woof, meow, rrrrrrr

I love Halloween. I love dressing up, and Brian doesn't. So we didn't dress up this year for our ward trunk or Treat. The kids however did and they were super sweet! Puppy, Kitty, and Batman. Now, Batman didn't have any pants(since mom is awesome and hasn't bought him any pants this year) so he wore his shorts with his dress socks and shoes. He chose them and when I asked him if that is what he was sure he wanted to wear, Natalie looked over and said "I think he looks handsome!" Not that he didn't already have the confidence to wear them, but now he really did. The kids loves to be handsome. It was freezing and the trunking didn't last more than 30 minutes and we were gone again home. As for tomorrow night, we will see if they want to be the same, which I hope so since I made Natalie's costume this year. Thanks to some hot glue, it was a piece of cake!! 

I also let them each choose out some fabric so that I could make them little trick or treating bags for the to carry. They were super easy and turned out pretty cute!

Natalie also had her very first field trip as a kindergartner  She also went to the pumpkin patch and we had so much fun. I got to go as a parent volunteer and it was fun to see her interacting with her friends. There is a little boy in her class who I am pretty sure has a crush on her, and I think she does on him too. He wanted to hang out with her and sit by her the whole day and she avoided him to the point where he almost started to cry. I had to find his mom and tell her sorry. I felt so bad for the poor kid. We got to pick a pumpkin, do a hay maze, ride a hayride, and feed the nasty animals. Her favorite part of the day was a toss up between riding a bus for the first time in her life, and getting early dismissal with me afterward! 

We have now received some more of our furniture and I am starting to get some things put together as rooms that feel done. I also have realized that once I start focusing on one thing, I loose focus on everything else. I start making a room look complete, I forget about laundry (which I have 6 loads to fold), I start on laundry and I forget about my online classes I need to work on. I start my classes and I forget all about cleaning the house, or reading with the kids, or my calling, or cooking, or going to the gym. I swear my life is like a pick and choose type of deal. I cant get everything done that I need to and so parts of my life are left in the dust. I am yet to find my balance. HELP!! I will get there. I have to realize that something just have to be put behind me for a few days and aren't that important, so I can take care of #1. ME! Its really hard to do that.

patch

Boots class had a little mini field trip to the pumpkin patch, which lasted all of a hay ride, until we got stormed out! It was sunny and warm when we got on, and when we pulled back in to get off, it had dropped about 20 degrees and it started pouring rain. We ran to get our pumpkins and headed home. Waist, yes. Fun, yes. Love anything with these kiddos! 

 Afterward, Kroger, the local grocery store, was doing a little trick or treat. The kids got dressed up in the dress up chest and we headed on over. It was pretty cute, there were games and activities in every section of the grocery store and then they got candy and stuff along the way.

 Yesterday and all weekend has been a busy one. We first had to be at a Stake Service project at 6am on Saturday morning. We were so tired, but we were there. We didn't even drive together, but when I spotted him across the way, I couldn't pass up getting a pic with the guy. We were helping with a 5k fun run that the City does each year. It was about 38 degrees and we were all freezing cold!! Then that night we had Stake Conference. Libby and I, with 2 other ladies from church, sang a special quartet in the adult session and I think we did pretty good. Libby has a beautiful voice, and I am nothing compared to her, but it was really fun! I love to pretent at least, that I can sing!
Today was the rest of conference and we were in choir. Brian is the man and sat with the 8 kids while we were up on the stand the whole time. Thank you babe! Little did I know, I was sitting behind the speaker and the camera that was on him through his talks...was also on me dozing off the whole time! Oops!!

 Then tonight was a moment I have been waiting for for a long time. I didn't care that we didn't have much seating, or table room or anything to decorate my house. I wanted to just have people over! So it helped that we got our couch yesterday!! yeah! But we had a little birthday for Avree and Natalie and sang to them tonight with the whole family over. It was so fun to have my house full of noise and children and love and friends. That is my kind of night! ......and my new love, this is the big purchase for us! We have always had hand me down couches and this is our first brand new one. In fact, I am still sitting on it now, 2 hours later after sitting down! I LOVE IT!

More house pictures to come...

