Our Bird house

So Brian and I got this bird house a while back on a clearance sell. We thought it would be FUN for us and the kids to put it together. So on Dad's day off Brian gave me a break and built the house with the kids and then I gave him a break and I painted it with the kids. They are so PROUD of that thing and want to show it to everyone that comes over! They can't wait to put some bird seed in it and see if the birds come.

Today, a rather difficult one!

So I wanted to go to the Library for our FUN Friday. It was story time and the kids have been wanting to get new books and a movie. But it has been cold and it was supposed to snow today and walking to the Library with Hannah and Garrett on their bikes and me pulling Natalie and the books in the wagon did not sound so much Fun, so I wanted the car. But in order to get the car I needed to take Brian to work. It wouldn't be that big of a deal accept for Brian needs to be at work by 5:00. So we leave by 4:45!!! So you think oh, take Brian to work and then come back to BED. I have tried this a few times and it has never worked that way, I don't know why I am crazy to think someday it will! So I left the kids to watching cartoons and I tried to go back to bed but I couldn't sleep very well and I was suddenly full awake at 6:45 when I heard a BIG CRASH. I went out to the living room and Hannah came right up and said mom, I am sorry! Well she had climbed up on the book case trying to get the colored pencils the whole shelf tipped over and everything on it came crashing. There was a glass bottle that broke into tiny pieces that went every where! Pencils, Pens, glue, tape, lots of stuff! Oh man here we go. I didn't really want her to pick up the mess because of the glass (man how she lucked out of that one). I got a little piece of glass in my hand and later Garrett did too.

I finally got that taken care of and then proceeded on to Breakfast. The kids had made a big mess earlier in the living room and the ticket to go to the Library and get books and a movie was a clean room. Garrett immediately began to pick up but Hannah and Natalie wasn't really sure that sounded all that fun! They barley made it in time but they picked up before I was ready to go. So we did go to the Library and it we had a good time until Natalie threw a BIG Fit because she did not want to stay by me while we were checking out books she wanted to be free to run and roam all around the Library. WE finally did make it out. It's so embarrassing when your child makes noise in the Library because it's so QUIET in there and all of the attention is on you! WE made it out and home. Natalie eventually got pulled from the table while eating lunch because she was just so dang TIRED! Garrett and Hannah had Quiet Time and Mom Crashed. I wanted to go to the grocery store and pick up a few needed items to get us by this weekend before a major shopping trip before I picked up Brian from work. So we went to Costco. I told the kids I had a tootsie roll treat for who ever was good in the store with MOM. So we start to go in but I realize my card is gone and I have been missing it for a while now. So we went in to get a replacement. Okay so taking three kids into the grocery store is a little NUTS so I have a few rules. Everybody hold on to the CART. I love the Costco carts because you can put two kids in the front and Garrett helps me push. This usually works well but Hannah wanted to walk! I was in a hurry and it's easier when she is in the cart, so she starts to whine but I tell her Hannah you have to be good because I need to talk to the Costco people about getting a new card. She doesn't stop and I am trying to talk to the lady and I moved the cart catching Hannah's hand in between the counter and the grocery cart OW! I know, but then Hannah really starts to whine and cry! The Costco lady was very nice and gave her some cream to put on and a band aide. She was still crying a little until the lady said would you like to take your picture with your mom, she grinned a little on that. So Hannah and I got our picture together on my Costco card. Hannah was happy, I was happy and I think the whole Costco was happy. After I take the picture we go out of Costco to begin the shopping and the receipt checker people said WOW you made it out without buying anything. I said no we have to turn around and begin, the man just said well Good luck!

I was so excited to pick Brian up. Not that there wasn't any good moments today, it's just been a rather tiring one and knowing I have such a good husband that really kicks in and helps is so relieving! Thanks Honey

Also a special side note: Thanks mom for calling today! It really meant a lot to give me a break and have you talk to each of the kids! We love you and miss you, oh so much! Grandpa Randal we miss you too! Hope to see you soon!

Making good choices

This has been a rather HOT topic in our house with our little Hannah. She had a lesson on choosing the right in her primary class last Sunday and she has been really working on making good choices. She got her very own pack of gum and I have been giving her a piece of it when I catch her making good choices. She gets so excited when she "chews" the right. It's tough being four and trying to do hard things like pick up all of her messes she and her sister make at night in their room, Make her bed and be obedient to her mom and dad, but she has been doing very well! Not only is the gum thing been a big motivator but her magic music box , she calls it that she got for Christmas. She turns it on when she makes her bed, cleans up messes, mom does her hair, etc. I am so proud of her to think of that on her own and really want to make good choices!

