Comparisons

These pictures are of Brock, Noah, Megan and Madison.  They were all taken around 3 months old. 

They all look so different.  But Madison and Brock look the most alike.  These pictures don't do it justice.  They look so much alike.

Thanksgiving

This year we had Thanksgiving at the Herbert's house.  Out of the 7 children in Jason's family only 3 could come this year.  While all were missed we had a good time with just the few.

Madison loved talking to her great grandma Herbert.  In fact she met a lot of Jason's family for the first time that night - and there are still a lot to meet.

My kid's love reading books at grandma's house.  She has spent years procuring a great collection and she is always willing to sit down and read with them.

7 years

We celebrated our 7 year anniversary earlier this month.  Jason was in charge of this anniversary and he did a great job.  The best part was that he took care of everything - the babysitter and getting everything ready for the baby sitter (dinner, pj's, etc).  He had the whole night planned to a T - and surprised me with everything.

We went down town for a carriage ride.  This is something I have been wanting to do with him for a long time.  I was so excited to finally do it.  He even brought hot chocolate for us to drink - he knows me so well!

Then we went to PF Changs - my new favorite restaurant.  I ordered $50 dollars worth of food just for me - hehe - I LOVE it and he totally spoiled me.  It was the first time we had been out since I had Madison (it was her first babysitter other than Jason) and it was wonderful! 

status report

I wanted to give a little status report about my vow to "let things go" and enjoy my time with the kids.

Things are going well.  I have completely shifted my way of thinking and it has been great.  I used to think of my house being messy as a "failure" in my day - now I have trained myself to think of it as a badge of honor.  When I glance around at a messy house or come home to a messy house I think "I chose to put my children first".  I had to condition myself to start to think this way - and now I hardly notice the mess.  Today was Monday (my old cleaning day) and it was the first Monday that I didn't feel like I should be cleaning, in fact I didn't even remember it was cleaning day until evening time.  There are SO many things that have been scaled down in our house and lives and it feels so good, and I am having a lot more precious moments with my kids and saying "yes" way more than I am saying "no" or "later". 

For example a couple of weeks ago it BARELY snowed.  But it was the first "snow" of the year.  The kids REALLY wanted to put ALL their snow clothes on and go outside.  Seriously a light jacket would have sufficed - but they all wanted everything on.  So we did - and I was so glad.  I love just saying yes rather than putting off their requests.  I have realized that this was the kind of mom I was to Brock and when Noah was really young - I lost her when I bought the house and had Megan - it feels so good to have found her again.

Megan has really discovered her dolls.  Almost every time Madison wakes up, Megan goes and grabs her doll and puts her to bed in Madison's bassinet.  She tries to put a diaper on her doll, dresses and  undresses her constantly, and even uses a nose sucker to try and suck out her nose.  I love playing dolls with her.  Her new FAVORITE thing right now is play dough.  If anyone says "what do you want to do" she says play dough.  For the last two weeks we have played play dough 2 or 3 times a day.   

So emotionally things have gotten better.  I am spending good quality alone time with each of  my children several times a day, along with some great "boy" time and "girl" time, and some good time with just the 3 older ones.  A few weeks ago I would have thought it was impossible to fit all that in - but what had to be cut was the cleaning and getting me and everyone else ready everyday.  I realized that the constant picking up was adding up to hours of my day.  I was just constantly picking things up all day. Now I pick the house up twice a day - during naps and after bedtime, I do stay on top of my dishes and clean up after every meal, still.  The person it is affecting the most is Jason - he really likes a "picked-up" house.  I was probably doing it 80% for him - he is being so nice not to say anything and support me it taking this time off - but I know it bothers him.  Thanks honey!  I put make-up on only if I have something special to go do that day (outings with the kids don't count) and I wait until I have to leave - so I only usually have my hair and makeup done 2 or 3 times a week - counting church.  And we have often gone to the store or somewhere all wearing pajama's (something I would have labeled as "lazy" before).  I  have discovered that the story or Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) to me is not about 2 separate women, but the battle inside myself to choose "the good part".  Sometimes when I find myself being "tempted" to do something else during my day other than be with the kids I whisper to myself "choose the good part".

In other news - we got some actual good snow and we built our first snowman (by "we" I mean the boys and Jason) - he had a pumpkin head - the boys loved him (all three).

New top picture

I love the picture at the top of my blog.  It ended up being a random picture taken at Wheeler Farm in the fall of 2010.  We were all supposed to be looking... so I thought it didn't turn out.  But later on  I realized that it actually captured great emotions and memories of our summer together. 

