Such A Happy Christmas

We had a great Christmas this year! Nothing too exciting, but still very fun. It was a little strange, as we didn't get up to open presents until around 9:00. Somehow Alex slept in, which was great! Ryan had to work Christmas Eve, so he didn't get home until 8:00 am, which gave him some extra time to wind down before the craziness began. Darek woke up pretty happy, but before long was a little over stimulated and hungry. After a bottle, he took a nice nap. We loved all of the gifts we received, and were so grateful to those who took time and thought into getting us gifts. Thank you so much! Some of our favorite gifts this year included:

Ryan:
1. PS3
2. iPod touch

Mandi:
1. Head massager (sounds weird, but feels incredible)
2. Touchmaster 2 (DS)
3. The Dark Knight on blu-ray
4. Big bag of gummy bears
5. Ok, pretty much everything!!

Alex:
1. Batman motorcycle
2. Indiana Jones whip (makes sounds)
3. Indiana Jones sword
4. Batman sword

Darek:
1. A fuzzy little blanket
2. Any and all toys

We also got several Nerf guns. I'll be posting soon to show our massive amounts of Nerf products. For now, here are a few pics of Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.

All the boys on Christmas Eve

A very excited Alex holding Darek right before bedtime

Putting "reindeer food" on the front lawn so Santa would find us easily

Cookies and Applebeer for Santa

Darek's present left by Santa

Alex's present left by Santa

Two cute boys on Christmas morning after opening their presents from Santa

Darek was obviously overjoyed :)

I have no idea why Alex's eyes would not stay open... oh well. He was very excited about what Santa left for him.

This was a toy left in Darek's stocking. He loves eating... I mean playing with this little elephant.

Some of Alex and Darek's presents. No, they aren't spoiled at all.

Alex with his Indiana Jones whip

Time for a nap

We love Christmas and look forward to next year when Darek will actually know what's going on. :)

At some point...

At some point soon I will post about Christmas, but I just wanted to give a quick update on Darek. He went into the doctor today for his second RSV shot and his 6 month check up. Yes, he will be 6 months in just a few days. How time flies. Poor little guy had to get a total of 5 shots today, so it hasn't been the greatest day for him. But he is growing like a little weed. He is now 11 lbs, 8 ounces. And they measured him today at 22 1/2 inches long. His weight is perfect for his height, but of course he still has a long way to go to catch up to his age group. He is smiling all the time now, and we've started him on some foods. He loves applesauce and pears. I only give it to him a couple times a week at this point. He is a sweet baby, with a very feisty temper. It's funny to watch him get mad. He can really work himself into a pretty good tantrum. He has also really learned who Mommy is. He has always recognized me, but recently he will be perfectly calm and happy until he sees me walk into the room. Immediately he'll break out into a screaming fit. That will not last long. I love that he loves me so much, but we'll have to figure out a way to show it without the screaming. ;)

Well, that's all for now. We went sledding tonight and I'm totally exhausted. I promise to post pictures of Christmas very soon.

Back to School

I have decided I am going back to school! I have been thinking about it for quite a while, but really just finally decided a few weeks ago. I am going to the DATC for a few certificates. I'm going to do things that I can use at home as a wife and mother, but they are also things that I could make into a business if I ever felt the need/want to do so. My first certificate will be in the Culinary Arts. Once I have finished that, I will hopefully be getting my Cosmetology certificate. Both of these are things I love to do, and I think being able to really learn how to do them will help me throughout my life. My big goal has been to find something I can do from home, so I think this will work out perfectly. Anyway, I'm really excited about this and wanted to share... YAY!

Funny clip

I saw this clip a while back on Family Guy and it totally reminded me of... well, everyday with Alex. I sat laughing for several minutes after I saw this, and I'm sure anyone with kids can totally relate.

Another St. George trip

I went down with the boys this past weekend to St. George. Ryan was working, so he was not able to come with us :( It was quite a fun, yet relaxing trip. I stayed with my sister Bethany, and since I had my own vehicle this time (I usually travel down there with my parents), I was able to what I wanted, when I wanted.

