saying everything in my head outloud

Haven't had it in awhile, that urge to blog (that's usually the only time I blog, do you know what I'm talking about? Or am I just a little strange?)...I'm sure no ones even noticed really, but I have it now, so I'm "blogging." I haven't decided about what exactly, but I bet I can think of something-

This is terrible...I really don't know WHAT to blog about...but I want to. Ha, well this is different, and rather pointless.

All my pictures are on my other computer.
(my friend Katie used to tease me about saying everything in my head out loud, although I wasn't aware I was... I guess this is the same thing in the form of writing)

I guess to try and make this worth something: I took a picture of Anna and Owen sitting across from each other on the floor playing TOGETHER and it was just about one of the sweet things I've ever seen (considering I'm their mother, this is a WONDERFUL experience to be having) I have found it is one of my greatest joys to see these two make each other smile. Owen gets happy when he sees me and likes to be with me. He makes me feel very loved. Anna is so sweet to me and gives great hugs and will say 'I love you mom' throughout the day, but really Anna makes Owen laugh and smile in a way only a sister could, he ADORES her and Anna loves him, he gets Anna to do things for him I could never get her to. The Simple joys, I am happy to have these moments to appreciate. It really fills my heart with so much love and a better understanding of our Father's plan for us to live as families.

Today at the grocery store Annaka got two stickers and Kirby asked her where she had put them, and she said on Owen's feet. It was so funny, these two big round stickers on his feet. I thought that was sweet.

I am trying to teach Annaka about obedience, this has been going on for sometime now (like a year plus, although it goes up and down with how I think she is doing at it). Lately she seems to be testing the boundaries again. It is hard to teach and hard to understand. She is a good girl though, and I need to do better at letting her know that I know she is.

Random thoughts to fulfill my blogging urge, until next time ;)

Let's get crackin!

December 1st! I'm so excited for today, a little overwhelmed, but still more excited! I'm going out on a limb here, but I might be more excited for today than Christmas day...well...until Christmas Day comes :)

All the anticipation, preparation for the 25th is wonderful and fun and busy. Yes, busy-but FUN, right! December, probably the busiest month of the year. On top of all the normal busy- for me that would include, but not limited to: appointments of any kind, meetings, planning/teaching lessons, working out, making dinners, cleaning house (over and over again), and taking care of my ever-more demanding 2-year-old that I love, 8-month-old Owen and working around a med-students crazy schedule- we need to shop for gifts and wrap them up (which may be even harder), extra cleaning, decorating, lots of cooking/baking, parties galore and Christmas advents to check off the list. Plus, traditions to fill or make/create and memories to have and let's not forget the entire meaning of Christmas and try to instill the importance of it into our children and taking time to ponder the events, re-read them from the scriptures and feel of that spirit daily.

This can be just a bit overwhelming.

I heard just yesterday of people hating to go shopping this time of year because of the crowds and rude people and how this just crushes the Christmas spirit, although some of you are completely on top of things and have all your shopping done-zo, I'm impressed- you don’t have to deal with the ciaos of shopping in December.

Growing up my family would all sleep over at my Grandparents house and the older cousins would watch the younger cousins (I fit into the younger category) and all parents would go out shopping...CHRISTMAS EVE. They had a ball! Well, from my childhood perspective anyway, and if they didn’t enjoy it, why would they do it every year? Maybe because once they all got together and heard what the other had got for their kids, everyone wanted that for their own kids, so they had to go get it. Well that's how I thought Christmas shopping was done...the night before! Ha! I learned quickly that's probably not ideal, if it was then, it's not now.

While I'm reminiscing: as a child my sister and I would make a Christmas advent calendar. One I remember was made just from cardstock and stickers. I would do the even days and she'd do the odd days and put different stickers on the back of numbered papers cut out into squares. Then, I'd turn over the odd days and she'd turn over the even days to see what stickers the other had used. I remember being so excited to see what sticker was on each day. How silly, right! But how simple! And the joy we had from just something so simple helps me to remember I don't need to over do it this season. More like, be okay with the simple.

