NO KIDDOS...and Why Was I SO Tired!

Today I woke up on my own for the first time in 4.5 years. The house was very quiet, and still is. There was no sound of little feet racing to their door and calling out, "good morning mom." Or a baby in his crib jabbering and asking for more bottle. It was weird! Yesterday it was Tyler's 33rd birthday! So we headed down to my parents for a little birthday lunch. Then we left Tyson & Carson there for a sleep over so Tyler and I could have a night together...alone. It was much appreciated...and much needed! Tyler and I haven't spent a night alone together for a very long time. It was nice. Tyler had to get to bed early so he could wake up at 3:20 a.m.! Yes that is SO DARN early. But he had to travel quite a ways for work this morning so he sacrificed his sleep to stay at home for the night. I love that guy...he is always sacrificing his sleep for us. It was nice to be together with no interruptions. Just time together to talk and cuddle. Once again it was very appreciated...THANKS MOM!

I MUST be productive today while the kids are gone. Sitting here blogging I am waisting time when I could be doing other productive things. But blogging is important too and it is nice to write without little people clinging to me wanting to play on the "puger." I have quite a few things planned for my day alone. I want to get there 3 walls of Tyson's room painted, which shouldn't take long. Taping everything off is what takes the most time. He will be excited to come home to a "new" room. He loves the aqua blue wall already. It will look so much better once the other walls get painted and the curtains are up. Another thing I MUST get done is tackle the mountain of laundry that is taking over my laundry room. I must have 10 loads to fold. Have I ever mentioned how much I HATE folding laundry...I think I have! Once I get those 2 things done I will have the rest of the day to myself...to relax. HAPPY DAY. I am missing my little ones though. Their happy smiling faces in the morning. Climbing into bed to watch Curious George, and snuggling. But I am sure they are having a fun time at Grandma's.

I tried to watch Grey's last night...but kept falling asleep, so really the whole thing is a blur, and I really have NO idea what happened. I am bummed! I had been looking forward to it all week, and then sleep took over and I missed it. Why was I SO tired, I have no idea. But obviously my body needed the sleep. I will have to wait until the DVD's come out to see what happened to Meredith, but I have a good idea that she didn't die. Which I am very HAPPY about!

Space Bags...A GREAT Invention!

WHEW where does the time go? It goes by WAY TO FAST! I have been busy...but what else is new. I am happy to report that I have all the candles unpack and on the shelves and ...ready to be SOLD. Yipee!! I had to share one of the best inventions. A while ago at Costco Tyler saw these bags. They are called Space Bags. You place your items in the bag and then attach the vacuum to it and it sucks all the air out making the items in the bag at least 1/2 the size. So we bought some with the intent on using them for our extra blankets in the spare bedroom closet, to make room for the junk I didn't need in the computer room...so I would have more room for the candles. Here is a picture of the before and after:

I don't know if you can really tell in the picture just how much smaller the "after" is, but these bags really do work. I should have taken a picture of the closet before the blankets were in the bags. Now there is extra room in the closet, where before you could hardly close the door. I am thinking of putting the kids old clothes in the bags and shrinking them down too. These space bags are a great storage idea. I am a happy girl to have 2 closets that were once a disaster neat and organized now!

For the past few weeks I have been getting ready for an enrichment class. We were going to be making FHE Boards, THANKS Heather for the GREAT idea! I was happy to have the night finally arrive and see all the sisters complete their projects. It was fun to see everyone express themselves through the colors they chose. I have to admit though... I was happy when the night was over. It takes so much time and preparation to pull a big project off, but in the end it was so rewarding. The girls were so thankful for all the time we put into getting the project together. My only regret is that I didn't take my camera! But here is a picture of my completed board. It will hang in my kitchen. I LOVE it!

I also made another craft this past week. I guess I have been in the "crafty" mood. This was a kit I purchased from Joanne, (thanks again Heather!) Joanne is a great person, and SO fun to work with. I feel bad for her cause she had to put up with me changing my mind a dozen times. But I am very happy with this wreath. I most importantly LOVE the quote. " Where there is Love in the heart, there is Joy in the home." How true this quote is! I am glad that I came across it, and that it is displayed in my home where I see it many, many times a day. It is a good reminder for me to be happy!

The Candles Are In!!

Last night I got my first BIG shipment of Salt City Candles. It was JUST like Christmas opening all 12 boxes (2 didn't come.) Carson of course had to get right into the action and help me. He is such a little helper. He did a great job and not 1 candle got broken, accept for the one that was broken in shipping. So now I am officially open for business! I have a party next week and I am SO excited to get this awesome product on the market. I know it is going to be a BIG hit in the Southern Alberta area. What woman doesn't like her house to smell like cinnamon, or baked apple, Tahitian mango, or garden lilac. I can't think of one! So bring on the business!!

1. Today I have a list of things that need to get done.

1. Paint Tyson's 1 wall in his bedroom. I have it all taped off, all I need to do is take down the shelf and put Carson down for a nap.

2. Drill holes in 100 2" round disks for my class on Tuesday night.

1. 3. Clean my DISASTER of a house! Holy cow does this house get dirty and cluttered fast. Or do I just not notice how quickly time is going by and how few and far between since I have vacuumed?

4. Mop the kitchen, dining room and front entry way.

5. De junk our coat closet and coat hangers. How many coats do we need? I think we have a few too many out. And did I mention baseball hats? How many can you wear at a time...I think it is only one. Yet we seem to have about 10 hanging around here and there. I say GOODBYE to the hats. You only need one out!

6. Laundry, laundry, laundry. Have I mentioned how much I HATE laundry. The easy part is sorting it and putting it in the washer and dryer. The part I HATE the most is folding it! AGHHH, I have 3 laundry baskets to fold.

7. Clean out my computer room closet. Yes it is full of....JUNK! I am starting to feel like a pack rat. I seem to put everything in this closet. It needs to be de-junked so that I can fit more candles in there.

Well it looks like I have a lot to accomplish today, I wonder how much I am ACTUALLY going to get done. Not much, if I keep spending my time on the computer.

Accepted...

I created 4 cards for Paper Crafts upcoming issue of Card Creations #5 and 1 of my designs was accepted. 1 out of 4 isn't bad. I am happy to be back in the scrapbooking world. It has been a LONG time since I have tried to have anything published. Here are pictures of the 3 cards that weren't accepted. I can't show a picture of the one that was though...you will have to wait for the magazine to come out.

