Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a fun, albeit, hectic Thanksgiving this year. Thanksgiving morning was relaxed and we just chilled at home until around 1.30 when we headed to my parents house. We ate a very delicious meal there and had fun talking with family and friends. After dinner we even pulled out some crafts and the girls sat around painting while poor Grammy and Grampy were left chasing after grandkids! I don't know why they want any more because the 5 we have keeps all of us running!!! But they are cute!!
After dinner at my parent's house we headed to Andy's parent's house to have dessert. Andy's brother, Dave and his family were in town so it was good to catch up with them. We are lucky to see them once or twice a year so we always have a good time talking when we get together. Dessert was delicious and the kids played nicely with their older cousins until it was bedtime.

Friday morning we headed back to Andy's parent's house for a yummy breakfast and then we spent the whole morning there chatting. Again, the kids played surprisingly well and let the grown-ups enjoy talking with each other. Finally, Alex came up to me to say he was ready to go home so we headed back for nap time.
Friday night we again met with Andy's family for dinner at Spark. I can't say that it was as delicious as I remember it being but I still have this cold that makes everything taste bland, so it was my fault. The kids behaved quite well but didn't eat much and everyone else seemed to enjoy their meal. Most of the family was leaving Saturday so this was our last chance to get together. We had an enjoyable time but now we get back to reality and Andy traveling this week to Toronto! It's okay though.....I'm planning to have him bring back some good codeine medicine for me!
I hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving break!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all!
This year I am thankful for many things. I am thankful that I have a wonderful family. A husband who loves and takes care of me and 2 great kids who are my life. I am thankful to have a home to live in, cars to drive, food to eat and clothes to wear. I am thankful Andy has a job that provides those things for us and for Andy for working hard to ensure that he keeps that job! ;-)
I am thankful to live in America. It really is the greatest country even though many around the world don't believe that and try to destroy it. I am thankful I know about (and believe in) the gospel of Jesus Christ and am thankful for the peace it brings to my life. I am thankful for my health and the health of my family and friends.
I am a very blessed person and for that I feel like I need to give thanks. So, thank you to my Heavenly Father who has given me these blessings as well as many others. I am grateful!

Big girl

This really doesn't happen too often in our family. Our kids have never been good car sleepers but today while Andy took Samantha out for errands she snuggled up with her lamb and took a little snooze. Andy took this picture with his phone and sent it to me and as I looked at it I realized how BIG she looks!!! She's huge in her car seat and looks so grown-up! She even has her little leg crossed over the other one. Too cute if you ask me!

For real???

Seriously??? I'm STILL sick?? You've got to be kidding me??!!! I was down all day Saturday and Sunday. Thought I was making a comeback yesterday only to be SLAMMED with an earache Monday night. And then today the sinuses are clogged to the max and I sound like a frickin' cartoon!! Call me if you don't believe me! You'll laugh, I promise. Every word has a "b" tacked on the end. I hope to get better by Thursday or I'll be spending Turkey Day alone in bed! Although......I could think of worse things....

Just a few things

I think before anyone gets married they should have to be sick and have their partner take care of them. It's a really good indicator of how much they love you and care for you. I was sick all weekend and Andy was a dear as I laid on the couch all weekend and moaned and sneezed and napped. He took care of the kids, the house and me. He even braved the germs every now and again to come and kiss my sick forehead! I'm sure he was praying for me to get better and the weekend to be over, but he was sweet the whole time. I done did good in choosing a husband!!

We thought for a while there my dad might have cancer, but he doesn't!!!! Woo hoo!!!

I just want to know FOR SURE if we're moving to London or not. We thought we'd know by now, but with the yucky state the economy is in (I'm sure that's how they describe the economy on CNN - yucky!), I think JP Morgan is having a hard time figuring out their budget for next year. Not that I blame them! We are hoping moving us to London is in their budget, but I'm not quite sure it is anymore. Oh well, we are happy here! Time will tell!

