I may be going crazy

Thanksgiving was a wonderful day.

I am grateful we were able to have our family over and talk about all the great things we are thankful for.... like Cherry Limeaid, R-pat, and shopping to name a few of the shared thankfulness's in the family. But the Food was excellent, and the company was awesome. I loved having it here at our house, nice and cozy!

We started the morning off with team "Say no to stuffing". A bunch of us went and did aTurkey trot and it was so fun! Thanks Ladies.
So turkey Day happened... THEN that night I decided to have a first for me, and brave the lines for Black Friday. I have never done it and was kinda scared. ToysRus was opening at midnight so I headed over about 9 and stood in the already long line. I was about 60 people back. I made some new friends who are very crazy. They gave out tickets for certain things, and people were getting kicked out of the parking lot. People were even memorizing the layout of the store. Things got crazy, pushy, and mean. Once in the store, running, pushing, and cursing. HUNDREDS of people within minutes were filling the store and I ended up standing in a winding line for 45 minutes to checkout with my few things. Most of what I wanted was already gone. BUT it was totally fun. I dont know if I will do it again but it was fun. It felt so good to be home from the crazy mess called Black Friday.

Gobble Gobble pics

Tommy the Thankful Turkey!

The Tony's

Who invited the frat boy?!

Happy Birthday Dani and Suzi!

I love having this time to think of what I am thankful for. Of course I always think of it, but to have it voiced from all your family and friends is something special. I am thankful for so much this season, A warm home, Food in the fridge, the gospel, my awesome husband and best friend, my beautiful hilarious kids, all the rest of my family, Diet coke, chocolate, edemame beans, tivo, nature, running stroller, hair dryer, and even budget envelopes although I went into that one with a fight, I am thankful!

robbed...almost

My sis in Law and I went to the zoo today with our awesomely rambunctious kids. It was dollar admission which is awesome. I think they took all the animals out of the zoo for the day. I am not kidding, we barely saw any animals. worth a dollar for sure.
Then during some out of the stroller park time, Anna turns around right at the moment the stroller is being walked away with. WHAT?! That is my stroller! HELLO! HEY HEY HEY! THAT IS MY STROLLER!
She acted oblivious but come one, your one kid in a double stroller and you thought it looked like yours.
An onlooker told us they watched here and she had been watching to see which stroller was unattended, then swooped in for the go. Who steals a stroller. So I was robbed, almost.
I came home with a deadly migraine and I am still feeling some of the effects.
I HATE HEADACHES.

Once a year

Christmas comes once a year and I love to put up decorations and get my house in the mood. This year I have decided to opt out though. I may put one a small tree and let Nat help me decorate it but really the rest would be kind of silly. I have 2 reasons for this:

1. Boots is nuts. He will destroy all and everything I put up no matter where it is. So I dont want to go through the constant battle with him this year. He will be older next year and can deal with it.

2. We are having Thanksgiving at our house and you cant have those decorations up for Thanksgiving, so I would have to wait until after Thanksgiving. Fine, except that I am going to DISNEY world right after Thanksgiving and then after that trip have 11 days home till we go to the Great White North for Christmas. 11 days just isn't worth the unpacking, the repacking of all my stuff.

So a small tree is all we will do. This makes me sad but I can deal. I will just light my candles and play my music and get in the mood that way! I know outside lights are out of the question since hubby has always been a humbug and will remain that way who knows how long. Until someone does it for me as a surprise I guess I wont get outdoor lights :(

Gobble Gobble day is this week and like I said, we are doing it out here and I am really excited. I have a few Martha Stewart, with a twist of cheap-o Jeni ideas for some decor, so we will see how it all works out. To start it off, Nat created some lovely holiday cheer for our mantle!
Natalie has taken a liking to Pickle juice. woof.

Ah Delicious.

So there may have been some who were sick of reading about my fanatic New Moon obsession this weekend. Well for those people - I went again. Yes Saturday night. There was still the screamers and the crazies (I think that now includes me) but this time they were accompanied by their boyfriends who were obnoxiously talking and making fun the whole time, or texting out on their iphones. LEAVE. Why do you pay 8.50 to see a movie that you aren't really intending to watch. IT BUGS. But it was just as good the second time around. I cant promise I wont see it again this week, although I will try to refrain.

