Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving! After Bart and I spent our Anniversary at a condo in Park City, we decided to use the rest of the gift certificate to rent another condo for our whole family. We did this over Thanksgiving weekend and it was incredible!

Although the decorations were not my taste exactly, the layout was absolutely perfect! Just right for our little family. We had two bedrooms, one upstairs with a bunk bed, and the Master Suite on the main floor.

The main room was spacious and easy to move around each other in. The kids had a blast running around and playing together. I loved all the cooking and time in the kitchen. Bart soaked up the down time and marveled at the -4 degree weather outside.

I forgot to take pictures of the beautiful, magazine worthy food, BEFORE we started eating it. So, you get the left-overs! Enjoy!

The kitchen was just spacious enough for me to be able to cook a full Thanksgiving meal for a small group.

Alex hung out and explored the space all weekend.

Genny had a great time helping Mom cook the food!

Anna had a great time helping herself EAT the food!

Instead of a full turkey, I did a large turkey breast. I used fresh herbs from my garden, along with some dried herbs, which I mixed into some butter and spread between the skin and meat of the breast. It turned out beautifully moist and delicious! I was so proud of myself!

I made my mom's stuffing recipe. My FAVORITE Thanksgiving dish! Thanks Mom!

A Must Have for me at holiday dinners is green bean casserole. I just LOVE those fried onions!

Freshly grated garlic and some heavy cream mixed perfectly into the mashed potatoes. YUMM!

The Rolls almost didn't make it to the table! (One of the traditions I'm trying to keep up from my side of the family.)

Dessert baked the night before! They were so yummy with vanilla ice cream and fresh whipped cream.

Some Orange Jell-O and Butterscotch pudding finished off the desserts, and pickles were served on the side of the meal. We all had over stuffed tummies and happy taste-buds!

We spent the time we weren't eating: snacking, watching tv, playing games, and napping.

It was a heavenly weekend! I hope yours was too!

Halloween Happenings!

We had a fun time this Halloween. It started off with Genevieve's first friend hosted Halloween party on Thursday and then her first school party on Friday. She was adorable and fun as a silly clown this year.
Then Friday, our play group got together to decorate cookies in the morning (thanks for hosting Heather!) and then a trip to Pumpkin Land in the afternoon. Alex stayed home to nap for both of those activities so the girls could enjoy without mommy feeling overwhelmed or out numbered. I really enjoyed watching Genny and Anna have a new experience. Everything was exciting and big in their eyes. And they LOVED being out and playing with their friends.








I had fun with MY friends too!


It was a very pleasant and fun Halloween activity. Perfect for little kids! We'll probably go again each year while the kids are small.

Because Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, Saturday was our Halloween. We carved our pumpkins Saturday morning and had a pretty easy going day.





Then I panicked! I had all the costumes perfectly arranged and accessorized... in my mind. When it came time to actually get costumes on for trick or treating, nothing was where I thought it would be.

Since Genny had already worn her costume so many times, she had temporarily lost her clown hat (we all frantically/angrily raced around the house looking for it). And she REFUSED to wear the honking clown nose she BEGGED me to buy her.

Then after Bart got the three layers of tights (to keep her little legs warm) and her entire costume on Anna, she then decides to tell me she had to go to the potty.

Alex started to cry and whine, because he had refused to take his afternoon nap, plus he was breaking out in a rash ALL over his body, including his face and head. (I'll tell you that story in another post. *sigh*)

I couldn't find my shoes... Bart was the only one who kept it all together. I was a hollering ranting mess. I should have been wearing a witch's hat! So when I realized I was ruining what was supposed to be a FUN night for the kids, I changed my tune, laughed stuff off, and made it about the kids! Then it became fun. We eventually found everything we needed.

I put clown make-up on Genny EXACTLY the way SHE wanted me to.


We had fun taking pictures while we waited for the rain to stop.

And when it did, we went out trick or treating and had an incredibly fun time together. Alex was a natural. Even though this was his first time trick or treating, he got right up there next to his sisters and raised his bucket high for the home owners to fill. It was so cute!

All the kids got lots of attention for their AWESOME costumes. For this I have to thank Grandma Terry. I added some new accessories, but the main pieces for the girls, came from her.

My mom made clown costumes for me and my brothers and sisters when I was about 4 or 5. Genny wore the one that I wore back then.

My mom also made ME a cute little bumble bee costume that I wore when I was 3ish. That is the bumble bee costume that Anna wore. She couldn't have been more adorable! I was gushing with pride over this one, because this costume is one of my most treasured early childhood memories. Yay for mommies and daughters bonding over costumes!



And how 'bout my mom, makin' costumes that lasted 27-28 years!? Thank you Mom!

Alex's costume was a treasure to find! He was originally going to be a store bought Captain America, made out of that, not so great, fabric all the "costumes in a bag" are made of these days. But then lucky me, decided to drop into a local thrift store on a whim and found the most incredible, hand-made matador costume. I got the store manager to drop the price on it, and I walked out feeling like a champ. Alex was so perfectly cute in it!

Bart and I were a couple from the 50's. Blonde Curls, Red lipstick, Letterman Jacket, converse style shoes (with BYU printed on them of course) and all! The poodle skirt, with petticoat, is one that, again, my mom made when I was 17. Man, I need to learn to sew! I hope your Halloween was at least half as fun as ours! Cuz ours rocked!

