Christmas

I guess it's about time I blogged about Christmas. We all had a great time. It started for us on Sunday. Sunday morning, my cousin brought her girls over, so I could take a photo we could give to my grandma of all of her great grandchildren. 200 shots later, and after much photoshopping, this was the photo that I finally got(don't even mention the bright yellow toy in the middle...aughhh!!!) Later that night, we went to my parents for a Peterson Family party. My mom spent the previous days making nativity costumes. Here are the kids:
Haley hated being the angel. For some reason Kristin kept her hands in that pose during the whole thing. Not really sure why? Jake was being a goof ball (surprise, surprise) and it was definitely not a reverent nativity scene. Memorable, for sure.


On Christmas Eve, we ate lunch with my family, and hung out all afternoon. The kids got to open all of their presents that were under my parents tree on Christmas Eve. They thought that was the coolest thing EVER. Jake was being so hyper, that he got sent to time out. I told him if he didn't shape up, that I was going to email Santa (duh...don't you know that in the hospital when you have kids, you're given Santa, Easter Bunny, and Tooth Fairies email address and phone number?) and tell him to leave one toy for Jake at the North Pole since he wasn't being good. As I left the room, with that threat looming, I heard him whisper..."I only asked for one thing".


That evening we headed to Troy's parents house. Where, the rest of the family was AT LEAST 45 minutes late. There was a snowstorm - but come on guys, you've got to work on that! ;) Really, my kids were just so wound up, they were making me crazy, and I knew once the other kids arrived, they would calm down and just play - hence my irritation...just my own kids. Once everyone showed up, we had a little nativity. After a few rounds of Outburst, we headed home. The kids fell asleep on the way home, and were too grouchy and tired to put out cookies and milk, and reindeer food, so Troy and I did it, assuring the kids it would be done. Then the kids were all in bed. Phew. It had been a long day, we were hardly home at all. That really is my only regret about this Christmas, it seemed we spent so much time everywhere else, we were never home.

The kids gave Troy and I the greatest Christmas gift ever. They slept in until 7:30. SWEET!Then they woke up to their goods. Here they are on the stairs, singing a Christmas song, waiting to head down to the living room:
We really didn't get Haley much. She didn't care. She had a blast playing with the bows and wrapping paper.

Jake has been dying for a Nintendo DS for awhile now. He wanted one for his birthday, but we wouldn't get him one. They're expensive! Kyle has a black one, so Jake was looking all around his stocking, and we finally had to point out where and what that white thing was. It was funny. This is the look on his face when he realized what it was! Kristin is just easy. She's the one I would see things for in the stores for weeks, and couldn't buy, because she already had too much! I love it because she's so happy about the littlest things.Kyle got a nintendo game he'd been wanting for FOREVER (well, since Mason came to visit and brought this game). I hate to say it, but I LOVE having 2 Nintendo DS's. There is no bickering, no fighting, they just sit next to each other playing games and asking how to pass this, or that. I am really lucky, because neither of them are addicted to playing(hopefully it will stay that way). They've probably only played it a total of 45 minutes since Christmas morning.

The kids all got moon sand. Shame on any of you who didn't pass the word that this stuff is AWFUL! It's just like handing your kid a cup of sand to play with on the kitchen counter...except it's dyed a color. AUGHHH!!! Don't buy it! After opening presents, we headed to my grandma's for breakfast, and more present opening. We had a really good time. I have to admit, I was very worried about this Christmas. We consciously stuck to a VERY tight budget, and I was worried the kids wouldn't think it was good. My kids LOVED it. I didn't hear one comment other than gratitude and happy for what they received. It really was great, and it reminded me that less is more!

Bridal Photos...

Last week, I took Donnarae's (Troy's sister) Bridal Photos. We made Jon get dressed up too, to take the majority of their wedding photos, so they wouldn't be pressed for time on the actual day. I'm sure we'll still take a ton on the day too, but it was nice taking their photos knowing that if I screwed up, I would get a second chance. Anyways, I just put all my favorite ones on my photography website if you want to check them out - under "I do". Here's a sneak peak! Thanks, Donnarae and Jon, for having faith in my photography skills!

The Great Debaters

I just had a GNO (Girls Night Out) with Carrie S. We went and saw The Great Debaters. It was incredible! I would highly suggest it! To David, it was a great movie, and made me wish I could have seen you in action in your debating years! (David went to and then won at Nationals in debate while he was attending Cal State Long Beach) Hope you can find it in english, or subtitles in your part of the world.

Just a summary:

The movie takes place in Texas at an all Negro College. It follows a debate team that is doing really well, that tries to debate against "anglo saxon" schools. It takes place in the 1930's. INCREDIBLE! Denzel Washington stars and directs and Forest Whitaker also stars in this movie. My favorite quote, that I'm going to frame and teach my kids:

"You do what you have to do so you can do what you want to do." - Denzel Washington

That quote just seems to fit and make sense with most things in life...LOVE IT!

My HUGE irritation:

Previews.

