Christmas Day

Since several have asked, and I was very unclear, I was in the hospital last week for Crohn's. I was diagnosed about 5 years ago and ever since I have had Eliza it has been out of control. I can't keep food down. I went 2 months without eating becuase it hurt so bad. It has been really hard being mom and being so sick. It has changed our lives completley. I felt pretty hopless for a while but now I have some good doctors and I am confident that they can help me. I didn't understand why people would give me their sympothy after finding out, (becuase it use to be not bad at all) but now I understand the sympothy. I have lost a lot of weight and feel so guilty when people say man you look so good becuase I haven't been trying and honestly I would much rather be completly fat than to deal with what I am. Right now I take everything day by day. My goal is to have more better hours in a day than bad. This Christmas has been very strange for me becuase I am the one busy busy busy but I have just had to take a back seat and let others serve me. I am so grateful for a sweet husband who becomes mom as soon as he walks in the door and older children who see the need to help the little ones. And what was suppose to be a simple explanation has now turned into a book so without further adooooo.... THE CHRISTMAS PICTURES!!!!
What can be better than Christmas chocolate? She could care less about the presents but she loooooved the chocolate. She kept batting her eyes at Tom and he would share his chocolate with her. SUCKER!!!! WHo could resist those eyes though??
Maybe now she will stop messing with my camera?
These were a huge hit even though he doesn't like wearing clothes.
NOw this picture must say it ALL!!! This was Santa's doing. I am going to have to have a talk with that big man. Seriously it is a fun little game. Even I have played. Despite the gifts it was a nice easy going Christmas. We felt like it was just right. FUn with gifts and family time getting to know the Savior. I am so greatful for him and the example he is to us. I am so grateful for the strength that he has become in my "sick" times. I am constantly amazed that when I am really needed then I have the strength and when it can just wait then I am sick. He has done that for me. I am grateful for healthy children and modern medicine that can help when we need a leg up. I love Christmas and everything that we feel during this time of year. I pray that you all had a wonderful Christmas!!!!

Christmas Concert #2

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have been really sick and in the hospital. I have had very little energy to do the daily things in life. I am praying that all the new things the docs are doing will help me. So here is our 2nd Christmas concert. Only I went with him because we had sick kids at home. They have to hold it at the local college because they are just too big to do it in the school. I was quite impressed and proud of my beginner band student. They were more disciplined than my high school band was. They take it seriously and prided themselves in doing a good job. I played the clarinet in school and so a little of my pride came out seeing my son up their playing "my" instrument. I wish you all could have heard them. They really sounded good. The only thing that closely made them sound like a beginner band was an occasional squeek but even those numbers were very low especially considering how many beginner band members there are. There are 54 clarinets alone!!!!!!!!! That was my whole band gowing up basically. Crazy. The picture below was just a small part of the band. The beginners sat in the middle. The Jazz band was on the stage. The concert band was to the right. And the symponic band was to the left(not really seen in the picture) The symponic band was my favorite. Aaron told me that is the one he wanted to try out for. Secretly that is what I was hopeing for. They seem like they get the most diverse music to play. Can you tell I am proud?

Christmas concert #1

I know its a little dark. I couldn't get any picture that were any lighter. Daniel is the one in the back with the striped sweater. So he was invited to participate in his school Choir directors church choir. (thats a mouth full!!)There were a select few who were asked out of Honor Choir and he was excited. He loves to sing and be in the choir. They were having an orchestra play as well. All in all it went well. I was a tad disappointed because I thought it would be lots of Christmas songs but half way through they did a little sermon on even passed the collection plate around. It was nice being among others not of our faith who really do love the Lord and want to celebrate his birth. The childrens choir sounded wonderful and were not at all intimidated by the huge number of people on stange from the church choir. They sounded wonderful and I love watching my children perform. He took everything his teacher taught him to heart. YOu could see his little chest rising filling up with air in the end to get ready for the big finale. The little things make them so happy and proud of themselves. The fact that we came to see him and made a big deal of it makes him so happy. We are proud of him.

Another great give away at Simply Sweet Marriage!!!

Parades are suppose to be calm right?

We went to one of the many Christmas parades that they have around the are. It was chilly and Eliza was sick so unfortunately Tom was at home with Eliza. As it turned out it warmed up a bit and I had wished they had been there. Either way we had a good time. We got there just before they closed the road down. But it still took about 15 minutes for us to see any parade.