I am SO close to having all of my Christmas shopping done! I'll probably take my sisters to the mall and have them choose something for me to buy them and I WILL BE DONE!!! What a good feeling!

My parakeet is loud. But cute. And he makes my eyes itch.

Spark the Spectacular!! (wow, that was cheesy)

Andy and I and our friends went to a new restaurant last night, Spark. Actually, Andy has been there before for lunch but the dinner menu was new to all of us. Our friend's husband is the sous chef there and made us a tasting menu. Andy took pictures of everything and I am sure he will write a big long post on our experience but I just wanted to add that it was the best food I've ever had!!!! And a lot of fun!! Check out their Facebook page here. And PLEASE, go eat there so we can talk about it together!! Check back later to see Andy's full post, including pictures, on the incredible food.

Bird : Take 2

Since my last little parakeet lasted only 2 weeks (RIP Pip!) we decided to get another bird. The breeder that I got Pip from had another parakeet available and gave him to me because she felt so badly about Pip. Samantha was wanting another bird and so was I. Saturday we drove back up to Ogden and picked up this little guy.

His name? Oh, you want to know his name?? I'm afraid I don't want to say. We wanted the kids to be involved in the naming process so all 4 of us got to pick a name and then we pulled the chosen name out of hat. Here were the choices:

1. PJ (For Pip Junior. This was my choice)
2. Strawberry Shortcake (I'm sure you can guess who's choice this was)
3. Spiderman (Another easy guess)
4.

Number 4 was Andy's choice. He was going to choose Spiderman just to stack the odds but decided to go a different direction. I'll give you a hint:

That's right, Chewbacca. And guess which name magically got pulled out of the hat??? Yup, Chewbacca (aka, Chewy). Sooooooo, this sweet little parakeet got stuck with the name Chewy which, I don't think, fits him at all!! I can't even call him that. He goes by Dude, and Baby to me. Or sometimes, You Little Terd.
He is a funny little bird! He LOVES to sit on heads....especially mine since I think it resembles a fancy little nest for him.
He loves to fly even though his wings are clipped and he flies like he just had a pint. He runs into everything and although I was planning to have his wings grow out I am now reconsidering since he likes to fly into very dangerous, high places.

He loves to have his head rubbed. He won't eat his bird seed out of the container hanging on the cage, but has to eat it off the floor. So I found him this cute little gerbil treat bowl that is now sitting on the floor filled with his seed. He seems happy with it. I'll just have to make sure it stays poop-free. Today was the first day he was very vocal and chipped his little head off this morning. It was very cute and I loved the sound of it in my house. The fact is, this bird has more personality than some adult humans I have met!!!! I really didn't think this house needed any more personality, but I guess he is still less maintenence than a kid.....or a puppy.....or a kitty. So I'll take that.

The night to myself!!

It's not even 6 pm yet and I got both of my kids in bed already!!! Does that make me a cruel mother, or just the MOST AWESOME, LUCKIEST LADY EVER??????

New Pictures

Some of you may have noticed the new pictures on the side of my blog. My talented sister Richele took these new pictures for us for our Christmas cards. So here's your sneak preview to that! Also, I wanted a couples picture taken of Andy and I since we haven't had a good couples picture taken since our wedding! I think it turned out great! Thanks for the nice pictures Shell!

Taking the kids to jail.....where they belong!!! ;-)

Samantha's preschool group went to the Utah County Jail for a field trip on Friday. Her preschool teacher's father is the County Sheriff so she knew everyone there and got the tour organized. It was a VERY fun trip! It was my turn to take Samantha and our neighbor and since I couldn't get a babysitter for Alex he tagged along.
The first thing we saw was the laundry area and the kids even got to try on some (clean) clothes.

All along the way the officer was telling us lots of fun and interesting information about the jail. Well, fun and interesting for the adults. The kids were just kind of skipping around and playing. Alex was a little hesitant as was our neighbor EJ, but Samantha was running around like she owned the place!! That is one thing about that little girl.....she can make herself at home anywhere! When she goes to Andy's work she walks around like she is the CEO! Funny girl. Anyways, after the laundry we went into the kitchen where they offered the kids some "jailhouse cookies" that were cooked by the inmates the day before. In this picture you can see some of the inmates in the background.

