Our Fun Week...

My birthday is usually the same week of Thanksgiving which means lots of food and fun! This year we started off the birthday/Thanksgiving week by going to dinner with friends for my birthday. We went to Tepanyaki in Clearfield. The last time we were there was when Christian's adoption was finalized so it's been awhile. I love that place, but I do need to get better at catching the darn shrimp.

Then my birthday was on Monday. It was pretty much a typical day. I did get to go do things by myself while Marcus kept the little ones. That was a great present. My sister and Madeleine were in town for the morning so we got to hang out a little bit. Jessi and Taylor came over for dinner and Marcus made yummy steak, baked potatoes, asparagus and rolls. Then we had cake and ice cream for dessert. The kids gave me some good stuff; I always gets spoiled! But the best part of my birthday will come next week; Vegas baby!! Marcus and I are going to Las Vegas for our birthdays. His present to me is taking me shopping. Primm is the very best place in the world to go shopping!! I can't wait. It'll be a nice little break from the kids, time with Marcus before he is gone for the month working at the restaurants and shopping!! I told Marcus he better enjoy giving me a hard time this year about being 30 minus 1 because next year when I actually do turn 30, he isn't allowed to say anything. I have issues almost being thirty..stupid, I know. I changed my picture on my profile and noticed that my profile said I was 29. I thought for a minute that it was wrong and I needed to go in and fix it...then I realized it was right. I then had a moment of silence before I added my picture.

We came to Vernal for Thanksgiving this year. It works out nicely, the years Jessi and Taylor are with us, we go with Marcus' family. The years the girls are with their mom, we come to Vernal. The only bad thing about coming to Vernal for Thanksgiving is that Marcus has to drive back home on Thanksgiving day to work at Charley's the next day. So we came out on Wednesday, Marcus left Thursday night and the kids and I get to stay until later today. My sister will be taking us home later. It was the longest trip to Vernal I have made in a very long time. We h

Thanksgiving was awesome! Tons of food that was great and Emma and I even got to take a nap! The was my favorite part of the day. I can't remember the last time I got to take a nap in the middle of the day. (Call me a flake all you want Kim...you are just jealous!! ) Friday we went and did some of the fun activities Vernal had for Thanksgiving weekend. I don't do the early morning Black Friday shopping. I love shopping, but you have to be nuts to go deal with those people. I don't think there is anything you could get me to go stand in line for at 4:30 am in the freezing cold. A guy getting crushed to death at a Wal-Mart, gunfire and two dead at a Toys R Us...yah, I don't think so. I'll pay a little more for what I want and go later. Vernal has a Santa's Workshop where there are a zillion craft booths set up. They had such cute things. We bought a few things but got even more ideas of things we could make for cheaper. Then they had all sorts of activities for kids that we did and the kids loved. We went to their little festival of trees thing..much smaller version of the way I am used to, but they were cute. The kids got their faces painted and watched a really cute electrical parade. Poor Emma was freezing but the rest of us were okay. They had a fireworks show later that night that the little ones watched from my parents back porch while my mom, sister and I were shopping.

We had a good time hanging out with my parents. Their house is usually pretty hectic and crazy but it was just Emma, Christian and me this time. It was nice. We did some shopping...what limited shopping you can do in Vernal, but I am coming home with almost double the amount of shoes I came out here with...shhh, don't tell my husband! :)

So now we are heading back home. We are going to put our Christmas tree up tonight as a family before Marcus and I leave for Vegas. Then I get to decorate the rest of the house over the next little bit. I am such an OCD control freak when it comes to decorating for Christmas..the tree, the lights, the decorations..everything has a certain place. We do the Christmas tree as a family and then I wait until the kids are in bed or gone and I fix it. I can't help it. Someday we are going to have a family tree that we can all decorate and one in the sitting room that is just for show that I alone get to do. It'll be interesting to see how the Christmas decorations stand up to the wrath of little Miss Emmers..she is a demon. We put up my parents' tree on Saturday and Emma couldn't keep her little hands off of it. Stinker!!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. Here are just a few things I am grateful for this holiday season:

My wonderful husband.
My beautiful children.
My parents and crazy sister and brothers.
Nieces and Nephews
My wonderful friends...especially those that bring my warm chocolate chip cookies :)
Our puppies
Food...we all know I eat more then my share
Warm clothing
Deodorant...could you imagine a world without?
My scriptures
The living Prophet
Chap stick
Flip flops
Dr Pepper
My freedom
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Our working vehicles
My Grandma's homemade chocolate
Baby kisses..slobber and all.
My calling in the Young Womens and all the great ladies and girls I get to work with
My inability to make decisions or commit to anything...it keeps life interesting

Obviously those are in no particular order..anyway who knows me well would know that Dr Pepper and flip flops beat Marcus...hands down!! :)

So Stinkin' Cute I Could Just Eat Em'...

Marcus agreed to take some pictures of a friend's family this morning at a nearby park. We decided to take Christian and Emma with us to get some new pictures for our wall. I am so excited to get these printed!

Halloween Pics...

Here's a rundown of our Halloween...yes, I know it is closer to Thanksgiving. Maybe I'll have Thanksgiving pictures up before Valentine's!!

We were enjoying cookies before we got dressed to go Trunk or Treating. They were very yummy.


Christian took this picture of me and Emma. My outfit was as festive as I got this year. Hot huh?!


Christian's class had a party a few days before Halloween that I got to stay and help with. They had a parade, made spiders and treat bags and played some fun games.


We went to a Black Islands Farm and had lots of fun. There were games, slides, corn mazes and pumpkin patch.







Before Halloween my sister was out here with her little girl. We dressed the kids up so we could get some good pictures of them in their costumes.

Madeleine the Bee.

Favorite picture!

The night of Halloween we went to the church for chili/soup and trunk or treating. Jessi and Taylor went off with their friends, Marcus handed out candy from our trunk and I took the little ones around to get candy. It only took Emma one or two stops before she realized what the big deal was. She couldn't just take one or two pieces from the bowls, she had to grab a handful. That's my girl!

Family picture before we left to go to the church. I was making yummy cornbread for the dinner while Marcus was snapping pics.

Taylor was a starlet...I think.

Jessi was a princess of some sort.

Christian the cowboy.

Emma the butterfly.

After the trunk or treating, Marcus took Taylor, one of her friends and Christian trick or treating to a few houses. Emma was in between sleeping and being extremely grumpy. Jessi went trick or treating with some friends..which included boys, and Marcus and I thought they needed an adult with them since there were boys with them. I ended up going with them and actually had a good time. They were some funny kids. I'm glad Jessi felt comfortable asking me to go with them. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't go out with Christian and watch him go to some doors. I made Marcus take them to Savannah's house so she could see how cute they look. They didn't go out very long but had a lot of fun. Halloween was a lot of fun...but we have too much candy left over. Want any?

PSS: Water Bra...Really?!

My sister got all caught up with the PSS questions..so that leaves me and Shane. It's not like I have to be up in five hours to get ready for a photo shoot or anything, but I am going to get completely caught up...for now.


Tell us about the very FIRST time you saw and/or talked to your current significant other.

The first time I saw Marcus was at AOL where he used to work with my sister. It was probably eight or nine years ago. I had to drop something off to my sister at work and Marcus was sitting at her desk talking with her. I think we exchanged the typical "nice to meet you" mumbo jumbo and then I left. That was that. He was married. I had a boyfriend. He was my sister's friend..whatever. Turns out after I left, my chest became the topic of conversation. For some reason, my brother in law has always given my crap about having a small chest...how would he know unless he's looking right? Anyway, my sister and Marcus had talked about water bras at some point in time and my sister mentioned that I wore one. (Thanks Kim for revealing that.) After I left AOL, Marcus made some crack about how he didn't think I needed one. Or something. I really don't remember all the details. I never thought all these years later he would still be following me around and trying to cop a feel whenever possible.

PSS: Sins and Virtues...