So what else would any normal person do while waiting for a parade to start?
Walk on their hands of course!!! Both Sarah and Emma were really good at this.
Then we were so excited to see a friend of our is the parade. The kids shouted with excitement in seeing someone that they knew from church.



Then comes my favorite part of any parade. Some how I realized my chest got a little bigger and I stood a little taller when the band came along. Pride comes out and I start talking about my "glory days" in the band and leading the whole band down the streets during parades in my little town. This one was a little bit smaller than my band but they played with just as much heart as we did.

Last but not least we saw Santa coming down the lane in his big old red chariot. What parade would be complete without Santa!!! Parades are suppose to be calm and exciting and if I could have cocooned my little children then that is what it would have been like. But all around us there were people running out almost getting hit for candy and everyone had this mentality of give me give me more. Yes its fun to get candy thrown at you but I draw the line at fighting with other kids over some little piece of candy. One lady was worse than all the kids. She would walk up to everyone in the parade, say Merry Christmas, and expect them to give her anything they were throwing at the crowd. She on more than one occasion sent her children running down the street to catch someone whom they had missed and get the "things" they were passing out. It made me sad but still somehow I was able to mentally cocoon my children and we all had a good time despite almost being plowed over for candy. Life is changing and it was testament to me that we must continue to be in the world but not of it. I know that my children had a good time and they are still so innocent enough to be oblivious to what happened around us thank goodness. I love the Christmas season and a good parade helps kick of that spirit of Christmas.

I won!!!! I can't believe that I won something. I won this stuff from Simply Sweet Marriage. I never win anything. You guys check them out!!! Go see what I won.

I signed up for another give away at Simply Sweet Marriage. YOu guys go check her out!!

I HEART Cousins!!!!

Kate just loved Eliza. She would go around and kiss her and hug her. She even would try to sit on Eliza's lap alot. We think that maybe she must have done that in the womb with her sister Anna. It was so sweet to watch the two of them together. When my sister first got here with the kids Eliza didn't know what to think about Kate's affection but by the end of the trip(when Kate wasn't feeling good) Eliza was the one to shower the affection.

I know that this isn't a very flattering picture of me but I love how everyone piled around to get into the picture. And it turned out just so cute. If I could add makeup and have my hair done magicly it would be the perfect picture.

After seeing this picture I realized that we don't have even one picture with all of the kids in it. this is the closest that we came to having all the cousins together in one picture that were at my house at one time. All of my kids are in the brown shirts, then there is my mom and dad, and Isabel. We were missing Gabe(who hates taking pictures) and then Anna and Kate (who were at home with their dad who also hates taking pictures. I love the holidays. It is a nice excuse to be around family and eats lots of good food and not have to work and just spend nice time together. We didn't do a whole lot but we still enjoyed one another. We just wished the rest of the family would have been with us too. We miss you all!!

Hey you guys just a little awesome plug for my friend. Simply Sweet Marriage Is a website that my friend has put together that is designed to help marraiges in a non pornographic manner. She is doing lots of give aways this month so you guys go check her out!!!

A tag

* Link to the person who tagged you Allison I don't know if I really truly have weird quirks. Maybe you all should tell me if I do or not!!!

*Post the rules on your blog

*Write six random things/unspectacular quirks about yourself

* Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them

* Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog* Let the tagger know when your entry is posted

Okay, here goes:

1. I have no memory what so every(I stole this one from my sister in law but it holds completely true to me!!) I feel weird around people sometimes becuase I can't remember hardly anything. The older I get the worse it gets. Sometimes I really think that there is something wrong with my brain, maybe something missing?!?!
2. The bedroom closet doors must be shut after use. I know that alot of you know that about me but I don't know that many people feel the same way. I hate it when they are left open. If you are in there then fine but when you are done then by all means shut them!!!
3. I will not drink after my children!! I think that this one is a common one. But it totally grosses me out. I can have a full cup of an good drink and a child take a drink nope its not mine anymore. GROSS!!!
4. I have silly little piles everywhere. Things like mail that I don't know what to do with or am not ready to file away. One big one is always around the computer area. Tom hates it but its something I am working on but haven't mastered yet.
   
5. I still walk outside barefooted if its for something quick like getting the mail or chasing down an escapee child. That must be why I have such ugly calusus on my heals( that and I am getting old too)
6. I hate plucking my eyebrows!!!! I know its a must and looks so much better when its done but I am not very good at it so I always end up pinching myself. That is maybe one of two really horrible places I can think of on the whole body that should never be pinched!!! I really only started a couple of years ago when my sister convinced me to wax them. Well once you do that you have to keep up with it becuase it just looks horrible if you don't.
   