I had so much fun visiting with my sisters, brother-in-laws, niece and nephews. I was also able to go spend some time with Ryan's brother Russ and his family. They have 4 boys, so Alex was in HEAVEN getting to play with all of them. It was the first time I was able to meet their youngest, Brett, who is 8 days younger than Darek. I wanted to hurt myself for not bringing my camera with me to their house... next time.

It felt like a very quick trip and I was home before I knew it. Now, I need to get re-packed to go to Idaho this coming weekend to go see my grandparents. I'm happy Ryan gets to come with us on this trip. My grandparents have never met Darek and I cannot wait to show him off! Here are a few pics from the weekend in St. George.

Beth getting a picture with all the kiddos there. It was impossible to get all 5 of them to look at the camera at the same time. Oh well, still cute!

Hayley and Darek

Beth and Brayden

Beth and Darek

Chad getting ready for a nerf war.

Chad and Mike showing their awesome manly guns :)

Cute little Anna

Goofy Tyson!

Smiley Brayden.

And we're teaching Alex the effects of Alcohol at a young age... just kidding of course. It's our new favorite beverage.... Apple Beer. (no actual alcohol in it)

I'm sure we'll get some fun pictures from Idaho as well. And hopefully I'll have a post in the next day or so of my new nephew. My sister-in-law went into labor for quite a while today and then it just stopped. We were all looking forward to seeing the new little guy, but I guess we'll just have to be patient. :(

A Preview of Pictures

We had our family photos taken over the weekend, and we got them back today. I won't post them all, but I'll post a few of my favorites. Now I can finally send our Christmas cards out! YAY!

New Hair Day

I had some fun today going out and getting my hair trimmed a bit and then coloring it. I have always loved doing fun things with my hair. I used to cut my own hair, but didn't have all the tools I needed (really good shears, thinning tools, etc.) so now I go out to have my hair cut. But I do dye my own hair, and it's so much fun to do. I love trying new things. Now, I should have pictures, but since I don't really have my hair "done" at the moment, you'll have to wait for those.

The really fun part of today was taking my friend, Kaylene to get her hair done too. It's been a while since she had it cut and dyed. So we went and picked out a beautiful dark color for her and then went while she had her hair cut. Afterwards, we came back to my place and I dyed her hair for her. It turned out really great, and I'm so glad I got to help. It was such a fun way to spend the afternoon. I hope she doesn't mind, but I do have some pictures of her. he he he...

This is Kaylene before. (ok, not the best picture to show off her "before hair", but it works)

In process...

She looks so good with dark hair! Who knew?

So cute!

5 months old

It's insane to me that Darek is 5 months old now. First of all, because he is still so little and doesn't look close to being 5 months old at all. But second, because it's hard to believe he's been in our lives for over 3 months now. Amazing!

Darek has grown in many ways this month. He has gotten a little bit bigger. He is a whopping 10 lbs now. (The doctor did not measure him this time as we were just in to get the RSV shot, so I don't know how tall he is at the moment.) But he has also started acting like a big boy. He has started talking and smiling a lot more now, especially if it is to me, Ryan and Alex. He loves us, and it's so fun to see him react to us. He still has a major attitude when it comes to his food and the times when he wants attention, but when he gets what he wants, he is such a sweetie. I had been trying FOREVER to get a picture of Darek smiling, but anytime I'd hold the camera up, the smile would disappear. Tonight, while Ryan was home, I finally got a few. They are sooooo cute! We love our little Darek so much. It's so fun watching him grow, especially from such a small little guy. I'm sure each month will bring more and more fun.

4 months

5 months

Getting a big kiss from big brother Alex

Look at that sweet look on Darek's face. Priceless.

Darek has a couple different smiles. This is a more laid back smile.

This is his really happy smile. In this picture he is smiling at his Daddy. He LOVES his Daddy!

