BLACK FRIDAY

I can't believe it, but we did it, we joined the crazy people at 3am doing Christmas shopping. I swore I'd never do it. I never really saw the point. You can always find great deals at places like TJMax and Marshals at normal shopping hours, there's no need to wake up as some ungodly hour a shop. However, at thanksgiving yesterday, some family members were talking about the amazing deals from 4am to 6am and then from 6-1. This year we aren't really doing gifts. We decided since everyone is so tight this year, let's only do gifts for the little kids, and just enjoy each other and celebrating Jesus's birthday. But, since I have three little ones and a nephew I still needed to do a little shopping. My boys are REALLY into dressing up and transformers. So the day after Halloween i bought a ton of superhero, transformer and other costumes, and this morning at Kohl's, my husband covered the needed transformers. the plan was when the alarm went off at 3:30 I'd get up, head to Kohl's get the things we needed (which included a Christmas tree - they were 70% off) and then head home. However, Briley had other plans. She woke up at 1 am and wouldn't go back to sleep. I tried everything - the mess up in her nap schedule from Thanksgiving really messed her up. So at 3:00 when it was time to get up, Bobby had to go:) Briley freaked when I left the room. She only wanted Mommy. So, my wonderful husband headed to Kohl's at 3:15 and was greeted with over 200 other crazy people waiting in line - SOME EVEN WITH TENTS!!!! THEY'D CAMPED OUT!!! By 4 when it opened there were over 400 people in line. What the heck!!! i had no idea there were so many crazy people. When the kids and i got up at 7 Bobby had just got home, and had just finished setting up our new Christmas Tree. What a rock star Daddy he is:) We also got another fun surprise. While he was bringing in our Christmas decorations from the garage, he brought in a box with what the boys call "Our new pet, Optimus" Optimus, the mouse was let go after we decorated the tree. He was quite cute though:)

Thanksgiving Photo Shoot

This Thanksgiving we started our feasting at Uncle Brad and Aunt Amber's house. They live in Forest Falls in the mountains. They have a beautiful home that they built that over looks the waterfall. I thought it would be the perfect time to take our family picture for our Christmas cards. Their property is beautiful. They are surrounded by national forest,and like I said they look onto the huge waterfall. I thought it might even be snowing - perfect for a Christmas picture. No luck though. Instead of beautiful snow, it was 40 degrees, foggy and raining. So I had to compromise and do an indoor pic. They do have an amazing view of the waterfall from their bonus room window, so it sort of worked out. Here are a few of the crazy ones, that didn't make the cut for the Christmas card. That one will get posted once Corinne works her magic with digital scrap booking and makes it a beautiful card. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving:)

The best booger sucker ever

So, my little pixie has been sick for weeks now. We waited through a week of boogers to head to the doctors. I was really hoping she'd be able to fight it off on her own - no luck. So, then she did 9 DAYS OF AMOXACILIN - she got worse - back to the doctors, now with serious boogers and a fever - so we tried Arithamiacin - prescription if finished -boogers are still here. However, today I did have a ray of hope - she's sleeping normal again PRAISE GOD! I don't think I could have survived another day with so little sleep. The fever has been gone for about 4 days - but those dang boogers.. still here. Bri HATES to booger sucker, but it's been a necessity for her to breath. Last year around this time, when she was 7 weeks old we ended up in the hospital for 8 days. She got really sick and had pneumonia. We got out Christmas Eve. She still takes breathing treatments 3-4 times a day. Please pray this yuck stays out her her chest. But back to my point of this post. I found an eclectic booger sucker at Babies-r-us - It's a GOd send!! The suction is so light you can hardly feel it, but man does it work - AND it's easy to clean - AND it plays music to distract them - AND it has a super soft tip. Boy how times have changed - I never thought 5 years ago I'd be so excited about a booger sucker that I'd actually take the time to write about it:) Anyways, if you've got a little one with a snotty nose - I highly recommend it.

