Neighbor gifts

I made my neighbor gifts tonight - 75 cinnamon rolls. They didn't turn out. Something with the yeast I am sure. The first rise took just fine - so I waisted my time rolling them and cutting them. Then the second rise totally failed. Well, that's just great!

I have eaten almost every single neighbor gift given to us, the moment it is given to me.

• The whole bag of carmel popcorn from the Heward's - check.
• The whole box of toffee from the Brennen's - yep.
• Box of carmels and other goodies from the Sweet's - you better believe it (Brock swiped one carmel... I was actually angry at him)
• A box of gourmet cupcakes from the McNaughton's - oh yea, one right after the other.

And that is just to name a few. Jason never even sees them. They hand them to me at the door and they are all pretty much eaten an hour later. (Completely by me - not my kids - because you know I hide all the sweets from my kids).

Ward people: I don't know if I spelled all your last names right - sorry. It is 11 pm and I am not going down stairs to grab the ward directory. And... thanks for the delicious sweets - I will think of something to replace my cinnamon rolls

Santa Party

Our annual Brown Santa Party was held at my mom's house this year. Here is some of the gang - it's about 50 people at the party.

Jason surprised me and sang for us. We all sing Christmas songs while we wait for Santa to come. We only know about 5 or 6 Christmas carols - so we just sing them over and over - and we are all terrible singers. I guess 6 years of that was enough for him - so he volunteered to sing some fancy-shmancy choir Christmas song - it was beautiful. I haven't really heard him sing since he was in Madrigals in High School - so it was a great Christmas treat for me!

Wouldn't be a post without a random picture of Megan.

Santa's book said that Noah likes cars and is "on the potty train".

Correction: WAS on the potty train. We have stopped. He was doing ok - was totally pee potty trained - but after 3 weeks had only pooed once on the potty - we had stayed inside for 3 weeks and we had a lot of plans for Christmas and I could not just let him poo everywhere. So we are taking a hiatus until the new year.

Oh - Brock, what a wonderful smile. Santa's book said he loves to play soccer, basketball, and football, and loves Santa and Christmas, and is a great big brother. All these things are true. Brock got a DVD of Frosty the Snowman and Rodolph from Santa. He is in love with it - and that is in no way an exaggeration. He has been brought to tears several times because he can not watch it for the FOURTH time that day. He carries the case around the house with him all day.

Megan didn't mind Santa. She was having a hard night - so we thought she would cry. But she just sat and stared. Santa's book said that Megan was learning to crawl and loves her brothers.

Group shots: (gotta have um - no matter how bad they turns out)

Provo Tabernacle

The Provo Tabernacle burned down this morning. I found myself to be broken hearted by the news. It was a beautiful building, I drove past it almost daily for 5 years - five formidable years in my life.

All of our stake conferences were held in that building - I think I attended everyone (12 of them). I have sweet memories there. I remember it was at one of these stake conferences where I received the prompting that it was time for Jason and I to start having children. We had been married for over a year and we were sitting in the balcony of the tabernacle (we always sat in the balcony) and I was watching this 14 month old boy go clumsily up and down the stairs. I was watching him and all of the sudden my heart swelled - and I just knew. My eyes actually teared up. I knew we should start our family. I knew it would be a boy.

I remember taking Brock to the tabernacle for stake conference when he was about 14 months old and watching him go clumsily up and down the stairs. I had come full circle. I noticed another newly married woman watch him. I wondered what she was thinking.

We took the boys there last Christmas to see the live nativity. It was wonderful. I am truly saddened by the loss - University Ave. will never be the same with out that building. It is weird when things change after you leave them.

The countdown is on

Brock has been asking for it to be Christmas since about mid way through November. He wants to do "christmasee" things everyday. So I thought I would whip out a good ol'advent calender. After seeing several cute ones online I could make, the early childhood education part of me decided to let Brock make it.

I cut out the green and Brock cut out the red. Most turned out pretty good - but a few turned out like this...

