Sweet Days of Our Lives

this kid is ALL boy...

2012-03-25T11:58:00.001-07:00

How on earth is my baby this big?

The time is going by so quickly!

He amazes me everyday with the new things he is learning and noticing.

The other day we went on a walk and Damon noticed the water in the gutter.
He just couldn't help himself!

Yes, he is trying to drink the gutter water :)

At NINETEEN months he:

- is the busiest little boy around. he seriously never stops moving!
- can say "da-da" and "hot". I think one day (hopefully soon) he'll wake up and have a huge vocabulary.
- eats anything I put in front of him but his favorite food is pasta, yogurt, and cookies.
- goes to sleep at 5:30 pm every night and sleeps all night. he still lets me rock him to sleep which happens to be my favorite part of my day.
- he is happy all the time except for when he is getting his diaper changed.
- he has yet to go into nursery at church because he naps at that time.
- his favorite toy is his little Cozy Coupe red fire truck.
- he doesn't give kisses freely but when he does give you a kiss, he MEANS it!
- has had 4 haircuts (the fourth being the day after this photo shoot). Grandma Pat is his stylist.
- has a SMILE that melts your heart.
- has the most darling walk....we call him the little PRANCER.
- has the sweetest and silliest personality.

We are all wrapped around his tiny little chubby finger...................

Valentine's {Part Two}

2012-02-18T23:10:00.001-07:00

Valentine's Day has a totally different vibe when kids are involved. Don't get me wrong, I still get weak in the knees when Clint surprises me with a dozen roses and a mushy card on Heart Day. But you also have the little ones to spoil and it is so much fun!

Avery and I constructed this "Super Girl" Valentine's Box together. It was quite the creative process considering Avery only wanted to paint her box white with nothing on it in the beginning. I told her back in the day when I was a little girl my boxes were covered with tin foil. She thought that was crazy until she saw it draped in silver. That is when Super Girl was suggested. I think it turned out ADORABLE.

One morning Izy and I sat down to make homemade Valentine cards for all her cousins. (Which have yet to be mailed :) I can't get over how cute her stick figures are.

The night before Heart Day we cut, signed, glued, and stuffed M&M's into 40 paper hearts.

A picture with one of my Valentine's......taken by my other Valentine....while my little Valentine was taking off his diaper :)

Checking our mailboxes everyday to see what little treasure the "Love Fairy" left behind.
Man, this year I got drilled about the Love Fairy. "Where does she live?", "Does she live by Flixie?" (our Elf on the Shelf), "How big is she?", "How does she open the mailboxes because they are so HARD to open?". I'm getting pretty good about fabricating these outrageous stories of make believe.

On the 14th, I took the kids to a sitter during the day and met up with my man for a Valentine's lunch. We went to Pei Wei's and enjoyed our Orange Peel Chicken. We spent dinner together as a family at home. We made homemade pizza and chocolate dipped strawberries. They were gone before I even thought to grab my camera. Don't you love my heart straws? So festive.

Every night at the dinner table we go around taking turns telling our "Rose" (the best thing that happened all day) and our "Thorn" (something that made us sad that day). So as a gift, Clint bought a journal to record our "Roses and Thorns" for each day. Such a thoughtful gift!

Valentine's {Part One}

2012-02-17T10:27:00.083-07:00

I think Valentine's Day 2012 was one to record in the love journals.

It started Saturday when we hosted a couple's valentine party with our friends.

We had delicious appetizers and desserts,

30+ glowing candles,

and played The Newlywed Game.

Clint took the guys outside and asked them questions while the girls and I were inside answering a different set of questions.
Then we all met together to reveal our answers...... and there were some hilarious answers,
I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.

I'm positive there were some couples who had a few follow up conversations when they got home!

I think the most confrontational question was when I asked the girls

"What percentage of housework do you
a) think your husband will say he does

and
b) what percentage you think he does"

Oh geez, most of the men really think they help out around the house..... and as we found out when the answers were given.....THEY DON'T!

The second question that gave a lot of laughs was:

"What item would you like to see be removed from your wife’s wardrobe?"
I found it hilarious that more than one husband said they would like to see their wife's "Footed Pajamas" gone!

We played in for 2 hours and it was so much fun.

Party aside....this year I had a sweet experience with my girls. A few nights before the party we did our "Heart Attack" tradition. We covered our kitchen with love notes from each other. Clint was working (like always....) so we did it by ourselves. I helped them for 15 minutes writing out their love messages. They rattled off the sweetest little memories of mostly their dad, their brother, and each other.

"Dad gives me gum."
"Dad takes me swimming."
"Dad gives me horsey rides on his back."
"Dad reads stories to me."
"I love snuggling Damon in his bed."

"Damon's SLURPEE kisses."

"When Izy plays with me."

"I love picking up Avery from school."

It made my heart swell hearing all the precious things they appreciated from one another. But I have to be honest that it kinda hurt my feelings that in the 15 minutes they didn't say anything about me!

