My Boys...

This right here is what makes life wonderful... The cutest boys ever. :)

Merry Christmas!

It's here! I'm sitting here listening to the MoTab sing my favorite carol before I go to bed, "Silent Night." It truly is a silent, peaceful night. The little ones are all snug in their beds, Santa has come and gone, and I'm hitting the hay. This is my favorite moment (it's 12:30 a.m. on Christmas morn...) - Christmas Eve, when all is quiet, the festivities over, the Bible story read, the lights low, the Christmas tree glowing, and beautiful music... Ahhh...

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

Almost done!

Well, I'm feeling pretty good right now. Granted, it's almost 1 a.m., but I just wrapped nearly all of our presents. Yeah! This is a first for me. Usually I'm up late, Christmas Eve, thinking, "This sure is taking a lot longer than I thought it would..." Then I'm always exhausted on Christmas day. Anyway, I just need to wrap something for the hubby and the parents, and then I'm finished. Hurray!

Wrapping Alex's presents has made me so giddy this year. He totally "gets it," and is SO excited about Christmas. I can't wait to see his face. Kids really do make this season special, don't they? I wish I could keep them from growing up! :)

Super Saturday

We had our Super Saturday quite some time ago, but I thought I'd post pictures of all of our crafts for any of you that are in charge of this in your own ward. We have some super creative people in our ward with lots of good ideas.

One of THOSE days...

Sheesh. Crying, crying, crying... That's all I heard all day today. It tends to get so frustrating at times. Therefore, I'm venting! I love my kids, but, man... The babies have colds, don't want to sleep, and don't want to be more than 1 inch away from mom. Alex has been on a whiny kick for the last few weeks, and it's only getting worse. I think we've hit the terrible-nearly-threes. I'm definitely not feeling the Christmas spirit. I can't believe it's only a week away! Send me away to some sunny spot, and don't make me come back for... oh, two years or so?

Then... there's the whole "to move or not to move" question. We've been toying with the idea, but it's so risky! We really like our house, and we love our location. But we want something newer, and we want a younger neighborhood. However, we don't really want to make a parallel move (or downgrade), we'd like to make a jump. We think we might be able to get a screaming deal, but it's a huge risk. The bank and/or builder might not accept our super low offer... stress. I can't get this darn thing off of my mind. I feel bad, like I'm being totally materialistic or something, but that doesn't stop my mind from thinking about it... *sigh*

ON THE BRIGHT SIDE....

We attempted the Santa Claus thing this year. It actually went better than expected. Alex mustered up the courage to tell him that he wants "a candy cane and a fire truck," and to tell Santa that he's "two (with his two fingers held up)." But (and no surprise here) there was no way he was going to get on that man's lap, and mom had to stay close by.

Later that night, he had to pretend he was Santa by putting on his "white hair and white beard."

And here's one more of Alex and AJ. See that fading red mark by AJ's right eye? Yep... that was another one of "those" days when big brother felt he had to inflict wounds on the younger crowd. Sure is fun stuff...

Let it Snow!

We sure had a fun day today playing in the snow! Mark, Alex, cousin Mitchell and Aunt JuJu put on the snow gear (a 20-minute process), and wore themselves out. Those little guys stripped down out of their wet gear in 20 seconds, and were inside drinking hot chocolate and eating popcorn afterwards. Thanks to all for a super fun, snowy day!

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=46aaba573230d5a5b7910b&skin_id=701&utm_source=otm&utm_medium=text_url

The Magic of Christmas

I love this season. I must admit that my favorite parts are the lights, music, and family. Here's a little peak inside our house this year... Merry Christmas!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Become as a child...

This is a little boy who called in to a religious radio show.... good kid.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Turkey Day! Our family is so thankful for each of you. Now eat up!

Elf Yourself!

I saw this on Liz's blog, and I couldn't resist... Enjoy seeing my boys doin' a little Christmas jig...

