resolute

What are your New Year's resolutions? Do you make any? I always make them. I rarely keep them. This year I feel I have to keep at least some of them. I am determined.
Here are the things I plan to do:
*eat MUCH healthier. I eat healthy, but it's sprinkled with cookies and chocolate, and too many carbs. My body does not do well with carbs. I need to do better.
*exercise more regularly. I exercise, but it consists of random dancing, random Pilates, wrestling my 2 year old to get him dressed... or running the laundry up and down the stairs, and then I eat a cookie...
*read my scriptures regularly. I read, but the indulgent, entertaining stuff, and not enough of what matters most. I also plan to read with my children more.
*spend less time on the computer. I love blogging and reading blogs, I love facebook, I love my friends, but I need to limit my time. It takes away from the important things in life, like laundry, and dishes, and vacuuming...sigh.
*get our finances in order. We are blessed, but I overspend in some area's. It is hard to justify when we are still in debt with school, etc. So, I need to be more frugal and disciplined. It scares me when people we know are losing their jobs and homes...I want to feel more prepared.
*go somewhere, anywhere, with my husband, ALONE for a few days. Tom and I have not gone anywhere by ourselves in 8 years. It is a sad, sad reality. We need to.

So, that's it. Well, for the most part. Piece of cake, right?

Tomorrow it's a new year, but today...I am eating cookies and playing on the computer with fervor!! What are you doing today? ;)

Dear Nintendo DS

I love you. I never thought I would say it, but I love you...I love having two of you within the walls of our home. I love hearing my girls giggle as they send secret messages to eachother, and I love the silence as they play games on you. I love that you are small and compact and don't take up much room like the other toys do. I love that you play with my girls whenever they want. I love that you are bribing and bargaining power (for me). You make my girls happy, which makes me....very happy. I love that it is 2 days after Christmas, and they aren't bored yet. I love my mother-in-law for bestowing this gift upon us....

So, thank you DS, for being a little piece of sunshine amidst our winter break. I can't say what your fate will be when Wii comes knocking on our door, but for now you are great.
By the way, I think you are pretty cute, too.

Safety Saturday

Today I took the girls to SuperWalmart. It was pre-holiday madness. I quickly gave the girls the rundown on "stranger danger" (for the 50th time) as I eyed the "variety" of people shopping there today. Not to be judgemental, but you know what I'm talking about...
So, my rundown included staying very close to mom, not wandering to look at anything, because it's easy to get lost and distracted with so many people around...
Leave it to Madeline to take this business very seriously. They followed me around the store like little chicks. Poor Avery wouldn't be more then 3 steps behind me, when Madeline would loudly exclaim "Avery! You are not close enough to mom!!" This happened about 3 or 4 times. Finally, Madeline was clearly getting frustrated with Avery's dangerous ways, when, in the toy aisle, and the top of her lungs (with many ears available to hear) she belted out "Avery! Being kidnapped by these people is NOT on our list of things to do today!!" Thank you Madeline.

My Secret

I dance in my livingroom. It's true. I mean all-out, hands in the air, party like a rock star, dance in my livingroom. It's more fun than the treadmill. I know the visual image is disturbing, but if you don't dance in your livingroom - I highly recommend it. Let me share some of my dance in the livingroom soundtrack with you (don't judge me)...

Let it Rock - Kevin Rudolph
Hung Up - Madonna
Stronger - Kanye West
Shake It - Metro Station
and...pretty much any Justin Timberlake song (ok, mostly just one song, but I don't want to say it)

I hope you will still be my friend, however, I have a feeling I am not the only one who dances in their livingroom...

Family pics 2008

Thank you to my friend Sarah, who took awesome pictures of our family this year. I can't tell you what an amazing job she did...amazing, not only because they turned out beautifully, but also because the entire time she was shooting, Hayden was throwing the tantrum of the century. Sarah is amazing. Did I mention how amazing she is? He literally screamed for an hour straight! It didn't help that it was nap time...he also came home and threw up later that night, which explained his mood. Somehow, she still managed to capture some great shots of him...Thanks again, Sarah! :)


Still madly in love!