I am addicted!!

72%
Okay is this sick or what? I have just stumbled upon a Mormon collection of blogs. I have spent so much time looking at everyone's blogs I don't know. I do that on a regular basis but to know that they are members and to see church stuff around their house was so much fun. So I stumbled on this survey to find out how addicted I am. It was fun. Yes you do have the option to sing up for free online dating when you take the survey and maybe that should have been a clue for me that I have no life? OH well I have enjoyed my time seeing lots of different blogs today. HOw addicted are you?

Created by OnePlusYou - Free Online Dating

My first Deacon

All I can say is you wouldn't know how a mother feels to see her son pass the sacrament unless you have experienced it. My sister in law told me about my nephew who is 3 months older than Aaron about him getting the priesthood and going to Young Mens activities. I was happy for him and her but I didn't really realize what that felt like until Aaron turned 12. He was ordained as a deacon and given the Aaronic priesthood yesterday. I am so proud of him words can not express. Before he passed the sacrament I asked him if he was nervous. He very calmly told me no I'm fine. We let me tell you I was nervous for him. He was so reverent and I was the proudest mama in the congregation. I can't wait for my other sons to experience these same things. He was so excited about being ordained that he was dressed for church hours before we were ready to go. He had his first fire-side last night as a Young Man. He loved it. He will be teaching the lesson next week in priesthood too. There are just so many first that my joy is over flowing for him. I am so proud that he is worthy to hold the priesthood. I am so proud of how he was so reverent at passing the sacrament. I am so proud that he brought the bread for the sacrament without reminder. And I am so proud that he agreed to teach the lesson without being scared out of him mind. I am just so proud of my baby. The picture is (l-r) our Bishop Drews, Dad and son, John a friend in our ward who was only baptised 6 weeks ago and was the first time he layed his hands on anyones head, and Ron Hearn a grandfather we just recently discovered was living very close to us. There are so many of you that I wish had been there for this wonderful day. Just know that I was proud enough of him for all of you combined!!!

Chevron picknic

Every year Chevron puts on a family picknic that is just soooo much fun. There is yummy food and treats and games galore to win cute little prizes. There are all kinds of inflatables to slide and bounce on. As you can see from the pictures. I can't get too many of them becuase the kids are so busy to stop and slow down. This year Daniel, Sarah, and Aaron went on this flight simulator ride. Its a commitment becuase you wait in line for a long time but they all came out saying it was worth the wait. Daniel actually threw up afterwards. He had just eaten lunch.
And if any of you know Matthew well at all you would know that this is the only thing that he wanted to do the whole day. The train is slow and boring for an adult but a wonderful ride for a kid who loves trains. It was a very nice weekend family event.
Daniel was fixing to get on this big alligator slide when I caught him long enough to take a picture.

Me? an Award? Cool

I can't believe that I have won an award. I never win anything. Its pretty cool!!!!

This is the site that nominated me.Life's Treasures Melissa, She is my sweet friend and I have really gotten to know her more through our blogs. Blogging has become so much fun for me and I am learning computer skills that I never would have learned had it not been for blogging. Thankyou Melissa!! So here are the rules:

Each Superior Scribbler must in turn pass The Award on to 5 most-deserving Bloggy Friends.

All of you my sweet blogging friends. It is so hard to just pick 5 and I want you all to know that I admire you all and wish I could be like you. YOu make me want to be a better woman. !!!!!

Each Superior Scribbler must link to the author & the name of the blog from whom he/she has received The Award.

•Each Superior Scribbler must display The Award on his/her blog, and link to This Post, which explains The Award.

•Each Superior Scribbler must post these rules on his/her blog.

•Each Blogger who wins The Superior Scribbler Award must visit this post and add his/her name to the Mr. Linky List. That way, we’ll be able to keep up-to-date on everyone who receives This Prestigious Honor!

Unfortunately now I have to pick just 5 of my wonderful blogging friends out there.

Stephanie: She is my friend who we will always both be connected to Alaska. She makes me laugh and I admire her. She is happy despite struggles she has. That is hard to do and I admire that.

Tracy: My friend who cried with me as we were leaving college not knowing what life would bring us next. She has 5 children and I wonder how she does so much with them. I wish I could be like her. I just try to survive the day and she thrives the day.