I am trying to be patient and wait for the greyhound bus to arrive from up north. I am expecting my 1st large shipment of Salt City Candles! It is going to feel just like Christmas opening all those boxes and taking out the inventory. I am excited about getting started. I have registered to be in the Home & Garden show in March. Hopefully by then I will have lots of stock, and feel confident about selling the products. I love these candles, I have never found one that produces as intense fragrance as these ones do. I know that others will love them as much as I do once they give them a try. There are so many possibilities with having your own company. I am happy for the challenge, and excited about everything that is to come.

I LOVE this sweet little boy! He is just so darn cute! He is the most mellow child I have ever know. He is happy go lucky all day...everyday. His favorite thing to do is play with his cars and trucks. He will do that all day long, moving his cars from one place to another, lining them up all in a row. It is so funny to watch him. He plays by himself way better than Tyson did. And even now Tyson wants someone to play with him. He is the BEST sleeper too. He usually goes to bed by 7 and sleeps till 7:30 a.m. And in the afternoon has a nap for about 3 hours. It is heaven to have those 3 hours to do what I want. It is such a blessing to have children. I am thankful everyday that my boys are healthy and happy. It truly is a miracle to have healthy kids! Life wouldn't be complete for me without these 2 special angels in my life. They bring me such joy and happiness!

A Surprise!

So after yesterday's post I wasn't planning on getting anything from Tyler for Valentine's Day. But he never disappoints me, and this year was no different. I love the present he gave me, something small but very thoughtful. I love the card to, the words written were just what I needed to hear. We had my parents over for supper, they came to town bearing gifts for all of us for Valentine's. It was nice to spend time with them. After my parents went home and the kids were settled in bed I made chocolate fondue for Tyler and I which we ate in bed watching some t.v. It was so yummy! I love fondue, we need to do it more. I even have left overs, so who knows maybe tonight we will have a repeat while we watch Grey's Anatomy!

Speaking of Grey's I am SO excited for tonight's episode. What is going to happen to Meredith? What about Izzy and the guy trapped under the car. Is Izzy going to go over the edge, will she be able to handle it? Only 2.5 hours to go until all is revealed. I LOVE Thursday night, it is the BEST night for t.v. I don't plan on anything on Thursday nights, yes my life revolves around certain t.v. shows. Pathetic I know. But I look forward to Thursday every week, and I enjoy my down time while watching the shows that I am addicted too!

My kids crack me up! Tonight while I was uploading the picture of my v-day gift Carson started saying "Cheese." So I took a few pictures of the boys. They are rowdy, rambunctious, and busy, but I love them to pieces. Life is never dull when you have a 4.5 & 2 year old around. Everyday brings more challenges, and surprises and so much JOY!

Kind of a Bummer!

Okay I usually try not to complain on my blog, but this is my journal in a way and so I feel that I need to express my feelings, even the feelings of complaint. So today is Valentine's Day, a day to express your love to those you love, and show extra appreciation. Well I called my DH today to see what he wanted to do tonight and he said this to me. "I have to be honest with you, I'm really not feeling Valentine's today. I don't have anything planned, so I hope your not disappointed." How could I not be disappointed! We had already discussed that we weren't going to buy any gifts for each other cause we just bought a van, and that would be our gift to each other. But we could have still gone out to supper or a movie. But now we aren't doing anything! Just staying home like it is a regular day. I must admit I am bummed out by it, and even more bummed that I was told that nothing was planned. It kind of made me feel very unimportant and I surly wasn't feeling the love from my husband.

So I decided to take matters into my own hands. I went out and bought some expensive chocolate to have fondue tonight after the kids went to bed. I also bought a bottle of sparkling raspberry drink. I love chocolate fondue, so if this treat isn't really appreciated by my DH, then at least I will enjoy it. Hopefully though this will put him in a better mood. I know that he has been stressed out quite a bit over work. Last week another operator in Swift Current quite, so that means double the work for Tyler until they hire another person. I have also decided that I am not going to complain about him being gone. It really doesn't help matters. I know that he wants to be home with us, and sometimes he just can't manage it. Me complaining only adds to his stress. So I am praying hard every day for extra strength with managing the house and the kids while he works. So far...so good.

So although this didn't start out as a very good Valentine's day, hopefully by the little effort I put out will pay off.

Busy Girl

I have been SO busy today. I can't believe all the things I have accomplished. Here is what I have been up to:

1. Shovel the sidewalk & driveway (it has been snowing here for DAYS, and there is TONS of snow!)
2. Made stew in the crock pot (it smells SO yummy.)
3. Laundry
4. Put together Tyson's teacher gifts for Valentine's Day
5. Cleaned out my computer room to make room for all my stock! It should be here on Friday. Then I will be ready for business!
6. Dishes
7. Errands down town
8. Vacuum
9. Organized my FHE files for the swap next Tuesday
10. Computer work for Candle Scentsations
11. Organized our Enrichment night activity for next Tuesday
12. Paper work for an upcoming trade show I am going to attend
13. Put an ad in the auto trader to sell our car

Whew...I am tired, and it is only 4:30! There was still more that I wanted to accomplish today like paint Tyson's wall in his room. But that will have to be done on another day. I love the feeling I get when I have been productive and things have gotten checked off my "to do" list. I have a feeling that the next few weeks are going to be quite busy for me. I am excited to really get into being a distributor for Salt City Candles. The product is awesome!

It always feels good to come home! We left on Wednesday to go to Edmonton to meet up with Tyler. He spent the week there doing maintenance on his rig. So we thought we would join him for a much needed holiday. The kids were excited to go the West Edmonton mall and go to the water park. It was quite a long drive, 5.5 hours, in not the best weather, but we made it there safe and sound. We were happy to be with daddy again, and he was happy we came! After a quick dip in the pool we put the kids to bed. We were happy to be staying at the same hotel as out good friends the Wolfe's. Our kids get along so well together and we love spending time with them. The next day we headed to the mall, and decided not to go to the water park but to go to Galaxy land instead. Before the rides opened though we went to China town. Tyson liked this huge turtle, and I couldn't resist taking his picture while sitting on it. All through out the mall there are beautiful fountains. Carson was amazed by them. I was surprised at how well the kids cooperated when I wanted to take their pictures. Usually they are little monkeys!