When we were done with the kitchen we went to the control center where they control all the doors and the security systems. They showed us on the security monitor what the inside of the housing units looked like. They were A LOT nicer than I expected and quite modern. It was a very interesting look at how they live. They are given TV and access to games and the officer explained that they give them these things so that they have something to take away for bad behavior. Sounds a lot like raising kids if you ask me!!!

We then went to the 911 dispatch center and talked to a very nice lady about important things for kids to know when calling 911. I doubt many kids were paying much attention since they were consuming their second lollipop for the day!!

Our last stop was outside to play with a Sheriff's truck. Each kid got to push the siren button and honk the horn. Of course, this was a huge hit!! You can tell the officer is a grandpa because he was so patient and sweet with every kid.

Afterward we got to try on some handcuffs. I really hope this is everyones last time wearing them!!!

My little carnivores!

Today we met Andy at work so we could run over to Costco and get flu shots. The kids already got theirs so it was Andy's and my turn. After the shots we did our Costco shopping and decided to go to dinner. We chose Tucanos and I was amazed at the quantity of meat my kids can consume when they want. Samantha was asking for everything and tried it all. I was so proud. Alex was a little less enthusiastic but ate a ton of my pork and beef brisket. The meat was all very good but the beans and rice and cheese bread were CRAP compared to what you eat in Brazil. I think the trip to Brazil ruined me for eating that stuff in the states. It's just not the same!

And another random thought......when did it become okay to get excited about gas falling under $2.00 a gallon? That is just sad, but so typical of these days. I remember when I was a kid my dad RUNNING out to get gas before it went all the way up to a dollar!!! Heaven forbid!! I miss the good ol' days.

Alex's ABCs

Alex is doing so well with his ABCs. Of course he can sing the song because we sing it to him every night before bed, but he is also getting so good at recognizing the letters in words. I got out some flash cards the other day and was quizzing him on the letters and he only missed 6 or 7! Pretty good for a 3 year old I think. He is definitely doing better than Samantha did at this age but that is probably because we work on them a lot more for her with school. They love to eat their cereal with the cereal boxes in front of them and point out all of the letters they can recognize. I love to see them learn and apply their learning. Smarty pants kids!!

Ruth's Diner and Triple D!

Do you remember how this past spring we were invited to Ruth's Diner to sit and eat while they filmed a Food Network episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives?? WELL, we have been waiting patiently for that episode to air and it looks like it will be coming on December 1st! It has taken so long that we thought maybe they decided not to air the show but we just got an email from Ruth's saying that the episode will be coming on. It's very exciting! We were ALL over that episode and can't wait to see the cute kids on there. I got a little sassy too and we'll see if that made it in or if they cut the sass out. I will remind everyone again as the day gets closer and I'll post the time as well.

Lizard?

Tonight for family home evening we pulled out the picture of Brigham Young to teach the kids. Samantha saw his picture and said, "He looks like a wizard!!!". Which I thought was funny enough, but Andy heard, "He looks like a lizard!!!". Either way, we both got a good chuckle out of our funny girl.

1 Year and Counting!

A year ago today I had my back surgery. It's hard to believe it has been a year......it really doesn't feel like that much time has passed. This surgery was the first time that I had ever been in the hospital and my whole experience was quite pleasant. I had complete confidence in my surgeon and his team and all of the hospital staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I was lucky enough to have my own room and it even had a nice view out the window of the Salt Lake valley. I was only supposed to be in the hospital for one night but the surgeon decided since I had 2 small kids at home I better stay an extra night and get all the rest I could. My mom was very sweet and stayed with the kids a lot so that Andy could be with me. He even stayed with me the first night and slept on a broken recliner. Neither of us got much sleep that first night! I never experienced much pain after the surgery but I was terribly uncomfortable. It took 2 male nurses to flip me on my side and prop me up so I could be off of my back for a while. They were pretty strong too....it didn't make me feel very good about myself!! The physical therapist came by only hours after I was out of surgery to get me out of bed and trying to walk. It was very difficult to change everything about the way I moved. I had to roll out of bed a certain way, I couldn't twist my back and I certainly couldn't bend. I was given a back brace (more like a corset) that was very helpful and made standing much more comfortable. I was also given something to help me put socks on since I couldn't bend (never used) and a gripper, reacher, picker-upper stick that I used ALL the time......and still do some days when I'm sore.

