class & then do taxes one or two nights a week during the tax season. If anyone wants me to do their tax return for $20 let me know. I can do 5 for this price but have to know RIGHT NOW!!!

AND we've finally narrowed down Jaden's Halloween costume. That boy likes something one minute & not the next so it wasn't an easy task. He's going to be a lego. I'm still making the costume but so far so CUTE. I was going to different websites to see what Jaden liked & finally I went to one that had homemade ideas & the lego is the only one that he liked. This was after we had bought him items to be MAX from Max & Ruby. He loved them for like a week & now has zero interest. Anyone want some overalls.

And last of all...we were just "Boo-ed" twice within 5 minutes of each other so I didn't have time to put our sign out. The odd thing was that the second one had nothing on the plate. I did takes a few minutes to get to the door so I'm not sure if a cat or dog ate them but I was looking around to see if someone was playing a joke. NOW I have to BOO 6 houses.

Mini Van Mamma

So you'll all laugh & love that I am now a mini van mamma! Yes I know, I declared that I'd never be one. Last week Chris's car showed some serious signs that it wouldn't be with us much longer. The plan was always that my car would be a hand-me-down to Chris thus the need for me to get a new one. We looked at SUV's...we really did. Chris didn't want anything to do with a mini van & told me if we purchased one we'd be back in a week getting a different car because I'd hate it. The crazy thing is at the end of the day the mini van is the one that we felt good about & ended up driving home. I wrote my brother on a mission a letter today & told him that I hope it didn't mean triplets were in our future. I'd like to think that I'm just getting to be a simpler person & less worldly:)

Anyone feel like no matter how hard they try their house is never clean. I've discovered that in order to cook dinner that I have to let Landon create a mess on the kitchen floor. Today I've tried to do a bunch of things so that my hubby thinks I'm a good homemaker:):):) Speaking of what Hubby's think I was talking about how beautiful my sisters were (not in a jealous way, I love them & am happy for their beauty...I'm really not a jealous person) & he informed me that I was more beautiful & tried to find flaws in my sisters. Sorry my BEAUTIFUL sisters...Jenna, now you know where the joke came from that Chris & I were laughing about. I won't share it with the blogging community. So here's to spending our days cleaning, cooking, & taking care of our kiddos!!! One day we'll all be perfect.

Singing Fiasco

So I've done really well to get out of singing in a ward choir or evening singing period...I know, I'm hiding my talent in the sand:) When we moved into my new ward the 2nd week I had someone come & tell me that they heard that I sing & wanted me to be in the ward choir. Then they brought me over a goodie bag & informed me they had lined up a babysitter for me during choir practice & that we'd only practice for 30 minutes. I knew I couldn't get out of it but I was really angry at Chris because I'm thinking that he's told on me. In our ward is a guy that I attended high school with & it clicked so I went & asked & he's the one that told & he proudly told me he did. So I've been attending but missed a couple of practices so today when they said that we were singing I didn't go up since I didn't know the song. Chris was taking Jaden to the bathroom. The choir director came to the mike & started talking about the song & how it was really difficult & that the Choir President called this morning from Florida because she was worried & to just make sure Sister Murphy was there & that everyone would be fine. Then she turned & looked at me & said "someone come & take her baby so that she can sing.' I rushed to the stand muttering to those next to me that I didn't know the song. So we come to the ending & no one is singing because no one knows it. I can't find the note so I made up the ending....ah!!!! I'm really worried that everyones expectations have now been set too high since our whole ward now knows that I sing. I'm already singing a solo next Sunday & how that came to be is a story of its own.

taking a moment

I don't really like messes & try to do activities that avoid messes. I decided that I need to do more to teach Jaden new things & it may just require us to make messes. So for the first time EVER we made sugar cookies. Jaden got to help me mix the dough, roll it out, cut it out, cook it, frost them, sprinkle them, eat them, & take them to his little friends. He had so much fun & even though I had lots of flour & dough to clean off the counter and floor I had fun too. He was so excited to take a plate to two of his little friends & he proudly carried their plates to the doors.

A cutie Pie

I'm a week late in my post for my 8 month old. I may be in denial. I love to hold him so close & tickle his little neck. I took pictures of him just in his diaper so that I could capture all his little features...he's changing so fast. As I lay him down to bed I snuggle and kiss and love my little baby. If time could just stop. It's amazing how a little one can change your family. With Jaden I felt like we were young & inexperienced. When we added Landon to our family I all the sudden felt like a family & that we were complete (we do plan at least another one.) I'm so grateful that Jaden loves him too...I have yet to see any jealousy. If Landon is playing with one of Jaden's toys Jaden goes & gets Landons one of his toys before he takes it away. He cares about his little brother.

