5 today!!!

"'Today is such a special one...'' Happy Birthday Hes! I can't believe that our Heston is 5 years old. Our little Christmas baby that we brought home in a stocking is now such a big kid. Such a STRONG willed boy with so much that he wants to do. He has taught me A LOT about being a parent and about being a child! He has a tenderness about him that makes him so SPECIAL to our family. Hope you have an AWESOME day buddy!

WE LOVE YOU!

Daddy Looked A LOT Like Santa...

So I am not sure about my husband sometimes. He gets these funny ideas in that head of his. It's like he has one of those lists of all the things he wants to do in his life time. Well, I guess one of them was playing Santa Clause. So he offers to be the Jolly Old Man @ Pepperbellys. Last Monday night I decide to take the kids to dinner so that they can see Santa! As soon as we walk through the door Fisher sees Santa and says "HI DAD!!!"...What? Of course I say "That's not Dad. It's Santa." It took me a good 20 minutes to convince him that it was really Santa. Santa kept walking over to our table and talking to the kids so by the end of dinner Gilly says..."Mom, he kind of looks like daddy." I say, "You think so?"..."Yes. He kind of does."...I say..."HUMMM" Heston didn't really say much at all. Anyway...It was kind of a funny experience and weird to see my husband dressed up like Santa. Hope you can cross that one off of your list now Rob! HO! HO! HO!

This Kid Makes Me LAUGH!

So I am folding laundry on my bed the other night and I notice Fisher is being a little sneaky. I couldn't figure out what he was trying to do. He then walks over to the side of the bed with a HUGE goofy smile on his face and turns around...this is what he had done...It seems he always is finding something silly to do! Thanks For Making Me Laugh FRED!

So you know that kid in the store...

Ok...it has finally happened to me. You know that kid in the store that is screaming at the top of their lungs, kicking, crying, throwing them self on the floor? Today my kid was that kid and I was that mom. So here is the story...I need to go to Wal-Mart to get ONE thing. How often does that happen. So I put the boys in the car and tell them if they are good while we run in and grab this ONE thing...I will buy them a treat. As soon as we get out of the car it starts. Heston wants to push the cart. I told him the he could help me push it, but I would not let him do it alone because he can't see over the cart and always pushes it into things. Well while he is crying over that and I am trying to reason with him Fisher wants to jump in the basket part of the cart. So I put him in it. Then Heston wants to sit where Fisher is, but doesn't want to sit with Fisher...AAHHHH! I told him that if he hadn't been busy crying over pushing the cart he could have gotten in the basket, but Fisher was there first so he would have to chose another option. He continues to throw a fit. I finally get him calmed down enough to enter the store, after about 5 minutes. So we walk into Wal-Mart. I needed to go to get some kind of Calendar or Day Planner thing. Well, to get there you walk by the candy isles. So Heston stops and stares at the plethora of treats. I continue to walk and say...Let me find what I need and then we will pick out a treat. He stays put. I turn down the stationary/school supplies isles. He follows when he can't see me anymore. As I am trying to find the ONE thing I need he is yelling at me that he JUST WANTS TO GET A TREAT! I keep trying to explain to him that he can get one as soon as I find what I need. So then he finds a stack of folders that have "Race Cars" on them. He grabs one and then ends up dropping it on the floor and kicks it. So I tell him we are leaving. I have warned him several times by now and I am getting pretty upset. Keep in mind this whole time he is whining and throwing this fit. So i grab Fisher out of the cart and I start walking to the front doors to leave. When I turn around to make sure he is following me...this is what I see. He is on his hands and knees...scooting himself across the floor...SCREAMING and BAWLING! I walk just past the detector thingies and stand and wait for my son...people are stopping to see if he is ok or lost. He continues his dragging, screaming fit. I wait. I was not going to carry the kid out of the store. Here I am 8 months pregnant. I am on the verge of tears, but I stay strong and wait. When he finally reaches me I tell him he should probably stand up before we walk into the parking lot and then I say NOTHING. He decides to walk, but still is throwing the FIT. We get to the car. I buckle him in and then Fisher. Still I say nothing. He is screaming...MOM TALK TO ME, MOM TALK TO ME, MOM, MOM, MOM! I start to drive. When I finally get to the light I break down. Now I am bawling. We get home and I get them both out of the car. I take Heston to his room and tell him he is grounded for the rest of the day...from EVERYTHING! No friends, tv, I didn't even let him go to pre-school. He loves going and I felt I had to make a point. He spent a very long time in his room. We had a few more break downs before the days end, but I had to stick to his punishment. I am not sure if I made all the right decisions with the whole situation, but I PRAY that I don't get to experience it again any time soon. Poor Fisher is still waiting for his treat.