I have some high ambitions though. Can I share??
My advent calendar (in no order yet):
1. write a letter to Santa
2. Make candy buttons
3. Make marshmallow snowmen
4. 1st Presidency Christmas Devotional
5. Condensed milk painting
6. Build a snowman dice game
7. Stitch paper stockings
8. Christmas Hand print Santa clause
9. Nativity memory game
10. Look at Christmas lights
11. Make nativity “gingerbread house”
12. Watch a Christmas movie together
13. Caroling and hayride
14. Paper snow flakes
15. Color Christmas picture
16. Take dinner to someone in need
17. Ward Christmas party
18. Make Christmas goodies and take to neighbors
19. Go to temple and look at lights
20. Christmas fort and drink hot chocolate to read stories under
21. Salt dough Christmas ornament
22. Visit Santa!
23. Play felt mitten game
24. Christmas Eve usual
25. Christmas Day thankfulness-still thinking

Just for kicks I also need/want to…
*send out Christmas cards
*wrap up Christmas stories to open and read one a night

Yes, this doesn't sound simplistic at all does it!? Well, thus the evils/blessings of pinterest!!

I'm not worried. I just love the idea of planning it all, I may not be the best at instigating but this is the plan, the goal is to spend time together, sharing our love while creating fun, loving memories- let’s hope!

Merry Christmas!! Dec. 1st...Let’s get crackin!

Ok, we cheated a little, we went to the Temple in St. George over Thanksgiving weekend and enjoyed to beautiful set-up there.

he reaps the benefits

Just take a look at this bug!! Ya, he is my big boy! He turned 6 whole months Oct. 13th. Today he is closer to 7 months, but in the picture he is close to 6. Anyway, Kirby sent this to me from his phone! I love it. Do we all love our phones for taking pictures?! I sure do. This is at a pumpkin patch. I think we actually have more pictures because we used our phones and not real cameras.

We went to the doc today, Owen had an ear infection. Poor guy has been teething and sick for the past month, although he reaps the benefits at night when he gets to sleep in the big bed with mom and dad. Yes, he has 2 teeth, and Im certain the third is coming shortly.

Height: 27 3/4 inches (75-90 percentile)
Weight: 19 lbs 9 oz (75 percentile)
Head: 44 cm (50 percentile)

This was the first time his height beat out his weight. He's getting taller.

Just a few tid-bits of fun:
He is rolling all over. You can see it in his eyes when he has a destination he is trying to reach as he rolls. He is determined to get there, and how can you all but pick him up when he's rolled across the room right to your feet!!

He loves to eat, as always! It's sort of sad though, because he'd eat ANYTHING you'd give him, but you can't give him ANYTHING, so he just stares at us as we eat all this food he is longing to eat. I think he eats a more diversified diet than his sister.

Loves anything that lights up and moves.

Sits on his own.

Likes to be in his walker. I love finding him in different spots every time I look at him.

Oh man, he loves to cuddle and he loves kisses. One time he fell asleep while I was kissing his ever kissable, chubby cheeks, I guess he finds it super soothing. He loves to be held and hugged on and just being close to you.

He likes to play rough, which is new for us, because Anna was totally opposite of this. Hang him upside-down, spin him, throw him, ect...you get a smile everytime. even if he "spits" (in anna's words) afterwards. Annaka still freaks if we hang her upside-down.

Just like Annaka is a daddy's girl, Owen is a mommy's boy! He literally has me wrapped around his finger! Hence the reason he is still not sleeping through the night :S his little cry just melts my heart and his little smile is breath-taking!

He and Annaka are seriously best friends! They always do so much better when they are up together. Their personalities just fit together so well. If Owen is sleeping too long, according to
Anna, she will say she is going to get him...and starts up the stairs. I have to chase her down. She always asked for Owen to sleep in bed with her. And I had tons of pictures of her loving on him and Owen just as happy as can be to have such a sweet older sister to love him. I was telling my mom this the other day and she said that is not always the case...not always do siblings get a long so well. I know this, I have siblings ;) but for now I will take it and run.

We all love our Bug!

that would make it all better.

**Sorry no more pictures...but you'll feel bad about it in a second, just keep reading ;) **

I'm having a hard time. Our computer crashed...we lost just about everything. I don't know the details, I just know what's gone. I didn't think it was that bad...we thought we had backed-up a lot of what was saved on this computer onto an external hard-drive. I looked today...I'm not sure we actually did.
I'm having a hard time because I'm wanting to find someone or something to blame, you know because that would make it all better-my poor husband, he isn't to blame (I may or may not have tried to blame him), no one is...crummy things just happen sometimes...a lot of the time. I feel like I've even been through the stages of losing someone...denial, anger, sadness (I think this is where I sit now...don't worry all stages have been fairly short lived) and then on to acceptance, right? and understanding eventually?? Ah, the more I think about it, the more I want to Do things in regards to the computer, the more things I realize I've lost....for instance I just remembered I kept a journal of Annaka since she was six months old of the "simple things" she was doing, saying, acting, learning and just fun to remember stuff on a word document...GONE! I think this thought is what got me to write this post today. You know the beauty of a blog is it's ONLINE STORAGE of these things, and you know what, you don't have to actually post every post you type up...but it will still be kept on record in the "edit pages" tab.