I'm not the most PC person out there, I'll admit it. BUT, we took the boys and saw National Treasure2 the other day. All the previews were for (more or less) family/children's movies. So, tonight, the previews for Great Debaters, were all "black people" movies. Sorry for the lack of PC-ness, but I don't know how else to describe it. Instead of them showing previews for great new Drama's, they had typical "funny black guys" movie, a "black girl trying to get to college by dancing" movie. Anyways, I thought it was a bit idiotic that whoever sets up what previews goes to what movie would make the assumption that those would go together. I can tell you I have no desire to see any of the previews that were shown. Not because the race of the actors, but because I wanted to see a movie because it was a great drama, and had 2 Oscar winning actors in it. Sorry...just a commentary.

Korea or Bust!

Well, it's official. Troy and I are headed to Korea with my family to visit David. We are going the last week in April! I'm so excited! Although I am now having the mother's paranoia of what would happen to our kids if something happened to us. Troy assures me, it will all be fine, and that it is definitely only a MOTHER'S paranoia. We went and got passport photos taken today(which I can totally take myself ). I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of what will happen with the kids, so if you're a family member, and you don't want to watch my kids, be coming up with a great excuse! :)

Temple Square

The Sunday after Thanksgiving, we went to see the lights at Temple Square with the Owens'. Here are the family pictures we got! It was before it started getting too cold around here. Other than trying to find parking, it was a great night!

I had a heck of a time with my camera. Anybody who has helpful "taking night photo" tips, I would LOVE them!

Troy and eBay

Well, Kyle and Jake have been telling Troy they want to go to the BYU game. Troy paid $75 for his ticket, and he told Kyle the tickets were expensive, and asked Kyle if he had $75 to buy one for himself. Later on in the day, Troy found Kyle upstairs in his room, counting all his money to see if he had enough to go. Troy's heart was softened, and immediately started checking out eBay for tickets for the boys to go. He kept getting outbid, so he decided to do a "buy it now". For you non-ebayers, that just means it's not for auction, it's a set price that you can purchase right away. Well, Troy did it and paid for it. He was all worried that he's going to get screwed over through eBay regardless of my assurances. Anyways, he woke up this morning (cause he thinks he should be emailed constantly regarding the status of the tickets) and found out that while he purchased the buy it now tickets, he was bidding on another set of tickets, and won them! So, now he has an extra 2 tickets to the game. SO, if anyone is looking (or knows someone who is) for a set of tickets to the BYU vs UCLA game in Vegas on Saturday, the 22nd, they cost $37 per ticket, or $74 for both of them. PLEASE leave me a comment...happy ebaying! ;)

Girls Day

Yesterday we had a fun girls day. Kristin, my mom, and I went to downtown SLC and had lunch at The Garden, at the top of the Joseph Smith Memorial Building. It was so nice. We were seated right by the window where we ate overlooking temple square. Here is a picture I got of Kristin and my mom. I think this would be a fun place to get some bridal's done, or even wedding photos. It just gives another angle of the temple. So pretty!

After lunch we had some time before The Nutcracker started so we walked around Temple Square, looking for Melody, I mean Sister Nelson. Couldn't find her. I asked another sister if she might know her, she was japanese and said she didn't, but that I should pray to find her. I kind of chuckled at that. Praying or not, we did not find her.

We went and saw The Nutcracker at the Capitol Theatre. It was really nice, we had seats 5 rows from the front, so that was really nice. Kristin LOVED it! She sat staring the whole time! I was surprised! She didn't ask for candy, or treats, she just watched. She loved every second! The last 10 minutes she fell asleep, and would still wake up to clap, then go right back to sleep. It was pretty funny. The only bad part of the day, was when it was time to go, she didn't want her nap to be over, so she threw a huge fit all the way to the car. I hate when kids do that. I was just trying to ignore her as much as possible, so people just thought I was a mean mom. Oh well. I am, I guess. She wanted me to carry her, but I told her I wouldn't carry her unless she stopped crying. She didn't, so she walked. When we got in the car, I told her enough crying. I asked her why she was crying, and she told me it was because she wanted me to carry her. I told her that I would've if she would have stopped crying. I asked if she remembered me telling her that, and she said yes. I told her that next time, she should stop crying, and then I could carry her. She said okay, and the tantrum was over. Hopefully, lesson learned! Here we are in our seats.

I came home and fell asleep at about 8:00. Troy took the boys to the BYU basketball game. They had a good time. It was a nice day, and an even nicer evening...going to bed early. Definitely rare for me - which made it SO enjoyable!

New Media

As I was looking for a talk for Jake to use in Primary, I saw this:

Elder Ballard Urges Students to Use New Media
At a commencement address on December 15, 2007, Elder M. Russell Ballard urged graduating students at Brigham Young University-Hawaii to use blogs and other forms of “new media” to contribute to a national conversation about the Church. See the Newsroom for more information.

So, if you don't have a blog...START ONE! ;)

Santa Claus

Riverton City had this big Christmas event awhile ago, where there was a Santa (that rode in on a firetruck) as well as scones, a hayride, chocolate milk, and Christmas crafts for the kids. We waited 45 minutes to see Santa. It was almost unbearable. We told the kids that this was the only time we were going to see him this year, which was why we waited. Here is the photo! Not a good one by any means...but by the time we got to see him, I just didn't even care anymore! ( I know, ba-humbug) I do love that Haley is staring up at him, trying to figure him out!

A tip everyone should live by...

