Merry Christmas 2009

We wish you a Merry Christmas! And a happy new year!

Away in a manger...
He's making a list. Checking it twice. Going to find out who's naughty or nice...

All I want for Christmas
barbies...

ipod dock....

Unicycle....
umm a bike...a hammer...a let me think.

to be back with my mom!

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Dear Lori,

Thank you for the book about our kids. What a wonderful surprise to get in our mailbox. It is such a treasure to see what our kids were doing last summer "while Gracie grew." You are one amazing sister in law. THANK YOU!

Ben and Andrea

Dear mom,

I love the cupcake book! I can't wait to get baking!

Love,

Andrea

Dear Ben,

ooo la la. The earrings are beautiful, and shoes are the way to my heart.

I love you

Oh Joy!

Disclaimer for reader:
Pretend these pictures are at the end of the post. Somehow I uploaded (downloaded) my entire post to the family web site instead of mine. So I had to put the pictures on again. Oh joy! Last Friday Dropping everyone off at school, stopping at Maverick for a diet coke, putting cute Gracie down for a nap and just sitting in silence.

Yesterday, figuring out that Gracie doesn't need expensive toys. A bag of fruit snacks will do . Waking up this morning to this. If you can believe it I was sleeping in between the two of them :)

Waking up this morning to this. If you can believe it I was sleeping in between the two of them :)

This afternoon having my very own rudolph come knocking at my door.

This is for the two Becky's in my life. Both of whom I have had about the same conversation in the last two days. After telling the tales of our children and their mischieveous, somewhat funny behavior. After talking about how we can't believe we have 4 and 5 children. How we cry nearly everyday and wonder how we are going to do it. How we want to teach our children the principles of the gospel and how to squeeze everything in between homework and stuff. The question is posed. How do I find joy in what I am doing everyday?

I can tell you how I find joy. It is getting up every morning, getting dressed, going to school, seeing the teachers and my kids at school. Coming home to a lazy afternoon to my little kids and starting the day over again. I have said before, I am not a great stay at home mom. I think I am a good stay at home mom, but it isn't my favorite thing. After Gracie was born and I made the decision to stay at home this year I knew I had chosen the right thing. I also knew it wouldn't be easy on me, thankyou post partum depression. Last August When school started I decided I wanted to really find joy everyday staying home. Now in December I realize I don't have to feel "joyful" all day long, I just have to choose to look at the things that come up differently. Becky B. reminded me of this. She said to me today. "I will always remember when Lindsey broke her leg when she was little and you called me and said. well she broke her leg, but at least I get to sit for awhile in the quiet waiting room." And when Tyson was a baby and pooped in the bathub everyday for a month she said to me "well. At least I have the cleanest bathtub in the neighborhood!" So here's to feeling joyful.

Maybe not every single second of the day but through bits and pieces.

Kirby,Kirby, Kirby

I let the Kirby salesman into my house tonight. He came by offering to clean one room of carpet in my house and I took him up on it. When I went to Logan to see little Sydney in October a huge mysterious stain appeared on the girls bedroom carpet. Nobody knows what happened including Ben, Grrrr. Everytime I walk by the room I see it. So tonight I jumped on the chance to remove it. I also didn't realize he was a vacuum salesman until he brought the Kirby box into my house. For all its worth it is one awesome vacuum. I couldn't believe the stuff it pulled from my carpet ewwwww gross! My 45 minutes of time was totally worth that stain getting removed. Thank you Kirby guy. My only suggestion is to not smoke right before you go try to sell a allergen reducing vacuum. I had to open the window to get rid of the smell.

On another note. Ben and I are the parents of three children instead of five for the next two days.
Can I tell you how great it is?
It is awesome! This is the life.
How do you feel Becky to be the parent of six kids? You are a saint! Thanks for the great snow pictures!

A conversation between mom, Tyler, and Eliza
mom: Stand together by the tree so I can take your picture.
Tyler: Okay
Eliza: Tyler, you smile for the picture and I will cry.
Tyler: Okay

Its all part of the plan...right

Does the plan include riding in the car with 5 unhappy/angry/crazy/crying children? I think this must be what hell is like.

I was unhappy/angry/crazy/and crying until I decided to shoot this little video...life is always better through my camera because you can edit out all the yuck and laugh at the little picture on the screen!

I guess this is part of the plan.

top ten Thanksgiving 2009 highlights

Top ten Thanksgiving 2009 highlights

10. Making yams for the first time, and making everyone at Thanksgiving dinner tell me how great they thought they were!
9. Having only minor Squabbles between the 20 children bursting from the seams at my parents house!
8. Black Friday shopping and buying baby wash and new bottle nipples because I couldn't find anything I really wanted, and then waiting in line for an hour to buy them.
7. Eating breakfast at McDonalds after black Friday. I think our family enjoys McDonalds breakfast more than any other family I know!
6. Hanging out with my sisters.
5. Kissing Signey, Siggy, Syd NEY, as much as I wanted.
4. Kissing baby Randy's chubbiness as much as I wanted to.
3. Rapelling, actually doing it myself!
2. Rapelling, cheering for everyone else to conquer their fears!

and the number 1 Thanksgiving 2009 highlight

being with my family (doesn't that just make you want to say awwwww!)

chrysanth E mum

Today I introduced Emily to the wonderful world of Anne of Green Gables. She had a "fake" sore throat and needed to stay home from church today. I'm pretty sure she just needed some mommy and Gracie time! I put on the old video of it and while she watched it I watched her. Her favorite part was when Anne mistook the cherry cordial and gave Dianna current wine instead. Emily loves anything naughty and seeing Diana so sloshed and tripping all over the place really gave her a thrill!