Now a question to open things up.... stocking stuffer ideas.

Anyone have some awesome ones this year? I feel in a rut.

Its like a drug

I am addicted. I loved New Moon. I want to go again tonight, and the next, and the next.... UN fortunately I have a husband whose head isn't obsessed and taken over so that will not be happening.
Me and some girls went to the midnight, well 1202 showing last night and the whole night rocked. From our radical tshirts, "Edwards prefers Brunettes", to the screaming teenagers, ok and screaming us! It was so fun. LOVE IT.

Today there really isn't much other news.

call me lame

You can call me lame, you can call me awesome... whatever. I haven't been this excited about something in, I dont know how long.

TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE AWESOME!!

All the rest

OK so lets talk. I realize that everyone is bored of my trip pictures, well suck it up cause here is a bunch more. This is the rest here...and there are alot, but I just couldn't not let everyone know how awesome and fun we are !! haha
Here we go....
FAMILY:
We went to see my grandma Betty Jean who had just got a cute littel kitty. The kids loved it!

Then we went to see Brian grandparents, and some of the little cousins up there. Grandpa John took us apple picking and the kiddies were so cute. Boots loved the apples or should I say "bapple" like him.

eating the apple, while still on the tree

FUN: Our friends J and E's ward had a temple night and the kids got to do lots of fun things and this was one, making temples out of sugar cubes. This was natalies stellar temple. This is the new model for the church is taking into consideration....

TROUBLE: So Take a look at this awesome mural. This is up in John's office (where we stayed) It is his pride and his joy. And it is awesome.
ENTER Natalie with green sharpie marker in hand. This is not a good combination. Here is a close up of just a small portion of what she was able to color on.

Next, enter BOOTS... He was just in his crib in that same room, talk about the wrong place at the wrong time. He also got colored on.

So Natalie is getting in HUGE trouble for this naughty act... when out behind the door pops this little creature...

I am sooo angry, but I couldn't help but laugh because really this is the best smiley face she has ever done. Yes it is on a wall and that is also very very naughty, you but gotta give it to her- she is an artist!

John, Emma.... you guys know how sorry we are.

MORE FUN: Natalie still doesn't get snow. But she and Brian had fun trying to catch it on their tongues. Sometimes, I wish we lived near some, but not a ton of it, just alittle.

The boys had to make fun of every girls picture face. I will count myself out of this category though, my kissy face is sooo ugly. I am glad I never could and never will pull it off.

One night we had a really fun date night, Cheesecake factory and bowling. We were reenacting our first double date about 5 years before, this is what we did! Needless to say, I still suck at bowling!

I am in a fight today at home. Not with anyONE but with that pumpkin pie I made last night. It is haunting me and so I go and take a bite and then leave and it keeps getting me to come back. ARG! I WILL THROW YOU AWAY PIE. I came to terms last night that I do have a problem with food. I think I always will and really I dont care. I love it. Anything. You ask what I crave? anything. it doesn't matter.

I am getting really excited for thanksgiving too. We went and had a REALLY early Thanksgiving dinner last night with some friends and it was sooo tasty but I swear that turkey had more than the usual in it, I feel like I got hit by a bus when I woke up this morning! It still isn't wearing off...

And last, the countdown has already begun and is almost over for this thursday night midnight, New Moon. Need I say more than EXCITED MUCH?!?!?!

miles

Tonight was our YW in excellence for the Young Women at church and it was so great. I love working with them. They are all so awesome. I am so proud of their achievements and that I can be a part of it!

Lets start things off with the future of YW.... 9 years, look out!!

Showing off their projects... or just showing off haha

I was so happy with how these little purses turned out!

On a completely unrelated note... well I guess I can tie it in, Today I went for a run. I haven't done this in a long long time and it felt good. I am really trying to be in good shape, especially after seeing my super stellar fit awesome Sis in Law who looks sooooo good. Motivate me Robyn! Anyway, I ran! Yeah!