Ever since we have moved here, I haven't had too many friends. I'm not exaggerating. I have family around, but other than 1 person (she knows who she is and I am eternally grateful for her friendship) I have really struggled with making friends here. Partly it is me being busy with my work, but people aren't really inviting. I know that sounds wierd, but during Sacrament meeting, we had the greatest speaker. I don't have any idea what his name was, but I think he was from the stake, because I didn't recognize him. The topic was on fellowship. He made the greatest comment. I have felt this ever since we moved here, but couldn't quite put it into words. He did so fantastically. Background: He said he moved to Utah after his mission, and his dad wanted him to go to a singles ward. He said he did, and everyone was SO friendly, but nobody wanted to be friends! AH HAH! That is how I've felt! Everyone is really nice, says Hi, waves, but nobody (except the one) made me feel like they genuinely wanted to be my friend, to invite my kids to be in playgroups, etc. To be honest, I have really disliked living here. I love our family and it would be really hard to live without them now, and I know my husband and kids LOVE it here, but it has been SO hard for me! For those of you who know me, friends are a big part of my life. They help me when I need to vent, and are there to lift me up when I need it. The greatest friends, I feel, are the ones that make you want to be a better person. I have been blessed to be friends with so many people like that. Having people "drop out" (in a matter of saying) of your life with no one else to fill the void, has been so difficult for me! I know some people in my neighborhood may read this, and it's not meant to be a slam, I don't think people consciously decide that they don't want to be your friend, people are just busy and do their own thing, hang out with their same friends, because that's what's comfortable. So, my tip of the day that I think everyone should live by, and I will definitely try to do is:

Don't be friendly, BE A FRIEND!
I think it's my new motto...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Korth Family!

Before church today, I decided to try a kids photo. It was a miserable experience! It's so much harder to take photos of my own kids than someone elses! To get this picture, I had to merge 3 different photos! Thank heavens for photoshop! Anyways...here's wishing you all a very merry Christmas!

Haley...again!

WOW! She sure dominates this blog...

On Monday, Haley got a fever. We gave her tylenol, and just figured it was something viral. In the past when she's had fevers, it's been her ears, but since she has tubes, we knew they would leak if she had an ear infection, so we have been waiting it out. Today she woke up from her nap, with a rash covering her entire body. Huge red spots. So sad, I just decided 4 days of a fever and now a rash was enough to take her in. I took her in, and surprise, surprise, 2 MAJOR EAR INFECTIONS!!!!! What is the deal? They were so bad, they had to give her the antibiotic shot. This is not supposed to happen! The point of having tubes, is that when you get an ear infection, the hole in the ear drum lets the fluid drain from the ear, preventing pain and redness. Apparently something is wrong with the tubes. I'll have to call the ENT tomorrow. Seriously, it's such a pain. I was pretty upset when I found out. I just feel like I let her suffer for 4 days. How horrible is that? It's the dumb ears! I didn't think there was a chance that it was something other than a virus since she had tubes and they weren't draining. I just hate to be the one that takes them in for a splinter...but with her, that's how it's been!

Also, she has had bowel problems being on the Soy. So, the doc wanted me to try Alimentum (which previously gave her HORRIBLE diahrea) and alas, it still does. There is 1 other formula that he wants us to try with her, called Vital Jr. I have no clue what that is, but he gave us the name of another patient who just went off of it that has a case, so we'll buy a can from them and give it a try. SUCH A PAIN! Forking out $500 for formula is not my idea of fun. Call me crazy. You do what you gotta do, right?

Venting:
To top my day off, I went and bought a crepe maker. (reasoning: long story including primary and Donnarae's wedding) I get home, anxious to try it out, and it's cracked. So, that's something to return. Kyle brought me a note that I got just today that he has to take 13 -4x6 photos of himself to school tomorrow for a Christmas Gift they're making (good thing I am who I am and was able to round up enough 4x6's) and he also has to bring in a recipe. I asked him what recipe he really loved. You're going to DIE when I tell you what he picked: "Your Ramen Noodle Recipe Mom!" Are you kidding me? I told him he had to pick something else..."chocolate milk" HMMMM...I'm thinking it's time to teach him what a recipe is! Christmas cards are not coming along well. I ordered paper, and it is out of stock - when I'm about halfway finished with my cards. So, I might just buy cards this year (GASP!). My sanity is very well worth store-bought cards at this point...Oh, and I have to go to Kyle's class tomorrow and make a craft with them. SPECTACULAR! Is there ever enough time in a day? I think not!

Haley's Birthday!