Emily is my shy girl. We have started many activities and then quit because she is to petrified go by herself. This is the first year of school that she has not cried every day and hung on my leg when I drop her off. You can imagine how primary goes every Sunday. I blame myself for her shyness. When she was a baby I was holding her during a thunderstorm when a blot of lightning struck in our back yard. I screamed so loud that she literally went into a daze and took quite a while coming out of it. After that anytime there was a loud noise she would hit the floor and lay there. Poor baby. To compensate for this she looks for anything daring and crazy that she can do. She climbs and Jumps off of everything. Last year she had a broken foot and I didn't do anything about it for a month because she kept doing all her usual activities! She was popping wheelies on her bike at four and rollerblading down the hill at top speeds by five. Right now her favorite past time is hanging off my plant shelves. She wants a unicycle, and I am sure she can master it. She is kind and spunky. When you can get her to sit down and open up she is delightful.

I give you Emily

I have been thinking about Christmas presents. Have you? I found this and I think it could possibly be the most perfect present for any parent. I am really hoping that I get one for Christmas and kicking myself for not thinking of it first! Check it out and let me know what you think! Seriously the best parental invention ever!

All Hail Queen Gracie

I came into the living room tonight and this is what I found. A throne and three loyal subjects. When I saw Randy in his exer saucer I thought "hey Gracie could sit in one of those." Long story short. She can't. I always think she is bigger than she is. Today I proped her up with 4 blankets. It helped a little, now if she could just cooridinate her hands. I have high hopes that one day she will love this.
On another note she is 7 months old today. Tomorrow we go to the NICU graduate clinic to see all of our favorite doctors and nurses. She started her Synergis shots today. She will get one a month until next April to help her get through the RSV season. When they weighed her today she came in at 11 pounds 8 ounces! Wahoo she is growing!

How she spends most of her days, minus the exer saucer! Tyler has suction cup kisses. Check out the pucker on that boy!

baby love

Don't you just love it when you can get your baby to laugh, and talk to you?

And then tuck them into bed wrapped up all warm and cozy? Especially when you can use the silky blanket from Grandma Brown.

I do!

SHOES

I will do just about anything for a pair of cute shoes. Tonight this includes going to a teeny bopper store (DEB). Wearing Bens Sweatshirt, ugly cargo pants, no make up and sporting a Dorothy Hammill hair style, (I too have been blessed with fabulous hair like Sara's.) When I got there the only pair left was a size 10. Too big. When I asked the 16 year old where they have other stores so one of my great sisters could go buy me some she said " I think they have a store in Ogden, Sandy, Provo, and Sandy." Then she said "We didn't get very many pairs of those, they really aren't the style of this store." No kidding, next time I need a pair of hooker boots I will be stopping by. I bought them anyway because drum roll please... for $3.50 I COULD NOT pass them up. So here's to you Becky my sister with size 10 feet and absolutely no time or will power to shop for shoes, Happy Thanksgiving! And to the rest of you with a little time on your hands and you live in Ogden, Sandy, Provo, or Sandy, I wear a size 8.

Sunday, Sunday

Sunday, November 1
We have a saying in St. George.
What happens at grandmas stays at grandmas! That is until grandma emails the picture to me! Eliza got to have a sleep over at grandma and grandpas last Sunday night.
The highlights.
1. Wearing grandpas shirt to Costco, and nothing else (at least she had a bow in her hair!)
2. Putting grandmas lipstick on herself.
3. Drinking a whole can of Diet Coke by herself. Birthday pie at Grandmas and Grandpas

1st day of being 9 and 7. We love new birthday clothes and boots.

Sunday, November 8

A letter to mother nature:

Dear Mother Nature,

Today was not so bad. Usually Sunday is on of the craziest days of the week! Today was fun! We went outside and enjoyed our reward for making it through yet another St. George summer. 70 degree weather in November! On the days we thought we were going to die of the heat I thought of you, lovely November and your cool, sunny, blue skied days. We celebrated with a picnic, bike derby and game of tag. Please enjoy the enclosed pictures. A token of our gratitude for the cool weather.

Love,

Ben, Andrea, Lindsey, Emily, Tyler, Eliza, and Gracie

Sporting the appropriate attire for a fall day.

note to self: Stretch before playing tag with the kids, it doesn't hurt so bad after!

Do all 9 year olds make bunny ears in pictures?

Practicing for Thanksgiving.

When you are tired of swinging on the swing, climb on the roof.
Grandma was the designated Gracie holder.

Is it mean to think my baby looks like Dopey?

Lining up for the bike ramp.

Grandpa KineevalThe leaves are finally changing colors

p.s.

when I was downloading the pictures from my camera I found this one. I let Lindsey take my camera one afternoon and she must have taken this the day my new washer was delivered. The funny thing is is that the Lowes delivery guy must have taken the picture. Make a delivery, take a picture, all in a days work!

Look what we got trick-or-treating!

Sorry for the blurry- I think you get the idea, way too much candy!

Halloween meomories 2009

What is your favorite part of Halloween?

Lindsey-going to everybody's house and gettin' candy.

Emily- mine too!

Tyler-That you get lots of candy.

Eliza-going trick or treating.

Grandma-seeing all my cute little kids dressed up.

Grandpa-handing out candy to the trick or treaters.
Ben-eating the kids candy!

Andrea-bedtime, so I can eat their stuff!

Spiderman, Elphaba, Cheeky monkey

Punkin' butter

Princess Lindsey

Happy Halloween from our house to yours!