This is me trying to play with my new camera. It's pretty cute, but I think Darek is to blame for that.

I thought it fitting to post this one last as we're getting into the holiday. What a beautiful, little guy!!

Thanksgiving

A little weird that I posted about Black Friday before Thanksgiving... oh well.

This year was a little different than most Thanksgivings we've had in the past. Well, it was the same in a lot of ways, but the biggest difference was the lack of people here on my side of the family. We started the day sleeping in as long as we could. Once we woke up, we took our time getting ready. Around 1:00, we went upstairs to eat with my parents. Usually Hayley, Bethany and their families will come up. But this year neither of them did. So it ended up being my parents, us and my sister Mallory. We had a wonderful feast that filled us up!

After we finished eating, we went down to the Gateway theaters and watched the movie Bolt. I was quite surprised. It was so cute! I don't know what it is about Disney, but they can make me tear up in almost any movie! It's absolutely ridiculous!

We came back home after the movie for about an hour before heading out to Ryan's parents home. His sister and family were there and we ate a wonderful meal! There is nothing like some excellent turkey! We sat and talked and the boys played together. It was a lot of fun and very relaxing.

Overall, it was a great Thanksgiving, although I did miss my family members. Hopefully we'll have a few more people here for Christmas.... hint, hint!

I also just wanted to share a few things I am thankful for this year...

RYAN - He is the kindest, most wonderful husband in the whole world. I love his witty sense of humor, his kind heart, and his never ending patience. He understands me better than any other person ever could. He supports our family without question. I love him more than words will ever express.

MY BOYS - Alex and Darek are such incredible little guys. Both of their personalities have development a lot in the past little while, and it's amazing to see the people they are becoming. Alex's tender little heart always puts me in my place. He is constantly thinking of others, especially his little brother. His smile can instantly put a smile on my face, and his tears can instantly put me to tears. I love him so much. Our sweet little Darek is such a character. He is so feisty, but can also be so sweet. We are just beginning to see the wonderful traits he is adding to our family and cannot wait to see how he develops.
Ian is and always will be a huge inspiration to me. I miss him so much, but he reminds me every day the person I need to become so I can see him again. What a perfect little guy he is. We love you Ian!

FAMILY - We are blessed to have such wonderful family. They love us unconditionally and have given so much to us. We are so grateful for all we have been given, especially in our times of need this year.

FRIENDS - We also are blessed with wonderful friends. I love having some amazing couples to hang out with that teach me by example how to be a better person. I love being able to laugh, talk, joke, and just hang out and have fun.

BEING HOME - I've mentioned this before, but I'm so grateful I'm able to be home with my boys. It means so much to be able to watch Darek as he grows. I didn't get to do that much with Alex, and it's always something that has made me so sad. Being here for them is so important to me.

CHURCH - Although I don't always love going, I'm grateful to have the gospel. I've been reminded this year (especially with Ian) how special and important it is to have the gospel and to live it. It's not always easy, and there are many things I need to work on. But I do love the gospel and it has brought so many blessings to me and my family.

I could keep going, but I have a screaming baby and a 5 year old who won't go to bed. We love you all and thank you for all you have brought to our lives!

Black Friday

Yes, I am one of those "idiots" who participated in the craziness of Black Friday! And I loved every minute of it... starting right at 3:30 this morning when I woke up. I left the house at 3:45 and headed to Walmart. Walmart did something a little different than what I'm used to. I'm used to freezing my butt off out in the cold for an hour or so and then running frantically to a general area to grab what I want. Well when I arrived, to my surprise, no one was waiting outside. They were allowing people to come in and find their item and stand next to it for an hour and wait while the clock ticked ever so slowly. But it was nice to be able to scope out the store to know where you'd be running next. I was able to get everything I wanted there (I cannot really mention what, since people reading this will then know what they are getting). After about 2 hours at Walmart, I headed to Kmart where I was also able to find just about everything I was looking for. Then I went to Gamestop and finally ShopKo before taking a break. I went home, unloaded my treasures, picked up the boys (which my parents had been sweet enough to watch since Ryan had to work) and we headed over to Toys 'R Us and Circuit City.

