Christmas was magical this year.

We had an amazing christmas this year. The kids are all very fun ages. They all believed. We did every tradition I could possibly dream up. Caroling, gingerbread houses 3x, santaland, drive through nativity, sugar cookie decorating, dounuts at krispy kreme, christmas pictures, lights at ransom canyon, singing christmas carols, christmas eve program, any type of food that slightly resembles christmas. We had 3 of 4 sets of grandparents for Christmas.
Christmas eve the kids were in bed by 6:30 but not asleep until 9:00. They were watching out the window, pretend sleeping, but mostly giggling.

Christmas Morning
Our kids had been begging for a DS since the summer. Dad was on board immediately and I of course, caved in November after the Santa letters were written. It is probably the last year we will all believe. Well, like it is a big surprise to anyone that our kids are spoiled. I thought it would be lost or broken in a week. To date, we haven't lost one pen, game, plug. They have been very responsible with them. They play them all the time. Can you tell I am still having some buyers remorse?

Staley left Christmas afternoon to go spend two weeks with her cousin in Ohio.
Grandnan and papa Al came for christmas.
Gingerbread houses take 2!!
New pajamas for Christmas eve!

Daddy's christmas gift, his favorite place to sit.
In the background is his cmas to himself about three weeks early. Oh and guitar hero. Canyon's christmas PJ'sChristmas dresses on black friday and a suit for our little man.






The kids decorated their own trees this year and mommy got her own fancy tree. well after about a week you couldn't tell who decorated what.

Happy Birthday Jacob!!!

The big 18 for little jacob. When I met Jacob, he was this tiny little guy with no front teeth. Now he is a big sweet 18 year old. This is my top ten reasons I love jacob drum roll please......
10. he named my oldest daughter
9. he loves minature houses
8. i liked to shoot him!!! with anything really airsoft paintball.
7. he is always willing to play games with me. munckins puerto rico settlers
6. He entertains my kids.
5. He is funny
4. He lets me boss him around.
3. He plays with matt
2. I am his password.
and the big number 1. HE IS HOT!!!

Staley is going to be one responsible adult. or need therapy because of me.

Just for a little background, my seven year old staley is very anxious/mature. She has all the anxieties of a thirty year old jammed in this little seven year old body. If we are at the park and she wants to go play, she asks me if I will watch the babies. My own children. As if I wasn't already. Well she had the worlds biggest birthday party in November, where she received 40 dollars in target gift cards. Well her mother who is a seven year old stretched into a 30 year old body, hasn't taken her to spend them yet. So on Saturday , we went shopping. I was coaching her on the way to the store. That 40 dollars is a lot of money. I was telling her she should buy clothes, because, we have had several instances where we have had to throw away her new school clothes. Accidentally cut a hole in one, terrible irremovable stains in several. Anyway so she wants to buy a toy and I am coaxing her to buy some clothes.
We get to the store and I manipulate our path to the clothes department and start showing her cute clothes. She quickly finds something she likes and is very excited about. We are twenty dollars down. She asks me about some shoes all her friends have, so we go to the shoe department and find the shoes. She is very excited. Well, we have reached our limit. I explain to staley she has spent all her money.
Okay this is were the story begins and the background ends. Brevity is not my strong point. Staley says, "Mom lets go, I really want this, I don't want to look at anything else." I said okay but a bright red pair of shoes caught my eye. I spent some time trying them on and decided to purchase them even though I had told my husband I wouldn't spend any money. In the time I have tried these shoes on staley is starting to hyperventilate. "Mom, I spent all my money you have got to get me out of here before I want something else." She got a DS for christmas and Me with my ill budgeting sense am tempting this poor little girl. Lets just go look at the ds stuff real quick. Mom, Then I will want something else, I already spent my money. Again I got distracted by a shiny black pair of shoes and tried them on. Staley continues to get more anxious. Mom lets go. I resist on the black shoes and take them over to look at the DS stuff. I say to staley, "maybe I will buy you the shoes and you can buy something for your DS." We take a few more steps and staley has almost lost it. In full whine, she says mom I have to know before we go over there if you are going to buy the shoes or not. If you aren't I don't even want to look. This poor little girl. Is trying to be responsible and I am really trying to push her. Well I am embarrassed to admit the story goes on. We did go look at the ds stuff which was completely depleted. So finally a half an hour later we left the store with Staley's purchases. In writing this blog, I am feeling terribly guilty she was trying to do what I asked her and I am the devil's helper persuading her all the way to buy a toy. She will probably need therapy some day in my aftermath.

My two Moms!!!

Today I was waiting for Brinley outside her preschool class. I was standing next to two girls, well ladies BOTH about my age, give or take five years. One I see all the time dropping her twins off in brinley's class. The other I hadn't seen before. It was taking the class longer than usual to get out. One of the ladies (new girl) stepped forward to peek through the window to see what was the hold up. The other (old girl) says, " If it is loud in there, it is probably OUR son." Oh man.. well whatever suits you. So I am fairly traditional and still kind of in third grade. I have to admit I was shocked.
So in the car on the way home, I say to Brinley, "Who is child a and Child b 's mom." She said "That lady standing by you with the brown hair(old girl)." I said "so who is the blonde girl?" "Their grandma."

date night???

