Last day of being 30

Well, today is my last day of being 30. It really has been a great year! I think the thing that I feel was my biggest accomplishment this year was finishing the sprint triathlon. I wasn't that fast, but I finished. If I were to do it again I would train A LOT more, but such is life!

Here are some pictures from when I was a baby...31 years ago.

10 Years of Marital Bliss

Ten years ago today Aaron and I were married in the Mesa, Arizona temple for time and all eternity. Time flies when you are having fun. I dug out a few pictures from wedding. Man we were young and skinny!

Merry Christmas!

On Sunday we went to see the temple lights at the Salt Lake Temple. It was really nice. The kids loved it. It was a wee bit chilly and David kept asking for hot chocolate, but we loved the display of lights and the spirit of Christmas.

The next day it snowed and snowed! The kids have LOVED playing in the snow. They built a little ramp to sled down (when I don't take them to the park.) I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Christmas!

Believe

Every year I come across this question, "Is Santa real?" My standard answer is, "Legend has it..."

This year we did the collection for the children in need and when we were taking them to the lady distributing them Becca said,

"We are going to give these toys to those who may not get toys on Christmas. Why don't they get toys from Santa mom?"

Really what do you say to that! I said that we were going to help Santa out.

Then in a very pensive, quiet voice she said almost to herself, "Santa' s not real."

Sad. I don't think she has quite given up, but really when does it end?

Don't eat me...

Yesterday as I was turning on the oven for dinner David said, "Don't cook me mom, I's just a boy"

What???

Becca said that when they were watching a movie with Dad they saw a preview for Hansel and Gretel. HAHA.

"Don't worry honey I WILL NOT cook you!"

GREAT weekend!

Friday my sister called and said that she had two extra tickets to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert that night. Sarah and I took Chelsea and Kendall to the concert. I was a little apprehensive to take an 11 year old and 2 eight year olds to a concert that was geared towards adults, but they were great and never complained. The concert was amazing. There were 5 different bell choirs, a story teller who read Luke 2 and told a VERY touching story about Henry Longfellow's writing of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", a very funny organ solo, a famous singer (who I thought was a little melodramatic in his singing, but good none the less) and of course the choir and orchestra. We saw a few of the lights but we will go back with the family on Saturday to see more of the lights.

Last night Amanda and her family came over to make graham cracker houses. It was really fun and the kids had a ball! They were all patient and no one fought or complained about waiting for their turn, it was a really fun night. I thought it was funny that the houses kind of brought out their personalities. Becca was very meticulous and everything had a pattern and place. Sarah was a little crazy with the frosting and candy...no rhyme or method. David just kept eating the candy! He did LOVE the succors in gum drops. I think he ended up with 9 of them.

The dancing house

There is a house near our neighborhood that we discovered one night that is just awesome! My friend Melissa came (picture two grown ladies screaming and hugging in the street that is how it looked like when we first saw each other) anyway, I told her about this house and here is her video of it. We took dad here when he was in town, then last night went with Amanda everyone loves it!

http://baxterbugs.blogspot.com/2008/12/for-your-enjoyment.html

My big bum

Everyday, yes, EVERYDAY David tells me that I have a big bum. I really don't think about it much because compared to his small bum, my bum is huge. Well today in Becca's class the teacher introduced me and one kid said, Smalley you are not small. You should be Mrs Biggie or Mrs Piggie. Oh, leave it to a kindergartner to make you feel EVEN BIGGER than you already do!

Yesterday we were shopping for some last minute gifts and as I was walking by there was an older couple and this is what I heard:

"Mabel, this shirt is just cute as heck."

I had to chuckle. I don't quite know how cute heck is, but really I never thought it should be a word that describes a shirt.

Gifts of Christmas

I have my first gift of Christmas. I came home one day and outside I saw a new little tree! I have been wanting an apple tree and was BUGGING Aaron all Fall that we needed to plant one this year so it will have time to mature. So now I have a Fuji apple tree!