and just for the record...because I'm big on making record of things now and saving it online- I lost a lot of pictures...had wiped clean most all our SDS cards a few days before the big crash too...this includes our Africa pictures -yes, tears!- most pictures of our kids and wedding pictures and I'm sure I'll remember more later... We've had this computer since we've been married, so our first 51/2 years are, I mean, were pretty much on here. Lost all my school documents...this may not seem like a big deal, and it probably isn't, but student teaching, resources, papers, etc. mean a lot to the elementary ed teacher... and it's just great for remembrance sake. I lost a lot of primary stuff. I lost my recipes :( and lost music.
I know this isn't even bad compared to what has happened to others, but I almost feel like I've lost a part of me. I'm being dramatic...but give me a break-technology, it's a scary thing sometimes, take good care of it and don't be fooled into thinking it's a safe never to be robbed.

Nevertheless, in honor of this being the big gratitude month, I'd like to try and take a positive spin on things to end my mourning.
*I'm grateful for my dad in taking pictures and saving them on his computer...because I know Owen's birth he has, and some other good stuff :)
*I'm grateful for the internet, for my blog, because I know I did post some pictures of Africa and much more on here.
*I'm grateful for my mom's computer and for heritage maker, and walgreens and costco, because *I know I've saved pictures there that I had printed, or made into books or calendars.
*I'm grateful for online teacher portfolio that I saved a lot of my school work to and flash drives :)
*I'm over all grateful for the internet, I need to learn to me more resourceful and use online storage!
*I'm grateful for my husband in dealing with this all while I was in denial and blaming stages of the whole process.
*I'm grateful for pinterest....although-where were you, um 5 YEARS AGO!!!! (anger might be seeping in again, but I'll get over it ;)0 )

I'm going to talk about the weather

So this morning I was going to take my kids to the park, get them out and feel like a good mom. But, (yes, I am going to talk about the weather) it was so overcast and cozy I had an urge to just sit on the comfy couch, mix me up some hot chocolate and read a really good book-and not only did I want to do this but I wanted to introduce the beauty of it to my 2-year-old. Ha. Short story, I didn't. First, my 2-year-old wasn't interested. Second, I didn't have a really good book to sit down with. Nevertheless, it was nice to think about it for a few minutes. One of these days, right?!

Do you see what I mean?

(thanks Ilse for the pic, I stole it from Facebook)

We did leave the door open all day and it sprinkled some, and enjoyed the chill, refreshing air! I'm loving the change up in this weather, but I'd like it for just a few days, get my fill then back to 90 please :)- you know, the swimming pool weather (but not toooo HOT, is that asking too much living in Vegas, probably) where my wardrobe consists of only shorts and a shirt.
(A funny- I put some jeans on today, that I haven't worn in forever, and still barely fit into...gotta kept working on these extra pounds...anyway, Annaka saw me and says "what's that" pointing at me. I say, "what? my shirt? this is a shirt"she says "No! What's that" I'm still confused and Kirb clarified saying "your pants!" I had to laugh! She probably doesn't ever remember seeing me in pants, well, jeans. I haven't worn them in FOREVER! see what I mean!)

Freeze time

Occasionally, I will look at these two and want to freeze time. I think about time-the time I have been alive...a mere 26 years and how it seems to be going too fast. How Annaka is now a whole 2 years old! How when I see Owen I can still see Annaka when she was his age...it helps me appreciate my short, short time I have with Owen being so little-because he is growing so fast (cut his first tooth Monday, will be six months on the 13th, sitting up by himself, and eating "soft, big people" food). I am totally still adjusting to the two of them, how can that be...how can they grow so fast and yet I'm still trying to get my grip on raising them...I better figure something out fast, cause they will be grown before I'm ready!


I can't seem to keep up on recording all I want about them either. Time goes to quickly and days and events go by too fast to find time to record it all, but I won't give up, I can't. I want too badly to remember this stage, these little ones! And maybe one day, they will be able to look back and enjoy this blog more than I can imagine. That's a sweet thought.

14, 14, 14!!