Christmas Tree

I swear that putting up the Christmas tree is almost just as exciting as Christmas day for the kids. They were bouncing off the walls!! I always have the tree all set up (branch by branch with our tree), lights put on, and everything ready to go so we can decorate that night for home evening. By the time I got that done, which included duct taping the tree together, running down to extra foods twice because I got green lights the first time and had to return them, I was exhausted. So I pretty much let my kids decorate the whole tree themselves.

Which resulted in this disaster as everyone tore threw every box...

and this, tons of decoration on the bottom branches. (which normally drives me CRAZY but I decided not to let it this year and left them.)

I think they did a pretty good job.

Summer thought these beads looked beautiful strung all over the chairs. She would get pretty mad when anyone touched them or any fell down. They only lasted about 3 days and then they happened to mysteriously disappear... Luckily Summer didn't notice.

Just a Quote.

So nothing drives me more crazy then when the little girls wake up anywhere between 4 am and 6 am and turn on the lights to their bedroom. This happened this morning so of course all three of them are awake and playing at 6 am which is way too early for me. So I was getting after Summer this morning about it since she was the culprit this time.

Me: "Summer you can't turn the lights on in your room. It wakes everyone up."
Summer: "Mom it was on accident."
Me: "No Summer, something like that is not an accident. Spilling the carton of eggnog this morning, that was an accident. Turning on your light isn't."
Summer: (looking completely shocked and gasped) "Did I tell a lie?"

Injured

When I was younger I thought it would be so fun to break something like my arm and especially my leg. I thought it would be so fun to have a cast and have everyone sign it. Thought it would be so cool to be able to use crutches to get around. I thought I'd get lots of attention and would be waited on. I TAKE IT ALL BACK! Unfortunatly I am going on day one of crutches and I want to die. It's even more unfortunate that I don't have a cool story to go with it at all. Here's my lame story.

The other night I was at the gym trying my very hardest to burn off the hundreds (actually thousands) of calories I have consumed in the last while thanks to a cookie exchange I went to. Anyways I was running and jumping rope. When I got home my foot felt like there was a needle or something going threw it and really hurt. Complained a little to Steve and got no symathy, he said he gets that all the time. Anyways woke up the next morning, could hardly walk but I hobled around on it all day. This morning got up and I really couldn't walk. Steve made me go to the hospital. Turns out I have a stress fracture in my foot from working out I guess. I googled it and I guess it is really common with lots of running, jumping, basketball, stuff like that. And Kelly Ripa even has the same injury in her hip so that made me feel a little better.

So no more burning off the Christmas calories for me. Instead I get to hobble around on crutches for the next month or so. It's really not as fun as I thought it would be as a kid. Today I almost fell down the stairs and Summer was a witness. Now she is so nervous that I'm going to fall. She's always telling me to be careful, especially when I'm on the stairs.

Well if anyone has any tips on how to make dinner, vacumm, pick up kids, mop and sweep with crutches I'd love to hear them!

Oh and to answer questions from my blog about the nail polish. Well I told her she looked beautiful, maybe not in my friendliest voice, but I did say it. And how did I get it off the floor? Well I didn't. Haylie suggested I pour nail polish remover all over it, which I will eventually, but I hate how the smell of it lasts for so long.

Art Show

Micah is seriously the sweetest girl. She is so quiet, does not demand a lot of attention, she is perfectly happy reading a book (and when she does she blocks everything out around her), drawing, or doing some kind of craft. When they advertised for art classes I knew this was right up Micah's alley and I signed her up. She has taken two eight week classes now and is loving it. I love picking her up after her class because she is absolutely beaming. From the time she could hold a pencil she has been drawing, coloring (all over EVERYTHING), and always loved sitting at the table just practicing her letters or writing her name. She loves writing stories, and writing songs. She has a little design book that she designs all kinds of dresses in. Anyways, the other day there was an art show to display all the art work they have worked on in their classes.

Here's a cute necklace that she made. They made the beads first, then painted them and then put it all together in a necklace.

Here's some scratch art that she did. Hers is the butterfly. Her teacher said she worked so hard finishing this.

Love this cat that she made.

It was fun to go and see all the fun stuff that she has been working on.

Mischief

Turned my back for one minute the other day to find this....

How would you respond if your daughter sweetly asked you if her toes looked beautiful? She was proud as punch of the job she did.

Speaking of messes, Kash seems to always know where to find the markers lately...

He loves shoes

I'm not sure what made Kash think this cute little baby boot would ever fit on his fat, wide, chubby foot.

But he sure gave it his all trying.

He tried every angle possible.

He tried turning in backwards.

He tried the other foot.


But after about 5 minutes I think he realized it was useless, threw it, and ran off to do something else.

Halloween Fun

Halloween was really fun this year. On Saturday I decided to go get some pumpkins to carve which is one of my worst things, but I knew the kids would like it. Of course since I waited until the day before Halloween there was no pumpkins to be found anywhere. So I decided that maybe we could do some crafts instead. I was thinking maybe one or two small, simple little crafts but before I new it there was paint, glue, plates, pipe cleaner, tape and all sorts of crafts spread all over my kitchen and into the living room. It was fun and I'd way rather do that then carve pumpkins.

I thought this little mummy was really cute that Summer made. It's just a juice box wrapped in paper. She was really proud of it too.

