Giving Thanks

In years past we have started at the beginning of the month and made a big long chain of everything we were thankful for. This year we got off to a slower start so I made all of us a paper with our name on it. Then we proceeded to make our own lists of what we were grateful for. It was fun to see what everyone put down. The kids would go and add to their lists everyday. I added lots to my list. For me being grateful this season has been the only thing to get my mind off of some of the negative things that are going on in our lives right now. Though there is bad I couldn't help but focus on how much good God continues to bless us with, maybe to compensate for the negative? I don't know but I'm grateful.

Here's our lists:

Dad:
Two Girls
My boys
Ten Years

Mom:
Jesus Laughs Sunshine
Steve Apple Pie Flowers
Damen Smiles Marriage
Seth Raspberries Trips
Railey Sippy Cups Integrity
Kenna Soup Honesty
Grandpa Curling Iron Friends
Grandma Toilets Obedience
Grandma J Work Garden
Temple Vacuum Neighbors
House Stove Siblings
Food Clocks Grass
Lights Chairs Babies
Clothes Love Cars
Paper Money Teeth
Snow School Exercise
Health Apples Books
Strollers Computers Cameras


Damen:
Home Sports
Parents Practice
School Calendars
Friends Food
Teachers Coaches
Earth Students
God Cars
Christ Birth
Church
Books
Holidays
Siblings
Family

Seth:
Parents Penguins
God Hats
Brother Words
Sisters Jesus
Damen Love
Mom Earth
Dad School
Raiely Holadays
Kenna Books
Me Leters
Home Snack
Food Eraser

Railey:
Jesus Grandma
Broccoli Grandpa
Christmas Flowers
Santa Pink Skirts
Temple Sweater Dresses
Cookies Slides
Damen Slippery Slides
Seth Food
Mommy Letters
Daddy Baptism
Me Walks
Kenna Strollers

Kenna:
Diapers
Squash
Applesauce
Boob
Blankets
Asparagus Soup
Baths
Damen--holding me
Seth- blowing on my belly
Raiely-making me laugh
Daddy-stories, dancing
Mommy-boob
Stroller rides

We are a very grateful family this year. We had a great thanksgiving this year and hope you all did too!

Santa Experience

We took the kids Christmas shopping on Saturday to get presents for each other. This year they all go down one, which worked out great because I could take Damen and Railey and Steve took Seth and Kenna. As we pulled up to Wal-Mart it was 11:00 Steve, hating to shop, told the kids that if we could be back in the car before 12:00 he would take them to lunch. That was all the incentive they needed. They were fast, considering, and we all actually enjoyed our shopping experience. The store wasn't crowded at all, that is in comparison to last year when we went shopping and we left 3 stores because they were so packed and we were not going to stand in lines!

We all found each other and went to pile into the car. As Steve started the car it said 11:59. We had done it and you should have heard cheers in the car, yes even from me.

So we went out to lunch and while we were waiting for our food, I looked over at a couple across from us and would you wouldn't believe it but it was Santa. No lie, he looked just like him. He even had on a blue shirt that had some Christmas design and some red suspenders. He had the beautiful white hair and beard and the belly to go with the whole Santa thing. He saw me and smiled. I turned to Railey and pointed him out. We have been trying to remind Railey who Santa is for the past couple of weeks. She now knows that Santa says "HO Ho Ho" and that is different from the Halloween witch that says "HO HA HA" Say if fast and it sounds like a witches cackle and that's how Railey says it. Anyway back to the story. She looked and she looked hard at this Santa and I told her to be especially good because he was watching and with perfect timing the guy turned and smiled and waved at her. Lets just say she was very nervous and scared all in one. She was a perfect little girl though but would not take her eyes off of him.

Before long he and his wife got up to leave but before doing so he came over and wished the kids a Merry Christmas and asked if they were being good so he could bring them some presents. Railey just gave him the evil eye. The guy was so sweet and I was thankful that he took time to come talk to the kids. Lets just say though that Railey didn't quite think the same thing. I asked if she thought that was neat to talk to Santa and the answer was NO

Later, I knew she was still worried about this Santa guy. She said Mom I don't want Santa to come to my house, I be a bad girl. I told her no Railey you need to be good so that Santa will bring you presents. But she is convinced that she won't have to deal with the guy if she's bad. Somehow we need to change this whole mindset and convince her that Santa is a good guy.

Looks like we won't need to make a special trip to the mall, she wouldn't have anything to do with him anyway!