Our little man

So cute!

This one captures Hayden's mood that day to a "T".

I love this one of our girls!

He's smiling!! :)

In review

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Tom's parents came for the week. We love having them here, and it's always sad to say goodbye! Some of my Thanksgiving activities included: catching a cold (I am thankful for hot chocolate), playing a mean game of Totally 80's Trivial Pursuit (I am thankful for Care Bears), getting up at 4:30 am to go shopping (I am thankful for sales), learning how to brine a turkey (I am thankful it turned out, and was scrumptious to boot...2 necks and all), eating a chocolate dipped jalapeno (I am thankful for the chocolate part), trying to salvage our poor broken digital camera, but to no avail (I am thankful for a new digital camera, that we don't have yet, but hope to soon??!) and of coarse, spending time with my wonderful family, counting my blessings, and eating great food.
I also.... Hugged my kids

watched Kermit the Frog float by Macy's

loved on my husband in his Hawaiian shirt (apparantly it's his new tradition)

Saved babies from laundry baskets

played some mean games of Jenga

watched Hayden play with the TWO HUGE Tupperware boxes that Grandma brought, full of trains, lego's and cars. He was in little boy heaven.

acted silly

and...took some well needed naps

I am thankful.

*Our Blessings Come in Two's*

Today we began the brine preparations for our 23 pounder...enough to feed us, Papa, and Grandma on Thursday, and then some. To our surprise, our big fat turkey friend offered our family more then we ever imagined.

In it's belly, our turkey came stuffed with TWO necks.

I will admit I was a little grossed out by the visual image of a mutant turkey running around, sporting two heads. Our family has come up with many scenarios of why our turkey has two necks...maybe you would like to share some of yours. Also, don't you think it should be worthy of some awesome and amazing prize?? Should I call Jennie-O??

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

My Funny Boy

I have great visiting teachers. They come over every month. Sometimes Hayden is happy about this, sometimes he is not. (He hates having to turn off the TV). Today he was ok with it, but spent most of his time in the other room playing. During the lesson, one sisters' cell phone rang, so she excused herself to answer it. She looked at the number calling while giving me a funny look, and said, "it's you..."?? Obviously, it wasn't me, so I went to find Hayden... and sure enough, with a proud look on his face, he had our phone in his hand, and had accidentally called her number! Out of the 50 million numbers we have on our caller ID, he dialed hers! We had a good laugh over it. It was pretty funny, and is sure to become one of their favorite VTing stories! :)

Tagged

My friend Mandy tagged me...you have to post the 4th picture from your 4th folder. Thankfully, it wasn't an embarrassing picture, because we are not short on those! Madeline and Avery at their finest, smothering one another with love! This was taken in Phoenix about 2003.

I tag Didi, Rachel, Shanna, Rochelle, and Emily - and YES you have to do it, or you will hurt my feelings immensely!!!

Highly Recommended Read

Hayden has been carrying this around for the past 3 days...including dinner time. He cried today when he accidentally tore the corner off a page. Christmas might be easier then I thought.

November 13th

Today has very special meaning to me. Let me tell you why...

16 years ago today, I was your typical 17 year old. I had lots of friends, went to lots of parties, and worked hard in school. I had dreams and I had goals. I was the oldest of two girls, my sister Erika being 7 years younger then myself. We lived with my mom, who has always been a single parent, and who has always worked very hard to give us the life she felt we deserved. I lived in Mississauga, Ontario, a growing city just outside of Toronto.