The kids had a BLAST at Galaxyland. Tyson is an amusement park junkie. He loves the rides, and would go on all of them if he was allowed to. He couldn't get enough of it. He loved the roller coaster, (he was just barley tall enough to go on it...only because his hair was sticking up in the back). He didn't cry at all, in fact he had his are raised above his head and was waving to us. It was so fun to see him having such a great time. Even Carson loved the little rides that he could go on. He would cry each time we took him off the little car ride.

I think the funnest ride for Tyson was the bumper cars. It was so funny to watch him and Lizzy try to drive these cars. I am surprised those kids didn't have whip lash when they were done. We all had a good laugh over it!

Anther exciting thing we did while in Edmonton was buy a new mini van! Yes I am now in the mini van club. I used to say that I would NEVER, EVER have a mini van...well never say never! I love it! It is so nice and comfortable...and there is SO much room! I am very thankful that we were able to find what we were looking for and that we got a pretty good deal on it. I must admit though, it is more than what we really needed. But we justified the leather seats, dvd player, and the sun roof because we plan on having this van FOREVER! So I think we deserve it and it isn't like we are going to be looking for a new vehicle any time soon. So I am very happy with our purchase, and the kids love it too. I will have to take a picture of it when it is clean. Oh and Tyler named her Nancy. He always has to name our vehicles. LOL...he is a funny man...but I LOVE HIM!

We had a GREAT time, and now I am happy to be home, sleeping in my own bed. There is no place like home!

Christmas Layouts!

Just a quick post to show the 3 LO's that I made today. I love these pictures of the boys!

It feels GREAT to be scrapbooking again. I think the creative juices are flowing. Check back for more Christmas layouts!

A Man's Job...

Who says a woman can't do a man's job? Well today I proved that theory wrong! I noticed yesterday that my front drives headlight was out. My husband is gone all week, so he isn't able to fix it. I got out the owner's manual for the car and looked up "replace headlight." The instructions were fairly easy to follow. So I lifted up the hood and began to look for the bolts that I needed to unscrew. Funny thing is...I couldn't find the right bolt. So while running errands I ran into the local mechanic shop and just asked them if they could show me which bolts to take out. Which they kindly did...and they didn't charge me. Then I crossed the street and went to the auto parts store to pick up a new headlight. Then I came home, Carson fell asleep bless his little heart, so I had time to fiddle with the headlight. I managed to get the 2 bolts out using a pair of pliers, probably not the right tool, but it worked. Then after a little persuasion I was finally able to get the headlight out, and in went the new one. Screwed int he bolts and tested the light out...and it worked. I must say I am quite the handy girl. Now I have a bit more confidence in myself that I can take care of things when Tyler is gone. I would way rather have him home to take care of stuff like that, but at least I know I can do it if I have too. So for $8.96 I have a new headlight!

Busy, Hectic LIFE!

WOW! Time sure has gone by FAST! My life as been busy. Busy especially with setting up a new business! Yes I am an entrepreneur again! I can't wait. I have been a demonstrator for Salt City Candles for about 3 months and now I am a DISTRIBUTOR. I've hit the big time now! I have my "own" little company I guess you would say. I chose the name Candle Scentsations. I think it is cute and catchy. Tyler wanted me to call it Burning Scentsations, but that was after I had already registered the name. So Candle Scentsations it is. I will be a distributor for Salt City Candles in the Southern Alberta Area. There is SO much potential for me to make this business very successful. I have set some short term goals and I am anxious to begin crossing them off my list. This past week has been hectic with getting all the business end of things set up. Bank accounts, savings accounts and credit cards. Also getting used to Quick Books, and inputting all my info into that program. It is exciting and overwhelming all at the same time. I can hardly wait to get my inventory, all $xxxx.xx of it! Yes it was a large investment, but it will SO be worth it. I have also placed a few ads in local papers looking for demonstrators, so hopefully I will get some leads out if those. The next few weeks are going to be especially busy when I do get my inventory. There will be my "warehouse" to set up, just my computer room cleaned out, and re-organized to make room for all the products. Then I have a few parties booked. So I am very excited about all the possibilities.

I have also been busy creating cards to submit for an upcoming idea book. Hopefully they will like some of my designs, and choose to use the cards. This week in the mail I got ALL of my goodies I had ordered off of eBay several weeks ago. It was so fun to open that packages and see all the fun scrapbooking products. I can't wait to have some time to scrap out Christmas pictures. But seeing how hectic life has been, I can't really see me finding the time soon. But when I do get time I will have some GREAT photos and awesome product to work with!

The kids have been good, and busy as usual. Seems like I am always running here and there taking them somewhere. Tyson is getting ready for his skating carnival in March and he is much more excited this year than he was last year. He has improved SO much over the year. He is loving skating and that brings me much joy.

Life is good, life is busy and I wouldn't want it any other way!

Making a Difference!

On Friday night we had a "girls night out," with my mom, Tiffany, me and my sisters friend. We went out for supper to East Side Mario's (LOVE that place) and then off to a movie. For any of you who haven't seen "The Pursuit of Happiness," it is a MUST see! The determination of some people just blows me away. The things that people go through in order to gain a better life amazes me. My heart ached for "Chris" as he struggled to provide for his family. Ultimately his wife couldn't take it anymore and left him. But he would NOT give up. He wanted a better life for himself and his son, and in the end that is exactly what he got. It was a happy emotional end, and such a great movie about how the human race really can over come any obstacle, it just depends on how bad you want something! As I watched the movie I was thinking about how BLESSED I am! I have strong, beautiful children, who really want for nothing. They never have to worry about their next meal. They always know that they will go to bed with a full tummy. They never have to worry about clothes on their back...in fact some clothes they never get a chance to wear because they have out grown it. They have WAY to many clothes, my weakness I guess. They never have to worry about where they are going to sleep at night. The have the assureity that there will be a warm, safe bed to sleep in. In a home where there is love and protection. They never have to worry about going to a daycare where people don't "care" for them. They have a mother who chooses to stay home and make sure they get the very best of everything. I am grateful, in every way that my children don't have to suffer. They have what they need, and more. I have a husband who loves me and is a very hard worker and an excellent provider for his family. I live in a country where there is peace and harmony where I can choose and act for myself. Still in my mind I am constantly in the pursuit of happiness. I want to be happy with who I am, and the way I live my life. I want to better myself in so many ways, for I am not yet perfect nor with I ever be. I think that in life we need to constantly be trying to be a little better, more kind to those we love. We need to reach out to our community and help where we can. There is so much MORE I could be doing. More time I could give. So I have decided that I AM going to do MORE. I have a little project in my mind that I would like to start doing. And if everything turns out I will be able to do a little good in the community. Although I am a busy mother I know that others could benefit from what I could give them. Even if it is just a listening ear, or a shoulder to cry on. That could be my service, my gift back, for all that I have been given. So in the coming weeks I am going to have this in the for front of my mind as I go about my day. I will be looking for ways I can serve others, and maybe make a difference in someones life. We all have a lot we can give. We just have to make the commitment to do something!