Christmas Tree Hunt

Saturday we went to cut our Christmas tree with Rob's family. It was fun to tromp around in the snow! We weren't expecting there to be as much snow as there was so it was a good surprise! It was a successful Christmas tree hunt! We had to do some hunting of a different kind when we lost track of a couple of children...one of them being mine...and I didn't even realize he was gone until Rob came out of the woods from cutting a tree for his mom and told me that Heston wasn't with him. So while searching for the first missing child...Heston was missing too. After about 15 minutes of searching the woods Rob's oldest brother decided to walk back up the road towards Grandpa. He found both of them just walking up the road. They were together and had walked quiet a ways. We were all relieved to find them safe. With so many kiddos around I have learned that you just can't assume that they are with someone else.

When Did She Grow Up?

Ok so Heston and Gillyin had their rehearsal practice tonight at the Events Center for Christmas Tree Lane. I was busy with appointments this afternoon so Rob took Hes and picked him up for me. (he is always such a HUGE help)... I took Gilly at a quarter after 6 and picked her up when she was done. When she got in the car I asked how it went. She said that it went good. That is the answer I get a lot. So of course I try to get some more info out of her. Her dance class will be dancing with some of the older girls for this recital so I asked who her partner was...she says..."Um..well she didn't tell me her name". OK...so..."how did it go...dancing with the older girls"....her answer..".good". Then she starts to finally tell me about it. If you know Gillyin she is kind of a perfectionist and stresses about things. So this is what she proceeds to tell me...."Mom, this is my last practice before the recital. What if I can't remember my dance?" This is the same girl that has shown me her dance countless times in the kitchen and the living room. I tell her she has nothing to worry about. She says, "Well, I really need to work on my leaps!" "You do?" I ask. "YES" she says back. I say nothing. "Mom...I heard Miss Kim (her dance teacher) talking to the older girls and I think that they have one more practice before the recital. What if they have another practice and my class doesn't?"..."Gillyin, you have nothing to worry about."...She then tells me pretty much every step to her dance and which way she goes when she goes under the bridge...how she holds her partners hand and looks at her at the end and puts her hands behind her back and walks off the stage. I think that she was just reassuring herself that she knew her dance. As I am listening to her I thought to myself...When did my baby girl GROW UP! It really doesn't seem that long ago that she was a tiny little baby. A lot has happened in her 6 1/2 years of life. She has become a big sister to 2 little brothers that drive her crazy pretty much every waking second of her day. She has always been very mature and independent. I think I take advantage of those qualities in her. But I realized driving home that things have gotten so busy that I forget to treasure all the little things that my kids say and do. It really is the little conversations and the little things that go on in our every day lives that I need to remember. It is amazing how much has happened since being blessed with Gillyin and here we are 8 weeks away from having our 4th child. WOW!!! Blessed we truly are...I know there are days that I wonder if I will make it, but I learn so much from my children and am incredibly grateful for their tender presence in our home. Just another thing I need to work on...slowing down enough to remember the little things! Because I know that now she may just be worrying about a dance recital, but before I know it will be driving, boys, college...etc.

HaPpY BiRtHdAy to YoU!!!

Today is Rob's 29th birthday!!! Happy day dear. It is crazy to think that this will be the 14th year that I have wished you Happy B-day! A lot has happened since you turned 16. I hope that you have a special day. I am so thankful for you and all that you do for our family. You are the BEST!

WE LOVE YOU!!!!

