November 27, 2008---Happy Thanksgiving!!!

27 things I am grateful for

(in no particular order)

1. Austin--my sweet baby boy who makes me laugh (and sometimes cry). He has brought me so much joy and given me more purpose to life.
2. Mikayla--my sweet baby girl who makes my life feel that much more complete.
3. My Mom--I never understood how tough being a full time mom is until I had kids of my own. So I am so grateful to my mom for being my full time mom while I was growing up. And am I am also so grateful that she watches my kids on wed morning after I get off work so I can get some sleep.
4. My Dad (aka my Bishop)--for being the best example I know. You left some pretty big shoes for Craig to fill.
5. Craig-my best friend, the best dad, and someone who I know will be able to fill my dad's shoes.
6. Other family (sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, mother and father in law, brothers and sisters in law, neices and nephrews)--it is great to be surrounded by such a wonderful family and to have positive relationships with all of them (something not everyone can say).
7. Long hot showers--they don't come as frequently as they used to.
8. Abby and Brady--our first "babies". Now not as spoiled as they used to be but still the best dogs ever and bring us plenty of laughs.
9. The gospel--the only source of true happiness!! I feel so blessed to have that knowledge and my own testimony.
10. Five hour stretch of sleep at night--I am no longer walking around during the day with my eyes half open.
11. Freedom--something that is easily taken for granted but such a true blessing to have.
12. Blogging--thanks Katie for introducing me to this. It has become my journal, family history, and memory book all in one. And I can use that to justify why I spend so much time on here :)
13. Health--so grateful for my two healthy kids, for my husband's health, my own health, and those of my other family members. Being a nurse I know how lucky I am.
14. Chocolate--anything chocolate at any time of the day!
15. Morning cartoons--who needs to watch the news or keep up with the fashion. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Tigger and Pooh, Handy Manny, and Imagination Movers provide plenty of early morning entertainment.
16. Nap time--the most peaceful time of my day and allows me to spend some time on myself (usually blogging).
17. Plastic diapers--can't even imagine having to use cloth ones. Yuck!
18. New friends and old friends--the ones I made in high school, the ones I made in the college, and the new ones I've made being back here in B'ville. Life is so much funner when you have friends to enjoy it with.
19. Air conditioning--found out how grateful I am for an air conditioned home this last summer when ours broke and the temperature in our home rose past 85 degrees.
20. Prayer--for knowing that Heavenly Father always listens and answers (even though the answers may not be what I want or at the time that I want they still will always come).
21. Sunday Dinners--usually the best dinner of the week and one that I usually don't cook (thanks to my mom and mother in law).
22. Music--the way it touches my heart and draws in the Spirit whether playing, singing, or listening to it.
23. My home--it may not be the most fancy and needs some updating but I still love it!! It is the place where sweet memories are made.
24. Braum's--the best ice cream place, especially the mint chocolate chip malts. Yumm!!
25. Good Jobs--that both me and Craig are so lucky to have.
26. Jesus Christ--my Savior and Redeemer whose atoning sacrife not only allows me to repent but also allows only Him to fully understand my every sorrow and heartache.
27. Heavenly Father--for His unconditional love and the many blessings that he has given me!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!
It was a great thanksigivng weekend with lots of time spent with family whether it be playing games, shopping, watching movies, eating good food, or just enjoying each other.

Thursday's Thanksgiving Dinner at Vicki's house was a feast--turkey and ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn, carrots, rolls, fluffy fruit, 7 layer salad, fruit salad, and of course the pies--pumpkin, pecan, french silk, lemon, and cherry cheesecake. It was all tasty!! Besides the usual Bartlesville crew, we had Kriti here for the week and Mike, Sara and kids for the weekend.

Austin had a great time playing with his cousins and Mikayla enjoyed all the snuggly attention.

Most of Friday was spent shopping, having a birthday party, and playing games. Saturday the girls went to see Twilight. I haven't read the books like most people, but the movie was pretty good. I just might have to find some time do a little reading--we'll see. We ended the day with the OU-OSU game----go Sooners!!

Thought of the Day

So tonight after I put my kids to bed and started to clean up my messy house I thought:

Messy houses aren't such a bad thing......it just means I spent more time playing with my kids today!!

The Ups and Downs of Motherhood

"We need to remember that the full commitment of motherhood and of putting children first can be difficult. There are moments of great joy and incredible fulfillment, but there are also moments of a sense of inadequacy, monotony, and frustration. Mothers may feel they receive little or no appreciation for the choice they have made."
"Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments. There will be hard times and frustrating times. But amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction."

(From Elder M. Russell Ballard's talk Daughters of God during April 2008 General Conference---such a great talk!!!)

