2nd Thanksgiving

As is Traditional, we had a 2nd Thanksgiving at my Mom and Dad's house yesterday. The food was great, and we had a great time hanging out as a family.

I also had to get pics of our yard all lit up for Christmas...now all we need is snow!

Happy Thanksgiving....and Black Friday Madness!!!!

(just a little top note...I've written this post 3 times now, and blogger has been having problems every time, and it's never posted or saved. If it crashes again this time, I may just have to cry)..



We had a great Thanksgiving with Cole's family. I worked the 2 nights before, so I slept til around 11, got up and ready, and prepped my portion of dinner. We headed over to Cole's parents around 2:45. Cole's dad ended up having to work this year, but otherwise it was great. We talked and relaxed, the kids were good, and it was a really nice afternoon/evening.

We headed home, and I started looking through the Black Friday ads, making lists. After making my lists for each store, we decided that Target would be our first stop. We put the kids to bed, and we went to bed too. I was exhausted. Unfortunately for me, I couldn't sleep. Every time I would start to drift off, something would wake me...Talia woke up crying, my brain wouldn't shut off, etc. We got up, dressed warmly, and headed out the door right before 3 am.

We got to Target at 3:10. Cole headed out to stand in line, while I waited in the car a bit longer. I ended up joining him at 3:40. I LOVE shopping at Target on Black Friday. Hands down, they have the best organized, best run system. You do have to wait outside, but if you dress right (and we did...I wore my ski base layer, sweats, a t shirt, a hoodie, my coat and gloves with hand warmers in my pockets and toe warmers on my socks) it's not too bad. At 4 am(1 hour before opening), Target Security informed everyone that if you left the line, your place would no longer be saved(although I think they should give a 5 minute warning, so that people can dump their stuff in their cars). They passed out maps of where all the doorbusters were, and free reusable shopping bags. The best part is, that when the doors open, Target security stands guard, not letting anyone through until the whole line is in the store. After all, why should the line crashers get to compete, when I've given up my time and comfort to stand in line in the cold? We went in, and split up. We got a couple of new DVD players (to replace 1 that's broken and 1 that's on it's last leg), 700 thread count sheets in a beautiful shade of turquoise, $6 jeans for the boys, and 1 other item that shall remain nameless at this time ;). We met up at checkout. We were back in the car b 5:12 am. Total, ruthless organization, with tons of employees to direct you to what you want...Target is the best at Black Friday.

After that, we drove over to RC Willey to look at their line. It wasn't too bad, so I dropped Cole off to stand in line, and headed over to JC Penney just to see what the deals were like over there. Plus, I just didn't want to wait in the car for an hour. I found some incredible deals there, and tons of selection. Cole ended up with a pile of new clothes, and I got a couple of things as well. I was glad I went in.

I joined Cole in line at RC Willey at 6ish. We were about 60 people back in line. We wanted a certain doorbuster for Kyle's birthday present. They said they had 65, so we felt ok waiting in line til they opened at 8 am. However, about 10 minutes before 7, a whole bunch of people crashed the front of the line. Still, since the ad said "1 per family", we felt like we had a shot. They started handing out tickets for the doorbusters at 7:05, but to anyone who wanted them. They ran out of tickets for our item 6 people ahead of us. It was really disappointing...if you're going to post rules, you really should follow them. RC Willey has lost my business for electronics...they completely wasted 2 hours of my time.

We left, dropped off above unnamed package at Grandma's for secrecy, and headed home. I crashed into bed for 4 1/2 hours, then got up and got ready to go back to work. I started out the shift really tired, but as the night went on I got energized and I was completely wired by the end of the shift. Of course, I've been tired all day today...but that's just life when you work nightshift.

Overall, it was a successful day. I'm excited to start getting up my Christmas decorations....

Random things and Holy Crap!

From November 2009

Cole loves dogs. I am allergic. I would be ok with a small dog. Cole does not want a small dog. I do not want a large indoor dog. Therefore, Cole must get his puppy fix with his mom's beautiful lab L.E.
The adoration is mutual, L.E. loves it when Cole comes over to play!

From November 2009

Me and Dora, we're tight these days....

From November 2009

From November 2009

From November 2009

Playing in the snowfall....(notice her shoes are on the wrong feet, she insisted on doing it herself!)

These pics were taken one right after the other..the only difference was the flash was on in the first, not the second...

From November 2009

From November 2009

Now comes the Holy Crap! part of my post...last Sunday night, we had the opportunity to attend "Priesthood Preview" with Kyle, and all the other boys turning 12 in 2010. Really, next year (and it really is a little more than a year, he doesn't turn 11 til December 23rd) I will have a deacon in my house. Wow.