Life and the Election

It has been a week or so since I have posted anything so thought I would make the effort tonight. It seems like the days fly by. Always going a million miles an hour. I am not sure how life got so dang busy...I can remember when Rob and I first got married and people would say how wonderful the first years of marriage are and how simple everything is and how they now missed those times...I AM THAT PERSON...I now would be the one telling a newlywed couple that same thing. In fact Rob's little brother just got married in August and I am pretty sure I have told them that. I guess 3 and half kiddos later...WE ARE BUSY! With Gillyin in 1st grade, Heston going to pre-school 4 days a weeks and Fisher being a busy little 2 year old...plus me being pregnant and trying to work and keep up with running kids and picking up kids and laundry and meals and.....I am pretty sure I have made my point! I used to look at my aunt Lenita and wonder how on earth she did ALL that she did...now I have found you just do it and kind of get used to doing it. It is not always easy or fun, but we do it as wife's, mother's and women because I guess that's how we are programed. Maybe..I don't know! I do know that time flys when you are FLYING! And I think some days I am not a very good pilot.


ELECTION story
This past week as we all know was the big election! And I was ready for it to be over. Gillyin came home from school and said that they would be voting at school. I asked her who she was going to vote for and she said Obama. I asked her why. She replied...He is going to give money to the poor people! She had a little friend at school inform her of that. As the whole family was sitting on our bed I explained to her that dad and mom were going to vote for John McCain. I wasn't sure how to explain the reasons why...but I tried. I told her that Obama thought that it was ok for pregnant ladies like me to kill the babies in their tummies. Ok I know... probably not the best choice to tell a 6 year old...and the fact that Heston was on our bed too...ummm...I think I wanted to eat my words...because then the rest of the night that's all Heston talked about. He said..."but he (Obama) lives in a city far away from us so he won't come and kill or baby, right?" I said "yes, but he doesn't kill babies. He just thinks it's ok to have special doctors do it if that's what the lady wants." No matter how many times I explained it to him he still didn't understand it. I thought that would something they would get more than some of the other reasons would be voting for McCain. Anyway...the next night we have the t.v. on so we can see how the election was going and Gillyin would check and see who was winning and would get very discouraged when she saw Obama winning. When they announced Obama's victory she burst into tears. She is very dramatic anyway, but it was a sight! I couldn't help, but chuckle. I told her everything would be ok. She sobbed "but I don't want to be poor". Rob had her told her that Obama was going to take a bunch of money from his work and he might not have a job if Obama won. Again something that a 6 year old probably didn't need to hear. So we had some consoling to do and had to mellow out the whole situation. I told her that she doesn't need to worry about anything...and then Rob said to her very enthusiastically..."We will be fine because we are MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST!...and we will be taken care of!" I had to chuckle at that too. He is an interesting man! Anyway, it was good to realize that even though we weren't happy about the outcome of the election we knew we would be fine because we have the knowledge of a Heavenly Father and Savior that loves us and will take care of us!

Halloween

HaLlOwEeN!

Halloween seemed to last ALL week long...but we got the use out of the costumes for sure. Fisher finally decided it wasn't so bad to wear his monkey costume after all and he ended up not being so scared of every little thing. The Burger King was a hit in the neighborhood...except people were expecting whoppers and fries when they came trick-or-treating to our door. Heston wasn't a huge fan of the whole trick-or-treating thing...he decided it was funner to watch Scooby at aunt Joanna's and uncle Sean's. And Gillyin got quite the loot of candy as Daphnie. All and all it was a successful Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving

PUMPKIN CARVING TIME!!!
Gillyin and I carved this Smiley Traditional pumpkin. I was impressed with those little carving kits. I found that if you follow the directions it works out...how about that!

Heston and Rob Carved this Pirate Skeleton pumpkin! Rob was so proud becuase it was more difficult than mine and Gillyin's....

Grandma hepled Fisher carve his pumpkin. Or I guess Fisher played trucks while Grandma carved his pumpkin. Notice the one he picked...it was a goofy double pumpkin! Leave it to Fisher to be the goofy one! Such a silly boy! Thanks Grandma!

The Jenson Halloween Party!

Bobbing for APPLES!

Cousins!

Just LOOK at these 2!

All dressed up!

On Saturday we had the the Jenson annual Halloween party. Almost everyone dressed up and we saw some great costumes. We bobbed for apples, had a $ walk, played cupcake musical chairs, played "chubby bunny", a mystery food tasting, and the kids played guess the ghost. Rob's whole family attended with the exception of his oldest brother and his family. We missed seeing Steve, Em, and the girls. It is always lots of fun when we get together. There is always lots of laughs and it wouldn't be normal if there wasn't a little bit of arguing as well (sorry Jess... for my husbands behavior). We sure LOVE the times we spend together.