You know, the "ME" that makes them breakfast, does their hair, runs them around town, faithfully does Thursday Treat Day every week, helps with homework, kisses ouchies, tucks them into bed every night with a story and a kiss. That ME! Silly, huh? And in my head I was thinking you don't see you dad but 30 minutes a day and I'm here 24/7 and you have nothing to say about me? I know that sounds so lame but that's how I was feeling. Then the tears started and I couldn't stop them! (ps....it was that time of the month AND I had a really hard day that day) I expressed to them that my feelings were hurt that they didn't say anything about me and I could tell from their expressions that they felt horrible. I know they didn't mean too. In their sweet little voices they kept saying "No mommy, we love you so much! We are so sorry."

Nevertheless, I fell out of the "love mood" pretty quick and put them to bed. I came down and started cleaning the kitchen from dinner. About a half an hour later, I heard soft footsteps enter the kitchen. Unbeknownst to me, little sweeties quietly got out of bed, grabbed some paper and a pen and headed their bedrooms. They drew me my own Valentine's card. When they gave me the card I started crying again because of their thoughtfulness. They both hugged me really tight and told me some sweet things they love about me in my ear. It is a memory that I will never forget!

I came away from this experience incredibly proud of my girls. That they expressed compassion to someone they had unintentionally hurt. That they took it upon themselves to make me feel better. I love them so much.

The other thing I learned is that it is okay to show emotion with our children. As mother's, we tend to be the super woman who does everything for everyone. A strong robot, of sorts. But we are human. Our feelings do get hurt. There are days that we feel unappreciative from our families. I think it's important to express our emotions to them when we are feeling down. Most of time they don't even realize they have hurt the one person who means the most to them.

This was a great love lesson for our family!

Morning Buddies

2012-02-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I should say they are "all day" buddies because they love playing with each other no matter the time of day.

This is the scene most mornings while I'm getting ready. I ask Izy to play with Damon while I hop into the shower. When I tell her she is in charge of Damon, her eyes just light up! She's getting to be such a big girl and she KNOWS it. She always gets him a little snack in a plastic baggy and then grabs herself a snack. She plops herself on the couch and Damon climbs onto his train table. Together they watch Barney. Once Damon is done with his snacks he climbs off the table and usually tries to eat Izy's snack. And she lets him!

She really is so sweet with him.

* Do you think I need to paint my picture frames a different color? Is black so last season? I need suggestions!!*

** The D was crooked in this picture and now it is hanging straight...thank you very much!*

The Princess and the Pea Party

2012-01-29T21:45:00.000-07:00

"Mom, today was the best day of my LIFE!" exclaimed Avery after all her friends left her

Princess and the Pea party yesterday.

Hearing those words made the MANY hours spent in preparation so SO worth it!

The idea stemmed from one of Avery's little nicknames she has had since she could talk.

We call her our "princess and the pea" because, um....let's just say she's super particular about most things.

And we love that about her :)

Luckily for me (and Avery) my mom is a natural born party planner and we worked

together to throw this little shin dig together. My mom is over-the-top talented!

There isn't anything she can't do.

I had all these ideas and she brought them to life!

She flew down to be here for the big day and we had the best week working side by side together.

The favors:

a green gumball necklace

and

a set of 8 fluffy little mattresses.

Oh my word.....aren't they the cutest things you have ever seen?

My mom sewed the most darling table cloth. It looked like a bed with 6 mattresses.

Most little girls aren't familiar with the story so we created a whimsical canopy where Clint read them the book and they LOVED it!

Since it was a pajama party breakfast was on the menu:

crown shaped pancakes with chocolate chips

fruit skewers

bacon

yogurt parfaits

The activities:

played "hot potato" with a Cinderella's glass slipper.

glittery tattoo's.

made princess wands and crowns.

glued strips of paper to make a pile of mattresses

Avery loved every minute of it and my mom and I had so much fun planning this party.

A WIN WIN for everyone :)

Happy Birthday my little Princess and the Pea!

I can't believe my miracle baby is turning six!!

This is where THE change happens....

2012-01-24T12:14:00.001-07:00

Yesterday started out like every Monday morning.

RUSHED...... UNORGANIZED........FRAZZLED.

I really wanted to make the early morning kick boxing class at the gym. But getting us all ready and out the door at the crack of dawn is near impossible. After realizing I'm already missing my class I started to talk myself out of going because everyone hates that girl who strolls in 15 minutes late taking up the already crowded space. But I knew I had to go, even if I was going to be that girl.

There was a girl who was subbing for the instructor and she was FANTASTIC! She worked us over!! In fact, I can barely walk down the stairs today. Ouch! But she kept saying something that I can't get out of my head. For example, she instructed us to do 20 "runner lunge then jump as high as you can in the air" moves. At 15, I was getting uncomfortable, at 10, I was about to die, and then this is what she would say:

"This is where the CHANGE happens! This is where your body changes! You can do it!"

It motivated me to dig deep to finish that difficult set. I really thought I couldn't do it but I did it because I do want to see a change in my body! She repeated that saying a couple different times throughout the workout when it was getting really tough.

I've been thinking about what she said since yesterday and realized she is so RIGHT! If we want to see change in anything in our lives than we have to get out of our comfort zones and dig a little deeper in order to see a different result!

If you want a better relationship with a family member, than you need to reach out more than you have in the past or be the one to forgive even when you think you can't.
If you want to be a better wife, than go the extra mile in making your spouse feel special and important. More so than you have done in the past.
If you want to have more friends, than be the one to initiate rather than sitting back waiting for them to approach you.
If you want to be a better mother, deliberately be present even if you are sacrificing other important things.