It was an insane day, but I had so much fun. I was lucky enough to meet up with three of my wonderful friends, Tammy, Kaylene and Beccie, at a few stores. We had fun talking and basking in the craziness of the morning. I know people think it's nuts to shop this way, but I find the adrenaline rush so addictive! I was able to get the majority of my shopping done this morning, so that will be a little less stress for the holidays. I hope the rest of the shoppers out there this morning were able to get what they wanted (and I'm sorry if I took any of your items). Happy Holidays!!!

Surprised it took this long....

Alex had his first big fall yesterday at school. He was playing on the monkey bars and fell down from them. A yard duty came over and asked if he was okay. He said he was and got up to walk away. Well, he took 3 steps and fell to the ground crying. They took him to the office and called me. I was calm over the phone and said I would come get him. But as soon as I hung the phone up, panic sunk in. I jumped into the car and drove as fast as I could to the school. I knew that he was probably okay, but wanted to be with him right then. When I got there and walked in the school, he was sitting with his back to me inside the office. I could tell he had been crying, but had stopped.... until he saw me. He burst into tears and wrapped his arms around me. The yard duty had gone to his classroom and gotten all of his stuff, so we wouldn't have to do that. I carried him out to the car and drove home. I brought him inside and had him try to stand just to see how bad it was. He cried pretty hard when he put pressure on it. So off to the instacare we went. They took some x-rays of his foot, ankle, and leg. Everything came out normal. His foot wasn't really swollen, so it was really hard to tell what was going on. The doctor wrapped it in an ace bandage and told me to watch him. If it wasn't getting better by the end of today, then we'd probably need to see a pediatrician. Oh joy... Well, so far this morning, he has been able to put a bit more pressure on it, but can't fully stand on it yet. We'll see how the rest of the day goes. In the mean time, here are some "pitiful" pictures of Alex.

I'm just surprised that it took him this long to have a big fall. I'm sure that having boys, I will see a lot more of this kind of thing.

A Tag

Here are the rules: you need to type 7 things about yourself that you don’t think anyone knows and then choose 7 people to tag at the end and leave their link.

(I don't know that this one works well for me, because I am a very open person and share a lot about myself... so if you already know this stuff, sorry.)

1- Better Cheddars are my favorite kind of cracker. They are so much better than Cheese Its or Cheese nips or any other kind of cheese cracker. Oh, they're sooo good.

2- I love stories about war, WWII specifically. It's almost become an obsession. It's hard to describe why and all the reasons behind it, except that I think those soldiers (and soldiers from ANY war for that matter) are truly amazing to sacrifice all they have for me and this country.

3- I don't want to stay in Utah. There are several reasons for this as well. But mostly because Ryan and I have felt for a very long time that we are supposed to be somewhere else. I'm actually quite excited (and scared) for Ryan to finish school so we can figure out where that "somewhere else" is.

4- I love kids. This one is not a huge shocker to anyone, I'm sure. But since I was little, I always wanted 8 or 9 kids. I would probably still want that many if we could afford it. And who knows, maybe at some point we actually will. (Ryan, have you had a heart attack yet?)

5- I hate having a dirty home. Now, anyone who has been in my home is probably very confused right now. It's very hard to keep this place clean since we have sort of grown out of it. I try to keep it as clean as I can, but when there is a room that is very dirty, I try to stay out of it as much as possible until I actually have the time to clean it. Our room is a disaster right now, so I really only go in there to sleep.

6- This is the first time in approx. 12 years that I haven't worked, other than maybe a few days between jobs. I have worked since I was in high school and all throughout our marriage. This is the first time I've actually been able to stay home and be with our kids. I love it more than anything! I am so grateful that Ryan puts up with his awful schedule so I can do this. It means so much to me.