Madi Mondays

Madison Mecum was a special, bright young girl who brought sunshine into our home every Monday for a couple of years. We've known her longer of course, but more than a baby-sitter for our three small children, or my voice student for a short time, Madison was an important presence in our family. As a new mom with 3 small children born within a 4 year time frame, I needed someone like Madison in my life. As her mother before her, Madison became a friend, confidant, and support to me.

Just as Madison was getting to baby-sitting age, she would come over after school, or in the mid-morning during summertime, just to be with me and my 3 kids. She'd help with anything she saw I needed, but mostly gave my 3 kids the attention and playtime they needed so I could finally get to housework, or a nap, or a project, or anything else that I might have been setting aside throughout the previous week. But during her visits she and I became quite close.

We shared stories with one another about the current activities we were each involved in. She show me her music or dance steps for choir or plays. We talked gymnastics, volleyball, and softball. We laughed and marveled together at the funny or amazing things the kids did. I taught her how to put a diaper on correctly, tricks to get kids to eat, and how to get a screaming baby calmed down. She became quite the pro-babysitter after about a year of these afternoons at my house. And I became a much calmer and less stressed mom.

I looked forward to Madi Mondays as much as my kids. Many times I would feel a sense of relief just knowing Monday was around the corner. She helped me to not feel so overwhelmed or alone in this very hard job I'd created for myself by having my children so close together. My husband loved and took great joy in coming home on Mondays to see her smiling, cheerful self, bouncing one of our kids on her hip and keeping me company while I finished making dinner for our family. Dinners Madi would stay and enjoy with us some of the evenings her mom was busy training for her new job. My 4 year old thought for the longest time that Madi was her big sister and my 2 year old would always shout Madi's name loud and clear when asked who her best friend was. Even my little 1 year old would hear Madison's voice, as she walked in the house, and come barreling around the kitchen corner to run into her arms.

Madison would sometimes take our kids down to the elementary school playground on some of the early evenings she would baby-sit for us. That playground was quickly dubbed Madi's Park by my 2 and 4 year old. As we drove by the playground yesterday, like we do on every trip to the store, I had to hold back my tears as they habitually shouted out that there's Madi's Park! Mom! Look it's Madi's Park!

I'm feeling blessed that my kids are young enough that their innocence isn't tainted or confused by death. To them it's simple. Madi lived on earth and now her body doesn't work, so her spirit lives in Heaven with Heavenly Father and Madi's dad. We explained that we won't get to see Madison for a very long time, but that we can see her again when our bodies don't work anymore and we go to live in Heaven too. For them, that's good enough.

How I wish I could remember more frequently when the pain creeps up on me, that it REALLY is that simple. I'm grateful to know that God is real. That there is a purpose for this life on earth, but that this life is not the end. I'm thankful to know that by making covenants and keeping true to them, I seal my spirit to my family and to my God.

"I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know who I am. I know God's plan. I'll follow Him in Faith." Madison exemplified this everyday of her life. Something she learned from the time she had with her father, the teachings of her amazing mother, and the love from her sweet sister and extended family as well. I'm grateful for the impeccable example Madison was able to be in the very impressionable early years of my own two daughters' life.

I can't even begin to say how glad I am that after her last Monday afternoon with us, just 2 weeks ago, I told Madison as she was leaving, how much she means to our family. I'm grateful I'll never have to wonder whether she knew it or not. I know more now than I did then even, how important it is to share the love we have in our hearts for people, with those people. Our love and admiration for Madison will never fade.

My Big Girl!

Genevieve is more amazing everyday!

Two big events for Genny this year:

First, Genevieve is now 4 years old! This is a fact that we are reminded of, by her, about every couple of hours, everyday since her birthday. So cute! Every time she hears someone say the number four, or counts something that totals the number four, or simply mentions the number four... She quickly pipes in and announces, "I'm four!" I love it! We were able to give her a really fun Birthday Party! At first though, I wasn't sure if it was going to be fun for her. Unfortunately, a business trip took Bart out of the country the week before Genny's birthday. The night before, she started to cry and say that she didn't want a party. I asked why and she told me, "Because my daddy is gone." Talk about heart breaking! Thankfully though, I was able to talk her into enjoying her friends and celebrating with Daddy when he got home. She did just that!


Every outside toy we own was played with!



Our best friends were able to be there!



We played games like fox and hen and duck duck goose
but the Tinker Bell pinata was the anticipated and most exciting activity for all!



Then came the PRESENTS! Genny was very gracious and thanked everyone for their gifts as she opened them.



What sweet and generous friends we have! Thanks again everyone.



Second, she is having her first experience with going to school. She's only been asking for over a year now if she could go. When school time came around THIS year and she started to ask again, we actually got to tell her YES! She was so excited and couldn't wait for her first day.


Apple for Teacher!



Waiting for her ride. (So cute I can hardly stand it!)



Her two best school buddies! They have SO much fun together, these three!

BEFORE her first day, she didn't really have a lot of interest in writing. She was blowing me away left and right with her reading and spelling out loud abilities. But I couldn't get her excited to write. AFTER her first day, she could free hand her name "Genny" and on her own, figured out "Anna". AMAZING CHILD! She has since gotten "Mommy, "Alex", and is working on "Daddy". Her desire to learn is inspiring to say the least.

On another note: Out of nowhere she said the sweetest thing the other day...
"Mommy, when I grow up, and I'm a mommy, I'm still going to call my daddy, 'Daddy'."

Melt my heart CUTE!