Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we drove up to Tennessee. I can't believe that we actually did it after we swore that we would never do that drive again. We went up there two years ago and decided that we would drive at night so the kids would sleep and Aaron and I would take turns sleeping in the very back seat in the van. When we took that trip I took the first turn driving. This kids finally fell asleep around 10pm and then I had to pull into a gas station at around midnight to get gas. The lights were soooo bright that the kids were instantly awake and since they had had themselves a little nap they were wide awake. I was exhausted of course and wanted to sleep, but couldn't because the kids needed to be entertained. I think they ended up sleeping again from about 3:30am-7am. We swore we would NEVER do that again.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, however you choose to look at it) that trip was kind of like child birth. As time goes by you start to forget the horrible pain and anguish that you went through and think, "Hmmm, maybe, just maybe, I could do it again". Combine that with outrageous airfare and you find yourself driving 16 hours to Tennessee again and doing it at night! So I know you are all wondering how it went??? It actually went really well. The kids slept from 10:30-ish to about 5:30. We were much smarter this time though, and pulled over to fill the tank just before the kids fell asleep. Then any time that we needed gas after that I held a blanket over Nathan's head so that the bright lights of the gas station did not wake him up. I think it was helpful that the kids were older, too.

It was very cold up there. As usual we had to go out and buy a hole new wardrobe with pants and long-sleeved shirts before we took the trip. Grandma was able to borrow a jacket for Lexy and we had a hand-me-down for Nathan. I am so grateful for my nice warm winters down here in sunny Florida. I was not enjoying the cold weather at all. I did, however, really enjoy sitting around and having nothing on my mind - no cleaning, no groceries, no work, no laundry - nothing. Aaron's mom taught me how to crochet a pot holder. I know that doesn't sound very exciting, but I was really excited and I was able to do it in a day!

The kids got to play with some of their cousins (pictured above holding the gingerbread men they made at Grandma's house). We were able to spend Aaron's birthday up there with two of his brothers and his best friend from his youth. We took a trip to the Apple Barn in Gatlinburg (which has really yummy food). It is one of our favorite places to go. They have neat Christmas shops open all year. In the picture below this kids are sitting on a wooden Santa. Overall it was a great trip.

What a tongue!

This is one of those pictures that I think Lexy will hate when she gets older, but I had to post it because it grosses me out and makes me laugh all at the same time!

We were eating bacon (turkey bacon) one morning and some how it turned into dangling turkey bacon tongues. Lexy's looked so real that we had to grab the camera and take a picture.

Doesn't this picture freak you out a bit?

Halloween

We had a fun Halloween. It was the first time that we actually went out knocking on doors. We have always just gone to the ward Trunk-or-Treat party (which we did also). This year we went to our friends the Montierth's for some pizza first and then went up and down the streets in their neighborhood. It was really crowded! The kids had a great time and got way too much candy! Lexy was a black cat and Nathan was a member of the SWAT team!

Two little boys at church

Everyone knows that when one baby is born in a ward (this is what we call one congregation in our church) there are usually three or four more babies coming soon after. That was the case when Nathan was born - actually he was following the other boys who had been born just a few months before. We had five boys all about the same age - Jeremy, A.J., Cody, Nathan and Jack. They all played in nursery together and for the most part were good buds. Being in such a transient place, though, we are watching all of Nathan's buddies slowly leaving. Jack Watkins was the first to leave a couple of years ago. A.J. and his family, the Whitney's left us almost a year ago. Cody and his family still live in Naples, but we had some boundary changes and they are no longer in our ward and it doesn't seem to matter how hard we try we just don't see them as much as we would like. That left Jeremy. Although they have their arguments at times, they are good friends.

Yesterday was the Brower's (Jeremy's family) last day at church before they move back to Arizona. We are going to miss them. And now it just leaves Nathan out of the original group. I know that he will make new friends. We have already had some new families move into the ward with kids close to his age. But I could just picture those five boys growing up together and all being best friends. Anyway, I watched the cutest exchange between Jeremy and Nathan during sacrament meeting yesterday. It was the Primary program and Jeremy was suppose to be up in the stand with the other kids, but I think he had gotten a little shy so he was sitting with his family. We were a couple of rows behind the Browers. I could tell that Jeremy was trying to see Nathan and get his attention. Nathan however, had two small trucks that had his full attention. After a small struggle between Bro. Brower and Jeremy for some reverence Jeremy returned to his post looking for Nathan. By this time Nathan had moved down to the floor and was driving his trucks on the carpet. Once Jeremy realized that he could not see Nathan by standing on the seat he figured out he should go below. So he went down to the floor and this is what came next:

Jeremy: (in a loud whisper under the pew) "Nafan! Nafan!"

