Finally!

My pantry is full, the wood pile is high and my Christmas presents are purchased and wrapped. The kids have been bummed because there has been no snow, (and so have I) but alas the forecast for the entire next week is white and fluffy. Finally. Let the wet floors and the breath-seeing magic begin!

funny stuff, and so forth...

Tyler's face all day on
fast Sunday. He said he
was really going to die
any second he was so
hungry.








So in order to stay
somewhat organized
while feeding my horde,
I use a white board in
the kitchen and plan
out a weeks worth
of dinners. Tyler erased
it all and wrote "angel
hair pasta, angel hair
pasta, angel hair pasta
and so forth."
Can you tell what his favorite food is?





What happens
when you can
only scoot
backwards?









One last story: Tyler is very aware of the "secret" of Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy, but he won't admit it and doesn't want to have "the talk". (Trying to stay a kid as long as he can). The other day he lost a tooth and as I was putting a dollar under his pillow, I found this note:

"Dear Tooth Fairy- I lost a tooth and dropped it. I'm sorry. Please give me at least $3.17. I believe in you."

Oh geez! (He got the money, along with a note that says , "Don't push it buddy".)

A night in the life of us.

As I was making dinner the

other night I decided to

go see what the family was

doing while they waited for

their chicken and rice. Ty

and Nathan were playing chess...

....and the girls were watching

themselves sing on t.v. ...

... and so I went and grabbed

Mason (on the floor in

the first picture) and he and I

went and talked about

Christmas. I realized this

is his first one.

We held a few presents-

and licked a few

ornaments. I love

that baby.

Thanksgiving started with...

...Stucki cousins all in a row...











...followed by Hailey and Tyler
arguing so I had them go ouside
and get their screams out before
coming in...















..which created calmness
and dress-up time...








...which we celebrated
with Jamie Rolls...













...topped off with nicely basted
Grandma Linda Turkey...















...and ending with Eaton
cousins all in row...








....a little bro time...

...and a walk with Grandma Eaton.

What a perfect holiday.

kids are stinkin hilarious....

I had an urge to make
green eggs and ham one
morning and had the
camera ready...Tyler and
Hailey are awesome-excited,
but Emma was disgusted.









This is how you know kids
have a good life: They have
paper airplane contests in the
front yard instead of turning
on the t.v./gamecube.I couldn't
choose between this picture
and the next because of Tyler's
slightly feminine stance in
both, which I finding very
humorous.










...






THIS probably more than
anything has made me feel old.
The kids used their monthly
allowance to buy a TracFone,
the "pay as you go cell phone".
They are completely out of
minutes now, but the calls
and text's they have made
were hilarious. They would
call me on the way to school,
on the way home, from their
friends houses multiple times,
and to each other in the same
room, asking,"Is Mary Poppins there?". They would be short 10-second
conversations to "save their minutes". I am very wary about them having phones
this young because they can be a negative influence, but I trust that their
lack of money and purchasing power will help curb this until they are older.



We are LOVING scouts.
Tyler is in the middle
watching popcorn pop
(seed theme). I am on
the scouting committee
with my calling and am
such a supporter of all
things scouts.






The tides have turned
and Emma really loves
her Daddy now. (For awhile
she was all mine). Every
morning when he goes to
work she runs to her room,
gets under the curtain
and looks through the
blinds, waiting to see
him drive down the street
and honk for her. (awwwww.)



This is the face I see all day
long. (Excited, waiting for
a fun "mom idea", with
a smudge of unidentifiable
food on the cheek.) I am
constantly trying to find
a "project" for her.








Today I gave her soap
and some dirty dishes.
She loved it.











She spent her "allowance",
(which she really doesn't
get but asks for it every
time she sees something
at the store she wants.
Which now that I think about
it, is every time we are at
the store.....), on paper dolls.
Great 3 year-old activity.





These last two pictures
are with cousin Lucy-bug.
Can you tell she is a super
happy and fun baby? Emma
loves her.










I call this one:
"Blubber in
the Leaves".

a first...

Did I really cry last night when Tyler got his first basket ever in a B-Ball game? Yes, I did. It sure makes a difference when it is your kid out there. But it is still embarrassing. Especially for Nathan.

We be chillin at the Holidae In

We just got back from a weekend in Provo and we ended up at a hotel so the kids could swim. Nothing even remotely funny to report. I just really wanted to use this title. But Mason did get to sleep in the bathroom! That is somewhat entertaining. (Am I grasping at straws????)

On to election day at the elementary school (Thus the red and blue rubber bands/ribbons). McCain 92%, Obama 8%. Kids sure pick up on their parents political opinions. Oh well, Obama people we are now.

Ouch. Emma needs 4 sealants and she was so excited and told everyone she is getting "gold teeth". What the?

(Tyler is second from the left). Between YM/referee, Junior Jazz and Nate playing on the Wells Fargo Vernal B-Ball team, we have 3-4 games a week. Tyler is loving it and is doing great.

Finally Mason is getting "more fun". He is rolling around like nothing else and loves to throw his head back and look at everything upside down. (Which makes for an un-fun time of holding him.) Where did the infant stage go??