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=9542183398

Girls' Night Out

THANK HEAVENS for girlfriends! Just wanted to give a shout-out to my great friends for a fabulous and fun overnighter. We headed up to the in-laws' place in Midway (thanks Bob and Suze) and had a wonderful evening of food, shopping, treats and lots of talking. Alex and Mark asked me what I did up there, and I said that we talked until 4 or 5 a.m. They just looked at me like, "huh? how can you do that?" Well... with these girls, it's easy! We couldn't believe how late it was. It's always so nice to hang out with the girls, and discuss everything from kids to religion to high school memories. One thing that I'll always be grateful for is this awesome group of women who all helped me and each other survive the turbulence of adolescence and young adulthood and who still help each other through all the various stages of life. I don't know what I'd do without you all! Next year, we're taking pictures to "journal" our outings... pajamas, baggy eyes, and all! Don't forget to sit on your heals, ladies!

(This was the only picture I got.... When we woke up, there were 5 or 6 deer on our back patio... lovin' it!)

Prayer

Ever since Alex was a tiny baby, we've been saying prayers with him. In fact, his second word was "amen." He's always been so reverent, and is very good about folding his arms and closing his eyes. However, he absolutely refuses to say the prayer now that he's older. He's done it once or twice, but he rarely likes to do it. We don't push it, because we don't want it to become a power struggle.

Well, yesterday, he decided he wanted to say the blessing on the food at lunch and at dinner. He knew all the typical "phrases" by heart, and practically said the whole prayer by himself. I was so proud of him. After the dinner prayer, he looked at me and said,

"Mom, Jesus says, 'Thank you, Alex, for saying the prayer.' "

Yep, little one, Jesus does say thank you. I do too. :)

Silly Alex...

So, I've been pumping ever since the babies were about 3 weeks old. It works out best for me (rather than nursing), but poor Alex has to endure waiting around for mom a couple of times a day while I'm hooked up. The other day, he came to me and said, "Mom, when I'm a girl, I'm gonna pump too. K?" He just cracks me up. :)

On Sunday, we got home from church and Alex said, "Mom and Dad? I'm sooo glad to be home. Don't you just love getting home? When you get home from church, then all the people can't bug you anymore."

And finally, Mark dressed up as Matt Foley, motivational speaker, from Saturday Night Live for Halloween. He did a pretty hilarious skit for his family about living in a van, down by the river. Alex obviously paid close attention, because yesterday I had Jackson on the bed, and Alex came up to him and said, "Jackson! You live in a VAN! A van down by the river!" Laughed out loud at that one!

Fun at Gma's Halloween Party!

Today was our annual party for Grandma's Birthday and Halloween. This has been a hit with the kids for over 20 years now!

Snow

That child....

Alex is always coming up with the funniest little comments. I suppose if you don't know him, and if you can't see his little 2-year-old self spewing out all of these words of wisdom, then it's not that funny. But, being the mom, and being with him all day, I just get to see the best glimpses of his ever-changing personality. His latest:

Jackson was fussing (okay, crying... loudly) and Alex said to me, "Mom," (with the most serious 2-yr-old face) "That child needs a mother! That child really needs a mother, Mom!"

I think I need a mother...

It's Autumntime

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Ahhh, poop.

Here's a tale that many mothers can relate to...

The other morning, I was doing the morning bath routine, when I realized Baby B had a messy diaper. When I undid his pajamas, I realized that this was a full-on blow out - you know... the kind that goes out the legs, down the pj's to the toes; up the back to the neck; almost (but luckily not) soaked thru the pj's onto the bouncy seat and everywhere but the diaper kind of poo. So, being the "talented" mom that I am, I proceeded to undress the baby, successfully removing the onesie without getting poop smeared all over his head. Then I proceeded to clean up the mess with an arsenal of wipes. This wasn't just any poop, mind you... This was a formula fed baby that doesn't process his milk so well, been stuck in the intestines for three days kind of gooey muck. (I'll spare you the green, icky details. ha ha.) So, anyway, as I wiped, I threw the dirty wipes into the toilet. Of course, once I flushed the toilet, it backed up on me - yep, clogged. As I was taking care of that, Baby B (now diaperless) decided to add to the fun by going #1 all over the place; yep - automatic sprinkler. I finally got him into the tub and got him all cleaned up. My messy, stinky baby now smelled deliciously clean, smothered in baby lotion with yummy Downy fresh clothes on. Mmmm... Just as I did the final snap on his onesie, I looked at over at his brother, Baby A. You guessed it! He was red-faced and grunting. His turn for a poop! (And, yes, of course, he had already had his bath.) So the cycle continues. *sigh*

As I started out.... Ahhh, poop.

