Where is my time... I can't find it!!!

Just because he's so cute... and posts with pictures are more fun! 

Things have been busy up in here y'all:
I got this new church calling that is... stretching my comfort zones. 
Christmas.  Oh how I love you... and love to see you go.  I did.  I said it.  There.
Oh yeah,  and then there was Thanksgiving...
Coaching basketball.  That's what you get 'round here for volunteering to bring treats.  We are serving a public disservice to the next generation of ballers.
Honestly, when I sit here and try to think what we're doing with our days, I can't really say articulately what I do with all my minutes.  Obviously, I am not blogging.

I'll write more soon-ish!  I promise???

Sneaky peaky...

We did our annual family photo shoot.  Tony loves it more and more every year.

This is one of my faves... She looks so grown up I could weep into her baby blankets smile!  I will post more later, but I can't ruin the surprise of the Christmas cards, which I know you have all been anticipating more than the arrival of Santa himself!

Oh, and P.S. Thank heavens for photoshop!  That's all I'm sayin'.

We made it!

So we're all moved up here to Washington!  It was a pretty intense few days... moving is such a hassle!  I start out doing good, being all organized and efficient, and by the end there are ALWAYS 4 boxes labeled "Junk." 
Or other 4 letter words.

Top 5 most peculiar things I've seen since we've been here, in no particular order:

A 75 year old man with a Santa-esque figure leaving the tractor store.  In overalls.  On a bullet bike.  Yowzers.

Downtown business:  "Arreola's; Wheels and tires!"  I blushed.  And giggled.  Because I'm five like that.

The GIANT stack of paper work my kids brought home from school for me to fill out.  Then how half of all the papers were in Spanish.  So I only did the English half!  Hope that was okay...

The light fixtures in the house we're renting.  Imagine Top Ramen noodles spray painted gold.
The pick-up lane at the elementary school at about 3:00; more rhinestones than an 80's prom, y'all!  I am officially the least sparkly mom here.  Dang.

Go Mariners!!

Sometimes life sneaks up on you so fast, your head will literally spin off! 

We are moving. 

In 2 days. 

To Washington.

The fact that 96% of our things are boxed up neatly(ish) in storage suddenly sucks way less!

Also, someone hijacked my email.  And Microsoft won't let me back in because I cannot prove that I am not a robot.  (Should I be concerned?  Probably.)

allisonrjenks@gmail.com

I got with this new one because apparently Hotmail is not longer hip.  Who knew?

There's seriously one of these every week...

Lauren:  "Mom!  Did you know that this show is really getting on my worms!!"

Said after watching the same cartoon in the car for about a week, because I kept forgetting to get a new one.  Gotta watch out for the worms!! 

Beavers.

Hot summer.  Lots of boating with my parents.  With some seriously sweaty life vests...

Lauren: "I can't wait to take this dam life vest off!"

Me: "Did you just say dum?"

Lauren: "No mom. Dam.  Like a beaver dam!"

Me: "Uhhhh.  Well....."

Ohmigoshwearesobusymyheadisspinning...

This is what Tony got for Father's Day...

I mean just the picture. 

We've been collecting the kids for a few years now...

Hope you are all enjoying your fab summer!  We are busy little bees!

Jibber jabber...

Gage:  I sure do like these cartoons with Yosa-Mite Sam!

Krew jabbing Boone in the armpits with his fingers: "Chewey twickle twickle twickle!"

I set Boone down on a blanket so I could make dinner.  He immediately starts screaming...  and does so for about a squillion minutes.  My ears are on the verge of bleeding...

Lauren:  "Mom!  Boone is crying his nuts out!"
Smirk.  Me: "Oooh, that sounds bad."
Pause.
Me: "Do you mean crying his guts out?"
Lauren:  "Oh.  Yeah."

Tee hee hee.

Cute stuff I made this week...

For the teachers for all their hard work this year:

 The little note in the corner says "D is for Mrs. Dent, a very special teacher." and so on...