2 = BIG TROUBLE!

Today Tyson went to school with a good attitude about telling his teacher he was sorry. He knew that he didn't behave properly and that the right thing to do was to apologize. When he came home he was all smiles and a very happy boy. He told me he was very good, and told Miss Rita that he was sorry and that he would try very hard not to act naughty again. He also came home with his artwork, which was BEAUTIFUL! So it was a great day at pre-school, and I think Tyson learned a valuable lesson. One that I hope he remembers for a long time.

Have you ever stopped to watch two 2 year olds together? They can get into ALOT of trouble in a very short amount of time! I was watching my nephew yesterday and Tyson and I decided to go outside and shovel the driveway. Both babies (Carson & Hunter) were happy to stay inside and watch us work through the window. There were entertained by watching us and the dog play outside. Most of the time I could see them through the window, but there was a brief period of time when they were now where to be seen. Needless to say when I came into the house...there was a disaster! The little monkeys had gotten in to the pantry and pulled out a new roll of tin foil and had it unrolled ALL over the place. They had opened a can of cashews and spilled them everywhere. They tipped over a plant and had a hay day playing in the dirt. WOW my semi clean house now looked like a tornado had hit. These two boys are sure mischievous and now just how to push my buttons. I have to constantly be watching them like a hawk or a disaster with strike. I am happy thought that these two cousins play (get into trouble) so well. They will grow up and be the best of friends. But man can they ever MAKE A MESS!

I have been baking and cooking up a store ALL day, while trying to watch 6 boys! Yes I know I am CRAZY. But it is my day to take snack to our parent pre-school group so that meant making mini banana muffins, and a to die for Almond Bunt Cake for the adults. Well I guess we will see how "to die for " it is tomorrow when we eat it. I decided to try something new. I didn't want to have to go to the grocery store so I had to find a recipe with ingredients I had on hand. Amongst all this I managed to make 6 dozen double chocolate chip cookies. And this morning I pre-made out supper for the evening. Yes I was busy!

The past few days I have been able to do a few more layouts. It feels great to be scrapbooking again! I have purchased some new supplies off of eBay and can't wait for them to start coming in the mail so I can PLAY!

What A Day!

I got this little blurb from my dad this morning and though that it was SO true. If only a woman's life were as easy as a man's. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Men Are Just Happier People

What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. The occasional well-rendered belch is practically expected. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time.Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.You can play with toys all your life. Your belly usually hides your big hips. One wallet and one pair of shoes one color for all seasons.You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache..You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.No wonder men are happier.

On another note, today was NOT a good day at pre-school for Tyson. He came out of the room sobbing. His teacher abruptly told me that he got his art work taken away because he was shooting with it and playing guns. I didn't like the way she told me, even though I'm sure what she told me was the truth. I felt that she should have taken me aside with Tyson and told me what happened and what her and Tyson decided they were going to do about the situation for the next day. So I had to deal with a sobbing child, and the humiliation that "MY CHILD" wasn't a perfect little angel at school. I totally agree with his teacher that that behavior is NOT accepted. I don't know what has gotten into him lately. Is it only my child that doesn't behave properly at school? I am beginning to wonder. I have spoken to him many times about how we should act at school, about what is acceptable behaviour and what isn't. So why isn't he getting it? I have totally cut back on his t.v. watching and have been monitoring what he has been watching. I am cutting out ALL violent shows completely. He just catches on to things way to easily and then he tells me he was just using his imagination. LOL, he is a clever kid. All the way home today he cried as I talked to him about his punishment. No t.v. for the rest of the day, and he was getting X's through is left over square, so that means NO MONEY. He was upset, but hey when you don't behave you have a punishment. I am hoping and praying that he will clue in and that Thursday will be a better day! I registered Tyson for Kindergarten on Monday, now I am wondering if he is ready for it. I know there is still 5 months left of pre-school and hopefully by then we will have ironed out any little kinks he has. I am hoping that he will be ready for Kindergarten and that I won't regret my decision for not holding him back in pre-school for another year.

Edit: I wish I could have recorded Tyson's prayer tonight. He was so sincere when he asked Heavenly Father to please help him be a better boy at school, and not be so naughty. He said he was really, really, super duper sorry for being a bad boy. Tonight as we read the story about Alma The Younger and how he learned to apologize sincerely, it was a perfect story to end out of crazy day. It was easy to teach Tyson that once we say we are sorry and are really sorry for it, that we must never do it again. So he could relate easily to this story. We spoke about how he needed to apologize to Miss Rita and then never disobey her again. I told him that I new he was a good boy, but sometimes we make mistakes and we need to apologize and then try very hard not to make the same mistake. I told him to look at his CTR ring (yes I went and bought another one) and that would remind him to always choose the right. It was a great teaching opportunity, and I actually think he understood it. So we will see how Thursday goes when he apologizes to his teacher.

As for my day I was able to scrapbook a page. Yahoo! I love how it turned out! I love the picture of Carson. I remember the day well, he was so happy to be playing. Even looking at this picture I realize just how much he HAS grown in 6 months. I am hoping to complete some more pages in the next few days. I realized just how much I have missed scrapbooking. It is such a relaxing thing for me to do. Most of all I love how I am capturing my children's childhood and putting all of our fun memories to paper. I hope one day they will enjoy looking through these books as much as do.

Today I saw the cutest craft! Every morning I look forward to reading a few blogs. These are people I have come to know strictly through their blog and the very casual email. These two girls totally inspire me. One is young with a busy young family like me and I can totally relate to her. She is SUPER talented and accomplishes more in 1 day than I do in a week. She always has good advice and great scrapbooking/craft ideas. So here the craft she made the other day. I fell in love with the wreath, and wanted to find a LOVE quote of my own for the plaque in the middle. I found this quote and man how true it is! It really struck home for me. "Where there is LOVE in the heart, there is JOY in the home." I don't know who said it, but it has become my new motto. The other girl who I look forward to reading about is Sophia. She is spunky, and full of the BEST advice. She is so organized. I don't think I know of a more organized person than her. She has a list for everything. She is such a genuine person, and I wish that I new her in person. But as I have read these 2 blogs for the past year, I really do feel I know them.