I forgot to post pics of Haley's actual birthday - since she did turn ONE, I have to write about it! We didn't invite anyone over. It was just our family. It was really nice. With all of our other kids first birthdays, we spent it just with our family, and it was really fun and low key. All day long, we kept singing Happy Birthday to her. I'm sure she loved it! I gave her a bath (her favorite thing) and then (surprise, surprise) took her pictures again - in not so dressy clothes! After Kyle got home from school, we made a cake and opened presents - she got a cell phone, and a little car(that she is too scared to walk with). I was going to try to figure out a milk free cake, but figured the poor girl turns ONE once, and she could try having a normal cake. She LOVED the cake. It was so sad, I cut her a piece - probably a too big of size - and she picked it up and held it to her chest. She would break off pieces with her other hand and shove it in her mouth. I think she was so worried we were going to take it away from her, she was guarding it as best she could! When all was said and done, she had eaten all but a few crumbs! I couldn't believe it! I thought I would find a few big chunks in her seat, but no. Just crumbs. Well, maybe she put on a few ounces...right? Oh, speaking of ounces, SHE'S ON THE CHARTS! HUGE MILESTONE~ She is in the 5th percentile weighing in at 17 lbs 4 ounces exactly one year from being born weighing 7 lbs. 1 ounce. So, it took her a (long and very painful and drama filled) year to gain just over 10 lbs. I'm just happy she's on the charts. Presents were fun. It took her a little bit to understand what she was supposed to do, but after the other kids doing it for her, she finally figured it out. Just in time to put wrapped presents under the tree...great...Anyways, It was a great day. Troy and I were talking about the birth a little bit, and I'm so grateful I'm not in the hospital where my meds weren't working after my c-section, and very grateful Delilas lived close enough to come rescue us for a day...Also, very grateful a sweet little girl (who does everything we vowed our kids would never do - suck thumb and have a bottle after the age of 1) be in our home. She definitely makes life sweeter!

Snow Day

Yesterday it snowed about 8 inches. What that means for our family:

-I do not drive anywhere. I am still learning how to be a snow driver.


-The kids beg ALL day long to go play in the snow and go sledding.


-It makes me especially want to have a clean house, since everything outside looks so white and clean.


-Hang out in warm comfy clothes all day long(sweat suit or jogging suit).


-Watch a Christmas movie eating popcorn and hot chocolate. (LOVE ABC Family 25 days of Christmas movies!)


Unfortunately, we were so busy yesterday, we didn't get to do most of those things. We managed to squeeze in 30 minutes of sledding time, we went to Provo for a screening of Enchanted for Troy's work (which put into play me NOT driving) (first thing on the Advent Calendar) and I didn't get my sweats on until 8:30 pm. We hung out at my parents so Troy could watch the last BYU Season Football game. My dad made soup, and we had cake for my dad and Haley's birthday. It was a good day. I snapped these shots of Kristin! I love them. I thought they turned out cute. I decided it would be fun to do a family photo shoot in the snow. Not while it's still snowing - too hard to keep the lens dry, but right after a storm, when the snow is white and clean. I envision a cute family with hats and scarfs...playing in the snow...candid shots...would be too cute! It's pathetic that I think all these things...anyways, here are a few I took of Kristin. It was too bright for her outside, which left squinty eyes, but I still love these pics...just playing...not posing!
It's Sunday now, can't play outside in the snow...at least not too much...and the snow is getting uglier and uglier to look at. It needs to snow some more. Since it's now winter and cold here, we might as well have snow! Bring it on!

Advent Calendar

I did it. I started and finished a Christmas project in 2 hours. Thanks to scrapbook afternoon at the Braithwaites. I have been so busy, I was so excited to have an afternoon to do something fun. I had this idea to make an Advent Calendar. I wanted it to be boxes, because I want to put a slip of paper in each box, and everyday when Kyle gets home from school, the kids will take turns opening boxes, and on the slip of paper will be something fun we get to do that day. (Don't worry, I am going to slip in the papers during naptime right before Kyle gets home so I know what I'm in for that day) I remember doing it when I was little, and it was fun. Some things I'm putting on the slips of paper: make a gingerbread house, decorate sugar cookies, drive around and see Christmas Lights, deliver Neighbor Gifts, Paint a wooden ornament, see Santa, write letters to Santa, Christmas Movie Marathon night, etc...(I need lots more ideas if you'd like to post any!)

How I made it: I bought packages of small square paper mache boxes (total cost: $7.00). I also bought 1 star box($.69). I found coordinating Christmas paper that I already had (Making Memories Paper and Crate Paper - SO CUTE!) and used a square punch to punch out all the squares. (You could just use a paper cutter too). I glued them on the top of the box. Then, I got out all my letter/number stickers. I used Making Memories and American Crafts Thickers - love those new things - and numbered the boxes, making the star 25! I put magnets on the back of the boxes(with glue dots - love those too!), and stuck them on my magnet board. I have a hard time putting holes in the wall strictly for a Christmas Decoration, so when I was thinking this up, I decided to do magnets, since I already have a magnet board on the wall. My kids can't wait until Saturday!

So much to do, so little time...

You know when you have so much to do, you just don't even know where to start? That's me today. My list is so long, and I am not motivated, and it all just seems so daunting...I know what I want for Christmas: A clean house...we're talking spotless from top to bottom, windows clean, dusted, you name it...too bad it's only a gift I can give myself...With a clean house, I'm motivated to do everything else, the family seems happier, things go smoother...what is it with a clean house?

Okay, okay, no more putting off the inevitable...off to work...sigh...

Happy Birthday Haley!

