The Californians' First Snow

It snowed today! We Californians did everything we were supposed to do...I think!

We shoveled.

We salted.

And then we had some fun!

Maybe a little too much fun!

21st Century

Wow! I just stepped into the 21st century and charged our iPod for the first time. I have spent this entire wasted afternoon trying to figure out how to upload songs. Actually, that part was fairly easy...it was figuring out how to delete the unwanted stuff (you know, all those forwarded emails that somehow got saved to the computer and somehow ended up on my iPod) that was frustrating. But, I've got it down now, and it should be a snap in the future. So now I'll go pull out all my favorite CDs...and some General Conference for Luke...and work on creating my perfect iPod. And maybe someday when the weather gets warmer, I'll go running with my iPod like every other normal person on the planet!

Okay, now I've got to get back to my REAL life and make dinner for my children....who are eating crackers and pickles as we speak. Benjamin keeps yelling, "Happy Birthday! I'm two!" (We've been practicing...he'll be two next week!)

34 days or less 'til the baby comes! (Just had to throw that in!)

Nesting...

I'm not sure if I'm nesting, or just trying to avoid chaos, but I've crossed about a million little things off my list in the last few days. However, just as I got done painting the shelves, making runners for my dresser, hanging/moving/rehanging pictures, hemming curtains, catching up babybooks, and backing up digital pictures...

Luke stuck his hand through the ceiling. Yup. Leak. So, in all my trying to avoid chaos, I've not got a big fat hole in my ceiling. Thankfully, it happened on MLK day, the contractor was home, came and repaired our upstairs toilet promptly, and Luke cleaned up his demolition mess. I've still got a hole in my ceiling, but at least the mess is contained. My control-freakishness hopes it's a done deal before the baby comes...but then there will be something else, right?!

So, with five weeks to go, here's my dwindling list of projects: stencil EmJ's room, paint and set up EmJ's bunkbeds, wash the baby clothes (the hospital bag, however, is already packed...I know, I'm crazy), and catch up the scrapbooks. This summer, I scrapbooked digitally, so was able to stay pretty well caught up, so I don't have much to do. I am literally up to my elbows right now, though, in the pages (which have been wearing out my poor printer and ink supplies all day) and pictures from the summer for various other projects (to be framed, sent to family, put in babybooks, etc). I can't wait to get all the pictures and pages done tonight, such a feeling of accomplishment after they've been sitting on the computer so long.

Anyway, I'm glad to be nearing the end...of this pregnancy and of this moving/settling in process. Of course, here comes birthday season, so we'll definately stay crazy busy!

One more piece of big news before I go...with the purchase of a new car we can officially and legally drive our whole family around! We're the proud new owners of a Pilot...Luke couldn't go minivan! The best feature, according to the kids is the DVD player--yep, we're breeding ADD, entertaining the kids every second...no need to use your imagination here! I would say the best feature is that it fits us all. Imagine our annoyance this morning, though, when the passenger door refused to open...gotta love used cars...ugggghhh!

OCD

Hee hee...I think Benjamin may be turning out to be like me. A few examples...

Yesterday, I came downstairs to find every single movie out on the living room floor. A royal mess. But, stacked on the couch in a nice neat pile were Benjamin's five favorite movies! He was so proud.

A few days ago, Benjamin started bringing me canned food and asking, "This yuck?" He lined the cans up in two neat rows according to my answer.

Hmmm, if I remember what my third story about him was I'll post it later! Moving on to Joshua...

Last week, I taught Sharing Time for the first time. I said something to the effect of, "When I teach, we are going to read lots of scriptures because I love the scriptures!" Joshua threw his head back, slouched in his chair, and said, "Ugggghhhh!" It was hilarious. For a minute, he had been so proud that his mom was teaching...I killed it, though!

Well, this was going to be a long post-update...but just enjoy the stories because I've got to go...the kids just pulled down the curtains that I spent all week washing/ironing/hemming/hanging. Grrrrrr...

Christmas Eve

On Christmas Eve, we read Luke 2, interspersed with Christmas Hymns. Emmeline was Mary, Tom was Joseph. Every time we started to sing a hymn, Emmeline would lift up the baby Jesus for all to see. She was so serious about her role, but we could hardly be serious singing "Away in a Manger"...every time the giggles got under control, someone would start up again. Including me, the pianist!

After the Christmas story and some yummy candy cane milkshakes, we all opened our 24th gifts. The great-grandkids (sans Emmeline) all got matching jammies...and we did our best to get them to sit for a photo shoot. This is the best picture I got, although it's missing Jaiden!

The lone girl, Emmeline, in her pink jammies!

And, finally, classic Benjamin. "They told me to sit still and say cheese. Where did everybody go?" He must have stayed in that chair a full ten minutes after the festivities dispersed.