EDIT: Tonight after I put the kids to bed I finished ANOTHER layout. Yippee. I'll share it tomorrow. Anyway I was browsing a few blogs and I had to share this picture with you. Isn't it the most beautiful picture! Teri is such an AMAZING photographer! If I lived closer I would have her take pictures of my beauties too. Anyway, just had to share :)

Busy Life!

I have been SO busy the past few days. Life just seems to get so busy, and I find myself taking on way to much at a time. But I think I would rather be busy than not. Seems that every night this week I have had something to do. Tonight we are going to the Keg for Tyler's belated Christmas party. And tomorrow I am taking a good friend out for her birthday. So those things will be fun. It has been SO nice to have Tyson back in school. He is happy to go and be with his friends again. I am thankful for the 3 hours break in the afternoon twice a week.

I can't believe that Kindergarten registration is next week. I am having a hard time deciding if Tyson should go to Kindergarten or do one more year of pre-school. I am leaning more towards sending him to Kindergarten. His birthday is in August, so I don't feel that is too late in the year to put him ahead. I know there is lots of debate over this situation, and it seems every parents has their own opinion. It is just so hard to know what to do!

I actually scrapbooked today. I finally got around to doing a project that I wanted to do at the beginning of the school year. I scrapped a large wood clothes pin and put a magnet on the back. That way all of Tyson's school stuff and be hung up on the fridge with this cute magnet. Here is a picture. I just bought a ton of scrapbook stuff off eBay. I really need to catch up on the kids books. also I want to get back into doing projects for Paper Crafts. I have missed being involved with that. Now all I need to do is get some inspiration, and get my scrapping mojo back!

It Didn't Last Very Long!

If you read my post from yesterday you will see that cute, adorable picture of Tyson with his new C.T.R. ring on. Well he LOST it already! He had it lost by the end of the night. Somehow I knew it wasn't going to last. I was so excited for him, and I thought that maybe just maybe he would have taken better care of it. But I noticed that he was fidgeting with it and putting it on different fingers so it really doesn't' surprise me that he lost it. Hopefully it will turn up though...I'm sure it is in the couch or underneath something if only I took the time to look for it.

I also mentioned that I was starting a t.v. chart with him. Well so far...so good. He only used 3 of his squares today = 1 hour of t.v. and 1/2 hour of computer. He did mention to me thought that he wished I would have never made the chart (as he points to it.) That kid is very cleaver and smart. He knew exactly how much time he had left and exactly what and when he wanted to use it. I am going to think of some reward system for him though. If he has a certain amount of squares that he didn't use then he will get to go to the Movie Mill for a movie and popcorn. I think it is good to reward him for his efforts.

I am SO excited that tomorrow Tyson goes back to school. Yahoo! The Christmas holiday seems to have gone on WAY to long. I have spoken to some other parents and kids as well and they are all ready to go back to school, or have their children back in school. So tomorrow it is back on schedule, back on track. And tomorrow Tyson also starts skating. He is excited this time to go skating, unlike last year when we had to drag him kicking and screaming.

I also mentioned that I was going to get up at 7 a.m. and excersise or read my scriptures...well that didn't happen. I just couldn't make myself get up at 7! First I pushed the snooze button, and then I just turned the alarm off all together. But when I did get up I managed to walk on the treadmill for a good 15 minutes, and I worked up quite the sweat. My goal was to walk 30 minutes but the kids were getting hungry so I had to cut it short. There is always tomorrow though!

C.T.R.

Today in church all the younger kids (18 and younger) were moved up a class in Sunday school. So that meant that Tyson is no longer a Sunbeam, but a C.T.R. which stands for Choose The Right. He was SO excited, and even more excited when he was finished his class. He couldn't wait to show me all the cool stuff he got. He got a cool CTR ring ( a power ring is what he called it), and a small Styrofoam cup that he planted a seed in. He also got this cool rubber bracelet like the yellow Lance Armstrong ones. His says "Coaldale Primary, and Follow Him In Faith, " which is their theme in Primary this year. It is so great to see him excited about church. I hope he keeps this excitement and enthusiasm for a very long time!

Carson had his 2nd birthday on the 29th of December. I feel so bad for the little guy having his birthday right after Christmas. It seems he doesn't get the attention that other kids do whose birthdays aren't around the holidays. I figure that next year I am going to have his party WAY before the holidays, that way he will get the same amount of attention, and he will know what is going on. This year we just had a small party at home with Grandma & Grandpa Jensen, and Auntie and Hunter. We roasted hot dogs in the wood stove downstairs. It was fun, and the hot dogs were delicious! Carson was so funny when it came time to blow out the candles. He wanted to touch the flame. What a silly boy! Carson is such a sweet boy. He is very sensitive and I love that about him. He is tender hearted and loves to comfort others when they are sad. This boy LOVES cars! He will play with them ALL DAY LONG, for hours. He doesn't' need anyone to entertain him, he entertains himself. This next year he is going to change a lot I know it. He will start talking more and being even more independent. It is going to be fun to see him grow and develop. I love this little BOY!

A Few Changes...

AGHHHH! I have no idea why my blog looks so funny. Everything looks good when I preview it, but on the actual site it is all screwy! Oh well, I don't want to fiddle with my template just yet. Maybe it is a problem with blogger and it will get fixed on its own. I have my fingers crossed :) As you can see I totally changed my blog around. I kind of like the clean-ness of it all. We'll see how long it lasts though. LOL!

This week seems to have gone by VERY slow! I can't wait for next week when Tyson will be back in school. I know it is only 2 half days, but man does that ever make a difference. Time for him to get back to his regular schedule, and discipline. Tyler and I have decided that we need to make a schedule for the amount of time that he watches t.v. He watches WAY TO MUCH! It is just SO easy for me to say "go watch t.v." so that I can get some things done, or if I want to have a rest. But I am beginning to see the error of my ways. He is picking up on to many things, and he is getting way to involved in every t.v. show he watches. He knows all the songs, and characters to most of the children's shows. NOT GOOD! So we have decided to start with limiting him to 2 hours a day. Now that may sound like a lot, but it really is a BIG cut back. So we will see how it goes. I am going to let him choose exactly when he wants to watch t.v. If he wants to watch a movie that is going to take a big chunk out of his two hours, but that will be his choice. Monday is the day we are going to start. I thought I would just do it for the 5 weekdays and see how it goes for the month. Not only will it be a change for Tyson, it is going to be a change for me too!

