Merry Christmas!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!

Oh my...

Whoever you are--know this: all correspondence to my daughter will be broadcast to the worldwide web--even though they can't get the full effect of the letter, which smells of cologne--STRONG cologne. At least this is a boy who is trying to smell good! Oh my...am I ready for this? I don't think so...

Black & Blue Christmas...

The family spent some time together tonight for family night eating out, doing some errands, and some shopping. As usual, anytime we spend more than a few hours with the kids, the nerves start to get frazzled as they fight with each other, are rude, don't listen, or say things that irritate us parents to the core...(that's how it goes in our family anyway...you already know that we have model children...). Anyhoo, this is about how the conversation progressed when Josh refused to put his seatbelt on to go somewhere & Todd was about to lose his mind...
Todd: "You better put that dang seat belt on or I swear I'm going to..."
Josh: Sticks his toungue out...
Todd: Gets out of the car to kill the boy...
Josh: "Okay, Okay...fumbling to get the seat belt on as fast as he can now with the look of pure fear in his eyes watching his dad come for him...
Me: "Seriously--Josh are you that crazy--you're going to get yourself killed!"
Todd: "I swear Santa is bringing you NOTHING for Christmas...you ALL get oranges and toilet paper."
Me: "Where did the oranges and toilet paper idea come from?"
Todd: "Because oranges are food, and toilet paper is something useful."
Me: "HUH?"
Todd: "Be Quiet."
Erin: Laughing in the back seat...
Todd: "And Erin, you don't get anything either--you are ALL getting nothing for Christmas..."
Abby: "What did I do?"
Todd: "You're ALL rotten, stinkin' brats! You don't deserve anything"
Tami: "Okay, okay--we're trying to have a nice family night--be nice"
(You have to picture in your mind the radio is still playing nice Christmas music in the background--and Elvis' song "Blue Christmas" is playing right now...)
Tami: "Seriously--can't we just have a nice night with the kids without it turning into a fight--and can't you kids just be NICE to eachother and not be such ingrates...
Todd: "Tami--you just need to shut up right now and listen to the Blue Christmas song--or I'm gonna make it a BLACK AND BLUE Christmas!
We all started cracking up at that point--Todd included. Oh man--the Chrismas cheer is awesome at our house! We'll see if Santa pays the kids a visit...maybe there will be pictures of our kids with their oranges and toilet paper...stay tuned!

Crazy Christmas...

Every year I tell myself--this will be the year that I get everything done early, and take the month of December and enjoy Christmas. Enjoy the class parties, the recitals, the concerts, the decorating, the family parties, the ward parties, the visiting teaching...etc. This year will be the year that I don't feel completely stressed out, like I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off as I try to remember all of the things I need to do in a day. This year will be the year that my presents are all bought and wrapped--by November 30th. My neighbor gifts will be homemade--and delicious, and delivered on December 1st. My Christmas cards will be amazing photos of our family--captured by a REAL photographer--and not just some thrown together last minute card. And they will actually make it to people BEFORE Christmas! This year will be the year that I don't have to stress out--I will be happy, and easygoing, and my children and family will praise me. "Mom--you are amazing. I can't believe how much work you have gone to to make this the BEST Christmas ever."

Ummm...HELLO??? Why do I continue to live in a fantasy world? Then I am SO disappointed every year when REALITY hits--and NONE of those things actually happen! Oh, I get some of the shopping done, and a few of the gifts get wrapped. I forget about the class parties, until the day of--and I'm no longer the mom who makes the cute little treats--they are bought at Safeway, or whatever grocery store is on the way to school. I forget about piano lessons--two weeks in a row--even though it's the SAME day and SAME time every week. (And do you think the children remind me?--NO!--they are too busy screening the piano teacher's phone calls trying to help me remember the lesson). I forget about teacher gifts until the last day of school--and scramble trying to do something nice for them, (they DO put up with my children day in and day out for a WHOLE year--NOT an easy thing!). I think about baking something homemade and delicious for my neighbors--because believe it or not, I am a good cook--but that's as far as it gets because when the thought of baking something enters my mind, I want to go curl up in a corner somewhere and rock back and forth. TOO MUCH WORK! So I throw some candy in a dish, tie a ribbon on top and call it good for another year--all the while thinking "surely next year will be different." I make myself crazy by trying to keep the house all clean and perfect, and the tree decorated (I keep having to redecorate both of them--hmmm...someone keeps pulling EVERYTHING off the bottom half of the tree...I wonder who??). I think I have yet to actually COOK dinner for my family in the month of December--Little Caesars beckons to me on my way home from crazy errands. "$5.00--how can you beat that?" it says. And now, here we are again--less than a week before Christmas and I am wondering HOW THE HECK WILL IT ALL GET DONE?? It will be okay--I am taking a deep breath as we speak. See, I feel better already!