Although, we were raised to believe in God, I wasn't quite sure who He was, or the role that He played in my life. I wanted to know. I remember it being a very transitionary time in my life. My peers were over-achievers, but yet I watched as their morals declined, and I wasn't too far behind except for the fact that it bothered me. Why did it bother me? For six months, I prayed to know God. I read the Bible, hoping to find the meaning in life I was seeking. I kept a journal of my progress. Many days, it seemed my efforts were in vain. Then one dreary and cold November day, I was standing alone waiting for my bus which would take me to my after school job at a vet's office. It was crowded that day, as commuters were rushing here and there trying to catch their buses. One young man caught my eye. He stood out among the rest. He looked too young to be wearing the suit and trench coat that he wore, but somehow it made him seem important. I watched him as he seemed to randomly approach people and talk with them. Their conversations seemed short. I felt an overwhelming sense of urgency that he needed to talk to me too. I honestly had no idea who he was or what he represented, but I couldn't ignore that my heart was pounding in my chest, and I decided then that if he didn't approach me, I would approach him! As he came my way, I smiled, hoping he would talk to me as he did the others. He introduced himself as Elder Gustin, and said he was a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Little did I know at that moment that my life had changed forever. In the weeks to come, Elder Gustin and Elder Babbitt taught me and my family everything my heart yearned to know. It was all so familiar to me. I remember feeling so humbled that God had given me this precious gift, and I vowed never to take it for granted. It was such a pivotal time in my young life, my life could have gone in two totally different directions. How grateful I am that the Lord saw fit to bless me so early on.

The short version of this story is that I went on to Ricks College, where I continued to learn and grow, and make life-long friends. I went on to serve a full-time mission where I gained an enormous love for people and where I finally had the chance to bless others with the gift I had so generously been given. It was also during that time that I realized how truly priceless this gift was. I married the love of my life in the temple, and I have been blessed with three beautiful children...all of these blessings which have stemmed from that one meeting so long ago on November 13th.

The fun part of this story is that I still keep in touch with Elder Babbitt and Elder Gustin. Elder Gustin has been blessed with a beautiful family. He and his wife and their five adorable kids live in Idaho. He and his wife attended Ricks College the same time I did, and it was fun to see them on campus.
Elder Babbitt has also been blessed with 4 beautiful children, and a lovely wife. He and his family live just over an hour away, here in Colorado! We are planning a family get together soon! I am so grateful my children will know these men that served so diligently to teach me the gospel of Jesus Christ. They are intricate threads weaved in to the fabric of who I have become. I am so eternally grateful for their friendship and role in my life.

So, now you know what November 13th means to me:)

Elder Babbitt and Elder Gustin November 1992
(who will either love me or hate me after posting this picture!:)
I believe those are seashells in their ears....?

Irony

Ok, so AS I clicked on "Publish Post" for the previous post (which you have to read to get this one) - Hayden was upstairs playing in the kitchen. I heard his little feet dancing around (he likes to dance in circles). I looked up, and behold, his long lost SOOKIE was in his mouth! Arrrggghhhh! He found it in the cupboard in the box of microwave popcorn!!!

Now what do I do? He is on cloud nine, and I am at Square one.

Have You Seen My Friend??

Hayden lost his very last sookie. It was a bitter-sweet farewell...we knew the day had to come, we just didn't think it would be cold turkey, and the day before he had THREE shots. We have been wanting to wean Hayden from his "sookie" for a while now, but it really has been such a good, GOOD, friend (to me). I knew it would be hard to say goodbye, I didn't know it would be miserable.

The good thing? It's gone. No more bribing the girls with money to go find it during his grouchy moods - because we are not buying another one. We will get to see his cute face in all of our pictures now. No more panic at the grocery store when he drops it on the floor.

The bad thing? Hayden is so, so sad. He is sleep deprived. He is grouchy. I am grouchy. He has had a very hard time falling asleep on his own. He stayed up until midnight the other night, and woke up looking for it in his blanket. .

I want to buy another one. Does the image of a Kindergartener sucking on a pacifier disturb you? I am thinking it isn't so bad...

