Christmas Pictures- Isabella

Christmas Pictures- Jacob

Merry Christmas!

Well, this year was one of the best ever! Isabella has been so excited about Christmas and Santa (every prayer she said this month included something about Santa). Santa put a bell on her door so that we would hear her when she woke up. She came out of her room and yelled "It's morning!" She ran into our room to wake us up, and the woke up Nana & Aunt Kristie. Michael ran down the stairs so that he could get everything on video. Isabella made out really good on gifts, that's for sure! Jacob slept in that morning and we were all able to open our gifts before he came downstairs.

Michael and I exchanged lots of fun gifts, but the best gift we opened was what my mom gave us- a Wii!!!! It is really fun, and even Isabella gets in on the action.

Jacob is really enjoying the dump truck that Santa left, and trying to take all of Isabella's new toys. Can you believe that he will turn 1 next weekend?!?!

Tonight, we will have more company arrive- Michael's parents- Dennis & Jo Ann, sister- Amy, and Brother & new wife- Mark & Tara. Isabella is VERY excited about the visit, as are Michael and I.

I'll post pictures & video soon!!

The little man in my life....

I couldn't get one with his eyes open- my camera is soooo slow!!

12 Dates of Christmas- The 1st Date

I heard about this cool thing to do during the month of December, and I thought it would be fun to adapt it to our family, and make it a neat tradition. So, we have to go on 12 'dates' before Christmas. It can be as a whole family or split up. It doesn't have to be expensive or elaborate, just a good time.

Michael and Isabella kicked it off with a daddy-daughter date to Santa's Village. They had a BLAST!! Isabella got to talk with Santa, and tell him all about what she wants (and she even asked him to get Jacob a dump truck), hear Mrs. Clause read a couple of stories, make an ornament, go through an ice maze, decorate cookies, see Santa's bedroom, and lots more. Jacob and I couldn't go because it was kinda late, and Jacob is sick, so I didn't want him out in the cold. I'm totally jealous, so I think that we will all go again when my mom & sister get here. Here are some funs pics that Michael took.

Thanksgiving Recap

We had such a great Thanksgiving! There were 17 of us- 8 adults and 9 kids (all age 4 & under). The kids did a great good, and we feasted on some delicious food. It might have been the most delicious Thanksgiving meal I've ever eaten.....

Here is the menu (and no, I didn't make it all- my friends contributed lots)

Brined Turkey & Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
2 kinds of Stuffing- one with apples & sausage, and one without
Sweet Potatoes with Pecan Streusal Topping
Cranberry-Orange Sauce
Cranberry Salad
Rolls
Corn
Broccoli Casserole
Deviled Eggs w/ Cheddar & Bacon
Wassail- Yum!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Cherry Pie
Chocolate Cream Pie
Praline Ice Cream Pie

Office Update

Bet you thought I forgot, huh? Well, it took quite a bit of time, but I've made some serious progress in my office as well as other parts of the house. I still have to paint, put some stuff on the walls, and add a couple pieces of furniture, but I am pleased with the preliminary results.

As for the rest of the house, I'm not quite ready to post pictures.

Soon..... I hope....

Tag!

OK, normally I don't do these, but I actually liked this one. I'm not going to tag anyone specifically, but I'll be watching your blogs to see who did it!