That's ok... who needs a beautiful advent calender... Brock loves it.

Then HE taped it... and used about a whole role of tape, I might add.

The chain tells us something to do everyday to help us get ready for Christmas. (I am DONE with this super cheesy camera smile of his... cute, but not how he really smiles at all)

I found two different advents online that I meshed together to form ours. I will share them with you... in case anyone cares. :)

Service advent (this is designed for a preschooler to do)
Gather some toys to give away.
Find the home with the best Christmas lights and take them a thank you note with a treat.
Visit someone elderly.
Make an ornament for grandma.
Deliver gifts to the neighbors.
Take some groceries to the food bank.
Go caroling.
Anonymously give flowers to someone.
Say hello and smile at everyone you meet today.
Take in someone’s garbage cans.
Leave change in a vending machine for the next person who comes along.
Call an aunt and tell her you love her.
Take Doggy treats to someone who has a dog.
Make a gift and card for your teacher.
Draw a picture of the Nativity and explain it to your little brother.
Do something kind for the garbage man.
Give five compliments to strangers.
Put money in the Salvation army cup.
Buy and deliver Christmas gifts for a family in need.
Invite a widow over to dinner.
Leave kind notes for Daddy all over the house.
Open the door for someone.
Clear the table after dinner.
Give your gift to Jesus.

Fun Advent
Go drive and look at Christmas lights
Bake and Decorate Christmas cookies
Read the story of Jesus from the scriptures
Watch home movies
Take a treat to your neighbor
Make a Christmas craft
Decorate gingerbread houses
Sing your favorite Christmas carols
Watch a Christmas movie
Make a snowman
Go for a walk
Enjoy some hot chocolate
Make a trip to see Santa
Collect and Donate unwanted toys
Make a list of things you are thankful for
Hang some mistletoe
Write a special letter to Santa
Listen to your favorite Christmas music
Write a thank you note
Make some Christmas decorations
Do a secret act of service
Hang up your Christmas decorations
Donate some food to the local food shelter
Wrap your holiday gifts
Act out the story of Jesus
Play a game
Make a homemade gift
Make some new years resolutions
Have a candy cane eating contest
Color some Christmas pictures

Our advent
Play Christmas games

Christmas craft
Watch Story of Jesus
Watch Home Movies
Make Christmas Decorations
Get and Decorate Christmas Tree
Make Ornaments
Go see Santa
Make ginger bread Houses
Christmas Craft
Cookies for mailman
Draw nativity - explain to Noah and Megan
Make and take gifts to neighbors
Donate Food
Make sugar cookies
Write thank you letters to people with Christmas lights
visit an old folks home
Make a gratitude list
Go Christmas shopping
Wrap presents
Act out nativity
Make Family Goals for 2011

Here are some pictures of our advent in action

Making cookies

Pin the nose on the snowman.

Brock is freakishly good at this game. I swear he could see, but he swears he couldn't and I did several tests and he really couldn't see. But almost every time the nose ended up EXACTLY where it was supposed to be. No matter where I started him at or how many times I turned him... weird.

Noah struggled... but still always got it on the snowman.

Painting Christmas decorations.

We are having a great holiday season. Having this chain has helped being stuck inside while the weather is bad and Noah is potty training. He is doing very well bytheway. I think it will get its very own post soon.

169th warders...

For all you BYU 169 ward members who read this blog - Jess Curren and I were talking today about how, although many of you have moved away, come back to Utah to see family for December. We thought that it might be fun to try and get together one evening.

So... if any of you are coming to Utah please leave a comment answering the following questions:

1)are you coming to Utah in December
2) What dates will you be here
3) is there a certain date that works best
or
3) is there a date the won't work
4) With your location which place would work better West Jordan (Herbert's house) or Lehi (Curren's house)

If you have not moved away... and are still here in Utah - still give us your input as to dates and location (and know that you will be given a food assignment :)

Also, I don't pretend to think that I am so popular that ALL old 169ers read my blog... so will you either post this same post on your blog... or link them back to my blog (if you post on yours - remember to get me the answers left on your blog.)

