Post Thanksgiving Bliss....

AHHH!!! Cold duck and full tummy...what more could a guy want?

I am giving up being a mom of babies

really...I am. Caleb wants to potty train. No more bottles. No more diapers. No more nursing. No more burp cloths. No more tiny clothes or even tiny shoes. No more napping in the afternoon with a warm soft head of baby hair tucked under my chin. It is all ending. I am not sure why potty training is what is throwing me off...but it is.

I dont enjoy diapers. Believe me I don't! But there is this little part of me that is having a little breakdown inside at the thought of my baby leaving babyhood behind. *sigh* I have done diapers for almost 10 years straight. ((shocker!)) You would think I would be singing praises....but alas...maybe I will another day. I need a newborn to cuddle....you know....like after an emotional day one needs chocolate? I need a soft fuzzy headed little one to console my weeping mommy heart....

On a brighter note...Caleb is thrilled to be a big boy! He loves to wash his hands and flush the toilet. He has had no wet accidents all day...and both times he was messy he wanted it fixed "NOW!" LOL!! Pull ups are not as "secure" for him I guess... thank heavens for smart marketer's who thought of putting Car's characters on Pull-ups. They are brilliant. He loves them.

Anyway....I am going to go cuddle my baby blanket now. Have a great night.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hello!! I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!! Our weekend isn't quite over yet...we have Thanksgiving dinner with my family tommorow night....

But! It has been a wonderful weekend so far! Jess put up Christmas lights in the morning on thursday, while I made 6 dozen of my family's favorite rolls. We went to Grandma Pat's for dinner. It was so nice! We were all crammed in her little basement familyroom, but wowza she is a genius when it comes to utilizing the space she has! And everything is always perfect! She cracks me up! I can't believe her talent when it comes to making a party complete! The decorations were awesome, the atmosphere calm, and well...she just rocks at party throwing! After dinner we went to Grandma Ewell's. Everyone had dessert and we visited and laughed. I sure adore Jess' family! Even with all the differences, they are still so loving and accepting and make you feel so important. It warms my heart. We are so blessed.

We came home and I scoured the ads until after midnight. I got up at 3:30 am and picked up my good friend Jill and we hit the sales! It was so much fun! I love going with Jill! It is always so low key and relaxed. We gather one or two more of the "hot items" than we need and then as we wander the store looking for other items we need, it is a blast to have a frantic mom or grandma who may have slept in, rush up and ask you where you got the item...only to say we have got an extra that we don't need and give it to them with a "Merry Christmas". The joy on their faces is priceless! I love it! :) We played late into the afternoon and when I got home Jess had wired up two sets of eve outlets for the lights. (he is such a doll!) We had the kids favorite for dinner (homemade pizza) and bundled up and went to Main Steet here in town to enjoy the Nighttime Christmas Parade! What a blast! I love this town!! The kids were thrilled with the adventure of it and Caleb was in awe at all the lights on tractors and trucks! That boy was in heaven! We think JWD Electric should put in an entry next year....

AH! Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday! There are no pressure for gift giving, and we get to gather together to eat and visit and it's cozy and fun! I LOVE IT!!

Neighborhood Halloween Party

Ok...so I found this in my drafts! I feel bad for not posting it sooner! We had an absolute BLAST!! We had a neighborhood Halloween Party! A couple of neighbors brought chili, my in-laws came and made hot scones, Amy Sorensen took photos of all the kids in costumes, we decorated our garage & set up tables on the driveway. Everyone dropped in when they could to visit, eat and then trick-or-treat! It was perfect! We SO want to do it again every year!

Jessie making hot scones with his Dad

Such fun costumes!

I think everyone enjoyed themselves...

Treats! Wahoo!!

Jestin & Grandpa Ewell

Mark your calendars for next year.... this will be an annual event!

Rilee Sophia - Glam baby! Glam!

Our Pretty lil' Princess Sophie all groomed and proper! She is such a doll! She just turned 1 last month and all of sudden she gets it! No accidents! (knock on wood) She is so much fun and really a good little dog! We are so glad to have her! Oh...and for those of you I told that she had not barked since we had Sara put to sleep...it took about 3 months...but she has found her bark!! YEA! Sometimes she scares herself...but it's in there! Bwahahaha!