A- Age: 28
B - Best Friend: Hmmm... I've got a few really good friends, even though we don't get to see each other or even talk very much anymore. I guess that's how you know they really are good friends- you can always pick right back up where you left off- Cat, Michelle, Jacque, Felicia & Sara
C - Cake or Pie: Neither are really my favorite, but I'd have to say cake- Costco cake!
D - Drink of Choice: Cherry Coke, with lots of ice. Mmmm... I'm thirsty...
E - Essential Items: Diaper wipes, yoga pants (my fancy way of saying pj's), and my dvr. I'm an addict.
F - Favorite TV show at the moment: I have so many!! Lost, 24, Top Chef, Heroes, Judge Judy......
G - Gummi Bears or Worms: Bears. But only Haribo.
H - Hometown: Hesperia, CA
I - Indulgence: Fried potatoes/hash browns
J - January or July: January
K - Kids: 2
L - Life is incomplete without: Family
M - Marriage Date: June 5, 2004
N - Number of Siblings: 2- 1 brother and 1 sister
O - Oranges or Apples: Apples. Fuji are my fav.
P - Phobias or Fears: The 3 S's- Snakes, Sharks & Spiders
Q - Quote: There never was a child so lovely, but his mother was glad to see him asleep. --Ralph Waldo Emerson- I totally stole this from Sara because I couldn't think of anything....
R - Reason to Smile: Both kids asleep at the same time.
S - Season: Fall
T - Time you woke up today: 6:00ish
U- Unknown Fact About Me: I absolutely hate latex balloons. I hate the way they smell, the way they feel, and the sounds they make when you touch them. I totally get the hebe-gibes just thinking about it.
V - Veggies or Fruit: I love them both too much to decide.
W - Worst Habit: Biting my cuticles. I know, I know, am a freak.
X - X-Rays or Ultrasounds: Ultrasounds
Y - Your Favorite Food: Sushi
Z - Zodiac: Virgo

TOFW

Last weekend, I was able to go to Time Out For Women up in Nashville with a few of my friends. We had a great time! Hillary Weeks & Kenneth Cope preformed and were both awesome, as were the many speakers they had lined up. There are about 20 new books I want now!! And, guess what some of you are getting for Christmas????

It was a lot of fun to get away with my friends. We gabbed for hours and ate good food. It definitely wasn't a restful weekend, but that's fine by me. Next year, the closest TOFW is in Cincinnati (about 6 hours away), but I think I'll try to make the trip so I can see my good friends that live in Dayton. I'm already getting excited!

He walks!

Well, about 10 minutes ago, Jacob took his first step! But, not just any step. He let go of Michael to walk into the kitchen and proceeded to take 4 steps. Just like that. Then, Michael and I got him to do it over and over again walking back and forth between us.

He is 10 months old, and I fully expect this ball of energy to be running before Christmas. Please pray for me!!!

Every fat girls dream.....

About a month ago I went to my new Dr. (Primary Care), to get a routine physical. She put me on a great weight-loss drug because I can't seem to lose any of the weight I put on with Jacob. I had to go get some blood work done and make another appointment with her in 1 month.

So, fast-forward to today. I've lost 12 pounds (yeah!!!), and was hoping just to renew my prescription for my wonder drug. Well, it turns out that my labs came back with some problems. I've got hypothyroidism & something is going on with my liver (I don't know too much about this & have to make another appt.). I was doing some research on the thyroid issue, and it can really mess you up. It can cause weight gain, depression, lack of energy/exhaustion, and a lot of other problems. On one hand, I'm bummed that something is wrong with me, but on the other hand, maybe I'll start to feel a little more like me soon.

Sorry if this was way too much information for some of you!!

My little model

Having Fun

Isabella got to go to a fun birthday party last weekend at Jumpzone- a place with just a ton of inflatables. She had a blast. This Saturday she has another party to go to- at Chucky Cheese's. She's never been there, but I have a feeling we will soon be regular patrons.

Mission: Organization- Office

OK, this is embarrassing. I thought that maybe if I took a picture and blogged about it, I would shame myself into doing something. Our office has become a junk graveyard. Anytime another room in the house needs to be picked up, everything ends up in here. It is probably the most unproductive place to work in the house. So, I'm giving myself 2 weeks to make it into a workable, pleasant, maybe even kid-proof space. I'll post an update every few days with pictures of my progress.

Now, repeat to self- "I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....."

There is a pit in my stomach....

