Christmas Vacation

Yay!  The kids are out of school for two weeks.  Hallelujah!  And Trenteroo has taken the rest of the year off.  I am looking so forward to spending some much needed quality time with my hubby and kiddos.  I see many days of wearing pajamas all day in our very near future.  I think there should be a national pajama day where everyone gets to wear their pajamas all day, out in public and everything, and it wouldn't be weird because it would be national pajama day!  And it should be once a month.  Or maybe even once a week.  I could totally go for that.  Wow, I think I just need to go to bed.  I've got pajamas on the brain.  But seriously, I would live in them if I could.  There's nothing cozier, especially in the winter, than a nice, comfy pair of jammies.  And that's all their is, there isn't anymore.

What Cute Kids!

Yesterday Vivi's Joy School class got to go to the hospital and sing to their teacher, Miss Julie, who has been in the hospital for over two weeks now.  They were so cute, and I think they helped to brighten Julie's day. 

There was still a bit of time left before the end of Joy School, so we ended up staying for a bit, and the kids did their little Christmas program in the waiting room of the ICU.  Several people came to watch.  They were so dang cute.

Today was Vivi's last day of school before Christmas break, so Trent, Preston and I were able to go and watch her in her Joy School Christmas program again.  She was one of the innkeepers this time.  (For the 4th time.)

 

 

 

You gotta love all of the singing shots.

The whole group.

What cuties, if I do say so myself.

Tattle Turtle

My older boys LOVE the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books.  They've probably read all four books 3-4 times each now.  I have had parts of the books recited to me several times.  The part I remember most though involves a tattle turtle.  The mom in the book was so sick of the kids tattling all the time, she got a (stuffed? I can't remember.) turtle for her boys to tattle to.  I think this is a lovely idea.  After the kids have tattled for the bazillionth time today, I have decided I need a tattle turtle.  Especially for Preston.  He has even taken to tattling on himself lately.  I found him in the bathroom the other day, making mean faces and sticking his tongue out at himself in the mirror.  He turned around and in a very hurt feelings kind of voice said, "Mom, Preston being mean at me!"  Then he turned back to the mirror and started all over again with the mean faces.  The funny thing is that by the time he was done, I think his feelings were really truly hurt.  He looked like he was about to cry.  Sometimes I really wonder what goes on in that head of his.  Okay, actually I wonder that a lot. ;)

Jury Duty

You guessed it.  Trent sat on a jury panel.  For the last week and a half.  Truth be told, he was not looking forward to being a juror.  After the first day though, he was truly excited to have been called for jury duty.  He ended up learning a lot.  One of the many things I love about Trent, he gets so excited when he has an opportunity to learn something new.  He loved learning more about how our judicial system works, which in turn means that we also learned a lot.  Any time he is learning something new, we get to learn about it too.  There are many times I think he should have been a teacher.  Trent would have made such an amazing teacher.  I could just see him at the front of a class, getting all excited and giddy about the subject he would be teaching.  Trent loved his time on the jury panel so much, he asked if he could keep not one, but two JUROR pins.  Not sure what he'll end up doing with them later, but whatever, right?  Thanks for doing your civic duty babe!

After Piano Lessons...

This is what it is typically like at our house. 

Mr. K almost always stays after about 15 minutes to play Wii with the boys.  No wonder they like piano lesson days so much.  ;)

Happy Monday

Love this kid.  To pieces.  So when I have to take him into the ER for head injuries, it kind of ties my stomach all up in knots, leaving me felling a little sick inside.  He's going to be fine, but I made him swear not to climb on the counters any more.  After all, isn't that what the stepladder, sitting a mere five feet away, is for?

Heart Stopper

A couple of weeks ago, I walked in to the kitchen to find this...

And my heart stopped for just a moment until I realized that the oven wasn't on.  Thank heavens!  Preston and Vivi had been playing Play-Doh, and decided they wanted to "bake" the cookies they had made.