Out of the seven sins (Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride) which one is your favorite and which one (if different) are you most guilty of? Same question with the seven virtues (Prudence, Justice, Restraint, Courage, Faith, Hope, Love)

My favorite sin would be sloth. The thought of doing absolutely nothing sounds wonderful!! I'm sure after awhile, it would get old and unhealthy, but that would be a long while for me.
I am probably most guilty of envy. I compare myself to others and want what they have. I want their house, or car, or their friends...it's ridiculous. I am so blessed and down right spoiled; I need to get over it.
My favorite virtue is faith. Believing in something you can't see. Without this I would be lost. I would like to think I practice this one the most as well. I have a lot of love for people and hope in and for things but I gotta have faith.

PSS: Time After Time...

"If you could go back to any point in your life - not to change anything but just to experience/enjoy it/whatever - again, when would it be? "

I have lots. I 'm gonna cheat and name a few:

*The night we met Christian and his birthmom and sister
*The day we were sealed to Christian
*The day Emma was born
*The night Marcus proposed
*Any Cathy Hall Dance Company concerts
*7th Grade Awards Ceremony..I raked in the awards

I'm sure there are many more, but those are the first few that popped into my head.

PSS: Yummy Yummy...

"What are your comfort foods? And why?"

I love me some food. It doesn't really matter what kind...the worse it is for me the better. Give me a Dr Pepper and I will be your best friend. My sister had a good one, (soup, grilled cheese sandwiches with pickles...mmmmm.) but I think my choice would be any homemade cookie or bread. My mom would always have homemade cookies or some kind of bread like banana bread or zucchini bread in the kitchen while I was growing up. Those kind of goodies remind me of being little...when life is much slower and much more simple. So anyone who can bring me a Dr Pepper and a homemade cinnamon roll will not only be my best friend, but I'll come scrub your toilets in return!!!

Mommy Roles...

November is National Adoption Month and not that I need anything in particular to remind me how great adoption is, it's good to see there is something out there that can help others see that too. I know there are people who think that when you adopt a child, it isn't the same. They want a child who has their genes and traits and someone that can carry on their family name. I personally think adoption is wonderful and great and amazing and all sorts of other good things.

All growing up I knew that I wanted to have an African American little boy when I started a family. I don't know how or why that idea ever came to me, but I knew from an early age that I was going to have a beautiful little boy. Fast forward years later, that dream came true. I have the best little man in the world. Adoption gave me the greatest gift; my first experience of having a little face look at me and call my mommy, trusting me and relying on me for everything.

I see or hear of children who need homes and it breaks my heart. I would love to be able to bring them all home and love them and make them feel special. But since I am just one person, I can't even make a dent in the millions of children that need homes. I can't imagine what it would feel like for a small child to not have a home or anyone to call mommy or daddy.

Marcus and I are planning on adopting again in the future. (I think mainly because he can't deal with me when I am pregnant!) I have learned that I have no control on how I add to our family. (Two step-daughters, one adopted son, one biological daughter. Trying explaining to doctors that I have four kids, have been pregnant three times and given birth once...they think I am nuts.)

I have to teach my first Young Women's lesson on Sunday and part of it is on sacrifice. When I think of sacrifice, Christian's birth mom, Tammie, always pops into my mind. She gave up her baby. She sacrificed her happiness and a part of her for the sake of her beautiful little boy. I don't know if that is something I could do. I admire, respect and love her for her sacrifice.

I have to admit it's a challenge handling all my different "mommy roles." I would say being a step mom is the hardest. There are times I have to just bite my tongue and not say what I really want to. There are times when what I do say doesn't matter. There are times that I am looked down on because I am the step mom. I struggle with the fact that sometimes the way I want to raise my kids isn't the way Jessi and Taylor are being raised. I have views, opinions and ideas on friends, appearance, hygiene, chores and attitudes that I am going to try to teach Christian and Emma. I don't have a lot of control over Jessi and Taylor. They are at the age where the choices and decisions they make now can impact their lives forever. They need someone to help them along the way. I feel like I am often overlooked because I am "just the step mom." Marcus and I agree on most things, but since we don't have the final say on things, things that are important to me sometimes get swept under the rug. I have a lot of opinions on certain things, but airing them on my blog would not be the smartest choice. I just hope that as our family continues to grow and develop, I can be the role model and example ALL the children in our house need.

