My Black Friday Morning

What did I do this morning? I woke up just after 8, after a little quiet time in my bed, I got up and got on the treadmill. 45 minutes later, all the kids were up and hungry. We made pancakes and hot chocolate for breakfast.Now, I have gotten the kids to help me take down Thanksgiving decor, John is reading Bailey a book and I think I will jump in the shower. What a nice morning!
Black Friday is NOT for me. I do love a good deal, but only during mid-day and not when the rest of the world is on the hunt for the same deal. It's just not worth saving $5 to me.
So to my trooper friends and family who woke up early to brave the cold and crowds...

I feel so sorry for you!

(Please leave me a comment telling me about your great finds and unavoidable fights. The next best thing to me finding a great deal, is YOU finding a great deal!)

A Thanksgiving Thought

I love this time of year when my thoughts are more focused on my blessings as well as helping fill the needs of those around me. As I was laying in bed the other night and going over all I have to be thankful for, I remembered a lesson I learned a few years ago...
...John and I were always blessed financially and as long as I budgeted correctly, I could usually buy the things I needed and a lot of the things I wanted. There came a time, when John was starting his business, that money became really tight. We had to cut back our budget quite a bit. I was down to buying only necessities and feeling pretty sorry for myself about it. One night I stayed up late and had a pity party! I made a list of all of my wants and stared at it longingly, wondering when I would ever get any of it.
Just down the street from us there was a darling family with 5 little boys. They were not very well off, but refused to accept assistance from the church or anyone else. However, they were in church every week in their Sunday best. Their Sunday best was what most people would not consider "best" at all. I specifically remember one of the boys wearing sandals to church in the dead of winter (they walked to church). I asked him "Why are you wearing sandals in the snow?" He said "They're the nicest looking shoes I have." My heart pumped in pain. I noticed that his yellowing shirt was ironed and his shaggy hair was combed. He looked his best.
A day or two after my little pity party, was testimony meeting at church. The mother of these 5 boys got up to bear her testimony. She was wearing the same dress she wore to church each week. She said "I am blessed beyond measure." "You?" I thought. She went on, "Every night my children go to bed in a warm home with full bellies." I started to cry. "I have a loving husband and the true Gospel of God in my life," She finished. At least, that's all I remember because that's all I needed to hear.
You better believe I marched right home and tore that list apart. I decided then and there that I would never feel sorry for myself again because "my children go to bed every night in a warm bed with full bellies." And I too, have a loving husband and the true gospel in my life. And if I continued to count my blessings, I could never ever stop.
I hope that this Thanksgiving, we can all recognize that we are blessed beyond measure!

Happy Birthday...

...To the most amazing woman out there. Of course, we all know that I'm talking about my mom. If you know her, this means you have been served by her. It's well known that she is the most selfless woman you will ever meet, but I thought I'd tell you a couple things that are less known.

1. She is so funny. It's very common for my mom to start a fit of giggles, that will spread to most of the people in the room (this usually happens during prayer too). She has a killer sense of humor. Almost everything has some kind of humor in it. She even makes jokes to a man in her ward that has had both legs amputated (She, of course, has plenty of time to tease him about his legless body while she is in his home a few times a week to help him with physical therapy or taking in a meal)

2. She is fit. It's obvious that she has a killer bod, but she is also very healthy. She is always in the front of any family hike (and usually carrying a grandchild). She eats right and exercises everyday. Don't get me wrong, she eats chocolate like the best of us, but she knows where to stop (a trait I did not get)!

3. She is an incredible wife. I am so lucky to have an example of how to be a good wife. Before all her service to everyone else in the world, she takes care of her husband. They have been married for over 30 years and are still blissful. It is so refreshing to see and so has been a huge factor in my healthy marriage.

I could go on, but won't (here's another tidbit- she doesn't like attention. It kind of embarrasses her). Hope your birthday was a happy one! I love you Mom!

Modestly Chic

My darling sister-in-law Emily and her friend have started a blog about being modest and fashionable. Check out http://modestlychic.blogspot.com/. It's two Mormon moms who are fashion forward and want to look great in all areas of life. Now they are passing their knowledge, fashion sense and modesty on!

Emily has lived all over the world. She was born and raised in China and went to school in Australia (where she met John's brother who was a missionary at the time). Through keeping in touch a visit Steve (John's brother) made to China, they fell in love and were married. She came here to the United States for the first time just weeks before they got married. So her style is eclectic, modern, and classy all together! She puts a lot of effort into looking great always, even though she's a stay at home mom.

The site covers everything fashion from date wear...

to bags, purses and clutches...

to the lateset beauty products...

to the latest beauty treatments...

to must have shoes...

And then some.

Add it to your google reader. You won't regret it!