Ups and Downs

Watching Austin imitate with my powder brush

Throwing my make up on the floor so it will crumble into pieces
Laughing because Austin is scared when he poops in the bathtub (and still nervous about the tub 1 month later)

Having to clean up the poop from the bathtub
Listening to him sing songs—blurting out his favorite line “up above” (from Twinkle Twinkle) at random times
Trying to get him to be quiet during a prayer or at church

Able to eat his applesauce with a spoon without making a mess
Being a supper picky eater (just like his daddy)
Hearing the words “wuv you” and “mommy”
Listening to "uhh uhh" sounds all day cause his vocabulary is limited
Watching Austin pull out the clothes from the laundry basket and saying who it belongs to

The endless loads of laundry

The excitment in his face when we go to play at the park
Having to force him into his carseat cause he doesn't want to leave

Nap time (especially when they are 2-3 hours long)
Not taking a shower until it is nap time

Hearing Austin open his door in the morning and dragging his pillow behind him

Never knowing what it means to truly sleep in

Watching him zoom his cars and trucks all over the house

Having to constantly clean up new messes around the house

Tucking him in at night----seeing him sleeping peacefully when checking on him before going to bed
Spending half and hour trying to get him to stay in his bed
Watching him dance to “his music”---Alphabet song and Mamba #5
Trying to get him to sit still during storytime at the Library

Looking for "daddy's truck" out the front window when the work day is over

Not having Austin's daddy around during the day to help me
Listening to him discover daily how to say new words

Spending most of my day conversing with an almost 2 year old
Spending time as family laughing, playing, and enjoying each other!!!

Even though the ups and downs are evened out here, I am convinced there are many more up moments then the down ones. I have tried to take Elder Ballard's advice and focus on those precious moments of motherhood when they come.

November 24, 2008

2 Months Old

Well we have survived the first two months pretty well. It has taken some adjustment not only for Austin (jealousy), but for me (sleep deprived and lack of free time), and Craig (watching 2 kids at night when I'm at work). But Mikayla is such a blessing to our family. I love seeing her smile--the best times are in the early morning or after a long afternoon nap. She has even started cooing some. She likes bathtime and enjoys moving her arms and kicking her legs when laying on the bed. She has started sleeping longer stretches at night--sometimes even 5 or 6 hours between feedings (Ahh--what a blessing). She is such a sweet baby and I love holding her while she sleeps. I can't believe how quickly she is growing. Please don't grow up too fast baby Mikayla!

Big Brother

Austin is getting to be quite the big brother. It is so fun to watch him with Mikayla. Whenever he wakes up in the morning or after his nap it doesn't take long before he is roaming the house saying "babeee" repeatedly until he finds her. Whenever he sees her he says "hi babeee". He likes to give her hugs and kisses on the head. He likes to hold her also. Whenever she is crying he tries to be a big helper and put the binky in her mouth. Instead of pulling the bottle out of her mouth he now likes to help feed her. When she spits up he says "uh oh". Sometimes he even tries to share his toys with her although she isn't much for playing yet. He enjoys giving her baths and pushes her softly in the swing. Mikayla is much happier because her brother doesn't pick on her as much. Austin is much happier now that he knows how interact with her and not be jealous. And I am much happier and feel so blessed to be the mother of these two beautiful and precious children.

Austin's vocabulary is growing and it is fun to listen to him as he discovers new words. His newest words are hot, drink, sorry, meat, bird, nana (for banana), and "dark" which sounds more like "daarr" which he says repeatedly whenever he walks into a room with the lights out. He also says the word bubble. In fact, yesterday in church during the sacrament I pulled out his book about Bubbles in the bathtub and he enthusiastically yelled "Bubble" really loudly. Guess we won't be bringing that one back to church for a while.

Best of Friends

Austin loves playing with his cousin Klayton!!

Just a few phrases that describe their friendship:

• Having a "secret" language--we may not always understand them but somehow they understand each other
• Holding hands--it's nice to have someone your own size to chum around with
• Squeals of delight upon arrival and tearful goodbyes (even though they will be playing together again the next day)
• Knowing your best friend will forgive you--even when you hit them or take away their toy

Battlewounds and Bad Mom Days

Aren't those scratches so sad---just love marks (as a friend says) from Mikayla's older brother.

The morning actually started out good. We went to music makers and Austin had a great time. Then as we were getting ready to go he pulled out the claws. That made me upset. Then as soon as we stepped outside to get in the car, Austin decided once again that he didn't want to get into his carseat. I waited for a few minutes to let him throw his tantrum but it was chilly outside and I knew he wouldn't quit any time soon. So I had to force him into the carseat. Amazing how strong a (almost) two year old can be. So he screamed all the way home and when we got inside I put him into his bed to cry. He came out and continued screaming on the floor in the living room. By this point I had called Craig because I was so upset---more because of the scratches than the tantrum. For at least another half hour Austin was screaming. Then Craig walked in the door to save the day (luckily it was his lunch break). What a mess to walk into--your son bawling on the living room floor and your wife bawling in the bedroom. But being the good husband he is, Craig quickly put the pieces back together. Deep breath---hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

(Mikayla---I took this picture so that you can use it someday as leverage against your older brother.)