Jess and I will go over the answers and decide if A) it is feasible B) the date C) the time and D) the location.

Sad, however, that Bishop and Sister Gibb are on their mission - but good for the people of Asia :)

Wonder Woman? Who me? Yes Me!

Sometimes I feel like I am freaking awesome. Humble... not so much. Today was one of those days - when I sit back and say to myself - I wish I could die for a minute and then Jason would have another-not-so-awesome-wife and then he would really see how awesome I am - because until then everything I do is just normal and expected.

Today I was potty training Noah (if you know Noah's personality - not an easy task), around 10 I started feeling fluish, and it only got worse as the day went on, and when Jason got home the house was clean, dinner was done, and the kids were happy - wow.

I saw a quote on a blog that said, "On my blog I am a pretty big deal" -I guess these blogs are quite egotistical and self centered - so if I am going to pat myself on the back I guess it will be to my blog.

Please no comments of congratulations - I am obviously congratulating myself enough for the both of us. :)

Snow

It has been snowing like crazy the past week. Noah wanted to go right outside and eat the snow.


I am hating the winter, cold, and snow. But it does have one redeeming quality, hot chocolate. I love the stuff.


The boys didn't have any winter stuff going into this snow season. They have never wanted to play in the snow before. But on the morning of our first storm they insisted on going out with dad to shovel. I scrambled to find some suitable snow gear. I guess it wasn't very good because they only lasted about 10 minutes and haven't wanted to go back out. So yesterday we spent the whole morning going from store to store finding snow clothes. We were successful minus gloves - I couldn't find any snow gloves. Holy moly snow clothes are expensive - and I went to kid-to-kid and the DI - wow, they better live outside. They went out today for a few minutes (their hands got cold fast) and Brock said, "I love my snow boots, it makes it so much better."


On a side not I am potty training Noah today. I don't have enough data to declare if it is going good or bad. But it does make for some long days stuck in the house and the other kids bring put on the back burner. Megan and Brock are already like, "mom, do you remember us?" and it is only day one. Any one wanting to take Brock for a play date? - he would really appreciate it!

A few more shots of Megan.


After about 3 weeks of crawling backwards and scooting all over the house she is now officially crawling. It is so cute and I am actually loving it. She is a climber too. She was already going up stairs before she was crawling - and she tries to pull herself up to anything. She has two bottom teeth. And her favorite person in the whole world is her daddy. She loves him.

Boise

My best friend, Karli, moved to Boise a few months ago and we have been missing them. We had an opportunity to drive Karli's grandma's car up there and then fly home - sweet. I obviously had to take Megan with me - and Brock was missing his best pal, Payton - and I was unsure about flying by myself with three kids (this was also my first time flying with kids) - so sadly I left Noah with Jason, friends, and family for 5 days. I will talk about that sadness later, but first....
the trip.

We had so much fun. It was actually a way relaxing vacation, the first one I have had in a while. Karli was the best hostest. In our room she had a little gift basket for us with towels, toiletries, diapers, wipes, baby food, scrapbook supplies, magazines, coloring books, etc. She cooked for us at every meal and, as always, had a ton of fun activities planned. It was nice because Brock and Payton are at the age where they just go off and play with little or no supervision required.

The weather was pretty nice so they got to play some soccer outside.

Boise has a lot of squirrels running around - so they built a squirrel house for them - including a trail of peanuts for them to find their way.

They kept watch for quite a while to see if they would get any house guests - sadly - we never saw any use the house - they just ran along the fence behind the house.

We went to a bounce house. Always guaranteed a good time there.

He is actually sliding really fast in this picture - funny how it turned into a perfect pose.

They did a lot of wrestling. Brock and Payton love to tackle and wrestle each other. When I told Brock we were going to see Payton - the first thing he said was, "I am going to tackle him" - and tackle him he did. They ran around the house wrestling for about the first hour we were there.