WOW! Haley is ONE! I can hardly believe it! She is the cutest thing ever! The whole family could just eat her up! Ever since she has started crawling, she is the happiest kid ever. She loves doing all the stairs - up and down - and will follow her siblings wherever they may go. She pretty much has me wrapped around her finger. I can't wait for her to walk! Her clothes get SO FILTHY! That has to be the worst thing about crawling. Her favorite food is probably a banana. She eats a whole banana in minutes. We hand her a whole banana, and she goes to town - stuffing her cheeks. No choking as of today! She has her well check in the morning, so we will find out how her weight is doing. I am no longer worried about her. I think she may be a bit smaller than other kids, but she's happy, she's developmentally on track, and she eats like a champ. I decided to take matters into my own hands, and I started her on SILK Soy Milk - Vanilla. She loves it, and she hasn't vomitted it up. I have to confess to the doctor tomorrow, so wish me luck! (I only started it a week ago...I just can't afford another round of formula for $800! - the last round lasted barely 5 months!)

Tonight I had a photo shoot, so afterwards I decided to take some One Year Photos of Haley. We put her in a new dress that I bought her over the weekend ($8 at Children's Place - Kristin has one to match) and she immediately drooled all over it(her top two teeth are coming in, finally), but I think I got a few cute ones. Oh, disclaimer: we normally don't let our girls wear sleeveless anything. We figure if we teach our girls to be modest now, it will never be an issue. Also, we won't have to explain later why there's a magic age that you all of a sudden have to be modest. You should always be modest. Also, having boys, we sure hope all other parents teach their girls to be modest. BUT, I just got this dress on Saturday. I couldn't find a black sweater to go over it, or a nice black shirt to go under it. Troy about had a fit that I was taking her picture in it, but part of me wanted to document that she's a BIT chubby now, so showing her arms gives me that satisfaction, and I didn't have time to go search for a black sweater. Here are my favorite three...isn't she cute? (not biased - at all!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAYS! We love you!

BYU vs UTAH

Troy took the boys to the BYU v Utah game on Saturday. They were all so excited! I turned the TV on in the last 5 minutes of the game - just so I knew what kind of mood to expect when Troy got home. It was fun to watch. Apparently, Kyle and Jake both fell asleep - at the game - on the cold bleachers - with all the screaming - the last 3 minutes of the game. After the game they went down on the field. The boys thought that was awesome (Troy, of course being the biggest and most excited boy). Troy came home and told me about a few signs he saw at the game. I am going to post them here:

FACT: Cougars eat Utes. - Dwight K Schrute Cougar Fan

Then, Jon (a Utah fan and Donnarae's fiance), had a BYU alumni t-shirt on. On the back of the shirt, in iron on letters, he had put: "I'm only wearing this shirt so I can marry their daughter. Go Utes."

I'm glad my boys had fun. Kyle's learning more and more about football. Jake is also started to bleed blue. I guess a few weeks ago, Jake and Kristin were at Troy's parents house. Kristin had said that she likes all colors of blankets. Jake said, "even red ones?" Kristin said "yes". Jake then asked her if she liked Utah. She said, "Yes". Jake said, "the state, not the school, right?" Kristin said, "Yes - the state." Yep, their dad has them pretty brainwashed...

Congratulations!

Troy's sister, Donnarae, got engaged last week to Jon. Congratulations guys! They are getting married January 11th! Jon's a good guy and we are excited to add another crazy person to the family. I should say, add another person to the crazy family...yep, that's more like it! The more the merrier, right? CONGRATULATIONS!

The Office

Okay, so many people have been telling us how much they love The Office. (NBC, Thursday nights) So, at the beginning of the season, I started DVR-ing the new episodes. People have let us borrow previous seasons(thank you Stevensons, and Donnarae), and between that, and numerous Hollywood Videos and Blockbusters, we have finally caught up. It took us 2 weeks. On Troy's days off, the second we got kids to bed, we turned it on, and would watch at least 5 episodes a night. I do have to say, IT'S HILARIOUS! (There was 1 episode I didn't care for too much, in the first or second season) My favorite part is watching Troy laugh hysterically. The whole show is Troy's humor, 100%. So, while I'm sure this show would offend some, I love that there is a show on, that I literally laugh out loud while watching. (It takes a lot for that to happen with me!) Now, if they would just end the writer's strike...I haven't seen the news in awhile, so maybe it's already happened?

Jake is 5!

Last week, Jake turned 5. This picture pretty much sums him up. I can't believe he's already 5! He had a pirate party. This was actually his first official birthday party. We invited the kids over and had a treasure hunt for the Treasure Box Pinata, filled with leftover Halloween candy (SWEET!). We got the kids pirate gear from the Dollar Tree. I LOVE that store. The kids had eye patches, earrings, and swords. I made a big brownie, and attempted to put a white powdered sugar skull and bones on it, but Jake was helping me, and it didn't turn out so great...oh well, the kids didn't notice...Here is Pirate Kristin doing the pinata. She's so funny, she wore that eye patch all day long! I think the funniest part of the party was opening gifts. Troy tried to do "Heavy, Heavy, Hangover" and the kids totally didn't get it. Instead of bonking Jake on the head, they full on dropped the gift on his head. It was hilarious. Jake didn't seem to mind. They all just thought that was normal...funny kids...Here they are...the scary pirates...in their very own: SAND BOAT!That evening, we went and saw The Bee Movie. Troy's dad was able to join us (Thanks, Grandpa, Jake was excited you showed up to his birthday party!) The movie was pretty good. Haley wasn't so great in the movie (surprise, surprise), but all in all it was a good day! Tiring, but good! Thank heavens it was a nice day and the kids were able to play outside! Thanks to all for coming! Happy Birthday Jake!