Shadow boxes from Target ($20), 3 packs Crayola crayons, ($4.50)  Angst and burns ($10000000000000)

Super cheap and cute tea cups for our Activity Days party. 

The girls loved them, and I think I will make these again sometime for a birthday party!

 I made this 2 years ago, but oh, he's cute!

He was watching Thomas the Train while I did my crafting, and you can see he didn't even notice my phone in his face, he was so engrossed!  I'm amazed kids like that show...  

Fishy Thwim!

Now that Krew is no longer the baby, he gets his own snacks.  And "enhances" their appeal.

He's so darn cute I didn't have the heart to tell him how revolting this looks. 

Until I had to clean it off the rug...

Happy day...

 Yesterday was Boone's blessing day.

Tony gave him a beautiful blessing and he was quiet as a church mouse.  Phew.

He is so big now, he looked like he should hop down from his daddy's arms and walk back to his seat!

He had his 3 month check three days ago and already weighs 15 pounds.  What a lunker!

 It's about time you get me outta that monkey suit!  Geez!

 And...

Our failed attempt at a cute kids pic on Easter.  And yes, I'm wearing the same outfit.

Life for us is super busy right now... sorry there haven't been alot of blog updates.  The kids are all doing soccer and baseball, scouts, school/preschool, fieldtrips, etc. and Tony just started a new project in Brigham City, so we will be seeing a little less of him.  But I am ready for a break!  I am really looking forward to the family reunion trip in July.  I've talked Tony into taking TWO WHOLE DAYS off from work.  He is resisting, but the hotels are paid for, so he's committed.

Also in other irrelevant info:  My diet is crap.  I'm considering just buying Spanx.

Brace myself...

Jossy got off the bus today with her tattle face on;

"Gage told the substitute busdriver that he needs a bra to hold up his bum!"

Oh goody.  Can't wait to get the phone call on that one...

In other, less gripping news, Krew now says his favorite cartoon in "Peter Pants."
Which is just funny.

Lurv them ZZZZZZs!

Boone slept through the night last night.

From about 10:30 to 6:30.

It was blissful.

I felt so bright-eyed and bushy-tailed that I've already biked 5 miles (indoor stationery, of course) fed and dressed ALL (shocking) my children and started the wash (gasp)! Blogged (shoddily)

and it's barely 9!

Sleep... Oh how I've missed you!

The Oreo Diet

So...
You know how after you have a baby, there are some certain areas that are a little more squishy, a little softer than they were when you were, say, seventeen.
Or when you were not pregnant, even.

And nobody loves this.
Me included.
So I have been TRYING to eat wisely, even exercise when I feel like I'm completely awake (which is rare).
But I weighed myself this morning, and wouldn't you know... I haven't lost a single pound! DANGIT!
But then I think back to what I ate yesterday...
Healthy breakfast.
Small lunch.
Sensible dinner.
And a stack of Oreos because !dagnabbit! I was still hungry.
Oh, and a snickerdoodle.

Atkins didn't work for some folks.

Apparently the Oreo diet doesn't work for me.

Better luck today, maybe?

I think it will be easier, because now the cookies are pretty much gone.

My Irish Twins...

This was a post I was going to try to do for St. Pat's, but since we were trying our hardest to survive in the clutches of sickiness, it's not getting posted till now.

Sorry 'bout that.

Gage and Jocelyn are my "Irish Twins." Meaning that two children were born 12 months, or less, apart. Jocelyn's due date was Gage's first birthday. She was five days late, which makes it sound much less dramatic, but still, it's about as Irish as we get around here.

The term started as a joke; poking fun at the Irish Catholics who strongly oppose birth control of any kind. Apparently they have lots of families with children born in rapid succession.

Doesn't the moss make them look EXTRA Irish? Like most kids, they love that the term "twin" applies to them in any way...

I sure do love these two. And even though now they seem to endlessly fight and quarrel, I hope someday they will realize the incredible friend they have in one another.