Last week we were at Wheeler Farm having a picnic and I decided I wanted an updated picture with Madison.  I put the camera on my stroller and set the timer to automatically take a picture ever 10 seconds.  Sadly out of about 50 pictures I didn't get one I loved.  I think a picture like that can't be forced.  The one I use now on my blog was just 1 picture - and I love it. 

Here are some of the ones I got.

This one is the winner.  When I get some time this will probably be the one on the top of my blog from now on. 

Then our picnic was overrun by geese who wanted our lunch.

Brock took this picture of me and Madison.  I didn't even know that he did - I just saw it on my camera when I got home.  Pretty good.

Halloween all in one

I am going to wrap all of Halloween into one long post. 

Ready, set, go

We started out Halloween a week early at my Grandma's annual Halloween party.

Megan was a ladybug

Madison a bee

Two cutest bugs I ever saw

Brock was Iron Man

And Noah was Spiderman

Two cutest super hero's I ever saw.

They both wore these costumes around the house the whole month of October.  Probably the best month EVER - I loved having these boys in super hero costumes all the time and acting like super heros.  It cracked me up.

I was a pumpkin.

My sisters family was fun because Brad was also Spiderman and Sam was Superman.  Wish we would have gotten a picture of all the super hero's together, but when there is candy and Halloween games - the kids have a short attention span for pictures.
 

My aunt Jen holding our little bee.

Fishing for prizes

Hitting the pinata

Eating candy

My sister Ashley with the bee (Because of Jason's work schedule I was alone at the party - so Madison had to be passed around while I did games and dinner with the kids - THANKS to everyone who helped me!!)

And a very tired superhero - it is hard saving the world

One night we made some pumpkin and ghost sugar cookies.  (Brock just happen to be in costume at the time)

He frosted these by himself.  This is the first time he has actually had the patience to sit and frost cookies.  Not bad for a first time!

And Noah and Megan just ate the frosting off the knife still.

We went to a pumpkin patch and let the kids pick out their own pumpkins - well, Brock picked Madison's for her and then we carved them.  Jason insists that the kids draw their own faces on. 

Megan did the best job of any of our 18 month old children.  We were so impressed.

We went trick or treating with all our neighbor friends.  We live in one of those neighborhoods you see in the movies.  Tons of kids running from house to house getting candy with most the houses all dolled up for Halloween.  I am so glad we ended up where we did - it fits us quite nicely.

This girl loved trick or treating.  Once she saw how the thing worked she did not want to be in the stroller or held - she wanted to walk up to each door by herself.  She was running up with the big kids most of the time.  While Noah (my doddler) was constantly 20 feet behind the group.  We went out for about an hour and a half then all three wanted to call it quits.  Brock says "I think I have enough candy, I want to go home."

Sorting through the loot.

I can't remember if I have mentioned this - and I am too lazy to go check - but Noah got really into Halloween this year.  I think it is HIS holiday.  He loves all the spooky stuff.  We would go on car rides to search out houses in our neighborhood that had decorations and loved all the Halloween stuff in stores.  The scarier the thing was the more he liked it.  Brock is cautious - doesn't like to be scared.  Noah was really into it and has decided that he wants to be the murdered from the movie Scream.  (he doesn't know it is a murderer just a "scary man") - he will NOT be that by the way.

West Jordan

I was born here in West Jordan and lived here until I was 8.  It has been fun coming back to where I used to live and have childhood memories.  I like to go shopping at Maceys because I remember shopping there.  I get a flood of happy memories driving by my old elementary or church building (both on main roads).

A few weeks ago my mom, my sister, and me decided to take a walk with our kids to go see our old house and neighborhood.  It was so fun.

This was my old house.I think it is perfect and would love to like in a house just like it.

See the giant tree in the front yard?

It looked like this when we moved (20 years ago).  But that is how I remembered it and expected it to look.  Crazy how things still change when you are gone. :)

Our kids playing on the tree - there are kid swings hanging from it - it was so big and beautiful.  My mom said her and my dad bought the tree and planted it themselves.  IT was probably the most beautiful tree perfect for swings, climbing, and tree houses - I would die to have a tree like this in my yard right now! (Don't worry - we got the owners permission to play on the tree)

The house across the street was my best friend - Jamie Harrigen (a boy). 

And this front porch is where I spent many afternoons.  All the neighborhood kids would gather on this front porch to talk on summer afternoons.