On this night...

On this night, I have to say I am proud to live in this country. Regardless of who you voted for today, we live in a country that allows us so many freedoms. The freedom to worship, to elect our government, to choose our own paths... whatever they may be.
Tonight was historic in so many ways. I feel humbled and honored to live in a day when our country can look past one's race, and elect them as the leader of this great country. It speaks volumes on how far this country has come. If we look past all the political differences for just a moment, and embrace the unity that occured tonight, it is monumental. It is huge.
I thought McCain's speech tonight was gracious, and I think it would benefit us to take his words to heart. Barack Obama will be the new President of this country. There is honor in that. He ran an honorable campaign, an admirable campaign. I would hope and pray Republicans and Democrats can put aside their differences for the benefit our country, and move forward. I would hope that those who have spoken evil against Barack Obama will see the good in him, and move forward.
I have no doubt that God still watches over this country. I have no doubt that Barack Obama was born to be a leader. The leader of this country, and at this time in history. I have no doubt that he is a good man, a man of integrity, and that he will seek the best interest of America. I know there are many who may not agree with me, but I hope that they will have hope, that they will pray for their new leader as I will. I have hope for this great country, that there will be positive changes, that we will be able to reach out to the world in a manner that will allow the gospel of Jesus Christ to move forward, and penetrate all nations, kindreds, tongues and people...

It was kind of a big deal...

Madeline has not had bangs since she was 4 years old, so it took me by surprise today when she asked me to cut her some...I was a little nervous about this endeavor, okay, freaking out nervous. But, I did it - I also cut a little more then some new bangs...and not to toot my own horn, but I am thinking...future hairdressing career here? She was actually happy with it, like jumping up and down happy. I felt like a really good mom today, but next time I may just charge for it.

This is Hallowe'en

It was the perfect Colorado Hallowe'en this year. This fall has been truly gorgeous...early 70's during the day, blue skies, slight breeze, the reds, oranges, and yellows of maples and aspens changing color. This is the girls school, which is 5 houses down from our home. We love having the Rockies in our backyard.

However, despite the boggling beauty, the girls were getting impatient! "How many days until Hallowe'en?" they would say!!!

Here are some of the things we did to pass the time while we waited...
Wrapping mummies at school...apparantly zookeeper's are very good at this.

Hanging out with witches and pirates...this includes games and yummy food I might add.

Hayden joined in on the classroom party fun. He was obviously completely taken with all the costumes, food, and games...

So, it was time to go home, where we would continue to wait and wait until Hallowe'en, when we could finally have some fun!

So, we thought we would carve some pumpkins!

Scooping the guts out was the best part!!

This is when Avery decided she liked fake pumpkins MUCH better. According to her, they are not slimy, and they don't stink. Actually, according to her, her fake pumpkin smelled like flowers.
We also roasted pumpkin seeds...and ate about 3 of them, before we decided goldfish crackers taste much better.

Hayden enjoyed the pumpkin guts.

Our stinky and slimy...but pretty, pumpkin family.

We still had a few more days of waiting, so we made some scary masks...and I have to admit they were a little freaky...

THEN, it was finally Hallowe'en! Everyone had the day off of school this year, so we had a little cookie decorating party at the VanWagoner's home. What a beautiful day! It could have been August for all we knew!

You should always warm up for trick-or-treating by eating lots of sugar, because you never know if you will get enough later on that night...

It was almost time, but first we had some hot dog mummies for dinner. They were YUMMY MUMMIES!

Then, our zookeeper, monkey, and witch were ready to hit the streets of Colorado Springs!! (Check out Avery's tiger on her shoulder - LOVE it!)

The one thing that got that "sookie" out of Hayden's mouth was, you guessed it...candy.

The AFTERMATH.

This is what mom and dad look like after a few Kit-Kats....

and THIS is what our kids looked like...

HAPPY HALLOWE'EN!!!