You see, this is just ME! Flawed? YEP. Disorganized? YEP. Scatterbrained? YEP. All of the above. But it always gets done. I think that's the point. You can say--well, why didn't you plan better? Why didn't you organize better? Why do you put yourself through the stress year after year? It just doesn't work for me, my brain thinks in the NOW, in the TODAY--(or sometimes it shuts down all together...). I have confessed before and I will say it again--I am a Mary--not a Martha. (For that post--which explains a LOT--click HERE or for last year's stressed out Christmas post--click HERE). I do the best I can--and hope my children will make it through having such a crazy mother--and not need therapy because of it! Although sometimes I think it's ME who needs the therapy. Forget therapy, I would pay someone just to let me lay on their therapy couch and have a one hour nap uninterrupted every week!

I still enjoy everything about the Christmas season--the presents, the decorations, the shopping, the parties, the concerts, the wrapping, the late nights, the early mornings--I LOVE it ALL! I love that it's magical for children, and how excited they are to see their presents. I love that they get excited about the gift they made me at school, and beg me to open it every day. I love sitting out on the couch at night and staring at the Christmas tree, and listening to Christmas music nonstop. (Speaking of that--David Archuleta has a new Christmas CD--and he sounds like a Christmas ANGEL...it is AMAZING!). I love watching Elf, and A Christmas Story (fa raa raa raa raa...)--at least 5 times--and A Charlie Brown Christmas at least once! I love that the kids like to find someone else we can help--and that they find joy in serving others, as well as getting gifts themselves. I might get stressed out--but to me, it just comes with the season--every season! Christmas is about love, about serving, about FAMILY, about Christ. I love that we celebrate His life, and His birth. I am so grateful that with Him--I can do anything. He makes it possible for me to have joy, and happiness in my life. And He loves ME--whether I'm crazy or not. That's the only thing that matters.

Abby's Night Out...

On Saturday, we took Abby out for a night on the town with my family. We went out for dinner, and to the Nutcracker, at Phoenix Symphony Hall. She was thrilled to be out with all of the adults, and to get to see a real ballet. The Nutcracker was AWESOME! Todd wasn't thrilled about the men in tights--but I was teasing him saying, "Check out his athletic ability--I mean you can't argue that he isn't an athlete, could Tim Tebow do those things, NO!" They make spinning around on your tippy toes look like a simple thing to do--well, try it yourself, it's NOT! I thought the stage was amazing, the costumes were so well done, and the performances were absolutely beautiful! We had a great night--and one that Abby will always remember! We love this girl!

Santa's Helper...

Erin and her friend Macy were Santa's Helpers for the ward party this weekend. Her costume was so cute--and I even managed to get these cute pics...



Yep, she still believes--because in this family, those who BELIEVE--RECEIVE!

Bathtime Fun...

Ashlie also had lots of fun this week with her cousin Jiselle! They were so cute, and practically inseperable! Jack loved following them around and bugging them. What's a little brother for? I got some pictures of them in the bath one night when they were goofing off--I think they really look like sisters! So cute!

Swimming at Christmas time???...

