Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Santa Pictures





We went to see Santa at the mall today. We go every year, and I love that they have the same Santa each year. It is fun to see how much the kids change from year to year. Today I just had to laugh. No matter what we tried to do, Walker wouldn't stop screaming, and McKartnee was "playing shy", and would not look at the camera. Wyatt was the only one smiling, but of course he is the one with stitches above his eye. Oh well, this will be one to look back and laugh at.

McKartnee's Birthday




Today is Mcartnee's 3rd birthday. We had her princess birthday party on Saturday, and she had so much fun. She had some of her cousins and a few neighborhood friends come. Grandma sent her a new princess dress that she was so excited to wear. She was a beautiful little princess, and was so excited that all of her friends came. McKartnee is at such a fun age. She has the cutest little personality. We are constantly laughing at her. She loves her brothers, and always says that Wyatt is her best friend. She is so cute a nurturing with her dolls. She will make a great mommy one day. She laughs at everything, including when she gets hurt. She rarely cries. When she does I either know that she is really hurt, or she is trying to get somebody in trouble. She has the most contagious laugh, and is already the life of the party. We love you McKartnee and are so blessed to have you in our family!

Picking out our Christmas tree.






Do you ever feel like the world is going full speed ahead, and you are running in slow motion getting further and further behind? This is how I have felt lately. Between Christmas parties, sick kids, Christmas decorating, traditions, birthday parties, kids getting stitches, seeing Santa, and you name it, I have had plenty to blog about, but no time to do it. I will try to catch up, but it may take awhile.

I will start with picking out our Christmas tree. Last year we cut one down for the first time. We had so much, that we decided to make it a tradition. We learned a couple of lessons from last year; 1. The tree's look alot smaller out in an open field than they do in your house, so this year we took a tape measure, and got a more size appropriate tree for our house. If you want to see what I am talking about see last years post 2. Take a truck to bring the tree home in. The kids had so much fun, and they also got to cut one down for jimmy's parents. This time of year is so fun. I just can't believe that Christmas is almost here.

Monday, November 10, 2008

Stuck In The Bathroom

We went to New York this weekend for our cute niece's baptism, and had so much fun with everyone there. We got home late last night.
Jimmy left later for work this morning, so instead of unpacking and doing all of the cleaning that I had to do,I just relaxed and chatted with him. Then when Walker went down for his first nap I wasted my time catching up on the computer. Before I knew it he was awake, and I was trying to wrestle him and unpack at the same time.
When he went down for his second nap, I tried to speed clean. I got all unpacked, and things put away, and I started cleaning my dirty bathroom. About halfway through, Walker woke up, so I went in and got him out of his crib. I thought that I would quickly finish cleaning the bathroom before I changed him and got him his snack. He kept trying to come in the bathroom and get in the toilet (his latest obsession), so I closed the door, and finished cleaning the floor. When I finished and went to open the door, the door nob would not work. Wyatt was playing at his cousin's house, so I called for McKartnee. I asked her to try to open the door from the outside, and she couldn't either. GREAT, so I have a baby, and an almost three year old running around the house, and I am stuck in the bathroom.
We have a mini screwdriver set, so I asked McKartnee to get it for me and put it under the door. I tried to unscrew the door nob, but with the mini screw driver, I could not get it to budge, and the normal one wouldn't fit under the door. I wedged the screwdriver in between the door and the frame, and tried to pry it open, and broke part of the door. I looked out the window to see if I could jump out, but I was afraid I would break my leg or something else doing it. I tried to stay calm, and I kept having McKartnee tell me what Walker was doing, and told her if he was getting into anything to let me know. (Like I could have done anything)
I was ready to jump out of the window if I needed to, but decided that as long as they were OK, I would stay put. I kept panicking thinking about everything that Walker could be getting himself into, and I worried about McKartnee getting outside, or into who knows what. I was seriously praying the whole time I was in there that Heavenly Father would just keep them safe, and it wasn't until I got out two hours later that I realized how much he had answered my prayers.
When Jimmy came home the kids were both downstairs just playing. When he was trying to get me out though, both of the kids came upstairs. They love when daddy comes home.
McKartnee loves to get chairs from the dining room, and move them to climb up and get whatever she wants. She put a chair in the kitchen in front, but off to the side of the oven to get to my stash of peanut M&M's out of the cupboard above it. We didn't even know that she had done this.(we were a little preoccupied with the door) When Walker climbs up on somthing and can't get down he does this little whine, and while Jimmy was still trying to get the door open he heard Walker. He went in the kitchen, and he had climbed up on the chair, onto the cupboard, and was right next to the stove. I am so glad this happened while Jimmy was there, and not before. When I think about this, and all of the other things that they could have, and probably should have got into during the two hours I was locked in the bathroom, it makes me know that my Heavenly Father was right there with my little ones protecting them from all of the dangers that they could have gotten themselves into. I felt so helpless being stuck in there, and I was so happy to get out and give my kids a great big hug. I am so glad that they were OK!!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