And I also wanted to welcome spring to my little happy valley. Thanks heaven it's here!

Not that winter was super-harsh this year, I just am over everything being cold and gray.
Bring on the tulips!

You big Sicko!

Yup. We've all been sick. It started with Gage, then me, then Lauren and Jossy, Krew... But thank heavens Boone is still okay! And Tony, but he rarely gets sick. We're on the mend, but it's been a busy week with the trip to the pediatrician and pharmacy and tissues and all.
Momentary gripe:
The first morning Gage was not feeling well, I called the doctor and the only appointment was in an hour! I told her we might be a little late but we'd try. It takes me between 30 and 45 minutes to get to their office, and we were all still in jammies. I hurried getting everyone but Joss, who was at school, dressed and in the car. I think I had my bra on over my clothes, it was so frantic! And OF COURSE they are transporting a giant loader through the tiny canyon and it slows us down considerably.
We were 15 minutes late.
So they wouldn't see him.
He was barking like a seal and his lungs were noticably tugging for air in their waiting room. Boone was screaming in his carrier. I looked like a corpse somebody yanked off the slab and microwaved in an attempt to appear more life like. We had tried so hard to get there! I almost cried I was so upset.
So then I paid more money and took him to the Urgent Care.
I am seriously considering changing doctors, but am undecided. I love this pediatrician, but was it her decision or the secretary's to send us away? I dunno.

Otherwise, things are back to normal! I still have my fingers crossed Boone will stay healthy; I worry he'd take it hard cuz he's still so little. I will post something more interested soon. Hopefully!

When I wish I were sleeping...

When I wish I were sleeping, but can't because despite my best efforts one of my children refuses to sleep, I read books.
It's usually my baby, but the "insomniac child" position rotates, so who knows who I'll be up with tonight. And then tomorrow, when I can barely keep my peepers open, maybe I'll read more. Because who wants to do laundry? Boo. Or work out. Double boooo!

So here's my list for the last few weeks:
Tiger's Curse Series by Colleen Houck. Move over Jacob and Edward... and Emmett (he's my fave). This series is FUN! I got the first book as a baby gift from Tony's sis Shannon, cuz she's awesome, and ordered the second and third and I had them all read within two weeks. There's at least one more coming out this summer and I can't wait!

The Beyonders by Brandon Mull. If you've read his FableHaven series (which I have, and enjoyed very much, and so will you) you'll like this one too! I have the second installment on order and am expecting it anytime next week. Yay! Jason is trapped in an alternate world where one evil wizard dictator rules everything, sees Jason as a threat and tries to take him down. Mwaahhaaahhaaaa!
Am I ashamed that most of my reading choices are books aimed at teens? No. No I am not.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman. I got a copy of this one from my aunt. Let me just say, it's much heavier than the two mentioned above. Think the same dystopic tone as Orwell's 1980, or maybe Animal Farm. A PG-13 Boxcar Children. Low on sensuality and swearing, heavy on the violence. Action packed but with some ideas that made me think... there is a chapter about a boy named "Roland" that made me cringe. Kinda like that scene in Hunger Games where Katniss shoots the other tribute that the dogs maul. Just letting you know...


So there's that! Happy reading!

Did you know?

March is National Procrastination Month!

Forget Breast Cancer Awareness Month, or Hispanic Heritage Month.

This is something I can really get behind and support!

I wonder if they really meant for it to be in February?

I'm just sayin'...

I challenge each of you to embrace the invitation, and put something off. Hmmm, what will it be?

Embracation (not a real word) of the procrastination!

I think I will NOT do... cleaning the bathroom. Liberation!

What will you do during your stay at the Procrastination Station?

What's in a name? Love, William Shakespeare

Boone.

Little baby Boone bear.

I love your name. Your dad loves your name. Other folks, well some of them... not so much.

Who knew your name would elicit such strong reactions from people?

I guess you gotta love it, or HATE it.

