11.20.2012

today's pic of the day: my girl


After lunch I tucked her into her new "big girl" bed.  I tickled her back and sang 'You are My Sunshine' like always.  I said, "Don't grow up, okay?"  She said, "Sorry, Momma.  I already a big girl.  I have to get big and bigger!"  I guess she's right...

11.06.2012

one last *halloween* treat

Halloween :: the holiday that never ends... at least at our house.  We celebrate at least three times - school parties, church parties, and the actual day.  It can be exhausting, but worth it. Quotes of the week: "Every one LOVED the popcorn trail mix you brought for my class!"  and "I like decorating our house better than eating the Halloween candy!"  and "I'm the most beautiful ice cream cone!"  and "This was the BEST Halloween EVER!"  and "I wish we could have dinner in a pumpkin every day!"  and "thanks, Mom!" and "I don't like cornbread...unless YOU make it.  This is the BEST!"  Yep, those words make it all worth it.







Since our church Halloween party was on Halloween we had our traditional dinner the day before Halloween.  (I made Chili and cornbread for church.  It was good, but "Dinner in a Pumpkin" is where it's at, I promise.  Try it.  It's the best!  Note to self:  at LEAST three "bones" a person - wowza they loved those)


Pumpkin carving :: I love that they're getting old enough to do most of the work on their own.  They like it too.  Ella, especially, was so proud of her SCARY pumpkin that Austin helped her carve.  Best part for me: roasted seeds... after, family togetherness ;)



I love glowing pumpkins!



10.28.2012

October update ::Instagram Style




 Watching a LOT of football...12 Year Anniversary- Anniversary Inn - Fire and Ice room.  We spent TOO much on dinner...Ella discovered TOY catalogs...It's good that Daddy is our Dentist




Potty Training started - and STOPPED - she said she just wants to be a little girl and wear diapers still...A trip to the temple to rejuvinate my spirit...Landon is almost as tall as me! (yikes) He thinks it's cool he can lift me up...If I tell Ella no she goes straight to Austin to ask him - they're pretty much BFFs


 School pictures for all the boys - Isaac's class picture makes me giggle...the house is SPOOKIFIED - Austin said he likes to decorate for Halloween better than eating candy! - monster cupcakes for Family Night


 Isaac asks to help make dinner most nights...kids got out of school at 11:30 so we had an impromptu Halloween lunch - complete with Halloween music...Big Kid Date Night - we went to a haunted house and the movie "Here Comes the Boom" - a perfect BOY movie



Pumpkin Patch : Perigo Style...My dad and Alina came for a drive by visit- 13 hours is NOT long enough - miss them...candy helps kids listen - I think - we're still debating that....flu shots, fire department visit to meet Sparky, the dog and get a free helmet, grocery store - gotta make fun where you can...

10.27.2012

Football Season

{...It's how you play the game}
these boys ROCKED football season this year





10.23.2012

photo shoot







10.22.2012

pumpkin patch








9.10.2012

Baby Steps {What is NORMAL Anyway?}

Okay, I predicted another post in about three months and, well, it was a good prediction.  I keep thinking life will "get back to normal" or "settle down" and then I'll be able to do all the things I want to do...like write this blog {family journal}, for instance.  This year has taught me MUCH and one of those things is there is NO normal!  

Now that I'm on the other side of my surgery and {mostly} healed, I can define my normal as this: being able to BREATHE DEEPLY and BE CALM,  LOOK TO THE FUTURE, MAKE GOALS and WORK TOWARD THEM, ENJOY THE MOMENT.  So many of my days have been spent just trying to make it through the day, live through the pain or the exhaustion.  Now that I have conquered this beast in my life, I can see that trials will come and life will be hectic and sometimes you just have to "make it through the day".  BUT, now I realize that at the end of a trial I can get back to my normal.  And sometimes, I can still have some "normal" through the trial.  Funny thing about facing affliction, after you've been through a big one the small ones don't seem so bad :)

So, now that I have some energy back, I'm trying to get caught up on all the things I've been letting go for the past months, like cooking dinner :) I made 30 freezer meals and froze some meals that church friends brought over.  I have one left.  BELIEVE me, those freezer meals have been a blessing, so thanks for all of you that brought us food, it was well appreciated.

Also, I want to get back on track with this blog.  It makes me happy to document my family's life.  I realize that HALF of Landon's living - at - home - with - his - parents life is over!  That makes me sad.  I want to remember these years.  I want to try my hardest to arm him with knowledge and strength for the "real world".  This blog (I think of it as our journal) helps me do that.


And speaking of Landon growing up... I was a wreck on the first day of school this year.  He started middle school - in 5th grade!  I feel like I got jipped a year of "kid-hood" with him.  There's something about him being at MIDDLE SCHOOL that just kinda freaks me out.  I want his innocence to stay intact.  I've accepted that it wont, though, and we have talks about "dating" and swearing and being an example.  (And just so you know, Girl that Won't Be Named, Landon is still not allowed to date you! HA!  I'm still reeling over that one...)


This boy is growing up too!  He started a Montessori Preschool and he loves it.  Everyday he tells me he didn't learn how to read yet.  That makes him disappointed.  We have to talk about how things worth doing take hard work, like learning how to read or ride a bike.  He'll get it.  I'm glad he's so excited about learning.


Austin just turned 8; growing up too.  He is such a helpful, cheerful boy!  I tell him I want to shrink him down and keep him in my pocket so I can pull him out when I need to be cheered up.


While the boys are in school I enjoy my mornings with this little gal.  I love when she says, "come with me, Momma-Girl, you're my girl."  She's MY girl, that's for sure!


Well, I wasn't intending to get all teary-eyed about these kids of mine growing up, but I did!  That's life, for ya, always changing, never "normal".  I guess that's what makes us stronger, right?  So, there it is, in print, life is finally starting to get back to NORMAL!

And P.S. Cameron is getting back to normal too - his knee surgery went well.  He was finally able to go back to DENTAL work (he was doing administration work for a month or so) a few weeks ago.  That makes him happy.  He's pretty amazing.  He's made sure to follow every order from the doctor to a T and because of that he may be able to start doing some type of walking/running cardiovascular exercise within the next few months - which is much sooner than the year the doctor originally told him.  That's pretty great news!