Speaking of Jaden. He met with a Speach pathologist today & she asked why they would have referred him. She didn't say too much about it but I got the impression that she has no concerns about Jadens pronunciation & said that boys are slower then girls & that it's nothing to worry about. Jaden is so very SMART despite the fact that he thinks everyone is a boy & that he is 1 year old. They'll call me for an official meeting after all his testing is done but I'm thinking that there is no concerns. Today in his testing they showed him pictures & he had to say what they were. She held up a picture of a green flag & he said GOLF. She laughed & asked me if we were golfers. I told her that we golf in our backyard with Jaden & a green flag marks the hole. Sometimes his knowledge & desire for more can drive me crazy. He got his hands on a screw driver & removed EVERY battery in all his toys. PLUS we are now missing the backs to some of them. I've now HID all the batteries & none of his toys get any until he's over this phase. He keeps me hopping.

These boys are cuties!!! I was telling Chris the other day that I hope they still stay close to their mommy after they are old & married. Hopefully they'll marry girls that love our FAMILY so that we can spend lots of time together & makes lots of memories.

Traditions

On Friday afternoon we decided last minute to take a trip to Utah. A couple of hours later we hit the road to arrive just in time to put the kids to bed. We went so that we could spend some time with Chris's family...his mom flew in & originally was going to come to Idaho. So after a quick weekend we ended up bringing my niece & nephew home with us. It was a fun ride home with four little ones in a mini van (we borrowed Jenna's.) We hit snow, listened to all four (landon included) in a hollering match, & fighting over books & toys.

When we got home my amazing parents brought us dinner & a special surprise for Chris. First off my parents are the most generous people that I know. I have six siblings & they work so hard to do & give to all of us. As Jenna said on her blog at Fathers Day's, Spring Cleaning for my parents means cleaning out their pockets & giving it to their children. It's the small things that they give that means so much & this was one of them. Chris special surprise was a tradition that my dad shared with him. My dad originally was going to do this with Chris on Saturday morning but he so kindly waited since we left to Utah unexpectedly. He gave Chris his first gun...Chris has never hunted. My dad has given each of his sons their first gun when they went on their first hunting trip as did his dad to him. My dad wanted to share this with Chris. He loves Chris so much & is such a good example & such a wonderful father figure. Now on a different note, I'm hoping they don't catch ANYTHING. I just can't bring myself to eat the meat...last year they gave their elk away to a family that needed the meat. We'll see what this year holds for them. In the picture you can see the grandsons (Jaden & Easton) scoping it out. Maybe their future holds a gun too.

The fruits of our labor

My mom & I canned today. YUM!!! We did apple pie filling & applesauce. I've never really canned before so I was excited to try it. We plan to do some more on Monday & I'm hoping to hide some mashed up carrots in the Mondays batch for Jaden who recently has taken a disliking to veggies. Kids, what do ya do???



I've had a couple people ask how I'm doing my digital pages. I use Photoshop elements....it's the simplest photoshop there is & I love it. I like to do my pages really simple so it's served it's purpose. I purchased it at Walmart for $60 or $70 so it's affordable & soooooo much cheaper then REAL scrapbooking. I've been uploading my pages into a shutterfly photobook. There are tons of companies out there that do these & I don't think that shutterfly is the cheapest but I prepaid for 4 books for $80 (20 pages each). I plan to do 1 book for each child a year. Jaden's book right now is about 30 pages & Landons 24 pages so I do have to pay $.99 per page that I've went over. If you compare that to the price of binders, covers, scrapbook paper, & embellishments it's a steal. PLUS there is no mess...I love it. I should mention I'm doing the 8X8 books & not 12x12. It's more of a storybook size and I liked that better. I hope this helps! AND if you don't want to do your own pages there are tons of companies (shutterfly included) that have premade ones that you just add & drop your pictures & writing. It's a timesaver; I'm doing one for my brother on a mission & I love it except there are some limitations with font selections & backgrounds.

a family style weekend...

Conference was fabulous & it's nice to just slow down & reflect & not run in a million directions on a Saturday.

Listening to the speakers can be difficult with two little ones but just having it on in our home brings a more reverent spirit.

I worked with Jaden on who the Prophet was. He kept insisting that President Monson was School...I was kind of confused. I didn't let him get off my lap until he understood that he was the Prophet, or no longer thought he was school?. I told him that it is who he prays for everyone night. I hope these moments make a small impact on a young mind.

We did take a moment between the Saturday Sessions to go to a pumpkin patch to let Jaden pick out a pumpkin. He started out with some really large pumpkins & settled on a really small one when he realized how heavy they were. We do think he is too young to carve it this year so we plan to just display it on a bench in our front yard. Jaden has other plans & partially buried it in the backyard. We'll see if it ends up in front.