Heidie: OH man Heidie is amazing. She has accomplished so much and overcome so much in her life. She has an amazing family as well.

Leighanna: My sister in law who I am learning more and more about and am so glad that she is in our family. She is creative and always says shes not. She is a wonderful mother.

Gina: Sweet friend in the cold Trundra who always was willing to serve and be a friend even when its hard to get out of the house.

What was he thinking????

He may have a big smile on his face but I wanted to kill him. He claims he was in there getting his clothes out of the dryer because he couldn't reach them from the floor. URRRG!!! Only my boys would think of something this crazy to do. Or am I wrong???

3 years old

For some reason I couldn't figure out how to get this picture with the other post. I couldn't find these on my computer so I had to use my picasa and anyway this is the solution another post. Enjoy!!!

Matthew the big 3!!

He asked for a Octopus cake and this is what he got. It is just so cute even though it got smashed a little. He had a good time and that is what matters.

Witches Hat Soiree

My friends threw this little mother daughter witches hat party. WE had such a good time. WE made braclets and boo baskets and candy necklases. WE decorated cookies and made cute little halloween decorations.

It was fun without being scary. I think that is what Halloween should be all about. Just fun!!! Thanks girls for a good party.

Family Corn Maze activity

Daniel must have thought milking this cow was fun or somthing???
We went to a corn maze a couple of weeks ago. We had a good time. They had some other activities to do as well. The kids rode in the cow train(that was the favorite) and they had cannons that shot corn and you had to try to hit the target.
We also we on a hay ride. I don't know what I expected out of the hay ride but it definitely was not what I expected. Maybe part of it is when you think of hay rides you think of cool crisp air. But our hay ride we were sweating and coughing from all the dirt the tractor kicked up into our faces.
In the corn maze we had to answer questions to get out of it. If you answered a question wrong you would end up getting lost. I think we did pretty good. But it was hot and we were all pooped out by the time we hit the end of it. This is what everyone looked like after the maze and before lunch. It was fun but we won't be back. Starting next year they won't let you bring you lunch to eat. They want you to spend your money on their food. They had this nice area to eat lunch and everything. Maybe we should do this often becuase eveyone was nice and quiet for a few moments after.

My little Miss Eliza

Miss Eliza just had tubes put into her ears this morning. I was thinking of describing what my life has been like since she has been born. She has suffered and been in pain from the day she was born. First she dealt with colic, then acid reflux, then as soon as we get her acid reflux under control she started having cronic ear infections. The poor baby has been in pain her whole life. My life as a mother has stopped completely. She has cried her whole life. So the natural thing as a mother would be, to do what it takes to make her happy. So she has rarely left my arms since birth. My life has stopped. I have watched others lives go on and I sit in life standing still. I don't know if even what I am saying make since but a nurse at the surgery center had a granddaughter with the same problem and she new exactly what I have been going through and understood. I pray with all my heart that these ear tubes will finally bring her out of pain and into a whole new world for her. I have caught glimpses of her true sweet spirit and I know there is a tender happy girl in there. She had a blessing last night that said she would be happy again and out of pain.
I have had a blessing that has told me that I have lessons to learn in helping her and that she is preparing me for later trials in life. At first thought you may think oh heavens what trials will she be going through but I feel okay about it all. I feel grateful to have her in my life and grateful that she is helping me learn things that I need to learn. We came home from the surgery center this morning and she smiled so big. She smiled like I haven't seen her smile in months. She has been happy and has played on the floor without me needing to be with her every second. She has been exploring instead of looking to see where I am at. She is showing signs of the baby I know that she is. The first picture is my baby. My Eliza. The sweet little spirit I grew to know the day she was born. I pray with all my heart that my lessons are over and I have learned what I need to. I pray even more that she will be out of pain for good and can enjoy her life on this earth. I know that life is about trials but she is so little to have to learn from the painful trials.

