11.29.2011

binky...

binky, pacifier, plug, paci, nuk, soothie, mam, whatever... we love them at our house and we are pro-pacifier. but we have been telling the 2 year old that when he loses his two remaining binkies, then mommy and daddy are not going to buy him any more. because when you are two, you don't get new ones in this house...avery actually got to that point and then used a mini-mam she still had for a while. now that was funny! but blake had these two magic pacifiers that never coexisted...i was almost convinced they were one and the same (except one was white and one was blue) because we never had both of them together! we had the blue one and not the white one and then vice versa almost every day! so on Friday 18th he had one of them (the blue one i think) and i went to go see the movie with friends ( so fun! but too much blood and skin for me guys...sorry!). my beautiful and wonderful neighbor had my kids while i went to the theater early before kendall got home. when i came home, i was told B-man came back without his binky...and he went to bed without his binky. i didn't ask my neighbor if she knew where it was because once you put him to bed without it and start that jazz you can't go back! so he's been binky-less since the 18th and really folks, he's done a great job. he has been a little louder, especially in church, and he cries a little more frequently but he's acclimating well and learning. he also talks to himself at nap time...pretty hilarious. sometimes i have to go back in (which i don't like to do but seems to work for now) and tell him that he needs to go to sleep and stop talking and tell him another little story....just while he's laying there, i don't pick him up or anything. he's been doing really well. i'm proud of him. blake is definitely SO much more laid back then either E or A were as smaller kids. i am so thankful for all our children, but Blake especially was what i needed after a cranky Avery baby, what i needed as an easy-going kid when Christian was born and is such a comfort to me now. Ethan and Avery are very comforting as well, but there's something about such a tender soul as Blake who still wants me to hold him and love on him...i appreciate that. 

so there's a milestone passed in our house!

 Ethan was determined that we should put up our Christmas tree on sat. 26th and so we did! and then i just got out all the Christmas stuff and put it all up! it was fun and i love having the house decorated for Christmas! it's so festive and i love the twinkle lights and just thinking about this season. I really do love Christmas. i am trying to plan ahead sufficiently so that, as we get closer to the actual Christmas day, i don't have too much of an opportunity to stress. we'll see how it goes:)







 i went to Savers and Goodwill yesterday...it's that time of year where everyone needs pants/long sleeves/socks (not that i buy socks at Goodwill or Savers)...avery especially had about one pair of pants i think that fit her growing length...so i was able to get her three pairs of pants and three long sleeve shirts for about $16! that's pretty good huh? so excited! and i got this little beauty...any guesses as to what it'll end up being? i'll give you a hint...not a spice rack:)


i saw an idea online here to decorate a soap dispenser with stickers...at our house we love window clings...the kids really like to decorate our sliding door with them at any opportunity/holiday, so i tried it out with window clings on a hand sanitizer bottle and it worked well! best part is it is so changeable for when christmas is over!!







11.24.2011


happy thanksgiving to you all! i hope you have a great day of family, turkey and pie:) we have so much to be grateful for this year, and every year...i am so grateful for my family, especially kendall who is always very supportive, loving and generous but who has been so understanding and loving during this ridiculously difficult time for our family. especially for me. i hope that i am as understanding when he has bad days. i am thankful for our children, all four of them. i am thankful that ethan, avery and blake are healthy and i am thankful that we had 7 weeks to be with our sweet christian. i wouldn't trade our time with him, it was precious and beautiful. i am grateful for the wonderful family and friends around us who have supported us and continue to support us as we heal and grow. i am thankful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, without this knowledge i would be lost and afraid...but with it i have peace and am finding joy again. have a happy thanksgiving day. hold your people close and tell them you love them. there's no time like today.

11.17.2011

thanksgiving decorations...

here are some of our thanksgiving decorations...we haven't had many heretofore and i am glad to celebrate this, sometimes, overlooked wonderful holiday!

had the quote in tan printed at costco, it was a printable i found here
on top of our TV cabinet: don't look too closely at the print in the frame...i downloaded it onto the computer last year...and this year thanksgiving is on the 24th, not the 25th but oh well:)
this frame holds a collage that my beautiful sister in law made for us one year, but for our thankful sign, i turned it over and embellished the brown "filler" in the frame.  we wrote on the glass with a dry erase marker.
my black "entry" table, the printable in the frame is from eighteen25
my shelf in the kitchen...two milk glass vases on either end, turned over to be pedestals....all the (fake) fall leaves were in a flower arrangement that we received, and i took them out and spread them around the house. love the tiny (real) pumpkins
here's a close up of my cute turkey...instructions here i just love this turkey...don't know why i am so taken with him:)  i think i want to put another feather behind the first one on his head...for more color and just to be bigger!

i still have one more thing i have materials to make...it's this banner..just need to cut it out..maybe tonight!

11.16.2011

Sedona!

kendall and i were able to have a little weekend getaway to Sedona over Veteran's Day weekend.  His parents kept the kids, bless them! Sedona is so beautiful with the red rock and green trees. the weather is cooler than here and it even rained on Sunday, which i loved too:)  we went on a jeep tour, we went to Jerome, which is a fun little hippy town up on a mountain side, we bought some really good $4 fudge, ate at some really great restaurants (yes michelle, we found the 101 omlette place!) and we just had a really nice time being together. now for some pretty pictures....
in the jeep tour office we found the "8 legged gerbil" as they call her, Rosy the Rose Tarantula
Also in their office, it's an albino something or other snake i can't remember...
pretty rocks
Chapel of the Holy Cross, from one side....
other side of Chapel of the Holy Cross
so pretty out there...
to prove we both were there:)
there were rain clouds rolling in and it was sunset...gorgeous
more sunset shots...

it was a really great trip and the kids had a great time with nana, papa and tia, thank you all so much!

11.03.2011

halloween and birthday recap...

here's our little batman!
and joker and cat woman!!!
 a really nice man in our ward made this cake for blake...halloween day i decided it needed a makeover to fit with our halloweeny birthday party...
meet Jack the cake:)
blowing out candles with Nana Kay and Papa Jerry on Skype (we missed you!)
opening presents! what a blessed little kid! he is so loved...as are all of our children. we have such great family!

and friends! someone left this basket of goodies on our doorstep the day before halloween, no name as to who gave it, so if you did, THANK YOU!!! the kids LOVED the coloring things, and the felt faces for the pumpkins were a HUGE hit...so thoughtful.  people are so kind to us. thank you so much!!!