The chocolate-chip-cookie diet...

I want so much for my children to gain testimonies of their own, and to be strong in the gospel. I loved this discussion from the October 2007 Ensign, and I hope you don't mind my posting a bit of it here.

Sister Elaine Dalton of the Young Women general presidency said:

"When I ask youth, 'What's the hardest thing you do?' many say, 'It's going to parties and being offered a drink and not drinking it.' So I ask, 'Why are you at the party?' And they say, "I go to be a good example to others.' Then I always respond, 'You bring your friends to places where they can feel the Spirit. Don't ever walk into places where the Spirit won't go. Avoid them!'"

Sister Julie Beck, formerly of the YW general presidency, then relates:

"Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the Seventy has an analogy. He says that if you're on a non-chocoloate-chip-cookie diet, yet you go into the kitchen just after the cookies have been baked -- it smells delicious and you can picture the chocolate chips melting as you pull the cookie apart -- how long is it going to be before you sample one? How strong are you really? That's resisting - or trying to resist. But if you're on a non-chocolate-chip-cookie diet and you don't go into the kitchen where they're baked and you don't bake them yourself, then you are avoiding temptation. That's easier!"

I hope my boys can avoid temptation, not just resist it. I feel like my responsibility is so great, but the scripture, "Be still and know that I am God," always provides comfort.

Thank heavens they're fraternal!

Now, I have nothing against identical twins, but thank heavens mine are fraternal! During those confusing early days, I could barely keep straight which baby I had fed, which I had changed, who had slept, who needed a nap, etc. If these boys had looked alike, I'm sure one would have been fed every hour, and the other would have never eaten!

I'm also glad that they are so different, because I want it to be easy for them to be individuals and not just "twins." It's also harder to get to know two babies at once. Neither child gets the time and attention that he deserves. However, I've done my best to pay attention to each as an individual, and here are some of my observations.

Andrew: Drew has always has been the patient one. From day one, if his brother was hollering louder, he didn't mind our attending to his brother's needs first. He waits so sweetly and patiently. When he does finally cry, it's always heartbreaking, because he's tried so hard to be brave for so long. He also has the warmest, sweetest smile that lights up his whole face and makes his eyes twinkle. However, this smile is reserved for his closest family members and friends. Otherwise, he is an extremely shy baby who is very sensitive to crowds, noise and too much stimulation. He is a darling, chubby baby, with the roundest cheeks and the fattest thighs of any of my boys. I just wish I could eat him up. :) I see him becoming a true spiritual leader someday. There's just something special and divine about his little countenance.

Jackson: Jax has always been the alert one, super aware of all his surroundings. He looked us in the eye from day one, and was ready to smile and socialize with anyone in view. He is so outgoing and never stops moving. He is so energetic and wiggly. He does have moments, however when he is the biggest snuggle-bug. While his brother wants nothing but to lie down at bed time, Jax wants to be held and snuggled, and will occasionally even fall asleep in our arms. Those moments are so precious. He is slimmer, yet still chunky, and is what I call a "Gerber baby." His features are so perfect and handsome. He too is sensitive to too much over-stimulation, but not as much as his brother. I see Jax becoming quite the social leader. I think he'll be good at getting his way not only with his family, but with his friends as well. He just lights up a room with his chattering and smiles.

Anyway, I could go on and on about their differences. Their hair texture is different, their developmental milestones have come at different times, their body shapes and sizes are different, their facial features are different, they eat differently, they sleep differently, they cry differently, they smile and laugh differently, etc. It's been such a joy to watch them grow. I wasn't sure I could handle this, but the Lord has been generous in his blessings. These little guys are such a joy!

Mommy, don't be naughty.

So, I'm feeling the guilt and stress of parenting 3 kids, ages 2 and under. The other day, Alex was acting up, I was short on sleep, the babies were tired and fussy, the house was a mess, etc. etc. Poor Alex got the brunt of my exasperated feelings. He was being a stinker (just typical 2-yr old stuff, nothing major) and I was losing my cool. It finally escalated into me yelling at him, and him cowering in his time-out chair. With innocent little eyes, and a partially frightened look on his face he said, "Mommy, don't be naughty!" *sigh* Man, oh man... I'm feeling the guilt.