We need some more craft ideas. Seriously. I finally cut out leaves and Emma taped them to a stick and planted it in the front yard.

*PICTURE OF THE WEEK*

We told the kids we were going to Taco Bell.....but we made a quick stop at the doc's office for family flu shots. I asked them how they felt about it.......

I never blogged about Tyler's baptism and he asked me why. I said it was too sacred and private but he wanted me to put it on here. I feel like it is appropriate now because this is a private blog. This is also turning into a weekly family journal and I now plan to print it out into a book because of how much info is on here. Anyway, here is one picture of the special time just for T...

Hodgepodge Part II for Halloween

Aughhhhhhhhh he is so cute my teeth hurt.

Storm trooper.
Pippi

Longstocking.
Rainbow

princess.

Pumpkin.

Sometimes a mom has

to let a kid cry for a few

more seconds so she can

get a good picture.

Nate didn't want to be a

dwarf so he was a mean

skeleton/devil giving

me a poison apple.

I know how to do videos now! I learned because at this point in time Nate is making me watch stupid "Ghost Hunters Halloween Live" and it is so boring.

Hodgepodge

School pictures!
This is the day before she
cut her hair. I am so glad
we got it long. So pretty!
(I have hard copies for the
grandparents.)




























































Yesterday I put Mason down for
his second nap at 4:00pm and
he slept through the night until
his normal wake-up time at
7:30am the next morning.
THAT IS ALMOST 16 HOURS
PEOPLE! He got up and about
chewed off my shoulder he was
so hungry. This picture was after
he ate 10 ounces of milk and 5 jars
of baby food. He was so content,
happy and "dense" with food.
(As Tyler would say).




Emma snuck over to the neighbor's
house this morning, stole their kitten,
and brought it home. She made a
"nest" for it out of computer paper
and fed it water and grass.
(Tried to at least).









Hailey's sleeping mask. hee hee













I brought "homemade" cupcakes
to Tyler's class and they were
totally the coolest. Too bad they
are really "Mrs. Farley's Cream
Puff Coconut Balls" with added
candy. That's how this mama roles.












Tyler's 3rd grade class.
He's in the very middle.

For posterity's sake. Or when I am old and senile.

#1 The Husband Tag

1. Where did you meet? Enclave apartment #109

2. How long did you date before you were married? 6 dates spread out through 6 months

3 How long have you been married? 10 years 3 weeks

4. What does he do that surprises you? He is more romantic than me. What I can remember as far as surprises: eye surgery, diamond necklace our first Christmas, candlelight dinners, a weekend alone at the Luxor (to rest from a kidney infection), A Vegas scavenger hunt

5. What is your favorite feature of his? broad shoulders

6.What is your favorite quality of his? his leadership, enthusiasm, and empathy for others

7. Does he have a nickname for you? Poops

8. What is his favorite color? green

9. What is his favorite food? Rice with a good sauce on it

10. What is his favorite sport? Basketball. His Dad played for BYU so is there an option? It's in his blood.

11. When and Where was your first kiss? 2nd date, on Tara Nelson's college apartment doorstep

12. What do you like to do together? Exercise, watch certain shows/movies, board games, scuba dive

13. Do you have any children? yes

14. Does he have a hidden talent? Haven't found one yet

15. How old is he? 32

16. Who said I love you first? He did

17. What is his favorite type of music? Yucky whiny 80's rock bands with electric guitars, though he enjoys classical now

18. Do you think he will read this? He's not a blog reader but I will forward this to him.

#2 Crazy 8's

8 Favorite TV Shows:

1. The Office

2. So You Think You Can Dance

3. Lost

4. 24

5. Jon and Kate Plus 8 or 17 and counting (those amazing Duggars!)

6. House

7. Oprah

8. Dancing With the Stars

8 Favorite Restaurants:

1.The Bombay House

2. Claim Jumper

3. Papoosa's

4. In N' Out

5. that's all

6.nothing else

7. no more

8. moving on

8 Things That Happened Yesterday:

1. ran

2. babied Tyler with his foot stitches

3. carpooled to Scouts

4. took a shower

5. stinky dishes

6. read til midnight (Nathan's out of town. Quiet night).

7. brought hamster to vet (He had brain abscess and tons of infection. Had to put him down).

8. passed out Primary Practise invites

8 Things I'm Looking Forward To:

1. getting down to my goal weight.

2. selling a house, preferably this one

3. the first snowfall

4. Thanksgiving with my family

5. 24 to start

6. new books from the library

7. the Primary Presentation being done

8. getting pictures and journals caught up. I believe this will never happen

8 Things on my Wish List:

1. a maid that wants to clean my house for free

2. this blog put into a book for each year I have had it

3. a way to live in Utah, have full-time job at the bank for Nathan and go to law school

4. Emma not wanting to make "kitchen creations", cut things, lie and wear pull-ups

5. vaulted ceilings and an updated fireplace

6. a Tj Maxx in Vernal

7. biceps like Madonna

8. black kitten heels

#3 Pick the 6th folder from your pictures, and then the 6th picture...