From November 2009

This was the best one of Kyle...I got a couple of others, but they're more blurry and Kyle's not smiling!

Oh, and thanks Rachael! It's a good friend who can make you something that's absolutely perfect for you (in this case, Me!)

From November 2009

From November 2009

From November 2009

(closer up, so you can see the wonderfully lovely purple colors better!)

ps

Well, now that I've posted (my previous post) I'm a little emotional. Maybe I'm not as settled about everthing as I thought.

Stress

Do you ever feel like the world is going to end if you don't do everything you're "supposed" to do? Like you're letting down everyone you know and care about if you don't get every little thing done? Like you're being the bad guy if you don't want to go along with everyone else's wishes? Welcome to the crowded confines of my brain.

I've had a rough couple of days. I've been upset about something for a couple of weeks. I've been trying to let it go, trying to tell myself it's really not a big deal...but the fact is, the more I've tried to let it go, the more upset and stressed I've gotten. Then more things have piled up on the original upset, until my brain won't leave it alone. I can't sleep, but I don't want to get out of bed in the morning. My husband is worried to death, because I'm not prone to extreme mood swings, and I've had nothing but extreme mood swings the past couple of weeks. My stomach hurts (strangely, though, I have not had any significant headaches).

I'm not going into details, but the fact is...I've come up with a solution. My solution is going to upset some people I care about. Unfortunately, there's no way around that, I have to do what's best for me.

Since I came to my decision, a certain sense of peace has come over me. Maybe I'll be able to deal with everything else a little better. Maybe I won't be so stressed during the upcoming holidays. Maybe my husband won't think his wife is going insane. Of course, I'm still not forgetting that he ruined his only Christmas surprise. :D

Maybe I'll even be able to come to terms with the original upset that caused the whole downward spiral.


(I know no one really understands this post, but as it's my family record, I need it to be here. Eventually some people will understand. And thanks to the people who've let me vent in person about my upset...)

I survived!

So, I survived my unlucky afternoon the other day. The rest of my night was uneventful. I wish I could say the same thing about last night....which was ANYTHING but uneventful. I was so glad to walk out the door this morning and come home to my warm bed and my loving family.

We've had a good week. My baby keeps trying to grow up too fast. That's life, and it's bittersweet, but she's just so CUTE!

Pretending the dish towel is a dress...

From November 2009

From November 2009

We're trying to phase out the high chair...it takes up a lot of room, and our dining area is not large. She's mostly done really well...

From November 2009

From November 2009

Until tonight, when she purposely dumped her plate of tacos on the table, and ended up back in her high chair as punishment. It will be nice to be able to get rid of it entirely.

Instead of a book report this month, Kyle had to research an ancestor and then write about his/her life. He also had to make a "paper doll" type poster and dress it in the appropriate clothes for the person and time period. He ended up doing his report on his great great great Grandpa Coop (from my mom's side of the family). I thought he did a great job!

From November 2009

Today after I got up and ready, I had a whole bunch of errands to run. I'm sure anyone who knows us has noticed the unruly state of our boys' hair. In the summer it's ok with me to just buzz it off, but in the winter, I like them to have a style. I've been trying to catch my cousin Andrea, who is a stylist, to cut their hair, but our schedules haven't aligned. She just started working at a new place, SuperCuts in Riverdale (in the strip mall to the west of Mcdonalds in Riverdale). It's really a pretty little salon. She does a great job, and I was really pleased with the results....

From November 2009

and so were the boys.

I also hit the JoAnn's...who had all their Christmas stuff on sale. I only bought 1 box of ornaments...but I really wanted more. I also bought a bunch of beads...yes, I'm addicted. After that, I ran to Target to pick up the portion of the food I'm responsible for on Thanksgiving. Then, (cue sheepish look here ;)) I went back to Lenscrafters and asked for a replacement contact lens. So now I have contacts again. The boys were amazingly good and helpful, and I really enjoyed spending the afternoon with them.

Also, thanks to knowing someone who was "in the know", the kids all got their H1N1 vaccinations last Monday. Alec and Talia will need a booster next month, and Kyle is thrilled that he won't! They also have appointments this Monday for the regular seasonal flu vaccine....maybe I will be able to rest a bit easier. At least certain family members will. ( love you TG :))

Why?

