If it were last week....

Kevin loves to say, "If it were last week we would be doing..." It's hard for him to see fun things end, and last week was definitely fun. We started the Holiday festivities by having a turkey dinner on Christmas eve eve (Tuesday). It's the first time we have done it with jut our little family, and I think we will do it every year. We tried to make a gingerbread train. We put it together and gave the boys the candy to decorate. Carson loved to put the candy on. Ian however had to eat everything we gave him.
This is a great picture of him with the candy stuck in his hair.
Christmas eve was wonderful. We started the day at my parents house. The first Christmas in four years with them. It was fun to all be together again. My mom gave Ian some dress up clothes. That made Carson remember that he was Buzlightyear for Halloween. He just had to wear it. Then we went to Nana Bev's for dinner. Carson was still dressed as Buzz. I decided it just wasn't worth the fight. We came home and opened our Christmas jammies.
Christmas morning was so fun. Of course this was the one day they all choose to sleep in. We woke the boys up around 7:30. Carson was so excited. His face just lit up when he saw all the presents. Before he opened anything he ran to the table to see if Santa ate his cookies. I love the look on his face. Ian would open a present and just sit a play with it. Carson however was dieing to have everything open. Kev and I had to hurry and open all of ours so Carson would settle down and play with his new toys. It was a wonderful relaxing day. I now find myself wishing we could do it again. Maybe next year.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

BACON

11years ago my gallbladder was removed. Ever since I haven't been able to eat pork without getting sick. Everyone told me after Carson was born to try some because pregnancy will change things. I have been to scared until the other day. I made Corn Chowder for dinner with crumbled bacon on the side for the boys. And guess what, I ate some. Just a small piece but it was so good. I was scared to try much more because I was headed to work. The amazing thing was I didn't even get sick!! MMMMM bacon.

Christmas breakfast

On Saturday we went with my mom to the Christmas breakfast in her ward. (our old ward) We were excited to see old friends and of course SANTA. It is so much fun to have kids old enough to understand what is going on. Carson was so excited. He talks about Santa every day. Ian was a little nervous, but he didn't cry. Which is a step up from last year.

"I don't like you"

I started back to work about six weeks ago. Just in time for the holiday rush for the postal service. I was worried about leaving Braxton. I didn't know how he would react to his food source leaving for seven hours every couple of nights. He has done better than could be expected. Now that we are in the heat of Christmas mail I have had to work more than expected. The boys have adjusted well to the change. They love to spend time just with Kevin. He lets them get away with more than I do. Every morning Carson tells me that he wants Dad to stay home. I totally agree with him. Today as I was getting Carson dressed he looked at me very sincerely and said, "I don't like you." I know he is only three and doesn't really know what that means, and I know he just misses his dad, but still. I just looked at him, fought back the tears, tried not to get mad, and finished dressing him. I'm not ready for him to be a teenager that's for sure.

Newman

As the snow falls my mind turns to a dear friend of mine who has gone on. His name was Newman, my first car. The light blue '89 Mazda 626 was passed down to me when David went on his mission my sophomore year. He was a beater, but he was mine. Jed Nordfelt said he needed a name. Being the Seinfeld fan he is he named him Newman, and it stuck. Here are a few of my favorite memories:
-Climbing in the passengers door because the driver's door is frozen shut
-Trying to scrape off the ice at 5:30 in the morning but giving up after clearing a small hole to see through.
-The stinky heater that would work sometimes
-Sweating to death in the summer after practice (no air conditioning)
-Getting my first and only flat tire
-Parking in the staff lot. My dad got me a staff parking sticker for school. Most days I would abide and park with the students, but there was no way I was going to park on the range.
Newman broke down in the fall as we headed back to Ephraim. Luckily he hung in there until we got to school. It was a snowy day when they towed him away, and I didn't get to tell him good-bye. A few months later we were driving through Chester (a small town between Nephi and Ephraim) and I found him. There he sat in the local junk yard. I made Kev pull over so I could get a closer look. I ran to him and asked Kevin to take a picture of us. The owner of the yard came out wondering what we were doing. She was very nice and gave us a few moments alone to say our good-byes.
I never really loved Newman until he was gone. Wherever you are Newman, you are missed.