November 7, 2008

A Couple Funny Moments

Is It Okay To Laugh During A Temper Tantrum?

There are a few things Austin does when he doesn't get his way. He might just look down at the ground with a mad face. Or he might throw himself on the ground either with a belly flop or sit down and throw his backside down hitting his head on the ground. It is kind of hard not to laugh. Well it was a pretty long day yesterday (and a long weekend) so last night Austin was really tired. When Connor and Klayton left our house to go home he started crying loudly and was really upset. We tried a couple things to calm him down. Finally I just put him in his bed to cry. A minute or so later he opened up the door just enough so we could see him standing there with his mouth at the door crying. We put him back in bed and closed the door. Sure enough he opened up the door just wide enough for his crying mouth to be seen. It was pretty hilarious.


Shoo Fly Don't Bother Me!!

So today in Austin's room we found some bugs. First a fly that wanted attention and wouldn't leave us alone. Austin was terrified of it. He ran over to me and grabbed me tight and it took quite a lot of convincing to get him to leave my lap. After getting off my lap he kept pointing at something--it was a little spider (yuck). However it was long before Austin thought watching the spider crawl on the floor was pretty entertaining. The spider quickly became his friend and he even said "bye bye" to the spider when he left the room.

Sunday November 2, 2008

Mikayla's Blessing Day

Happy Birthday Meagan!!

Saturday afternoon we went up to Osage Hills campground to celebrate Meagan's birthday--a suprise to her.

Austin enjoyed playing on the playground with his cousins. Craig enjoyed playing football with his brother, sister, and dad. And I enjoyed the nice warm weather, good company, and of course the yummy food.

Afterwards everyone came back to our house and the boys watched football while the girls played games and the cousins ran around the house playing together. The really had a great time playing with each other and got along great!!

Happy Halloween!!

1st Stop--Grandma Reid's House

2nd Stop--Grandma McBroom's House

3rd Stop--Colonial--where "everybody" goes to trick or treat. There were a ton of people there and the parking was pretty crazy. Some of the houses were decorated spooky and many of the home owners sat outside on their porch or driveway to hand out candy because it was one trick or treater after another. Austin had a blast with his cousins and it was so fun just watching him. At one house he did try to give a piece his candy to them--so thoughtful isn't he. Mikayla enjoyed the night sleeping in the stroller. The weather was beautiful (in the 70's).

Next Stop(are we done yet?)--Craig's Supervisor's House

Last Stop--Papa Dave's House--we enjoyed a few pieces of candy (the fruits of our labors) and Austin played for a little while then we headed back home. It was a great Halloween night.

BOO !!

Did we scare you??

Trunk or Treat

We took Austin and Mikayla to the trunk or treat at the church. It was so much fun! This was a new experience for Austin since last Halloween he couldn't even walk yet. Austin had a great time collecting the candy from the trunks of ward members cars. At the third trunk he wanted to give a piece of his candy to the person handing out the candy. But he caught on quickly and soon enough he started holding out his hand for candy when we approched a new trunk. There were so many people there and some pretty cool decorated trunks.

Me and Andrea decorated Jeff's tailgate--I thought it turned out pretty neat and we even won an honorable mention award. After collecting candy we went inside the church and enjoyed the games/activities they had there. Austin did some cookie decorating (kind of), fishing, bean bag toss, but his favorite was jumping in the Jupiter Jump. It was a great night and we had so much fun.










My little superman!!!

All Tied Up

Pumpkin Carving

Saturday October 25th

Austin's cousins came over this morning so we could carve our pumpkins. After cutting out the top of his pumpkin I tried to get him to scoop out the pumpkin guts. Out of curiosity he put his hand inside but once he touched the slimey insides he was done. Even with a spoon he took only one or two scoops. He decided that playing with his same old toys was funner than scooping out pumpkin guts. Andrea had better luck with Connor and Klayton--they were more adventurous than Austin. This year I went for the easy carve---the pumpkin face. After carving Connor's batman and Klayton's spiderman pumpkin, Andrea decided that the quick and easy pumpkin face sounded good to her too. Kelsey---up for a challenge---carved the more detailed and difficult monster/goblin on her pumpkin. Austin had much more interest in the pumpkins once they were done. He enjoyed taking the pumpkin tops off and on.