What is it about a 2 year old that can bring out the devil in me? I've never been a short-tempered person. I rarely get in disagreements or arguments with anyone. And here I am (not the first time, unfortunately) totally blowing my top over a tiny child... I've been praying so hard to not let this happen. I'm getting better, but yesterday proved to me that I have to always be conscious of my mood and actions.

One of the many lessons I've learned from this is that it truly is divine to be child-like. Alex is the epitome of love and forgiveness. I can be yelling at him one minute, and the next minute he has totally forgiven me and is full of hugs and kisses. He never brings it up again, and he totally trusts me to provide the love and care that he needs. He never looks back. Can we as adults do that? Never bring up past hurts, be full of unfeigned loved, open and willing to take our offenders in our arms and tell them that we love and forgive them? I definitely need to work on that. Thank you, Alex, for teaching me so many important lessons. You are truly a special child of God.

Some pics

I love Alex's eyes, and this picture sort of shows their beauty, but I need to take some photography classes to do them justice. Here's a cute picture of Drew and Jackson. And finally, a picture of "soccer guy." "Alex?" I say, "What are you doing with those socks?" "Mom, I'm not Alex, I'm soccer guy! And these are my goalie socks!" With a look of, duh, Mom! Don't you know ANYTHING? ha ha.

Cute little bodies!

Dad?

A few random thoughts:

1. "Dad, you don't have to go to work today?" That's the question Alex asks his daddy every morning. "Is today Saturday?" And each day, Daddy has to say, "Sorry bud, but I have to go to work today." The answer is always followed by a large frown, and a totally dejected look. Today, however, Alex remembered that Daddy was going to take the day off. First thing he said when he woke up this morning, "Dad! You don't have to work today!! Yeah! What we gonna do, Dad?"

I am just so grateful that my boys have such a wonderful father. They all worship the ground that he walks on. He is such a "hands-on" dad. He bathes them, feeds them, changes them, but most importantly, he plays with them and makes them laugh. He makes sure that they always feel adored and loved. Could a kid ask for anything more than the security of knowing that they are loved and accepted 100%? I don't think so. Thanks, Mark, for being such a fabulous Daddy. The boys sure are lucky! Love you Mark!

2. A month or two ago (yes, I know I'm not a great blogger, but finally getting high-speed internet helps), Alex took a little plastic Easter egg, and opened it up. It was still connected by a tiny sliver of plastic, so the two halves opened up side-by-side. Anyway, he placed the opened egg on Jackson's chest, and said, "Look, Mom! Jackson has 'breasteses' ." Can it get any cuter than that? Already fascinated with that female anatomy. Ha ha...

3. The twins are great. Man, I didn't think I'd survive those first 3 months, but thanks to all the many volunteers who gave so freely of their time and assistance. I'm SO grateful for the help, or I seriously would have gone insane. Props especially to my angel mother who still comes over twice a week to help out. She has been my lifeline. Ahhh... words could never convey what an angel she is. Our latest goals: organizing this insane house of mine. Feels so nice! Love you mom!

D-Day is coming...

I'm new to the blogger world, but have spent a fair amount of time reading blogs of friends and family. I thought I'd start my blog by explaining "D-Day." That's for the big "Delivery" day that is going to change our family's life forever! In about 6 weeks, we'll be adding TWO baby boys to our family. Mark and I are totally overwhelmed, scared, excited, nervous and many other emotions. It's hard to believe that H.F. has entrusted us with this great responsibility. I worry mostly about little Al, who is only 2 years old, and has no idea that his world is going to be turned upside down. He's such a great kid, however, that I know he'll adjust and survive. (I'm not sure I'll survive the next few months with no sleep, but ahhh... what to do, huh?) Anyway, this may be one a few posts over the next few months, unless I can find the time to throw in a word here and there. I thought I'd include a picture of my little "ham." He's got such a huge personality in such a little body. I don't know how we got so blessed to have such a special guy in our family, but we're sure glad he's ours! Anyway... here we go! :)