Busy Bee's

First of all, I am exhausted. I haven't had a nap in longer than I can remember. Well, I just woke up from one. I didn't even know I was falling asleep!! We closed last Monday and have been moving in ever since. First we took trips from the storage unit with car fulls of boxes. Then Friday Brian got a group together to make the move with everything else. Our garage was jammed and I was so surprised that we had SO much stuff!! 

We dont have furniture, since we put our old stuff upstairs in the media room and in the playroom. We have ordered our new couch and are slowly getting things together for there. It took a few days to get a kitchen table here too, so breaky, lunch, and Din were at the window seat, or on the floor with blankets. 

It is hard to feel settled when you don't have furniture, or a clue of how to start organizing all your "stuff". Our bedroom and closet are the next place that I don't know where to start or what to do. It is just such a huge task, and again we are waiting on our new bed to arrive! We have finally made the upgrade to a king size. Then there is a lot of furniture from our old house that I would like to refinish and use in this house as well, but that takes time, and space to be able to do that. Ug. Just so much to do and overwhelming to me. 

It doesn't help that I was trying to help Brian get the media room all put together, as that was his baby... So I decided to get it all painted. He wanted dark blue, so dark blue I went. It was more of a BYU blue, and wants navy, so that will now have to be repainted. :( Can you say waist of my time? Yes.

Lastly, I haven't cooked dinner fully in months. I am thinking it has probably seen about 7, well I have put together a meal menu for the week and I am 2 nights into cooking and it is great!!! I love my new kitchen and cooking in it!! I have missed it A LOT! 

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I'm old, no She's Old.

Im all backed up with blogging... We just moved into our house on Monday  and then we didn't get internet until Friday so I was without anything for a long time it felt like!!

But, I know that I am old because I have a 6 year old. It sounds cliche, but where has the time gone? It really seems like just yesterday that I had her in the hospital. The time went so quickly, that now she is in Kindergarten and 6 years old.

Well Miss Natalie, you are a blessing and a joy to have in our home. You have a beautiful smile that brightens my day and you are a gorgeous little girl. You are sweet and kind, and you can get very silly.
I really dislike mornings with you, because you are a sassy pants every morning, but you are lucky you are cute. It has taken you 6 years to grow the sweet cute hair you now are sporting. You have been bald for so many years, and now I love fighting you to do your hair!!

You are so smart and have the BEST memory I have ever seen, which says a lot since mine is horrible. You love school and LOVE to go to art class. Crafts and coloring are your favorite and one day you want to grow up to be an artist, well an animal Dr but an artist on the side. You are so smart and can do whatever you set your mind to. You love to sing and you are a very good singer too! I love to watch you learn new things and help the people around you. You have a very sensitive heart and love to make new friends. You can be very shy, but once you open up, you are anyone's best friend.

You are beautiful. Happy Birthday!

We had a very special day on Monday, which was her birthday. She got a delish cookie bouquet  which she very kindly shared with me. She doesn't know how much she shared with me, but lets just say I ate more than one. Those things are so stinkin good!!

Then at school that day, I brought in cupcakes and they sang Happy Birthday to her. IT was fun to see her interact with her class a little bit. 

After school, the big surprise and gift this year was an American Girl doll, so we headed down and got to choosing one out for her. This was especially fun, considering this is her first one!! She took a long time to chose, but found the perfect one!!

We didn't do a special dinner or cake that day, but it will come soon. We just had moved into our house and I didn't want to deal with a party too. So one of these days we will do that. s

Swinging

The weather has gotten beautiful here, 80's and perfect.  We have been loving the park. I remember when Natalie was my only baby and I was so eager to get in there and help her slide and I was so protective over the bigger kids getting too close, or her falling down some little stairs at the park or going too fast down the slide. That all sure dose change with your 3rd child. I go to the park to finally sit down and relax. Courtney is the only one left that cuts into this relaxation time I long for. She is a swing addict and cant get enough of it! She is also always wanting "my nack" or a snack as others know it. So parks are for swinging and eating only in her books. 

It is so fun and such a blessing to have fabulous people to meet up with at the park too. Love to have my sister here and so close so we can hang out after school and let the kids play, instead of calling on the phone and wishing we were close. We are actually close and it is so wonderful! 

Funny story from the car yesterday. We were driving out to soccer and boots had brought some cheese crackers with the peanut butter in the middle of them. He was eating one and was trying to pullt he crackers apart to eat the middle filling. Natalie saw this and immediatly said to him "boots! dont do that with crackers, it wont be good! you can only do that with Oreos." At least she knows the good stuff right? 