Alright well I don't know If it is because I have been sick all week or if I have January blues. But I need to get out of the house. I want some night life. Some dancing, karaoke, piano bar, dinner theater SOMETHING.. I know I am spoiled I just went out last weekend. But our big night out is dinner and walk around sam's club. Can you say married for ten years. What do you do on your date night???? I am pretty passionate about date night. We go out every Friday night. I like to sit like an adult and no touches me or whines my name sixteen times in succession before I can breath to say what. I love my kids. But I also love my husband and want to spend time with him.

Best sacrament ever.

Our bishop stood up and read the intro to the hymn book. He talked about the power of the hymns and we sang the entire rest of the meeting. It was so great. Someone would stand up say a song and bear a 1-2 minute testimony on it and then we sang the first verse. It was really fun. Now I have to brag. Staley was listening intently as the bishop was introducing what was to happen. She asked if she could go up there. I was a little nervous so I gave her a two second spill and sent her on her way. Well she got up there a bore a very sweet testimony. None of which I had prepared. Good Job sis.

A night on the town.

Well thanks to my lovely mother. Matt and I spent almost 24 hours ALONE. We went to dinner, shopping at the mall. We made a brief stop in Victoria Secrets, thanks to toni and the awesome cmas gift. Matt was nervously pacing the place. I said , Matt relax you are married and in here with your wife. To which matt stated. "I still feel weird." I went to stand in line and I hear "Matt smith, what are you doing in here," Matt stammers and YELLS. "my wife is right over there." needless to say I didn't get to make my purchase. I was swiftly escorted out of the store and told, "I could do this on my own time."
We spent the rest of the night at loni and susan's playing killer bunnies. It was a fun and funny game. I recommend it.
Well the best part of the whole night was, I looked at the clock fell asleep and woke up and it was MORNING. I couldn't believe it. No one woke me up. The whole night. WOW. That hasn't happened for years.
An hour later, my mom called to tell me brinley was up all night throwing up. So I really missed a party. So today, Brinley, Staley and I are all sick and wallowing in our pity.
IT was good while it lasted.

just a brief side note

WELL This is my life on a cracker. In the hour it took me to setup my blog and submit two posts. I now have an entire bag of microwave popcorn on the carpet, also a bag of 8000 peg perlers. The replacement toy for aqua dots. If you don't know what that is just picture a very small bead. WEll I will get back in my cell now and clean up my mess. Just kidding all said and done I am actually happy and love it. I would pick up those beads every day until I died to not have to drop my kids off at daycare. So I won't complian. Alright I am getting on a tangent and more disasters are surely brewing. My husband says I have too many words. Well we will see....

Happy New Year

My New Years Resolution
I am putting this in writing so you can all hold me accountable.
I Melissa Smith, hearby shun all desserts and candy until I lose ten pounds.
Hi I am melissa and I am a candyaholic. I truley am it is day 8 and I have had a slight headache for about six days now. My candy addiction confirms my testimony of the word of wisdom. I would be a raging alcoholic. Come on it is candy for heaven sakes. Well I am addicted with a capital A.
I am doing it to build self control. Keep my brand spankin new teeth in tip top condition. Reign my children in so they can break the addiction cycle. And lose ten pounds. I try this every year. I once made it to August. (that is a fab story in itself, I cracked hard core) So a whole year, I have decide is unrealistic. So I will try to give myself a goal. The more I want candy, the more disciplined I will be in my eating habits.
My husband bought me six new front teeth this year and they are beautiful. So I want to protect the investment. I would hate to be in the middle of a delicious cinammon bear and have a thousand dollars become dislodged to unveil a not so pretty spiked tooth. That will be my next blog. Before and after shots of my teeth. Everyone keeps asking for pictures.
My next driving force is my children. They are candy hounds. They can smell candy across the room. If you sneak a small piece in your mouth, in a flash they are in your face. "what ya eating" They hear the crinkle of a wrapper and I have four small birds at my feet with there beaks open and begging.

This is a brag blog!!! Online journal

My Husband has a blog. It is basically his opinions on life. I tried to post a few family pictures and funny stories about the kids. Whoa Baby, I was quickly and severely reprimanded. So I am starting a family brag blog. It will probably only interest the grandparents. But it is a great way for them to see what the kids are doing and saying.
My goal is a once a month post. However, I am the QUEEN of new beginnings and the kitchen help of routine and habit. So we will see. Even as I sit here my heart is pounding. Because my five year old is trying to teach my two year old to write her alphabet with an entire box of MARKERS.
The pictures were taken by Gaylene Erwin. She is AMAZING. I took my kids to her house, changed their clothes, took pictures, looked at the pictures on her tv, changed back into school clothes and cleaned up her toy room all in 40 minutes.. Did I tell you she was Amazing. AND TOO CHEAP. call me for her info.