Christmas Craft

Now, naturally, I have not had a chance to work on many Christmas Crafts yet. Although, I am thoroughly enjoying the Christmas Music 106.5 has had playing constantly since the day after Halloween. This will be the first year we get to be at home the WHOLE Christmas season...one year we went to Hawaii, last year we moved, and the years before that, we traveled to visit family for Christmas. Most years we didn't even get a tree. Well, I can not wait for the season to be full blown! Troy put up our "BLUE" icicle lights last week! We are picking up our Christmas Tree hopefully the day after Thanksgiving. I have gradually been purchasing cute decor for the tree. Since, we've never really had one - I am in need of much! But not a lot of money can be spent...any ideas? The room where our tree will go, is empty, no furniture, so I'm trying to figure out how I can comfortably sit in that room in the dark with just the tree lights on after kids are in bed...hmmm...anyone with a comfy chair to give away? Erin just sent me a link to this blog (just happens to be Ali Edwards blog - scrapbook celebrity - we had our photo taken with a few months ago) where I came across CUTE IDEAS! Check it out if you like...
http://aliedwards.typepad.com/ I stole the picture from her site. SO CUTE! People are always asking me if they know of any cute Christmas idea to do for enrichment, or whatever. Well, I think this is awesome! You could do it for FHE! Kids could do it! It's a styrofoam cone with buttons being held on by simple push pins (the ones with the pearly looking ends). It would make such a cute centerpiece. I'm totally doing it! You could even paint the styrofoam green, and just put a few buttons on it too, not so overlapping like she did...anyways...just an idea...get your kids involved! They will love it! Until they realize they can stab each other with the pins - or that's how it will happen in my case! ENJOY! I would love any links and comments to cute, easy, cheap holiday decor...especially ones that kids can participate in that can still be cute enough to display! YEA! IT'S CHRISTMAS!

Dilemma...

Okay, we are having a bit of a dilemma. Most people probably wouldn't announce this problem to the world...but we're all learning, right? Here goes...

Tonight, a father of a kid Kyle goes to school with (not in his class, but WAS in his class last year) called. Of course, when you start talking to the parent, your heart sinks, and you wonder what on Earth your kid did wrong...Well, it was a biggie...

The dad said that his son said Kyle and a few other boys were trying to hit his son in the crotch...not sexually, just to get a laugh from the other kids. Now, if you have boys, this shouldn't be too shocking...we are constantly telling the boys not to do that, but for some reason they think it's hilarious...my brothers did it to each other all growing up...not that it's right...but boys are gross! The dad I spoke with wasn't a jerk, he was really nice, said he understood that boys do this, but just wanted us to know, and to talk to Kyle about it. Anyways, immediately following our phone conversation, I told Troy, and then I pulled Kyle upstairs to talk to him. I told Kyle what this dad had suggested and Kyle DENIED it. He was very adamant that it wasn't him. I called the dad back, and asked him to please make sure it was our Kyle. (There are 3 Kyle's in Kyle's class this year...) He said it was. So, I talked with Kyle about how serious that type of thing is, and it's never okay for anyone to do that to anyone...police get involved in this type of thing...etc...etc....Kyle kept vehemently denying that he did anything wrong, and that it must have been someone else. Kyle said he doesn't even play with that kid at recess. Kyle even offered to let me look in his eyes! (Explanation from a previous post...). We've talked about lying, and Kyle definitely knows it's better to be honest, than to lie, (punishment wise) so my first instinct is to believe him. Also, Kyle is NOT a good liar. And, come on...offering to let me look in his eyes?

So, here's my problem...is it wrong to believe him? Of course I want to believe him...nobody wants to think their kid has done wrong...I mean, I definitely think this is something serious. (That, don't worry, we had a LONG talk about, and I'm pretty sure Kyle will be keeping all bodyparts to himself in the future) I don't think that the dad that called me is a liar. But, I know nothing about his son. (I almost think they probably had a FHE last night about the subject, which is why it probably came up...)I don't want Kyle to think he can't tell me things, because I never believe him...so what do you do? I've never wanted to be the type of parent who has wool over their eyes, and let's my kids get away with murder, but how do you decide at this point? It's basically the word of 2 second graders against each other...I know my second grader...He may do that with his brother, but I definitely don't see him doing it at school (but, what do I know? When he talks about recess, he is always playing sports, and stuff...). So, how do you know what to do? Any advice would be great...

I am not going to have Kyle apologize to this kid. Is that wrong? If I'm telling him I believe him, there's no reason to have him do that, right? We did talk about if he ever sees anyone doing that type of stuff to anyone else, to get a teacher or an aid - and if he didn't, he would be in just as much trouble as the kids who were doing it. We also told him it's not good to be friends with kids who do things like that, because he would always be in trouble too - we taught him the principle of guilty by association.

So, am I wrong? Do I need to go spy at recess?

Come on...he offered to let me check for spots...that's almost reason enough alone...