After 2 nights in the hospital I came home and Andy was able to stay home from work for a week and a half and take care of me and the kids. He did a wonderful job of juggling everything and took such amazing care of me. Honestly, those 2 weeks rocked!!! I loved being in bed, watching TV, reading magazines and taking naps. I got to see and kiss the kids a few times a day without having to take care of them. I got every little whim of mine taken care of by Andy and the sleep was grand!! The only drawback to sleeping all day was that I wasn't sleeping too well at night but I was happy to have my Ipod to keep my company.

This year has been rough. According to the literature given to me by the doctor I was supposed to "take 3 months off of work". HA! Yeah, that doesn't really work with a 2 and 3 year-old. I was lucky to get my 2 weeks and so recovery has been slower than I would have liked. Normal I think, but slow when you have 2 kids and a house to take care of. Andy has been great and has always helped with whatever I needed and has understood all the days when I have needed to lay on the couch for a while. Thank goodness! The worst part has been the chronic pain related depression. That wasn't something I had expected to happen but it hit, and it hit hard! I've never dealt with depression before. Or chronic pain. I had seen pharmaceutical commercials about the relationship but never thought it was true. I never understood how you could be depressed! I thought you could just snap out of it! I thought you could just decide to be happy! It really is not that simple. The worse my pain was, the worse the depression was. The worse the depression was, the worse the pain was. It was a vicious cycle! I finally got to my breaking point after Andy had been on a few business trips in a row and I was fed up with the kids, the house, Andy, depression, pain, all of it! I went to the doctor and he prescribed Zoloft for me which has been HEAVEN SENT!! Not only has my mood and outlook on life gotten better, my pain has been so much more manageable. I have been on the medicine since July and I plan on staying on it for at least another 6 or 7 months. Maybe longer if I need it! I know depression can be one of those taboo topics but it can happen to anyone for any reason and there is nothing to be ashamed of. I believe it is a real chemical imbalance in your body and if you need to take a little pill everyday to enjoy life and your children, it is worth it! I have far more patience with my kids and that is all the excuse I need! I just wish that the doctor would have warned me of the possibility of getting depression following the surgery. I think maybe it could have saved me a few months of hating life. Oh well, it's taken care of now!

Overall I am glad that I did the surgery. I am no longer afraid of falling and causing more damage to my spine. Although I still think I'll avoid my sister's house in the winter!
And.....in case you didn't see this in my previous post, here is my titanium back.

Officially ready for the snow!

Today we officially got ready for the snow! I know it's going to be coming.....it's lurking somewhere in the sky ready to drop on my house and ruin my day. So today we went out early and cleaned up the whole backyard. We pulled plants, put away kids toys, cleaned up and stored the sand box and put away the outdoor furniture. It took us a couple of hours but the yard looks great and the best part was I now have clean windows!!! Our downstairs windows get wet everyday in the summer when we water our lawn so the water buildup is horrible! I pulled out my trusty Lime-A-Way and sprayed the tar out of the windows and now I can see the sun pouring through my windows!! It really is amazing how nasty they were and how it clouded my view of the outside world! Now everything looks so clear and sparkly! The clean windows just might be my favorite part of fall!!

