Aubrey & Brody

- So we spent Friday night (until 4am) and ALL day Saturday trimming and finishing up our basement.  We were exhausted!  Ceri had taken the kids Friday night until late Saturday afternoon for us.  As we were finishing up a few things last night, Aubrey came down into the man cave with her two bags and cleaned up most of all the chunks of trim and wood.  Jack came down and asked her who had told her to clean it up and she told him no one...that she just wanted to help!
- We were going over a construction bridge after we picked up the kids from Ceri's yesterday...as we were going over I pointed out the big tractors to Brody!  He said "Cool" then after looking out the window said "careful mommy!"  He is coming up with the funniest stuff right now.
- The kids have been fighting like crazy so Jack and I have been talking to them about teamwork etc. and trying to help them get along.  It has been a good 2 days...I am hoping for more!

Deflated

This about sums up how I am feeling today.  I studied probably 20 hours for an anat and phys test to come out of it with a D!  My last test I studied about the same amount and got a 98%.  It is the difference between slides and terms I guess.  I am so much better at remembering pictures than terms.  So my beloved A turned into a B+ today in that class.  So today i am thankful for a loving and supportive husband who believes that I can do this...because today I am feeling like I can't!

February Catch Up!

Just a few notes I need to write down about my kiddos so I don't forget!  Brody's new obsession for the last few weeks has been to watch Tangled Bebe.  (The movie Tangled...but Aubrey has a Tangled doll so this has become the name).  Last night we were able to convince him that Nemo would be a good movie to try so hopefully this continues.  I am about Tangled out.  We just had Zoey here for the last four days and we had lots of fun with her.  Though everyone was exhausted so I am taking my kids to school late this morning after everyone wakes up...they are just barely starting to stir.  We are in debates over whether to put our house up for sale or just wait until I am done with school.  There are some great deals out there right now and the interest rates are awesome.  We are trying to do a lot of prep work and we got a lot done this weekend.  I am hoping to have a realtor come in the next few days to give us her opinion.  I have made it through the first 5 weeks of school with A's.  Let's hope I can keep it up for the next 10 and then I am done for the semester.

Brody's Prayer

Last night at dinner Brody wanted to say the prayer...this is how it went.  Heavenly Father (how ever he says it) day, mommys school, food, strong, amen.  All by himself with no help!  He was so proud and so were we!  It is so fun to watch my kids grow.

They are living the life

These two definitely are living the dream life these days!  Since I have started school they have done more of this than I would ever care to admit.  We have never been big TV watchers but now days it is a different story.  I knew school would take a lot of time but I didn't expect it to take as much of my time as it does.  I spend on average 30-40 hours a week on homework.  I don't ever remember studying period last time I went to college.  :)  I am loving it though!  I am currently taking my Foundations English, Psychology, Anatomy & Physiology, and Book of Mormon (1st half).  I have loved using my brain again but it has been a struggle to keep up with everything else.  My kids and Jack have been such a big help with keeping up with the house, dinners, entertaining these 2 little yahoos, etc.  I truly am blessed with a great family.  But seriously who wouldn't want to lounge around as much as these two! 

Guess what happened today?

Prayer

As is typical since I have been in school, when Jack gets home he gets the kids dinner and gets things going for the evening.  Cold cereal was on the menu (not really but that's what the kids picked tonight). Afterwards, we started family home evening and Jack asked Carson to pray.  His prayer was so sincere in the things he asked for. (That we can listen to mom and dad the first time & that we can listen for the spirit & I am hoping to remember what else).  He doesn't always like to pray and when is asked he will flat out tell us no a lot of the time, so it was nice to hear a sincere prayer.  Afterwards a game of Phase 10 was played.  As we were getting the kids ready for bed Addi came to us and said she needed to talk and the tears started to flow.  She cried and said how worried she had been about an incident that occurred at school months ago!  She said she had been walking down the bike path and a boy said that someone could take her and make her smoke pot.  (she had no idea what pot was) She said she had been worried about it since then and had been praying about it, but didn't want to talk to us about it.  We assured her that we take precautions on the way to school so that no one will take her and reviewed the safety rules and told her that no one can make her smoke anything she doesn't want to.  Then she expressed some concerns about a friend of hers who's parents are getting divorced (she found out last week).  She expressed her desire to do something nice for this friend but didn't know what to do.  (she also said she wasn't worried that we would get a divorce)  :)  We told her to take a few days to think about it and then let us know and we would help her to do whatever it is she wants.  How grateful I am for such sweet kids in our home.  I know they have a testimony of their Heavenly Father and a testimony of prayer. 