Also on Monday I am going to start a new routine for myself. I need to wake up earlier instead of sleeping in until the kids get up. I figure I could use that hour between 7 & 8 to do quite a few things. Exercise is one of the things I would like to start doing. I heard on a talk show awhile ago that if you walked for 30 minutes 3 days a week for 3 months you could add 3 years to your life. Now that sounds good to me! I can also use that hour to read the scriptures and just meditate. So 7 a.m. on Monday I will be up and walking on my treadmill. But first I will have to dust it off. LOL!

Sledding...

Living in Coaldale there aren't too many hills to go sledding on...in fact there is only 1. Unfortunatly we live in an area that is pretty flat, unlike the area where I grew up. We live right across the street from the "hill" so when it snows it is fun to watch the kids go sledding, or snowboarding. Tyson has always enjoyed sledding so we bundled up and headed to the hill. There was a little jump made by one of the kids, and Tyson couldn't wait to take his sled over it. It was pretty funny to watch him. He loved every minute of it. Check out the video!

This week has been pretty laid back. No school for Tyson until next Tuesday, so we don't have anything that needs to be done, or anywhere to go. It is nice to just relax and stay home once in awhile. We didn't do anything big for New Year's. We had our friends over and enjoyed a great dinner and then later when the kids were in bed we played Risk, my new favorite game. I won both games...I am the ultimate destroyer! It was fun to play something different. We were all so into the game that we actually missed the countdown by 15 seconds or so. So that tells you we must have been enjoying the game a lot! It is great to have good friends. Ones where you can just be yourself and they accept you for that. It is even better when you have kids the same age who get along and love to hang out together as much as the adults.

CHRISTMAS...update!

WOW the past few days have flown by! So much has happened and so much to catch up on, I hardly know where to begin. The few days before Christmas I was busy wrapping and delivering all the Christmas goodies to friends and family. Tyson was the one who delivered the gifts and he was SO happy to go to each door and see the peoples reaction when they opened the door. I could tell that he was really in the spirit of giving, and it was AWESOME!

Christmas eve fell on a Sunday and it couldn't have been a more perfect day. Our Sunday service was beautiful, filled with glorious music, and messages that spoke of service. It was a great way to start of the holiday season. After church we headed down to Cardston to Tyler's sisters house to gather with his family for the evening. We had a wonderful ham dinner with all the fixins. The kids (cousins) had fun playing together and the adults enjoyed visiting and playing cards. It was a great evening! Later we went to my parents house to get the kids settled down for the evening. They were very excited and could hardly go to sleep..well at least Tyson was having a hard time. After the kids were tucked into bed and we were sure they were asleep SANTA came to deliver the presents. It was great to sit and reflect with the glow of the Christmas tree lights. I was just as excited as the kids!

Christmas morning came fast and I couldn't wait for the kids to wake up! They slept in until 8:30! It was so fun to see the excitement in their eyes. Tyson was so captivated by the magic of Santa and all that he brought him. It really was a great Christmas!



Tyler surprised me with a PINK Ipod Nano. I was totally surprised that he bought me it, because for the past 2 years I have asked for one and didn't get one...so the year I don't ask for one I get it. Imagine that!

The rest of the day was spent with family enjoying a wonderful Christmas dinner made by my mom. She is the BEST cook! You couldn't even tell that the chicken we had wasn't turkey! After having full tummies we just hung out and enjoyed each others company, the kids played with their new toys, and everyone was happy.

Here are a few pictures of the kids opening their presents.

Tyson got this bright yellow hummer from Grandpa & Grandma Jensen. He was SO excited. He had to wait 8 hours for the batteries to charge before he could use it though...that took some patience.

Tyler also got a remote control vehicle. His was a black Silverado truck. The boys were in heaven. After they got them all charged up it was time to go in the back yard and give them a try. Tyson caught on quickly and the two of them had a GREAT time!

Here is Tyson opening up his Transformers. He was ONE HAPPY KID!

A Fancy Tie, & A Special Visitor...

For the past week or so I have been trying to teach Tyson the true meaning of Christmas. That it isn't all about Santa and the presents WE get, but that it is about the birth of Jesus and about giving to others. So I decided that he was old enough to think of something that Tyler would like, and then we would go out and buy it. I would let Tyson choose exactly what HE wanted and I wouldn't try to alter his decision any. He was THRILLED. When I first asked him what he wanted to get dad he said, "I think he would like a fancy cowboy hat with lots of bright colors on it." I told him that dad already had a fancy cowboy hat and wondered if there was anything else he might like to get him. He then said, "How about a new house!" A tired to explain to him that we liked our house and that we didn't want to move. I then left the ideas for a day or so and let him think about it. When I asked him again he said, "I want to get dad a fancy tie to wear to meetings." PERFECT idea. So we headed out to Walmart with the goal in mind to find Tyler a fancy tie. I had my mind set that no matter what tie Tyson chose that would be the one that we would buy for him, and even if it was wild (i.e. Scooby Doo, or some crazy Christmas tie) I would have Tyler wear it and be proud of it. So we went to the tie section and I was SO surprised at the tie Tyson chose, it really is nice. I wasn't surprised AT ALL that it was blue, Tyson's favorite color. Here is a picture of the proud boy with his FANCY TIE for DAD! Today was the day to wrap the fancy tie. I let Tyson pick out the wrapping paper and then helped him write his name on the tag. He wasn't as happy to take a picture with the wrapped present though. Now he can hardly wait to go with Tyler to purchase something for me. I truly believe it is about GIVING, and not getting, and that children are never to young to learn this concept. This is turning out to be a wonderful Christmas season!

Also tonight we had a special visitor come to our house. SANTA! Tyson was so excited and couldn't wait to tell Santa what he wanted. A Transformer Cybertron (Whatever that is??) Carson on the other hand wasn't too thrilled about seeing Santa. Santa aka Ryan has come to visit the kids in our ward now for a few years. This year though, Tyson caught on that SANTA was Ryan, but we didn't tell him that it was. I guess because he hang out with Ryan and Heather so often it was easy for Tyson to recognize his voice. None the less Tyson enjoyed his visit and is excited for when the real Santa comes to visit him on Christmas Eve.

A GREAT Article!

