Thunderstruck!

OH. MY. GOSH.

January 28, 2009 will go down in my personal history book. About a month ago James was surprised with two tickets to the AC/DC concert. His very first concert. And it gets to be AC/DC. It was decided that I would go with him. So excited. On Tuesday I talked to a friend about it and she ended up getting some last minute tickets on eBay for super cheap. So Wednesday, the day of the show, I got on eBay just to see what they were going for. I scored a super great deal for tickets, which meant that we now had four tickets. So Megan (me), Matt, James, One of James' friends, Tina and James all headed down to ROCK LITTLE ROCK! It was amazing. It was incredible. The energy was palpable. They truly are some of the greats of rock-n-roll. After more than 30 years they are ROCK icons. It was a great night. So cool. Phenomenal.

In the news...

Wrestling season is up and running. He made the paper. Awesome job James. He pinned his opponent in 37 seconds. And yes folks, you read that right. 285-pound weight class. The boy is wrestling heavy weight. Way to go James! Or as Myles would say, "Tackle him James!"

I should clarify that James is not technically a heavy weight. He is wrestling Varsity Heavy Weight. He weighs in at 195 but will be wrestling boys who weigh between 215-285.

And the heavens opened...

for just a moment it was the most magnificent sight...

a few weeks ago matt and i went and saw marley and me. there is a scene where the kids see and play in the snow for the first time. it was beautiful. it made me cry. right into the full on ugly cry. i miss the snow. not the cold, driving in the snow or the snow after it has been plowed but the beautiful stuff. the ginormous snowflakes. the fluffy stuff. the sledding kind. so when i saw this out my window i cried. it was splendid. then it was over as quickly as it had started...

i know this sounds silly to all of you who are buried in snow. not sure i would trade you but i enjoyed this moment...

After many, many pleas to play giraffe with Myles this is what happened.

Me: Hi Daddy Giraffe. How are you today?

Myles: Ummm. Me just want to kiss.

So they did...

This is what I found in my shower this morning.

I love you mom...

Ah, thanks Liam. I love you too...

Heard at our house today. "My belly TOO BIG. My pants braked."

Yes, my friends. You read that right. I saved 203.67... This seriously made my week. And to make it doubley sweet I am half done with birthday shopping for the year and I have already started my christmas shopping.

My New Years Resolution

1. Just be better. Be a better Mom. Be a better Wife. Be a better Friend. Be better organized. Just Better.

2. Take care of myself. Make monthly goals. Reach them and if I am not able to don’t beat myself up about it. Stop this insane roller coaster ride with my weight. Stop reading The Ten Secrets of Skinny People. Stop comparing myself to anyone. Run more. Eat healthier. Love myself. I am worth it Dammit!

3. Be grateful. Be content. Stop crying about what is lost or what didn’t work out like I thought. Be grateful for all the really great things. What’s done is done. Let it GO! Live Happier. I realize I haven’t been doing this as well as I thought. I talk often about being home sick. So, instead of missing it insanely I am grateful that I was able to live in a place I love. I have some of the coolest friends in the world who just happen to live in a place I love. I am so grateful that my kids got to experience living in such a great town. It helped shape who they are now. I am grateful that I have an awesome place to visit. I am grateful that I have been able to move to a place and make some totally cool friends and experience new things.

4. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Teach my kids this principle. Take care of what we do have. Budget. Budget. Save.

5. Live in the moment. Joy in the journey. Laugh more. Play More. Stress Less.

6. Go back to school. This is a big one. Stop standing in my own way. Now is the time.

7. Love Much. I have so much love in my life. DAILY! I have the greatest family and friends. Let them know. I never want them to question how I feel about them.

8. Clean more. Computer Less. Simplify.

9. Do the best I can IN ALL THINGS. Accept that I can only do so much but do it all the way. Do the best that I can.

Party like it's 2009!

we had a wild and crazy new years. okay we didn't. But it was a new years eve.