Hopefully your own reaction is the former.

And it's also funny how some people think it will be awesome if they tell me how much they wish I would have chosen you a different name.

Seriously.

I didn't name him Hitler.

Or Lucifer, which is illegal in some countries.

Or some made-up name with a silent 5.

But it doesn't matter...

Because I am convinced your adorableness will win them all over! Once they find out how scrumptious you are, they will not be able to resist the thought that, indeed, Boone is the most charming name. And how clever we were to choose it for you.

Three weeks with five! And they're all still alive... Yay me!

Can babies get backwards colic?

Like when they cry all morning, but seem to calm down by afternoon?

I say yes, and it should have some clever name besides "colic."

Like "Let's get your day off to a really lovely start, shall we?" or "Waking hell" or "No bra for you till 3!"

Yes, I think any of those would work.

Still, oh how I adore him.

I had a teary moment a few days ago when I took Boone in for his two-week check/PKU.

Nope, it was not when they had to stick his heel 3 times and SQUEEZE it till he screamed in a way that would make even his father cringe.

It was when they weighed him.

9 pounds, 2 ounces.

How has my brand new baby grown so much?!?

I wanted to snatch him from the scales, clutch him to my chest and run home.

Then find some way to stop time.

I saw those numbers and had to swallow hard and not talk for 10 seconds.

Already, it is going too fast!

Even when it seems like I don't have enough hands or hours or ZZZs, it breaks my heart that they are tiny for such a short time.

But while he is tiny, I am going to hold him and kiss him and enjoy every minute of his little tininess. Or at least the minutes after about 3:00.

P.S. Tony loved his little Valentines. So much, in fact, that he sat in his truck and opened them all at the same time. Really, he said he was in a hurry, and didn't open the 8 or 9 OR 10 o'clock packages till 10:30. Thought he was supposed to have started with 1, 2, and 3. Figured out my system after he read the card and then opened them ALL in the parking lot of whatever project he was visiting at that moment.

I guess I'll have to come up with something less time consuming next year. Oops.

Eleven years...

Happy hearts all around! To everyone! Mwaah!!

Today is our anniversary. Eleven WHOLE years since we were married.

Five babies.

Thirteen house moves.

Fortunes won and lost.

A few fights. Some tears.

And a million happy moments.

Love him.

Since it is IMPOSSIBLE to go out to dinner on our actual anniversary (and because we have a 11 day old baby) we just have to make the day special ourselves.

This year, I did a "11 Reasons for 11 Years" activity for Tony. I have a special favorite or sentimental item, one for each hour, for him to open while he is at work, along with a little love note telling him a reason I STILL love him. (Cuz we're all old now, and he needs to be reminded.) I'm starting at 8 a.m. and ending around 6 with his "big" gift, which hopefully he will be home to open.

I am hoping that he will like this, or at least like all the little treats; we will see if it was a hit or miss!

(If he likes it, maybe we can snuggle up and watch the new Twilight movie, because I'm lame and still haven't seen it yet. I'm anticipating some unexpected humor and bad acting.)

One of my favorite moments of Boone's first week...

The big kids get on the bus early.

I gave Boone a bath. Lauren and Krew are quietly watching cartoons.

The sun comes up. In the (relative) stillness, I have one of those beautiful, tender moments where I feel like me and my baby are the only two people in the world.

Baby fog...

I think all moms who have more than one child know how completely impossible it is to "sleep when baby sleeps."

When I had my first baby, everyone told me to take advantage of nap times. So I would squeeze in laundry or bills, little projects and cleaning so that when Gage was awake I could hold him all the time.

Now I wish I would have stocked up on enough sleep to last me through this one:

I find him so scrumptious, I'm afraid I had to bug him today. Alot.

I don't care if you change my hat. I am NOT moving my head.

You seriously need to reconsider your priorities, mom.

(Click and see if you can see the fun reflection in his eyes.)

Love him.

I made our date...

I went in to the hospital on Thursday morning after all.