I have been trying to think of a word or phrase for the year as many other people have done. I think the idea is brilliant because it gives your year a mission statement. One thing that you can really focus on. For me this year, I am going to focus on this statement "This is where the change happens". There are so many things in my life that I want to change in a good way for the BETTER. I am one of those people who likes to stay in my comfort zone but I know in order to make the things that I want better in my life I need to step out of that comfort zone and put more effort into it.

Because change for something better is a good thing.

8 Months and 1 Day Ago

2012-01-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

I had one of the best days of my life!
For my birthday Georgia SURPRISED the heck out of me when she called and told my she
arranged for me to have 2 tickets to Oprah's second to last show!

Happy Birthday to me!!

You don't understand, I LOVE Oprah!

I know some people don't care for her but I am a HUGE fan.

I can remember watching her show with my mom since I was a little girl.

I've been through all the weight loss journey's, set changes, and hair styles throughout the years.

So this was so exciting to me.

I did have one little issue.....
who to give the second ticket too?
The first person that popped into my head was obviously my mom!
She is just as big of a fan as I am.
In fact, one of our dreams was to go to Harpo Studios together for a taping of her show.
However, Clint really wanted to go and make a vacation out of it.
We never did anything fun after graduation so this was kinda like our graduation present to ourselves.
I was so torn having to pick between my mom who I love so much and my eternal companion :)
Well, eternity is a long time so Clint got the ticket :)
My mom was so sweet about it, she even flew down and stayed with the kids while we went.
But I really wish she could have gone too.

So why has it taken me 8 months and 1 day to record this amazing event?

In perfect "Brandy fashion" the camera situation didn't go in our favor.

I brought my nice camera to Chicago.

But as we were leaving to the show we read in our instructions that big camera's were prohibited.

What the heck????

I get to go to the coolest event of my lifetime and I don't get to bring my nice camera?

Unfortunately, we left our point and shoot at home so my

mom could take pics of Avery's preschool graduation.

Yes, we totally missed her big day and I felt terrible about it.

Oprah or a preschool graduation????

So on the way to the show we stopped at Walgreen's and picked up a disposable camera.

I honestly didn't know they were still selling them.

I was so annoyed knowing that I wouldn't be able to take clear, nice pictures.

But it worked out. It's better to have a picture even if it's dark and grainy than to have no picture at all.

Then once we got home.....

the girls had never seen a camera like it before and had so much fun shooting pictures

to take up all the space on the camera so I could go develop it at Costco.

During their fun photo taking adventure they lost the camera!

Now, I was seriously sick to my stomach thinking I lost all those grainy, dark photos.

After a couple months I finally found the camera in a play bin.

Phew....better late than never.

Clint had to push his way through thousands of excited women to get this shot. I

am sure no female there was slightly interested in this statue!

We waited in the wind for hours before we were let in. It was fun to see all the news crews interviewing excited fans!

We made it in and had FANTASTIC seats.

Every seat had a O Magazine and a box of tissues....which came in handy :)

My handsome date.

The show was amazing!! Many of you probably saw the show on TV but that was the condensed version.

Beyonce performed twice and that girl can shake it!!

Jerry Seinfield stood up for 30 minutes cracking jokes.

I thought Clint was going to pass out when he saw Michael Jordan, his idol, walk onto the stage.

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes were really cute together and she is SKINNY!

Will and Jada did a good job hosting.

I remember when Maria Schriver walked onto the stage everyone quietly gasped because it was the day after her whole Arnold fathering the maid's child drama came out.

Then there was Dakota Fanning, Gayle, Steadman, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Tom Hanks,Alicia Keys, Tyler Perry, Kristin Chenoweth, Simon Cowell, Nate Berkus, Rosie O'Donnell, Dr. Phil, Jamie Foxx, Rascal Flatts, Halle Berry, and MADONNA.

The show was amazing. Something I will never forget.

Above the seats they put up pictures of moments from the show. Surprisingly, I had seen most of the episodes that were on display.

It really was night to remember and I am so thrilled that I was able to be apart of it.

Bachelor Re-Crap

2012-01-17T12:58:00.000-07:00

Can we take a time out from my usual postings about nothing and talk about something that needs discussing?

The Bachelor.

Last night was episode 3 in the Caveman Bachelor Season (don't you think Ben looks like the cavemen from the Gieco commercials? eewwww.) and I can't believe how ridiculous this show is. I love it though. I am a faithful fan, don't hold it against me!! After Ashley's season I swore that I wouldn't watch Ben's season but I must admit and got sucked in thanks to all the crazies in the house! Where do they find these ladies? This show is like a really bad car crash that you just can't look away. I totally enjoy watching the Bachelor with Clint because together we have some pretty funny commentary. Do you watch this show? Does your significant other watch it with you? Just wondering.

Let's talk about Ben first. Really?!? Are you telling me he is the MOST APPEALING MAN IN AMERICA? Ummm, no. He is so unattractive I just can't get over it! I find it so funny when the girls are like "he's so sexy". Are we really talking about the same person here? Have you seen his hair? Why does it go from bad to worse in the course of one episode. Okay looks aside, he is more boring than my statistics professor at BYU. Oh my gosh. It pains me to listen to his conversations. All I can say is SCRIPT READER.