The joys of motherhood

Last night Braxton woke up around 12:30 ready to eat. After feeding him I put him back in his bed so he could fall asleep on his own. Normally he does a good job, and I don't hear from him. A few minutes later I knew it was going to be a long night. I picked him up and settled in the rocking chair for the night. I put him on my chest with his head tucked under my chin (his favorite spot). Two seconds later his Binky shoots out of his mouth and he covers me in vomit. Great I think, just great. As I try to stand up the mess makes it's way down to my belly button. Even better. Not wanting to bother Kevin I put him in his bed and clean up. When I return to rock him he is sound asleep.
Then 4 o'clock rolls around and he is ready to eat again. I try to lay him down again, but it won't work. I foolishly stick him under my chin again, but lay in my bed this time. You guessed it, he chucked again. Now I'm stuck in my bed, Kevin's in the shower, and Braxton is fast asleep. Good thing I love the kid.

Make a Smilebox photobook

We bought this baby swing before Carson was born. In fact it was the first thing that we bought him. He hated it. Ian hated it. I was determined that our money would not be wasted, and that Braxton would love it. So far so it's worth it's weight in gold.

The Good, the bad, and the Diapers

The Good:
I was so excited four months ago when Carson told me he wanted to use the potty. He did awesome without many accidents.
The Bad:
He wouldn't go number 2 in the potty. We tried everything and he would still ask for a diaper when he needed to go.
The Diapers:
I asked the pediatrician what I should do. She looked right at Carson and said, "Well I guess you have to wear diapers until you can go in the potty." Carson cried. He loves his undies. That was five days ago, now he doesn't care if he is in diapers or not. Great. I don't mind having three in diapers. I do mind paying for them.

He did it!

It is a little known fact that Ian doesn't care to much for Church. I think he just doesn't like to sit still. Whatever the reason is we have only made it through Sacrament meeting three times in two years. Not only that but he hates when we leave him in nursery. Kev and I take turns on who has to sit with him and who gets to go to class. Yesterday he not only made it through Sacrament but through nursery as well. It was one of the best days of my life. Way to go Ian.

"Nolnen nitch"

Yes I admit it, Kevin and I are Harry Potter nerds. We would go to Walmart at midnight when the books would come out and start reading that night. Anyway, Kevin let the boys watch the 1st Potter movie. He thought that they would like all the magic. (Yes he would stop it before the scary stuff at the end) The part they love the most is the Quidditch match when Harry catches the Golden Snitch. They run around the front room pretending to catch the "Nolnen Nitch" in thier mouths. It's so funny because the can't make the "g" or "s" sound yet. Pretty cute.

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Quiet=trouble

Oh my little Ian. This little boy is the cutest thing, unless you leave him alone. I was in the kitchen making dinner yesterday and the boys were playing with toys in the family room. I thought to myself, "Wow they are being really good! I better go check on them." I looked around the corner and couldn't find Ian. I slowly went upstairs to try and catch him in the act. I found him sitting in Braxton's bed playing with his mobile. He was pretty proud of himself.

Finally, The fat pants fit!

I know that it sounds crazy, but I finally am able to button and zip up my "fat pants." You know the ones that you wear when you just want to be comfy. For some reason I thought that when Braxton was born I would magically go back to wearing my pre-pregnancy pants. So I have been trying on my "fat pants" every day for the past 6 weeks. Once I was able to get them up I packed all my maternity pants vowing to not wear them for at least four years. I would just wear long baggy shirts so people couldn't see that they weren't zipped. And yes that did get old and I pulled out my maternity pants again. Everyone tells me that I don't get very big when I'm pregnant. Which is true if you look at me from the front, but the back is a totally different story. I still have a ways to go before I can get into my normal pants, but today I have hope that I won't have to go get a whole new wardrobe.