Taking Control...

FINALLY!! A new post over at Idea Emporium!! Check it out!!

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Time...

The day after Thanksgiving, the little ones and I drove to Vernal to spend time with my family. Vernal does this big day after Thanksgiving celebration to bring Christmas into full force. They have a craft fair called Santa's Workshop and then later on Friday they have a parade and a whole bunch of activities downtown. It was FrEeZiNg but the kids had a lot of fun.

Christian and Emma both got their faces painted. Emma wouldn't let me wash it for two days.

I wasn't prepared for how cold it was going to. Emma had to borrow gloves from my Mom...I will know for next year to bring ALL their snow and cold weather gear.

Luckily, we had Christian's blanket in the car with us. He was bundled up nice and cozy.



For some reason, my mom always makes me put up her Christmas tree. She is lucky that I love decorating trees!! The little ones had a good time helping me decorate it.

We came back on Sunday and put up our own Christmas tree.

I'm a little bit of a control freak with it comes to putting up the Christmas tree...okay maybe more than a little bit. We decorate it as a family, then I kick everyone out of the room so I can add the finishing touches and fix any spots that need fixing. Can you say OCD?

All Done!!

Other holiday decorations that I put up through out downstairs. I love decorating the house for Christmas. I would leave the decorations up all year if I could.

Gotta love Christian's black Santa. He is a stud!

It seems like it hasn't stopped snowing for a few days. The little ones love playing out in it....me, not so much.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. I am a lot more relaxed about Christmas this year. In years past, it has been so stressful. This year I think I am finally realizing the true meaning of Christmas. Pretty sad that it only took me 30 years! With the sales at both restaurants being down, we don't have the money we usually do this time of year, and in a way, I am glad. We go overboard every Christmas and the kids get spoiled. I want them to know that Christmas is really about serving others and doing nice things for people. Enjoy the next few weeks of 2009!!!

Pure Joy...

The pure joy on Christian's face in these two pictures make my day. He is so awesome. To be a kid again where you have no real concerns, problems or issues...I want to experience life through Christian's and Emma's eyes. I have gotten a lot more relaxed on many of my OCD issues; it's not worth it. Life is too short. My house has exploded and is a mess right now. But I had fun with my kiddos this weekend. The dishes and laundry will always be there, but the young years of these two beautiful children will not. This week we will have another tea party, go look at Christmas lights and make ornaments for our tree. I love being a mommy.

Holiday Wish List Meme...

Mama's Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama and Provo Craft are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I'm sharing this meme with you.

1. What 5 items are on your holiday wish list this year?

*Victoria Secret's new Miraculous Push-up bra. Dude, have you seen this thing?? I want one SoOoOoO bad!

*Snuggie.....yes, really.

*Gift Cards..you can never go wrong with gift cards.

*Paint. I really want to paint some walls in my house. I have been staring at Mushroom Basket walls for almost seven years...I'm ready for color.

*Jeans. All my jeans show my crack..maybe it wouldn't be a big deal if it was a cute crack, but really it shouldn't be showing its self off.

2. What is your favorite handmade gift you have received?

I am so bad at remembering gifts. I know I have gotten some good ones. The first one that pops into mind is the pillowcase that Marcus made me one year. Before we brought Christian home, Marcus had a job that made him travel a lot so he was gone for weeks at a time. He didn't want me to get lonely while he was gone or have to sleep alone, so he ironed a transfer of his head on a pillow case. I am still traumatized by the whole event.

3. What handmade gift have you always wanted to tackle?

I want to learn to make the cute little hats and scarves that are so popular and cute right now. For some reason, I can't knit...my brain just doesn't work that way.

4. What was the best Christmas gift you received as a child?

They always say that when you grow up, you aren't going to remember the actual gifts you received; you will remember things that you did and the fun you had. This is so true for me. I don't remember a single present I got as a kid, but I do remember all the fun we had. I have always loved opening presents so when I was younger, I would get stuff I all ready had and wrap it just so I had more stuff to open on Christmas morning. Yes, I know...DoRk!!

5. What items are on your kid's wish list this year?

Emma told me the other day she wants games, band-aids and fruit snacks. I asked her if she wanted anything else, and the smart little two year old that she is said, "No, that's plenty."

Christian wants every toy he sees on TV right now.

6. What is your favorite holiday food?

That's like asking a mom to pick her favorite child. I won't choose and you can't make me.

7. What will you be hand-crafting for the holidays?

I'll be lucky if I get my cards made this year.

8. What is your favorite holiday movie?

I don't have a favorite one, but the one I HaTe with a capital H is Christmas Story. I don't know what it is about that movie, but I can't stand it!!

9. Favorite holiday song?

I love Christmas music...just after Thanksgiving at least.

10. Favorite holiday pastime?

Eating, shopping, eating, spending time with family, decorating, eating, baking...I love it all!!

October Review...

My computer and I have been separated far too long. Marcus' computer bit the dust, so he hijacked mine until he got a new one. Then my computer decided to be dumb; it keep shutting itself down in the middle of me doing stuff. So when I finally got it back, we cuddled and snuggled and made up for lost time. Now that it's had time to recover, here is our October in Review.