Next, let's talk about these women! Holy smokes, they are seriously from crazy town!(forgive me for not knowing all their names yet) From the chick who is a model with a weird mouth to the girl who has a lip tattoo! Crazy town...I tell you. I'm kinda bummed that the blogger didn't get a rose last week because she could have brought A LOT of drama to the house :) And the girl who admitted on national television that her bf broke up with her via text?
He wrote "Welcome to Dumpsville. Population: you." That was kinda sad but I still laughed about it.
Shouldn't Ben confess he has done the same thing to his past girlfriends? I can't imagine him having more than one girlfriend though. Oh, and the girl who is a VIP cocktail waitress? Come on....she is just wanting her 15 minutes of fame!

Then those sneaky producers are at it again! To bring more pain and agony to their contestants. In this case, past contestants. We were really surprised to see Shawntel return! All I remember about her is that she was passionate about dead people and how insistent she was about having Brad lay down on her cutting table. Oooooohh, gross. I do have to had it to her. That was pretty brave of her to enter the lion's den! Those girls are mean!! And the model chick is insanely insane. and insecure. and incredibly rude. (but she makes for good tv, right?) Poor Shawntel didn't get a rose which I was kinda surprised about but I bet they date after the show is over!! Ha!

The show is going to my old stomping grounds next week...can't wait.
Let the craziness continue........

Please chime in!

There is no stopping this kid.....

2012-01-11T14:46:00.000-07:00

and now HE is the boss of ME.

Coach D figured out to put on foot in front of the other and balance at the same time.

He had been working on it for awhile so we knew it was close.

Clint and I sat a few feet from each other with marshmallows in our mouth

trying to entice his little legs to walk towards us. And it worked!!

(Yes, I feed my children like a mama bird would feed her babies. I love it!)

Anyways, he would go from one mouth to get a marshmallow to the next mouth.

It was so cute and he had his cheering section on the sidelines.

I didn't have my camera handy and I didn't want to miss out on any of the action so

a couple days later Izy and I tried to "reenact" the scene using the self timer.

Heaven help me.

Here are some cute shots we got with the little patience I was having with the whole situation.

Getting a baby to do what you want when the timer is supposed to go off is near impossible :)

Aww, he is my little crush.

I can't believe how big he is getting.

Someone PLEASE stop the clock from ticking!

Ringing in the New Year

2012-01-05T18:18:00.001-07:00

Photo taken January 1, 2012.

If this picture is any indication about what is in store for me in 2012.......I'm STOKED!

If so, I picture some down time with good friends while relaxing poolside as the pool boy delivers me bottomless diet coke's! A girl can dream right?

Last weekend my darling bestie Georgia came to town for business from Cali. Her "business" requires her to stay at fancy schmancy resorts, live it up at fun parties while wearing sequin pants (I saw them and they are amazing), and this time around, attending the Fiesta Bowl. Amazing life that girl has.

After church we headed to the resort to get some loves from Auntie Georgia. The girls think she is the coolest person ever! Because she is. After we got a bite to eat, we headed to the pool! It was fantastic. Nothing like swimming on the First of January! Well, the kids and Clint swam. Georgia and I just so happened to "forget" our swimming suits....

I live in AZ and now that I have seen a Scottsdale resort, I now know why people come here to stay. It's not just for the weather :)

Thanks Georgia for squeezing us in! We loved spending the afternoon with you! Love you.

Come on 2012......bring on good friends, relaxation, and a new swimming suit!

2011....

2012-01-03T13:11:00.001-07:00

Oh, what a YEAR you have been! My most stressful year to date. But you also brought growth, happy memories, and perspective....so you weren't too bad.

In January, I went into a deep depression because we had just returned from our Christmas vacation and I went through friend and family withdraws. In the middle of the month we had Clint's parents and his sister's family in town so that made my mood happy again. They came from snow and freezing temp's so we spent much of out time enjoying the beautiful weather. Our little miracle baby turned 5.

In February, we loved on this little guy every chance we got. He was such a happy baby. I wrote a few things we loved about Coach D here. My bestie Georgia came to town for work so we caught up with life over dinner. I cherish the time we get to spend together in person since we only get to see each other every now and then. Valentine's Day was a hit. I tried really hard to get caught up with Avery and Izy's scrapbook but failed. Hopefully this year. Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles became gluten free. Breakfast's got a little easier and yummier.

The girls hosted many tea parties with their furry friends.

Avery rode her bikes in style. She cracks me up!

In March, I loved on Damon some more. The most exciting thing that happened all month was that we finally got rid of our NASTY, old, ugly, despised green couch that I couldn't stand and replaced them with gorgeous leather couches. It was one of the happiest days of my life :) Went on a few lunch dates with the hubby. Invited my best friend over a few times for a cleaner house. And hurt my foot while trying to loose my gross baby weight. I felt defeated.

In April, my mom and cousin Brea came for a visit and I put my mom right to work :) Our favorite movie of all time, Tangled, went on sale and we snagged it the first day. That movie was played over and over and over again to the point the girls know every word to the movie. I went on a cooking dinner strike so we ordered take out more than we ever had before. I also discovered my new favorite Mexican place, Tia Rosa's.