November 12

2002 I gave birth to my perfect baby boy.
We found out earlier that year the gender of our first baby. I was sure it would be a girl, but really, truly didn't care either way. When we walked out of the doctors office, John was walking about a foot taller than normal with his chest puffed up. He gave me a big hug and said "I would be just as excited if we were having a girl, but I am so so excited we are having a boy." I was beyond thrilled, not only for my baby boy, but for my husband to have a son!

My water broke at 10pm on November 11 (3 weeks early! I was due Dec. 2) and I had him at 6am November 12, 2002. He weighed 6 lb 12 oz.
One of my greatest memories was taking him home, pulling him out of the car seat, then John and I just sat on the couch and stared at him and cried. We were smitten!

When he was 3 days old, he had jaundice and had to be under the billi-lights for 3 days. I thought the world was coming to an end! I cried the ENTIRE time. I made myself a little bed right by him and just laid there for 3 days (Oh the freedom of the first child!) It broke my heart, but now I can laugh about it.

Here's our first family picture when he is 6 months old. I know, my hair is so dark! We were poor and I could do an all over color on myself for $5!

Here he is reading a book naked on his first birthday 2003.

This is his second birthday 2004. I am just a few months prego with Adeline.

Austin and my brother Jonny on Austin's 3rd birthday 2005.

Here's his 4th birthday, with his CARS cake in 2006

This is just last year in 2007 at age 5

And here's this years birthday boy! 6 years old! We got in from our trip to St. Paul super late the night before. Thank goodness my mom kept the kids for another night, so I could decorate in the morning. I had already made the cake and frozen it and had all the presents wrapped. So I was completely prepared.

He loves Nacho Libre and always wants to wrestle because of it. I found this awesome cape and mask at the swap meet in California!

Each year he wants a BYU football cake, since his birthday is in the middle of the season. Last year I got a Costco one that was so yummy, but so big that I (and only I) was eating it for days and days. Trying to avoid a similar disaster, I decided to make my own. I got Easter egg shaped cake tins (in an effort to make the tins useful for more than one occasion) and just frosted them up to look like footballs. Not sure if you can see the B-Y-U written on them. Unfortunately, the cat got to the bottom of the U cake. Oh well.

Since we did a big friend party last year, this year we took him on a special date. I, of course, forgot the camera, but it was so fun. It worked out that John's dad was in town, so he got to meet up with us for dinner. We went to the Mayan to see the cliff divers. Always a hit! Then to Sports Authority to pick out new roller blades. Everyone meet us at our house after for cake and ice cream. It was a fun day to celebrate our wonderful boy!

Allow me ooze my feelings on this child for a moment. He is the ideal boy and always has been. He was a perfect baby, a joyful toddler and has grown into the sweetest and most agreeable boy out there. I wish I could claim great parenting (but have you met Addie? JK), but he's just naturally good. He wants to obey and be kind. He is so concerned for others and their feelings. This makes him the perfect big brother! Adeline and Bailey both just idolize him and want to follow him everywhere. He is charming, playful, obedient, smart, funny and hard working.

Since I had him 6 weeks before Christmas, I bonded a lot with Mary, Jesus's mother. Not that I am comparing either of us to them, but in my own little way, I felt like I had brought a prince into the world too. Thankfully, my son didn't have to die for the sins of the world, but I felt that in his own little way, he will save people too. I had my first experiences of "motherly love" with him. WOW! That turned my world around and changed my life. He is just amazing, incomparably, perfectly, and absolutely amazing. He has brought nothing but joy to me and to our home. I am completely humbled that Heavenly Father would send a spirit so righteous and so noble and so pure for me to look after. What a true blessing he is to our family! I couldn't imagine life with out my oldest child, my only boy and the very best son a mother could ask for.

Happy Happy Birthday

Austin Michael

My New Calling

This past week I was called to be the 1st counselor in the Primary presidency. I feel fully prepared to serve inthis calling as I will now be over the cub scouts and spent two years as a den mother. I also spent the last 6 months teaching primary, so I know a little of how they run things. It will be a good learning experience for me and I love the kids, so it will be a lot of fun too.
The president is on the far right. Her name is Kathy Crosier. She is the mother of my good friend Jen Marx. The second counselor used to visit teach me, so we have gotten to know each other. They are both awesome and I'm super excited to work with them. I hope they are all ready for me to shake things up!
(Note to self...don't smile with the top and bottom teeth. Sheesh, it takes up half your face!!)

Blogging Lull

I am at a small stand still for blogging right now. John left the power cord to the laptop in St. Paul. Since I don't know how to add pictures from our normal computer (and not willing to learn), I am stuck to thinking about the things I want on my blog! As soon as the cord arrives, you will see at least these two posts:

Austin's 6th birthday
My new calling

And maybe a couple others. Check back in a couple days.