Anniversary

I sit here only hearing the hum of my computer and the wind blowing outside. What a wonderful sound to hear sometimes. I now have a new favorite flower. Lillies. These flowers are absolutely beautiful!!!! Why flowers you ask? Well Tom and I just celebrated our 13 wedding anniversary about a week ago and this is what he sent to the house. They are absolutely beautiful. I just can't get over how pretty they are. The only draw back to flowers is that they end up dying and what was once a beautiful lovely exciting bouquet turns into this yucky pile of wilted brown stuff. But they are still worth it to enjoy for a week the beauty they bring. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband in my life. I never questioned weather or not I would marry him. When I met him I just new that I was going to marry him. He asked me to make sure because he didn't want me regretting my decision down the road because I was so young and hadn't done a lot. I was 17 when we were engaged. I have never regretted my decision nor will I ever. He is a very loving man who works his butt off to provide for our family and very righteous man who strives to be his best every day. I am especially grateful that he has the priesthood and can give me a blessing any time I need it. He rubs my back when he is tired and puts away the laundry even though he doesn't want to. I am so glad to have him in my life. He is my best friend. He's a wonderful man and I love him dearly. He gets better and better with time. I just hope he can say the same for me!!! Happy anniversary to us!!!

5 facts/habits tag

5 Facts/Habits about ME

1. I am good at birthing babies. It may seem weird but for me it is a talent of mine(even though I will not be doing it any more, you gotta stop some time right? ) I love being pregnant and I love the whole birthing part and everything that comes with that. I can totally see myself becoming a midwife one day.
   
2. I would love to have the talent of decorating but really I have not one decorating bone in my body.I just don't know how or even what looks good. I think maybe it stems from having so many kids so fast that it was never a priority and thus I have never persued anything like it.
3. I have a really bad habit of sweeping stuff into a pile and just leaving it there for someone else to get in the trash. It all stems back from being pregnant and having a hard time bending over to get it in a dust pan. I figure now let me get this mess in a pile so that its out of the way and then I can run off to something even more important. Tom really hates that habit.
   
4. I must have the closet doors closed. If you get something out close the doors!!! And under no circumstances should the doors be left open all night long. For me its like locking the doors-it must be done. Tom could care less, closed open what does it matter, but for me its a pet pieve.
5. I am a tv-a holic right now. Eliza demands so much of me holding her that I might as well have the tv on to have something to see also.

Tag: Cristin, Melissa, Stephanie, Gina, Tracy

My Elementary Babies

So I have been meaning to post this for a while. When they started school this year, I was planning on taking pictures of everyone especially Emma's first day. Well the day came and I didn't have time to grab my camera and she got on so fast that she was gone in no time. How depressing. So I took one the next day. Aren't they precious! I say that especially when they are playing and happy and not fighting with each other.

Trouble with a capital "T"

I was telling my friend yesterday what a hard time I am having as of late. I have hit my match with child #7. My attention is always on her thus resulting in many other .... busy things should I say. Little ones marking on walls all over the house and not cleaning up after themselves, playing in a sink full of water and not cleaning up after themselves, making their own food and not cleaning up after themselves, making projects and not cleaning up after themselves, playing with puzzles and not cleaning up after themselves, scrounging through the whole house to find a lost item and not cleaning up after themselves, making their lunches for the next school day and not cleaning up after themselves, you get the picture. My life is one big mess right now and I just don't know what to do to get it under control. Anyone out there in my same boat?
I , for the life of me, can't remember what Emma did but she was sent to sit in a place that she could think about what she did wrong and I guess she got tired of thinking and went to sleep.

My new best friend(plant wize anyway)

Alright so I have been seeing these advertised on tv and everytime I see the advertisement I say I really need something like that. What it is is you fill this globe up with water and it waters your plant for up to two weeks. I am horrible about water my plants. I see them and say oh that needs to be water then I get distracted with something else and it just never gets done. I was skeptical because it was being sold on tv but then my sister told me she bought a product off the tv and loved it so I thought it was worth a shot. I searched all over because I certinaly wasn't going to acutally buy it off the tv. They advertise them being sold at Walgreens and places like that. Well they were all sold out. Then low a behold I found them at Walmart. I was so excited and couldn't wait to try it out. I love it. I know that my plant is getting watered and I am not having to do it. I still have to fill it when the water is gone but at least its not much of a worry now. And just think, if we were to go on vacation (thats a IF) the plants would be okay. What kind of products make your life more bliss??

Cute litle project

Okay so I was in charge of a visiting teaching conference Sunday and my friend Melissa found the cutest idea. My theme was helping hands and this is a bottle of soap. It has the word hands on it and then all the kind of hands like helping, clean, grateful, praying, loving, friendly, giving, willing, joyful, caring, strong. Anyway my sister wanted to see it so I thought I would just put it on the blog. It was such a cute idea and they turned out really good. It came together all last minute but none the less it all worked out well. Thanks Melissa for such a cute idea!!! What do you think of it?