In May, we visited a city I had never been before, was in the audience for one of Oprah's last show, had the worst 4 days of my life, never been more grateful to my Heavenly Father, said good-bye to the best year of Joy School with Izy's friends

Started up swimming lessons again. Oh man, it was drama with Izy everyday for 3 months straight. SHe cried the entire class time because she was so afraid of the water. Finally, by the end of July she started to like it.

Little Izy Bizy turned four.

I turned thirty something :)

And it seems with my new 30 something age, I have forgotten how to spell. (proof in the picture below :)

My best friend Melinda flew down to boost my spirits after Clint's ordeal.

In June, Clint and I remembered how easy life was when you only have one child. The girls spent the month with family out of town so we could recuperate. We took a day trip to Sedona. Ate lots of chips and salsa. I got my hair highlighted...the first time in 6 years. It was a huge deal because I am the queen of hair color horror stories. But it turned out good...phew. The girls performed for the first time on stage.
Izy's first stick figure. Oh my word, it is the cutest thing you have ever seen.

Decided that Damon is the worst travel companion. He made the trip to St. George almost unbearable from his constant eating (we had to stop the car every 30 minutes) and his crying. He doesn't like road trips.

I participated in a fundraiser for a lady who got attacked by a bear in our ward. It was a great effort by many and I was glad to be apart of it. I made rainbow cupcakes to sale.

The return of Izy's "Ellie" who had been missing for weeks. Talk about one happy girl.

In July, I wished I was anywhere but the scolding oven of Arizona. The heat was obnoxious this year. We swam a lot. I cursed every day for having to be Clint's personal driver while dragging three kids in tow. Spent each Friday morning in a cool movie theater with the kids. Introduced myself to ZUMBA. I'm a huge fan.

This picture is deceiving because this hair style is the source of much contention in our home. The girls absolutely HATE their hair in a bun but I absolutely love it. So on this day I won.

In August, Chris and Audrey got married which lead me back home to family and good friends. My baby turned one. I got a lot more free time due to the co-op group I put together. Relieved that my relief society lesson on the Law of Chastity was over :) Went and saw The Help with friends. I think that was my favorite movie of the year. Avery and I went on a mommy-daughter date to the mall to pick out new clothes for school. The whole time I couldn't believe Avery was about to hit the biggest milestone in her life so far. She was the prettiest little Kindergartner that day. And I cried like a blubbering baby. Yes, I'm one of those mom's.

In September, Avery got to bring home the coveted classroom elephant, Teenie. You would have thought she won the lottery she was that excited. Teenie lived with us for a day and became part of the family. We started soccer and it ruled our lives. The schedule was too hectic for me but they loved every second of it. Revenge has become our most favorite TV show. After a lot of thought, Clint started his own law firm and Damon loves to visit Dad at work. I got to help in Avery's classroom for the first time and it was like a dream come true for me.

In October, we found ourselves back in Utah for fall break surrounded by the ones we love. My sister in law introduced me to The Sweet Tooth Fairy bakery and I crave it everyday. I discovered Pinterest and become quickly addicted. Halloween did not disappoint. We went to the zoo one last time before our membership expired so the riding the camels was a must. I really loved October this year.

In November, I went to Time Out for Women with my good friend Erica. It was a great weekend. Definitely, the time out I needed. During one of our lunch breaks we ate at the cutest little place, The Arrogant Butcher. As I was driving home from TOFW I accidently rear ended a car. My anger towards myself lasted for DAYS afterwards. Clint celebrated his birthday, it was pretty low key. Next year will be much better. Gave thanks with friends and came up with the best thankful tree. We had a lot to be grateful for this year.

In December, Damon was into everything. The toilet water, the toilet paper, sock drawers, tupperware drawers, my make-up cupboard. He keeps all of us busy chasing him around. Came to terms that even though I've lived here for a year and a half I still don't feel like I fit here. Had the best Christmas to date. It was full of miracles. Clint and I celebrated another anniversary with Tom Cruise! Love you babe.

So 2011, you were really good to us. Can't wait to see what is in store for 2012!

Christmas Eve 2011

2012-01-01T21:11:00.001-07:00

Christmas Eve is my first favorite holiday of the year with Christmas Day as a close second. Every year my mom hosts a Christmas Eve dinner that always provides amazing food and fun traditions. We stuff ourselves, act out the nativity, play the ridiculous but favorite "The Right Left Game", and open sibling and cousin gifts.
This was the first year in 20 years that my mom didn't have Christmas Eve at her house because she was with US! I felt kinda guilty but I'm over it :) It was sweet because all of my brothers and their families made mention how Christmas Eve didn't really feel like it because we weren't together at my mom's house.

Even though we didn't dine on mom's cute Christmas china or have the cousins to play around with, it still felt like Christmas Eve to me. I think it was because my mom was with us. We absolutely loved having her here.

