Thanks

I didn't take any pictures of us at the feast today. I didn't want to because I felt like I was "suppossed" to. So not taking them is my way of rebelling. Wierd, I know. Why do I need to rebel on Thanksgiving? I just did. The boys had a blast though.

Jackson was so excited for Thanksgiving. He's been counting down the days until he could have "Thanksgiving pumpkin pie." Today he also announced he had a "Thanksgiving yogurt." He's really festive and loves holidays. Anyways, he woke up super early because I actually set my alarm this morning, and guess what? I didn't hear it at all. Shocker, I know. Jackson came in and said, "MOM!" And of course I heard that, why that and not blaring music or and alarm? I guess it's just the mom switch that is turned on.

I then headed out for our annual Cedar Hollow Turkey Trot. And oh man, this was a hard 4 miles. Usually 4 miles is a standard run and doesn't phase me much, but my hamstrings were sore from last Saturday's workout and I was hurting. It's a little hard to run when you can't fully extend your legs. My main goal was not to be last. I left that to my dad." Hee hee - sorry dad. You did great, your really did. My second goal was to catch this ten or eleven year old kid that was 20 yards in front of me the WHOLE time, and he was wearing shorts and skater shoes! And did I catch him? Uh, no. Oh, I can't even tell you how painful it was to run, and not to be able to catch this kid. Everything was just off. I did a 5.2 miler 2 months ago and it was cake, it was actually fun, but this...hopefully I'll do better next year. It did help me feel justified in eating all the pie that I ate today. That part was great.

Anyways, back to Jackson and his pie. He was so excited. Jackson and Hayden were helping my dad make rolls this morning and Jackson said, "Grandpa, what are we making?" My dad said, "We're making rolls." (his rolls are so good and famous around our extended family) and Jackson said, "Oh, I want it to be pumpkin pie." My dad told him that my Grandma Johnson would be bringing the pumpkin pie and when she got there he said to my grandma, "I love you for bringing the pumpkin pie." What is it with the pie? I think he hasn't had it since last Thanksgiving, but apparently it made an impression that I wasn't aware of.

Well we had a great day and a great meal. The boys went to bed early because of course they're not going to nap with cousins around and noise everywhere. So now they're sleeping I'm enjoying my peace and quiet. Aaaaaah. I think now I'll go eat some more. I'm so thankful for all my food. Should I start with my thankful list? Yes, I think I owe it to .... ? Well, I'm just going to.

I am so thankful for:

Thanksgiving dinner, and especially thanksgiving with the grandma who is a meat broker. The turkey was soooooo good. Grandpa Johnson knows what he's doing.
My caring husband, his ambition, his ability to keep it real and make me laugh, every day.
My perfect children. That's right, I said perfect. They're sleeping now and there's nothing more perfect than that. They've been so good lately and I can't believe how wonderful and smart and beautiful they are. They amaze me every day.
My opportunity to stay home with my kids. I never thought I would say this. I never thought I would do it, but they love it, and I love it. I really do. I love that we can go anywhere, anytime. Or just stay home all day. We're flexible and it's all about their needs and having fun while they're still here. I love how they love me and that I know them so well. I love being their mommy.
Books, books, and more books.
Movies, movies, and more movies.
Living in America, even though now we have president-elect Obaminations and it scares me.
My education.
My home, tiny as it is, I love it.
My family.
My Church.
The fact that my children sleep so well in their own beds, and that tonight after some serious goofing off all day I could come home and put them down in 20 mintues or less.
My computer.
Friends who keep me sane.

There's definately more and the list should go on for miles, but this post is long enough. Happy Thanksgiving!

Better Late Than Never

Jackson loved Halloween and I had the best time because he was SO EXCITED. At our ward Trunk or Treat, Lisa asked if he had eating a lot of candy, but no. He hadn't had any. He was just ecstatic about being in his dragon comstume. He really made it so fun, and he would smile for every picture! Hayden, on the other hand, was slightly ridiculous. He would not smile for any pictures. He just kept looking around like, WHAT.THE.HECK are we doing? And I know he thought Grandpa was scary. I think he ended up liking it though. He definately liked his candy. Orginally, he was suppossed to be a cow, but he found Jackson's pumpkin costume and said, "NO COW!"

Obviously.

One Week Later

I haven't been downloading pictures lately, but I finally got around to downloading some from Hayden's Birthday.

This boy loves balloons. He carried these around all night, and they are still floating around our house. The only place he doesn't have the balloons with him is in his room when he is sleeping. They are not allowed. Other than that, Hayden and his balloons are inseperable. He even eats with them at the table. How much high float stuff did they put in there is what I'm wondering?