 

Just a cute pic of my Addi!  She is just to dang cute!

Brody Turns 2

It is not ideal to have a birthday the day after Christmas!  Everyone  is a bit partied out by then, but I am determined to make the best of it.  Jack of course had to work so we planned the party for right after work.  We had nachos for dinner and then homemade oreo cookies for his "cake". 

 Just a few things we love about our Brody.
-He is so chatty.  He talks from sun up to sun down.  And he comes up with some pretty funny things.
-He is potty trained and probably my easiest potty trainer. 
-He still has an tear duct that gets plugged up so his face is always and I mean ALWAYS a little red.  (see above pic.)  We need to address this at his apt this week. 
-My most chill kid.  He goes along with everything and I mean everything!  But he does hate shopping. 

 -He is so tall.  He is in all 3T cloths. 
 -He is still the "baby of the family" and wants everything when he wants it.  We are trying to teach sharing and patience.
-He loves babies.  But he is sure to say he wants no babies in this house.  He loves when they come to visit but he doesn't want any staying. 
-He is a social bug and loves to go to Grandmas, Stef's, or Nicholas house.  He does not like to be left out. 
-Loves cookies and asks for them all the time.
-Loves to play "dancing" on the wii.
-Loves bathtime with "colors"

We sure love having this little boy around.  He is constantly on
the go and has already outgrown daily naps.  He is so much
fun and I can't imagine life without him.  Love my
little man!

 For his birthday this year he got...a beanbag from Zane and Megan.  New jammies from Nichola and Cory (see outfit change) he wanted them on right then and there.  Undies, dinosaurs, and dino book from Grandma.  Spiderman with an airplane from Stef and Korey.  Basketball hoop from Mom and Dad. 

Christmas

 

 

For some reason I had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit, but none the less we had a great time.  For the first year ever we put lights up on the house...(stef put lights up on the house.)  We had a great time doing our annual tradition FHE with the Mann's and the Torman's and the Mercer Christmas Party.   We went to Salt Lake and saw the lights and had a little family get together.  We had the ward party (the first one we have been able to go to in years.)  Here is a sneak picture of how that went. 

 

Brody was not a huge fan of Santa at the
Ward Party.  When you ask if he likes
him he says "don't know".  I think he is confused
because he brought toys!. 

Jackson has not believed in Santa for Several years, but he is a great sport for his siblings.  This year he got and IPod, cloths, basketball, and a new packers pillowcase. He also got a scope for his gun. 

J

Add still very much believes in Santa.  I think she is starting to get it but she
doesn't want to yet.  She got Piano books and lessons, cloths, pillow & case &
MP3 Player.  She also got her art stand with accessories.

Carson goes along with anything!  This year he got KNEX, cloths,
hunting pillow and case, a remote control car.  He also got his
fishing pole and he can't wait for summer.

Aubrey loves Santa.  As she was opening her gift
she screamed "Santa is awesome".   She got
a lalaloopsy doll, a pillow and case, cloths, and
more mini lalaloopsys. Aubrey also got her pig
from IKEA that she loved! 

Brody got cloths, a dinosaur pillow and case, a little
letter, number, song player thing.  He also got a pop gun
which he loves that is super obnoxious!  Yay for noisy
toys!

 

That's It!

I just read through my last few years of blogging and about started to cry.  I never and I mean never write in a journal, so my new personal goal it to write just one or twice a week even with no pics.  I need to write down the amazing things my kids are doing, so that I don't forget it all.  So...so long 2012...I will never remember much of what happened because I didn't write it down, but hello 2013...I will remember it all...the good, the bad, and the ugly!