Megan and Lydia. Lydia is actually one - but her and Megan will be in the same grade - funny how that works.

Then we took a plane home. So fun! The kids were awesome! Everyone a the airport was really helpful and nice. It was just a short 50 minute flight and Brock was in little boy heaven. He talks about the plane everyday now - and asks constantly to go on a plane again.

The flight was pretty empty (that helped), so Megan got to sit in her own chair for a while - which was great because she is in that phase where she does not like being held.

Sadly no pictures of me and Karli or of Brooklyn (I guess this trip is a great example of how easily middle children can be left out - sad). We had the best time - and hope to be able to make it up there a couple times a year - once we get a new car that is.

Leaving Noah was sad. I cried. But is was necessary, I really could not have done it (or afforded it) with the three of them - nor did I want to try - and Boise would not have been as much fun as it was. But I will definitely bring him next time. He was a good boy while I was gone - and tolerated being passed from house to house and person to person well. The first day we were gone he asked for me, Brock, and Megan about every 10 minutes or so. But after the first day and a half he would just ask for me. I was nervous about coming home - some kids are mad at their parents when they come home - but Noah was happy to see me and just kept smiling and saying , "mom".

Noah is very sad he didn't get to go on a plane, and Brock sure does rub it in by telling him 5 or 6 times a day that we went on vacation with out him and flew on a plane. Brock is not trying to be mean, he says things like, "I flew in a plane with mom, you didn't come Noah, but you can come next time, do you want to come with us next time?" -then I have two little boys whining about how they want to fly in a plane... right now!

Thanks Bells for the awesome trip.

Mondays and cleaning

If you are family or a close friend from elementary/middle/high school you may have an idea on what this post is about.

Monday is cleaning day. It always has been and always will be. My mother is a VIGILANT Monday cleaning woman. From my earliest memories to this very Monday my mother has stopped her life and deep cleaned her whole house. When I went off to collage I kept this tradition alive and into my first few months of marriage. Then I realized that our little apartment did not need to be deep cleaned every week, especially since we were hardly ever home. So I stopped... got out of the habit... but swore up and down I would do it as soon as I became a mom. Three and a half years later, on Monday mornings you could find me anywhere, but cleaning my house. This story is the same for my older sister (hope you don't mind me speaking for you) both of us are plagued with the constant guilt every Monday that we should be cleaning. But we never did.

Well, I am now officially a Monday cleaner... and I am thrilled. It took me three years of not doing it, six months of thinking about doing it, and two months of actually doing it, to say that I will now and forever clean on Mondays.

I started "thinking" about how I wanted to keep my house clean with three young kids back in July after reading my friends post about her cleaning schedule. So for those of you wondering... here is how I do it.

First: I found someone to trade kids with. This has actually turned into a couple women - because I always need someone. They take my kids for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours on Mondays and I take theirs on another day. This has been the turning point to allow me to do it.

Next: I do a LITTLE prep on Sunday night. Not enough to ruin the Sabbath - just enough to make Monday mornings run smoother. I have everything put away from church (church shoes, church bags, scriptures, lesson material etc) and have dinner cleaned up. I run my dishwasher and unload it. I make sure I go to bed with the house all put away.

Then: I do a simple easy breakfast before I send the boys off to their play date, Megan down for a nap, and me to my cleaning.

The schedule:
I discovered I can't deep clean my house in two and a half hours each week (I have to also feed Megan in that time). So I have to split up what I do between weeks.

