Little Miss Mischief

Sure, she looks innocent

but, she's not!

Maren is my little mischief maker. She gets into everything. If I tell her no, she giggles and does it some more. It's a good thing she's cute. The bottom two layers of branches on the tree are bare because she pulled all of the ornaments off. The other day I found her standing on top of the overturned laundry basket pulling more ornaments off. This little girl is Trouble. I have to constantly keep my eye on her. Last night she bit one of the ornaments, it's the kind that has thread all around it. She pulled some of the thread off and then she cruised around with the ornament. We had a trail of thread all over the living room. Hopefully our tree and ornaments will survive the next few weeks.

Playing Catch Up

The stockings were hung in the kitchen with care

Maren "helping"

The finished product

Charlie the elf

presents are fun to open

Little Miss Mischief

Life is just moving too fast for me lately. So, I'm taking President Uchtdorf's counsel and I'm slowing down. I've neglected my blog for a while, so it's time for a quick catch up. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We celebrated with my family and had a lot of fun. We had lots of yummy food to eat and had fun playing games with all of the kids. My nephews are at fun ages, and I thoroughly enjoyed just watching and listening to them. Two days later, we took down the fall decorations and put up all of the Christmas stuff. The kids love getting the tree out and decorating it. This year we put the tree on a table hoping to deter Maren from pulling it over. She can't pull it over, but the bottom branches are bare because she has pulled all of the ornaments off. Every year my parents give the kids a new ornament for the tree. This year Addy got a piano ornament, Sydnee got a crayon box ornament and Maren got an Elmo ornament. The girls love to place their special ornaments on the tree. As a family, we get an ornament every year from somewhere we have traveled too. We couldn't find an ornament on our last trip, so we will be creating our own with some pictures of our trip to Idaho. Ben went to St. Louis on a business trip for a week. He was helping to close the company office in St. Louis and Ben had to go take care of some stuff, mostly stuff I don't understand. While he was away, we had a special package arrive. Inside was Charlie, a little elf. Charlie watches the girls during the day and then reports back to Santa at night. Every morning he is in a different spot, the girls love to look for him before school. We also started on one of our favorite Christmas traditions. We read a Christmas/winter book every night after we read our scriptures. The girls love to take turns picking the book. Ben is back home and hopefully won't have to travel again for a long time. The girls are staying busy with school and I'm just staying busy with everything else. Maren is my little mischief maker and I am constantly finding her somewhere she shouldn't be. All in all, we are doing good and we're all happy. I have nothing to complain about. Now it's off to make dinner, help with homework, and teach the boy scouts CPR tonight. Then, I'm going to slow down.

An Embarrassing Moment

This is Phil

Background: Phil is a friend of mine, we've been friends since junior high. We were crew mates on the ambulance for three years. Alex was the third member on our crew. Here's the message I sent Phil today on facebook.
Dear Phil,
I ran into Alex the other day and it was fun to catch up. I miss working with you and Alex a lot. So last night I was on a date with Ben. We were at the mall and we stopped at P.F. Changs to get some dessert to go. So, we're sitting there waiting and I look over and see you and Marci sitting at a table. I told Ben and he looked up and said I should go say hi. The only problem as I'm sure you already know is that you and Marci weren't at P.F. Changs last night. I walked over to the table, sat down and said "what's for dinner?" I looked at Marci, who was not Marci and then to Phil who still looks like you and realize my mistake. I'm blushing while writing this. I apologized and told him that he looked exactly like my friend Phil. He laughed and I swear his laugh and facial expressions were just like yours. Freaky! Anyway, they were totally cool and introduced themselves. I again apologized and told them to enjoy their meal. I then walked off to find a rock to crawl under. I swear, this guy looked exactly like you, even Ben was shocked. Anyway, I thought I would share this with you, I figured you would get a laugh out of it. How totally embarrassing!

There you have it folks, a simple case of mistaken identity and a humiliating moment. Oh well, I'm sure I gave the nice couple I met last night something to laugh about. I'm such a nerd!

Happy Thanksgiving

Giving Thanks

I wanted to post daily about something I am thankful for, but I am really trying to limit my time on the computer. So, here is a list of 30 things that I am grateful for. In no special order.

1. Ben-after knowing him for 10 years, I still love him lots. He works so hard to take care of us and he cooks too. There are lots of reasons I am thankful for him.
   
2. Addy-she's my first-born, the one who made me a mom. She is super smart and sensitive. She knows when I'm having a bad day and gives me hugs to make me feel better.
   