Kyle-ism

Kyle brought a note home from school, informing us that it was his turn to be the "Show and Teach Instructor" on Friday. Basically, the kids teach the class something that they know...a game, origami, candy cane reindeer, etc....(Oh, parents are NOT ALLOWED to come and watch...the teacher says it makes the kids too nervous) As we were trying to figure out what on earth he could teach his class, Kyle said, I could teach them to dance. (Now, if you've ever seen my sweet boy dance, you know it's definitely not something he should be teaching anyone...) So, I told him, that he couldn't just stand up and dance, he'd have to have an actual dance, moves, routine, etc....So, he said, "I don't really have any dances...I only know how to disco.

Literally, on the floor, laughing HYSTERICALLY! Come on, I barely know what disco is...

The "Farms"

Last week we went out to visit my grandparents. They live in a tiny (understatement) town called Myton. It's halfway between Duschene and Roosevelt. They have lived there for almost ever. My grandpa was born in 1925. My grandma is a few years younger...she claims she doesn't remember...My grandparents actually lived in San Francisco, Japan, and ?Salt Lake? I'm not sure about that last one until they finally settled in Myton. When I was growing up, it was our favorite thing to go out to the farm. We always got called City Slickers. I used to always feel a bit offended when they called me that...but I now very much appreciate my "City Slicker" title.

Summer's on the farm were the highlight of the year. I remember hiding when it was time to leave (and I got in BIG trouble for doing so...lots of places to hide on a farm) I could write for days about all the things we did! We, meaning my cousins and my brothers. My grandpa was a mechanic. He was an airplane mechanic during WWII. On the farm, they had this big shop. Outside of it, my grandpa stored all the old vehicles that he got parts from. There had to have been at least 50 old cars outside. We would play in the cars all day, doing imaginary things. The places we went in those cars...Also, they have a big pile of cinderblocks. It was still there last week...It was our imaginary house...complete with bedrooms, kitchens, yep, even a bathroom, that I hate to tell you we really used. Out on the farm, that's what you did...there are pig pens, a canal (that we called the river) that we used to go tubing down, horses, you name it! They brought a trough (sp? troff) up from the corral, and would fill it with water and we had our own swimming pool (I do think we cleaned it out first), we would herd cows...yes, I HELPED! We never had to worry that our hair was done, and dirty clothes were all we had while we were there! It's where I broke my leg when I was in the first grade. (My tibia and fibia...think that's the name of the bones...)

Being in Myton is every child's dream. Including my own children. The night before we went out, I told Kristin that in the morning, we were going to go out to the farm, and see grandma and grandpa. The next morning, she came and woke me up, and said, "Mom, we're going to see the Farms today!" That's what she calls my grandparents (think I put it in a previous post) Since they live on a farm, it's only fitting that they're called "The Farms" right?
I love my grandparents! I have learned so much from them! First things first: "You get what you get!" My grandpa is a hard worker. From sun up to sun down. He was moving irrigation lines, milking cows, plowing fields...and much more, I'm sure! My grandma - Grams - has taught me so much. She has always told me how much she loves me because I'm always smiling and happy(my kids would beg to differ). She has always told me that being happy is a choice you make for yourself. She doesn't waste ANYTHING. Even milk from cereal (which I HATE) I learned to have toast for breakfast when we visited...I am not exaggerating when I say she doesn't waste anything! She is teased all the time about it! She is proud of ALL her kids and her grandchildren, and I pity the person that would try to wrong any of them at any time. I love that my grandpa loves my kids. When we visit, he sits and talks with us the whole time. He even carried Haley through a field. She's getting fatter, and it's not as easy as it sounds! He's 82 you know! Pretty good for an old fart! (He used to wear a hat that said "Old Fart", and my grandma had one that said "Old Fart's Wife" Those things are stylish when you live on a farm...The farm doesn't ever seem to age when we go out...things seem the same and I love it!
My grandma had been saving leaves for the kids to jump in. They made huge piles, and then they jumped off a ladder into the leaves. She was trying to get them to stand on the VERY top of the ladder (right above the step with the sticker on it that said not to stand on this step or any higher) and then do tricks into the leaves...Hey, remember? This is where I broke my leg...Safety first was NEVER the motto here...
The kids had a blast. Haley even enjoyed laying in the leaves. As long as the dogs didn't get too close. On dog took a chicken nugget right out of her hand...ooh...I hate dogs...Here is a picture of the kids jumping in the leaves...



Jake is a natural dare devil...
Kyle was a bit nervous at first, but then got into it...
Kristin would only jump from the first step and ONLY if my mom was holding her hand...

I'm grateful for the chance to go visit. The days are so busy, it seems like a great way to take a day off!

Singing Kristin

Kristin's favorite past time is singing. My mom edited this video, and she accidentally copied 2 of the same parts, so this video doesn't show the whole song, but Kristin really knows it all! ENJOY!

Drum Roll Please...

After a few technical difficulties, our photography website is finally up! YEA! Here's the link:

http://mysweetestmemoriesphotography.com/

For anyone who is interested...for the first month it is up, I am doing 20% off...

7 Random Things

I think Heidi tagged me on this...there was no last initial...I just assumed I was the "Jen" she tagged...I am suppossed to type 7 random things about me...Here goes...Oh, I am also tagging 7 other people(well, I couldn't stop at 7, so I am tagging more): Erin, Kristin, Beth, Allisun, Scotty and Juliann, Sarah, Marenda, Dori, Cherice, Donnarae, Laura, Delilas...