Early in the month, we went to the 3D showing of Toy Story 1 and 2..yes, that's right, two movies in a row. I have heard this movie a zillion times from the car DVD player but had only seen it once before. My parents came out and my sister and her family came too. It was a fun afternoon. Christian was way excited. He convinced me to buy him a Buzz Lightyear shirt, and he also brought his Buzz, Woody, Jessie and Bulls Eye dolls with him. This is one boy who loves him some Toy Story.

Emma, on the other hand, could really have cared less....

Christian LoVeS being outside. He had to be in the pictures I was taking of our pumpkins on steroids. I don't know what happened to our pumpkins this year, but we only got five and they were HuGe!!

Christian and Emma's preschool went to a pumpkin patch for a field trip, so we did get a few normal sized pumpkins.

The three of us went down to Draper with my sister and went to a little pumpkin patch/fair thing. It was freezing and kinda lame, but the kids had fun.

I didn't want anymore pumpkins at the house, so Christian and Emma chose the little, tiny pumpkins.

I made these little critters for a Young Women's Daddy/Daughter party. Cute huh?!

This too...I don't like cheesecake or white chocolate so I wasn't tempted to eat the leftovers; it worked out well.

I think this was the last Halloween that I got to decide what Christian would be. Isn't he the cutest Peter Pan you have ever seen????

Emma was soooo excited to be Tinkerbell. She talked about it forever! So cute!!

Wendy, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell.

We went to our Ward Trunk or Treat and then around the neighborhood for a few minutes. It was a good Halloween.

Donor of the Year...

Awhile back Marcus was honored by the Utah Idaho Kidney Foundation as their "Donor of the Year." We attended a meeting where he was presented with a plaque and we met a few famous people...Utah famous anyway. Jake Garn presented Marcus with the award. He used to be a senator and also has been to space. Getting the award from somebody like Senator Garn meant a lot to Marcus I think. We also attended a Candle Light Walk last Friday honoring living donors at Library Square. Marcus was asked to speak on living donation. They honored some amazing people that night so for Marcus to be involved with that was kinda cool.

Last year when Marcus and I decided we wanted to help Juan and his family, we never imagined it would turn into what it has. I think the awards, speeches, interviews and hoopla is finally done...which is really nice. I know Marcus is glad to be done with all the attention. He donated his kidney to help Juan and HATES getting all this attention and being told how great he is. We both would like to think that what he did was what anyone would do given the situation. I am a firm believer in organ donation. To learn more about organ donation go here.

My New Bathroom...Kinda...

I found this awesome site a few weeks ago when I was working...okay, pretending to be working. I have to confess my love for this blog!! It has given me soooo many great ideas that I want to try. I decided to start participating in the DIY day she has every week. Maybe that will help motivate me to get off my lazy butt and get all my projects going that I can't seem to find the time for. I could spend hours and hours looking over all the past DIY day posts...that is if Christian and Emma could cook, clean, do their own laundry, etc. etc. Hey, a girl can dream can't she?!

Marcus and I started this project months ago. We kept putting it off or were too busy to finish, but we are finally finished...mostly. We need to touch up the walls where I made him take the towel racks down, but for some reason we got more of the paint that is the ExAcT color and brand of our current walls and it doesn't match. So painting has to wait. I know the anticipation is killing you...let you wait no longer...

My old bathroom:

I've always loved my bathroom and when we were looking for new houses a few months ago, I kept comparing every bathroom to mine. I just wanted to spruce it up a bit and give it a more personal touch. It's nothing huge, but I love it!!

Appearing for the first time...my new bathroom!!!

I came across a blog awhile ago where they added a frame around their bathroom mirror...I would love to give credit where it is due, but I couldn't find that site again; believe me, I tried...So we spray painted the molding with some black textured spray paint and then used liquid nails to glue it to the mirror. I LoVe it.. I'm debating whether or not to paint the white cabinet on the wall black to match everything else...or it might be too much black if I do. For now, it's okay.


Marcus hung curtain rods up, but now he refuses to ever hang curtain rods in the house again. Whatever. :)
I have a new obsession with black spray paint. It's my new love. I bought some candle sticks at the Dollar Store and spray painted them black. They look much better then I thought they would.

My tub is usually covered in bath toys...no, not mine. It's so much easier to bathe Christian and Emma in my big tub then in theirs. Taking the picture made me have to actually put the toys away.

Marcus built a shelf in the toilet room and then I used more spray paint to make the frames match. I like this setup much more then the metal shelving before.

Now I want to redo the hall bath, but I have far too many projects either all ready in progress or that need to be done before I get to that room.

One project down, way too many to go.

I'm A Big Kid Now...

Christian started his last year of preschool last week. It's so hard to imagine next year he will be off to Kindergarten!! He loves school and his teacher.

He is such a poser!! He will never let me just take a normal picture.

There he goes..he wasn't even sad or hestitant. He was like, "Okay, Mom..bye..you can leave now."

Little Miss Emma Catherine also started her first day of school!! Their daycare does a toddler program that Christian did when he was two also.

This is how excited she is to be going...

But then I told her there would be cookies..

Emma loves it!!! Her teacher Miss Stacie is awesome!!

Can you believe how big she is?! Where did my baby go??

This was when I picked her up...she was all ready to go.

Aren't they just the cutest??

The next two pictures are just stinking adorable!!

Hopefully their love for school will last a long time!!!!

On a totally different note, Emma is potty trained!! My two year old loves me!! I no longer have to change nasty diapers; that chapter is closed...for now anyway.