And I am so glad I did! Look what I got to bring home with me last night!

Boone Rees Jenks

7 lbs. 12 ounces

20 inches

Brown eyes and looks just like his daddy!

His delivery was so fast, I feel like I had a freebie! Seriously, less than 3 hours. Less than HALF of any of my others.

I am in love!

So I just waddled home from the OBs office...

Waddle, waddle. I am officially the size of a hippo.
Not even exaggerating.
Not even in labor, either.
But the nice Dr. has invited me to join him tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. for an induction. I have cordially accepted his invitation. Only to be polite, of course.

And I am rudely considering cancelling our date. Cheeky.
He mentioned that the baby was still "really high." And that his head was measuring about 41.5 weeks. Goodie.
Oh, and I'm not dialated. These are all similar circumstances to Gage's delivery, and frankly, I don't really want to relive that particular experience.
So now I'm not sure what to do... Do I wait another week and wait for my dear little body to realize what it's supposed to do? Or induce before he gets even bigger? So torn...

Budding Violinist...

Just quickly wanted to share this one... Not sure when else I was going to have time. ; ) This is one sweet little girl. Unless you're her daddy, the only person in THE WORLD who she's sassy with.

Setting up pre-concert.Incredibly artistic and expressive version of "Mary had a Little Lamb" played on the tiniest little violin I ever saw!

Warms my little heart!

He's still cooking!

Little man is still in there! No medium rare babies here! I only make 'em well done!

I feel like I should be doing about a thousand things today: I'm still battling the laundry, getting the bills paid, February birthday cards ready to send out, get stuff ready for the kids for when I'm gone, prepping taxes, bathrooms, sheets, making sure I have my back issues of House Beautiful and the Pottery Barn catalogue to read at the hospital, so... you know, the usual.
(Why does it seem like you finish the laundry, then night comes and everyone puts on their jim-jams and the basket is full again? It's a little disheartening. Me no likey.)

I have what I hope will be my last OB appointment tomorrow afternoon! Oh, little baby, please stay in there for at least another day. My to-do list is so long... and I have to decide if it would be shameful if I take another bag and bring all the Ballard Designs catalogues too... Probably, right?

Wet sheets: 6 Lauren:0

We are not winning.

I CANNOT seem to help Lauren stop wetting the bed!

I usually just put her in one of Krew's diapers (cuz he has chunky buns) and don't worry about it, but a few days ago, Grandpa told her no more diapers for her when the new baby is born. He will need them.

She believed him.

She does try. And she's a good sport about helping me strip the sheets every morning and clean up the mess. And the thing is, she always thinks that she made it and is so disappointed to see the sog. Awwww.

I asked her pediatrician and she said not to really worry about it till she's about 7. (Seven?!?) Well, I'd rather not put a second grader in diapers, or wash sheets every day for the next 2 or 3 years.

Just sayin'.

So the forum has officially opened.

Help me raise my daughter.

Or at least, help her have that happy face when she can tell me her sheets are dry.

And they actually will be.

Happy early Heart Day!

So browsing around online, I saw this cute idea for making your kids' Valentines! I thought to my little self... I could do that! And I need the practice!

So I tried my darndest. I did.

But I had to take them downstairs so I could hang the fabric backdrop and there are lots of flourescent lights. Maybe I should say ONLY flourescent lights.

Functional: yes. Flattering: no.

So I played the photoshop game with these:

Grandmas and Grandpas, look forward to Krew's cuteness, because he has no classmates. This was one of the two shots he let me take before he was off and running again!

And then Lauren spilled red soda pop all over the pink toile backdrop...

And I asked Jocelyn if we could take pictures without her glasses so we could see her sweet little eyes. We got lots of squinty, cross eyed pictures! Good times.

And Gage is getting too cool...

I took really adorable ones of his with a pinstripe fedora, but he said they made him too embarrassed to give his friends. I'm still going to edit them for me, though. Cuz they were kinda adorable.