Pictures

Emmeline was too busy enjoying her gifts to turn around for the picture! Charlotte's Web, a classic. We're on chapter three.

Joshua's new bike--and Lightning McQueen hat and racing gloves. Soon after the weather turns nice, I have a feeling those training wheels will come off pretty quick.

Bah Humbug! And his shirt says, "1 day of coal, 364 days of fun. I'll take my chances."

Benjamin got a cell phone. He carries it around near constantly and is always holding it to one ear, covering the other ear with his hand and yelling, "HEWWO?!"

Ahh, Christmas morning! As you can see, Santa never forgets the Twinkies! We spent Christmas in California at a family reunion. We had some 37 people at my Grandma's house on Christmas Eve and morning. It was wonderfully chaotic. Having children and being pregnant, while sometimes an inconvenience, turned out to be a blessing on this trip...we got a real bed, and the kids woke up so early that we were the first in the showers. Ahhh, blessed hot water!

Pictures

Who wants to open another present?! Me, me!

I don't even know what gift they are admiring, but I thought this was a classic picture! We enjoyed our second Christmas with Puppy Grandma on December 30th.

While in California, EmJ and my dad went to her old elementary school. The school opened when my dad was in the 6th grade, so he was the first graduating class of Maxwell Elementary. EmJ spent the first part of Kindergarten there. I think that's pretty cool.

Also while in California, Luke broke his foot! Ouch! Thank goodness we have a doctor friend who took good care of him. Here is Joshua torturing Luke by inflating the aircast a little too much.

And, of course. This gift, from Lindsey and Brian to Luke is a Mariner blanket on one side and a Yankee blanket on the other. I keep coming into our room to find it folded M's side up, so switch in to NY...only to find it back the other way!

Pictures

Joshua's first day of nursery! Emmeline in her new "high heels"...they are a little big, but she felt so grown up!

Emmeline doing her chores. We are trying out a chore chart...we'll see how it works. Notice her room...it's starting to come together!

The new tool bench...courtest of Kitty Grandma. The kids love it, and I had a lot of fun putting it together (I know, I'm wierd).

We celebrated Christmas at Kitty Grandma's on New Year's Eve. Here are the kids in front of the tree. After they got spoiled with their third Christmas, they went with Luke to a fun New Year's Party. Benjamin and I went home, assembled the work bench, and went to bed. Happy New Year!

Luke's Christmas gift. A Fathead. Seeing as we don't have a bed (just mattresses on the ground) Luke wants to paint the wall turquoise and mount the Fathead as our headboard (we already have the Mariners comforter, don't worry). I'm not crazy about the turquoise, but as long as I can hang my Yankee stuff, I'm good!

Where do I start...

I have a list of about 25 pictures to share...and many more thoughts and stories. I'm actually hoping my mind will go blank, so that this post doesn't take all night to write!

Today was Joshua's first day of Sunbeams! I can't believe he is already in primary. I remember thinking that EmJ was so old and big and mature. Joshua seems so little! I was reminding him to be quiet and reverent and stay in his seat, and he started pouting and said, "In nursery you don't have to sit down!" He did well, though. He proudly carried his new scriptures to class, talked his teacher's ear off (she pulled Luke aside after church and said, "I've finally found someone who talks more than you!"), and sung loud. When it was dead silent, just as his cousin was about to say the prayer, he yelled, "Hi, Veronica!" So fun! I just got called to be the Sharing Time Specialist, so I will be in primary at least twice a month...we'll see how he does with me in there...hmmm!

Changing topics--While visiting my sister shortly after she got married, her husband said, "She's still trying to creat her utopia (speaking of setting up their apartment). You're probably past all that." I remember chuckling at the time, and thinking to myself that I never tried to do that in the first place. Well, I don't know what has happened to me, but I've turned into Suzy Homemaker, trying to perfect my "utopia." It's sick. I went out shopping on New Year's Day and came home with not one lick of clothing or scrapbooking stuff for myself. Instead, I bought picture frames and baskets and storage containers and on and on. The remarkable thing is, I had a great time and am LOVING getting everything organized in the house. (I must be nesting and/or seriously lacking entertainment (i.e. baseball)). As I sit here in our newly painted and curtained office/library/kids craft room, I am toally proud. As I look toward the living room, it's looking inviting and cozy and I am imagining what it'll be like in a month or so with fresh paint and a new mantle...hmmm, and maybe a big leather ottoman...with hidden storage, of course! Really, though, the house is looking great and really coming together, though I see no end to the project list! I don't think it will ever be "done!"

And, finally, a note on Benjamin. I just wanted to record that he has joined the legions of two year old boys who watch the movie "Cars" three times a day and walk around yelling, "Ka-chow!"

Alright, now I'll post the Christmas pictures! Although I suppose, you reader will be seeing them first and reading my ramblings last!