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I was checking a friends blog this evening, and she posted this prayer. I was so touched and moved that I had to add it to our site as well. What an amazing prayer. The kids and I have been doing a Proverb a day together in the morning, and we close our little Bible study with a prayer. I think tomorrow I'm going to print this out and pray this wounderful prayer with them. Parenting can be such a challenge, and I do pray with them daily that God will give me patience and wisdom, and help me be a better mommy everyday. They've heard it so much that sometimes they say it when they pray:) But, I think it's so important for them to know that I mess up too, that I need Gods's help and forgivness too. So, thanks Bridget for sharing.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Make me a better parent. Teach me to understand my children, to listen patiently to what they have to say and to answer all their questions kindly.

Keep me from interrupting them, talking back to them and contradicting them. Make me as courteous to them as I would have them be to me.

Give me the courage to confess my sins against my children and to ask them forgiveness when I know that I have done them wrong.

Grant that I may never vainly hurt the feelings of my children. Forbid that I should laugh at their mistakes or resort to shame and ridicule as punishment.

Let me not tempt my child to lie or steal. So guide me hour by hour that I might demonstrate by all I say and do that honestly produces happiness.

Reduce, I pray, the meanness in me. May I cease to nag, and when I am out of sorts, help me O Lord, to hold my tongue. Blind me to the little errors of my children, and help me to see the good things they do.

Give me a ready word to honest praise. Help me to grow up with my children, to treat them as those of their own age, but let me not expect of them the judgments and conventions of adults.

Allow me not to rob them of the opportunity to learn for themselves, to think, to choose and to make decisions. Forbid that I should ever punish them for my selfish satisfaction.

May I grant them all their wishes that are reasonable,
And may I have the courage always to withhold a privilege which I know will do them harm.

Make me fair and just, and considerate and companionable to my children that they will have a genuine esteem for me. Make me fit to be loved and imitated by my children.

Amen.

Author: Garry C. Myers, as quoted by Abigail Van Buren in "Dear Abbey."

"Brock's Bed"

So ever since the boys had their sleep over with Grandma Chris, Dane has been begging to sleep in Brock's bed again. So, Friday night I though why not, let's see how they do. About 20 after brushing their teeth, putting on PJ's, tucking them in and saying our prayers, I went in to check on them. Dane was up, getting books out of Brock's book shelf - Brock was in bed, dictating what books to grab. When Brock saw me, he made sure to point out that he wasn't out of bed just Dane, but Dane was only getting books for them to read. So, I helped Dane find a few books for them to read together - so freakin cute:), and helped him back in bed. It was too cute, I did spy on them a few times over the next half hour - they did "read" books together, and shared secrets, but the best... they fell asleep holding hands. Yes, I had to take a picture - I don't ever want to forget this precious night, and as I'm sure you can guess, this won't be the last time I let Daner sleep in Brock's room. They did move their hands a little when the flash went off, but it's still too cute:)

SLEEP OVER

I have to say, I think my kids are pretty lucky... they have the most amazing Great- Grandma. Grandma Chris, my grandma, is very involved with my little ones. She comes over once a week to hang out with us, and with the extra set of eyes, I'm able to get alot more cleaning done, and bow orders filled. My kids LOVE her, and really look forward to the days she comes. I swear sometimes she acts like a kid herself:) Sometimes I have to keep an eye on her, because she can never say no to my little blue eyed ones, and if given the opportunity, she has them on her back playing horsey. She doesn't seem to know that she'll be 79 next month. Monday she spent the day with us, and stayed over Monday night for a sleep over with my boys. They'd been talking about doing it for weeks, and everyone was really excited - especially Brock who LOVES to lay in bed talking and telling stories. It was also the first time Dane slept in Brock's room. These are a few pictures I took after they all fell asleep. The boys had so much fun, and I think Dane may be permanently sleeping in Brock's room. They both begged us last night, we said no, but the more we thought about it, (I think we're a little soft), the more we thought why not?! So, they don't know it yet, but if they ask, tonight will be saying yes:).... and I don't think it will be long before Grandma Chris is joining them again too.

