SNOW DAY!

The kids were so excited to have an afternoon called off from school to play in the snow! It seems most days it is dark and way to cold outside to play in the snow by the time they get off of the bus from school.
Gabe was to little to play outside in the snow much last year- so he is LOVING this! They spent a lot longer outside in the cold than I thought they would and came in frozen from head to toe.












Luckily... I had hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows waiting for them. Gabriel was not happy until we took most of the marshmallows out of his cup of cocoa- funny kid! I always thought the marshmallows were the best part- but what do I know!?!


After warming up with hot chocolate the kids got into their Pj's and played games. I LOVE CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!! I LOVE HAVING MY KIDS HOME WITH ME!!! Some days I REALLY miss home schooling!

Christmas Party at Church

Sarah and her friend- Jessica

Rachel and Santa at the Christmas party

Gabriel and Rachel hiding under the table from Santa

Sarah and Gabriel being cute

Gabriel and 'his' Grammie Bev

WAY TO GO SARAH!!!!!!!

Sarah just told us that she is 'STUDENT OF THE MONTH' at Cameron Jr.High school for the month of December!!! We are so proud of her and think that she is pretty neat. We are excited to see her picture in the paper this coming week... WAY TO GO BABE!!!!

Family Night!

We had a fun night decorating our Christmas Tree!














HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!!

Sarah's Birthday fun!!!

Sarah and I got to go out and have a fun day together for her Birthday.













We went Christmas shopping... where I tried in vain to get her to purchase something for herself with the money that she brought, instead she bought Christmas presents for her brother and sister.





She picked Olive Garden for lunch and even tried new foods. She was NOT impressed with the cheese ravioli- so she went for her old stand by- Alfredo!













Then we went to Kohl's where mommy told her to pick a birthday present and she picked fuzzy white slippers. After the shopping fun I surprised her and took her to see 'Twilight'. She was thrilled and luckily friends and family had warned me about the AWFUL/EVIL preview just before the movie- WHAT WAS WITH THAT!?!?!?!?



She loved the movie and then we headed home and ate cake and ice cream with family and friends. It was a really fun day and she said it was one of her best birthday's ever! YEA!!!!

Gabriel's busy life!

Thanks to Tiffany and Weston we now have replacement cord to download pictures from the camera! Thank you guys!!!! Gabe has been busy the past few weeks and here are a few pictures of his adventures. Cute little guy!

HAPPY 11 th BIRTHDAY BABY!!!!

Happy Birthday Sarah! I can not believe that my baby is 11 years old! I remember like it was yesterday the very first time that I kissed your sweet little face. You were so beautiful and squishy and so wide awake!!! I should have known right then how smart you would be. I should have known right then that you would want to know how everything works and why it works. You have been a delight and a joy from the very beginning. I love your ability to be kind to everyone and that you look out for and take in 'the underdog' as your friends at school. I love that you are always so thoughtful of your sister and brother. I love that when you go on a field trip or somewhere fun without them you always spend the money that you took on something for them so that they don't feel bad. I love that you try so hard to help me with everything and that you say 'Yes mom' when I ask you to do something... even if you don't want to do it. I love your bright blue eyes that light up when you smile and that big happy grin that seems to be on your face all of the time. I love that you have your own sense of style but still ask for my opinion on how things look. I love that when you earn allowance you want to help pay bills or buy groceries with it. I love that you sing and hum and dance all of the time- even when you are supposed to be going to sleep. I love that you like your Sunday school class and that you come home and tell me all of the things that you learn. I LOVE that you are constantly reading and learning- although I wish you would pull your nose out of the books and get your chores done! I love that you always seem to be having fun- no matter what you are doing. I love that you are constantly thinking of others and willing to give all that you have to help. You have always been a better person than your mother and I am so grateful for the example that you set for me. I love you baby and hope you know that I have loved you every minute of every day since I found out you were coming to be a part of my family. I will love you always and I am so proud of you!!!! Happy Birthday!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We would like to wish everyone a VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!! Due to the fact that Gabriel has ruined our camera/computer cord attatchement :( and because I have been suffering from morning sickness and a rough bought of Pneumonia it might be awhile before I get any pictures 'blogged'. I am working on all of the above and can not wait to get back to feeling good and blogging. I miss you my friends and hope you all have a GREAT HOLIDAY!!!!