What Happens When A 6 Year Old Figures Out the Video Setting on Your Camera!

I was deleting pictures off my camera and found this little video. Gillyin figured out how to video on our camera. I found it and had to laugh! I thought I would share it. She must have figured out how to STOP recording!

Our Trip!

Our trip to Cancun was so much FUN! We got to see and do so many GREAT things! I am so glad that we got to go. The weather was beautiful and we went with some wonderful friends!

Our view from the balcony of our room!

Rob on the beach!

All of us at Chichen Itza.
We were able to attend church on Sunday. It was

a lot of fun getting to spend time with all of the sweet

people! They were so excited to see us.

Just a little video of the ocean!

Are We EXCITED Yet?

Here I am when I really should be getting A LOT of things done. We are leaving early Thursday morning to go to Cancun. I know I should be ecstatic. I am not...at least at the moment. Getting ready to go is sooooo much work. And there is so much that I can't do until the last minute. Rob's sister is coming to stay with the kids while we go...thanks Heid...and I want to make sure she will still love us when it is all over, sooooo I still need to make sure everything is in order for her. Laundry done, pantry and fridge stocked, etc. Not to mention, what do I pack to take? Being 6 months pregnant and headed off to a semi-exotic destination...ummmm....pretty sure I am gonna look HOT in a bathing suit! AHHHH! I guess it gives me an excuse not to be in shape, right? Don't get me wrong I am grateful for this vacation...I am looking forward to spending time with my husband. 6 days of just the 2 of us. Those chances are few and far between. We will get to have conversations without being interrupted by fighting, crying, whining, phone calls, oh and fighting! It will be good to have this time to ourselves. Saying all that I am sure our conversations will consist of, "I wonder what the kids are doing", "Heston did the cutest thing the other day", "Isn't funny when Fisher talks about how scary everything is?", and "Gilly would love to be here with us!"..."What would we do without the kids?". I know that Thursday when we are in the air and on our way I am sure I can start to relax and I am positive that I will enjoy it ALL! I will definitely need a vacation after stressing over it! I know I will eventually get everything done and that everything will be fine...getting there is unbelievable though. Who would have thought. Deep down I am excited. The excitement just hasn't surficed yet. I am sure I will have some great memories and pictures to share with everyone. We will share it all in about 10 days.

FINALLY!!!

Well, it has only been 5 months, but we got our computer fixed! Ha-Ray! I will try to be better at all of this now. I have now learned how important it is to save your pictures and other important things on to a disc. Live and Learn.
We have been busy. I thought that things would slow down a little when school started, but I think they just got busier. It is wonderful to be back on a schedule though. Gillyin is enjoying the first grade and has loved science. She is learning so much. Heston's pre-school experience is going great as well. He is learning and growing every day. It is hard to watch Fisher's sad face as Heston runs into school. He wants to go so badly. It is weird to think that it won't be long and it will be his turn.
Just a little up date on the fam!

Miss Sevier County

Wow...what a crazy week last week. About a month ago I was asked to be the new director of the Miss Sevier County Pageant. I wish I had a little more notice than a month before the pageant, but oh well. It started last Monday...the 5th. And it went all week with the pageant on Saturday night. It was a lot of work and stress, but I am really glad that I decided to do it. It was so much fun to work with all the girls and enjoy their spirits. They were all so smart and talented. It was worth all of the stress and worry. Here are a few pictures...thanks to Rob we got the stage done! Gilly got to hold the fish bowl for the onstage questions...she got a little bored!

I am an Enabler!

