Sister's...

We had a family Christmas dinner where I was summond to take a pic of my mom with her sisters... I just love love love this pic of them! Each of them in there true element... no false smiles... It's real, and you can see the love between them.

My Katy Perry

As most of you know, that least those that keep tabs on my blog, I love to docutment the cute/funny/whitty things my children say. Most often they come from Sam. Like todays Me: "Tell me you love me Sam." Sam: "I love me." But I think one of the funniest by far came from Brenna today. She has this new love for Katy Perry's new song Firework. She knows the song nearly word for word. Today she was singing it VERY loudly and dancing around in the hallway... Then she comes up to me and says, "Mom, I can't believe I can sing just like Katy Perry!" Took all that I had not to die laughing, but I held my composure and validated her in every way! She's destined to be a super star!

Someone's got a boo boo....

Bill came and grabbed me this morning and drug me to the hallway... To point this out...




You may be wondering exactly what this is, well it is a green camo bandaid stuck to my wall. Hm okay... Well go to remove the bandaid and this is what you see...



One of the kids put a ding in the wall, and my guess is that it was Sam. Since he is the one who took the initiative of repairing the ding. Bill says, "Sam, did you put the bandaid on the wall?" Sam: "Oh yeah, I was fixing its boo boo." Kids are just so wonderful!

A moment of pride...

Just about 3 minutes ago I walked into my front room to peek out the window at the kids playing outside. Much to my surprise there they both stood out at the window. Sam with a spray bottle in hand and Brenna with a wash cloth. Together they stood washing my big front windows. Their conversation went like this, Brenna: "This is a great thing to do for Mom, Good thinking Sam." Sam: "Yeah Sissy, we love our mom huh." Tried to snap a pic, but hey caught me...

Had to run in hear and write about it so I could remember exactly how this moment made me feel. As a mother who spends every day and night tending to the needs of everyone else, this moment gave me a sense of pride. I know that all the hard work and efforts to teach my children right from wrong, good from bad, and what responsibility is has not gone to waste. I have some pretty damn amazing children, and I am so so so happy to be their Mommy! My heart is full at this very moment, and I couldn't imagine life without them.

Smiles...

Today as Brenna and I sat in the car waiting for Sam to get out of school we were playing with a feather (courtesy of Aunt Kel's costume). I started tickling her cute little nose with the feather and she did this...



She did this same little scruntchy nosed grin as she used to do when she was a baby. I stopped what I was doing, scooped her up in my arms, and kissed her little cheeks. Oh how I loved that little grin, it would brighten my days. So so so glad that she still has it, and though she doesn't show it too often, I will forever cherish it!

Halloween 2010 part 4

Okay so Saturday night, the Utah/Christian (however you would like to refer to it as) Halloween we had to stay close to home since Bill was on call and wanted to spend time with the little ones too. So We carved pumpkins in the afternoon, then started getting ready for the trick-or-treating. Bill said that the kids weren't scarey enough when I got them ready, so he did Sam's make-up. Brenna wanted to still be the pretty skeleton mommy made her before, so I did hers. It was nice to have some fun one on one time while we did this with the kids. I think they turned out great!






First we went and ate pizza with some neighbors then headed off to a trunk or treat in the rain... BURRRRR!!!!!!!!!!





Then we came home, lit the pumpkins and Bill headed out with Brenna and Sam to tackle the neighborhood while I stayed behind and handed out candy. It was nice to just kick back and relax for a change while Bill headed out in the cold. LOL. I had company though... I got to tend a friends baby girl for the evening!

Halloween 2010 part 2

I know I know... this is all backwards.... But I started one post then realized I forgot to post about Friday night so here it is....

So, Friday night my mom's ward was having their trunk or treat. We have been to the trunk or treat every year (aside from one) with my mom since she moved there. The kids really enjoy spending this time with their grammy, uncles, and cousins. Unfortunately this year the Uncles and some of the cousins didn't join in. *pout* They still had a great time with cousins Benjamin and Anderson, and they all made out like bandits!






The sky that night was this amazing orange and pink. Sam says to me, "Mommy, I really like this Halloween sky." It was a great touch to the festivities that night for sure!






The night ended on a great note, with four very happy and tired children!

Halloween 2010 part 3

Yesterday (Saturday) morning the kids woke bright and early as usual. They were so excited to get the 2nd day of halloween started; Mommy on the other hand was not so eager. After an hour or more of them telling me how STARVING they were I finally pried my tired butt out of bed to make them breakfast. Jack-O-Lantern pancakes were on the menu, though I was bummed when I realized that I had no food coloring to make them orange (not sure where I put it when I unpacked). The kids were fine with just decorating their pancakes with frosting anyway. Here are what they came up with...

Halloween @ School

Today was the start to a FULL and FUN filled weekend of spooky fun. The kids had their Halloween parties and parades at school today. We woke bright and early to dress up for the festivities. Here are the kids this morning all ready to head out to school.



I was able to return at pick up time to watch all the cute little chillen's anxiously parade their costumes for all us grown people to goo and ga at. I think it is fair to say that Iron Man is the popular costume this year, as Brenna had 3 or 4 boys dressed up as him. Of course the princesses were the winner for the girls! I was so happy with the end result of my kids costumes this year. I had so many people compliment them throughout the day today. I'll admit it was quite the ego boost.

Brenna's Class


Sam's Class
(small class, but cute as heck!)


I may be bias, but I have to say that Brenna is the most beautiful skeleton I have ever seen!


And my Sam... Even in his bad mood (as you can tell from the pic) he is still adorable! And a little bit of info behind this pic, Sam was very upset that the straw was poking his bum. LOL


I really do love these two more than life! So lucky to be their mommy!



