So here I am...

... in my bathroom cleaning the toilet; just trying to get the upstairs bathrooms cleaned in the twenty minutes I have before it's time to start dinner. Isaac wakes up from his nap. I bring him in the bathroom and resume cleaning the toilet. Just as I finish washing his hands for the second time after he plays in the cleanser filled toilet bowl the door bell rings. At the same time Austin comes running up the stairs crying because Landon wants to watch "Love Bug" instead of ride bikes. I tell Austin he can ride his bike on our back patio or the garage - neither is a satisfactory answer and he keeps crying. Landon is whining from the doorway because it's not fair that he can't do what he wants.
I get to the door to see Landon hiding behind the open door and commence scolding him for ringing the doorbell and teasing Austin and whining. Then I hear, "uh hum... Hello?" I look around the corner to see a woman who is obviously some sort of soliciter. I think, "Dang it! How many times have I thought about putting up a no soliciting sign?" The lady starts in on her schpeal about financial planning. I give her my best, "stop talking, I'm busy" look. Just to make sure she gets the hint, Isaac starts crying from upstairs. She says, "oh I'm sorry you must be busy. Do you work from home?"

Okay lady. No I don't "work" from home, but seriously, just TRY doing my job. And by the way, is ANYONE investing right now? Why are you bugging me?!

Tricks of the Trade

This is my boy!! The smile on his face is there 99% of his waking hours. He is happy about life; really just content with everything. The stage he's in right now is my FAVORITE! He's learning new tricks everyday. Recently, he has learned to wave bye-bye, blow kisses, play peek-a-boo, point to his head and nose, point to someone elses nose, say "da-sta" -downstairs, "cac" -catch - as in playing a game of catch, "ba" - ball, "mmmm" -mmm delicious food (my interpretation!), "d" - drink, "bmmm"-blanket, "na-na" - goodnight, "kissss" - kiss. Zacky has also learned how to pick up his toys - he puts them back in the basket when he's told. He LOVES to go to bed - when he's tired he asks to be picked up and says "bmmm" into my shoulder, we go get his blanket and he snuggles right into it, ready for bed. His favorite toys, by a long shot, are balls but he's recently developed a fondness for big trucks he can push around. He really likes little trinkets that fit in his fists; anything tiny is definitely in his radar. He loves to look at books but I still can't get through a whole book without him wanting to jump on my lap or get down and play. This kid is the most pleasent little boy to be around. I just love him!

His most favorite new trick is learning to walk. He took his first steps last week. Grandpa and Grandma Meier were here to see it and I think the whole neighborhood heard us cheer when he just stood up and started walking!

Going from this...

...to this can leave a few marks (notice the bruises on his forhead - poor kid)...

...and it takes a lot of concentration which can turn you into...

Frankenstein Baby!! I love the way he toddles around like Frankenstien!!

It can't get any better than this...

gas is $1.87...it snowed just enough to build a baby snowman and then the sun came out and warmed us up...my grandma and grandpa have been here hanging out and we're having FUN...the BYU vs. Airforce game is tomorrow...I got new jeans and a new set of pans...I made pumpkin cobbler - YUM!....I've got great friends...My husband is awesome...Isaac has been sleeping for three hours and I got a TON of stuff done...Landon hasn't cried for a few days, thank goodness...Thanksgiving is coming up and then CHRISTMAS!...I'm about to make Panara's Vegetable soup - I LOVE it...my grandma and I made this Thanksgiving table runner (okay mostly, my grandma made it but I learned a lot!)...Today is a pretty good day...

For Family Home Evening last Monday we had a lesson on service. First we read a story about service. We talked about what it means to help eachother and serve our family, friends, and even strangers. We each wrote down something someone else in the family could do for us and, after trading papers, we had twenty minutes to do some service for each other. Landon made my bed, Cameron read Landon a story, I played a game with Austin and Austin scratched Cameron's back. Afterwards we talked about the way we felt and decided to do a family service project.

Inspired by a stack of magazines and a friend whose husband has been in Iraq for 11 months we decided to send a care package to Iraq. We are sending "guy" magazines (not playboy, yo!), books, small toys for the kids in Iraq, and packaged treats (like gum and candy), and thank you cards from the kids.

We are inviting you to join us in our service project...

If you have anything that you would like to send to the soldiers in Iraq (even just a note of thanks) you can give it to me by Nov. 24 and I will send it in my package. If you live far away you can mail me the stuff. Just email me for my address. We are sending it on an Airforce plane so it will be sure to get there. During this Season of Thanks we want to let the troops know we are thinking of them and we appreciate their sacrifice (and the sacrifice of their families).

Weekend Fun

We've had a great weekend! Friends, Food, Halloween, Hiking, and ... Squirells! We started the Halloween festivities with a "Fall Feast". My friend, Colleen, gave me the idea and we enjoyed it so much it's going to become a tradition for us. The kids loved eating all things fall - a roast with all the trimmings, rolls, apple cider, and pumpkin pie. The next few days included this:

On Halloween Day we went to a party at Cameron's Dental Clinic. He won his Colonel's (very close) parking space for a week for having the best costume! In a display case there is a picture of Cameron's commander during dental school; sporting an afro and lambchops. The inspiration for Cam's costume and probably the reason he won! Not to mention, who else could pull off hair like that?!

This is the best we could do as far as a family costume photo this year. Well, can't say we didn't try. I had some wicked knee-high gogo boots that I wanted a picture of but, oh well. I got TONS of compliments on them. My mom picked out our costumes this year for us. Good job Mom!

All the kids we went trick or treating with - Fun! The dad's took the kids out while the mom's stayed to chat and hand out candy.

This is actually two weekends but... you get the idea. Hiking is so awesome around here. There are beautiful places to go. Exercise and good conversation - you can't beat that!

And this is Max. She is our pet squirrel! She comes about every other day and climbs the screen. She begs for food and chatters at the kids. It's pretty funny. The kids, especially Austin, love when she comes over. We never feed her but apparently a neighbor does because she is NOT afraid of people and we've caught her burrying peanut shells in our yard-ugh!

Happy Halloween

Can I freeze them like this forever?

We went to funny little pumpkin patch last week with some friends. It was great company. I couldn't help but feel like we were missing something when we noticed that the "patch" was a bunch of boxes full of pumpkins to choose from (much like the boxes of pumpkins in front of Walmart). We felt a little nostalgic for Iowa and the Solan pumpkin patch and Wilson's pumpkin patch where you can actually pluck your pumpkin from a vine. To make up for our nostalga we went to dinner at Culvers, our favorite Iowa hamburger place, and got Austin his first ever ice cream with crunch bar topping. It was on e of those perfect afternoons.

Practicing for those first steps - we're waiting patienly; he's getting close
Austin and his buddy Josh

Landon and his buddy Dallin


The giant straw slide

ummm?... who's having more fun?!