Monday we had a neighborhood giving night. There is a woman who works with school counselors and assesses needs of the children for Christmas. She the distributes gifts to those in need (it may not necessarily be the ones everyone automatically thinks of). She serves the whole state of Utah and gives to more than 3500 kids. We distributed flyer's and collected toys. It was a fun night of hot chocolate and cookies, Santa came and the kids gave the gifts to Santa and instead of telling Santa what they wanted they told him what they were giving. It was really neat. It was not my idea, I just had the cleanest garage!

Each year my parents give each grandchild money to spend on a good cause. The kids all bought toys for this and then they bought hats and gloves for the homeless shelter. I hope that it will help the kids realize what they have and that it is good to give to others!

Serious help

Okay all you out there - does anyone have a good book for disciplining a 3 year old?? I think I must have blocked out all the tantrums and naughty things my other kids have done. This past week David has flushed 5 rolls of toilet paper down the toilet! (after he goes poop) I have tried talking REALLY STERNLY to him and then even sending him to time out, and he always says he won't do it again and he seems to be getting it, but then the next day he does it again! It is really getting to the maddening stage and yesterday he flooded the bathroom. IDEAS???

This morning when I heard him lock the door (a sign that he is going poop) I broke in and took the toilet paper. He got really mad and then I tried to talk to him and tell him that he couldn't flush the toilet paper down the toilet. I let him go and then brought some in and showed him how much he needed to use and what to do with it (other than put it in the toilet). We will see if that will get to his brain.

Amazing Snowflakes

If ANYONE is looking for Snowflake crafts or decorations this is how to make it!

It was amazingly simple and turned out so cute! Perfect for older kids with about a 15 minute attention span. This picture doesn't really do it justice. I think in real life it is a little larger. Happy snow. It is snowing right now, the girls are excited to have more snow. (for some reason the link doesn't show up, but if you drag your cursor over "this is how to make it" it should take you there if you click on it. I tried to change the link color, but apparently that didn't work.)

surviving but not thriving black friday

Thanksgiving came and so did the ads. We were wanting a tree this year, not a popular item right?? We saw a great deal at Home Depot and I talked Aaron into getting up early to go and get it. The store opened at 6 and he was there at 5:45. When he finally made it in the door to the display they were all out (all before 6). He vowed NEVER to shop again on black Friday. He said there were so many people it just took the fun out of shopping. Later that day we went to various other stores, but didn't want to pay $200 for a tree. After a long day of shopping we went with a beautiful real tree.

Happy Thanksgiving!

What a wonderful season of year this is! As I was driving home from Young Women's a girl in my car rolls down the window and yells "Holiday Skipper!" They had their Christmas lights up. She proceeded to do that until we made it to her house. I thought, you know Thanksgiving really does get ripped off! I have been listening to Christmas music since November 1st (except when Sarah is around we made a deal...no Christmas music until December 1st).

I have so many things to be thankful for I can hardly just name them off. I have chosen 10 of my wonderful blessings (not in any particular order, this is just how it came)

- My family: I can't even imagine what my life would be like without them! (including my husband, kids, grandparents, parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins)
- Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ and the restored gospel (and ALL the WONDERFUL blessings that come to me because of them)
- A wonderful house
- My husband having a good job. The opportunity to stay home with the kids.
- GREAT neighbors. Really, I feel like I have been friends with these people forever!
- Friends. I have too many to name, but if you are reading this you have probably touched my way in many ways!
- My health. I think a lot of times we take our bodies for granted. How a body can create another little person is mind boggling.
- Living in the United States.
- Having wonderful food to eat.
- And every other natural wonder and beauty I behold EVERY DAY!

I hope you all have a GREAT Thanksgiving!

What happens when the kids (and dad) get the camera

Poor David

Annie this is what would happen if your next baby somehow surprises you and you end up with a boy...