WEDDING PICTURES!!!

My wonderful friend Dee Gordon brought me an AWESOME surprise tonight! I was laying on the couch...after a pretty lousy day... in all of my 'Morning Sickness' glory... when Dee showed up and gave us a disc of pictures from our Wedding. Dee is a wonderful photographer and came all of the way to Nauvoo to be there and support us on our Wedding day... she brought her camera along and snapped a few pictures for us. Dee has been extremely busy finishing a house and moving her family into it- so I am very grateful and so happy that she made the time to get the pictures to me so quickly. As soon as I was feeling a little better tonight, after sipping on the hot ginger and orange juice concoction that Dee made for me before she left, I loaded the pictures on my computer. They are great and I am very excited to share a few!!! THANK YOU DEE YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!! (Now we have to get some family pictures done.)

THANK YOU!!!!

I just have to tell everyone how very lucky I am to be married to the AMAZING man that I am. A man that not only took on me (which is a lot in and of itself) but my 3 kids and all of the good ... and bad that comes with it. While I have been sick, bored, barfing, lonely, grumpy and on bed rest the past few weeks my sweetheart Richard has gotten up at 5:30am every morning to get the girls ready for school. He has made sure that they are fed, have their hair brushed, have prayers said and are out the door on time to catch the bus. Then before he heads off to work he has taken care of the animals and gotten Gabe fed, dressed, packed up and ready to go and play at Grammie Bev's. He has cleaned up breakfast, done laundry and made his own lunches. Then he goes to work all day! On his way home from work he has picked up Gabriel, gone grocery shopping and run errands. Once home he helps with dinner, takes care of the animals, cleans up dishes, folds and puts away laundry, picks up the house, helps with homework and gets the kids ready and off to bed. All while putting up with a moaning, whining, grumpy, ungrateful, sick wife. He is patient and never complains. Even when I am nasty take out how badly I feel on him- he is kind and comforting... and he just tries harder to do everything right and help more. I am undeserving and so very grateful for the wonderful man that I have been blessed with! I just keep praying that all of this illness and discomfort will ease away soon so I can go back to doing a little here and there for him and the kids. I can not wait to feel like myself again!!! I can't wait to get out of the house too! Thank you Rick- you are AMAZING and a better man than I deserve- you make me want to be a better person every day and I love you with all of my heart!!! (how is that for sappy! :P ) Thank you! Thank you!

Working on it....

I just had to pull myself to the computer and thank everyone for your help, happy thoughts, phone calls and prayers. Thank you family for taking the kids- for caring for them and for keeping them happy. Thank you Tiffany for taking Gabe all day on Friday- he was SO excited and told me all about it last night on the phone. 'I pway at Tiffy house' he said over and over. Thank you mom for watching the kids all night while we were in the Er and for making sure that we have been eating since I have been home. Thank you Dad for spending all night in the ER with Richard and I, and for driving us home when Rick was too tired. Thank you Beverly, Bill and Bobby for taking the kids overnight and for making sure that they had a good time. Thank you 'Mom's loop' for your prayers. That was the most pain that I have ever been in and the most swear words that I have ever used-(espeically in front of my mother!!!) some that I didn't even know that I knew--- and I am sure that everyone's prayers helped calm me down and ease the pain as the night went on. Thank you! Thank you! I am home resting and on the mend- I am determined to be on the mend... I have too much to do! So- Thank you all and I plan to be up and 'blogging' fun things again soon!

Just to let you know....