Friday I heard on the radio a story of a new York mother who let her 11 year old son ride home on the subway by himself. She got a lot of criticism and some applauding from mothers around the country. When I logged on to check my e-mail tonight her story popped up. When I first heard the story I thought just for a second about the situation. When I read it tonight I realized something. She had said that we are enabling our children. I completely agree with her. No not all parents are like myself, but there are a few. I recently went to a scrap booking crop night and at some point during the night my friend and I got on the subject of our children (isn't that what the subject always is?)..anyway she was telling me about how she had listened to Motivational Parenting c.d. from an LDS mother. It was about what children should be doing at certain ages to be able to gain self-confidence through learning to be independent. As my friend was telling me some of the things that she had heard I thought to myself..."wow, I am failing"...As I have thought about these things and after hearing about the New York mother's experience I have decided I really am enabling my kids. I think about the times I am in such a hurry to get somewhere that I tie their shoes...hence Gillyin will be 6 soon and she doesn't know yet how to tie her own shoes. Or that instead of sticking to my guns when we are in the store and not buying them that 5 dollar toy (that will just end up in the garbage tomorrow)...I end up buying it just so I can get through my shopping list without a fit being thrown. Or even cleaning up after my kids because I have already asked them 100 times to do it and I just can't take it anymore. So instead of having a mess and arguing I decide that I will just do it. What am I teaching my children? AHHHH! I think that so many of us lead such busy lives that it is easier for us to just do it ourselves. But all of a sudden I have realized how horrible that is. I need to make time and schedule my time better so that my children can learn do things themselves. The New York mom had said that her son was so proud that he was able to ride home all by himself on the subway...gaining that self-confidence through being independent. Not that I completely agree with the whole subway story, because that scares me, but the fact that it is soooooo IMPORTANT to instill independence and self-confidence in our children. I have got to get this parenting thing under control. So I guess that will be a goal of mine. Hopefully through a lot of prayer I can do it. From letting them dress them self to making sure that they know how to make a PB and J. It is time I let them start being more independent...I know everyone will benefit from it, right?

Motherhood

As a mother of 3 young children I often wonder if I am doing my job. And as a hair dresser I have many mothers that sit in my chair. Some are mothers of children that are now grown and moved away and now they are grandmothers. Some are mothers of teenagers, dealing with high school, all their childrens activities and preparing for the future. Some are mothers of children that are all now in grade school. Relieved to have some time to themslef, but wondering now what they will do with their time. And some mothers are where I am right now in my journey. Wondering how in the world I will make it through one more day of cleaning up spills, sweeping up crumbs, trying to get the ketchup out of the carpet, hearing..."mom come wipe my bum". How many times will I have to say..."please stop fighting!", "idiot is not a nice word!", and "please put your shoes on when you go outside. you have holes in every one of your socks!". Sometimes I think...will this laundry ever be done?...why do I even mop the kitchen floor?...and...why our bathroom becomes a water park at bath time. Most of the time I pray that...I will be bathed and ready before my boys wake up...that I will beable to find a pair of matching shoes...and that the word MOM will not get over used!..It is a differnt journey every day. Always something new. When I wake up in the morning I hope for patience, understanding and unconditional love. All 3 of my children are so oppisite from eachother and I have learned that what works for one does not work for the others. Recently my 4 year old, Heston, decided to knock 2 panels out of his friends families wood fence. The mother sent him home to tell me what he had done. I greatly appreciated this mothers wisdom. I later called and told her sorry, asked her if I needed to come fix her fence, and told her to let me know if he ever was out of line when at her home. My son ventured to her home again later that day. Not long after I got a phone call. Informing me that she had more bad news...Heston and some boys had been throwing rocks in her window well and Heston had thrown one and it shattered her basement window. I felt horrible. Twice in one day my child had been destructive and at someone elses home. I walked a crying 4 year old to her door and in an extremely sad vioce he looked up at her and said..."I am bery sorry". Then I looked at her and she had tears in her eyes aswell. She said to me earlier in the day..."it takes a village to raise a child"...ISN’T THAT THE TRUTH. Her love for my son was obvious. I apologized again, told her we would take care of the window and we walked home. I have been thinking about her and the example she has been to me. How great it is to live in the community that I do and be surrrounded by such loving people. I guess as I am journying through this thing called motherhood I am definately not alone!

Gillyin...dance recital

Heston...Dance Recital

County Cinderella Pageant 2008

Last saturday was the county Cinderella Pageant! Gillyin did so good. She placed second alternate over-all...out of 23 girls! She loves being on stage! Grandma Sheila, Uncle Russ, Aunt Kami, Pageant Coach (Aunt Jessica), Aunt Joanna and Uncle Shawn were all there to cheer her on! Thank You all for being there!

Hello!!!

Hello! So I guess we are going to try this out! It will give us a chance to share our crazy every day lives with those we love! I hope we can entertain, inspire and put a smile on your face! Here it goes...