Hayden was so excited to get his "helicopter" from Grandma Jones.

Right here he was saying, "Open it."

It was a fun day. We had a little party at my mom's and my whole family came. Thanks guys! Hayden loves you all!

Happy Birthday Hayden!

My baby is two! TWO! How did this happen? He is officially a little boy. I miss him as a baby, but he is such a funny thing, I can't get enough of him.

Here are some things I've learned from Hayden:

Some kids like to go to sleep. It is possible for them to ask to go to their bed, and lay down peacefully, with just themselves and a blanket for comfort.

Whatever Jackson is doing is a cool thing to do, especially in the bathtub. If Jackson stands up, Hayden has to also. When he sits down, Hayden has to sit. When he's drawing on the walls (in the tub) Hayden also has to color. Jackson's just cool, you know?

Smiling for the camera is optional and mostly frowned upon during holidays, special events, and during sessions with professional photographers. It is much more appropriate to make serious or dumfounded faces when Mommy says to smile.

Some kids don't need to watch TV for more than a minute If you want to occupy them, give them a ball or a book, not a show.

Balloons are better than presents.

Frosting is better than the rest of the cake.

Loud noises are not acceptable, nor are loud people. If a high pitch shriek from Jackson is heard, it is then alright to yell, "Nooooooo!" with incredible force until you are shaking from head to toe and your face is the color of fruit punch Kool-Aid.

If you take a toy away it is then mandatory to wind up and hit you in the back with an open handed slap. That is the most effective way of dealing with the situation.

If Jackson is laughing hysterically, you are also required to laugh hysterically so that you don't look (or feel) that you're being left out of anything.

All food, besides brocolli and cooked peas, (frozen peas are perfectly fine) is wonderful and should be eaten with gusto, most importantly, spaghetti.

It is important to always announce when you are "All done."

When you are happy, laugh. When you are sad, cry. When you are excited gasp the most excited gasp you are capable of.

If someone asks for a hug, always give a kiss instead.

When you're mother tells you she loves you, it is the cutest thing in the world to reply, "I luh boo too."

I love you Hayden! Happy Birthday to my sweet boy!

Our Week in Michigan

I thought that since I finally unpacked my suitcase today (I got back Tuesday night) that my vacation really is over and I should write about it. Contrary to my previous post, we actually had a great time in Michigan, even though Ty wasn't there (that's another story) and so I was a single parent, (with lots of help thankfully.) After night number 2, Jackson stopped screaming, thankfully. I did have to lay in the room with Jackson while he went to sleep, which was more than annoying, but other than that he really was great. So back to our trip.

Jackson was so excited to see his Grandpa and Grandma Jones. For weeks he woke up every morning asking to go visit his Grandma Jones in Michigan. Before we got our plane tickets he would ask if Grandma was coming to visit him at his house sometimes he would cry when I told him she couldn't come to our house. So when we found out that there was a week in October that would be good for us to visit the busy Mission President and his wife, we jumped on the chance to go. (Ty already had plane tickets to visit his friend in Washington, so yes, I went by myself to the inlaws.) So we had a great time. Nick and Kristin came from Chicago for the weekend with their adorable little girls. It was so great to see them. I think that Alexis is the best behaved little girl I have ever met. Nick and Kristin need to write a parenting book. Geez. I was so impressed. Anyways, here are the cute cousins together with their annual halloween shirts from their Grandma Jones.

They had so much fun together. Making cupcakes with Grandma,

Playing football with Grandpa,

Going to the park,

Fingerpainting,

Playing with Playdoh,

And going to the Christmas Store.(Jackson loved the dancing Santa)

We also visited President Jones (Grandpa) in the Mission Office. We wanted to get a picture of them wearing the President Jones name tag. Hayden was happy to oblige.

Jackson, on the other hand, was being shy. Grandpa really did have to straight jacket him for me to get him to sit. He wouldn't even put on his nametag. But that's ok, later on that night we got a good picture. It wasn't in the mission office, but it was in the office that Grandpa Jones uses at home.

Anyways, we had a great week and we can't wait to go back, with Ty next time of course. Thanks so much Grandma and Grandpa Jones for entertaining us for the week. The boys had the best time and we miss you already!