So many questions

Garrett has really entered that stage of questions! So our conversation at lunch a couple of days went like this:
Garrett: Did Jesus paint us?
Mom: No, he just made us.
Garrett: But How?
Mom: No one really knows.
Garrett: Moment of silence and thinking
Garrett: I think he used God tools.
Mom: I think your exactly right!

Yesterday Garrett came running in the bathroom while I was in the shower and he was so excited to tell me Mom the man on TV just said that God loves us. I know it mom I just know it! It just was so motivating and cute! (Garrett knows how to work the TV remote and often times I find him with the TV on and flipping through the channels I am glad it was a good thing he heard.)

The Inauguration

So my kids and I watched the inauguration. I didn't think it would be an interest for them to watch so I wasn't really planning on it but there favorite cartoon "Supper Readers" (my best motivator to get breakfast done, my shower, beds made and rooms clean and kids dressed by 9:00) was not on and it was in it's place. We all just sat down to watch it and it was rather fun! Garrett and Hannah was so excited to see the President. When Brian got home from work Brian told me that Garrett told him he watched the President on TV. Brian wanted to see if Garrett would repeat what Garrett told him earlier so he asked Garrett: Garrett who did you see on TV again? Garrett said: "President Obuma", he has the word bum in his name". Garrett never ceases to amaze us!

New Years Vacation

We stayed home for Christmas but we planned to go and visit Grandpa and Grandma Rich and Aunt and Uncle Bemis in Oregon. We left on Saturday.

This was right before we were trying to get ready to leave. Natalie went to wash her hands and got creative and put like half the bottle of soap all in her hair. She must have thought it was hair gel because she kept tapping her hair so proud of her self and saying like Mommy!

We were so excited for a 4 hour trip (We are used to 17 hour trips), but it actually ended up being our longest trip. The road were terrible and it made me so NERVOUS! It was so scary, we counted 15 cars off the side of the road from Twin Falls to Ontario. The roads were so icy and it was foggy too. It didn't help to not have good kids in the car! Usually we brag about our kids being so good in the car well this trip was a little different! I hate to almost post this video but it really shows what we went through for 45 minutes!!! Hannah had hit her limit and she was beyond any reasoning it looks awful but I didn't know what else to do at this point except to laugh it off and video it to show her how ridiculous she was being. Man we wanted out of that car so BAD! This was her worst tantrum ever and it was a doosey! She normally does not act that way but her brother triggered it by shooting her with his gun (not touching her just pointing his gun and making the noise. Garrett stopped but then all hell broke loose!!!









We got to Ontario and the roads were closed and could go no further. We stayed in a Hotel with Brian's Parents who also traveling back home from Utah visiting the Oclott's. Any way we thought things would be better! But the kids thought it was an all nighter (meaning they would not SLEEP) my Patience was gone! I just wanted to turn around and go home in the middle of the night! I am glad we didn't because we had a great time once we got to Grandpa and Grandma's and we had a safe and wonderful car ride home without screaming!

Garrett snuggled up to Grandpa Charlie and watching Black Beard's Ghost. Garrett was so excited to watch this with Grandpa. I think Grandpa was too. This was one of his favorites snuggling with the grand kids and watching Black beard's Ghost.

The Girls playing together so cute and fUn!

The Girls on the tramp!

Beautiful Oregon! I love it so much! It is so pretty and fun to visit I love Brian's family and they are all so good to me! My family live so far away that is really hard at times but I appreciate having Brian's family close.

Garrett on Grandpa's four wheeler!

Daddy and Garrett trying to make a path for sledding!

Garrett and Natalie on the sled. They were troopers and didn't let the cold bother them at all!


Garrett, Hannah and Natalie on the sled

Garrett going on his tummy! He liked it at first until he got a face full of snow!


Our cousin Kaelynn. She was having a blast out there. She didn't want to ride until her Dad came out and took a ride with her.




"Grandpa's and Grandma's Snow Angels"


Uncle Adam taking a ride

Brian going for a ride!

Videos of sledding

I know these videos are not the best but it gives you an idea of what we did. We had a fun time sledding. I even took a ride. It was a lot more adventurous than it looks on the video. It brought back so many memories of going sledding on my Grandpa's farm when I was little.

We came in from sledding and...

Sabrina played tricks!