Emmalee's B-day

Emmale had a wonderful 10th birthday! Aunt Millie took her shopping for new clothes, Mom took her and two of her best friends to Build-a-Bear & then out for icecream, Aunt Jenny then took her shopping for clothes for her bunny and out to dinner, her family all came over for cheesecake and chocolate icecream...and man was this girl spoiled!

An art kit from Grandma Annie & Papa

A new CD Player from Gram & Papa

A beautiful hand stitched pillow made by Great Grandma Ewell

Here's her bunny she made all dress up...

And besides the money to buy clothes on her trip with Millie, Dad & Mom got her her dream...

...a new guitar with lessons to boot! She was thrilled! She received many other gifts as well...however the best gift is all the family that loves her!

HOLY CAMOLEE!! MY BABY IS 10!!!!!!!

This gratitude girl is counting her blessings. There are many in need around me and I have been in a position to help many of them in many different ways. Being an instrument in the hands of the Lord has been an interesting and wonderous place to be. I am feeling very grateful for that the last few weeks. My life was so difficult and depressing just such a short time ago...it felt like it would never change...and now look! We are not only employed...but we are both successfully self-employed, our kids health has been amazing...it's been over a year since one of the kids has been in the hospital with asthma/pneumonia stuff. My health, even though it has given me a run around lately, has been so much better. We own a new home that we love! We are in a busy active ward where we are making new friends everyday! Our kids have many friends and can go outside safely and play every evening if they want to! They are all doing quite well in school! Fences are being mended with family we have missed. The whirlwind has died down for us...and I am so immensely grateful and humbled that I get to enjoy this small window of peace...or maybe now I can enjoy this chaos enough because of past trials that it feels like peace? Who knows? I am just very content and completely full of thanksgiving for the blessings and miracles in my life!

It's crazy but be are in desperate need of electricians. Jess is still a one man band, but he has 11...yes you saw that right...11 jobs going on right now...and they all have dealines looming. And the phone just keeps ringing with more...which is GREAT! I am so not complaining...I am so thankful...it is just hard to see Jess so stretched thin with no one to really help him. I am hoping to find the phone number for the employment specialist here in the stake and get the word out...someone close that Jess could pick up on the way out would be perfect!

I am doing amazing! I am loving having some sense of control back over my life. I got a wild hair yesturday and decided to paint my one kitchen wall yesterday about 5 pm. I was done in 10 minutes! (I love my new little edgin' paintin' device...it's SLICK! I did the whole end of the kitchen with it!) So then I did the second wall too! Love it. It is not as brown as I was hoping for...but even the color that it is it adds so much character and warmth! I love paint! And colors!

I am starting to think about Christmas. I am wondering what I am going to do. There are many things I could do...but I am feeling an unbelievable urge to simplify, and to make it not as extravaggent as it has been in the past...even from/for family and friends. I want my kids to cut down on the "gimme"s. I am tired of the holiday being about "things" I want it to be about feelings, family, the Spirit, and the meaning. Whether or not I can accomplish this...we shall see....

Anyway...randomness...but these are the things I am thinking...bwahahaha

Happy Birthday Emmalee!

My baby is 10 today!! I cannot believe it! She is growing into quite the little lady too! I am taking her and her two best friends to Build-a-Bear for a new teddy bear and then ice cream. Tommorow all her Granparents that are close are coming for cake and icecream and she wants pulled pork sandwiches for dinner. (I was really surprised by that answer...) She is my right hand girl...and it so doesn't seem possible she is 10! That is half way to 20! Where did that time go?? FLEETING! Anyway...had to post...I will share pics later...

Carving Pumpkins

Carving pumpkins was a blast! Gram, Papa, Aunt Katie, Uncle Greg and McKenly came over & we had chinese take out and watched The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and then got to work...Caleb was not so thrilled with the guts....if he thought his pungkin was shucky before....well...really!!

Emmalee wasn't crazy about it either!

Baby McKenly thought it was TASTY!!!

Cam had a blast! He even drew his own face free hand! Pretty darn cute for a 5 year old!

Cody was very much like his dad when it came to his pumpkin...perfection perfection perfection....


Are the guts all gone Gram?

And the finished products were awesome!

And here is Mom's favorite thing to carve...
I love how it turns out...and how it takes the dark side out of the holiday for me :)

Happy Halloween!!