My little Wy Guy

Today is Wyatt's 5th birthday. It is so hard to believe that he is already 5. Jimmy and I were just talking about how 5 yrs ago today, we were at the hospital. When I first went into the hospital, his little heart was in distress, and they were monitoring it closely until my Dr could get there. When my Dr came and saw his heart rate, He asked how long it would take to numb me. When the anastesioligist said 7 or 8 minutes, he said "we don't have time, put her out" I remember being so scared at that moment, but comforted at the same time by a blessing I had received before we left for the hospital. It said that everything was going to be ok, and that the Dr's hands would be stable and precise. I didn't quite understand what that meant, until right then, realizing that he would be performing a c-section. After I had him, I had to come out of the sedation, so Jimmy had already been holding him for a little while. I will never forget looking into his eyes for the first time. He was so aware that it almost felt like he was looking right through me. My life completly changed at that moment. I remember never realizing that you could love anybody as much as I automatically loved this little baby. My love for him has only grown stronger over the years.
He has been such a great little boy. He has such a tender heart. He gets his feelings hurt so easily, but also gets so sad if he hurts anybody else's feelings. He is very rough and tough with his little sister (I am constantly saying "Be soft, remember she is a girl), but he is also very, very protective of her, and is always telling her "Kartnee you are my best friend". He loves to make little Walker laugh, and Walker just adores him. Wyatt can do anything and Walker just starts giggling. It is very cute. He loves to play catch with dad, and is getting pretty good at throwing and catching a baseball. He loves helping me. Alot of times when I punish them, I make them do chores. Wyatt loves doing them, and alot of the time asks me what else he can clean. (I need to take more advantage of that one!) He has been learning to read, and is really into drawing and coloring lately. I am adding a picture that he just drew that made me laugh so hard. Jason my brother in law had drawn him a picture of a skeleton in church on Sunday. Wyatt was making a Halloween book and drawing everything he could think of that had to do with Halloween. When he brought me the skeleton picture to show me, I was trying so hard not to laugh. He was so proud of the picture, but somehow the pelvic bone on it, had turned into an anotomically correct male if you know what I mean.
It is so fun to watch him grow and progress. Each stage that he goes through is so exciting. It is funny, but with him being my first, I get excited with each step he takes. With my other two though, I am not as eager because I realize how fast my babies are growing up. Happy Birthday my big five year old!!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Slip and Slide

Let me just start by saying that this last week was just one of those weeks. I felt like I was so snappy with my kids and hubby. There were a few days that it seemed like everything that could go wrong went wrong. I was determined that no matter what, this week would be better, so yesterday instead of doing my Monday cleaning, I took the kids to the zoo. It was a beautiful day, and there were not a lot of people there, so I just kind of let them take the lead and go where they wanted to. This was the first time that Walker was really into the animals. He loved it.
Today we had to make cookies for Wyatt's birthday treats for school. The kids helped me make them, and while Wyatt and I were rolling the dough out, it got really quiet. I went into the dining room, and McKartnee had got into the flour, and had it all over the dining room floor. When I walked in she excitedly said "Look mom, I'm doing it just like you." I tried to remember that she is just experimenting, and tried to supress the frustration that was brewing inside. I tried to quickly sweep, but we seriously had flour from one end of our little house to the other. (amid the frustration I forgot to take a picture of the mess.) I was trying to get her to help me clean it up, but we had the whole power sturggle going on, and I was starting to get frustrated, and she was getting frustrated. I stopped and thought how can I make this fun. I remembered reading about a lady doing a big slip and slide to have her kids mop the floor. I decided that this is what we were going to do. I swept really good, got a sink full of warm soapy water, and let the kids go to town. The had so much fun, and when they were all done I had them mop up the water with some towels. I don't think my floor has ever looked so clean.
I really learned today that it is all about my aproach in things. I need to try to be more creative about asking for their help instead of being so demanding all the time. That way we can all walk away from the situation so much happier. Wish me luck on this one!



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Sunday, November 2, 2008

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween this year.  The kids had a great time trick or treating with some neighbor friends.   They got a ton of candy that I keep eating.  I need to get rid of it before I eat it all.

Wyatt was set on being a dinosaur this year, and McKartnee wanted to be a princess again.  We ended up using the same dress from last year because it still fit her.  I got Walkers costume back in August on E-bay for $6.00 brand new.   It ended up being so much cuter than I thought it was going to be.  When he would walk the little tail would go back and forth.  He even won the best costume at our ward Halloween party.   





Wyatt's Halloween Birthday Party

This year we are going to be out of town on the weekend of Wyatt's birthday.  He kept telling me that he wanted a halloween birthday party, so we decided to have an early birthday party at our house last weekend.  We had cousins and a few nieghborhood friends come.   It ended up being pretty fun.  He was very happy with his gifts, and seemed to have a good time.

This is everybody waiting to open presents.


Wyatt with his cake.


The kids playing dinosaur bingo.