The kids napped today so we were able to stay out a bit later tonight and enjoy being with our kids. We went to my sister Kami's house and my other sister Richele took our family picture. It's been about a year since our last one so I figured it was a good time to get one. I think they turned out good and I also had Richele take couple pictures of Andy and I....which hasn't been done since our wedding!!! Those I think turned out great as well. I'll post some when Richele gets them back to me. After pictures we took the kids to dinner and they were sweet and well-behaved. Amazing what a little nap can do! Well, it's 8.30pm and I'm exhausted, so I'm going to bed. I washed the sheets so they are clean and soft and smell nummy! They are calling to me!!

Maybe I'll start calling him Spot.

I'm going to start laying down newspaper for Alex to sleep on if he can't get his bowels under control!!! If I put him in a diaper at night he gets lazy and pees and poops in it.....even in the morning when he is awake!! In which case he's usually kneeling in bed at some funky angle and the diaper leaks everywhere. That's even in the super heavy duty Nighttime diapers! If I put him in underwear he still sometimes lets loose and pees all over. Either way I have washed his sheets pretty much everyday for the past few weeks. I'm tired of it. Maybe a catheter is a good idea!! When I was in the hospital for my back surgery that catheter saved my life!! Anybody know how to insert a catheter in a 3 year-old? Ew, that's gross. Maybe I will have to find some other solution.

Health or Money??

Does anyone else ever feel like you have to choose between good health and saving money?? I would love to be able to buy all organic and all natural products, but they are SO expensive. I would love to buy the healthiest food but sometimes feel it is too expensive to buy on a regular basis. Same with other products like all natural toothpaste and skin care. In a perfect world we'd all be using the most natural, most "green" products. But not many of us have the money to sustain that kind of lifestyle. I suppose I could rearrange our budget to accommodate for these kinds of expenditures. I just really wish that I could buy healthier things for my family at the same price as everything else. Are the products priced higher just because they can? Because they know people will spend that kind of money? It's kind of how I feel about cleaner cars. Natural gas, hybrid and electric cars are far better for the environment (thus, far better for us) but they are priced higher. I wish car companies would stop putting money into making "cooler" cars that all look the same and start working on making engines that run cleaner and cost less. Most of you know me and know that I am no environmentalist. I'm not a fanatic when it comes to this kind of a thing, but I do care about our earth and mostly I care about my families health. It sure would be nice if companies cared a little less about making huge profits and cared a little more about making good products accessible to everyone. I guess the world just doesn't work that way. Like my mom always told me, "If wishes were fishes we'd all have a fry.".
I'll climb off my soap box now.

I Voted!

I went a voted today. I waited a total of about 1 minute for an open booth and it only took me about 3 minutes to complete my voting. THAT is a successful voting experience in my opinion. Apparently 3 o'clock is the time to go vote. It's been such a long campaign and I am tired of it all but I have to admit that I am nervous to see who wins. I think both candidates have good qualities and both have bad qualities. I feel like I just voted for the lesser of the two evils! It's going to be an interesting morning seeing who wins......
I do feel blessed that we get the opportunity to vote.....even though I know my vote really didn't count for much. I think the voting system is wrong and needs some tweaking. But I digress. I am grateful to live in the country that I live in and be an American.

I believe I can fly!!!

I believe in a lot of things.

I believe my kids are the best kids in the world.
I believe my husband is the sweetest and best man ever.
I believe I belong to the only true church on the earth.
I believe I will be very excited when the elections are over.
I believe NO ONE should EVER wear a tube top.

But this weekend I became a believer in something else. I now believe in the POWER of..........


THE KSL.COM CLASSIFIEDS!!!

I sold our double stroller on ksl.com a couple of months ago and it sold FAST. Andy came across some old speakers and a few other things that we decided to sell on ksl.com. A couple of things weren't even listed 12 hours before I had numerous calls and emails and eventually $50 in my hot little hands!! I have a guy coming from Layton tonight to buy a speaker for $85 and look at some other speakers we have. I have a guy in Las Vegas that wants me to ship $75 worth of speakers to him. The phone is ringing off the hook for these things!!!!! The point is, if you need to sell something fast, go to ksl.com. AND, listing is FREE!!!
I sure wish KSL were paying me for this advertisement!