Its Christmas!!...or it was Christmas!

Its the most Wonderful time of the Year....sometimes...I was determined to NOT have a stressful Christmas, to lay back and enjoy, to cut back, to be ready for Christmas by December 1 so I could enjoy the month of December...It didn't all quite work out that way!

A couple of last minute gifts I'd forgotten about...dinners to run to people...sick kids and rain and 1 vehicle...and the fact that I DID want to enjoy some time, so I DID. I didn't run to the store every night, and I didn't make 8 million batches of cookies, I didn't get pictures out to the family...

My favorite thing I did do this year was my Advent Calender for the kids. Since I was going to be ready for Christmas by December 1st, I thought it would be nice to have a fun activity planned for every night up till Christmas...great thought, fun idea...not so much in real life. I came up with 24 things to do, like 'Go for a drive and Look at Lights', 'Write Letters to Santa', 'Do a Christmas puzzle', 'Family Game Night'...and we did do some, but since I wasn't quite ready for Christmas and Life Happens, we didn't do them all...but I will try it next year because the kids REALLY liked pulling out an activity, even if it was just something little, we still got to do something fun as a family!

But, whether we got to do all my planned activities or not, Christmas still came and the kids were still excited! Christmas Eve they helped me plan a Concert for their Dad.

Here they are putting on an Airband for Dad...Brody was hilarious! Cooper was being a stink and didn't want to participate...Then they played Christmas songs on the piano, sang Christmas songs to us, and then acted out the Nativity with our puppets...They did a great job!

Then we played a couple of games together...I love this one! You wrap a present over and over and then you try to open it! Whoever gets doubles puts on the gloves and tries their hardest...it was Monopoly Jr. (Brody loves board games) and we played that too!

Then the kids got ready for Santa...when we went to Disneyland earlier in the month, they got a little checklist to get the house ready for Santa...so we went through the whole thing! They were quite funny to watch cleaning up the house, carrying their lists...checking them twice...Then it was one more story with Dad and off to bed!

2:15 came REALLY early....luckily they agreed with their Dad that it was too early and went back to bed till 8 a.m.! Bring on the presents!!

Cooper wasn't so sure, he's not much of a morning person...

Helping Dad unwrap his new putter!

New robes...Gracie has hardly taken hers off...

Its funny, you try and think of the perfect gift for your child...the one they will love to play with...Cooper's two favorite toys came from his brother and sister...We let them go to the dollar store and pick WHATEVER they wanted to give each other...They gave him a gun and a sword...or 'Piwat lite sater' as he calls it!

The kids REALLY wanted a microscope...only thing Brody asked for...Santa delivered...he thought it was pretty cool!

They got alot of games, both for the Wii and board games...they really liked this Guessing Game with the face masks...

I wasn't ready till the 24th, I still didn't get All the cards done, a couple other things didn't get finished...but it was ok. My kids told me it was "The Best Day Ever!' So apparently it was a fun Christmas for them, too!

Snowmen in Bakersifled!?!?!

So Brody asked me a while ago if we could go to Gramma's for Christmas so we could build a snowman and make snow angels and play in the snow. I felt bad when I told him we just couldn't this year, but I would work on building a snowman...

Looks pretty good, eh?

I'm going to have to find some more projects because its rained for 3 days straight...yes, it hasn't stopped once...and by the end of this Christmas break we may go crazy with kids running the house!!

Bringing Tacky to a Whole New Level...

So, Dustin had his work Christmas party last night. You were supposed to wear a Tacky Christmas Sweater...what do you think, did we pull off Tacky?!

I think I should revamp the Christmas Cards...

The Reason for the Season...

We had a GREAT opportunity to go to the temple for our Ward activity the other day. The adults were able to go through a session and another couple and some youth watched and entertained the kids. They even took them to the visitors center for a little outing. My kids loved it...and I was so very grateful for the people who wouldn't let me stay with the kids. It was so nice to go through the temple and feel that peace. A really nice way to start the Chrismtas Season.

After, we had lunch and then Hot Chocolate and cookies and walked around the temple to see the Christmas Lights. They were beautiful.

The kids were really looking forward to this since October, when I told them we would come down to see the Christmas lights they were working on at the time. I don't think they thought there would be so many!

Honestly, can I get ONE picture of all of them looking like normal kids?!

So Thankful to all the people who helped get this activity together for our ward. Such a fun way to spend time with my family and friends and remember the REAL reason for the season. Remember that it is a celebration of Christ, that it is a time for families to be together.

Thnaksgiving...