Being how my kids physically can't stay up past 7:00 p.m. we had to start the party EARLY!
After having a pretty simple yet delicious Mexican dinner we sat down to do the "spiritual part" of the evening. Instead of reading the short and sweet Luke 2, I got this brilliant idea to read an 8 page outline that was the relief society lesson the week before. It was beautifully written with 8 Christmas songs interjected throughout. I thought for sure the Christmas spirit would be oozing out of my family. What a joke! It was totally my fault. For their age and attentions span they need simple and SHORT. (But I'm saving this outline to use when they are older and can understand it :) The girls were so hyper and excited that they couldn't contain it. So we bagged it and turned on Youtube to watch the video of Silent Night by David Archuleta. It actually turned out to be perfect.
Then onto the fun and riveting game (you catch my sarcasm, right?) of "The Right-Left game". It goes a little something like this...."Mrs. Wright (pass the present to the person on your right) said to Mr. Wright (again) I left (pass the gift to the person on your left) the key RIGHT (again) where you LEFT it (again.) You get the idea....for like 16 paragraphs! We have been doing it for years and as much grief as my brother's give to my mom about how dumb it is, they really do love it.

(stupid vacuum)
Making our delicious HUGS for Santa......

We read this poem right before bed. A new family tradition.

It's Christmas Eve, time for bed.
But not an eye will close.
Too much excitement in the air,
To let you even doze.

So make a magic potion
To help you fall asleep.
Then Santa and hos helpers
can down the chimney creep.

Pour this cocoa in a mug
and with hot water mix.
Then drop in the magic bell, (a Butterfinger bell)
and stir with a candy stick. (candy cane)

Add a few marshmallows,
and sip it slowly down.
Crawl into bed and snuggle in-
The "magic sleep" will come around!

Drinking our Magic Sleeping Potion.

Leaving Santa his traditional bottle of Coke (Santa hates milk :) and yummy goodies for the reindeer. We sprinkled our reindeer sparkle dust on the grass and tracked Santa's location on the Nordac website. When they went to bed Santa was last seen in Brazil. On a map to a child, Brazil looks pretty close to home so Izy started screaming "Santa is almost here..I got to go to sleep RIGHT NOW." And off they went to bed.

Then Santa's helpers got to work! Wrapping last minute gifts and putting together the BIG stuff.

Christmas Eve 2011....you were so much fun this year.

Flixie

2011-12-31T23:01:00.002-07:00

Each morning as I laid in bed I could tell the exact moment the girls had discovered Flixie's new location by the squeals and giggles that followed. We have had a ball with our little elf this year. Oh, did you notice that he is a little chubbier than all those other elves out there? I like to call him our Biggest Loser elf. Never mind his size, he got the job DONE! He brought his Christmas magic into our house each and every day.

We are all going through Flixie withdraws....can't wait for next year.

believe

2011-12-31T22:41:00.000-07:00

I had been anticipating this Christmas surprise since August when I bought our tickets to the

POLAR EXPRESS.

It was shaping up to be a typical normal Saturday morning when to their surprise I asked them to open up 2 presents! They were a bit confused but was delighted to rip into their packages. The presents were from my mom who gave the kids the most darling pajamas, fuzzy slippers, and made them each a cozy robe. We told the kids we were going to get dressed in our pj's and take a special trip. They were ecstatic!! They had no idea where we were headed but their excitement level was through the roof. In less than 30 minutes we were all buckled in and headed 3 hours north to the "North Pole". While in the car I read them the Polar Express book and then broke the news that we were on our way to see Santa!! They screamed and squealed! Nothing is more heartwarming than seeing pure joy in your children's eyes.

Sadly, our trip was cut short due to this:

The weather turned bad to worse in minutes and the freeway shut down. We were all heart broken knowing that we missed or boarding time and wouldn't be seeing Santa. Luckily, they let us reschedule for another day.

Seeing the most gorgeous sunset on our way home ALMOST made the trip worth it. Okay, not really.

So a week later we packed up the car AGAIN (with a little less anticipation) and made our way to Williams, AZ (aka North Pole).

The train ride was magical. We drank hot chocolate, nibbled on delicious cookies while singing all the classic Christmas songs as the train chugged along. Then it was the moment we had all been waiting for. After we chanted "Santa, Santa, Santa" for a few minutes, the big guy entered our car and the place went nuts! He stopped and visited with each child for a few minutes and then handed them a big silver bell. Avery and Izy were mesmerized! It was way better than the mall Santa.

Until next year.......may we always be believers.

December Happenings

2011-12-25T23:43:00.002-07:00

Well, Christmas came and is almost gone. Sad. It has been one of the best Christmas season's I have ever had. The kids excitement is so contagious! They love everything about Christmas. The lights, the tree, the Christmas stories, hot chocolate every night, completing our advent calendar! We have made many memories this year and here are a few of the many pictures from December......(fyi....lots of photos ahead!)

My mom was planning on spending Christmas with us but she surprised us a few days early! The doorbell rang and Izy answered the door, "Grandma"? We both stood there with our mouths wide open as we were shocked to see her! My first thought was "glad I made my bed today :)" It made my day. Life has been pretty hard lately and there is nothing like a "mom hug" to make things seem a little brighter! Her main reason for coming early was so that she could see the girls singing performance. Which they rocked it out!!!

One of my favorite things about Christmas time is receiving cards from our friends and family. It's such a pleasant detour from the mundane everyday mail.
We display all of our cards in the kitchen. I love having all those faces I love so much staring at me while I do dishes :)

Another tradition that we look forward to is baking treats to deliver to our friends. This year the lucky recipients received my mother's famous poppy seed bread. It's heavenly. I think I've eaten 5 loaves all by myself this week.

