'Tis the season

Holy cow Batman! It is December! Where did the time go? (and why am I so surprised every year??)

We have been keeping busy in our little routine: work-school-sleep-repeat. Nothing monumental. However, I thought a little update of our day-to-day was a little overdue, so here goes: (in order of the picture upload, excuse the lack of "flow")

The kids have loved opening their 12 days of Christmas box each morning. Their Grandma Fisher fills the boxes each year. This year is a "Christmas' of past" theme. Today they got a story about the pioneer's hard candy they had each year and a hard candy sucker of their own, as well as a story about their great grandma's Christmas cookies.
This kids never ceases to crack me up. I love it. We have taken the TV away from the kids because Maddax had an addiction-no, really, he did! So, I'm trying to get creative and keep them occupied (which is easier said than done, sheesh, can we say 'attention span?!') I got some Moon Dough, which is like PlayDoh but more foamy and airy and not supposed to dry out. What they don't mention is the tiny little pieces that end up EVERYWHERE. Anyway, back to my pic description....Maddax loves to sing Happy Birthday and blow out a candle, mostly pretend ones. When I figured out that was what he was singing and blowing out a pretend candle I decided to give him a real one and it kept him busy another 10 minutes!
They play together so well these days. Mostly because Hannah lets him get away with too much, but he's 2, so what do you do?
At my Dad's family Christmas party Maddax found himself a girlfriend. 2nd cousins....hmmm, we may have to watch those two.
Earlier in the week Maddax screamed like a kidnapped child when we sat him on Santa. However, since so many other kids were doing it this time, he walked right up to Santa and got his candy cane. He had to prove he could do it too.
Hannah asked for a pillow pet that was a dolphin or bumblebee. Good to know since a month ago she wanted a unicorn....I think Santa took that order a month ago, so, yeah.
He keeps pulling this pose, just checking out the scene around him. Just thought it was too cute not to get a picture.

Trick-or-treat....or not.

It's raining, it's pouring...We made it to 5 houses, maybe only 4. Between the massive wind and rains, plus Maddax's confusion as to why he had to knock on the door to get a treat then couldn't eat it on the spot, made for a short lived trick-or-treating.

The last collage shows Maddax un-willing to go up to the door, he keeps hesitating, wondering why he is doing this. He was more interested in the things around the houses...oh, and trying to take his costume off.

Halloween Parade

Hannah's school parade...some very interesting costumes in the older grades. Can I just say something though? What has happened to costumes? They all look and are made so cheaply...where is the quality? Can't believe I paid $30 for this Alice In Wonderland get-up and they didn't end finish the edges, just ran a serger over it-pshhh.

Anyway, Maddax had a parade at his Kindermusic class but Kolby didn't take a camera...we'll get some pics tomorrow night.

Pumpkin gutting

So my side of the family came over and we had dinner and carved our pumpkins. I think my brother has figured it out with the small pumpkins. With the big ones you are sick of the pumpkin by the time it is gutted and you don't feel like carving, right? My sharp memory forgot lights for the pumpkins....but hey, Halloween isn't for a few days. However, by the looks of it you would think Christmas is this weekend instead of Halloween. Why is it that trick or treating is always done when there are snow flurries in the air?!

Cornbelly's

We've gone to Cornbelly's at Thanksgiving Point a few times this month. The kids love the slides, jumping, games and rides. We'll probably go a few more times before the end of the month. I suppose there is an upside to living so close to Thanksgiving Point (because it's definitely not the constant Christmas music in December that plays until 10pm!)

Thankful Thursday

Whoa nelly! It's been over a month since I blogged. I guess the loss of my now dead camera has stalled my blogging progress...

Sitting at home with a stomach bug has given me time to think, and I have a lot to be grateful for (just not this nasty bug that has brought me to my knees in front of the porcelain god).

From air conditioning, a comfy bed, food to eat, jobs to pay the bills to good neighbors & friends, the gospel of Jesus Christ and answered prayers, I look around and find I am blessed amongst my trials.