My afternoon did not go well today. We got down to naps late. It stressed me out a bit, so I didn't really get a nap. When my alarm went off, I started to get ready for work. Then, I washed one of my brand new (as of Tuesday) contact lenses down the sink!!!! This is bad, because since I hadn't been to the eye doctor since before Talia was born, my prescription has changed for the worse. They gave me a trial pair in my new prescription of the same type of contacts I have been wearing for the past few years. However, they wanted me to try a new type of contact, for my astigmatism, that they did not have strong enough ones in stock (yes, my eyes are pretty terrible. But Pretty :)). So, they only gave me one pair. Which I only wore once before carelessly washing one down the sink. So, now I'm at work in my glasses. Which wouldn't bother me, except now that I know how much better I can see with my new prescription, I'm bummed about how poor my eyesight is tonight. So, after I spent 10 minutes searching the bathroom, hoping I'd just dropped it on the floor somewhere(no such luck) I was behind for getting ready for work. I kept dropping things while putting on my makeup. I guess it didn't help that I was putting it on blind. I had got the wrong pair of scrub pants out of the dryer for the shirt I wanted to wear, so I had to get the correct, but slightly wrinkled pair out to wear. I couldn't find any change for my fountain drink. Luckily, my friend's husband was manning the window, and he gives me my drinks for free. THANK YOU MATT!!! I did manage to get Talia dropped off at daycare, and to work on time. Hopefully that means my unlucky streak is ending, and our night at work will be fine.


I haven't had time to post this week...I have a bunch of cute pics, and some cute stories about my kids...but it will have to wait until I'm at home with access to my camera and my computer!

Sick

The inevitable fall cold has hit our home. I'm trying really hard to be grateful for some mild coughing, a stuffy nose, and going through boxes of tissues. I know it could be much, much, worse (fevers, chills, and H1N1 come to mind)...

But I really hate being sick.

So far it's only hit me and Tali.....

Random Acts of Wonderful Thoughtfulness!

After the excitement of Halloween, everything else around here's been pretty low key. Working, cleaning, Mommy stuff, Family stuff. All's pretty good.

However, personally, I've been feeling just a little bit blah. I feel like my body is falling apart...headaches, and most the joints on the left side of my body (wrist, knee, ankle) are hurting. I know it's just my body telling me to reclaim my workouts (at least where the joint pain is concerned, the headaches are another issue), but I've been a bit down. Add that to the fact that I feel disconnected...circumstances all around preventing me from connecting with all my buddies.

To the rescue came a couple of friends...the first with a phone call and just a chance to talk...

The other with this

From November 2009

Talk about an instant pick me up! It immediately put me in a good mood...so...

From November 2009

Mother/Daughter pedicures were in order! I attempted a flower on my right toe...which turned out great, until a certain 2 year old said "Pretty flower Mama" while simultaneously touching it...while it was still wet. I repaired it as best I could, oh well. She was so excited, I didn't want to be irritated with her.

Other happenings at our house....

From November 2009

Playing with my camera settings....

Took a new profile pic of myself

From November 2009

Poor Indy...he misses the days when it was warm enough that I would open the screen door for fresh air...he loves the smell of the outside!

From November 2009

...and of course Happy Birthday Mom!

From November 2009

My Mom's birthday was last Tuesday, but we all got together last night at Pei Wei in Bountiful for dinner...It's really hard to coordinate all our schedules, so we were just glad to be able to get together. Cole and I managed to find a sitter for our kids, and got a jump start on our Christmas shopping as well...

Thanks to all those who cheered me up this week!

Trick or Treat!

So, Halloween is a little different at our house. For specifics on that, you can check out Cole's blog. I mostly enjoy Halloween. However, from about 3pm to 5:30pm, I HATE Halloween. At least it was on a Saturday this year. That 2 1/2 hour time period is complete and total chaos at my house...Cole putting the finishing touches on the yard. Completing the setup. Getting the kids all costumed, makeup'd, and fed. Getting Cole all Makeup'd and helping him with whatever he needs. Going to show the grandparents (which is very important to me...so I really don't mind that part. It just adds to the chaos. I don't survive very well in home based chaos). The inside of my house always looks like a tornado hit...a mess of makeup, brushes, costume pieces, fast food sacks, and the stray fry here and there...it drives me NUTS!!!!

Luckily, that part doesn't last very long. The rest of our day and night was quite delightful.

From October 2009

I put Talia's hair up in curlers hoping for spiral curls that would last awhile. Despite the gel, the hairspray, and the hair dryer, her hair still didn't get completely dry in the 5 hours the curlers were in. So...the curls fell out in about an hour. Oh well...I guess next time I try to do it overnight.

From October 2009

From October 2009

Snake eyes, in his only pic where he could stand to wear his mask ;)

From October 2009

Trick or Treat at Grandma and Grandpa's

From October 2009

My "monsters"

From October 2009

My very own head hunter...ahh, the pride of a mother! (after all, what mom doesn't want her kid to grow up to be a headhunter ;))

From October 2009

From October 2009

Happy Halloween!

(And Thankfully, it's over...for 56 days, anyway :))