"Ya Know Why I'm Shivering?"

My favorite part of December

The first half of December

I think it's all over. I'm hoping I never have to live through another month like it. Here's the first update:

Jackson had his school Christmas program. I was so proud of my "star". I love that he goes to a Christian based school and so they actually call it their Christmas program, not Winter or Holiday program. Looking back it was my favorite event of December.

We went to Utah for two reasons - 1) Kenny's wedding in Rexburg, ID and 2) The kids hadn't seen Jason in 7 months.
So we spent a weekend in Idaho for Kenny's wedding which was accompanied with mucho snow, actually blizzard conditions. I was able to go inside the temple for the sealing while Jason watched the kids. I was surprised by the temple's size - it was HUGE! I would love to go back there but it would have to be in the middle of summer.
The rest of the week the kids were able to bond with Jason. We went to the Dinosaur Museum, Jump On It, Temple Square, Ice Skating, Sledding ...the kids had a blast! We also got to spend an evening with our friends the White's. And oddly enough, while in Temple Square I ran into my friend, Ashli, who I knew from Florida and she's now living in Wisconsin but she was visiting family. And at the same time I ran into my best friend, Jami's, family. CRAZY!
Of course, there are many friends I wish I had more time to see but I'm sure we'll visit Utah again next year and this time I will definitely rent a car.

Prayers are answered

I no longer have to push Jackson on the swing. This just happened days after his 4th birthday.

Scripture Time

At night for scripture reading, I will read a few verses to the kids. Then I have Jackson read a verse by repeating what I say. Then Lilly gets a turn.

11/21 = Very Fun, Very Long Day

Friday, aka Jackson's birthday, aka L and B's sealing, aka release of Twilight. I didn't think I could do it but it has been done. Starting at 7 am with this ...

Then we went to the "jumpy" place (i.e. big indoor inflatable moonwalk type apparatus's place) with cousins Tate and Tanner.

Lilly dominated at air hockey.Then headed to fancy McDonald's for lunch and a few presents.

From there I went to Orlando for L & B's wedding (sorry no pictures, yet). Drove home, wished Jackson another Happy Birthday, and put him to bed. Then off with friends to see Twilight, which was the worst movie I have ever seen...loved the books, not the movie. I went to bed around 2 am. Surprisingly, I wasn't too tired. It WAS long but it was very fun and even though it was 2 am I was extremely happy and felt amazingly good ... and then came Saturday. To be continued...

Happy 4th Birthday, Jackson!

Friday is the day! Some of Jackson's favorite things to do: Build with Legos, draw/color pictures of his family, swing, take walks on nature trails and he loves to open letters. He is my little man! We love you, Jackson!

School Pictures

I LOVE school pictures. This is Jackson's preschool picture from last year.
I really do love this picture of Jackson. There are somethings I find a little humorous...a) they didn't give us a choice on the background and I have know idea who came up with the idea that this is a scene all parents want to see their children in. B) I'm not sure who the center of this picture is, Jackson or the friendly little chipmunk and his woodland gang. C) I'm curious to what they said to get Jackson to pose like this. Maybe something along the lines of "Okay now imagine your riding a motorcycle by this pond.."?? It wasn't the school picture I had in mind but I love that Jackson's cute in it and that it makes me laugh.
Moving along to this years school pictures. Note: I didn't buy this years pictures so you just get the proof.
Again, Jackson is perfect but what is going on with his arms? Who are posing these kids? And just like last year, I didn't get to see what the background was going to be till I got these proofs. Paint splatters with a ladder ... paint splatters with a ladder ... why did that feel so 1990s to me and so familiar?... Oh yeah ...
Apparently "paint splatters with a ladder" is timeless.