Honestly I should write a real post. It is Thanksgiving, and I have so very many blessings in my life that I am Thankful for...but, I am just being plain lazy today. I am cooking dinner for our little family (Dustin actually has the day off!) and we are all still in our jammies! Its been kind of nice, to have such a laid back day. But I will write my Top Ten Things I am Thankful For:

1. My Husband - He works so hard for us so I can stay home with the kids. He is such a good Daddy and is my best friend. Everyday I am grateful to be married to him.

2. My Gracie - She is so happy and carefree. Such a light in our family and I wish that I could be more like her in that way. She is also such a good big sister.

3. My Brody - I can't believe how big he is getting. He is so mature and responsible for his age. A bit of a perfectionist, but always works hard. I love the things that come out of his mouth. Also, he loves his little brother and big sister so much.

4. My Cooper - He is honestly my biggest challenge everyday. Not only because he's 2, but because he is such a strong willed, determined little boy. (You see how I did that, didn't use the 'S' word *wink wink) But he has made me realize how much I love each of my kids and how fast the time has gone by.

5. My Family - Moms, Dads, Sisters, Brothers, Cousins, etc. I am so very grateful for that support that we have, no matter the distance that separates us.

6. Technology - I love being able to update my friends and family on Facebook and my blog. I love being able to find out about things with just my fingertips. I think Video Chatting is the greatest thing invented. So Thankful for Skype.

7. Our Home - I am so very grateful for our beautiful home. Its not the fanciest, biggest home. But its nice, its warm/cool, and it holds us in.

8. My Friends - Both here and away. I am so grateful for them because Friends are the Family you get the CHOOSE!

9. My Freedom - I am so grateful for the freedom we have in this country. And I am grateful for those who have and are sacrificing so we can keep it. Can you imagine a life without being able to make your own decisions?

10 - My Religion - I am grateful for the peace it brings to me, especially as a Mother. Some days it is all I can do to get myself through the day. The strength the Savior gives me helps push me through and be a better person for my family.

So many blessing to be Thankful for. How can anyone REALLY pick just 10?!

I am Thankful for my FAMILY...

We wanted to run away for Halloween weekend, and fortunately, Dustin had the whole weekend off. For something different, we went to the temple to check out the new visitors center. It was really neat. Lots of interactive things describing the LDS religion and the things we believe. Lots of things for the kids to see and do. They really enjoyed it.

Then we walked around the temple grounds and took some pictures. It was so beautiful. I am so very grateful for my little family. I am so grateful to be married to my husband for Time and All Eternity in the Temple. I am so grateful to be sealed to my children Forever. What a wonderful blessing and gift from our Heavenly Father. I often think of how we kind of took for granted the fact that when we lived in Canada, we were only 50 miles from the temple. So easy to go, especially with Grandparents that lived along the way to drop the kids off with! Its a lot more work and planning now. I am hoping in the next year I can go more. I want to make sure my kids realize what a gift the blessings of the temple are. The peace and happiness I feel when I am there are unmatched in anything else I have ever experienced. It is there that I know that my life is but a blink, small in the perspective of everything. But it is there that I feel my Heavenly Father's love and there that I can truly remember that I am Child of God.

My Brody.

My Gracie.

And my Cooper.

Whatever would I do without them? I can't even imagine my life without them. Even on the crazy days, where I want to pull my hair out...I check in on them before bed and I remember...

They are my light, my heart, my life.

Thank you Heavenly Father.

Who Dunnit?

So this is the first Halloween in 4 years where we didn't go to Disney to Trick or Treat...I was bummed. It is soo much fun and safe and they went and changed it this year and charged almost double, so we said NO WAY! So I was going to let the kids be whatever they wanted...it was killing me. I LOVE Halloween and dressing up as a family and figuring out the costumes is so fun for me. I was totally going to let them, and if they disagreed with my idea I would've let them do their thing...or maybe bribed them!

So, we just had plans for the Trunk or Treat at the church, and when I told a friend we weren't doing a group thing, she was like, "You have to! The Godlonton's always dress up!" So I tried to come up with something easy, something I already had, and something the kids would like...What to do?

So I pitched my idea to the kids and they thought it was great! And luckily we got to go Trick or Treating with Woody, Maxsim and Maki at their Ward Partyt too, so we got double use out of the costumes again. I loved the idea and I think it worked out great...

There was a small crime committed at the church. Do you know Who Did It in the cultural hall?

Was it...

Mrs. Peacock with the Candlestick?

Or Miss Scarlett with the Lead Pipe?

Or Mr. Green with the Rope?

Or Colonel Mustard with the Gun?

We know it wasn't Professor Plum...he had to work. I should have made him dress up anyways just to get a picture...next time!