David Loves the girls dress up things. He loves twirling and watching the skirt flow. He will love this in a few years I am sure! Quite frequently he fights over the pink wings with Becca. I don't think that grandma anticipated this little one :)

So big

David was outgrowing his Sunday shirt so yesterday we went out and bought him a size 5 shirt. The shirt came with a tie. He has had other ties, but refused to wear them. He loved the tie and looks great with it! I also buzzed his hair a few days ago...next time I think I will use a number 4 or 5, his hair is a little short.

Daisy Derby

Yesterday was Sarah's first "Daisy Derby." She and Aaron decided on Calvin and Hobbes ridding in a wagon - they both love that comic and we have about 5 books. Sarah made the caricatures from modeling clay and Aaron carved out the wagon with a pocket knife. Sarah painted it.

baby belly

Here I am 24 weeks prego

Ignore the grimace, the camera was taking a REALLY long time to take. Once again I have to give credit to Becca for taking this one :)

Oh rise and shout...

Yesterday Aaron and I went to a BYU football game and it was exciting - you know the crowd, the noise and the fight song. Someone that Aaron works with gave him AWESOME tickets and a great parking pass - he even said that if we were there at 11:30 we could go on the field...we didn't quite make it, but that would have been awesome. I loved that we played a horrible team and BYU blew them away. I don't like the gut wrenching games (that I am sure the next two will be)

No sweets

So my sister made a challenge on her blog and I took it...no sweets until Thanksgiving (my exception is FHE treat). This is my temptation...

I needed something like this though because I have been eating WAY to many sweets.

It snowed again. The day the window guys were supposed to come. They came anyway and my house was COLD.

Falling into the snow

What is this little devil up to?

an hour and a half

I stood in line today for an hour and a half to vote for

CHUCK BALDWIN

I couldn't bring myself to vote for either of the candidates, so I voted with the constitutional party. I also voted for the local leaders. We will see who wins.

Baptism Day

Sarah had a beautiful baptism day. We had a lot of family and friends come and celebrate with us. As she and Aaron were walking down the chapel in their white clothes I was overcome with emotion. Sarah beamed with happiness and Aaron looked just as happy. It was a glimpse of heaven.

Fun on Halloween!

The kids LOVED Halloween this year. We carved pumpkins, had a fun parade at school and then of course trick or treating with LOTS of candy :) Grandma and Grandpa were here and mom stayed here with me and passed out the candy where the kids went with Grandpa and Dad.

Delving into his candy. At one point he had 3 candies opened and in progress.



Grandpa as the cookie, Becca as te cookie monster, David as Buzz Lightyear, Dad as Woody and Sarah as a black cat (she drew the wiskers and nose by herself :)

Sarah's, Mom's, David's, Dad's and Becca's

The three cuties in their shirts we made at Sarah's party.

A blue cowgirl (with a soon to be tummy ache...she threw up that night...too much candy)

It's a....

GIRL! The doctor isn't 100% sure, because she had her legs crossed. It was fun for Aaron to see her kicking and yawning. The only news was she was measuring a little small which means they changed the date (AGAIN!) so now the section date will probably be the 5th of March. They want to make sure the baby's lungs are developed and not take her 2 weeks early. My fibroid was huge, but what is new.

Cute pictures

David was in the bath and I just couldn't resist.

Happy Birthday Sarah!

Today Sarah turned 8!!!


We had such a fabulous day!

She really wanted to have a campfire and roast marshmallows...so that is what we did. We started out here and made tie-dye shirts and then played a few group games. Then we all piled in our cars and went to the park. I couldn't have done it without my sister and cousin!!! We played at the park and in the creek and then roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. Then of course cake and ice cream. Now they are having a sleepover with their cousins...what a treat! She loved all her birthday gifts. Here are a few pictures from the party.

Down on the farm

Here are some pictures from the farm we went to on Monday. We went with some friends who used to live in PA...so fun!

Sarah catching a chicken. She and her friend would run and one would

grab the tail while the other snatched up the chicken.

Giddy up.

Cautiously petting the goat.

Playing in the corn box.