I will be soooo happy when today is done. I'm sick of this election. I'm not really a fan of either candidate, so I've got nothing to be excited about, regardless who wins. This morning I had an early chamber of commerce meeting, and had to drive by a polling place. I literally started to physically feel ill.

After a trip to the kid's doctor (Jacob is sick), we picked up Isabella from preschool and went to vote. Isabella was very interested in what I was doing. If she only knew...

Isabella the Dancer Part 2

Just thought I would share this super cute picture. I bought Isabella a few pairs of leg warmers the other day, and I just LOVE them!

Halloween 2008 Recap

On Thursday night, our church had its annual Trunk-r-Treat and Chili/Soup Cook-off. The night started off on a bad note..... I purchased Jacob the most adorable puppy costume over a month ago, and for some reason decided not to take it out of the closet or try it on him until 15 min. before we had to leave the house. You can probably guess where this is going. The zipper was busted, an unfortunately it ran along the side of the costume, so I couldn't hide it. So, we showed up to the party with an adorable Jo-Jo the Clown (for the 2nd year) and a Jacob the Giant, no costume needed. The night was not a complete bust- Isabella collected lots of candy for her parents to eat, and I won for the best soup- Roasted Butternut Squash w/ Apples & Bacon. Yum!

Friday started with an early trip to Target to find my little man a new costume. Ya right!! Of course there was NOTHING left in the store, with the exception on dog costumes (meaning costumes to actually put on your dog). So, we left the store with a very cute pumpkin costume that had a hat w/ holes cut out for gigantic ears. Did you know dog costumes are pretty cheap? Only $6.99. I wonder how many years I can get away with buying these? I'll let you know in another 12 months.

At 10:30am, 6 very cute kids arrived at our house for a Halloween Party. They colored pictures, decorated cookies, ate lunch, watched a Halloween movie, and had an all-around great time.

Then at 6pm we set off to go Trick-or-Treating in our neighborhood. It was just perfect. The weather was awesome and the size of our neighborhood is really the perfect size for Trick-or-Treating. A good time was had by all, including Jacob who just loves being pulled around in his wagon.

Jacob the Giant

Jacob had his 9 month check up the other day. He weighs 25lbs. 12 oz. and is 32.75 inches tall. Holy crap, this kid is huge!!!

While we were there, I had them give both kids their flu shots. Poor little Isabella. While Jacob barely made a peep, Isabella let out quite the pathetic cry. She walked around for the rest of the day holding her arm up like it was broken. She told me that she "doesn't like holes in me". She refused to let me take off her bandaid for a few days. Finally I offered her a candy corn. Works like a charm every time.

Jacob discovered delicious hay

Isabella making a cotton angel with real cotton!

Tate Farms Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend we went to an awesome place- Tate Farm's Pumpkin Patch. We went on a hay ride, pet animals, played in a corn-pen, got to play with real cotton, pick pumpkins, and have an all-around great time. Isabella had a BLAST!

Isabella & Daddy touching real cotton for the first time.

DC Trip

Well, we made it back in one well rested piece. The kids are still alive, and I couldn't be more grateful for the opportunity to get away. I had a great visit with 2 of my favorite friends, Molly & Shellie, I was able to go to the Temple, and my brain got the rest it needed.

Michael had a good time at his conference. His presentation went really well (of course), and he even got to pitch a show idea to the ESPN guys who were there.

Baking

I've recently decided that I would like to start baking. Those of you who know me know that I LOVE to cook, but baking, well, not so much. It's just that I'm lousy at following directions. There are a lot of things I could do with baking, so I thought I'd give it a go.

My first attempt was with bread. Maybe I was overly ambitious. Some of my friends told me that I needed to watch someone do it, so that I would know what it should look and feel like. Well, I decided not to heed to their advise. Needless to say, it was a complete flop. Literally. It didn't even rise. I have no idea where I went wrong. But will I ask for help? Of course not! I'm going to try again tomorrow. I'll tell you how it goes!