EVACUATION

Yes, we were one of the hundreds of families who were evacuated this weekend. It's funny when you only have a few minutes to grab things, and only so much space in the car once all three kids, two dogs and a cat are in, what is really important and what goes and what stays. It started Saturday evening, we got the kids in bed and we headed to bed. It was early, but it had been a long day i had a boutique all day and Bobby had watched the kiddos:) As we laid in bed I told Bobby, that we needed a game plan if we had to evacuate. It was pretty clear that the fire was getting closer, we could see it from our bedroom window. Okay - the family albums, the scrapbooks, the home movies, some clothes, toiletries, pictures off the walls and around the house, and yes all my bows and "bowtique" stuff. We had only been talking for a few minutes when it came across the news that Vellano was being evacuated... that's us!! Game on - out of bed we jumped - it was go time. Within minutes we had a call from 911 telling us to evacuate. We back up to Carbon Canyon, and we didn't realize the fire was raging through there and coming at us from that way as well as to our south. I gotta say, I was pretty proud of us - we had all pictures, albums, important documents, videos, clothes, pets and kids in the car in record time. I headed to my mom's with the kids while Bobby stayed back. Although at about 2 am he had to leave too, the fire came just down the street. It's been a little scary, not knowing what was going on all day. They wouldn't let us anywhere near it our home, and the news coverage wasn't very good on our area. But around 6pm it came across on the Internet that they were letting residence return. Praise God, no damage:) just a stinky smokey house. So, thank you for your prayers and for all the calls offering help.

SICK DAY

I really feel like church is very important for both our kids, and my husband and I. We really try to make it an important event in our week - but I must say, with three little ones it's hard. Not getting to church, or putting them in their room, because they all love their classes and wave bye as they run in to the rooms, but because it never fails... someone always seems to come home sick!! My doctor told me that if they pick something up at church, it will usually show up Tue. I know, today is only Monday, but it was LAST Tue. that they started getting sick!!! I wanted to give it time, I thought that they'd be able to fight it off themselves. I hate running to the Doctor every time they get sick. Well, unfortunately no one's gotten better, only worse. I shouldn't have waited this long, but by the time they started with fevers it was the weekend, and my Doctor was out. Mr. Dane has been sporting a fever running between 101 and 102.7. Briley's got boogie bubbles - I know yuck, and Brock's eye was crusted shut this morning - apparently sinus infections can drain through the eye - double yucky!!! The doctor says Briley is the worse even though she seems to feel the best - and the boys think they are dying:) I think this just goes to show, females are the toughest sex - even from birth. Speaking of birth... thank God we are the ones that go through it, and not the guys or there wouldn't be a family in the world with more than one child if that:) My boys, as you can see from the pictures are laying around wining, while Briley is running laps around them - boogers and all.

Jada Update

On Halloween, between school party, pumpkin carving and trick or treating, I was able to squeeze in a trip to the vet for Jada. She was looking very pregnant, leaking milk constantly, and we were afraid puppies where coming any day. The vet took one look and felt her abdomen and thought yes, but wanted to take an xray to confirm and get the count. The verdict.... false pregnancy!!! No puppies!!! Not that a small crazy part of me wasn't excited about the idea of puppies - I think I'm having baby with drawls. Briley just turned a year, I just weaned her, and we're probably done having babies. As soon as Brock turned one, we got pregnant with Dane, when he was 9 months we got pregnant with Briley. Yesterday I bought regular multi-vitamins, and almost started crying. I've been buying prenatal for years - we planned Brock so I started taking them months before we started trying, and then I nursed each one a year - so it's been a constant cycle. Anyways, I know puppies would have been crazy, but I though for a split second, maybe this is God's way of helping fill the baby void. But praise God it's not. The x-ray showed no puppies, just a swollen uterus - equal in size to one at 9 weeks. And yes, Jada is lactating. I think she really wants puppies. Poor baby girl. She'd be a good momma dog too.