7- I love doing "guy" stuff. For instance, we bought batteries for two of our cars the other day. With Ryan's insane schedule, it was up to me to actually replace them. I did my car without an issue, but Ryan's was a little tougher, so I got my Dad to help me a little bit. But I felt so accomplished coming in with my grimy hands and dirty clothes. I love watching/playing sports (if it's a team/sport I'm interested in), fixing things, etc. I may not be great at it, but it's so much fun to do.

Well, there ya go. I'm impressed with anyone who actually got through that. Now, who are the lucky 7? Beth, Amy G., Tammy N., Tammy C., Clover, Kaylene and Rachel.

ANTHRAX SCARE AT BYU!

BYU football practice was delayed nearly two hours today after a player reported finding an unknown white powdery substance on the practice field. Head coach, Bronco Mendenhall, immediately suspended practice while police and federal agents were called to investigate.

After a complete analysis, FBI forensic experts determined that the white substance, unknown to the players, was the goal line.

Practice was resumed today after special agents decided the team was unlikely to encounter the substance again.

HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!

Boys, Boys and more BOYS!

Just a quick congrats to my brother Aaron and sister-in-law Jen. They just found out that they are having another BOY! This will give them 3 boys and 1 girl. As far as grand kids go, we will be up to 8 boys and 2 girls. The girls have a long way to go to catch up. As for this little guy, can't wait to see him in a month or so!

New Van

We did it! We got our new van! I cannot tell you how excited I am about it. I was so giddy yesterday as we were signing papers, waiting for the DVD player to be installed, etc. We ended up getting a 2008 Toyota Sienna. It only has about 14,000 miles on it and is a beautiful black color. I am already in love with it! Here are a few pictures of the outside.

Oh yeah, that is a sexy van!

Now, what is bound to happen the second you get a new vehicle? Anyone? That's right, someone has to spill something, right? We bought our van at a dealership in Draper. So after we picked it up last night, we decided to go over to IKEA to look around. As we were leaving IKEA, I got a drink for me and one for Alex. We got in the van and off we went. Well at about 7200 South I picked my cup up to take a drink. While I was drinking from it, I felt a wet sensation on my jeans. No, not a full bladder, but a hole in the bottom of my cup. Awesome. So, not wanting to get my new van covered in Mountain Dew, I held the cup over my lap and just let the Dew drain out on my pants until I could get off the freeway. I finally pulled into the gas station and got out of the van (by this time my jeans were soaked) and threw away the cup. The attendant at the gas station looked at me like I had issues (considering I looked like I wet my pants, can't say I blame her). As I got back in, I stole Darek's blanket to sit on the rest of the way home. I wiped down the steering wheel and cup holder with a wipe, but managed to keep things pretty clean. When we got home, Alex forgot his drink was in his cup holder and managed to tip his over, spilling it on the seat next to him. He caught it pretty quickly, so not much damage done there. So now that we have some 15 or so cup holders, no drinks allowed in the van! Just kidding, of course. It's just the way of breaking in a new vehicle, right?

Car For Sale

We are selling one of our cars so we can get a van. Yes, we are joining the minivan team. I should have done this sooner, but I wanted to just post it on here in case anyone is interested in buying it from us.

Details

Year: 1997
Make: Saturn
Model: SL1
Mileage: 113848
Color: Dark Green

Features:

5 speed (stick shift), tape deck, am/fm radio, 4 door, air conditioning (needs update to work properly), heater (works well), in good condition. The only thing missing is the mirror on the right side of the vehicle. It wasn't there when I bought it and hasn't caused me any problems. The car hasn't been driven much in the past year. I will be replacing the battery tomorrow, so that will be brand new. The reason I stopped driving it was because the air conditioning wasn't working properly, it was the middle of summer, and my parents had a vehicle that had great air conditioning. (In other words, I was too lazy to get it fixed.) It probably just needs some kind of charge to get it working again. I would take pictures of it, but it's a little too dark right now. If I remember, I will post some pictures tomorrow.