3. Sydnee-this girl is so funny, she still loves to snuggle. She still gives me hugs and kisses when I drop her off at school.
4. Maren-She is a little ham. She has a fiery little temper that makes me smile. She's my girl.
5. My parents-I couldn't ask for better parents. They have taught me so much and are examples of true believers.
6. My in-laws-they have welcomed me into their family and are supportive of us.
7. My Heavenly Father-I am so grateful for his love and forgiveness.
8. Jesus Christ-It is amazing for me to think about how much he suffered just for me, WOW!
9. The gospel-It keeps me on the straight and narrow. I need direction in my life.
10. Scriptures-my days are so much better and I feel stronger when I read the scriptures, another road map for life.
11. Prayer-When life gets hard, I kneel. Prayer gives me strength and helps me through my days.
12. Friends-I am grateful for good friends. I have good friends that I know are there for me when I need them.
13. Nature-I love to look at all the beauty around me and know that Heavenly Father created it for me to enjoy.
14. Good books-I love to read and get lost in a good book.
15. Good music-I love lots of different kinds of music. It makes me happy.
16. Good food-I love good food, need I say more?
17. My house-my house may be small, but it is a great place full of memories.
18. Warmth-it has been so cold lately, I am grateful for a warm house and warm clothes.
19. Car-I am grateful for two cars that are paid for that get us to where we need to go.
20. Living prophet-I am grateful for president Monson and the counsel he gives us.
    
21. Employment-I am grateful that Ben has a good job that he enjoys.
    
22. Siblings-I am grateful for my brother and sister. We didn't always get along and sometimes we still don't, but we are family and we love each other.
23. Extended family-I am grateful for lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. I have so many good childhood memories of my family.
24. Grandparents-I may not have known all of them, but the ones I did, I loved.
    
25. Health-I have a lot of aches and pains, but overall I am healthy and can do what I want to.
    
26. Freedom-I am grateful for my freedom and for those that make it possible.
27. Sacrifice of others-I am grateful for all those who came before me and made sacrifices. They paved the way for the life I am able to live.
28. Temple-I am grateful for the blessings of the temple and that I can be with my family for eternity.
29. Life experiences-I am grateful for all the experiences I have had. They have shaped who I am and made me a better person.
30. Technology-I am grateful for easy ways to keep a journal and keep in touch with others.
    

Another Funny

The other night after the girls shower, Ben told the girls to go get their dirty clothes out of the bathroom and put them in their hamper. Addy looked at Ben and said "I thought slavery was over." It was hard not to laugh out loud at that one.

Primary Program

I just have to mention the primary program that was 2 weeks ago. It was so much fun to watch. The sunbeams were in great form. We had one little boy who kept putting his feet up on the wall by the podium and a little girl with bouncy blond curls who danced to "Follow the prophet." It was awesome. Last year only a few children gave talks, which made me sad, my kids didn't get to say anything. This year they went back to the classic format where each child has a part. Sydnee did great by getting up and saying clearly, in a big girl voice, "go to church." She did great. Addy had to recite a scripture, it was pretty long. We worked on it a few time, and she memorized it by herself. I was so proud of her. She memorized it all by herself and did great when she recited it to the whole ward. I am so grateful for all of the primary teachers and leaders. My girls love going to primary every week and they are learning so much.

Maybe...

Maybe we talk about politics too much at the dinner table. I found this in the playroom today, hopefully we won't be turned in for bad parenting ;)

A Black Mark

This morning was rough. I didn't feel well and Maren woke up way too early. I didn't get a chance to get in the shower when I wanted to. I was running behind with everything. The girls were great to get themselves ready for school while I was dealing with other issues. It wouldn't have been so bad except for the fact that I had to go to the school and read to Sydnee's class. I love helping in Sydnee's class. This morning however just wasn't going good. We made it out the door and to the car in what I thought was plenty of time, until I noticed the ice on my windshield. Grrrrrrrr! I got the kids in the car, started it and turned the defroster on. I tried to scrape as much ice as I could, and I thought okay, we're going to make it. Then Addy said she forgot her library book, sigh. She ran in the house and got her book. The school isn't very far, but the traffic was awful. Lots of other moms were late as well. We pulled into a parking space and I told Addy to run, the first bell had already rang. I got the stroller out and loaded Maren in. As Sydnee and I walked to the cross walk, we noticed that all the classes at her door had already gone in. Now, I have never made my children late to school and it really bothered me. We were greeted in the hallway by the secretary who took Sydnee's name and marked her tardy. When we first walked in, she was busy with other children and we could have walked right by, but I didn't. It made me feel awful that Sydnee how has a black mark on her spotless record, a big fat tardy. I know this isn't a huge deal, but it is to me. I really want to be a good mom and a responsible parent, and today I just didn't cut it. The worst part was during the morning announcements at school they announced they had a huge problem this morning, there were 42 students who were tardy. Even though I wasn't the only one who was late, it made me feel even worse. Hopefully the day will get better and I can get back on track.

FHE Follies

Monday night Ben gave a lesson on family responsibilities. It was pretty crazy. The kids were wired and Maren was vying for the spotlight. Ben started by asking the kids what daddy's responsibilities were. The kids gave answers like go to work to make money, hold the priesthood, and give blessings. When he asked the kids what mommy's responsibilities are, they said things like take care of us, clean the house, and get us to school. Then Addy said "Mom sometimes gets mad at us." I guess that could be considered a responsibility. I was laughing and Ben was trying to keep things in control. We talked about my responsibilities and how sometimes I do get mad when they do bad things. I don't think I get mad very often, but there is nothing like a child to point out all of your flaws. I now have something to work on and remove from my list of responsibilities.