Murray Farm Pumpkin Patch!

Its Pumpkin Picking time!!

I really like fall. Especially in Bakersfield. The weather gets just right, the leaves turn such pretty colors and of course, Halloween! I love Halloween. Its one day I can still play dress up and not feel like a total tool.

So we decided to head out to Murray farms to do some pumpkin picking with the Classens. it was a gorgeous day!

Our little Pumpkin Picking family!

Our awesome neighbors and friends, Clint, Monique and Bryce Classen! Bryce was really excited about the tractor/hay ride!

Here's Cooper's Pumpkin...his has a good handle!

Of course, Miss Priss here picked the small cute pumpkin!

And Brody got a big one. His didn't have a handle.

Then we played on the farm...Watched the Pig races....

"Rode" some horses...

Went into the Spider Corn Maze...

And buried each other in the dried corn kernals!

And you see the co-ordinating shirts? Monique and I didn't even plan it! They look cute, though. It was a really fun day and a fun way to start the Fall Season!

Because he's Cooper

He's my baby boy.

He loves guns, swords, and playing dress up.

He loves running around like crazy either chasing or being chased.

He loves 'Smannies' (sandwiches), and cookies.

And he loves his Sue...

His favorite things to say right now are:

"Wait a sec."

"Oh no, bad guy get me!"

"Hey, I keel you!"

"Hep peas."

Mommy, I want frefas." (breakfast, which actually counts for everytime he's hungry.)

I love this kid. He is so cute and slightly spastic. But he makes the end of a hard day worth it when he grins at you and says, "Night Night, Mommy. I ya you, too!"

Things heard at my house...

Just some random things heard at my house:

Brody: "Mom, I can almost do a cartwheel."

Me: "Oh ya?"

Brody: "Ya. I can do the cart part, but not the wheel."

Cooper: "Daddy. Sill up my juke, pea."

"Hey! I keel you!" (from Jeff Dunham, Achmed the Dead terrorist:)

"Oh no! Bad guy! Bad guy getchu!" (With ALL bad guys on movies...) Either that or he's the Bad Guy! LOL!

"Pincess! Pincess! (about Tink on the beginning of Disney movies) Turns to Gracie, "You a Pincess!"

And my favorite, but least favorite: "No hep. I do it." As he tries to do anything, mostly when he is trying to dress himself, then..."Hep, peas."

Gracie: "Hey Mom, do I look like a teenager?"

Me: "What?!"

Gracie: "I feel like a teenager when I wear these clothes."

Gracie and Brody have wanted to wear some of their new school pants this year, but it has been pretty hot in September. To put them off, I told them that in October they could wear them. October 1, the forecast being 97 degrees, they say:

"Mom, its the first of October, can we wear pants now?"

They were very excited the following week when it was actually cool enough to wear pants, and it rained so they even got to wear a jacket one day. The little things that brighten a kids day!

Weekend Trip!

In Celebration of Dustin's new job...he is now working in the Cath Lab and is home every night! (I don't need to tell you how excited I am to have him home every night and every weekend!) So to Celebrate and to use up the last 'free' weekday he will have for a while, we decided to hit the beach...and Disneyland...and the Angels game...

We went to Laguna Beach because we heard there were tide pools there, and there was! That was so neat. The kids really liked looking for and watching the hermit crabs, fish, crabs and anemones. So cool to see the creatures of the ocean!

Brody practicing his writing skills in the sand...oops! Took that one upside down!

That's my Cooper man showing you his STRONG muscles!

Little beach girl! The kids absolutely love the beach. It was so pretty here, too. The water is a little more shallow and such a pretty blue-green color...love the ocean!

Checkin' out the tide pools! Tried to get some good shots of crabs, but those babies are fast!

We hit Disneyland too. And here is my baby boy. He really is having a hard time right now. He really likes to do things himself and sometimes the word 'No' just doesn't work well with him. What a little pout! Its so hard not to laugh at this face when he does this!

The kids met Cruella Devill. She asked them if they had a puppy. They told her yes, one. She said "What color is it?" Gracie replied "Brown." Cruella then brushed them off and said "Never mind!" The kids thought that was hilarious!

So we've heard of this place 'Pinks'. It the most famous hot dog stand in LA. So Nico took us to Hollywood for dinner. The hot dogs are HUGE ....

Like really HUGE...and had crazy toppings....

..chilli, guacomole, nacho cheese and onions? Dustin said it was pretty good though!

Then we hit the Angels game with some of our favorite people..the Watsons! Aren't they so cute?!

We love that we have such good friends down here! Our friends in California are our Californian family and we are so grateful for them!