Pricing:


Kelly Blue Book Pricing

Excellent
$2,360
Good
$2,035
Fair
$1,660

We are wanting to sell it for $1750.00. PRICE IS NEGOTIABLE. If we cannot sell it soon, we will just be trading it in to the dealership we are buying our van at. Now when I say soon, I mean in the next couple days. So if you are at all interested, or know someone who might be, please let me know. I check my comments and I check this email constantly shellybug49@hotmail.com .

Different Trips to the Same Place

I thought this was a very interesting analogy of adoption, and thought I would share it...

Deciding to have a baby is like planning a trip to Australia. You've heard it's a wonderful place, you've read many guidebooks and feel certain you're ready to go. Everyone you know has traveled there by plane. They say it can be a turbulent flight with occasional rough landings, but you can look forward to being pampered on the trip.
So you go to the airport and ask the ticket agent for a ticket to Australia. All around you, excited people are boarding planes for Australia. It seems there is no seat for you; you'll have to wait for the next flight. Impatient, but anticipating a wonderful trip, you wait--and wait--and wait.Flights to Australia continue to come and go. People say silly things like, "Relax. You'll get on a flight soon." Other people actually get on a plane and then cancel their trip, to which you cry, "It's not fair!"
After a long time the ticket agent tells you, "I'm sorry, we're not going to be able to get you on a plane to Australia. Perhaps you should think about going by boat."
"By BOAT!" you say. "Going by boat will take a very long time and it costs a great deal of money. I really had my heart set on going by plane." So you go home and think about not going to Australia at all. You wonder if Australia will be as beautiful if you approach it by sea rather than air. But you have long dreamed of this wonderful place, and finally you decide to travel by boat.
It is a long trip, many months over many rough seas. No one pampers you. You wonder if you will ever see Australia.
Meanwhile, your friends have flown back and forth to Australia two or three more times, marveling about each trip.
Then one glorious day, the boat docks in Australia. It is more exquisite than you ever imagined, and the beauty is magnified by your long days at sea. You have made many wonderful friends during your voyage, and you find yourself comparing stories with other who also traveled by sea rather then by air.
People continue to fly to Australia as often as they like, but you are about to travel only once, perhaps twice. Some say things like, "Oh, be glad you didn't fly. My flight was horrible; traveling by sea is so easy."You will always wonder what it would have been like to fly to Australia. Still, you know God blessed you with a special appreciation of Australia, and the beauty of Australia is not in the way you get there, but in the place itself.By Diane Armitage printed in the April 21, 1995 "Dear Abby" column.

I feel so blessed that I have been able to experience the voyage by sea and by air. They are completely different, but both seem to share the same emotions. I'm grateful for both experiences and hope that I will be blessed again in the future to experience this voyage again, whether by sea or air.

Best Concert Ever!

Last night I was able to fulfill my childhood dream. I was able to see The New Kids on the Block in concert! My sweet, wonderful sister Bethany got tickets for me. We were also there with our cousin, Leslie. It was her very first concert. She got the tickets back on July 3, so we have been giddy and excited about it ever since. I cannot explain the amount of excitement in that arena. There were A LOT of women and surprisingly more men than I thought would be there. Natasha Beddingfield opened for them, and she was really good! I liked the songs she performed and she sounded great. But when the New Kids came out, I truly was close to tears. (Yeah, I'm a total geek, but right now, I really don't care.) They sang a lot of their old stuff and a bit of their new stuff also. I took my camera, but didn't get a ton of great shots. I got a lot of video and I'll to post some of that. But we truly had the BEST time. If they come again, I will be there again! Maybe I'll get Ryan to come next time!!!


Joe and Jordan




Donnie


Danny

Jonathan

I was extremely sad though. My camera battery died before the end of the show, and I missed 3 of the best songs... Step By Step, Hangin' Tough and Summertime. Oh well. I still have the memories of it!