We took Jess, Myles and Liam to the Disney Radio Noon Years Eve party. Now this is my idea of a party. Done by 12:30. Home in time for naps. My battery flashed dead as I went to take my first pictures so all I have to document this is cell phone pix. Myles was so excited to go to a dance party. I have to get him recorded saying that. I go to dance party... They danced. They ate. We went home.

We took James and Jessie to our church for a youth New Years Eve Party and then took the other kids out to a quick dinner and a trip to Walmart. Wild, I know.

We went home to watch Dog the Bounty Hunter, read emails, play a little xbox and watch the ball drop in NYC. Myles was hugely disappointed. When we said the ball was going to drop he just assumed it would be a football. It wasn't. He was upset. But the miscommunication didn't end there. We started getting bundled up to go pick the kids up from their party. Liam thought we said New Years Eve Park. He was also upset when we ended up at the church party and not some park at midnight. He said in response to not going to the park "This is just January First to me. Nothing special." (think Eeyore in your head. Same voice.)

We got there at 11:30 to pick the kids up. Just because we are lame parents like that. But by the looks of it we got there just in time. There was some strange teenage boy following Jessie around. We were glad to quickly put an end to that. Nothing like a dad standing between two teenagers to quickly put put out that "spark". We were out of there by a little after 12. Home tucked in bed before the New Year had reached much further west.

Here's to 2009. Hopefully it is a good one.

I am working on my resolutions. I am a believer of them. Sure I don't always achieve them but I still believe in them. I am sure I will post more about that later. Once I narrow it down.

Time with Grandpa and Grandma

My parents came to spend some time with us after Christmas. It was the longest visit we have had since March. It was much needed. The kids just loved spending time with them. It was fun to watch. They brought Jessie's friend R with them. (they met through gma and gpa and really bonded when Jessie spent two weeks this summer in Missouri. Bonded or were never apart. R has come to visit once before. She is just a doll and we all wish we could keep her. Especially Myles. He is particularly fond of her). We got to do some real tourist things while they were here.
Matt, James, Grandma and Grandpa visited the Clinton Library.

I stayed behind and took all the kids swimming.

We visited the Big Dam Bridge. I am excited to go back to this. Kinda cool.

Myles, Mom and Liam

At the middle of the bridge

Just thought this was cute...

Click on image to see enlarged

We took the trolley around Little Rock. It was really cool to see parts of town that I had never noticed before. It was fun until Myles heard Grandpa say we were going under water. Then he continued to yell. "We going in ocean. We going die." Nice.

Thank goodness most people couldn't understand his language.

Oh and we had to wait 15 minutes to board because a passenger had thrown up and they had to wait for a city worker to come and clean it up.

Thanks for coming to visit guys. We had a lot of fun.

Come again some time.

Christmas 2008

Christmas Eve day we made cookies for Santa. They were divine. Gingerbread cookies for the Big Guy. Myles and Liam had a blast cutting out different shapes. No surprise there were several football cookies because everyone knows Santa loves football. James, James, James. He helped. Sort of. No description needed. Boys...

Then we open our traditional one gift on Christmas Eve. It is funny when the kids are old enough, and smart enough, to ask if they can just open their pajamas so they can go to bed. One of these years they might be surprised and open something other than new jammies. But then they might be disappointed. It is a good tradition. I think we will keep it.

Myles, Matt and I stayed up a little later. Tracking Santa via Norad and watching some t.v. He had a hard time understanding that the plate of yummy cookies were for Santa. He "got" that the carrots weren't for him and never bothered them. The cookies were just too tempting.

The goods

"So what your saying is these cookies aren't for ME?"

Christmas Morning...

They were up early. They took inventory before they came to wake us up. Myles was not happy with getting up. It took him a few minutes to realize that everyone else was opening gifts. I love watching their faces as they open their gifts. I love the happiness. I just love them.



Then we shifted gears, cleaned up real fast and started Christmas Breakfast. We had six missionaries over. We can appreciate being away from home and family this time of year. We had a yummy spread and watched a movie about the true meaning of Christmas. It was fun to have them in our home. They brought a special spirit with them.