Every week I do: Counters, tables, sweeping, mopping, scour sink, stove, vacuuming, stairs, dusting, Windex french doors, bathrooms and quick sanitation of most often played with toys. (these all take about an hour and a half)

Every other week I alternate: Deep cleaning bathrooms (tile on showers, bathtubs), blinds, microwave, get on my hands and knees and give my floor a good scrubbing, de-grub railings walls and doors, and vacuuming really good (ie - get out the attachments and move furniture). (These jobs take me about 45 min. to an hour)

Then once a week I do something extra, these have included: Clean fridge, freezer or pantry, oven, baseboards, ceiling fans, windows, sanitation of all toys - just to name a few. (This takes me about 30 to 45 minutes)

This system of cleaning has made me so happy. Every Monday I feel like a whole new woman. The first few weeks I actually hated it though - I felt like a crazy person when my kids came home trying to keep it clean - I almost gave up on it altogether. But after a few weeks I learned to ease up, I think because I KNOW it WILL be clean again, where as before I didn't really know if it would. I finally blogged about it because I realized it became habit when I didn't have anyone to take my kids last Monday, so I woke up at 6 to start cleaning so I could get it done. Awesome!

However I wanted to take you through my "cleaning cycle of discouragement" as I call it.

I start my Mondays thinking,
"I don't have much to do, I think I will get done quick so I can shower before I get my boys"
then about 30 minutes into it:
"How did things get so messy in one week? This is going to take forever"
Then about an hour into it (this is where the despair sets in):
"This is too hard. I will never be able to actually have a clean home, there is just too much to do. Why do I even try, I am only scratching the surface. I spend time every week just maintaining, when will I ever get it REALLY clean if I just spend my Mondays doing surface cleaning."
About thirty minutes before I am done:
"I am too tired to finish - should I finish or just go jump in the shower? I still have about an hour left to get it looking good. It looks ok now, I should just stop and be satisifed and I will clean really good when all my kids go to school"
When I am done:
"My house is so clean, I love it! That was easy and SO worth it. I am so happy!" (I honestly can't stop smiling)

During the week I sweep about 4 or 5 more times and vacuum 2 or 3 - and of course pick up the house and do the dishes about 20 to 30 more times. But the house stays generally clean until Friday afternoon or evening and then I am just counting down the hours until Monday cleaning again. Jason has a standing order to tell me that the house looks amazing every Monday (and I didn't even have to tell him that).

I hope this helped inspire someone out there. There is nothing better than a clean house. Oh - and the best part is that my boys get home from their play date just before naps. So then they nap, and I just get to hang out in my quite, perfectly clean home for about 3 hours. That is for sure the best part.

Best week ever

So Jason has been out of the job (yes again) for the last 2 months or so. So since he has been home I have been taking it pretty easy - as far as mothering goes. I basically became a mother of two again - everyday I would leave Megan with Jason (she was usually just napping) and take the boys on our daily activity.

So when he got a job last week (yea!) I was a little nervous about my "new" role as a mother of three... again. I hadn't taken all three of them somewhere by myself in almost 3 months, and Megan was now in a whole new stage. I was regretting taking it so easy the last little while.

And... to add to it...the weather was supposed to be BEAUTIFUL - and perhaps for the last time this season. So I decided baptism by fire was the best option for us.We got out every day and did something great. I was also putting Megan on a new schedule, one to accommodate us (the woe's of a third child) - she had been used to napping from 9:30 - 12:30, but now I need her to nap from 8:00-10:00. So here is our - super fun, awesome week 1)Jason has a job, 2)Weather was amazing 3)Megan did great with her new sched.

Tuesday - Park. Yes that IS Megan in a swing AND Levis. She is apparently not a baby anymore... I have NO IDEA when that happened (probably when I was out playing with the boys and abandoning her with her father everyday... oops)



Wednesday - Wheeler Farm.



They had a haystack maze left over from Halloween. Noah did not really appreciate it after about 2 minutes...

and Brock cheated.

We had ourselves a little picnic... perfect.

Thursday - Farm Country with the Curren's.

Rode us some horses.

Even Cara... but not Megan

Brock and Andrew

Jess and Cara

Andrew, Brock, Rachel and Noah

Me and Megan

Friday - This is the Place Heritage Park and rode the train with my sister Katie and her kids

Katie and Sam

Me and Megan

Noah, Brad, and Brock

Megan-bug (that is what we call her)

Saturday - Played in our yard,leaves, sandbox, and neighborhood (Jason was home - I had nothing to prove)

Yea for lovely fall weather!