I was sent this article via email today. I found it to be a GREAT article. I wanted to share it with those who may read my blog.

A NON-MEMBERS POINT OF VIEW 2006

Paul Allen is the owner of the Seattle Seahawks, the oneswho played the Pittsburgh Steelers for the Super Bowl.He is also the owner of the Portland Trail BlazersNBA basketball team and is co-partner with Bill Gates inMicrosoft. He wrote this editorial in the Santa Clarita,California newspaper.------------------------------------------------------------------

Subject: An editorial on Mormons - Santa Clarita, CA. I have heard and seen enough! I have lived in the West all my life. I have worked around them. They have worked for me and I for them. When I was young, I dated their daughters. When I got married they came to my wedding.Now that I have daughters of my own, some of their boys have dated my daughters. I would be privileged if one of them were to be my son-in-law. I'm talking about theMormons.

They are some of the most honest, hard working people I have ever known.They are spiritual, probably more than most other so-called religious people I have encountered. They study the Bible and teach from it as much as any Christian church ever has. They serve their religion without pay in every conceivable capacity. Not one of their leaders, teachers, counselors, Bishops or music directors receive one dime for the hours of labor they put in. The Mormons have a non-paid ministry - a fact that is not generally known. I have heard many times from the pulpits of others how evil and non-Christian they are and that they will not go to heaven. I decided recently to attend one of their services near my home to see for myself. What a surprise!

What I heard and saw was just the opposite from what the religious ministers of the day were telling me. I found a very simple service with no fanfare. I founda people with a great sense of humor and awell-balanced spiritual side. There was no loudmusic. Just a simple service, with the membersthemselves giving the several short sermons. They urge their youth to be morally clean and live a good life. They teach the gospel of Christ, as they understand it. The name of their church is "TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints. Does that sound like a non-Christian church to you? I asked them many questions about what they teach and why. I got answers that in most cases were from the New Testament. Their ideas and doctrines did not seem too far fetched for my understanding. When I read their "Book of Mormon" I was also very surprised to find just the opposite from what I had been told I would find.

Then I went to another church's pastor to ask him someof the same questions about doctrine. To my surprise,when he found out that I was in some way investigating the Mormons, he became hostile. He referred to them as a non-Christian cult. I received what sounded to me like evil propaganda against those people. He stated bluntly that they were not Christian and that they did not fit into the Christian mold. He also told me that they don't really believe the Bible. He gave me a pile of anti-Mormon literature. He began to rant that the Mormons were not telling me the truth about what they stand for. He didn't want to hear anything good about them.At first I was surprised and then again, I wasn't. I began to wonder. I have never known of a cult that supports the Boy Scouts of America. According to the Boy Scouts, over a third of all the Boy Scout troops in the United States are Mormon. What cult do you know of that has a welfare system second to none in this country? They have farms, canneries and cattle ranches to help take care of the unfortunate ones who might be down and out and in need of a little help.The Mormon church has donated millions to welfare causes around the world without a word of credit.They have donated thousands to help rebuild Baptist churches that were burned a few years ago. They have donated tons of medical supplies to countries ravaged by earthquakes. You never see them on TV begging for money. What cult do you know that in stills in its members to obey the law, pay their taxes, serve in the military if asked and be a good Christian by living high moral standards?Did you know that hundreds of thousands of Mormon youth get up before high school starts in the morning to attend a religious training class? They have basketball and softball leagues and supervised youth dances every month. They are recruited by the FBI,the State Department and every police department in the country, because they are trustworthy. They are taught not to drink nor take drugs. They are in the Secret Service - those who protect the President.They serve in high leadership positions from both parties in Congress and in the US Senate, and have been governors of several states other than Utah.They serve with distinction and honor. If you have Mormons living near, you will probably find them to be your best friends and neighbors. They are Christians who try to live what they preach. They are not perfect and they are the first to admit this. I have known some of them who could not live their religion,just like many of us.The rhetoric which is spread around against them is nothing more than evil propaganda founded in untruths.(Others) had successfully demonized them to the point that the general public has no idea what they actually believe and teach. If you really want to know the truth, go see for yourself. You also will be surprised.When I first moved here some 25 years ago there were five Mormon wards in Santa Clarita. Now there are 15.They must be doing something right.

End of Article.

I have been a Mormon all my life as well as my parents, and their parents, and theirs as well. I have lived in Southern Alberta where there is a large population of Mormons. I haven't really come face to face with any anti-Mormon literature or even people who ridiculed me for being a Mormon. I guess I have been lucky. I liked this article because I really think that it ansers alot of questions people may have. And what is even better is that it was written by someone who wasn't even a member of the Mormon church. It is nice to know that there are people out there who have questions about our religion, and then they go out and get the answers themselve, and go directly to the source who would know the answers. To often we believe what we are told instead of finding out for ourself. So I am proud of Paul Allen for not listening to all the "tales" he may have heard, and by going directly to a Mormon service and getting the answers he was looking for.

All I can say is WELL SAID!

Annual Gingerbread House at the Pilling's

It has become an annual Christmas tradition to make a gingerbread house. Tonight was the night! Tyson has been looking at the box for a few days now and begging me to make it. So tonight while our family was all together we assembled a fabulous gingerbread house. Tyson was the "candy man," or so he called himself. And Carson was the candy eater! This little munchkin wouldn't stop eating the candy. Some he liked and others he tried and then spit out. After about 10 minutes he was one sticky mess...and headed for the bathtub. Tyson took great pride in putting his gingerbread house together. He told mom where he wanted the "glue" (icing) and then he would decorate that area. Check out this video of him assembling his masterpiece.




*Dad helping Carson decorate a
gingerbread tree.

*Carson concentrating on


where he is going to place


his next candy.

*Tyson the master builder
assembling his master piece.

THE END RESULT! Isn't it BEAUTIFUL!

It most definitely is a wonderful time of year!

Pilling Christmas Card - The Parents!

Like I mentioned in a previous post, I have been having a terrible time getting my kids to co-operate with me to take a few pictures. And it has been just as hard to get Tyler home with us at a decent time to take a family picture. So I have reached the deadline and this year the Christmas card will only have the kids on it. I am bummed, but what could I do? So for this year here is the card that will be going out.

I think the pictures turned out cute. But the tree became very dismantled as I was giving Carson balls to throw so that he would smile and laugh. The things we do to get our kids to smile.

