A week of laughter with an awesome friend

I had so much fun when my friend Sarah Platteborze came to visit me in Mississippi for almost a whole week! It was so awesome to spend time hanging out together and laughing about everything and anything. I was a little nervous that she would get bored in our little town, but it never happened - we just had such a blast! here are some pictures from our fun time together.

Sarah trying to get a picture with my perfectly behaved, sweetly sitting children!

They loved having her here.

Yes, there are times when we look like normal sane people, lol.

Ya, I really have no clue why I look so darn attractive here.

Sarah and I went outside to play with the kids. Sarah made the

mistake of playing basketball in some tall wedge shoes.

We went to Birmingham to go to the temple and some good shopping.

Of course we had to go to Target, because I don't have one in my town.

Here I am sporting a sexy little hat.

Sarah is "rock'n" that hat, don'tcha think?

She was pretty tempted to purchase these sweet leopard print pants

from the clearance rack.

We picked up some eye masks in the dollar bins from Target.

Here I am setting the computer up with the movie we rented.

Our hotel was awesome. We seriously were like jr. high kids throwing

ice in the hallway running around.

Saturday morning we headed off to do some shopping.

We decided to try on some interesting dresses.

Here's my favorite purchase from the day!

Here we are at P F Changs for the second time in 24 hours.

Sarah is addicted to the computer just as much as I am, ha ha ha ha.

Ya, she is a total goof ball!

Donald was weighing her suitcase to make sure it wasn't too heavy.

I was so sad to see her go and I hate that we live so far away. I have decided that 5 years is way too long to go between getting to hang out together. Sarah, you rock girl!!!!

Kids say the Darnedest things

We were reading in 3 Nephi after dinner last week and the verse was talking about them being "pierced to their very soul" so I was trying to explain this to the kids so they would understand.

mom: have you ever had that feeling, like your heart is on fire?
Trent: YUP, that's what it feels like before I toot!
mom: NOOO, I mean when it feels GOOD!
Trent: well it feels good after I toot!

Fab-tab-ulous weekend on the cheap

I know this is out of chronological order, but if I don't post this now, then I know that I will forget and it will never get posted. Nonetheless, this past weekend we had GREAT fantastic weather, it was sunny and 70 degrees. Here is a run down of our weekend:

FRIDAY:

- Went to the gym and played racket ball with Donald.

- Headed to WalMart and stayed within my budget, GO ME!

- Took Tanner and Brooklyne to the Bonita Lakes Park and chased them around and laughed a lot.

- Had a picnic at the park with the little ones.

- After Trent and Kolby got home from school, we headed over to the church and road bikes, ran races, played kick balll, and played roller hockey as a family.

- After putting kids to bed Don and I got to relax and watch a movie.

SATURDAY:

- Got to sleep in until 7:45 a.m.

- Made and ate a yummy breakfast of Hootnanny Pancakes and a spread of fresh fruit.

- Headed to Bonita Lakes at 10:30 a.m. Don took the kids over to the park to play while I got to run a couple miles. Running outside felt so dang good, and it was the first time I have gone running in over 3 months and it was AWESOME.

- Took the kids hiking on the trails. We hiked a little more than 3 miles. Tanner and Brook were carried about 50% of the time, but over all they did pretty good. Trent didn't want to stop, he was determined to do 5 miles.

- Made it home in time for Tanner and Brook to get a 2 hour, MUCH NEEDED, nap.

- Took the kids to the roller rank because we had some free passes. Kolby got to bring a friend and we had a nice time.

- Went to the Elders Quorum bon fire hot dog roast as a family.

- I resisted the package of Oreo cookies sitting on the table!

- Got the kids home and showered and in bed by 8:30 p.m.

- Snuggled up to my husband and watched a movie before bed.

SUNDAY:

- Made it to church ON TIME.

- Enjoyed church.

- Had a nice lunch of left over OUR BEST BITES Chicken and Dumplings.

- Helped my kids learn what giving to others is about. I wish I could take the credit, but really it it was instigated by Trent and Kolby. The 4 kids collected and donated $10 for Haiti relief then Donald and I added to that to make it an even $50.00. The time we spent discussing how we can contribute to the Haiti relief and the blessings in life was an unforgettable teaching moment that melted my heart.

- Had a great dinner as a family with lots of laughs.

- Put the kids to bed and played card games with Donald.

Overall, our weekend was the perfect way to spend our time together.

EYE POPPING -- SIZZLING HOT

. . . HEELS!!!

My girlfriend Sarah and I went to Birmingham and did some shopping. We of course are clearance shoppers and both fell in love with these hot shoes. Originally $100, and I got them for $35. I don't have anything like them and seriously they are so HOT!!!!! I decided to use my birthday money to buy them guilt free!!!!