...SHHH...And then I had 3 cookies tonight for a refreshment. They were too good I couldn't resist.

camper

This last weekend we went camping with a bunch of friends/family and it was radical. shooting range, archery, horses, cows, crazy roosters, YUMO food and great sleepers. I could not have asked for a nicer weekend. It was so fun to stay up till 3am under the stars talking, instead of staying up till 1am at home reading or watching TV. Yes I waist that much time. But it was a blast.

Flyin' solo

EEECK! A black Widow. I had never seen one and apperantly they could kill a kid with one bite. That is sick. I cant believe I live somewhere where these things are.

It was a really fun weekend.

Tomorrow it is off to Young Womens in Excellence. I made the cutest decorations for it... well I think they are cute now, lets see how they turn out! The theme is Purse-uit of Excellence and so we are doing purses for decorations. I have make a purse in every value color for the tables. I think they are really fun!

Brian surprised Natalie and I tonight and brought home "up" so natalie had a really late nighter and we all watched it. It was so cute! I totally cried, so I was trying to stuff my face with the chips and ranchdip brian also treated us with. So much for trying to eat healthy again.

Very Grand

So our trip back was a blast. We decided to stop in the Grand Canyon and it was totally worth it! The kids were amazing, and I would totally road trip again with them! What I could have done without? Brian complaining that I didn't want to drive ever. I did however clock in a total of about 14 hours rounds trip. NOT BAD for someone who cant see without her missing glasses!

Starting off the trip right... I had NO idea they made these. I thought I was in heaven, which I was, but really I couldn't even come close to finishing this... Yes friends, it is true. I could not finish 64 OZ of Diet coke.
We went through Lake POwell and it brought back some fun memories! The whole drive though was so beautiful!

Full moon that night!

The kids Loved the hotel and again, were awesome.

GRAND CANYON!

This was super scary. I walked as far out as I could and then I had to crawl to the edge. One little hand slip and I would have been gonners. Brian was mad at me for this one!

Once we got into Texas we saw all of these cotton fields which were beautiful to look at!

It feels good to be home but the trip was so worth it (Yes more pictures to come from trip, ridiculous I know)

The 31st - thats Halloween

We had a fun night of Halloween. Natalie LOVED Trick or Treating... probably too much. She did not want to stop, even when she couldn't carry her bag any longer and kept dropping it along the way, she did not want to give up. Something I learned though is that people in Utah and Texas do not say trick or treat right off the bat. I remember walking up to a house and just yelling it soo loud. and having people come to the door when they hear you. Not here, here you ring the doorbell or knock. So polite, weird!
Anyway, I walked up to a few houses with Natalie and this is how it went:
"Trick r treat"
"Oh hello, ADORABLE little puppy! Here is some candy" (places candy in bag)
Natalie reaches up and sticks her hand BACK in the candy bowl for a little more candy. haha
At least she is cute, there wont be too many years she can get away with that!

With her Loot! She thinks she scored, little did she know Momma would come swooping in and steal all the good stuff first. Bummer for me, she only had 2 reeces cups.

Little Miss Muffet and her little dragon enjoying some chocolate, a word that boots learned that night, it kind of sounds like a mix of cracker and tractor but I know he is saying chocolate!

We are home safe and sound and it feel so good to be back. We had a great trip together as a family! The kids traveled awesome! I cant complain at all! 3 days home in a car?! Nice job kiddos!

Now if I can just start working out to work off this candy I am STILL enjoying, you cant throw away perfectly good candy!

More trip updates coming!

first comes love...

Meet the sometimes happy couple.

Natalie and Chris.


Here are a few cute pics of these two little sometimes friends. Most heard argument of the trip? "Thats my mommy." "No thats MY mommy" back and forth over and over again. One day they will get along. They are betrothed!

We left this morning for the many hours home from our awesome trip. We are stopped tonight to have a hopefully great day at the grand canyon tomorrow! Nothing better than to have our little family hanging out in a hotel room. They were so excited to be here! So we will see how tomorrow goes! MORE trip updates to come!

the donut finals

if you were wondering how the final donut contest went..... take a little looksy!