D.C. Dates

Michael and I (no kids!!!) will be in DC the evening of the 11th thru early morning on the 16th. Michael will be busy pretty much the entire trip, so I plan on RELAXING!!! I'd like to sleep at least 10 hours a day. That will be the first time in 5 years. Yeah!!

I'm going to go to my old ward on Sunday (Brambleton), see my friend Molly either Monday or Tuesday, and go to the Temple either Tuesday or Wednesday. Maybe I'll go to the zoo so that I can get in a nice long walk.

162 hours and counting!

Isabella the Nurse

Yesterday at preschool, they had 'Community Helper Day'. The kids were to dress up as some sort of community helper. An ambulance came to visit and Isabella was excited to tell me she got to lay in the bed with her friend Luke..... Anyway, I decided I would make Isabella a white apron with a red cross on it and teach her a little about being a nurse. I didn't want to take out my sewing machine, so I bought that iron on stuff. It ended up taking me well over an hour. Dang it! Would have probably taken me 10 minutes on the machine. Lesson learned.

Isabella the Dancer

I recently enrolled Isabella in a ballet class. She is having a blast, and looks so darn cute in her one and only outfit! She calls it her 'ballerina alphabet'. If only I could get her to open her eyes for pictures!!!!

Mission: Organization

OK, I've just started a new book that promises to change my life- 'One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week-by-Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good', by Regina Leeds.

So far, according to the book, I'm a mess. I really didn't need a book to tell me that though. What I need is a book to tell me how to get Jacob to realize that 1) he is only 8 months old and still needs naps and 2) I am not his pillow. I need a book to teach Isabella how to sleep in her bed at night and not in the oven of her play kitchen, in her closet, on top of boxes, or curled up next to the toilet!

But in all seriousness, the book seems promising. Once I reach perfection, I'll let you know!

Grams

My sweet grandma died early Sunday morning. I love her so very much. She lived to be 90 years old. I'm so very grateful that Jacob and I were able to visit with her only a week & a half before her passing.

The picture of her & Jacob in my previous post is the last picture ever taken of her. I try not to be so sad because I know these last couple of years have been so painful for her. I take great comfort in knowing where she is now, and that I can one day see her again.

My grandma never lived in the same town as me. It always took a plane ticket to see her. But I loved each and every visit. She taught me a lot of things that have become a part of my everyday life. She loved to entertain & cook, and she had the most beautiful garden. She was a world traveler, and always brought Justin and I trinkets from her trips. I remember one time she went to Hong Kong and brought Justin back a neat mask and a pretty fan for me. She also would take us on neat trips.

I have so many wonderful memories.

Our trip to California

Jacob and I went to California for a couple weeks. Unfortunately it wasn't for a vacation. My sweet little 90 year old grandma has been sick, so we flew out (thanks to the generosity of my Aunt Sis) to try to help in any way we could. It turns out that the day we got there, she was admitted to the hospital, and she stayed there for a week. Since Jacob and I had a little free time on our hands, we were able to visit with my mom and see my sister and my aunt & uncle. Here are some cute pics I took on the trip!

Sleeping Beauty

This is how Michael found Isabella a couple nights ago when he went upstairs to check on Jacob. We were dying laughing!

First Day of Preschool

Isabella started preschool!! She goes every Tuesday & Thursday 9am-1pm, and absolutely loves it. It's great because it gives me a nice chunk of time to get some things done (although someone needs to inform Jacob that his mommy needs to be able to put him down!!). This is a picture of her on her first day!

He's moving!

Well, not in this picture, but it was too cute not to post. Jacob is crawling really good now, and sitting up like a pro. He loves graham crackers, and last night tasted his first chocolate milk shake. Isn't it funny what you will do with your second baby that you wouldn't dream about doing with your first? Not that this will be a regular occurrence or anything, but boy was he happy when I gave him a taste!

Oh, news for all my DC pals- Michael and I will be up there this October (I'll give you the dates soon). Yeah!