Played on the computer!

and CRASHED!

Okay so for our New Years there was NO way we were keeping the kids awake but I wanted to do something. We had a party dinner and that was so tasty and fun! Each adult couple prepared 2 appetizers! It was DELICIOUS!!

We then played some games with the kids and had a little cheer of pop with them before going to bed.

Once we got the kids in bed the adults all of us played the Wii. It was so much FUN!!!

Christmas 2008

We had a GREAT Christmas morning! It was funny because Garrett wanted to start at 12:00 in the morning. We had been in bed not too long and Garrett comes in our room and say's "Mom, Dad, Santa came. He ate all the cookies! Can we go open the presents?". I looked over at the clock and it was only midnight! We said no Garrett it's still in the middle of the night you got a wait longer. so we got him back in bed and felt like we barley got to sleep when 2:00 came around and Hannah came up and said " Mom, Dad, Santa came. He ate all the cookies! Can we go open the presents?" We told Hannah no and just let her sleep with us. Finally 6:00 came around and Garrett got up again and Hannah was awake shortly too. They asked again and we said YES! It was so cute because they went and woke up Natalie and Brian and I were listening up stairs. They told her Santa came and Natalie's response was "HUUUUHHH". So they all came running up stairs and the present opening began!

Garrett had asked Santa for 5 magnet trains, a sword and four candy canes. He got just that but Santa surprised him with a whole new train set!

Hannah had asked Santa fro patience for baby Darla (her baby doll), something to do and a puppy. The puppy Santa didn't bring this time but maybe someday (it's so funny she asked for this because she is utterly frightened of dogs). She did get a light bright and a necklace that says patience on it so she can wear it and remember to have patience for baby Darla.

Natalie, I don't know why we didn't get pictures but I know we have her on video of her present from Santa. She got a tickle me Elmo and she had wanted an Elmo so bad but when she opened it and realized it moved and talked she was so scared of it first but loves it now!

We didn't have a whole lot of money this year so we cut out our presents to each other or are usually joined gift we do every year but Mrs. Claus had Brian's favorite treat (Nibs) a 26 bag box of them under the tree. Santa Claus also surprised me with a few extra cash to spend whatever I wanted! So we had a great Christmas full of anticipation and love!

I loved the fact we got to take our time and just have fun with our presents! After opening we ate Brian's really yummy breakfast casserole dish! Then we began to play with all of our fun gifts!

Grandma Linda had made each of our kids these towels with rag puppets to go with them. They absolutely loved them! And still do! They insisted on taking their own private bath with all their new Avon soaps Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Anderson gave them. They got out of the bath and put on their new towels and new lotions and chap stick! And then they got into their new outfit Grandma Carol and Grandpa Randal gave them and then have one of their new stories from Grandpa and Grandma Stoker gave them too! Talk about royal treatment! They each had one on one time with mom and dad and had fun being doted on and pampered.

Hannah wanted me to take her picture of her new outfit and her pretty music box. The music box Brain and I gave Hannah.

This was a really neat present Hannah just loved! She got this Nativity set from her Primary teacher sister NOMER! She was a fabulous teacher and Hannah loved her! She is happy with her new teachers but still misses Sister NOMER.

So Brian and I wanted to save money this year and didn't have a whole lot to spend either so I decided to make gifts from Mom and Dad. I made this table tent. We bought some washable markers to go with it and they can color it and turn it into whatever they want and then we wash it and they can recreate all over again! It is great for when Mom is talking on the phone and dinner time to keep the kids occupied! I also made them some laminated stories fro them to have mom and dad read and they can play with the characters.

We were surprised by a little miracle and got to buy a little more fro Christmas from mom and Dad because of our little Hannah! About two weeks before Christmas we get a phone call on Sunday. I answered and it was a man and he asked for Hannah, I didn't recognize his voice and asked him if he didn't mind telling me who e was. He told me he was the manager for a toy shop here in Twin Falls and that Hannah had won a $100 shopping spree! Hannah really had no clue what this meant but she had fun when we took her to the store. We had her first pick out anything she wanted. She picked out a etcha sketch. She loves it! We then had her pick out something for a little girl around her age that wasn't going to get very much. (we gave it to the bishop to give to her). Then she picked out a Christmas gift for Garrett and Natalie. We still had quite a bit of money left over so Brian and I picked out a gift for each of the kids from us. That was really fun and memorable!

So Hannah got the above music box that she uses to motivate her to clean up messes and do things she doesn't want to do! It is so CUTE!

