New year! New Goals!.... Maybe not.

(Get a Wordle Here)

Yes it is a new year and yes there are goals but I don't think that they are much different than last year. I was looking at my post from last January and was surprised at how much I didn't get done last year. Like my goal to lose all the baby weight. I lost most of it but then gained some during the Holidays. So that is one that is the same. To lose the last 20 lbs.

Also going to bed at 10 and getting up at 6 is super hard for me. I am a night owl. I am so not a morning person. Maybe I will try that one again. We will see. However, it would help the scripture study goal.

Also to be more diligent in having F.H.E.

Reading the scriptures to my children. (If anyone has any tips on how to keep a 6 and 4 yr old interested let me know)

Be a better house keeper.

Be a better wife and do more "wifey" things IE; Iron, make lunches, make dinner all the time, get the clean laundry in the closet and drawers before they are worn again.

So there are just a few. But there are about a million ways I can think of to work on. The list never ends.

Sometimes its so simple

I was talking with a friend at the gym yesterday and telling her how I was having a hard time getting Little D to want to read. I think that he knows more than he thinks/shows because if he gets mad enough at me telling him to read it he will read it just fine. It always ends in a yelling match or me getting tired of trying and saying "OK fine. I'm done." Which only ends in more tears because if you know Little D then you know that he is a pleaser. And he will cry more because he wants to do it. Anyway, its been hard and I don't even want to sit and have him try anymore. Sometimes I wonder if he is dyslexic or has some other problem that I don't know about. My friend said that its normal for kids to switch letters around until about 3rd grade and I knew that because I've told it to friends before. But I was trying to find some reason that this was so difficult for him.

She told me that her daughter was the same way and that she hated reading because it was so stressful. Then she did the following and it was a lot better. She asked me if I read to him. I told her yes but not the books that he was trying to read. She suggested that I first read him the book and make it fun with voices and other things. And then give Little D a turn to do the funny voices. She said to try and make it stress free and fun. And if he came to a word he didn't know to just tell him and move on. (I always make him try and sound it out) I thought... How did I not think of that? Its so simple. I guess I was just focusing on getting it done.

So last night before bed I told him to go get a book and he did. Not without yelling at me telling me that he was NOT READING ANYTHING! First I read the Curious George story and used voices and tried to make it sound fun. (Big J is better at voices and fun than I am) But it totally worked. After I said, "Now its your turn." At first he was telling me no and throwing a little tantrum but then I told him that when he got to the parts where people were talking he could make up a funny voice he was more on board.

He read the entire book. There were times in the story that there were 2 or so pages with no talking and I thought for sure he would give up. But he didn't. There were also times when I thought maybe I'll just read this page and let him read the page with the voices. But I didn't. He loved it. When he was finished he went back through making up the story and voices trying to make it funny.

I also told her about how anytime I tell him to do something he yells and says I KNOW!!! Or I CAN'T DO IT ALL! I'll ask him to change his clothes and get his shoes on and he will reply I KNOW! To which I want to say, "Then why aren't you doing it?" She then suggested that I try not to make it a command. And basically to phrase it differently and let him be more responsible.

So this morning I said to him after he was done eating, "I know that you know what you need to do to get ready for school right?" He said yes and I said "OK then." He came out later and had his shoes and socks on but hadn't changed his shirt. I asked him if he forgot anything and he was like, "No." I said, "Didn't you wear that shirt yesterday?" He then went to change it. I went by his room later and noticed he still hadn't changed his shirt. (he was looking at a Curious George book) I told him that he still needed to change his shirt and I got, "I KNOW!" So it didn't work perfectly but it was better. Maybe a few more times and he really will be able to get ready all by himself.

He did say that he had never read the book he was looking at before. So I told him we would read it tonight. And I didn't get a tantrum.

Its funny how sometimes all it takes is for someone to say, "Hey! Try this" In order for you to see how simple it can be.

The "Incident"

Well this year I have been crazy with making all sorts of goodies for friends. Like today I made Almond Joy Balls. I thought that since it was almost time for my diet to start that I would make them today. They made so many I was looking for people to give them to. And I still have more. So watch out you may be getting a plate if you live near by. BTW here is a picture of them. Don't they look yummy?

Left is the Double Chocolate Oreo Truffle, Middle is the White Chocolate Almond Joy Ball, Right is the Chocolate Almond Joy Ball.

So anyway back to the "incident". Last week before Christmas I made a whole bunch of different goodies and divided them up for some of Big J's work friends and some other families in our ward. Well I had 10 plates to take around and I had the kids delivering some to houses of people they knew. We went to on of our friends we know through Jeremy's work and I told the kids to wait in the car.

We had never been there before and we were all admiring their Lights and Lawn ornaments. IE; a Blow up Santa and light up candy canes. We parked in front and I got out and went bounding up the lawn. Just as I got to the sidewalk... The next thing I know is that my foot is still on the lawn and my arm is in the air and I am going DOWN!. It was like a slow motion movie clip. So I crash and burn on the side walk and the cookies and treats go flying. I turn around to see what I had tripped over and realize that it was the Blow up Santa's cord that I tripped over. I thought,'They should tape that down! Someones likely to trip!' But then quickly realized that it was clearly my fault because I went through the grass and you can't tape cords down on grass.

Luckily I had covered the cookies with wrap so none of them came out. (that would have been horrible) But they got all jumbled up. So I unwrapped them and re placed them on the plate. Then knocked on the door like nothing had happened. No one (that I know of) saw me go down. Except...

