Well I think the word is officialy out...

This morning, Matt is packing his bags and on his way to utah to interview in Tooele. So if you are in favor of the move hold your breath and pray. If you are a lubbock fan (guns up) cast your vote in heaven. Initially I was very excited. I think just for a change. Really I will be happy either way. Matt really wants to live by his family. I respect that and want my husband to be happy. If all my siblings lived in one state, we would be there in a flash no matter the cost of living. So I am excited to see what happens and hope all goes well. This will be an ever growing list as I mull over the decision.

Pros for Lubbock
watching staley and brinley walk to school together from my bedroom window.
Murfee
st lukes
Cheap house
great ward
ballroom dancing
football season
inertia (we are already here, it is easier)
missionary opportunities
my mom babysits my kids EVERYDAY!!! (to all the siblings she is mine now BACK OFF)
NO SNOW those should really be reason 1 and 2
my 5:15 step class
Deep in the heart of texas
close lake 6 months out of the year!!!
brownfield
VOLLEYBALL TEAM

Pros for Utah
New
my husband will be happy
bradshaws
kim
bunko
matts family
sunday dinner with matts family
my cousins
my dad
dad's horses
dad helping me with a garden. these are in no specific order I am just rambling
closer to holly
small town
skiing
we can go somewhere other than utah for vacation
matt gets every fifth week off
temple square
mormon books at the library


I have probably forgotten something so don't be offended just weigh in your vote.

Out of the mouth of Babes!!!

Wednesday I was driving home from the airport, and all day Alayna had been just smothering me with verbal stimulation. So I have to admit I was tuning her out. She finally got my attention, the fifth time she said, "Momma you gotta try dis." again. "Momma you gotta try dis." What Alayna try what? Momma you gotta try dis. "try what?" BOOGERS mom. I Wove boogers. I said oh grose alayna. Boogers are Yuck. No mom boogers are NICE!!! I wove boogers.
That is Alayna's new thing I WOVE....
so these are the things she woves...
Dora
cats
boogers
butter jelly
playdoh
BOTTLES (she is like a crack women of the night)

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.