Already Practicing

Well about 2 weeks after Kenna started crawling she stood up! Why does she have to grow up sooo fast? So she has now been crawling for about a month or a little more (I don't remember). But she pulls herself up to everything! The other day the boys were gone to school and Railey was down for a nap when all of a sudden I realized the piano was being played. It kinda scared me. No one else was supposed to be in the house and yet the high notes were being played. At first I thought Railey might have woken up, but normally she will come cuddle first before doing anything else. So I went to investigate and what did I find? Kenna standing up and holding on to the leg with one hand and playing the piano with the other. She was so proud of herself. It really was cute. Now the problem is when Damen is practicing, Railey is usually pounding on one end which he has gotten used to but now Kenna is on the other. Poor Kid. But just think how amazing she will be at playing the piano with her starting at 9 1/2 months!

Saw Horses

We have new neighbors! The kids have had so much fun being outside playing with them. They have boys the same age as our boys which has been fun. Our kids are so fast to get their homework and chores done so they can get out to play. The new neighbors have been doing some remodeling which has mean the kids are always building and working too, on something or other, with all the left over scraps. The other day I looked out and found them using the two pillars in their yard as saw horses. Why not they are there and when you need to cut a board and don't have any handy just use the pillars!

Christmas Ideas

So Wal-Marts catalog came in the mail today. I showed it to Railey and she got so excited to see all the toys. I've been trying to get ideas for Christmas and haven't been too successful in narrowing anything down yet. So I had this brilliant idea. Give her a pen and tell her to put a mark next to anything she would want. Well I soon realized that there was no brilliance in that idea. Maybe if I had given it to the boys but not to a 2 year old. Pretty soon the whole magazine had marks next to every toy. But it did keep her entertained for a good hour or more. In fact she is still in looking at it now and marking away! The boys won't be able to see anything or give us any ideas if I don't take it away soon!

She gets so intent when she is writing or looking.


Notice all the little marks!

Baby Blanket

I went and helped Nat finish some curtains the other day (she was confussed because I hadn't given her the instructions, only the pattern--silly me). While I was there I convinced her to let me do the baby quilt. I've been wanting to try this cut up 9 patch quilt. It was so fun and so fast to make. I had it cut out and sewn together in about 3-4 hrs. It took a little more time to do all the stippling but it was all so much fun! Thanks Nat!!!! I love the colors she chose they go so well together--maybe you can't see that the blue has some dots that are the same color as the green. Cute cute for their little boy about to be born.

Crazy Hair

The kids had crazy hair day at school the other day. They were pretty excited to have hair like all their friends do on normal days. I guess it was crazy face day too!

Halloween 2010

Halloween is officially over! I must admit that it isn't my favorite holiday. I get the kids dressed up and they have fun and I do love going out trick-or-treating and visiting with all the neighbors but I hate spending money or coming up with costumes for my kids (though I do it). But this year it lasted all weekend long. Friday I had to dress the kids up for school and then go and see them. I love watching them walk through the halls I just don't like having to find a place to park so I can go in and watch.

But the kids had fun. After school I took them to Aunt Helens for a sleep over. The boys and Railey went for dinner and then we picked up Railey and brought her home. I wouldn't put Aunt Helen through a night with Railey. I had planned to go get the boys around noon the next day but before I left I got a call telling me they had gone to lunch and were then headed to a movie. So we decided I would just take their costumes with me when I went to pick them up. See her ward was doing a trunk-or-treat and she wanted us to go with her. It turned out to be great because the weather was awful. We were under a pavilion and the kids got their candy (not sure at that point whether we would go out trick-or-treating or just call it good). We left shortly after and as we were heading home the weather started letting up so we did go out on a few streets here in the ward. The kids were exhausted from all their fun over the weekend (so was I).

On Sunday we had the James' over for soup and bread and then called it a Happy Halloween. I'm excited that next year it will just be on one day!



A girl paid me to make this costume for her son. It's a star wars outfit. I liked how it turned out, it just took me forever. I had to end up creating a pattern because the pattern she got for me was for an adult. So it was a little big but it still turned out cute and was fun to see that I could make something that looked good without a pattern! Yes this was another thing that has kept me from blogging.

Here are the kids all dressed up. Seth was a cowboy, Damen a confused superhero (iron man suit, batman cape and superman hair), Kenna was a flower, and Railey a Butterfly Princess.

Seth at the parade

Damen at the parade

As we were driving back from Aunt Helens the kids informed me that we hadn't even carved pumpkins. What kind of mother am I? We had totally forgot. How did we get so busy that we forgot that? I don't know but we did have something going on every night the past week! Oh well maybe next year. I just can't believe we forgot the funnest part of the whole holiday!