9 year old TUDE

My perfect little angle of a son has turned 9 years old. Ahhhh, he really was, and is an awesome kid. Seriously, he was a nearly perfect pregnancy, an easy delivery, a picture perfect baby, toddler, and preschooler, and now, now her has hit the age of ATTITUDE! I suppose I had a glory ride for quite some time, and honestly, his TUDE isn't nearly as bad as some I witness from other 9 year old boys. Nonetheless, he is declaring his independence and trying to establish and figure out the boundaries and line to cross. Yes, I think it will be a work in progress, but thankfully, he is a dang good kid, who is smart, caring, hard working, people pleasing, assertive, critical thinking, caring heart, fun, silly, and much much more. All of these qualities help to out weigh his deliverance of TUDE.

Anyway, enough of that, Trent was able to have a birthday party this year. For the past 3 years he has not had a "friend" party. One year he chose having a friend sleep over, another year he chose building a go cart with dad, and last year was all about getting baptized. So this year he got to have a fun FRIEND party. For several months he was persistant in his desire to have a football and soccer party. This idea was a difficult one to pull off seeings how his birthday is in January. Thankfully Trent was open for suggestions and changed his party plans to a Roller Skating party!!! When Saturday rolled around we were even more grateful for Trent's party plan change due to the 35 degree temp. that day.

Trenton, Bo, and Cooper roller skating

JT, Adam, Trent and Max getting ready to do some Hokey Pokey.

Max, Trent and Adam

Jessica, our babysitter, was helping Brooklyne roller skate

Time for some birthday cake

Party Time!

This picture is the BEST! Seriously, check out the expression on Tanner's face and Jessica's face!

Daddy helping Brooklyne roller skate.

Tanner and I cruising on our wheels while David and Bo laugh in front of us.

"Look Mom, I am miss independent!"

Christmas 2009

I know I am a month behind on my posts, but at least I am posting, ha ha ha.

We had a nice Christmas this year. My parents were here and were blessed with the opportunity to share in our holiday joy, work, stress, and craziness.

In our home we do a nice Christmas Eve dinner. I serve raspberry pork loin, sour cream potato casserole, lemon pepper green beans, strawberry pretzel squares, rolls, and a sparkling cranberry drink. For dessert we had chocolate pie and pumpkin cheese cake in a pecan gingersnap crust. Sadly, though, we never even touched the dessert that night because we were too full.

After the kids went to bed, we finished up a few things and headed to bed as well. While we were all snoozing away, Santa paid a visit to our home and was very generous this year.

The kids waiting at the top of the stairs Christmas morning. They are really excited to see if Santa brought them anything. At this point, they had already established that Santa did not bring a dog because there was not a fence in the back yard (we told the kids Santa would not bring a dog to our house because we did not have a fenced back yard, so they determined that if Christmas morning there was a fence, then they would know they were getting a dog, ha ha ha).

The kids checking out their Santa Loot!

Here's Trent reading the first clue that Santa left. Santa sends the kids on a scavenger hunt every year and puts little clues in my little gingerbread houses (I have 5 of them) and hides them in different places in the house.

This year, Santa brought a guinea pig. We named him Diego!

Trent was so excited to get a jar of pickles from Santa.

Daddy helping Brooklyne open her Santa present.

Star Wars lazer dart gun = ready for action any time!
Brooklyne loves baby dolls and was thrilled she got one for Christmas.

After we opened all our presents, we chowed down on some oven baked french toast and chilled the rest of the day. We watched 2 basketball games and enjoyed left overs for dinner. Ahhhh, what a great Christmas day!

Christmas cuties

Yup, I am THAT mom who dressed her children in matching Christmas attire. We have only had matching Christmas clothes one other time (mother in law sent outfits for the 3 boys a few years ago) but this year I found these cute outfits for the boys - at WAL MART of all places - and then a matching girly girl dress for Brook at another store and was in love. So here ya go, my cute kiddo's in their Christmas outfits the Sunday before Christmas. Oh, and a picture with me in it too - my parents kinda insisted, lol.

In the Spot Light

Kobly has really started to come alive and love the spot light! He is a natural performer and very attentive to detail and style on the stage. This December Kolby was front and center in his First Grade Christmas Program and loved every second of it. He didn't miss a beat and never missed a move. he was spot on AWESOME! It was kinda "funny", if I dare say that, but after the program we took the kids to Ci-Ci's Pizza and on the way Trent was kinda bummed out. I was asking him why he was down and his reply was that he was kinda sad because he thinks Kolby is better on stage than he is. Trent wasn't sure how to feel about these emotions so we talked about different talents, skills, abilities, and struggles. After our conversation Trent was able to be happy and excited for his brother and that success.

Kolby also loved having his mom come to his class Christmas party. When Trent was in 1st grade I came in made taught the kids how to make marshmallow snowmen and they absolutely loved it, so this year, it was Kolby's turn to have his mom teach HIS class. Kolby was lit up like a Christmas tree the entire time, totally relishing in the knowledge that HIS MOM was there and HE was the hot stuff in class for that hour. All in all, his class loved making the snowmen, and if I dare say so, Kolby's class did better at listening and following directions than Trent's class had down a couple years prior.