There are days where I just want to throw my hands in the air and admit defeat. There are days where I think I am not cut out to be a parent. There are days where I feel like I am talking to a brick wall. There are days where all I want is to go to the bathroom alone or eat a meal by myself. There are days where I cry in frustration. There are days where I want to put myself in a permanent timeout. There are days where I feel unimportant, unappreciated, unloved...where I feel like a doormat. But then there are the days where we play all day, and watch movies and eat popcorn, laugh and giggle till we are almost crying, read stories and make up our own stories, learn fun new things, teach each other things, make cookies, eat cookies, and days I just want to scoop up my babies, hold them tight and let them know how much I love them and that they make me who I am. I am a mommy...not always a good one, but a mommy none the less. It's not easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. The dirty diapers, the never ending laundry and dishes, the constant "MOMMY!", the whining, the complaining, the tears, the jumping on the couch, the not wanting to go to bed, the coming into my bed EVERY SINGLE night, the hitting, the time outs, the potty accidents...none of the matters. Some day that will end and I know I will miss it. All I can do is enjoy them now and be the best mommy I can be. I only get one chance to raise my children and teach them to be wonderful people. I hope I don't screw up too badly...

All Done...For Now

Update:
April 2011:
I wanted to link up with IHeart Organizing post showing how we use one room for multiple uses. One room in our basement is my craft room, the kids' toy room, my office AND the music room. Since these pictures in the post were taken, we have added Christian's drum set and amps and guitars down there. A few things have changed also, but it gives you a good idea of how things are down there. I am dying to get a room of my own, but until then, we make do with what we have.







Every month over at Organizing Junkie she does a monthly roundup. She chooses a room in the house that you totally organize and clean and make all wonderful and great. Every month I mean to do it. Every month I suck. But this time...this time is different. Her October room was the craft/sewing room. I was so excited for this one. My new area is wonderful. It has been a work in progress for more than a month, but at this point in time, I am pretty much done. I will probably move things around a lot as I am down there more actually doing the stuff I want to do. I have stuff put places now that will probably make no sense when I need to get to them. So without further ado, step back in time with me when my basement looked like this.




I can't believe I am showing the world my dungeon. I hated the basement looking like that. It was just too easy to pile stuff down there instead of finding a place for it. But now..oh, but now...so different.





My craft room is not only my area, but Marcus' office and the kids' toy room. It works out well though; I can be down there crafting or sewing and the little ones can be playing. It took us forever to get this area the way we liked it. I love being down there, but I don't want to mess it up!! Some of the pictures were from my Happy Thursday post, (since the work station was my present) but for those nuts like me that love organization and have OCD issues and get their kicks off organized areas, here are some more detailed photos.

This is the pegboard Marcus made for me. I am still moving stuff around daily trying to find the perfect spot for everything. I have seen on a couple of other posts people who have cute little baskets on their pegboard. I want to find me some now.


The cork board comes in handy for displaying cute pics of my little ones. It will also come in handy if I am trying to copy an idea or need to refer back to something a lot.

Marcus mounted this shelf on the wall for my bigger items. I also have my cds for my computer and the tackle box is full of stamps and stamp pads.

This is the bottom shelf where I keep my albums. I have a child proof lock thing on it...it doesn't get open often. It must be Monica proof too...I struggle opening it.

Finally a place to store all my paint and some stamps. The other stamps I have are in the tackle box that is on the top of the wall mounted shelf.

This area holds all my unfinished projects and pictures....there are so many. I need to devote a whole weekend to finishing projects.

This is a wall in the kids' play area that I am going to paint with chalkboard paint. I was worried about how they would differentiate this wall from a non chalkboard painted wall. I am going to make a big square that we will frame in and paint. That way, they can see the difference and HOPEFULLY no chalk on my walls upstairs. If that doesn't happen, I give Marcus permission to say, "I told you so!"

Maybe someday we will actually put walls up and officially finish downstairs. But for now, this works. I am not as concerned about what goes on down there...there isn't much to ruin...just don't touch my stuff and we are all good! :)

Organizing Junkie has been doing a different room all year. I think I a may go back to her previous roundups and do each room. I love the way it feels when I finish a project. Her next room is the laundry room. Oh boy! Do I have ideas for my laundry room. Unfortunately they will have to wait. There is this thing that is green and paper and needed to buy things...maybe next year.