Needless to say, we had a little chat about only using the oven if they have mommy's permission.

At least Preston put the oven mitts on before trying to get things in and out of the oven. ;)

On This, Most Thankful of Days...

I have so much to be grateful for.

First and foremost, I am thankful for a kind and loving Heavenly Father, without whom I would have nothing.  I can't imagine not knowing of His role and hand in all things in my life.  I am thankful for a Savior, who, through the atonement, made it possible to return to live with our Heavenly Father.

I am thankful for my hubby.

He is a wonderful and amazing man, and I am forever grateful that he is my eternal companion.  We have so much fun together.  I am so grateful that he chose me to spend eternity with.  I am thankful for how hard he works to take care of his family. I am also very grateful for the wonderful father that he is.

I am grateful for these four little yayhoos.

  While being a mom is definitely not easy, it is one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me.  It is thrilling to bring a tiny little bundle into this world, then be able to watch every day as they grow and learn.  I wouldn't trade the experience of being a mother for anything.

I am grateful for parents.

Trent and I have both been blessed with truly phenomenal parents.  I am so grateful for loving and kind parents and parents-in-law who have always been there for me, at the best of times, and the most difficult of times.  It is so nice to know that I can always turn to them, and they will always be there for me.

I am thankful for good friends.  I have been so blessed to have such wonderful friends, and I can't imagine going through this life without them.  There have been many times in my life where a friend has shown up or called right when I needed them most.  Thank you dear friends... you mean so much to me.

I am so grateful for laughter.  We love to laugh in our home (who doesn't, right?).  Trent and I were recently looking through some of our older photos and having a good laugh.  Here are a few that we got a kick out of.

I know life is not always a basket of roses, but it is so much better when you can find things to laugh about.  With four kiddos running around our house, we find a lot to laugh about in a day.  It truly is the best medicine.

I am very, very grateful for the blessings of the temple in my life.

I love knowing that my time with my family doesn't end here on this earth, and that we can be together forever.

I feel so blessed and privileged to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  I don't know where I would be without it.

I am thankful for my home.  Not only for the fact that my family and I have a place to live to keep us warm in the winters and cool in the summers, but also because it is a safe haven for us in many ways.

I am also thankful for:
A good job, modern appliances (can you say 15-20 loads of laundry a week?), indoor plumbing, bubble baths, my sewing machine, a car, clean sheets, egg nog being in season again, pajamas (I would live in them if I could), Colorado (I love it here), good books to read, opportunities for education and growth, and for all of the freedoms I enjoy (and too often take for granted).

I love this time of year, and the many opportunities I have to reflect on all that I have been given.  I have so much to be grateful for.

Still Got It

The other night, the boys were showing us some of the moves that they have been learning in their hip hop class.  I'm not quite sure how it happened, but it ended up turning into a handstand contest.

I totally won.  (I love how Vivi is trying her hardest to keep Colson up.)

For the Love of All Things Fancy

In this house full of boys and testonsterone, I am so grateful that I got my one girl.  If I didn't have her, I would have to go to Fancy Nancy parties at Borders Bookstore all by myself.

Vivi loves all things Fancy Nancy.  We read at least one of the Fancy Nancy books just about every night before bed.  She had been waiting on pins and needles for this Fancy Nancy party all last week.

My darling and oh so fancy mom (who works at Borders) was in charge of the party, so that made it even more fun for Viv.  (Just FYI, there is a Polar Express pajama party at 11:00 this Saturday at Borders.)  Mom read the new Fancy Nancy: Splediferous Christmas to an audience of Fancy Nancy's.  All the little girls were looking very glamorous.

My little Fancy Nancy.

Parade time!  They walked all through Borders, dressed to kill, and singing all the way.  I think I heard Jingle Bells, ABC's, and Twinkle Twinkle, to name a few.

Vivi had a blast, and yes, we came home with some new Fancy Nancy books.