I often say silent prayers throughout my day and when I stop to think about it, Heavenly Father answers my prayers all the time. He doesn't always answer them the way I would like, but nonetheless, I know I am heard. How great is that?! I know that He completely understands where I am coming from, why I feel the way I do, what I'm trying to accomplish and the roadblocks ahead of me. It's truly comforting to know that while nobody else can truly understand what I'm going through, that HE can. For that, I am thankful.

Maddax turned 2

Ahhh, the day after. The little cake all to himself surrounded by toys, what more could a 2 yr old want?

Sunday breakfast

Sunday morning breakfast:

Maddax: (pointing to 3 yr old family picture on side table) "Daddyyyyyyyy!" "Mommmmmm!" "Naanaaaah!" (then looks around...)

Kolby: "That picture is old."

Tanya: "We really need a new one, poor Mad isn't even in that one & he looks at it at least twice a day."

Kolby: "Yeah, we do."

Tanya: " Your mom was headed to take pictures of your sister's family this morning."

Kolby: "We should go crash their photo shoot."

Tanya: "Ok. But we have to hurry because I have to teach Relief Society in two hours."

Bountiful Baskets

The reason I am up so early today (I got up at 6:45am, which is a first in over 3 months people!) is because I ordered a Bountiful Basket. I've heard of them before from other people but never really gave it much thought. Athina wanted to do it so we went in together on a basket. It was $15 and is run 100% by volunteers. This is what $15 bought us!

Potatoes, butternut squash, cauliflower, arugula (sp?), white asparagus, cherry tomatoes, grapes, spinach, mangos, bananas, pineapple, apricots, nectarines and limes! Seriously, $15!

Click Here to check it out!

Maddax's surgery

The last few months have been filled with various specialists between the two kids. It's been a long 3 months with everything that has been going on. However, after repeated ear infections and the antibiotics not really working, we thought it time Maddax got tubes in his ears.

He had the surgery this Tuesday and is doing just fine. He is such a momma's boy sometimes, but having all the strange doctors around and then taking him away from me just about put him over the edge! They gave him a new blanket, a new matchbox car and a doll in a surgery gown just like his in attempts to pacify him. They even let me pull him around in the wagon up and down the halls for a bit--He still cried like they were cutting off a limb.

In his defense, he couldn't eat and we had to wait 1.5 hours because they were behind schedule.

Although now he loves his blanket and car, but the doll kind of creeps him out. (me too!)

4th of July

Stadium of Fire-Grandma bought her cotton candy, she couldn't have been happier.

Maddax was deathly afraid of the fireworks this year. He closed his eyes, screamed, held on tight and screamed some more. (This was just when the jets flew overhead, hadn't even gotten to the fireworks yet. The kid seriously cut off my air supply he was grabbing my neck so tight-not. even. joking.)
After the stadium of fire (and Kerry Underwood who was amazing), the kids danced in the street at the after party. This girl has got some moves!

They can be so cute together sometimes!

Sacramento

I flew to Sacramento at the end of June for my friend Athina's wedding. She is so happy, and that makes me happy! I even got to stay with my cousin Whitney that Saturday night (she was nice enough to let me stay with a moments notice---thanks again!)

He does exist

On a rare Thursday we took the kids to see Toy Story 3. We got free tickets months ago when we upgraded from VHS to DVD on versions 1 and 2. We hit up the pizza place first and all in all we had a great time just the 4 of us. I just wanted to share pictures to show that Kolby does actually exist. We end up doing a lot without him because of his work schedule, but we get to see him every now and then ;)

Camping in June

Mid-June I went with the kids (Kolby had to work) and we went camping with my parents by Mt. Pleasant. We tented it the first night (faaREEZing!), then stayed in the trailer with my parents the next night. We did some 4-wheeling, swimming and went to the Mormon Miracle Pageant (aka: Manti Pageant).