Spooky Dinner

mummy pot-pie

Little Jack's

Blood and eyeballs

We started the tradition a few years ago of making a fun Halloween dinner. This year we had mummy pot pie, mini pumpkins and bloody eyeballs for our drink. The kid look forward to this now and we have fun coming up with new concoctions.

It was a dark and stormy night.....

I think my face says it all

Addy the pirate

Rapunzel

Princess Lea-check out the buns

Quite literally, It was a dark and stormy night for trick-or-treating. I braved the weather and took the kids around our little street and then over to my parents house. The kids loved running in the rain and our neighbors were very generous with the candy.

Crazy Week

waiting for the parade to start

Sydnee's class

Our neighbor Donna, she's an aide for Sydnee's class

The week of Halloween was super busy. We went to the carnival at the church that our young men and young women put on. The kids loved it. Friday was the costume parade at the school and right afterward was Sydnee's class party. I was in charge of the party, just a little stressful. Luckily it turned out great. It's a good thing that kindergarten kids are easily entertained. After school, we went to Grandma and Grandpa Yancey's for another party. The kids had fun running around in their costumes and feasting on scary food. After dinner they carved more pumpkins and then we went home to crash.

Jack the Pumpkin

My dad grows a giant pumpkin every year. It's his baby, he tends to it every day. He even builds a shade canopy for it. This year instead of growing just one, he grew three. We were the honored recipients of one of his pumpkins. It's an awesome pumpkin! The girls designed the face on the sidewalk with chalk and then Ben and I carved it out. Everyone helped clean the guts out. Too bad it was so rainy on Halloween, we didn't get to light it. My parents pumpkin looked awesome all lit up. Thank you Dad for our huge, perfect pumpkin!

Another tooth

Sydnee lost her first tooth on Wednesday. I think the tooth fairy is going to go broke. She was visited by a green fairy. Thanks to Addy, Sydnee had to write the tooth fairy a note too. Let's hope neither one becomes a handwriting expert ;)

Fall Break 2010

here is the geyser

Addy in front of the geyser

Sydnee in front of the geyser

Me and Maren in front of the geyser

everyone except Ben in front of the geyser

We saw this cool cut out behind a bar

we usually don't hang around bars

but this was right by the geyser parking lot

totally cool swing

the dinkey engine

machine gun from a boat used in WWII

mural on the side of Eastman drug

Hooper Spring

getting some yummy water

cauldrons at Monsanto

Idle Isle cafe

Since we are a totally exciting family, we went somewhere totally exciting for fall break. My sister wanted to go to Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. I said sure, let's do it. We left on Thursday morning for our big adventure. Because it is not a true adventure without a stop at the cemetery, we stopped at Ogden cemetery on our way out of town. After a quick stop(s), we headed north to potato country. We made it to our motel which was a cute little dive. We rented their "apartment" which had 2 separate rooms and a bathroom. We put Maren down for a nap and left Ben with her while the rest of us explored the town. It only took us a few minutes to walk from one end of town to the next. Lava is a tiny little town. We checked out the Lava sunken gardens and the city park. The kids thought it was great. We took a trip to the hot springs which were totally overpriced, but nice. Then it was off to dinner at Johnny's, which is hardly worth mentioning. Maren came down with a stomach bug and so we had a bit of a rough night. I'll spare the details, but it was not a fun night. The next morning we headed further into Idaho to explore Soda Springs. My parents lived in Soda Springs for a few years, while my dad worked for Monsanto. This was the highlight of the trip. We stopped to see the geyser and explored the old drugstore and city park. We drove to Hooper springs which is a natural spring that is carbonated. It still tastes exactly like I remember. Maren and I napped in the car while the rest of the family played in the park. The kids loved the big tires that came from the big trucks at the mine. We explored for a little longer and then stopped to have lunch at the old Enders hotel. It's an old hotel that has been restored to its original beauty. The food was great and after we ate we checked out the museum on the upper floor. We drove past the homes that my parents had lived in. I'm grateful that they moved to Utah. Soda Springs is a nice little place, but I love Utah. Ben took Addy and Sydnee to the hot springs for one last dip and then it was off to bed for the night. Saturday morning we headed back home. We stopped in Mcammon for gas and a man told me we should get some spuds before heading home. I love fresh Idaho potatoes, you know the ones in the big huge bags with dirt all over them. We bought two 50 pound bags and stuffed them into our already overstuffed van. It was quite the sight. Ben and Sydnee had to climb over the potatoes to get in and out of the car. On the way home, we stopped at the Idle Isle cafe in Brigham city. I love that place. My dad's relatives were the original owners and I remember stopping there as a kid. The food was great and so was the atmosphere. There was a player piano close to our table and all sorts of local paintings to look at. We then had to cross the street to the Idle Isle chocolate store. They have the best chocolates! My mouth is watering just thinking about them. I've been trying to think of reasons to head back that direction just so I can get more chocolate. After a refreshing stop in Brigham city, we made the final leg of our journey. It was a fun little trip, but I am always grateful to come home again.