My sister Wendy's 4 kids stayed with us for a few days this week, because her husband's mother was in the hospital in Tucson. I am so sad that she was sick, but so happy that it gave us a chance to see my sister and her family--they live in Utah, and we miss them SOOO much! Here's what happens when Utah people come to Arizona for a visit... They look out at the pool, just sitting there, and notice how HOT it is outside--(only 50 degrees--I mean that is HOT for a Utah person!)--and wonder...WHY is no one SWIMMING!?!? Well, I am such a wimp that I usually won't even get into the pool until June, because it's too cold! Anyway, the boys were bugging me all day to just let them go swimming--they had put their feet in, and said that the water wasn't that cold--besides, it's HOT outside. I said, "It's WAY too cold! You guys are gonna catch pnemonia!" But they were bugging me and bugging me, so I finally said, "GO FOR IT!" Well, let's just say that when they did finally jump in, they were a little off about how cold it was. It was funny to watch them take that first breath as they came up out of the freezing cold 50 degree water! They were gasping for breath, and man they could not get out of that pool fast enough! Noah was the first one in, then Seth. Mitchell watched them and how cold they were, and had decided not to go in until I told him, "that's okay--your little brothers are just tougher than you are!" He was in within a minute--just for bragging rights! I got some fun pictures--because you know what--they jumped back in like 10 times! Yep, these Utah boys are officially NUTS! Love you guys!

Watch this...

Want to see your tax dollars at work??? Watch this video, shot undercover at a Planned Parenthood clinic. It made me want to throw up. This is going on at clinics all over America, funded by YOUR tax dollars... The video is the first in Live Action’s “Rosa Acuna Project,” a multi-state undercover audit documenting Planned Parenthood’s abortion counseling. “Planned Parenthood is a billion-dollar organization with nearly $350 million of government funding, and stands to gain hundreds of millions more from national health care,” says Rose. “Do we really want to subsidize an organization that gives women in need atrocious misinformation and predatory abortion practices?”
But Obama said that the healthcare bill would NOT cover abortions right? Actually, the amendment that would take abortions out of the picture has been voted down, and is NOT a part of the legislation. Here is a glimpse of what will be happening even MORE if Obamacare passes--more abortions, more lies, more distortions...sick. Read more HERE on the proposed Nelson amendment.

Mmmmm...YUM!

Feeling stressed??? Try a few of these babies...they didn't make my list of favorites (click HERE), only because I forgot about them. Some of the most delicious things are seasonal...darn. The only bad thing? You can't eat just one. No really. It's impossible.

Cousins Playgroup...

Yesterday we had Ashlie's cousins over for her cousin's playgroup. Can you believe that she has 7 cousins her age (6 that live here). We are going on 36 I think this year! We just got done with all of our Y2K baptisms--we had 7 babies born that year--(all boys--except Abby, wouldn't you know it!). Anyways, we LOVE having so many cousins and they are truly my kids best friends. They have so much fun together! Thanks guys for such a fun time!

The Night From HE!!~

Last weekend, while we were at my sisters house, Jack was having a hard time sleeping. He didn't feel good, and was coughing all night, and he doesn't sleep well in his bed anyway, but he surely didn't want to sleep in the port-a-crib. Todd and I were sleeping on a twin bed, with a trundle bed pulled out underneath it, with me on the top bed, and him on the trundle. Jack fell asleep with Todd at about 10, while I stayed up late talking to my mom and sister (and Emie, who is quite the night owl these days...). I went to bed around 1 a.m., and moved Jack from Todd's bed to the crib. I had barely settled into my bed when he started crying. As I kicked myself for moving him, (don't I know by now to let a sleeping baby lie???), I got back out of bed and tried to console him. I ended up laying him down next to me and settling in for a VERY long night. You see, Jack is not fun to sleep with--he likes to be CLOSE to me--VERY close--like his head touching my head, and his body touching my body. If I try to move away he immediately wakes up and crys. Not only that, but he was coughing on me like every 10 seconds. I was trying to contort my body into all sorts of unnatural positions to just get comfortable, to no avail. I could NOT get to sleep, and neither could he. We were both tossing and turning, and twice I tried to put him back into his crib--only to have him fall apart and throw a fit. Finally, about 4 a.m., Todd got up and turned on the light. "What the he!! is wrong with him?" he asks. "I have no idea, but I still haven't gotten to sleep tonight--he's driving me crazy." "Ugh...", was all Jack had to say about the matter--binky firmly planted in his mouth. So Todd went out and got him some medicine, and we forced it down his throat--which was NOT pretty either. By 5 a.m. he was FINALLY asleep, and snoring next to my head softly--I, however, still could not sleep in the position I was forced into with him taking up all of my twin size bed. At this point, Todd gets up to go hunting, and I have never been so happy in my life to have him go hunting!!! He couldn't get out of that bed fast enough! Finally, I wiggled my way out of Jack's grasp, and settled down into the lower trundle bed for a good night's rest--at 5:30 a.m.! I was fast asleep and snoring, (evidenced by the big spot of drool on my pillow), when CRASH! Out of nowhere, I woke up to Jack crying, and my cheekbone throbbing in pain. He had fallen off the top bed in his sleep onto my bed, and cracked my cheekbone with the back of his head. After all of 30 min of sleep--Jack was once again in my bed, and we slept in--this time until 8 a.m.. A whole 2 hours of sleep! Having had 6 children--I have had many nights of bad sleep--but man! This one takes the cake--the night from HE!!--and I have the shiner to prove it!