Ginger Bread House

Can you believe it, this is the first ginger bread house we have ever made in this family. My inlaws sent us a family Christmas gift and it was ginger bread house making kit, so for FHE a few weeks ago, we put it together with the help of my parents. The kids had a lot of fun doing it and really loved putting all the candy on it. Brooklyne however, just wanted to eat all the candy and lick the frosting.

Sunday mishaps

While I was teaching my fabulous youth Sunday School class, Tanner and a friend decided to toss hymn books out the classroom window. We are not sure what their goal was - do they not like to sing? do they not like the color green? were they trying to form a "mound" outside the window to aid in their escape route? We will forever have to wonder what their TRUE PURPOSE was because even though both boys were caught red handed, they deny it all. So once Tanner's Primary mischief was brought back into control, it was discovered that in Trent's class a girl punched another girl while the teacher (who is 6 months pregnant and the mother of the child who got punched) was in the bathroom. I guess Frustrated girl #1, was kicking Trent's chair and girl #2's chair. girl #2 kept telling girl #1 to stop, so girl #1 got mad and punched girl #2 in the face. It didn't help the girl #1 is the bishop's daughter and he had to get called into the classroom, oops. Thankfully Kolby and Brooklyne had mishap free classes!

Just crazy OR maybe brilliant?

Who in their right mind, suggests to 4 little kids that for FHE we should go to ToysRus to make Christmas lists?

Back in the first week of November we asked the boys to make up their Christmas Wish List. After a few days of them tossing ideas around in their heads and with each other, Trent and Kolby made their Christmas Wish Lists. I was eager to see what they wrote down because Don and I really had no idea what to get them for Christmas this year. Their lists were almost identical and had listed: dog, dog house, dog food, Guinea pig, guinea pig house, food, and bedding, turtle, turtle house, turtle food, DS, and a happy family. The only difference between Trent's list and Kolby's list is that Trent also wanted a personal computer and Kolby wanted a ghost costume. Now would someone please tell me what on those lists I can buy at Walmart, Target, or ToysRus for under $40??? We don't DO DS's or personal computers! We don't have a fence for a dog! and we have been considering the guinea pig, but come on, surely that can't be the only gift under the tree.

So with my lack of enthusiasm for their Wish Lists, I suggested to Don and the kids that for FHE we head down to the local ToysRus, equip each child with a notebook and pencil, and let them devise a list of TOYS they would like. HA . . . I must seriously have lost my mind! Who in the world lets 4 kids loose in a toy store? Ya, that would be me, the brainiac, lol. The stipulations were that they could write down 6 things and they had to be $50 or less, and we had 1 hour and 15 minutes in the store and then we must go. It was interesting how each child responded to this task.

Brooklyne was hilarious to watch. She was busting from the seams in pure heaven in the girly departments. Anything that was Princess, pink, baby doll, purse and make up, or musical (but pink) she was over the moon in love with. She was particularly entertaining in the doll area. She could not decide WHICH doll(s) she wanted most. She would pick one up, then put it down and grab a different one but then go back to the ones she picked up to begin with, ha ha ha ha. We could not keep that child contained, she was a total hoot!

Tanner was more particular than I had anticipated. Although he was interested in a hundred different things, he was very specific as to what he actually wanted to be ON HIS list. His current infatuation is centered around Disney's CARS as well as GO DIEGO GO. If we even HINTED at something aside from those 2 areas of interest he was simply disgusted that we could consider anything other that CARS and DIEGO.

Kolby was much more of what I "expected". He took allot if pride in the freedom he had with having his own notebook and pencil to write down almost anything he wanted. We weren't in the store for more than 90 seconds and he was already writing stuff down. Within 20 minutes he had 5 of his 6 lines filled with this that and the other. He would have had all 6 lines filled on his Wish List if I had not insisted I needed to use his pencil for a while, ha ha ha ha ha.

Trent was the one I found the most interesting of all. As we went through the store looking at all sorts of things, he never wrote anything down. Whenever I would offer suggestions he would kinda shrug his shoulders and say he didn't want to put that on his list. He finally came alive when we got over to the GUN and STAR WARS area. Yup, he was holding out for the "good stuff". He scanned and evaluated the Nerf Gun section, reading the packaging and comparing what each gun had to offer. After about 5 minutes he narrowed it down to a specific gun because it had more power, more bullets, and more BANG for the buck. He also decided he wanted the 100 Nerf bullets with container because he needed new bullets and the container would allow him a specific place to store them. In the Star Wars area he evaluated things the same way, comparing product, cost, functionality, etc. He finally decided on the Clone Wars Trooper Blaster gun thing, with foam bullets. Imagine that, a GUN, ha ha ha ha ha. He also picked out a new light saber he wanted. After that he really didn't care about anything else and just picked a couple random items to complete his list.

Over all, the experience was pleasant, amusing, only a little stressful, and rather enlightening. We moved through the store rather quickly and efficiently especially with the 4 kids in tow. What was even greater, was NOW we actually had an idea of what or kids were interested in - that of course made it worth it completely! I do declare a spark of brilliants in our crazy Christmas Wish List excursion and will most likely do the same thing next year.