I feel it in my fingers, I feel it in my toes...

...Christmas is all around us and so the feeling grows

I absolutely love this time of year. There are so many fun things to do with kids that I find myself overloading preschool and free time with my own kiddos with all sorts of little projects. I have been feeling so grateful lately for my wonderful little family and especially my great husband who is so supportive and helpful and kind and honest and hardworking and loving and smart and faithful and....well, I don't think the list would end. He's a keeper. It's been so fun to be around kids during this season and listen to their gratitude lists and hear them read their little Thanksgiving books. Have I mentioned how much I adore listening to little kids read? LOVE IT

On a side note:

Another recent fave about being around kids: the TELL part of show and tell. Can I just say I have heard the funniest (and maybe most incriminating) stories the past few weeks. HILARIOUS.

Yep, I am defnitely thankful for kids.

Here are some snapshots of the past few weeks:

One really handsome dude!

Taylee could just innocently take a Sunday afternoon nap in her big girl bed...

...or she could first rip off some of her barbies' heads, strip them, and stick them on the barbie roof--waving...interesting

This little Daddy's girl gets SO excited when she gets a phone call from her favorite guy (and that hand on hip--.or back of hip--is a staple when she's on the phone)

What to do on a no preschool (meaning no routine) day with Bridger and Stillman over? Make a train and snacks and watch Polar Express, of course

Some pre-Thanksgiving goodies. I'd say my little preschoolers did a pretty darn good job

Was it a little tricky making dozens of melty chocolate/sugary/tiny piece Thanksgiving favors with 24+ 3,4,&5 year olds?
Maybe
but totally worth it

Want some more cute Thanksgiving favor ideas to do with kids? Check here-there's some keepers!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Carving

This is how life is right now...running from one thing to the next, keeping super busy, and sneaking in time together every chance we get.

"the PLAN" is to post separate posts of each of our busy October activities a little later today, but we'll see. Until then, here's a quick look at our little lion and robot.

Halloween morning surprises...

...included an eyeball for breakfast

Always our princess

I've said before, he sleeps in some weird positions..this time he's half in a box

Remember how I lost all of Carter's birthday pics? Well his sweet Grandma sent another birthday package and I made sure I got lots of pics.

Our camping attempt/fireside dinner and dessert trip was super fun, but not without a casualty...Carter bruised and cut his chin

New haircut for me...this is the first time in my entire life it's been this short...and I LOVE IT! So easy to wash, style, and maintain curly or straight. Here are some pics of both.

Another package from Grandma, this time a box of Halloween surprises!

Snow in October? Boy, we're in for it

Bye-bye crib, hello littlish big girl bed

...first success-nap time. She read books until she was tired, then crawled in and fell asleep. Now we're onto potty training...

*sometime I'll have to post what a cheapskate remodeler/decorator I am. Both her and Carter's beds are super ghetto if you take a closer look. I didn't have to pay a cent for either.

Awards Banquet & Videos

Here's my honey getting a special award....a plaque on the Preventive Wall of Fame. Have I said lately how proud I am of him? He's awesome...the hardest, most honest, professional, and kindest worker I know

Golfing with some of his managers

Dinner...great food and great company

Me and my sweetheart

A bunch of the corporate guys & the owner...Ty's new position is CIO

This last one is just my backside and hair, but check out the ADORABLE little thing lying on my shoulder. Our friends the Scarbroughs brought their 4 week old little girl and I held her as long as they would let me. She was seriously an ANGEL...and check out all that hair...she had a barrette! I'm so jealous!

Tyson had a work banquet last night at a place called Noahs in Lindon. It was really fun and I was super proud of him for all the work that he put into not only last night but the entire year and selling season. He is such a hard worker and the kids and I are super grateful for all he does. While I was at the banquet, I learned from some of the other wives that I have video capability on my camera and that it is way easier to transfer to a computer than my video camera (which is why I never put videos on the blog). So, first thing this morning I caught some video of Taylee and Carter so I can share some of their cute and spunky personalities. This might be blog video overkill, but it's my first time-and I'm really excited.

K, I don't know why this is sideways and how to make it upright, so sorry...you'll have to tilt your head. You can ignore the pillow part at the end, she wouldn't talk any more, but I don't know how to edit it yet....baby steps


Here's Tay and I in a battle of wills over breakfast. My favorite part is at the very end when she whispers "no..no..no" for effect you see-she has it mastered.


This video is going to make me out to be a very bad mom for letting it happen. I shouldn't have let Taylee have one of Carter's treats when she had her own. I just wanted to show how my little 16month old has learned to take care of herself. Her weapon of choice in this series: pinching. Notice at the end when she's gotten her way how she calmly watches Carter whine. Boy, I am a mean mom.

Can you say Cheese?!

Tay looked so cute today for church...I tried to get a good picture, but she did everything in her power to thwart my efforts-so here are the best of the bunch


I just went to check on my little kiddos in their beds and found Carter like this

He must've rolled off onto the floor and fallen back to sleep...poor guy

On another note, today was my first day going to Relief Society in years. I've been in nursery for so long and have absolutely loved it, but I was released a few weeks ago and called to enrichment. My nursery replacements were called today and so I pulled Taylee out of nursery (she's only 16 months, even though she's attended her entire life with me) and we attended together. It was really nice to hear a lesson and talk to other adults...probably one of the only times during the whole week that I have adult interaction...it was nice. The lesson was on the plan of salvation. I have always had a strong testimony of the plan of salvation and known that I was a daughter of God and have the potential to return to him and to be like him. I am so glad to know my purpose for being here on earth and what I can look forward to in the hereafter. It really helps me keep all the trivial things life throws at me in perspective. I wrote in my kids' journals tonight about some of my hopes for them in their lives and their futures and also my hope that they can always remember their divine worth as a son and daughter of God. I love this gospel. I know that I am a better person to my family, friends, and the world when I am living the principles and doctrines found in the scriptures and spoken by our living Prophet and apostles.