Nathan: (bending over to try to see where that was coming from and finally seeing Jeremy two rows up) "What?" (also in a loud whisper)

Then I couldn't hear what Jeremy was saying, but this was Nathan's response (in a loud whisper, of course) "No.... I can't.... I have to stay here.... No.... No." Then he looks up and me, at which point I shake my head 'no'.

The next thing I know Nathan pulls his arm back, with truck in hand, and then chucks the truck under the pew to Jeremy. What could I do, but ask if Jeremy got it, hoping that it hadn't hit the feet of the couple in front of us who were visiting from Utah. Jeremy had gotten the truck and he quickly popped up, back to his original post on the pew, with a big, happy, 'mission accomplished', grin on his face.

It was one of the the cutest things I have ever seen. I am sure that Nathan will probably not remember that as time goes by, but it is something that I don't think I will ever forget.

Reasoning from a child....

I just had to post something that Lexy said yesterday. She was telling Aaron about a little boy in her class who was rich just like our neighbor. Aaron asked her how she new this little boy (and our neighbor, for that matter) were rich. This was her response..."I know that they are rich because they can afford an upstairs in their house!"

We only have a one-story house, so I guess in Lexy's mind we are not rich. ;o) It is so fun to see how our children think about things and to hear their perspective on life.

My Favorite Grandaddy

I should be packing right now to get ready for our drive to Pensacola tomorrow. Wednesday we will be going to my favorite Grandaddy's funeral. He had a stroke Saturday afternoon and another one early Sunday morning that took his life. For some reason, though, I just can't bring myself to pack. Maybe it is because if I don't pack then maybe I won't have to go on this trip because he isn't really gone - or so I would like to think.

For those of you who didn't see my post a while back about my relationship with my Grandaddy this picture will probably appear quite odd. Yes, that is a picture of "roadkill". We always played jokes on each other. This particular day my grandparents were in town and were coming over for dinner. I told Aaron that I had to come up with a "Gotcha" as we would call it. I new that we were having steak for dinner so I created the body to go with it. When it was time to eat I took his plate into the kitchen and served him some "roadkill steak". It was great. In my previous post I also put the picture of the "gotcha" that he brought with him that day. It was a "Gotcha" Scoreboard. He had worked really hard to create it and of course he had more points that me.

I love my Grandaddy so much! I cherish all of the special memories that we have together. I wanted to find this picture and I couldn't. I almost thought that I had accidentally deleted it somehow and I was getting really upset with myself. I am so grateful that I found it because I think that it is the last picture that I have of him. I am so grateful that I know that he is in a good place and that I will be able to see him again someday. It is hard to wait, but maybe I can come up with a really good "Gotcha" before then, because I know that he will be working on one too. I LOVE YOU GRANDADDY!

Talk about a Slacker!

I am such a bad blogger! In fact that is an understatement. I think that part of my problem is that I would like to have a picture to blog about, but I have decided that I love reading other people's blogs even when they don't have pictures so I should just start writing. Also (and I know this is really not a good excuse because there are a million busy good blogging mom's out there) when I get a minute on the computer it is usually just enough time to read everyone else's blogs or check email and respond to one or two if I am lucky. I thought that I had a busy email before, but since becoming Relief Society President at church I get a million emails and usually I can't just ignore those. Anyway, I know excuses, excuses.

I have a few minutes to myself. Aaron is in Boston for a dental CE course. He has been there since Wednesday. He is probably almost on his way home. We have missed him lots, but the kids and I have had some nice time together. Last night we went out to dinner for my Dad's 60th Birthday. Happy Birthday Dad! It was nice.

So, I just got done telling my friend Jenn about this book that I Aaron and I read. I have probably already told most of you about it, but it is so good I thought that I would talk about it on my blog. It is called "The Total Money Makeover", by Dave Ramsey. I heard about it from my friend Shaela. It is by far one of the best self-help books I have ever read. It teaches you how to become completely debt free within 18-36 months (except for the house). Then it teaches you to save a 3-6 month emergency fund, fund your retirement, start college funds for the kids and to save money so that you can pay cash for whatever you want in the future. Aaron and I are officially starting it this month. Dave's motto is "Live like no one else, so that you can live like no one else". This book helps you to see how foolish we all are with our money and how some of the things that we thought were smart money decisions were really bad decisions. Anyway, enough preaching about the book. Just know that if you have any debt at all - even car or school loans with very low interest (the 'okay' debt, right?) then this is the book for you.

Well, "my time" just ended with Nathan waking up from his nap so I will go for now. Hopefully I can get back on here soon.