Erin's List...

Erin handed me this list of DO's and DON'Ts that she made in church today for her lesson on Temple Marriage. Me, and several other mom's got a good laugh out of it.

This is a typical teenage view of life:

My Plan to be Married in the Temple

I Will:

*Do good in school

*Have good friends

*Not have a boyfriend until 16

*Pay tithing

*Go to church

*Never say bad words

*Read scriptures

So far so good...right??? Then the other side of the page..

I Will NOT:

Have Fun...

Too funny! I love this girl!

A Thanksgiving suicide mission...

Sometimes I wonder how boys actually make it to maturity, I mean they are CRAZY! This was what we found on Thanksgiving day at my sister Kimbie's house--her son Cole decided to climb a tree...








CRAZY BOY!!! Glad you made it down alive Cole!!

A Grateful Heart...

I was looking today for a Thanksgiving message, and I found this one. Sometimes, even when we have so much, we tend to focus on the things that we lack. We have been blessed with so much in this life, especially with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for all of the things that I have been blessed with. I hope I can remember, not only at Thanksgiving, but each and every day, to have a grateful heart.

A Grateful Heart

President Gordon B. Hinckley has taught: “Gratitude is of the very essence of worship. … When you walk with gratitude, you do not walk with arrogance and conceit and egotism, you walk with a spirit of thanksgiving that is becoming to you and will bless your lives”.

Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love.

Miracles Born of Gratitude
For three days, more than 4,000 people had stayed in the wilderness with the Savior without eating, and Jesus did not want to send them away hungry. But even His disciples questioned, “Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?” (Matt. 15:33). Like many of us, the disciples saw only what was lacking. Nevertheless, Jesus gave thanks for what they did have (see Matt. 15:36), and a miracle followed: “They did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full” (Matt. 15:37).

We all face times when our focus is on what we lack. Maybe our time, means, patience, or even feelings of love do not measure up to our expectations. At such times, we would find it helpful to adopt President Brigham Young’s attitude and view our difficulties with a grateful heart: “There is not a single condition of life or one hour’s experience but what is beneficial to all those who make it their study, and aim to improve upon the experience they gain”.

Miracles can happen in our lives as we look to God with a grateful heart. Understanding comes, and strength to endure increases. Great are the promises to those who receive “all things with thankfulness” (D&C 78:19).

16 YEARS!...

16 YEARS--can you believe it? Todd and I said "yes" to this crazy thing called marriage 16 years ago today! Man, has it been a wild ride! This year has been an interesting year, with Todd selling his business, us moving, and him trying to find a new direction and a new career. He has spent more time at home this year than I think the first 5 years of our marriage combined! At first, it was a little unsettling for me to be honest. You see, I had this good thing going--I could do my own thing most of the day, then the kids and I would spend the hour before he got home cleaning frantically, then I would cook dinner, and it looked like I was a great wife--doing nothing but cooking and cleaning for my family most of the day. Well, after staying home for the first month--the gig was up. Todd is in on the fact that I enjoy sitting and blogging, or reading, or running errands, or pretty much anything more than I enjoy cleaning the house. Worse yet, he has found out how much I am late to things, or forget them all together. Man, I do that a LOT! He has also found out that when I complain that I had a "bad day" with the kids--it usually means that I just didn't have a chance to get what I wanted to do that day done--not that they are bad kids. The good thing? He doesn't blame me! He's not much for cooking or cleaning either--thank goodness. Not that our house is a pit--it's not. But cleaning at the end of the day suits us just fine, and we can spend most of the day doing things we both enjoy. I have really enjoyed having the help with the kids and with rides to and from practices and games. I have enjoyed watching him interact with our children, and take more of an interest in their lives, and their interests. I have enjoyed seeing him find joy in being a father, and not just a provider. I think that the providing sucked out so much of his energy, and joy some days that there was none left for us at the end of the day. I have enjoyed having my husband back after 15 long years of 12-15 hour days. I hope that when he does start his new business, he will be able to find something that will take less of his time, and leave him able to spend more time with family. I have LOVED having him around more--and we have fallen in love all over again!
I am so thankful to have a husband who LOVES being married, who LOVES being a father, who finds JOY in his family! I think that is hard to find these days! Todd is so unselfish, so giving, so loving, so willing to work hard, and to sacrifice for his family. From the day I married him, I knew he would be an amazing provider, because he doesn't know how to do anything halfway. He sets his goals high--and will achieve them because he won't stop until he does. I am so grateful that he talks me into taking chances, and that they have paid off. I am so grateful that he puts up with me, and is patient with all of my flaws...(and there are MANY)! Most of all I am grateful that he took a chance on ME--16 years ago! I love you sweetie! Happy Anniversary!
Emie took these pictures for us the other day--and after a few of these:


I did THIS:

And we were finally able to get THESE:

Shelly's Family...

My sister and her sweet family were able to come visit this weekend and go to Phantom of the Opera with us. It has been a very turbulent few months at their house, and it was so nice to have her here to talk to, and to get to spend some time visiting face to face. I was able to have a little photo session with them in our front yard to do their Christmas pictures. I loved it because you know what--we got some REAL smiles out of them--and they are all beautiful! I want you guys to know how much I love you, and how much I wish you were closer so that we could see you more often! Shelly, I know it's been hard for you, but I want you to remember what an amazing mother you are, and how much I admire you for how hard you have worked to keep your family together through all of the trials. It's hard to see sometimes how these trials will work for your good, but sometimes all we can do is hope and pray to see a glimpse of hope and light at the end of the tunnel, and sometimes when all else fails we have to pray for Him to carry us--and He will, because He loves you SO much more than you realize. I am so blessed to have such a great sister, and such an example of hard work and sacrifice. There is nothing she wouldn't do for her family! I love you guys!

My Little Turkey...

With his little turkey!--We cut up Josh's shirt to make this years turkey disguise. I know we've done this one before--but c'mon, it's a new school! He still loved it!

Even Better...2074 Pages!!!...

Take a look at the behemoth, massive, ginormous healthcare bill that the Senate Democrats came out with this week--you know the one they promise won't add at all to the massive deficit?? Yeah, if you believe that--I could sell you some ocean front property... I'm telling you--call, and keep calling, call 10 times a day or this thing WILL pass. If the government can't run medicaid, or medicare and keep it solvent--what makes you think this HUGE bureaucracy will be able to run healthcare for all of us? Scary times ahead if we don't take a stand...

Here's the bill: (see how much YOU can stand to read before you fall asleep--you really think your senator is pouring over this thing right now?).

H.R. 3590

My CLEAN Boy!

If any of you have boys, you know how hard it can be to keep them clean. In the case of my 7 year old boy--it is dang near impossible! I have to beg him to shower nightly, and sometimes when he gets out I will smell him and then we have this conversation:
Me: "Did you even wash yourself?"
Josh: "Yes, the water was on."
Me: "I know the water was on, but did you wash yourself?"
Josh: "Huh?"
Me: "Soap and shampoo? You know did you wash with soap or shampoo?"
Josh: "Ummm...no, I forgot."
Me: "What were you doing in there for 40 minutes?"
Josh: "Playing."
Me: "Ummm...don't even want to go there--just go get back in and WASH--we take a shower so we can be CLEAN!"
Josh: Ugh...
Jack on the other hand is my little water baby! In our new house, our shower in our room has two heads--it's a party shower! I can even throw three or four kids in at once! Jack loves it--and he doesn't miss a chance for a shower. Sometimes he gets 3 or 4 showers a day! If he hears the shower on, he starts stripping the clothes off and jumps in. He doesn't take environmentally friendly showers either--he would stay in for hours if I let him. Even when he's been in for 30 min. he cries when you get him out! I got some pictures of this little ritual so that when he's 7, I can look back on the days when he actually wanted to be clean! I love this boy!