Tomorrow is a big day in our family. First my darling sweet Natalie will be turning 6. I cant believe that she has blessed our lives for that long. She is soo sweet and wonderful and full of drama and we love to have her around us all the time. 

Second, We are closing on our new house tomorrow! THIS is super exciting!! I am dying to sleep in the new house tomorrow night, but we will see. I could care less if I was on a pile of blankets on the floor... it is at least my floor!! So updates to come on the big fun things that are in store for us tomorrow. 

Thats Fair...

One thing that I have loved, of the MANY, about living in Texas is the Texas State Fair. I think it is so much fun, especially fun to try all the yummy food that is there. I have lived here for 7 fairs now and this was my 3rd time to go to the fair. Brian is what you would call "the anti-fair" so he stayed home with sick fevery Boots and squirmy Courtney and let me and Natalie have a fun evening there with Lib and her family.

 The kids had a ton of fun! We rode the over expensive faris wheel and a few other rides. We played some games, pet some stinky animals, saw some sweet cars, and ate a lot of fried goodness! Natalie insisted on eating 2 of her favorite foods, turkey leg and cotton candy. The turkey leg was the size of her head. I am not kidding. It was huge... and really expensive! 

Happy Cana-giving

Whats better than having AWESOME friends come into town for a few days, when you get to take them to all your favorite places to place and you eat way too much everywhere you go? Then watch conference and have Thanksgiving dinner? Nothing beats it. It is the best. 

We had our dear friends John and Emma come into town last week and we got to do all of that. I am now 10 lbs heavier, I feel like I just went on an all you can eat cruise. I have got to stop that! haha 

We started the week off with going to Top Golf with my sister and hubby too. Love that place. And they have killer wings! Cause it always comes back to the food you know! 

Then we shopped and ate some more, the boys went to The Rangers playoff game, which they sadly lost. Talk about bad luck. They did that last year too. And they lost last year too! haha 

So then we went to Kenny burgers for lunch, then onto Six Flags, without kids, which was so much fun. I love the adrenaline I feel when I go on roller coasters. I love that feeling! It just so happened to be a cold front that came through that day so we froze in 50 degrees!! IT was cold. But after our long day there we ended it with some of our favorite South American Cuisine, La Duni. Some Quatro Leches cake was just the right way for me to end the night! 

We then watched conference. I love General Conference. Getting to hear the Prophet and his apostles speak 2 times a year just isn't enough, but I love when we have the opportunity to hear the words so carefully prepared and inspired for us to hear. It is a very wonderful and spirit filled weekend. I am already looking forward to re-listening to the talks over and over! 

Well since today is Canadian Thanksgiving  and we have so many Canadians here (my cousin Heather and family, sister Lib and family, and my newly moved to po-dunk North Texas Friend Stacey and family) we all got together for a fabulous feast after Conference yesterday! It was so yummy and the company was of course so much fun! I love being able to be close to people that I love and remember why family and friends are so important. 

John and Emma left, I am sure they missed their kids, but I hated to see them leave. We LOVED having them come. I just wish we could have had them come once we were in our house and stay there. NEXT time they, or anyone else comes though, we will be in... since our final walk through is TOMORROW!!!!! 

I can not share how excited I am. I am not only excited to have my own space and make my own noise without worrying about who I am bothering or waking up, but I can also lounge around in my jammies and leave dishes in the sink if I don't feel like doing it. I am excited to COOK some food. I feel like I haven't cooked since before our old house was for sale, so it has been since May I think! Hopefully getting into a new beautiful kitchen will inspire me to cook cook cook and get back on track! 

I am REALLY excited to decorate everything and get new furniture and make it my own beautiful style! Own last home was beautiful and I loved it so much, but I don't think I knew what kind of style I loved, and so it ended up being a mishmash of all things donated to us (which I cant complain, it was all beautiful and we will still be moving it all with us!)! So now, we can buy our own to furnish and make a new home! I am NOT looking forward to waiting to do the above mentioned purchasing. I know that this will take some time to get it just how we want it, and I am totally OK with that, because in the end we will get what we want! So Here's to hoping the walk through tomorrow goes well and we can still close on the date we are supposed to... next Monday!