Travel Log - October 16th 2008

We made it to Michigan. We're visiting Grandma and Grandpa Jones. And today was suppossed to be fun, and it was, until bedtime. Jackson is an emotional nut with a sleeping disorder. It's called, "I am going to be an tired donkey and not go to sleep." He was a manipulative, out of control, emotionally distraught, tired donkey. He ruined the fun day we had. We went to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland. The largest Christmas store in the world. We went out to lunch, and even though he was so tired, he ate and wasn't too bad. He took a nap in the car. He played outside. He ate dinner nicely. And then it was bedtime, and for the second night in a row, he didn't want to read stories, didn't want to say prayers, didn't want to sing songs, didn't want the light off and the list goes on and on and on. Because of all his screaming his poor brother couldn't go to sleep, and that kid can sleep, and needs his sleep. So I'm laying in bed with Jackson - which I am extremely against - and I am almost shaking with anger because I am so mad that I am laying with Jackson in bed, when there are so many other things I want to do. He can do the going to sleep part by himself.

So he stops crying and Hayden stops crying and I lay there at least half an hour. (It might have been 5 mintues, I don't know. I can't stand laying there when I'm not going to bed.) And I think they're asleep. So I get up and Jackson screams - Mommy Nooooooooo! Don't go. I'll miss you! Don't goooooooooooo! No! No! No! No! No! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mommy. By this time I was done. So I closed th door.

Now they're both screaming. Jackson is basically hyperventilating and I am considering calling a taxi and saying See ya next week. I'll pick you up when it's time to catch the flight home. But Grandma saved the day. I took Hayden out of his bed and went to the quiet basement and closed the door. Then I rocked him to sleep (which I haven't done since he was little, little, like 4 months old it seems like.) and Grandma Jones calmed the beast down. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. Will you put him to bed tomorrow? When Nick and Kristin are here with their babies? Please?

This Year I Saw Some

I think I have missed "The Changing of the Leaves" for years. I haven't driven up in the mountains to see them for a long time, so a couple weeks ago we did it. We drove through the canyon and it was beautiful. Granted, I didn't realize that the leaves were changing already, but everybody else did. The weather was so nice and there was no BYU game that Saturday, soooo, we're still alive and we didn't get pushed off the road, and down a cliff, which I almost thought was actually going to happen. Anyways, I accidentally saw the leaves and they were beautiful. I exposed the boys to Cascade Springs. I loved going there when I was little.

We ate lunch on a rock.Dad's trying to show the boys the fishies.

Hey boys, take a picture with your Mom so you know that she went with you places. Ya, that's a great one.

Ok, now take a picture with your Dad.

Hey, look at Mommy. I want a good one in front of the cool looking burnt stump, dang it. I don't care if it's nap time.

Awww, family togetherness. The end.

A glimpse

Check out these awesome pictures of my little boys. Tiffany Moody in my ward agreed to take pictures of my babies. Looks like she did a great job, especially working with my shy children who don't like to smile when people tell them to, or do anything that people tell them to really. She would tell Jackson to sit or stand somewhere and he would say, "Um, no. I don't think so." Or just plain, "Um, no." She was so patient. Thanks Tiffany, I love them!

BYU vs. Wyoming

Last week I took Jackson to his very first BYU football game. We had a blast. He was so good! I couldn't believe it. Whenever Ty and I would go to games together we would always say, "Can you imagine if we had brought Jackson? Or Hayden? They would have been so awful." But I had so much fun with Jackson. He loved it. He he watched the game and played in his seat and entertained everyone aroud him by saying he wanted the "white" team to win, not the "blue." Then he would laugh and laugh at himself. I was even a nice mommy and bought him a hot dog, sprite (his favorite), popcorn, and ice cream. He doesn't even realize how lucky he is. When I was little (and going to USU football games almost every weekend) my parents never bought us treats at the game, and if they did, it was like 1 drink for everyone (3 or 4 kids) and one thing of popcorn to share. I felt I was being very not cheap.

Notice the sprite. In the picture above he actually sat down on the steps, all by himself, and said, "I'm ready mom. Cheese!" I guess he knows I like to take a lot of pictures. That big fleshy thing is actually my arm, not a butt crack.He got a little tired at the end, but I can't wait to take him again. Gotta start em young, ya know?

Hair

Yes, I actually spent time doing this, lots of time. I use my time so efficiently. I wonder why my dishes aren't done? Hmmm. Well at least now I have a better knowledge of photoshop. That is way more important than having clean dishes...and clean clothes....and a clean bathroom....and sleep. Anyone can have that. Only I can have these pictures. Ty with hair makes me giggle....hysterically.




Go here if you have as much time as I do.

Ok people, I shouldn't blog at 12:30 in the morning. I only used photoshop to put the pictures side by side, but it took me a while to figure out how to do it. I seriously know nothing about using photoshop. Go to yearbookyourself.com and upload pictures of yourselves and you too can have awesome hair.