When I got to the car I asked the kids if they saw me fall and Little D said, "Yes! I saw the Santa shake too!" Needless to say my knees hurt for a while and I still have 2 big bruises. One on each knee. I haven't been able to wear short skirts to church for 2 weeks.

Later I got to another friends house and they had shoes all over the front door step. They were like, "Sorry about the tripping hazards". And I was like, "No big deal, already tripped once." Then told them the story. Told my husband later and he eventually told the friend who's house it was. I was later teased for tripping over Santa. But that's OK. I would have told them right after it happened but I didn't want my friend to feel bad.

Anyway, I do clumsy stuff all the time. Its no big deal. Just another funny story to tell.

A Whole New Cheyenne!

WOW! I new she needed a haircut! I have been wanting to take Cheyenne in somewhere and get her hair trimmed and nails cut for a while now but I just hadn't done it. But today I got fed up with not being able to see her eyes that I had to take her in. I called a few friends and they suggested Petco. They said that they are fast and good and that the dog always smells yummy afterwards. So I took her in and MAN you would not believe the difference.

They kept asking me what I wanted to do to her and All I could say was make her look cute. We had never had a dog let alone one that needed its hair cut. The lady was probably not used to my indecisiveness because everyone else in there was telling them exactly what they wanted. She asked me about a beard and eyebrows and how short and I was just like HUH? I told them that I wanted to see her eyes and so I left hoping that when we got back she wouldn't look silly.


(I can't believe that she looked this bad! I hope that this is just one of those pictures where they are trying to make you look bad)

Luckily they took pictures so I have for you these before and after pictures. It was so funny there was a lady in there that after looking at the pictures didn't believe that it was the same dog. They even gave me a framed picture of her and put little bows by her ears! SO cute! It was nice to once again get complements on how cute she is. I might just have to do it sooner than every 4 months!

She is now six months and is officially able to go on walks. Even though she has been running with me a few times already. Shes grown a lot and now weighs about 31 lbs. I hope she stops growing now.

Saturday Dec 26Th was our first Official trip to see the snow! We have lived here for almost 7 years and have never been to the mountains to see the snow. So Saturday we got all packed up borrowed some sleds and started up. We took Cheyenne cause we thought that she would have fun. I just want to say now. Note to self: Self, don't take your dog to the snow! When going up the mountains on curvy roads they get sick! Yep. Anyway, All the way up there I was thinking where is the snow. When we finally got there there was snow. It was pretty crusty but it was snow. There were a lot of people there so we walked into the woods a little bit and found our own little spot.

The picture doesn't do this hill justice. It was a little bigger than portrayed. The kids had fun on this hill though. It was just the right size that I didn't get tired going up it over and over.

Here is Little D going down!


Little C was the only one not having a good time. It could have been the fact that the smallest boots I had were size 9 and he is in a 5.5. I thought that I had smaller ones but I guess not.


Here is Little A on her first trip down by herself. She looks a little scared. But she had right to be cause this is what happened next.

She went back down though.

See, its all good!

Little C cheered up too. He hated the sled ride up. Funny kid, maybe he can pull me up. I would've loved it.


Later I found a bigger hill but we needed to pave the way down. And as you can see Cheyenne was having plenty of fun chasing us.


Here is Big J making a path.

Now that there was a path Big J was giving rides down. Little A was not scared but Little D was.

Cheyenne chasing Little A and Big J.

And of course we made Little D go down. Later when we asked him what his favorite part was he said riding on Daddy's back.

Little D ready to go back.


Little C liked the ride down back to the car better for sure.


I got Cheyenne to sit in the sled for a picture but immediately jumped out as soon and pictures were done.

It was a pretty fun trip to the snow. I told the kids that we will have to go back after it has snowed a bit more. Maybe then we can make snowmen.

Christmas Time Was Here!

Twas the night before Christmas... We were invited over to a house of our friends for dinner. (just happened to be the scene of an incident a week earlier. I will tell at the end of this blog post) It was nice to be able to go over there and celebrate. The kids decorated cookies, they were supposed to be for Santa but we found it hard to get any to save for him. They all just wanted to eat them. We ate and watched a little of the "Christmas Story" and ate some apple pie. Then we took the kids home, spread out the reindeer food, set out the remaining cookies and sent them to bed. We had to wait a while to make sure they were asleep for Santa to come cause I know how Little D likes to get up 10 times to tell us something. Once Santa had come I snapped this picture and went to bed.



Little D woke up first at 6:30 am which isn't bad considering some kids get up at say, 4 am. Once the other kids were awake we let them go to town. They were all happy with their gifts. I took a picture of Little D and his excitement when he opened his present from Santa.


It was Star Wars Clone Wars Wii game with light saber controllers.


Little A got just about everything Tinkerbell and has been very happy with her dress ups she got and make-up that Santa gave her.




Little C got 2 ride on toys and has been very protective of them. He is getting better at no crying when on of his siblings gets on them. Big J received 2 ties one was a reindeer tie (Little D picked out) and the other was black and blue (from Little A). He also got a CTR tie tack that Little A picked out also. I received a iHome Alarm clock to go with my Ipod touch that I got for my Birthday.

Later we invited some friends of ours over for dinner. I took a picture of the tables cause they looked to pretty.




We had a good time together and again it was fun to spend the Holiday with friends. Well I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We had a good Christmas here. And we are grateful for all the gifts that we received from everyone this year! Love You All!

Little A's Song

Watch Little A sign her first Christmas Carol!