When they saw the finished product, they seemed pretty excited! We'll put these together with a little treat and the whole project will be done!

(FYI: I did 9 cent prints from Walmart, and this will cost about the same as store cards. Handy dandy!)

One more thing checked off the list. Now onto laundry, deep cleaning, labor, whichever comes first...

A momentous occasion...

Nah, we didn't have our baby yet. Sorry to make it sound all exciting and then just let you down.

But look at this fancy pic of how our car would have looked when it was new! (I won't torture you with pictures of our actual car, because it is super dirty and half buried in snow.)

So what's the occasion, you wonder? Our car is finally paid for!

We have never had a "paid for" car before, and even though it's getting a little older, it's got barely 100,000 miles on it and is still working great! I think we'll keep her a lil' longer.

I know I'm just being silly, but isn't it true that sometimes just little things can make us happy?

Oh, it's you again...

I had this lil' dream last night, we'll call it an old friend, because we've met before.

Oh, doesn't everyone have one of those dreams that they have more than once?

A few of the details change, but generally the same story, told to you by your own crazy sleep-brain?

I dreamt that my OB (not my real one, a fake crazy lady one my brain makes up. Think Steve Buschemi with 80's hair) starts my labor with an IV, only to tell me that I CANNOT have any pain medicine. I panic, then rip the needles from my arm and run and hide dramatically till I wake up.

That's it. My nightmare is having to muster the courage to face childbirth without pain meds.

I am such a yellow-bellied dirty dog!

Lucky for me, I don't think labor will be starting for a few more years though. At my appointment on Friday, my good doctor said, "This little guy isn't going anywhere. For awhile." Lie to me man. Tell me I'm close. And that my thighs look super slim and toned.

Then I asked him to make me an induction appointment with the hospital for my due date.

Because even with my apparent cowardice, I still cannot wait to meet my little man!

A grand gesture...

For any of you who know my husband, I think we could all say that he is not an overly-exuberant man. It takes alot to get him angry, or excited, or overly emotional. And he expects the same poise and control from me. (He gets disappointed alot.)

But every now and then, he'll surprise me. Like when he signs my Valentine's Day/Anniversary card. ; ) Or when he chokes up whenever he bears his testimony or speaks in church.

Or when he goes beyond what I know we can comfortably afford to get me something I've wanted for a long, long time.

For Christmas, he got me that snazzy, fancy camera I've been drooling over forever. I was truly and completely surprised, and feel a little teary every time I think about the selfless sacrifice he made for me. It was his ENTIRE Christmas bonus.

So I've been practicing. I made Lauren be my model this day, because well, the big kids are in school during the day. She was annoyed after 5 minutes. I love my outside pictures like this a bit overexposed.

Loving my fancy lens! If you can zoom/enlarge the last one, you can see the reflection of our car (which was not that close) in her eyes. Amazing.

Do I need more practice? Um, yes. But I want to have awesome pictures of my kids! And I am going to have to learn how to use this puppy if I'm going to get those lovely pics. I love nothing more than their cute little faces...

Already need to put a little more effort into #3...

You know how it was New Year's, oh like, 10 days ago?

And how everybody posted cute little resolutions about how their buns aren't perky enough, or how they resolve to squeeze in a weekly date night with the hubby? Adorable and admirable, right?

This version is much grittier, I'm afraid.

Perhaps it's because I have more personal development work to do. (Or perhaps it's because of some fatal flaw in my character that I will not disclose at this time, because it's likely that there may be more than one.)

#1: Birth a healthy baby and assimilate him into our family with minimal tears from either party. (Um, yeah, you can totally put this on a list and it will happen. You sillies!)

#2: Parent my children with INTENTION. Being a mom ON PURPOSE. Putting in an extraordinary effort every day. (This one is actually not going to be policed until about May, just so you know. Because I have some necessary couch-days planned until then.)