This time around was perfect because my little helpers did all the grunt work for me while I sipped on my Thirstbuster and jammed out to Justin Bieber's "Under the Mistletoe".

Avery and Grandma made the cutest little Santa pretzels for all of her classmates. She proudly handed each one of them out!

Her teacher gift was so dang cute this year...if I do say so myself :)

Our little Christmas angels.

A few nights ago we set out in our pajamas in search of the best decorated house! This is our 4th year doing this tradition and we LOVE it. The gift that we gave to the winner was a darling snow globe and cookie mix.

After driving around for 2 hours this was the house that got our vote!! The picture does not do it justice, it really was amazing!

Awww.....the temple lights. It wouldn't be Christmas without a visit to the temple. We went with a few other families and it was so much fun. Isn't it beautiful?

I had to take a picture of this tour bus shuttling people to the temple!! Ha.Ha. Ha.

As a Utah native, I couldn't get over the fact that you can have Christmas lights wrapped around flower bushes! Oh, how I love the desert!

Part 2 coming tomorrow..............

Getting Into The Christmas Spirit

2011-12-13T12:02:00.000-07:00

When I saw the Fed Ex man leaving me 3 giant boxes from my mom on the doorstep I got a lump in my throat for 2 reasons.

ONE: I knew if it was from my mom that it must be something special.
TWO: because I miss her so much.

She sent us the most darling advent calendar. Isn't it the cutest thing you have ever seen?

Each day has a fun activity for our family to do together. It has really brought the Christmas spirit into our home. I can't even imagine how many hours she spent preparing this amazingness for my family and my brother's families.

On the First Day of December she sent each of the kids their own tree to decorate! The girls had a blast hanging each unique ornament onto their own tree.

We even skyped Grandma so she could watch the decorating take place.

Now the beautifully decorated trees sit as our centerpiece for the table and I love looking at them all day.

Thank you mom for putting together the most thoughtful and creative gift for us. We all get excited to see what you have planned for us each day. Love you.

A Sequence of Birthday Events

2011-12-04T22:21:00.001-07:00

Timer taking the traditional family shot with the birthday boy. This boy is the one who has hair :)
Mom returns to the other side of the camera (and judging from that picture that is where I should stay! Geez, I look tired) to capture the "blowing out the candles" shot.

Singing...."Happy Birthday to you......." singing.......

Avery shows everyone how to do it.

Oops you missed one!

Dad thinks it's a good idea to show Damon the flame up close.

Damon thinks it's a good idea to touch the flame. Mom is screaming from behind the camera "Nooooooo".

Reaction.

oh phew, he didn't touch it. Avery keeping his right arm locked down. That-a-girl.

Oh wait, he's smart and uses his OTHER hand to touch the flame.

When you mess with fire someone always gets burned but it shouldn't be the BABY!
Luckily, he was just fine when I started scooping Butterfinger ice cream into his mouth.

Happy Birthday Honey!

We have a visitor!

2011-11-28T16:44:00.001-07:00

This morning our little elf arrived to our house!

This is his first year visiting and we are so happy to have him around. Mom is especially happy to have a helper who will help enforce good behavior. I have already said a dozen times "watch what you are saying...the elf is listening." and just like that they return to their angelic self. I want to kiss the person who thought of this brilliant idea!

He was so thoughtful by laying out a cheerful spread for breakfast. Frothy hot chocolate, gooey cinnamon rolls, and gluten free chocolate donuts. Talk about a sugar high.

He left each kid a personal note and a beautiful ornament. I hope they take it to heart, especially Damon :)

While we ate breakfast we brainstormed about a name. Talk about pressure! I felt as though we were naming one of our children. Dad came up with Ryan or Matt. Um, no. I thought of Twinkle but Avery came up with the name Flixie (rhyming with Pixie). When she said it we all voted and it was unanimous! Flixie it is! Isn't that such a cute elf name? I have to document his name just in case I forget next year :

Thanks to Pinterest we have so many creative ideas on where to hide Flixie.
We just have to remember to it every night!

Full of Thanks

2011-11-24T23:59:00.001-07:00

fresh starts. brain surgeons who know what they are doing. eskimo kisses from my girls. binki's. online banking. my Project Life books. the camera that captures our life. airplanes. a handwritten letter sent in the mail. my Clarasonic Mia face scrubber. pinterest. seeing Oprah Winfrey wear her beautiful purple dress on her last show. supportive parents. miracles. the opportunity to teach in Relief Society. my babysitting co-op group. arizona sunsets. seeing my kids smile when they know they have done something right. friends who love me for ME. thoughtful texts. conversations with my brother's. sleepytime herbal tea. laura mercier tinted moisturizer. running shoes. listening to the sweetest prayers given by Avery and Izy. holding hands. lunch dates with Clint. avery's school teacher. paper plates. temples. skype. damon's bedtime routine when he snuggles into me as i rock him to sleep. Gossip Girl. Revenge. Amazing Race. my faith.

but most importantly,
this crew....