Top photo: Sister Davis, Elder Jensen, Elder Gift, Elder Pratt, Elder Alder and Sister Rothe

For Lunch we went over to our close friends, the Haighs. They are our Colorado Peeps. They moved here just six months before we did and have become like family to us. More great food. Lots of laughs. We love these guys.


Then on the 26th my parents came to stay with us. They brought Jessie the cutest little present. They knocked on the door, came in, hugs and then Grandma sent Grandpa out to the car to get Jessie's present. They made Jessie close her eyes, distracted her with a bag, and then when she opened her eyes there was her Missouri friend. She was so surprised and so excited. They have been hanging out and just loving spending time together. We are enjoying having Gma and Gpa here. Love spending time with them. We have some fun things planned. More on that later.

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful holiday season. ~ M

Church Dance, Painting and a funny story

Busy couple of days

{as if this time of year isn't just busy enough}.

Super Saturday

James went to the Youth Dance on Saturday. I think he looked super cute. When did he get so dang old?

The kids and I have been working on a present for Myles. He has an obsession with his little people so we decided to personalize it a little. Here is the finished project...

Meet our family

Myles, Mom, Dad, Jessie, Liam and James

Some of our Superhero friends

Dj (from Monster house Myles' fav movie)

A Christmas elf, Elmo, Spiderman, Superman and Batman

And we are pleased to introduce

President Elect Barack Obama

Can you totally tell I watched Painting with Bob Ross as a kid? I did.

After the last boob story we have had several conversation about what are ouwies and what are not. It has been cleared up. No more confusion. Also Myles has a slight obsession with pockets and all things pocket related. He finds quite a bit of joy in the fact that you can carry things (rocks, money, cars, broken candy canes) with you at all time.

Now for the story.

The other day Myles and I were walking out of the pharmacy. I let him carry the paper bag. As we were walking he took the pills out and crumpled up the bag. I was buckling him into his car seat and he said "Here Mom." handing me the discarded crumpled paper bag. I said "Hold on just a second". He smiled and said "Just put it in you boob pocket" and proceed to push it down my shirt. Thank goodness I have a specific pocket to carry those things around.

Don't have a free hand?

Pant pockets full?

Just put it in you boob pocket.

Snow Day?

That's right. We had two "snow" or inclement weather days down here in Arkansas. No snow on the ground, just ice. Whatever. I have said it before and I will say it again. Children belong in school. So at least we could be productive. We made our teacher presents. They turned out so dang cute. If I get any more domestic I will have to change my name to Martha...

Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows

Yummy Goodness... who knew?

I got bit by the Christmas bug...

Had a heavy dose of Christmas this weekend...

It started with a wild party @ the Brown's. I don't have any pictures from that but it was good food, great friends and a lot of laughs.

Saturday we had the first of Matt's work parties. Lots of people, the food was okay but most importantly there was an appearance by "the big guy". When it was time for his arrival there was a whisper going around the room that Santa is almost here and this precious little boy at the table next to us said (in his loudest voice) "Santa's NOT even real". I wish I would have had my camera out so I could have captured the looks of all the parents around him... Funny Boy, of course Santa is real. And then he showed up and he brought presents.

On the way home from that we drove through the Lights At Burns Park. It was a lot of fun, well worth the $5. The whole way home (40 minutes) we blasted Christmas music and everyone (yes, everyone) sang along. It made me happy.

Then today we got to experience the Cabot Christmas Parade. It was funny. I mean it was fun. Surprisingly cold (55 degrees with rain). Definitely was rollin Arkansas style. No offense to my peeps from here. One of the funniest things was listening to the bystanders. Every time an entry went by someone would shout out hello or hey I work with your Ma. Ah, living in a small town. Then we realized that Liam was getting quite a few hello's from people passing by. Got some fun pictures.

Not too sure about this guy though. Pretty sure Jesus wouldn't be amused by his costume choice. And how about the look he was giving me for taking his picture...