#3: Make an effort to end my chronic procrastinating, un-punctual, always late ways. They're sinful. And for heaven's sake, get the laundry under control!

#4: Read the entire Book of Mormon with my kids in ONE YEAR. If we do... we get an ice cream party! And I get a nap.

#5: Take my kids camping in an actual tent in the actual forest. Not in the yard. (Some goals start small, right?)

#6: Be a better record keeper: More journaling, more GOOD pictures, and dare I say it, more blogging and make a book with all our posts. It's kinda like our little family journal...

#7: Write down my delivery weight. Then subtract about 45. Then I'll just try to weigh that...

#8: Send birthday cards to all siblings, neices, nephews, and grandparents. Tony has a sister that does this and my kids look forward to her cards every year, because they know she won't forget. (No pressure, Shannon.) Disclaimer: I am already behind by 2 birthdays. See #3.

#9: Stop dressing my girls in identical clothes. They are old enough now that I think they find it a little embarrassing. But for me it's a process of baby steps. I didn't say they couldn't coordinate...

#10: This one is making a repeat appearance. And now it almost feels like more of a wish: get a place of our own. I am itching to paint something. That's all.

Bring it on 2012!

Four...

Four weeks from TODAY! SCREAM!!! I am getting unbelieveably nervous...

What if Tony is working in Saratoga Springs or Harriman and doesn't make it home from work quickly enough and I have our baby in the car? (Which I would probably have to clean! Insult AND injury.)

What if the weather is awful and we can't get there at all?

What if our baby isn't healthy?

What if my epidurral doesn't work?

Worry, worry. It does no good, but I can't seem to help it.

My mother-in-law took this funny picture of me and my sister-in-law on Christmas Eve. We are standing about 3 feet apart and almost touching!

Another funny thing: she's due 3 days BEFORE me! I'm huge. Maybe it's the poncho? They're not very slimming...

Another funny: our last two babies were also born the same week, almost 2.5 years ago.

How can you plan that?!? Twice! You can't.

She's having another girl (same as last time) and I'm having another boy (same as last time).
Next time we'll plan better, right?

If there is a next time...

Proud as a peacock...

Lauren had preschool yesterday.

She likes jam sandwiches before she goes. They're very gourmet, I know...

So I made Krew a sandwich too, which he finished, then ran downstairs to hurry and do Lauren's hair while he watched a cartoon.

About five minutes later, he shows up with this mess of bread with a giant glob of grape jelly in the middle, all folded into a giant jelly envelope.

My 2-year-old made my 5-year-old a sandwich.

Adorable, really.

He hands it to Lauren and then marches back down the hall, swinging one little arm and feeling like he was a pretty big boy.

Lauren says:

"Mom, I am not eating that."

I told her I would, but to tell him thank you and give him a great big hug.

I didn't eat it either. But I did take a picture because it was one of those moments that was so dear! I don't want to ever forget...

The belated pre-Christmas...

I love to do something fancy before Christmas! (To me, fancy means something you cannot do in sweats.) It just makes me feel more festive, and I think everyone had a really nice time for our day in the city... Even the big boss!

Here's Jocelyn at the Symphony in SLC. She has been learning how to play the violin, and has never been to any kind of orchestral performance before. She loved it! And Krew took a little napsky for 75% percent of the concert. It was perfect.

Our token temple square picture... Notice how NOT dark it is. The lights come on about 5, we showed up around 4 and toured the visitor's center and the other buildings, took a quick peek at the lights and were outta there! It was chilly!


This is not completely chronological. Sorry. After the symphony, we took the train over to the Gateway center to go get a bite to eat. This was the highlight of the day for Krew. He LOVES trains...


The Christus... and my kids.
And a little treat for us to come home to. This was our first night home after returning from Washington. It was a little breezy. I don't know if we'll be able to save it. This is our fourth trampoline. I guess we know what we'll be saving our pennies for...

And check out the bare ground! It is so warm here, it is creeping me out. Makes me want to go buy food storage and water purifiers.