Full of Thanks 2010

FHE Thanksgiving Traditions

2011-11-24T19:45:00.001-07:00

We started this Thanksgiving tradition a few years ago and it is one that we all look forward to.

On the Sunday before Thanksgiving I make a loaves of pumpkin chocolate chip bread. Yum, my favorite. While the bread is cooling, everyone in the family thinks of 2 people they are thankful for and then we make a little card expressing our thanks for them. This was the first year that I didn't have to help my girls think of someone. They both knew exactly who they wanted to give their bread to. Right off the bat they both rattled off the names of their school and church teachers.

I thought it couldn't be more fitting. Their teachers love them so much and they feel it. They know they are important to them. I'm also so thankful for their teachers. I feel like we really lucked out this year. These amazing women spend so much of their time benefiting my children spiritually and intellectually.

The next night for FHE we deliver the bread and the homemade card to our chosen ones.

In the car ride over the were both rehearsing what they were going to say with such exuberance! "Mrs. Nikki...I just love you SOOOO much..." or "Sister Witbeck...I'm SOOOOOOO thankful for you....". Before the car has even stopped they are rushing to get out of their seat belts. As soon as the car breaks they bolt to the door. Excitedly, they started knocking, ringing the doorbell, knocking again....as soon as the door opens.SILENCE. The both got so shy. Lol. They are such big talkers :)

We are fortunate to have so many good people in our lives. So many people who care for us and those who serve us. This Thanksgiving we are thoughtful of them.

Thanksgiving Pinspiration

2011-11-22T22:56:00.000-07:00

I'm one of those people who look forward to Thanksgiving. I get sad when people forget about it and go straight to Christmas. I refuse to hang up any red or green decorations or listen to Christmas music until Black Friday. Speaking of Black Friday....is anyone going? What are you buying this year?

Wait....we are focusing on Thanksgiving....see how easy it is to jump to Christmas?!

Turkey Day is laced with rich traditions and delicious food. Can't get any better than that! I know Thanksgiving is in just 2 days but I wanted to share a few pins that caught my eye for the holiday.

Walls adorned with these masterpieces:

Source: naptimedecorator.blogspot.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Source: bedifferentactnormal.com via Brandy on Pinterest

Sprucing up my living room with this perfect fall pillow:

Source: blogs.babble.com via Brandy on Pinterest

This website has a lot of fun crafts and games to keep the kids busy while you are stuffing the turkey or marshmallowing your sweet potatoes.

Source: katherinemariephotography.com via Brandy on Pinterest

I can't wait to incorporate this new tradition! You have your guests submit something they are grateful for. Type them up and roll into the rolls. Then you guess who is grateful for what! So creative.

Source: beautyandbedlam.com via Brandy on Pinterest

I won't be making this recipe but what a great idea! A cinnamon roll crust for apple pie. Sounds delicious.

Source: taste-for-adventure.tablespoon.com via Brandy on Pinterest

I am going to attempt this little project tomorrow. I think the girls will love this! You "stuff" the turkey with surprises and they get to open it at the table.

Source: onecharmingparty.com via Brandy on Pinterest

And after we have stuffed our face, we will sharpen our pencils and go on a scavenger hunt!

Source: familyfun.go.com via Brandy on Pinterest

When did this happen?

2011-11-21T13:15:00.001-07:00

It's on days like today when I think to myself:

"Whoa, I have a full functioning household. Look at all that food!"
"When did Avery get so big that she is rockin those knee high boots?" (so much so that they are completely worn out but she doesn't care.)
"Yes, 6 boxes of cereal should last us through this week?"
What? It used to be 2 boxes were plenty.
"Holy junk food! Oh wait, there's a box of applesauce, phew."

Last Chance

2011-11-18T15:06:00.001-07:00

I did it.

I finally made the 45 minute trip to crazy town.
I'm talking about Last Chance.
Now I am KICKING myself for not going sooner.

It's one of Arizona's little GEMS.
It's the only store in the country that houses all of Nordstrom's rejects/returns
at ridiculously cheap prices.
I mean ridiculous.

This was the scene at 9:50 am (ten minutes before opening).

It's like Black Friday every single day of the year.

This is the caging area where everyone's anxiety grows with each passing second.

It is also in this area that the RULES are read by an employee.

Yes, grown women are told:

No running.

No shoving.

No grabbing items out of people's hands.

At 10:00 sharp the doors open and it is pandemonium.

After 45 minutes of pure stress these are the prizes I won!

I'm gonna drop a few names here....Tom's.....Cole Haan.....

And all for the glorious price of

$76.00.

I'm already planning my next trip.

I should have known better...

2011-11-16T09:44:00.000-07:00

Damon just can't resist the sound of ripping paper :)

(In case you can't see...I love Avery's leaf that says "Bicribs" aka Back Rubs :)

Our Thankful Tree

2011-11-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

We made our Thankful Tree last night and it was so fun. I gave a brief run-down about Thanksgiving and then asked the girls what they were thankful for. Some of their answers made me laugh, so made me think "man, my kids are getting so big", and others made me teary-eyed.

My favorite one that Avery came up with was gluten free foods. I think it's so cute she appreciates that.
Izy made me laugh because the first 7 leaves she filled out had to do with her friends. She sure loves her little buddies.

We really do have so much to be thankful for this season.