1. In college, this guy took us to shoot clay pigeons. It was the first time I shot a gun in my whole life. I didn't miss one clay pigeon! (Troy couldn't hit one) Everyone was shocked, and I don't know how I hit them, because the gun seemed to throw me back a foot or two every time I shot the gun, and I'm pretty sure I shut my eyes every time I fired the gun. Troy and I are not gun people. I don't think I could kill an animal unless it was hurting one of my kids. That's just not my thing. But if it were...

2. I have been married for almost 10 years (in less than a week now). It's insane. I love Troy with all of my heart...

3. I took accordion lessons when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade. Don't know why.

4. I have lived in the following states in my 30 years of life: Utah, Colorado, Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia - growing up, I moved about every 3 years. Once I went to college, my parents stayed put, until they moved to Utah last October. The ward I have lived in the longest (and loved the most - so far) was Farmington Ward, in Aloha, OR where we were for 5 1/2 years.

5. I have been snow skiing once in my life. I didn't take lessons, and nobody told me what to do. I got to the top of the mountain, pointed my ski's down, and went FLYING down the mountain. I was going so fast, and I didn't know how to stop. I kept flying over all of these bumps, and eventually I made myself fall to the side. I seriously thought I was going to die. After that, my mom taught me how to snow plow. It wasn't much fun and took too much effort. I spent the rest of the day in the lodge. I really have no desire to do it again. Outdoor activities in the snow and cold just aren't my thing.

6. I am a game player. Troy and I love to play games. Probably not much of a surprise to most of you. It's gotten more difficult having to pay attention to our kids while we play so we don't do it much anymore - but if anyone's ever up for a game night, you know who to call!

7. I hate Jr. High. My first day of Jr. High (7th grade) went as follows: (first of all, let me give you a visual of the era - hammer pants were in and New Kids on the Block were the hottest thing - I was NEVER into them) We had just moved to Arizona that summer, I only knew a few people from church. My mom gave me a check to pay with for school lunch. Well, nobody ate school lunch, and I didn't want to be the new geek who stood in line with the kids (figuring now those kids must have been on free lunch) and the other food they had (corn dogs, burritos, etc) you had to have cash, so I didn't eat lunch that day. My mom was a school teacher, so I had to ride the bus. The buses left 5 minutes after the bell rang. I didn't know what bus I rode, and I missed it. I didn't know how to get ahold of my mom at the time, so I had to walk home by myself. Not sure how many miles, or whatever, but it was in Arizona the end of August -so HOT is an understatement. To get from the school to my house, I had to walk through The Projects. So, it was a pretty crappy day! When Troy and I had kids, I vowed that if I was a stay at home mom, my kids would NEVER have to ride the bus.

Domestic Diva...

...I am not. In Virginia, my friend invited me over and was grinding wheat and making wheat bread. I was in awe. She sent me home with a loaf, and Troy asked me why I didn't do that. I told him cause bread was $1 at the store, but if he enjoyed it so much, HE should try making some. I am a HUGE fan of Rhoades Rolls, Great Harvest, and Kneaders. When it comes to baking - especially bread - I am just not interested. Well, in the spirit of eating healthy, I decided to try making my own wheat bread - with wheat ground from my food storage. I borrowed my friends wheat grinder, and made wheat flour. I made wheat bread, and it was AWFUL! I told my friend, Heidi, and she said to come make it side-by-side so I could learn the textures, etc....So, Tuesday I did just that. It really was simple. From start to finish, it only took 2 hours. Oh, there was no machine involved...no kitchen aid...no mixer...just my hand...and it was EASY! And I tell you, if I can do it, anyone can. This afternoon, I decided to try it on my own. I called Heidi right before, and just had her give me a quick over-view. The bread came out of the oven about 50 minutes ago. I just cut into it, and WAHOO!!! It turned out spectacular! Jake has been begging for it! Anyways, here are my 2 beautiful loaves of HOMEMADE NO MACHINE NEEDED WHOLE WHEAT BREAD:
THANKS HEIDI!

Halloween!

Our Halloween Day started out early. We woke up at 5:30 am in order to get to the Glassey's by 5:45. Here are photos of the first part of the live feed that I can't get the link for:

Afterwards, we spent a pretty grumpy morning at home. We were ALL grumpy...from getting up so early. I told the kids if they didn't take a nap, we would NOT go trick or treating. After the kids had naps, we went to Carrie's to crash her trunk or treat, then we headed up to Copperton. Since the time hadn't changed yet, it was still bright and sunny at 6:00! We got to Copperton about 6:30, met up with my dad, saw some family, and went real trick or treating. The kids got SO much! There buckets were literally full! Kristin's bucket was so heavy, she couldn't even carry it. We went to the Copperton Lions Club for donuts (which Haley LOVED) and hot chocolate, and headed home. On the way home, the kids talked me into going BACK to the Glassey's. They decided they wanted to see what it looked like at night, and not in the morning. It really is awesome. I'm glad someone is willing to go to the work...as long as it's not me! ;) Grandma and Grandpa Korth came by to see the kids costumes, then I whisked them off to bed! I was up until midnight getting work done - and then I hit the hay. Much to my dismay, Kristin was up most the night coughing. I think she's getting a cold. It had just been such a long day, I was ready for sleep!