I just have to say that I love this blogging thing. I have been surprised how much I enjoy doing it. I love being able to look into my friends lives and see what they have been up to anytime... especially when I am sick, can not visit anyone and have no voice to talk on the phone! I am so grateful for the many wonderful things the Internet has to offer and THANKS to those that leave comments on my Blog. You never know who- if anyone- is actually looking at your blog and sometimes you wonder if it is worth the time and effort that you put into it, when no one seems to notice. I have found myself checking friends blogs daily- as that is the only thing I really feel well enough to do and it does not require talking. I love seeing the cute pictures and hearing about all of the fun things going on in your lives. So- keep on blogging.... please.... I am so bored! :)

Gabe and his Dad!

Gabriel had a GREAT visit with his father. He loved having his dad here and all of the undivided attention that his father gave to him. They spent a lot of time playing outside, watching movies, sword fighting, ninja fighting, wrestling and goofing off together. Gabriel loved having someone to throw the ball and shoot guns with. In fact... Gabriel's favorite game was 'Go get it'. He would take a toy or ball over to Thom- get Thom's attention- throw whatever he had in his hand as far as he could and tell Thom, 'go get it Thom'. Gabe loved this game- he had his own personal 'go getter'. Thom was a good sport about the whole thing and went 'fetching' time and time again. You know a father loves his son when he will play a game like that over and over with him. Thom got a kick out of all of the funny things Gabriel says and out of his very stubborn (at times) attitude. He was surprised at how stubborn Gabriel can be and now knows how hard it can be to keep a straight face when Gabe is being naughty. I think Thom was pleased to see how obedient Gabe is and how quickly and sincerely he will apologize when he does something wrong. It was fun to watch these two playing and running around together all week. I am not sure which one adores the other more?!?!? We are grateful that Thom makes the time to fly out and see his son and for all that he does to care for and spend time with Gabe.

Some fun things we did last week...

Despite the fact that I have not been feeling well and thanks in good part to the wonderful men that have been around this past week my kids have been able to do lots of fun things. The girls were able to go roller skating and shopping. All of the kids enjoyed playing on their swing set, they loved going costume shopping and had fun decorating Halloween cookies. Which we ALL enjoyed eating! Thank you everyone for your help and for the fun week that you helped the kids have in spite of their 'lame' mother!

GOTTA GIVE A SHOUT OUT.....

I just have to take a moment and tell everyone what a WONDERFUL mother in law I have. I am so unbelievably lucky! I have been sick for the past month- really sick for the past week- more so than I have let on probably. Last night was especially bad and Rick was worried about leaving me home today as all of the family needed to be at church. He called his mother to chat last night and Beverly would not hear of me being left alone- sick- with no one watching over me. This wonderful woman showed up at my home as everyone was leaving for church, got me any little thing that I needed and sat in the most uncomfortable chair in the house watching over me for hours while I slept. Bev has been loving and supportive and has taken my children right in as part of her family. I have been surprised over and over at the amazing man my husband is and continue to be more and more surprised at the GREAT family I have inherited. Having a mother in law for a best friend is really cool and I feel so blessed! Thank you Bev for being so WONDERFUL to me!!!! I love you tonz!!!

My kids are so lucky! The 'dads' decided to build a playground for the kids while they were here visiting this trip. They wanted to give the kids something that they could play with that would last. They also thought it would be fun to add on to it every time that they come out to visit. Thom looked up all kinds of playground designs on line and they started planning. They hit the lumber and hardware store and spent a good day building. They have added bolts and paint every day... a little here and a little there until they felt it was totally safe for the kids. They even got on the swings and tested it out before they would let the kids on it. Once they felt sure the swing set was not going to move they let the kids on it- I have hardly seen them since! The 'dads' are planning to build on a platform house and a slide in the next couple of visits. Isn't that the BEST idea ever!!! The kids are LOVING it and I love that I can look out my kitchen window and keep an eye on everyone playing. THANK YOU & YEA DADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A few photos from our week...

Gabriel and his father playing Superman!

Gabriel and his favorite blankie- he HAS to have it!

Rachel riding on the Merry go round when her Daddy took her shopping for her Birthday!

Sarah diving into her candy on Halloween night

Mommy and Sarah on Halloween!