I love the faces on Skylie and Summers ghost! You can tell Micah is a perfectionist with hers.

Here are a few more of the crafts the kids made. The rest are stuck on windows and out on the steps.

This year our ward had a Halloween dance. The kids loved it. It was fun watching them out dancing with all their friends. I really have a hard time finding costumes for all eight of us but once they are all figured out and bought I love dressing up and getting the kids all ready. Here they are all ready for the dance! And no Kash is not dressed up like an orphan. These are his favorite mismatched clothes he wears almost everyday with the boots. He was supposed to be a fireman but would not put the costume on.

Our all time favorite show in our family is Nacho Libre. Someone is always quoting something from the movie. Usually it's Steve. So for those of you that have seen the movie you'll appreciate our costumes.

The kids were seriously so excited that Steve was dressed like this. I think Steve was a little excited too. And I think only those that have seen the movie will appreciate the next picture.

Baptism

I know this happened a while ago but I still wanted to blog about it. We baptized Briggs the day after his birthday. It was conference weekend so we did it after conference on Sunday. It turned out to be such a nice, special day. Briggs really wanted a suit for his baptism so that's what he got. I can't believe how grown up he looks!

The program turned out really nice. Briggs wanted his Grandpa Gibb and Haylie to speak at it. They were both great talks and I was proud of Haylie for getting up there and doing that. Micah led the singing and Haylie played the piano.

Briggs and one of his best friends Kody.

After the baptism we all came back to our house and had a dinner. It was so warm outside so the kids got to play outside. I love things like this that give us the excuse to get together as family and visit and eat.

We can always count on my mom for a journal!

Usually Briggs is surrounded by girls so I love this picture of him and so many boys his age.

Opinions please!

So we have been waiting for over two years to get our house stuccoed. The day has finally come and it looks much better. I wish that we had taken a before and after picture but of course I forgot. So here is where I need the opinions.

Love the look of the house except for the eye sore at the point of the house. You know, the ugly piece of wood that jutts down half way threw. This has ALWAYS really bugged me and to me the logical thing would be to cut it down, or at least cut it so it is the same height all the way across. I have begged Steve to do this but he says it won't work and then rambles some explanation about how the house used to have a flat roof or something. Anyways, I find that now that the house is stuccoed it stands out even more. Something has got to be done.

So what do you do??? Just repaint it white? Paint it the same cream as the build-outs? Put cedar shakes on it? Paint it the same color as the house in hopes that it blends into the house somehow? I really don't know what to do!!

What's new...

Kash got a new train set from his Grandma Holland for a late birthday present. He is loving it. Hours of entertainment for him and all the rest of the kids.

Briggs got all new biking gear. Unfortunately after his and Steve's last biking trip his biking bag with all his gear somehow flew out of the truck. They went back to see if they could find it but someone had already taken it. Briggs doesn't seem too sad about it now. You can only see his eyes but under that helmet is the biggest grin you've ever seen. It's too bad that we just bought his new boots a week earlier for his b-day only to have to replace them.

And we got a new hairdo. Courtesy of Skylie.

She decided she wanted bangs so took it upon herself to cut them. We found a pile of hair a few days later in the front closet.

She is loving the new look.

Absolutely ZERO remorse.

Pretty much thinks she is the hottest thing alive. HAHA. I love Skylie! Every time I do her hair she stresses to me to leave her bangs down, don't comb them back. Don't worry Skylie, there's not much I can do with that butcher job. I do know it could be worse though.

And thank goodness for everyones supportive comments about the bear rug, hopefully we will not be getting a new rug. Steve went out bear hunting one day but hasn't said anything about it since. Hopefully he's moved on to something new.

Kash is 2

So I can't believe that my baby is two now. It's weird cause normally by the time my youngest is two I usually have a newborn. Not this time. Instead I still just pack him around like he is still a little baby.

Kash brings so much happiness to the family. I know that sounds cheesy but it's true. Everyone loves laughing at him which only eggs him on to be more goofy.

He is always the center of attention. Might be a little spoiled. Everyone loves kissing him and always want kisses in return.

And most of all, we love his cheesy, goofy, crazy grins and faces that he pulls. He especially likes pulling them when the camera comes out.

I didn't really have anything planned for his birthday so the day of I decided I should do something. So we had whatever family was around over for a barbaque. It turned out to be really fun.

Kash loved all the balloons he got for his b-day.

He also got a ball, a couple stuffed animals (his sisters really wanted to get him), and a t-ball set.

Here's a few Kash facts:

-he will not let us put milk on his cereal. He wants it dry. Just like his Grandma Gibb.

-He does not talk very well yet.

-When he does talk he has the lowest little voice. It's so cute.

-Every time he see's me he says, "Hi Mum" in his deepest voice.

-Loves sucking his thumb.

-He loves hats.

-Always says "dan do" (thank you) every time I give him something.

-Loves cheese and anytime I turn my back and there is cheese out, he takes big bites.

-Loves his toy dirtbikes. Actually any kind of bike he loves.

-went through a stage where ever time he saw someone older that was a man he would say, "hi bumpa"

-Loves wearing his blue shark gum boots. All day long.
-Loves going to nursury.

-Loves following Steve around.

Happy B-day Kash!!!!