Making their buckets for the pinata


Thursday, October 30, 2008

Butler Orchards

They have so many "pick your own" farms and orchards out here.   For some reason, I have never taken the kids to one before.  I thought it would be fun to go and pick apples with them, but I waited too long, and missed out on all the apples.  We decided to do the pick your own pumpkin instead.  We went with some good friends of ours to a fun place called Butler Orchards.  They had a corn maze, fun slides, this huge barn full of hay that the kids loved to play in, and some other fun things for the kids.  Then we got take a hayride out to a field and pick out our own pumpkins.  Wyatt of course wanted the biggest one that he saw, but we finally talked him into a normal sized one.  It was a fun day.

Cox Farms

Friday, October 17, 2008

Jimmy's mom's Birthday




Jimmy's mom's birthday was on the 5th, and we all went out to the farm to help her celebrate. The kids just love going out there. There are so many fun things for them to do. We love you Margie, and hope that you had a happy birthday. We appreciate all that you do for us.
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McKartnee's Joyschool



We had McKartnee's little joyschool group at our house last week. We had so much fun learning about the letter B. All four kids are just so cute and had me laughing the whole time at the little things they were saying. McKartnee gets so excited for Teusday's to come, so that she can be a big girl and go to school.
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Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Live for the Moment



Because of the season difference between the two, this is the first season that Walker is really wearing all of Wyatt's old clothes. As I see Walker in them, it takes me back to when Wyatt was wearing them. It seems like yesterday, and it is hard to believe that four years have passed since Wyatt wore them.
I really loved general conference this weekend. It is always so inspiring. So many of the talks seemed to relate to things that I, or those close to me have been going through. I really felt a message of peace and hope for this crazy world that we live in. I loved President Monson's talk, especially when he talked about how one day we will miss all the messes and finger prints around the house. I have really been reflecting on how fast my kids are growing up lately. Wyatt will be 5 next month, and my baby isn't even a baby any more.
I feel like I get way too caught up in things that don't matter. I get frustrated when I clean the house and turn around and it is a mess again. I sometimes focus too much on my own things (like blog reading), and I don't focus as much as I should on my kids. I am not as patient as I should be, I could go on and on. I really feel like instead of focusing on these things, I need to remember how precious my kids are, and how fast my time with them will go. I feel so blessed for the opportunity that I have to be a mother, and I know that these days won't last forever. It is my goal to live in the moment, and really focus them and their needs. As I find myself getting frustrated, I am going to try to remember that these are the very things that I will miss one day.
I am very grateful that General Conference comes every six months. I always feel so motivated right afterwards, and then so ready for it to come again.
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Wednesday, October 1, 2008

First Day of School




Yesterday and today were big days for Wyatt and McKartnee. They both started school.
McKartnee started a little joy school yesterday. Last year she had such a hard time with Wyatt going to school, that I knew that she was going to need something this year too. I talked to a few of my friends that have kids the same age. We decided to do a little joy school/play date once a week. It is pretty chill. There are only 4 kids, two boys and two girls. We are just going to focus on learning a letter a week, and do a little learning, but mostly play. She was so excited to go to school. She was so happy all morning, and wanted to get ready first thing. The only problem of the day was when she asked for her backpack. I went in and got Wyatt's old one, because I didn't buy her one. She got a little upset, because it wasn't pink, and she wanted a pink one. I talked her into taking a picture with the blue one on, but she wasn't about to take it to school with her. Even without her back pack, she had a great time.
Wyatt is going to the same preschool that he did last year. I have been so happy with it. The teacher is great. Wyatt loves her. It is through the child development course at the high school, and a lot of the girls in the class are in our ward. Wyatt was so excited to go back today. He got all ready, put his back pack on and wanted to wait outside a half hour before it was time to go. When he got home, I was asking him about his day. I asked him if it was good to see Miss Fin (Miss Finlayson, his teacher), and he said "Yes, she was so happy to see me." It is always so hard to get a lot of info out of him, but I got that they made a puppet of themselves, had cheese balls for snack time, and wrote their names. I can't believe that he is almost 5. When I looked at him today as he was waiting to go to school, he looked so grown up. It just doesn't seem possible. He is such a good kid, and I love watching all of them get so excited for all the firsts. I remember having those same feelings when I was a kid.
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Monday, September 29, 2008

Disney on Ice




McKartnee and I went to Disney on Ice this weekend. It was a lot of fun. My grandparents used to take us every year while growing up, so it was fun to be able to carry on the tradition with her. She really liked it.
I have to write down a couple of funny things that she has said recentley, so that I don't forget them. She has been a little singer lately, and will try to sing every song that she hears, but she never gets the words quite right. The other day, she was trying to sing the Sweet Escape song, and where it says "Take me away, take me away", she was singing "Give me away, throw me away". I was laughing so hard.
Also, Every time that I talk about Utah, she thinks that I am saying "you" tah. Jimmy's cousin was out here this week, and her little girl Annie and McKartnee really hit it off. They were best buddies. Here is one of the conversations we had about her: McKartnee: Mom, can I go to Annie's house? Me: No, Annie lives is Utah, and that is a long ways away. McKartnee: Annie lives in "My" tah? Me: No Utah, by where grandma lives. McKartnee: Oh, can I go to "My"tah and see grandma and Annie? I love the stage that she is in right now. She is such a fun girl, and we love having her around.
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