Recently...

well, recently is a relative term but on November 1 we started potty training avery! whew...the first week was not so great and i had some reservations but we pushed through and i am glad to report that (for the most part) she is doing fantastically well. i was so dubious about starting this process because she is so opinionated and strong willed that i didn't think she would take well to me asking her to go potty a bunch of times etc. and while it wasn't her favorite thing, she did it:) fruit snacks help! she's had a few accidents but really she is doing well. and night training will take time i guess right? we take her to the bathroom in the middle of the night (when we remember) and that helps a lot. that's her recent news:)

blake has turned into a climber...he learned how to climb up on avery's toddler bed and was climbing (and falling) so much off the kid's little folding chairs that they are now in the closet! he is such a sweet kid...he really takes a lot of guff from the siblings because they over love him but he genuinely seems to enjoy their affections:)

ethan is doing well, enjoying preschool and being a might be bossy but he's a firstborn. we put up christmas decorations today! i love it!

Idea Room Silhouette Giveaway...

i know, another one! the Idea Room is giving on away, i really love this blog and i would really love that machine! yikes, i'm crossing my eyes now!

Colies Kitchen Silhouette giveaway...

there are tons of blogs giving away silhouette's and i SO want to win one...so Colie's Kitchen is giving one away and that blog looks awesome! i'll have to check it out when the hoopla of the giveaway is over! cross your fingers!

thankful...

i am thankful...it isn't the ACTUAL day of thanksgiving as i write this, but i figure gratitude is always a good thing.

i really feel very blessed. we have kendall's family very close and my family just a short plane ride away.

i have really amazing friends that help me feel loved and supported. i am glad to have these people in my life. they definitely inspire me.

i have a wonderful family, my children are well and happy (99.9% of the time).

we have (dare i say it?) almost made it to the finish line of potty training avery....that deserves another post...which i will do. i haven't talked about it before because i am a little superstitious when it comes to talking about things that could bring me bad karma!

i have an amazing husband who is snoozing on the couch at the moment who works so hard and helps so much...and i love him.

i have the gospel in my life and i love it.

i just can't stop thinking that i have been so blessed with so many things. i need to just soak it up!

i am excited for Christmas...and to try to keep blaker from pulling the tree over on himself (which i am quite sure he will try!) yahoo!

Silhouette...

how i wish i could win a silhouette...that would be make my year...seriously!!! send some good karma my way, because HOUSE OF HEPWORTHS...is giving one away! the giveaway is amazing and i am crossing my fingers..toes and eyes!

harry

A. MAZ. ING.

i loved it! such a good movie, i really liked how close to the book they stayed and the acting was MUCH better, and the special effects were fabulous...really enjoyed it! i want to see it again!

books...

for some reason i was in a bit of a book funk...weird huh? but then i jumped back in with this book:
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

and although it is THE silliest name ever, i loved the book! really, such a good book. and i didn't read it for a while because i was put off by the name! yep! but i did read it and it was engrossing and interesting and i liked the style it was written in. the voice of the characters pull you in and you feel you know them...it's post WW2 era...i learned a lot as well! read it, it's good!

Then i read Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky

i remember seeing commercials for this movie thinking,"it's about owls? really?" but my sister said she really liked it so i put myself on the list at the library and then i read it in about a day and half...quick read for sure! it's good, i learned a ton about owls, and the story is interesting...there are about 18 of these books (yes, that's right...18) so i get the feeling the author doesn't feel any hurry to tell her story...hmmm...Sounds like Robert Jordan huh dad? (rest his soul, Robert Jordan, not my dad!)

and now i am reading this...
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot


SO INTERESTING! i am really enjoying it! it has quite a bit of scientific "jargon" if you will, but i don't have too much trouble with it...i'll let you know when i'm done, but the story is very engaging and it's TRUE! which makes me incensed...why? you'll have to read it...i so want to suggest this one for book club (as well as the other two) but i wonder if the scientific-ness of it would be off-putting? it's not overwhelming, but it is definitely a part of it. i think that sort of thing is interesting...but we'll see how i feel when i finish it...it's due back next week so i gotta get a move on!

christmas lists...

we started a christmas list a while ago for ethan...and yesterday he made an addition to it...


i just think that it is so awesome that he tried! he was completely unaided by us, and he did it all on his own....

he's obsessed with Super Mario Bros. and so he was trying to add Super Mario Kart for DS (or something along those lines...