Halloween

These were all taken at our branch's "Trunk Or Treat". The weather was a little chili but atleast we weren't sweating like usual.As for my costume, I had already been a Nun to a party this year but I didn't think that would really fly at a church party so I decided to be Thomas the Train ... who doesn't love Thomas. The kids got a large amount of candy and the youth had a lot of fun booths including face painting. If it were up to me I'd be fine if that was their Halloween experience but we did go Trick-Or-Treating tonight and got another 10 lbs of candy. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with all this candy! I wish there was something like a Coinstar machine where you put candy in it and it spits out money.

Pumpkin Carving

It's that time of the year when everyone is posting pumpkin carving, patches, festivals, etc. And soon every blog will have pictures of their children and pets in costumes. I will not be any different. Here is our Pumpkin Carving night. (Jackson is pretending he's a robot).
And the final outcome...Note: Cute Halloween costume pictures to be posted in a few days.

October = Noah's Ark Parade

Instead of doing a Fall Festival or Halloween Party at Jackson's school they do a Noah's Ark Parade and Lunch. Maybe they think the flood happened during the month of October. In any case, it was cute. It was something my three, almost four, year old did very well - walk up to the stage, pose, sing one song and walk off. Jackson did much better at being a bear than he did doing the primary program (don't ask). I was very proud.

I've been tagged!

My friend, Brie, tagged me. This is how it goes: I tell 7 weird/interesting things about myself and then tell 7 other people to do it and leave them a comment about it.

7 weird/interesting things about me:

1. I had my two front teeth knocked out when I was 13 but I still have my real teeth.

2. I've given Derek Jeter MY autograph. (that's totally weird, i know)
3. I wanted to be an optometrist when I was in high school.

4. I've never been out of the continental US but I have my passport and dream of going somewhere foreign even if its just Canada.

5. I'm in love with Target ... I love to go here especially at night without my kids.

6. I would like to be on the show, Survivor.7. I daydream about being in the Olympics, not going, but actually being an athlete in the Olympics. And I'm not that sweet at any sport which really makes that weird.

I tag Ali, Laura (H.), Carrie, Jenny, Anne, Karen, Lisa.

Beach Day

Stylin'

Thanks, Janine (older sis), for sending some much needed clothes for Lilly. I'm still in denial about how big she is, so its been hard to buy any clothes over size 12m and she's now going into 24m. Here is just one of the MANY adorable outfits we got from my sister.
Jackson has a ton of very "cool" clothes, but since he gets to pick out his clothes on non-school days this is a taste of what he usually pulls together.
I'm not sure where he gets his sense of style.

Football game

Last week, my friend, Tiffany, invited us out to the USF game. Surprise, surprise, they lost. They were sweet seats, though, and the guy next to us was HILARIOUS and bought us some drinks (waters) and peanuts ... I would've totally gone out with him except that he was 60. Worst part of the night: Some 18 year old threw up in her seat some2-3 rows down, so when the wind blew the right way (and it was a pretty windy night) we got to smell it ...delicious. I am 0-2 for sporting events now.

Signage

An sign you would see in the 1980-1990s: A sign I saw today...

The Scoville's

I miss my friend, Jami. She and her family have moved like everyone eventually does here. We met while we were both pregnant with our boys - it was her second baby, my first. We were VT companions. Since then we've been best friends. Many, many families have come and gone while we've been friends.
It has been two weeks and I still don't feel comfortable with the idea that I can't drop by her house. Or I can't have them over when I feel like not going anywhere but my kids are bored of me. I miss her great advice. I miss being able to talk to her about nothing but her being genuinely interested. I miss going to the beach, the zoo, the park with them. I miss seeing them at church. I miss all her fabulous cooking - especially her homemade tomato soup and her cookies. I know I'm going to miss her when my birthday comes around because she always made it a big deal. I just miss them. Jami, Shane, Isabel, Brigham, and Nolan have been our family for the past couple of years. It should have been a lot harder then it was without my family not being here. They made it easy. Everyone should be as lucky to have such wonderful friends. If anyone else moves, though, I think I'm going to flip out.