Garrett got the below glow in the dark stars and planets set. He loves it! It has helped him sleep in bed all night with out any light on!

Natalie, once again we did not get pictures got a block train set. Which she loves taking apart and putting together.

Well as you can see we had a great Christmas and was just having so much fun being a kid again and playing with our kids that we kind of lost track of time we were kind of scrambling to get ready and go to Christmas dinner.

Great Grandma Pat and Great Grandpa Ken had invited us over and we had a blast! Grandma Pat got a Wii for Christmas and Garrett and Hannah and even Natalie had a blast with it! We even saw Grandpa and Grandma box it up! What a riot!

Christmas Eve 2008

We spent Christmas Eve with Great Grandma Pearl. It was so beautiful in Wendell that night! There was so much SNOW! We fixed a nice little dinner and ate it with her and then opened our tradition of Christmas Jammie's and book and the kids got on their Jammie's right there and we read our story and then we went home! It was so much FUN! We loved being with Grandma and glad we could create some good memories for our children.

So just a few things...

Okay well here is the latest little news that has happened within today and yesterday.

Brian was helping a guy from work by changing his oil on his truck. The kids wanted to ride their bikes out there when Brain was helping this friend. Hannah was talking to Brian's friend about her Princess boots and her princess bike and he proceeded to ask her if she was a princess. She said, "yes I am", I am Daddy's princess". I thought it was so darn cute!

Yesterday, Garrett was a little upset and coming and complaining to me that Dad would not let him watch a movie and he told me that he "just didn't have a good attitude". Well I proceeded to tel him he better fix that attitude and get a good one so he proceeded to tell me " I can't, I lost my attitude, it's stuck". He put his head down and then said with a sigh "I guess there's just no more good listening and respect". I was just chuckling inside. But just as I thought it couldn't get even more funnier he left the room I was in and went to the living room where Hannah was and asked her if he could have her attitude. I was then not keeping anything in. Brian was also laughing so HARD! That kid I just don't know where he comes up with these things.

Okay so we sit down for dinner yesterday and Hannah had like a dime size of food left on her plate. Our family rule is no treat or desert if your plate is not clean so she was working on it like one rice at a time. I could understand if it's something that she didn't like but this meal was one of her favorites so I asked her, Hannah why are you not eating? She looked up at me and said, "I am farting" I just looked at her with disgust and then she said " oh I mean I am just passing gas". I started to chuckle and thought oh gee like that is any better. Brian laughed as well but said well, you asked, Yes I did ask.

Last week after Garrett was excused from his primary class he darted for the gym and was running all around. As soon as Brian and I caught eye of that we said none of that will be happening. So we had a LONG chat to Garrett about the Lord's house and how to be reverent even if other kids are running we don't. He had to spend some time on a chair. Well we thought we had a good chat. So we go to church today and Garrett did the same thing but this time when he was running in the gym he ran right into another kid that was running, the other kid got up and nothing really even phased him that he hit Garrett but Garrett started to cry because he cut both the top lip and bottom and his mouth was bleeding so he went to find us but in the mean time did not watch where he was going and hit the door and got a huge big goose egg above his eye. Man the poor kid looked like he really got beat up. We didn't want to feel too sorry for him because he did not LISTEN. Well, this time we told Garrett this is exactly why mom and dad were telling you not to run at church. He says now, "I will never do that again". Hopefully he learned it this time.

Tonight around 9:00 we thought all the kids were sound asleep, but Brian and I all of a sudden heard the "tickle me Elmo" go off. That thing just doesn't go off you have to push the button so I went to go see who was up but there's no sneaking in this house because the floor squeaks. So I go down the stairs and I look over to see a heaping pile of Elmo, barbies, princesses, books, blanket, pillow, monkey, babies, but no Natalie that I knew was up so I go into her bedroom and she is hiding under her covers. I went over and pulled the covers and she was just beaming! That little stink! She has had such a hard time going to bed now that she can open the door. She has found this new freedom in being two and loving every minute of it!

I am SORRY

I know my blog is all messed up. I am so far behind and want to catch up so bad. I use this blog as our journal and scrapbook and we have a lot of family that don't live so close so it really helps to keep them connected. I love all your comments and love to share things about our family and love to hear about yours as well. So be patient and hopefully I will catch up quickly. I wanted to keep updating slowly the past things but keep up on the things that are happening now so I hope it is not too confusing. Well hear it goes...