FUNNY MOMENT!!! Yesterday morning I woke up because my yard is ugly & driving me crazy. I needed a moment without kids to dig in the dirt & get something done before conference. I was working in the backyard (chris was at the gym with the kids) & I hear a boy crying really loud. I at first assume that it's a neighbor boy so I ignore it for a while. After awhile I figure I better see what's going on so I go to the front yard to find a little boy from a couple streets over stalled in his motorized car. It was raining slightly and he was very unhappy. All he could do was cry for his dad & wasn't able to tell me where he lived. I asked him if I could push him home. Keep in mind I'm covered in mud. He doesn't say a word the whole time & I only know we're at his house because he pushed on the breaks so that I couldn't push him anymore. I was quite the sight!!!

How to workout even harder

At home we only have CNN. Not a great station for a conservative person so I get excited when I go to the gym & Fox News is on.

This evening we went to the gym & fox news was on...this determined where I would start my workout so that I could watch CONSERVATIVE news. Since I usually don't carry headphones I get to squint my eyes & read the captions that are always behind. As I'm 20 minutes into my workout I started seeing clippings of the O'Reilly show that was going to come up. Anyone catch it???? It was an exposive argument begin Barney Frank & Bill O'Reilly. Each commercial break they keep saying that it's coming so I push on as my legs are burning. I don't want to miss this. FINALLY...I'm ready to faint as that portion of the show comes up. Holy moly!!! Now I do think that Bill was a little tough & I don't think that Barney Frank is totally responsible for the collapse of our economy but I had to give Bill credit. He was passionate in getting Barney to take some credit for what has happened. I had to laugh as all that Barney could do was talk about Bill's show & his borish style. Admitting mistakes is probably the hardest thing to do but Barney BLAMED everyone else. Not impressive in my book. It was a crazy clip so look it up...it will pump you up. It pumped me up & I continued on the machine for 5 more minutes following the interview because my blood was pumping from the argument. I'll probably pay the price tomorrow.

AND the Debate. WOW!!!!! I saw the Palin that I saw in her convention speech. My confidence is coming back. I found Biden to be kind of boring & some of his answers weren't simple enough for my mind. Or as Palin called him O'Biden...anyone catch that. Chris & I chuckled. So hopefully the O'Biden ticket has been slowed down. Drill BABY Drill!!!!

Future President of the United States

This title may be confusing but I went to a rally yesterday for Jim Risch (running for a US Senate Seat) & guess who came!!! DRUM ROLL....Mitt Romney. I admit that is actually the reason that I went.

We actually didn't know about it & Chris was driving to an appointment & heard about the rally on the radio. He quickly called me since he knows I'm obsessed with politics. Since the late notice we had two options; I go by myself or we take the kids. Chris really didn't care to go but I kind of wanted Jaden to see it thus the whole family went.

I want to get more involved & be aware aware of issues & candidates even on a local level although most of my attention is on a national level. It was so fun to listen to the speeches (they were short which was surprising but nice). Mitt was perfect of course. I really wanted to run Jaden up to him for a photo op but it was getting late & I didn't want to be obnoxious. That picture would have been worth a lot when Mitt wins & yes, he will win in the future:)

Remember to catch the VP debate tonight. I'm very nervous for Palin...I think nerves are interfering with her abilities. It's funny but having a women running I often compare how I'd be feeling; sounds strange I know. I bet last night she was lying in bed with her husband with nervous ramblings & possible tears for the debate tonight. I'd imagine she continues to question her decision & whether it was best for her family. She probably has moments of 100% confidence & other moments of feeling 100% overwelmed. I know that those are the emotions I would be experiencing if I were in her shoes. BUT you'll never catch them admit it:) We are definately living history at this moment...hopefully we'll be able to look back on it as a time America grew, not a time of hardship.

{Everyday Happenings}

Today has been adventurous as we spoke for the first time in our new ward. I've managed to dodge the bullet the last two times I was asked because they asked within a couple of days within both my boys due dates. Not this time. Chris did awesome & I cried:) We each took turn with the kids & thankfully we have great members in our ward that reached out & assisted. I even heard a little boy whisper behind us to his mom asking what was wrong with Jaden (he can be tough in Sacrament meeting.) I heard her say that he was tired & that both of us were speaking so they needed to be helpful. Gotta love the strangers (hopefully friends soon) that reach in to assist.

We can be boring but thankfully we have fun together doing the simple things.

Jaden loves to "mow me lawn" & we like to use that as a bribing tool to get him to do things. He does exactly what daddy does...as a pretender he puts gas in his mower, pulls the string to start it, & empties that grass. His rows are as perfect as daddys too.

AND of course ball is a favorite past time for all the boys Whether they play baseball, basketball, golf, or simply eating the ball (Landon) they all think its great.