Now, on for some more haunting festivities... To be continued...

Costume 101

This year after the kids BOTH decided to be skeleton's (Sam decided first, and I was shocked that Brenna wanted to be one too)I thought that maybe I could save a few bucks and make the costumes myself. Having never attempted anything like this, I didn't quite know the best way to go about it. Being that my first a most important reason for making the costumes was to save money (tight budget's do that to you)I decided that however I go about doing it I wanted to be able to use the clothes after halloween also. After some research, I decided that contact paper was the best route to go in order to not ruin the clothes. Bill had his doubts, told me that it wouldn't stick... and he was right. Little did he know I had a plan to iron the contact paper onto the costumes (by using fabric between the paper and iron of course). I tested this theory before doing it, and yes the contact paper sticks AND it peels off, but not on its own. I am pretty happy with the way these costumes turned out. All that is missing in this pic is Brenna's tutu (orange and black) and Sam's bow tie (also orange and black). Can't wait to see them in them. OH and (DRUM ROLL PLEASE) These cost me a total of $16 to make the both of them!!!! Think I done good!!!

Gardner Village

Last week I took my kids (along with my niece Kielee, who I was tending) to Gardner Village (You can check them out here)mostly for the photo opportunities since I like to think I can be a photographer. LOL. Unfortunately we weren't there long this day because Brenna began getting a fever and was ready to go home only after about a half hour of being there. We did go back a couple days later just to enjoy the festivities (left my camera home on accident that time). Here are just a few shots I got. I haven't edited them at all yet, but wanted to share them anyway. Enjoy!

Flatulence...

So I just went and picked up the kids from school and as Brenna and I sat making lunch she turns to me and says, "Mom, I have something to tell you." I thought to myself "UH oh!," then responded, "What is that Brenna..." She then says, "I farted today during play time... it was quiet and so no one heard me, but then it got really stinky." Me: "Okay Brenna, sometimes that happens, everyone farts." Brenna: "But there is something else Mom. I'm sorry because I didn't say excuse me, but I didn't want anyone to know it was me." I just smiled at her and giggled... Love this kid so much!

Where has the time gone....

Last night Bill and I were laying in bed and I began reading all of my past blog posts. It was a great bonding moment for he and I, recollecting upon times and moments that are so easily forgotten. I am so glad that I was began blogging when I had, seems that it was during a time that I was so overwhelmed with the everyday life that I didn't have the time to appreciate the small things my children were doing at the time. It is amazing to see how each of us have changed and progressed since My First Blog,Then all the small little things like (HERE) and (go here). I really really love my family and haved realized that I need to start with the avid blogging again... There are so many great memories that I have shared here that would have otherwise gone forgotten. Prepare yourselves, no more time will pass me by without appreciating it.

Happy 5th Birthday My Brenna!!!

On October 11, 2005, I met the most amazing little girl! She was a tiny 6lbs 9oz. and 20 inches long, every last inch of her PERFECT! She deffinately made her grand entrance (3 1/2 hours of pushing later... Quite hellish, ask any of the 9 people that were there), and made it all so worth it.





She has grown and matured so much, more so than any other 5 year old I have ever met. Currently some of her favorites are MUSIC, Justin Beiber, ICarly, mothering her brother, helping mom cook, taking showers, and getting her and her brother breakfast all by herself. She love loves her freckles, her animals, and her family. My top five favorite things about Brenna are:

Her sensativity

The amount of love she has for everyone. (One of my favorite memories with her was when we were driving to chuch and she saw an old man (obviously homeless... clothes torn and tattered, dirty,) jump out of a dumpster with a bag in his hand, the old man then started digging through the garbage. She asked me what he was doing and I explained to her that not everyone has a warm home or food, and that he was probably looking for something to eat. She quickly replied, "Mom, can we take him food. I don't want anyone to be cold or hungry.")

She is so goofy (always makes me laugh)

She remembers EVERYTHING! (Quick as a whip!)

She loves herself and embraces herself entirely!

To my perfect, most favorite, little girl... Mommy loves you more than you'll ever know... Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet Brenna.

Slick Shooter...

So Bill and I took the kids on a last minute trip out west to go shooting on Sunday afternoon. Bill needed to sight in a gun, and I suggested that we take the kids with their BB guns they got for easter (They have only had a chance to shoot them twice since they got them). After Bill spent way too long and all his ammo trying to sight in his gun, the kids finally got a chance to shoot. Sam is still a little too small to hold the gun, aim, and shoot correctly. He did however, shoot his target one time all on his own. Who knows if it was really him aiming or just by chance. Brenna on the other hand, got it down fast. Bill took about 5 minutes explaining to her the how to's and she got her target 4 out of 5 shots. She's a natural, and daddy was VERY proud of his slick shooter!

Wind Down with DEXTER!!!

You know those days that you just wake up annoyed? Irritated beyond belief??? Yeah today was one of those days. I am so looking forward to bed, headed there right after Dexter! If you haven't yet watched an episode of Dexter, I highly recommend this series to EVERYONE!!!

School Days 2010!

This year both Brenna and Sam get to go to pre-school... Yay for mommy time! Here are a couple pics from their first day of school. Brenna is an old pro at this whole school thing, being that this is her 3rd year in pre-school (Dang kindergarten deadline)! I will admit I did have my concerns about my little man... I didn't know how he would be with me leaving him in and unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people. He blew me away when he walked in, hung up his bag and ran to sit down. He then turned to me and waved "Bye mom!!!" He then sat there staring at all the other scared and crying kids like they were crazy. He really has been waiting for school for so long. It was hard last year to drop Brenna off and see how sad he was that he couldn't join in the fun. I have some GREAT kids, I am blessed!