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.