the box

Playing in the shop vac box

I found him hiding under my end table with my cell phone

He loves the box

That's what we were up to on Tuesday. Just playing in boxes. We went to Sears to pick up the shop vac Nicks dad had purchased for him for Christmas. Then we went to Macayos for lunch. Then to the mall where we got some awesome deals at KB Toys (50%-70% OFF) and then to Target where they had a ton of leftover Christmas candy for 75% off. We stocked up on caramel Ghirardelli chocolates, Dove chocolates and Premium M&Ms. That night, new years eve, we put the kids to bed and Nick and I were so tired we managed to stay up til midnight while watching HGTV. I found that the ""Live"" New Years programs (balls dropping and such) were totally cheesy and lame and I HATED watching nasty people kiss on those programs after the new year hit every hour starting at 10pm. We didnt know it had hit midnight until my alarm went off.... Isaiah had unplugged my clock and when I reset it I didnt realize he had clicked my alarm to on, which defaulted to 12:00. We then drank some sparkling cider and were asleep by 12:30. Yeah, Im old and lame and even if I had a babysitter Id have no where to go so to bed it was. New Years is a wierd holiday. I cant wait til my birthday, now THATS a real holiday :S

Christmas was great, ready to rest!

Joes Crab shackOur Christmas cookies

Isaiah on Christmas morningThe gifts

Its been a long couple months. Here it is: In November my inlaws came to town. We had a lot of fun and did a lot of running around. The following weekend we drove up to Oregon for Thanksgiving. The next weekend we drove back home (I drove 20 hours of the 24, we didnt stop to sleep). The next weekend Nick had to work. That week my sister Becca and Justin came to visit on their honeymoon. That same weekend we went to El Paso for Cory's graduation and back the next day. The next week I got strep throat and pink eye. The next week I got the flu (I lost five lbs). That leaves us at Christmas. We did the presents and spent the rest of the day with extended family. This last weekend my mother in law and sister in law came to town. Now we enjoyed being with family for the last two months and making and taking visits, but we are worn out!
Christmas was a lot of fun. On Christmas Eve I was so tired and sick still that instead of making cookies and icing I bought cookies from the Fry's bakery and a can of frosting. That evening we acted out the Nativity with the kids and Julian and Carmen sang Christmas songs as part of a program they put on for their dad. That night our kids were asleep by 8:40pm. The next morning I woke up at 8 and the kids were all still asleep! They woke up around 8:20am. We opened presents but Isaiah cared less about the presents. He spent all morning eating the leftover Santa cookies! We have strength for one more holiday then we are laying low for a few months. Next up.. New Years. What are we going to do? Absolutely nothing (not like we'd have anything to do even if we had a babysitter). This week I'm going to be organizing and reorganizing the kids' toys, clothes and rooms. Yay. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

"Kiddie Tag" Julian

We were tagged to say 5 nice things about Julian. Before I begin I want to go ahead and tag others because my response is quite lengthy and you may get lost looking for the list:

Max Gibson
Sydney Poulson
Savannah Olivas
Jonathan Allred
Mylee Jensen

Julian was tagged by Kandice Alt so I'm going to tell you all 5 neat things about Julian:

1. Julian is the nicest child I have ever known could exist. He gets very sad if he can't manage to help someone in need and he is very polite and says hello to everyone and is very willing to make new friends at school. He always makes sure everyone has the same snacks and opportunities, he welcomes his siblings into his room to play and even has been letting Carmen sleep on his bottom bunk bed for the last two months because she doesnt like sleeping apart from him.

2. Julian has a whole lot of faith. When he is concerned about something he prays. When someone is sick, he prays. When he loses something, he prays. Before we can eat, he makes sure we pray. He doesn't let anyone speak of Christ out of context, and he and his sister speak of Jesus Christ as a close friend they are waiting to run into one of these days.

3. Julian can read. Julian just started Kindergarten this year. He has always been a fast learner and has to date earned a Kindergarten grand total of three Book It awards. When he was a baby the only way I could get him to eat was to read him the Dr. Seuss ABC book over and over until he refused to eat anymore.

4. Julian loves legos and video games. Better yet, both. Lego video games. He can sit for hours and hours and play alone or with a sibling playing with legos and action figures and of course, he can spend hours playing video games if I let him. He is so innovative with the legos. He takes apart his patterned sets to create new inventions. He also loves super heroes.

5. "You are number 1 and you are special" Julian has a unique way of making anyone feel good about themselves. When I am sad or upset he knows what to do and say to make me feel better. When I need help he is always willing. When I ask him to do something for me, he doesnt complain. On the flip side of that, those characteristics come to him as a sensitive boy. He keeps me in line when I act up. When my temper starts to show or I get impatient he is the one to call me out and tell me how I am making him feel and asks me not to make him feel that way. I cant raise my voice at him without him getting sad, he is the child that reminds me that my emotions must be kept in check to preserve their loving innocence.

Baby Boy's Ultrasound

ITS A BOY!

I will post ultrasound pictures as soon as I get them scanned.. but yes, its a boy! I had my ultrasound this morning and all the organs and parts of the baby look, as the technician put it, "all normal" :) YAY! Babies are such wonderful blessings!

HAIR!!!!

This is what I would look like with Beyonce hair.

This is what I would look like with Katie Holmes hair.

Long Drive

For Thanksgiving we drove to Oregon. We drove up through Las Vegas, St. George, Orem (where we stopped to get free donuts from my sister Rebecca who works at Krispy Kreme), then through downtown Salt Lake (Nick had never been there before), then up through Boise to pick up my sister Amanda before making it to our destination, McMinnville, Oregon. We arrived about three in the morning on Sunday and on Monday morning Nick flew back to Phoenix to work. On Monday my sisters, a cousin, my mom and I went to see Twilight. On Wednesday my mom, Liss, Sarah and my kids and I went to the Salem Center Mall. We did some shopping (window mostly), the kids got to see Santa, we bought pretzels and white chocolate covered marshmallows for the kids, and we bought a Honeybaked Ham. On Wednesday night my sisters and I prepared all the Thanksgiving food, minus the green salad and the stovetop stuffing. I made the green bean casserole, candied yams, and four layer chocolate mud pie. Sarah made a couple banana creme pies and she was supposed to do the potatoes but forgot to. Mom prepped the turkey. On Thursday morning my mom and dad took all the kids to the zoo (free day) while I picked up Nick at the airport. When we got back to the house the older kids who had sayed home had cleaned house and set up. We baked the beans and yams and prepped the salad and made last minute smashed potatoes (thanks Sarah) and Amanda's famous runny gravy. It turned out very well and we had a great time. My kids, even with all the food available to them, only ate ham. Each one of the kids ate three helpings of ham, and left the rest of the food untouched. On Friday night my mom and dad and Nick and I went out to see Four Christmases. It was pretty funny, and we had a lot of fun without the kids. We left on Saturday at 2:30pm and I drove 20 of the 24 hours and we arrived in Phoenix Sunday at 3pm. The total trip going to Oregon, $150. The return through California cost us $86!! Hurray for the price of gas. I can live with a recession if it means $1.70 gas!!

Before and after. I hadn't had a haircut in three and a half years. I had the hair saved in a pony tail so I can send it to Locks of Love.