I have to admit that I haven't wrapped 1 present! Usually by now they would have been wrapped and placed under the tree...but not this year. This is my year of Christmas procrastination. Everything seems to be on the back burner. But tonight I have a new movie to watch, "The Devil Wears Prada," and I am all geared up to wrap! At least that is what my intentions are. Tyler has been gone all week, and I am lonley! The kids are starting to miss him and it is hard to explain to them where he is and when he will be coming home. But I know that he is working hard now so that he can have time off during the holidays. So that will be good to have some time to spend together.

S*A*N*T*A*

Today was Tyson's pre-school Christmas concert. For the past few weeks we have been practising the 2 songs at home. Tyson has quite the little memory and he knew both songs well. I told him that he needed to sing really loud so that I would be able to hear him. Of course I was a proud mother as I saw him standing in the front row singing his little heart out. I was bummed though because it was SO dark int he gym that it was hard to take a decent picture, and the video is dark as well. Tyson is the boy in the front row in the middle.




There are only 11 shopping days left until Christmas. I can't believe it. Part of me is in the Christmas spirit, I have the music playing everyday in hopes I get into it more. I guess I don't really feel like it is Christmas because there are SO many things I haven't done this year that I always do. I haven't gotten our Christmas cards out yet...haven't been able to get a good picture of all of us together. So it just might be a picture of the kids this year. They are getting them taken tomorrow, I hope they co-operate! I also haven't done any baking like I usually do. Also the gingerbread house is still in the box waiting to be decorated. I sure hope it doestn' turn our like the Halloween house we were supposed to do. Now it is hidden in the cupboard in hopes that we get to it next year. I am hoping that next week the Christmas Spirit will fill our home and we will accomplish lots!

Little Shepherd & Trimming the Tree...

On Sunday Tyson had to dress up like a Shepherd for a sharing time in Primary. We practiced all week the 2 lines he needed to learn. They were: "C" is for the Christ Child, and "S" is for the stable where baby Jesus was born. All I can say is THANK GOODNESS for grandmas because I knew that my grandma Heninger had costumes for all the characters in the nativity. I remember as a child having the opportunity to play each part, Mary, a donkey, shepherds, and a wise man. I remember that very vividly putting on the costumes and acting out that most sacred event. Now it was time for Tyson to take part in the nativity. Grandma had the perfect shepherd costume, and Tyson loved getting dressed up and he was proud to say that he was a shepherd. What can I say...I think he make a very CUTE shepherd!

I can hardly believe that it is Christmas time again. I was having deja-vu today as I put up the Christmas tree. It really doesn't seem like a year has gone by...but it has. So much has happened, we have been so blessed, and we have grown so much. It has been a GREAT year. I love trimming the Christmas tree! It has kind of become a family tradition to put it up on the 1st Monday of December for FHE. We get the fireplace going and the Christmas music playing and Tyler starts hauling all the Christmas boxes out from under the stairs. It is a daunting task but he is happy to do it, which I am glad because I really wouldn't have to crawl under there! Tyson was a BIG help but "fluffing" out all the branches on our artificial tree. Tyson had fun this year but putting all the "bells" on the tree. Bells is his word for balls. LOL. It was funny because all the balls were at his level and the top 2/3 of the tree was bare. So when he wasn't looking I moved a few of the balls around to make them better dispersed throughout the tree. Finally after about an hour of fussing the tree was complete and beautiful as ever. I love the glow of the lights and the feeling that the "tree" brings into the house. Tyler did say something kind of funny to me today about the tree, he said " You know it is kind of funny that we bring an outside tree inside, put lights on it, and decorate it." And you know, he is kind of right. Where did the idea of decorating Christmas trees even come from? I am sure thought that it has been done for many, many years. And you know with each year I look forward to it. Tonight after FHE and prayers Tyson asked if he could go lay under the tree for 10 minutes before bed. I wanted to tell him that it was WAY past his bed time, by then it was 8:45, but I let him. I put the timer on for 10 minutes and told him that when it went off it was time for bed. So off he went and got his favorite blanket and went and just layed under the tree. It was the CUTEST thing ever. And sure enough when the timer went off he came right up to bed...and he was sleepy!

Life Is SO GOOD!

I have to thank Heather for this wonderful quote, "When you arise in the morning, think of what a privilege it is to be alive; to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love. Marcus Aurelius " I always enjoy reading her blog, she is so inspirational and SO positive. She is an example to me in SO many ways. Even though we have never met in person and live about a 1000 miles apart it amazes me that people can still connect and influence each other. Heather thanks to your wonderful idea about putting this quote on your bathroom mirror, I may just have to use this idea for myself!

As I mentioned in my blog yesterday, it was our ward Christmas party and Santa came to visit the kids. Carson wasn't feeling 100% and was quite out of it because of the medicine I gave him. But he enjoyed sitting on Santa's lap. The Christmas season is upon us know and it is my favorite time of year. Today or possibly Monday we will dig out all of our decorations and trim the house with a little Christmas spirit. Then the rest of the month is full with parties, concerts, plays and family gatherings. Not to mention the preparation still left to do at home for family, friends and neighbors. I love this time of year when I can bake up a storm and share the goodies with those I hold dear to me. This year another family and us has decided to "pixie" a family in need. We did this last year and it brought us so much joy to really be in the spirit of giving. This year I hope to involve Tyson more so that he will begin to understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Life truly is blessed. I often take for granted ALL of my many blessings. I have 2 beautiful children who are happy and healthy. A husband to loves me and our kids, and who is a good provider with LOTS of ambition. I have a family who loves me and excepts me for who I am. I have friends and neighbors who go out of their way to help me when it is needed. The list could go on and on and on. Today is a GOOD day...take a minute to think about all you have been given, and then if possible give something back.

It Tastes TERRIFIC!

Tonight was our ward Christmas party. It is an annual tradition for our ward where all the families get dressed up in their Sunday best and we gather together for a nice Christmas dinner and have a program, followed by who else...SANTA. Every year there seems to be more and more people from our congragation who attend the supper which is good, but more people means longer lines to get your food. Of course the kids were starving by 6:30 when the supper was supposed to start. Do church functions ever start on time..I think not. Oh well, it is something I have gotten used to, but it is hard to convince a 4 year old that SOON he will be able to eat. So in the mean time we had to occupy the kids with something to eat. We were located close to the desert table and the kids eagerly snatched up some Rice Krispie treats. Watch the video to see how excited Tyson is to eat one. (This is the first time I have used the video function on my new digital camera so it isn't the best, but you get the idea.)