Where did my little boy go...

Jaden is growing right before my eyes. I just watch him in awe at the things that he does & discovers. The phrases that come out of his mouth keeps me laughing all day.

Yesterday I took Jaden for testing with the school district. For awhile we've been very concerned about his speech. In March we had his hearing checked to see if maybe he didn't hear very well & therefore wasn't saying the words clearly. His hearing results were better then average. At this point he was put on a waiting list with a Speech Pathologist in Rexburg. About a week after we moved I received a phone call letting us know they finally could set him up an appointment. Nice timing!!!

Anyways there were a few different people that told me to have him tested by the school district because they have early intervention programs & if he qualifies we don't have to pay, yippeee!!! They called me back two weeks ago & set the appointment for yesterday. About a week ago I finally took Jaden for his 3 year check & I mentioned to his new doctor that I was concerned about his speech & that I had an appointment with the school district. His doctor said he thought his speech was fine & that very few 3 year olds spoke clearly. So then my doubting begins & I'm worried I'm one of those over-concerned mothers. Chris reassures me that it's better to be safe then sorry.

Because of Jaden's unclear words we've been working really hard to make him repeat words that he doesn't say correctly. As we were driving to the appointment I started asking Jaden to repeat some of his more difficult words & they were coming out perfectly. Again, I'm worried that I'm wasting someones time.

The appointment was an hour & I got to watch Jaden with each activity. The first activites were puzzle types; as an FYI Jaden excels at these types of things so then I'm really worried they are going to think I'm crazy. I don't know how they rate certain things so I'm not sure how he did, we'll find out in a couple of weeks, but it was very enjoyable watching Jaden try to figure out the different acitivities. The comments that would come out of his mouth were of course hilarious.

I love this little guy & if he passes it means he's where he should be & if he doesn't we get free services. Hopefully we don't wait too long:)

A nation in trouble..

I'm worried. Our economy is in trouble. I don't believe that there is a perfect solution & won't even begin to think I know how to fix this. Everyday it seems like another bank is failing.

I think that this will affect everyone. This is how I think that it will affect me. I'll be paying more taxes to cover this huge bailout of AIG & so many banks. PLUS I think we'll see a decrease in spending. I actually am a huge supporter of this & believe in purchasing something only when you can afford it BUT a decrease in spending affects everyone. As an example, Chris (my hubby) sales advertising. Chris is paid mostly on commission. As businesses fail (because we aren't spending) they won't be advertising. Other examples are the jobs that will be lost, the businesses that will fail, homes will be lost.

Regarding the housing market. This is probably the saddest thing. It's disappointing that there was so much corruption. I do think that the homeowners hold some responsibility though. An ARM loan sounds great but that was a huge part of the problem. When we were looking for our first home the first mortgage company that we talked to tried to convince us to get this type of loan. The positive was that the interest rate was low to start with & could stay that way. I'm conservative & I told Chris I wasn't comfortable with this type of loan & didn't like the push in this direction by the mortgage company. Thankfully we made a different decision & I wish so many others had done the same thing. I also hope to see the end (I think they might already be gone) of 100% financing. If you can't afford a down payment you can't afford a mortgage. So many go into a home under a false sense that they could afford it. Homes are expensive. There are so many expenses that you don't have when you rent. Sometimes the excitement of a home clouds our judgement. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE, before you get into a home.

I do want to mention that I think there are unfortunate circumstances that may cause someone to lose there home & it's out of their control. Examples may be a medical emergency or loss of a job. These things aren't forseen & you can't always plan for it. I just don't want to see anyone else lose their home because they were greedy & wanted more of a home then they could afford.

This morning I was with some ladies from our ward & one of them had mentioned that they've been trying to sell their home since February. Her husband got a new job in Salt Lake & her & her three children have stayed behind to try to sell their home. I'm sad for her...this has to be a HUGE trial. It's hard with the market the way it is to have a lot of hope but her attitude was great.

I wish I knew the perfect solution at this time. I try to listen to recommendations & can only hope & pray that our country will choose the best one. I'm very happy that Senator McCain has chosen to suspend his campaign so that he can get to Washington & try to assist in fixing this problem. Although I think it may be politically motivated this is where he needs to be & this is what he should be doing. It's his job. I only wish Obama saw it this way also.

I hope that all of you will be impacted minimally; I think everyone will be impacted. Be wise & work hard!!!

Sadness!!!

I did something REALLY dumb. I was trying to create my own background & messed up the HTML completely. The only thing I could see to do was to delete the blog & start over. I believe I was on 59 entries...I feel like I lost so much.

But that is ok. This gives me a clean slate, right???

Gotta go take care of my kids. I've already spent way to much time trying to fix this!